wally – SMART

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

March 29, 2023March 29, 2023 by Alan Esdaile

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 .

The Sounds Summer Rock Show with Wally – Hastings Pier 28th August 1976.

September 3, 2022 by Alan Esdaile

supplied by Mick Mepham

Andre Martin….Saturday 28th August 1976 – It was the Bank Holiday Weekend !

Clifford Rose… I remember the films but not Wally. My first pier gig was T.Rex so the concert was after July 75.

Mick Mepham…. Excellent band Clifford. If memory serves me right, they were touted as the next big thing by someone like Bob Harris…

Martyn Baker… Bob produced the eponymous first album. They were pretty good if you happened to like Eagles-ey country Rock – English-stylee.

Ralph Town… 1976….I was there.Rolling Stones “video” was “Only Rock and Roll”.99% sure.The alcohol means there is a 1% error possibility.

Alan Esdaile…. Great gig Wally were excellent , love them.

Pete Fairless… I’ve got a couple of dates listed for Wally but not this one!

Mick O’Dowd… 1976 was a Saturday(and Mungo Jerry listed) 1975 was a thursday which is much more likely for a gig of this sort but Wally were listed as playing on the 5th September a week later. The plot thickens! Can now confirm it was 1976.

Martin Richter… did a double-take – thought it said *billy graham* !

Pete Fairless… We’ve all seen a few wallies on the pier…

Dave Weeks… I remember Wally. Rick wakeman prodigies and they played at the OGWT road show on the pier

Dave Nattress… Wally a great band, featured and commented on this site before. Definitely saw them at the pier but don’t remember this gig as such, maybe they played twice, I have the first album on vinyl. They came second I believe to Druid in the MM rock contest. Bob Harris produced/managed them. Second album is “Valley Gardens”. Managed to get both on CD a while back, then a mint unused unplaced vinyl of Valley Gardens from the second hand record shop in Sackville Road, Bexhill. Druid also played the pier and I have their two albums on vinyl and CD.

Dave Weeks… Yes I saw them on the pier and bought their 2 albums. I loved Druid too but neither band stood the test of time unfortunately. The old grey whistle test road show on the pier is where I saw Wally (I think) happy days.

Dave Nattress… I still play both albums. I’ve looked them up and I think the survivors still play occasionally.

Gigs the ones that meant so much by Pete Prescott.

May 29, 2021 by Alan Esdaile

photos by Pete Prescott

Pete Prescott… GIGS, the ones that meant so much. My top 20 starts with my first. HYDE PARK JULY 3rd. Grand funk railroad humble pie head hands and feet. I was 15, went with two mates from school, mick dean and pete attral. It changed my life, everything became music. I was obsessed from that day. All the people there looked amazing, we were school kids. Humble Pie were stunning. They had just recorded the live at the filmore album (yet to be released) same line up. Frampton was in the band. In Highway we did for day creep from that set. Head hands and feet had Albert Lee. He did country boy and chad hodges was in the band. I came home with my head spinning. .when I got the performance album by humble pie it had some photos from Hyde park. I still look at it. What a gig ! I took the photo. The head in the right is mick dean. He became the drummer in my first band Village. Years later I went to live 8. It was July 2nd. I stayed till past mid night. So I was there again 34 years later (slightly bigger stage !)

Alan Esdaile… Anyone else with the gig that meant so much and memories?

Yvonne Cleland… Yup. Bob Marley and the Wailers, Average White Band, Joe Jackson and the Q-Tips. Crystal Palace Garden Party, June 7th, 1980. The stage was in the lake. We waded in for Bob Marley. Best gig in the world ever, but the lake was filthy and we stunk afterwards!

John Wilde… I was 14it at The Windsor Hotel. with my Uncle Tony. Stage was three feet high and I was standing in front of a Wildly dressed trio called The Jimi Hendrix Experience. My life would never be the same. Thanks Tony.

Lesley Brown… My first Genesis gig. No Gabriel, but I was totally overawed by the lighting and the whole set up. It was pretty late, 1980, Duke was out, and I was blown away by the moment that Phil Collins left the drumming to Chester Thompson to take the mic and sing Afterglow It remains one of my all time goosebump moments.

Graham Blechamber… I saw Genesis on The Duke Tour at Brighton Centre. Fantastic show opening up with Deep in the Motherlode. At one point I shouted out “Wally”. Phil Collins slapped me down with a curt ” your more of one than me”! My first taste of fame! Its was a festivsl tradition shouting out Wally! One person would do it then shouts came from everywhere. Carried over into indoor gigs too till the early 80’s.! No idea of why.