British blues: part 3 London

[This recollection was first published on my Geocities website in 2006 - but as the future of Geocities is uncertain, I thought I'd re-publish it here with a few tiny amendments.]

In September/October 1965 I went to the Battersea College of Advanced Technology/University of Surrey (designate) and met Steve Whitehead (he lived on the floor below at Ralph West Hall) who also liked blues. (Steve just reminded me by email of a series on Granada TV which featured an amazing roster of US blues musicians playing around derelict railway stations in the Manchester area.)

One of the reasons I wanted to go to London was because I'd read about the Flamingo and Marquee clubs in NME and wanted to be part of that scene. I saw Jesse 'Lone Cat' Fuller at the 100 Club (17 October 1965) and got his autograph.

On my course was Chris Brunt, who played alto sax, clarinet, flute and guitar! After a term in hall I moved into his flat in Hammersmith. We played blues at the folk club – he on guitar, me on harmonica (under the name of Whistlin' Walshaw Fred – the Fred had came from Freddy and the Dreamers who I was thought to resemble!) – and this formed the beginnings of Helix.

Valid until 31st March 1966

I was also a member of the stage lighting crew, which got me into gigs free and backstage. Battersea alternated Saturday 'dances' with Chelsea College over the river - us one week, them the next. We also decorated the hall with huge sheets of paper painted up with various scenes. This was just before light shows took over. After our painting we'd adjourn to the Green Cafe on Battersea Park Road for a slap-up lunch. I saw The Animals, Steam Packet with Long John Baldry and Rod Stewart, and many other bands, including (I'm sure) one of the first gigs by Led Zeppelin possibly under the name of The New Yardbirds, and on Saturday 1 October 1966 (just looked through my diaries) the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, supported by Dave (David?) Anthony's Moods.

Suki

I'd been playing blues harp since school, and Suki (Shelagh Reece) had even made a coffin-shaped box for my Echo Super Vamper in A. Some memories of my band Helix are published elsewhere.

On Sunday 5 December 1965 I saw my hero Jimmy Smith at the New Victoria ( a double bill with Dizzy Gillespie!). I had a much better view of him when he played the Brighton Concorde a few years ago. I was on the front row, and when I asked for his autograph in the interval, he kissed my head!

I also saw Thelonius Monk at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon, 25 April 1966, with Chris Brunt. By this time I was getting into jazz and buying Charlie Parker records.

There was a second wave of Brit Blues in Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack and Duster Bennett, but they were already being mocked by the likes of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (one of my all-time favourite bands) with 'Can blue men sing the whites' from The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse (1968) and 'I've got those Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, John Mayall, can't fail Blues' by The Liverpool Scene from Bread on the night (1969). The mods were growing their hair and becoming hippies and the blues was turning into prog rock and heavy metal.

Other reminiscences:
Prologue
British Blues: part 1 Bury
British Blues: part 2 Manchester

Helix
Glad Day and Guildford Arts Lab

Three bonzos and a piano

threebonzosandapiano.co.uk: new website for Rodney, Roger, Sam ... and Dave!

Three Bonzos and a piano

My most favourite band of all time has to be the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. I saw them for sure in 1966 in the Great Hall of the University of Surrey (at Battersea) where I was studying and I'm positive I saw them even before that, more informally in the student bar. I was privileged to be at their reunion 40 years later at the Astoria, have seen Roger Ruskin Spear's Giant Kinetic Wardrobe - at the UoS free festival in 1973 - and have enjoyed seeing Neil Innes many times over the years. So it was with great excitement last Saturday that I cycled to the Latest Musicbar (formerly the Joogleberry) to see Three Bonzos and a piano, namely Roger Ruskin Spear, Rodney Slater and Sam Spoons with Dave Glasson - particularly since Neil Innes and Fatso had cancelled their gig at the Duke of York's cinema the night before. Thankfully, Jo and Laurence had saved me a seat up front (though my view was obscured by Rodney's music stand!). They opened with Cool Britannia, swiftly followed by Watermelon and On her doorstep last night, Roger taking most of the vocals and the audience joining in with gusto. There followed two energetic sets of mayhem, with many Bonzos numbers covered, and a few surprise items too: viz: Punktuation and Sprouting Broccoli. We had the trouser press, shirts, the Leg, and all manner of special effects, ending with a tribute to Viv, Tent. It was great to be so close to three living legends and I managed to capture some videos on my Flip Ultra. At least two others were videoing the performance on proper camcorders. I'll deffo be back next month, and hope it'll be a regular gig. Andy Roberts was in the audience - maybe he'll play next time. You can find my videos here. And here's a video from a better angle by David of the Do Dah Diaries also on Vimeo.

More Bonzo's gig photos

Bonzo's gig - Jan 28 - a photoset on Flickr by IllPerson.

Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band Revisited

Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band Revisited: a couple more photos - shame I never clocked that sign outside the Astoria!

The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band Revisited

bonzo, originally uploaded by fred pipes.

It was 40 years ago today... well not quite, it was Saturday 1 October 1966 I last saw the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band live. So it was with huge excitement I travelled up to London to see the 'revisited' gig at the Astoria, despite having to go via Lewes cos of engineering works. Popped into the Pillars of Hercules pub on Greek Street, which despite being smokey was friendly enough and full of Bonzo folk from th'internet! Plus a lime'n'soda with ice and slice of lime (I'm still on the wagon) cost a mere 31p!

After a brief queue, we were in the venue and I had my half bottle of Brighton Corporation tap water confiscated (see rant below) but luckily kept my camera. We'd bought seated tickets and I'd assumed seats would be upstairs and standing down... Oh no, not so simple! Upstairs were tables and chairs at right angles to the stage with standing behind and downstairs was rows of cheap chairs, rapidly filling up. Ah well, too late to change.

The stage had more instruments on it than at a Rutles gig and a screen behind was showing a drawing of Bonzo Dog. We waited for the scheduled Rutles support, but no, we had the Bonzos instead, raring to go.

Down on the right front Andy Roberts was tuning up, then we had the full array. Back row, left to right was: Sam Spoons (Martin Ash) on percussion, Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell on saw and banjo, JJ Jones on drums, Tom Fry (in gorilla suit) on Bass. Front row: Roger Ruskin Spear on sax, Rodney Slater on clarinet and sax, Bob Kerr on trumpet, Neil Innes on keyboards (and later on guitar), Mickey Simmonds on keyboards and Andy Roberts on guitars and ukukele. Legs Larry Smith came on and off. The first half was mainly old novelty items (see set list) and ended with 'feel so gay' from 'Equestrian Statue' being reprised, appropriate since the Astoria tuns into a gay club at 10pm. Absent friends Viv Stanshall and Dennis Cowan were honoured with a minute's cacophony. Highlights included Bob Kerr's vocals for 'Little Sir Echo' with Sam Spoons on his knee dressed up as a vent's dummy. There were no robots, as such, but Roger did have some contraptions on stage, some of which worked! The trouser press and theramin leg had limited success.

In the second half, we were treated to an electric set with celebrity guests, the first of which was Ade Edmondson (from The Young Ones) doing 'The Strain' very convincingly! He was accompanied by Phill Jupitus on guitar. This was followed by Stephen Fry, an obvious Viv Stanshall soundalike, narrating 'The Sound of Music' - he also tackled 'Sport' (obviously), the end bit of 'Trouser Press' and 'Rhinocratic Oaths'. Ade did 'My Pink Half of the Drain Pipe' with Roger, 'I'm Bored', 'Tent' (by request) and dressed up as a parrot for 'Mr Slater's Parrot', jumping off stage then wonderingwhere the steps that were there in rehearsal had gone! Paul Merton arrived near the end to do 'Monster Mash'. Phill also sang on 'Mr Apollo' and 'Canyons of your mind' worshipping at Neil's feet during the worst guitar solo ever recorded. Bill Bailey was supposed to appear, but didn't. The evening ended with Viv's voice on The Intro and the Outro, with everyone, including several dressed up anonymous kids, taking the various parts. Despite a long standing ovation there was no encore and the show ended at 21.45 with a tape of Slush (followed by Joy Division!).

Set1
Cool Britannia (extract)
Hunting Tigers Out In 'INDIAH'
A minute's cacophony for absent friends
My Brother Makes The Noises For The Talkies
On her doorstep last night
Little Sir Echo (Bob Kerr)
Ali Baba's Camel
Falling in love again (in German) Vernon
I'm Going To Bring A Watermelon To My Girl Tonight
Look Out, There's A Monster Coming
Whispering (Roger on leg)
By a waterfall
The Sheik of Araby (Rodney, Sam Spoons solo)
Hello Mabel
Jollity Farm
The Equestrian Statue
interval
Set 2
Cool Britannia (extract)
We are normal
The Strain (Ade Edmondson vocal, and Phill Jupitus, gtr)
The Sound of Music (Stephen Fry)
Exodus ?? (Roger)
Trouser Press (Stephen Fry in at the end)
My Pink Half of the Drain Pipe (Roger and Ade Edmondson)
I'm Bored (Ade Edmondson)
Sport (Stephen Fry)
Mr Apollo (Phill Jupitus - 8 separate gorillas)
Humanoid Boogie
Tent (Ade Edmondson)
Can Blue Men Sing the Whites (Phil Jupitus)
Look at Me I'm Wonderful (Legs)
I Left My Heart In San Francisco (Legs)
Rhinocratic Oaths (Stephen Fry)
Narcissus
Mr Slater's Parrot (Ade Edmondson as parrot)
Monster Mash (with Paul Merton)
I'm The Urban Spaceman
Canyons Of Your Mind (with Phill Jupitus)
The Intro And The Outro (on tape)
Slush (on tape)


Rant: Gig venues seem to exist in a parallel universe where they are allowed to make up their own laws and have them enforced by jobsworth security staff with few powers of discretion. I strongly object to having my half old bottle of Brighton tapwater confiscated, because no food or drink is allowed to be brought in. I can understand that applying to a full bottle of Malibu and a hot pizza, but my friend Nick was nearly deprived of a bargain bag of apples he'd bought earlier for consumption back home. I also object to 'no photography' censorship, for photos taken without flash for non-commercial use. Museums and art galleries used to do this presumably to protect postcard sales (but the one thing you wanted a postcard of was rarely available), but these have largely been relaxed. It's time gigs saw sense and did as well. Fan photos (and audience recordings) will never hurt the pockets of professional photographers or record companies, but will rather fuel the demand for the promoters' and bands' products - they should be grateful.

More photos on mine and Paul Webster's Flickr pages.

NB Paul has now taken down his photos at the request of the promoter. The DVD will be out in October, BTW, more info from Classic Rock Productions (their own website doesn't seem to be working).