supercharge

Supercharge and Damaris – Hastings Pier 10th April 1976

by

img499

supercharge

Supercharge-1

Supercharge (2)

img500 copy 2

pages from Wishbone Ash programme supplied by Eric Cawthraw

Virginia Davis… I  remember a time when Eddie and the Hot Rods were a no show and an unknown band called The Jam stepped in. Not sure if it was that date though.

Alan Esdaile… I think that was 23rd April 1977 and The Jam replaced Johnny Thunders as was ill.

Virginia Davis… Oh right. Well it was a long time ago. At least I remembered who actually performed. Should of realised later date as it was just before In The City was released.

Eric Cawthraw… Supercharge – what a great outfit they were. I didn’t get to see them in Hastings, but caught them supporting Wishbone Ash in Brighton. They always looked like they were having a fun time. Above pages from the Wishbone Ash – New England tour booklet showing the Supercharge entries.

Mick O’Dowd… Supercharge were one of those great bands that never quite made it. Superb album Local Lads Make Good.

Dave Nattress… I do recall the gig very well and the newspaper cutting. Damaris played exclusively self-penned progressive material with lots of long instrumental passages that I used to get lost in listening to sometimes and I’d just drift away. I wrote the lyrics and we all helped arrange the tracks. Tony Barraclough played a Gibson SG through a Vox AC30/50, Iain Cobby was on Fender Precision later a Rickenbacker Stereo with the obligatory Marshall Stack, Paul Durrant had a range of keyboards including an Elka Rhapsody and several other keyboards, and Mick Kemp played a Pearl Full-Dimension kit with about 13 drums. Back then my 3 chords weren’t up to playing on stage and as my life has gone by, it’s still no more than 3 chords. Damaris nicked a passage from The Planet suite by Gustav Holst for one track called “Alien Tomorrows” – Mars maybe Jupiter, can’t remember right now, and then we had another long ranging piece called “Star-Tiger” which was written about an aircraft that disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle – which had the call-sign “Star Tiger”. Maybe you get the drift of what we were aiming for in our music!!! Supercharge were extremely good. From the moment they sound-checked we could see how polished they were.

Graham Belchamber… Supercharge ! I lived in Liverpool between 1985 and 95 and Supercharge were still doing the rounds up there. Some marvellous albeit hazy memories of them.

Iain Cobby… It was Jupiter, Dave.

Wishbone Ash plus Supercharge chat – New England Tour Programme & Brighton ticket 1976

by

Wishbone Ash prog001Wishbone Ash prog002

Wishbone Ash prog003 Wishbone Ash prog004

supplied by Eric Cawthraw

Eric Cawthraw… Supercharge were a very good support band – great sax playing and damn amusing too. They looked like they were having fun and didn’t seem to take themselves too seriously!

Mick O’Dowd… That’s the Supercharge LP (Local Lads etc) i’ve been trying to locate for years after losing it at some point. Contains legendary, and totally different track from all the rest, “She Moved The Dishes First” Anybody supply a copy.

Yvonne Cleland…. I went to this gig

Dave Nattress… Damaris once supported Supercharge on the Pier. They certainly knew what they were at and they had a seriously impressive stage set-up. The sax player was Albie Donelly. I think they’re still playing -did look them up quite recently.

Sarah Harvey… I  actually went to that gig at The Dome and seem to remember enjoying Supercharge…I also remember Wishbone Ash being punishingly loud!

Phil Gill… Here you go Alan. We saw them play this at Reading in 1976 and never forgot the line about the Weetabix bowl…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_Kz0e3Tq30&feature=youtu.be

Alan Esdaile… I remember it now Phil, very funny. Pretty sure we booked Supercharge into Eastbourne Collage at one stage?

David Miller… Digging Supercharge here for the first time – good and funny stuff. Bands that come to mind are Alberto y los trios paranoias, Dread Zeppelin. Zappa and Derek & Clive.

Sarah Harvey… Supercharge were really comical on the stage….had no idea what to expect when they were billed as the support act but they did some really funny take-offs of other bands of the era.

supercharge promo 2A-286541-1267135548.jpeg

Eric Cawthraw…Yes, Wishbone Ash were very loud that evening. They have of course played Hastings several times since then. The gig on our Pier was a bit different – as there were tables and chairs in the ball-room. The age group was by then quite a bit older –so they must have thought we needed to sit down to sup our sherry and Sanatogen. Probably just as well they were loud – so we could hear them through our deaf aids. Going back to Supercharge, what I do remember that evening was one particular number that was a slow blues and it just got slower and slower until the entire band [except the drummer] were playing their respective instruments completely horizontal on the stage floor. The song only finished when the drummer fell off his kit! I should image they pulled that stunt at many a venue – and very amusing it was too. Sorry guys – I haven’t got the album though, but you think it might be found on the net somewhere – happy hunting!

Mick O’Dowd… They were , as you say, unusual but very talented and led by Albie Donnelly. I think they only did the one album and all the tracks had a blue-eyed soul feel except “Dishes!!” They did play this on Radio Caroline and this is where I picked up on them.

Sarah Harvey… That is really strange because that is the number that really sticks out in my mind….the slow blues became asleep blues….absolutely hilarious. They just had a way of making rock very comical and I haven’t seen anyone anywhere near as good since.:-)