steve maxted

Haze 13th Jan and Sweet 20th Jan – Aquarius 1973

haze and sweet

1170930_10200959822612388_443707003_n

Haze photo supplied by Robert Searle                                                                         

Ticket supplied by Diane Leigh

Robert Searle… Back left is Robert Searle on bass, Les Harding guitar,Colin Rotheroe guitar. Front is Les Pennock vocals Bernie Marchant vocals and Dave Funnel drums. Bob, Les Harding and Colin Rotheroe backing vocals. Got my trusted Fender bass in my right hand. Hated those steps at the back of Aquarius where we bought the gear up but had a great night. We also did the Cobweb before the Aquarius opened. John booked us.

Robert Searle… Saw the Sweet at the Aquarius.Ive heard bad reports of the Sweet but that night , they were brilliant.Their playing was just as good as say Deep Purple ,their vocal harmonies were fantastic. That night at the Aquarius proved how good they were.A great rocking group with great vocals.

Alan Esdaile… I was at that Sweet gig and we were packed in like sardines. They were very good.

Leigh Wieland-Boys… I was there too, remember it like it was yesterday!

Robert Searle… A real great thumping backing ,great musicians.Vocals were fantastic with Andy Scotts high vocals were unbelievable, real professionals.

Chris Giles… I saw Sweet at the Aquarius …my friends dragged me along…. I wasn’t keen to see them… I was shocked they were brilliant one of the best acts I’ve seen.

Barry French… I was knocked out by Sweet at the Aquarius, I was expecting a pop band, & if my memory serves me correct I think they opened up with a WHO medley.

Matt Thomas… Too young but got sweets autographs

Ian McGilvray… Great Band. My favourite

Ronald Burgoyne… That must be when we saw them Mac

Ian McGilvray.. I think it was Ron. Great band with excellent harmonies.

Merv Kennard… that was a good night, so was the dlwp gig last December.

Chilli Willi and The Red Hot Peppers – Hastings Pier 21st December 1974.

chili 1974

CHILLI WILLI

Mick O’Dowd… Chilli Willi were a great underated band. Their only problem was which pigeon-hole to sit in musically. Their album Bongos Over Balham is a classic.

Geoff Peckham… Factory opened for Chilli Willi at Marlborough College’s end of year bash in their very impressive auditorium. When we’d set up, the Head the Music Dept. told the bands they could go to the pub in the village and get drinks on the teachers’ bar tab – big mistake! It was the Chilli’s bass player’s birthday and by the time we left them in the pub to go and play our set they were well gone! I don’t think the set they played after they’d staggered back was up to their usual standard!

Cupids Inspiration – Aquarius Club Hastings 11th Dec 1971

11th-dec-1971-cupids-inspiration

cupids-inspiration

Chris van Rock… Was that the club above that arcade …. George’s ?

Peter Fairless… Yes, Chris, later called Saturday’s

Kevin Burchett… was my regular haunt then and i was there at hot chocolate dont remember much about it though pissed lol

Steve Maxted photos and chat about George

225680_10150721971180541_2466153_n 184134_10150721972650541_3565916_n

253335_10150721983890541_3679097_nmaxted 285155_10150721967770541_5141459_n

223050_10150721971595541_5389802_n 223964_10150721965860541_5510184_n 282040_10150721972315541_4815225_n

photos supplied by Jozef Maxted

Jim Breeds… Brilliant 🙂

Caz Simpson… Oh wow! That brings back so many memories!

Janine Anne Hemsley… OMG

Eric Harmer… I remember going on stage on the down a yard of beer comp

Caz Simpson… Does anyone remember George? The lovely guy who always ate the raw eggs

Kevin Burchett… I  remember George I think he came over from Bexhill he was always on the stage

John Wilde… George was never afraid to get out on the floor and be the first to dance.

Mick Knights… He also walked from Bexhill and back every evening!

Andre Martin…. Steve [ with the shades] taken at the Black Umbrella Promotions Day for PYE records at Shepperton Studio – mid 1970s, he is standing next to the handsome hairy one – ME !!

10405427_10203856413148777_6382771090984438139_n

Pete Pursglove… ha ha remember him well ,good show he used to do

Read moreSteve Maxted photos and chat about George

Steve ‘Muscles’ Maxted and Chris Gentry 1976

994773_10200628934783835_725667513_n

Andre Palfrey-Martin Collection

A great disc jockey and showman and much loved in the Hastings area. Here’s an interesting link to his record collection:

www.djwildonevinyl.co.uk

A rare picture of Steve from 1976  with Chris Gentry at the Pye Records ‘Black Umbrella’ launch party.

Tony Davies….Steve Maxted used to have a weekly show at the Aquarius nightclub in George St ( later to become Saturdays) he’d dance around the stage balancing a chair on his chin and competitions to see who could eat the most boiled eggs or pickled onions in a certain amount of time, winner getting a bottle of wine. He’d shout out ” first girl on stage with red knickers “and there would be a stampede of girls rushing up on stage, again ,winner getting a bottle of wine. Needless to say, the place was always packed. !!! 🙂

Joe Knight….steve maxted he was at catfords witch doctor a friend for many years . I USE TO GET ON THE STAGE SOMETIMES AN HELP HIM ALWAYS A FRANKENSTEIN FILM GOING ON AS WELL WAT EVER BECAME OF HIM ????

Tony Court-holmes…  i used to work for mr gentry when he had the roadshow god i could tell some stories

David Wilkinson… god I could write a book but if you see him ask about the vinegar substitute in Helson Cornwall. I knew him when he worked at Lewes. I now live in Dorset, so communicate only by email. My alter ego is motown=mickey

Andre Martin… Fancy you remembering that, I used Orange Fizzy Drink for my chips, when the F&C shop had no vinegar – did not really improve the situation – but Hey Ho that would have been 1976 ? when we were working the Naval Bases in that South West

Steve Maxted… Yes, I remember all those dj’s well. Great times. Thanks

Joe Knight… Where’s the fur waist coat? My grans coat cut off the sleeves 1968 to look like you. What I remember; frankinstien movies raw egg eating balancing table on your chin Desmond Dekker and great nights

Steve Maxted… haha, glad I started a trend. That’s good, all I ever wanted was for people to go away happy and entertained, with good music buzzing in there ears. nice to know everyone has those good memories, thanks

Janice Price… Hi Steve Maxted. Where are you now??? I used to dance on the stage at Victoria Hall Southborough near Tunbridge Wells in 1969. Great times i remember dancing behind a screen as a silhouette! Jan

Steve Maxted… Hi Janice, happy memories for sure. So glad you remember them so well x

 

 

 

Geno Washington and The Ram Jam Band – Aquarius Club 20th August 1971

Mick O’Dowd… One of my heroes. Saw them several times including the Hastings Football Stadium gig. Great stuff.Problem was he couldn’t get the same excitement on his studio outings.

David Edwards… It seemed like Geno and his band played every fortnight from the Cobweb through to the Aquarius

Steve Maxted… I worked with the band at different venues including Catford. Terrific sound, loved them

Pete Houghton… I saw them at Picketts Loch in London 1976

Witch Doctor – what the stars say but NO Moody Blues! July 1966

witch-doctor chessmen

913931_10201902688666886_291041510_o 312356_4631032771856_1040629612_n

Andre Palfrey-Martin Collection

Andre Martin…..The Witch Doctor advertisement you have posted for July 1966 – which gives the Moody Blues as appearing -did not take place- having checked through the newspapers, see attached. All that I can think happened, was that this had been the original plan to get the Moodys back again, but as the 1966-1066 Programme book must have been planned and printed well in advance, something changed – perhaps the Moody Blue were on tour out of the country, who knows – in the end it was the Birds who topped the bill on that 3rd Birthday Party Night.

Mick Knights….the most likely reason for cancelation was a bands sudden increase in popularity (single climbing the charts) and the booking fee increasing by the same ratio. Seem to remember the same effect in reverse, when not enough tickets were sold to cover the bands fee.

Andre Martin….Mick -That’s what I thought, so I checked with their website and it would seem that Summer 66 was a ” troubled” time, with band members changing, so it would have been a logical move by management to pull dates. I don’t think we will ever know for sure.

Mick O’Dowd… I remember having a Witch Doctor flyer for this event which was the 2nd anniversary. 10/- entry (50p). Wanted to go but was working elsewhere that night. Never heard any reviews or talk afterwards.

John Warner… Alan Haven, the London director of the company that owned the Witchdoctor, sadly passed away.

Steve Maxted… sorry to hear that John