st leonards

All Things Bright – Witch Doctor St Leonards 29th January 1966

Tony Court-holmes… we won the world cup that year never do it again well not in my life time

Mick O’Dowd… Amboy Dukes were more well known and were a nice little band.

Dave Nattress… Noticed the bottom said “The Birds are Coming” – would this be “The Birds” a band several years pre-Faces that featured Ronnie Wood? This is topical for me right now as I’ve finally got round to reading “Had me a real good time” – The Faces biography by Andy Neill and it seems like The Birds were a very hard gigging band. As yet the Witch Doctor hasn’t been named and maybe anyway, I’m on a bum steer here!! I’m only on page 95 of 500 odd. Also, there was an “Amboy Dukes”, from the USA – the name I recall well and I’ve looked them up and they featured Ted Nugent and are described as acid rock and psychedelic rock, would this be the same Amboy Dukes who played the Witch Doctor supporting “All Things Bright”?

Mick O’Dowd… Did the Birds not compete in Ready Steady Win! along with The Bo Street Runners?

Pete Fisher… Bo Street Runners rang a bell with me…and I remembered that they were one of the bands Mike Patto sang for before Timebox, Patto and Boxer…Mick Fleetwood also played drums for them…winning Ready Steady Win! in 1964 got them a contract with Decca..

The Birds – Valentines Day – Witch Doctor 1966

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supplied by Robert Wren

Alan Esdaile… Anyone tell us anymore about The Birds? The American band was spelt ‘The Byrds’ but I think it could be this version…..

John Storer….The bassist in this clip is Kim Gardner who was the “Gardner” in Ashton Gardner & Dyke who had a hit around 1970 with “The Resurrection Shuffle” Groovy clip, by the way ….

Robert Wren….Ronnie Wood.

Andre Martin…..This is the British BIRDS and this is 1966, there was some confusion at the time about the 2 groups.They came from West London, and Ronnie Wood was in the original line up – here is potted history – The Birds were a popular rhythm and blues band in the United Kingdom during the mid-1960s, although they recorded fewer than a dozen songs and released only four singles. Starting out with a hard R&B sound, they later began infusing it with Motown-style vocal harmonies he best known former member of The Birds is Ronnie Wood, who went on to join the Jeff Beck Group, Faces and later The Rolling Stones.

Will Cornell…..Your Birds (w. Ron Wood) predated our Byrds by a little I think, and that’s why McGuinn used a “y”–that and he didn’t want UK audiences to think they were chicks.

Eric Cawthraw… just catching up on some of my SMART site reading and noticed the Witch Doctor posting for this. Well at the moment I’m reading ‘Rock On Wood’,  about Ronnie Wood obviously. A damn good read it is too. There is a lot in the book about the British 60s R&B band the Birds – I see they are also on the same add. This explains the item on the bottom left of the book’s inner sleeve cover that says “Don’t blame me, I was at The Witch Doctor”. See for yourself! I believe there was a right old whoo-ha over the name when the American Byrds came to tour. I believe our Birds were highly respected on London circuit in the mid-sixties. I’m too young to know! [Delusional again]. Anybody got some more music reading to recommend?

Ronnie Wood001 Birds Witch Doctor001

supplied by Eric Cawthraw

 

Shaft – Yorkshire Grey 1974

Andy Knight (drums), Jim Beadle (bass), Bob Shipway (guitar), Colin Pierce (guitar), Dave Shaw (vocal), Ross Holter (mixing).

Harry Randall… Jim use to play bass in met band in 67-68 “The Lloyd Milligan Sound” an 8 piece soul band who basically went pro to Keel but got fiddled (didn’t wait for contract)

Judith Monk… Loved the ‘Grey’ used to play bar billiards there.

Tony Court-holmes… used to be good for a fight I remember but still some good bands played there

Moody Blues St Leonards and Eastbourne 1960’s

supplied by John Busbridge

John Busbridge… Signed Photo of Moody Blues given to me by the Moody Blues backstage at the Continental Club in Eastbourne ! My Favourite Band at that time! Saw them three times! Once at the continental club in Eastbourne and twice at the Witch Doctor

Ashley Davies… Still listen to on the threshold of a dream album which is 50 years old great band

John Busbridge… I even started to learn the flute at the time!

Alan Esdaile… Struggling to read this John. Does it say a date. Looks like birthday night

John Busbridge… 1st Birthday Night Friday 16th July 1965. Tickets 7/6

Chris Meachen… Got a lift off them once.. Budgie took me halfway to Coventry, then the Moodies let me ride with them from the services to somewhere near my destination..

Baz Cooper… Did they sign the photo and then say, “Go Now!” ???

Dave Nattress… Baz – now there’s a “Question”

Baz Cooper… Yes, isn’t life strange?! Lovely to see these old photos from days of future past! On a sadder note, it is just on 12 months ago that Ray Thomas died

Colin Norton… Why do we never get an answer? …..

 

Little Walter – Witch Doctor St Leonards 1st November 1964

Poster supplied by John Busbridge

Ken Copsey… Wow! I didn’t know he had played in Hastings. Someone I would have loved to have seen live.Anyone on here go to the gig? Tragic that he died aged 37 and was originally buried in an unmarked grave.

Pete Fisher… look what I missed in the little seaside town where I grew up! I would have been 9 years old, so a bit young to get into this club…so many bands played here back then, including Jimi Hendrix on the pier in 1967…missed that one too…started catching up in ’69, starting with The Who! I would have just turned 14, and was allowed to go escorted by my older sister’s best girlfriend, who’d organised tickets. We stood up the front too at first, but after a couple of songs I started feeling weird and the room started to distort visually (this was way before I indulged in anything mind enhancing), just from the sheer volume, so I had to pop out briefly for a bit of sea air…came back and watched the rest from a more sensible distance…my mate Ben came into school the next day with one of Keith Moon’s drumsticks, which he’d managed to keep hold of despite being chased out of the ballroom and off the pier by envious fans at the end of the gig…being of diminutive stature and a fine rugby player probably helped…

Tony Rivers and The Castaways – The Dolphin Ballroom 6th January 1968

John Warner… Tony Rivers, met him in later life when his wife Tina came to work for me. That really is a blast from the past.

Tony Rivers… Yeah I was wondering just where I was that day!

Mick Knights… I still remember them playing Good Vibrations at The Witch Doctor, they were one of my favourite giging bands at the time, saw them on a quite a few occasions, one of them was most probably at the Dolphin Ballroom which was used while the Witch Doctor morphed into The Cobweb.

 

Rockers & Roadies – Kino-Teatr · St Leonards. Friday 25th January 2019 at 7.30pm

Join ex-roadies Phil John and Crystal Taylor along with special guest Mick Bolton (ex-keyboard  player with Mott the Hoople and Dexy’s Midnight Runners) for an evening of tall tales and amusing anecdotes taken from their twenty or more years on the road in the 70s & 80s with numerous different bands including Mott the Hoople, Queen and David Bowie. Using period film clips and photographs they allow you an insiders view of what it was like to be front stage, back stage and behind the wheel at a time that many people consider to be ‘The Golden Age of Rock ’n’ Roll’. Hosted by Andy Gunton.

Tickets and more information… https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/593201

Peter B’s Looners – The Witch Doctor Sat 1st January 1966.

poster supplied by Peter Millington

Bruce Eder biographer – Peter B’s Looners (also sometimes called Peter B’s) were formed by Pete Bardens and Mick Fleetwood in 1966, following the breakup of their previous band, the Cheynes. The original lineup, in addition to Bardens and Fleetwood, included Dave Ambrose (ex-Steampacket) on bass and Mick Parker on guitar. An instrumental outfit, they were signed to EMI’s Columbia label, but Parker had exited before they got around to recording their sole single release, “If You Wanna Be Happy” b/w “Jodrell Blues,” with guitar chores on that record were handled by Peter Green in his debut recording. Despite the impressive names involved, Peter B’s Looners proved a transitional vehicle for all concerned and the group had split up by the end of 1966. Ambrose became a member of Brian Auger & the Trinity, while Green moved on to John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. There, he hooked up with John McVie, and was later joined by Fleetwood, and together they formed Fleetwood Mac. Meanwhile, Bardens moved on to form Shotgun Express, passed through the lineup of Them, and a solo career that ultimately led to his forming Camel.

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/peter-bs-looners-mn0001893500/biography

Alan Esdaile…. some people here will remember Pete Bardens Camel.

Mick O’Dowd… Didn’t he also have Pete Bardens Express?