steve maxted

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

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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

Hastings College All-Niter with Desmond Dekker, Grapefruit and more – Hastings Pier 27th June 1969

Mick O’Dowd… Wasn’t it John L Watson & The Hummelflugs before this?

Kev Potts… I can remember a mate of mine getting a ticket and he said are you going I said no like my bed to much I was 16 at the time

Trapeze? and Image – The Cobweb 24th May 1969

24th May 1969 Trapze

Anyone confirm if this was Glenn Hughes Trapeze?

Robert Searle… Yes believe it was

Chris Sambrook… Trapeze were a  a 5 piece band in 1969, so it could have been Glenn Hughes. Then they were down to 3. You are the music, we’re just the band album not sure if this was the first album as a 3 piece. Glenn Hughes mentioned the Moody Blues another West Midlands band for their  help early on to  promote Trapeze,  with thanks to them, within the  presentation of Deep Purple inducted by Lars Ulric into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Robert Searle… “Send me no more letters” was their single on the Threshold label.

Wally plus Quick Licks – Hastings Pier 29th March 1973 & Druid chat.

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supplied by Sarah Harvey

Sarah Harvey…..Wally were a prog rock group from Yorkshire and they entered the MM Rock Contest in 1973 and got to the final but didn’t win (Druid won), but one of the judges whispering Bob Harris asked them to record a session for his Monday night show. he then set them up with a recording contract with Atlantic.

Alan Esdaile….really love this band

Mick Mepham….Good band too.

Mick O’Dowd….Wally were quite an underated band and never got the success they desrved, but this was not through want of trying. They appeared several times on the Pier. Highly underated!

Yvonne Cleland….They were. Saw them twice on the pier, and once at Brighton Dome.

Clive Richardson….The support band were also good but it should read ‘Quick Licks’ . 3 piece from London and all their songs were made up of licks.

Here in 1974 on the Old Grey Whistle Test with ‘The Martyr’

Dave Nattress… “Wally”…the first album, really wonderful, still play it a lot. The second, “Valley Gardens” was named after the public pleasure gardens in their home town of Harrogate and personally I feel it is not quite so good. These are 2 of my most treasured vinyls and after looking out for the CD versions for many years, I got the first in 2008 and then Valley Gardens in 2010. In fact I then got an absolutely mint, (I’m sure it was unplayed) vinyl of “Valley Gardens” from the record shop in Little Common for about £5.00. I also saw them at the pier. Druid – reminded me and some of my friends of the time – Iain Cobby for one, very much of Yes. Definitely the sound comparison came from the Rickenbacker bass and the Jon Anderson like vocals. Iain, I remember well you changing the Precision for the Rick!! I’ve got the 2 Druid albums on vinyl and CD. I’m sure Druid played the pier.

Iain Cobby… Yes Dave, I remember Druid from Whistle Test then seeing them on the pier. I too have both the CD’s . They were a good prog band in the wake of Yes. Like most prog of that time, they were overwhelmed by the oncoming rebellion . The drummer played with Gary Newman as Tubeway Army. and yes I still have a Ricky, not the 4001 but a 4004 …….. its the clang that’s the thang!

Janine Anne Scott… I sang for the Easter Fashion Parade that year .

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..