press ad supplied by Sarah Harvey and poster supplied by Andy Caine
Sarah Harvey….Aug 2nd, 1975 – Does anybody remember Dray – I seem to remember them being about in the 70s but cannot for the life of me remember ever seeing them.
Alan Esdaile…..Likewise I remember the name ‘Dray’ but can’t remember who they were. Remember Johnny Francis, always put on a good show. Sunday lunchtime at the Crypt if I remember rightly.
Ken Dengate…..How very spooky that you should mention Dray, Sarah. I was thinking of asking about them – and Duncan Dray himself – just a day or two ago. I recall that Duncan was the drummer (?), and at that time he lived in Harold road (or that area).
Terry Pack…..Duncan Dray was the drummer (hence the name). He had a LOT of tom toms, which gave rise to the ‘Incredible’ part of the name. I was accosted in Leisure Music in Silverhill in 1973 or 74 by a young Andy Cunningham, who told me that he he had a friend who played the drums, and was I interested in joining a band. I walked up to Ore in the hope of meeting ‘The Incredible Dray’, but never did, until a couple of years later, he replaced  Kevin Hoad in The Hollywood Killers. He was a very nice guy, and we played together till I left the band to join The Enid. He now lives in Peacehaven and works as an electrician. I think that Ashley Pepper might have been part of it, too. Johnny Flamingo, too?
Andy Caine… One of my very first gigs, Simon Fuller was the promoter!  1975 I think. With Duncan Dray, Ashley Pepper and Chris Richmond. Found this in the back of an old art pad!
Pete Fairless… Just to be clear, it wasn’t ’73, it was ’75 and Simon probably wasn’t promoting at age 14!
Andy Caine…. He put the gig on, I’m sure. When we were at the caves,he was involved with promoting bands.
Darren Holmes… My cousin Ashley Pepper was a member of Dray, they used the practice round my Auntie Shir’s house!!!
Dave Nattress… Wow, more memories – Dray – a name I remember now. Where did that pop up from!! This site goes from strength to strength!! And Sarah, where have all these cuttings come from – you just keep drip-feeding us with them. Great stuff. Ittour days in Samisen I don’t recall you collecting these as you must have been doing.
Mick O’Dowd…Â Used to work with Duncan Dray at G.H. Brooker in Norman Road in late 60’s. He was then in a band called The Springbeats.
Kevin White… I went to school with Duncan Dray, we played together as kids. I don’t recognize him in this pic though. He used a Premier kit as I remember, not sure what brand that kit is either. He actually got me my first paid job as a drummer too! It was when Dray first formed in the mid seventies, probably 73, 74 we would have been about 15 or 16.It was a residency playing tea dances and ballroom dancing with the Sandhurst Trio in the ballroom at the Bathing Pool holiday camp, Bulverhythe. The two other guys were, a pianist and a sax player, both very good musicians, they were both well over 70 years old, possibly older bless ’em. The entertainments manager offerred to get me work on the cruise ships but only if i agreed to get a haircut. I only played there half a dozen times or so, then joined my first prog rock band called Skysteed. I must dig out the photo of me in a white dinner jacket, purple velvet bow tie, cheesecloth shirt, 36″ denim flares and 4 or 5″block soled platform shoes.
