steeleye span

Steeleye Span – Hastings Pier 24th April 1975

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photos by Chris Meachen

Pete Fairless… I might have been there…

Alan Esdaile… I was and they were excellent.

Chris Meachen… I dragged their gear on, and announced them when they went on…

Paul Morfey… I was there, seen them loads of tlmes since!

Jim Breeds…  I was there. I might have a ticket stub somewhere but not sure where. Saw them all over the place. Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Milton Keynes (yes, really), Folkestone, London and places I’ve forgotten. Lat time was Aylesbury in 2013, the night of my 60th birthday. Peter Knight’s final tour with them. Now I see Gigspanner whenever I can. 

Tony Court-holmes… I was there

Drew Drew Barney… Me too!

Chris Meachen… The best moment for me was in the otherwise empty ballroom before the gig, when all 6 members of the band turned up, stood in a circle & burst into ‘Gaudete’ & another couple of acapella numbers. One of the most magical musical experiences I’ve ever heard..

Alan Esdaile… Chris, I remember.

Jim Breeds… I was at this one.

Patrick Lewis… So was I, I think.

Carol Anne… I was there, they were brilliant

 

 

Maddy Prior of ‘Steeleye Span’ sitting outside St Clements Church in 1972

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Supplied by Leigh Kennedy

Dawn Paines… Wow now this is a find and look at the state of the house behind her.

Wesley Magoogan… That house is now a wonderful house. This must have been taken when Steeleye were playing at the pier.

Tracy Birrell… I remember the band staying at the Queens Hotel when I worked on reception.

My Review of Steeleye Span – St.Mary In The Castle, Hastings – December 14th, 2017 by Sarah Harvey

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photo: Sarah Harvey

It was always going to be difficult job for me doing an objective review of Steeleye Span’s concert at Hastings during their 2017 tour. Having one of my dearest and longest friends from childhood days playing bass and me being responsible for dragging him over to the Eastbourne Congress Theatre in 1974 to see them for the first time, it was indeed a incredible thrill for me to see him play with them on a tour. I could have never ever imagined all those years ago that I would be sitting in the audience watching him playing with them.

So with my warning of bias well and truly out in the open, I will have a go at objectivity.

I saw Steeleye Span a year ago when Rik Kemp was playing bass. That concert was very much based around the new album ‘Dodgy Bastards’, which at that time was yet to be released. I am not a mad fan of folk music but have always been a fan of Steeleye Span since they have always managed to create a such a rich blend of folk and my first love of Progressive Rock. Dodgy Bastards was very much towards the latter and clearly showed a big influence of the newer and relatively younger members of the band.

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