Note - This post has been redeveloped on the new Hobo - A to Z of Coventry bands - here https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventry/coventry-bands-a-to-z/coventry-bands-z/zoastra
In 1974, I interviewed a band called ZOASTRA for Hobo. They were the core of an earlier band in the 70's called WHISTLER (named after the painter) and which later became the nucleus of THE URGE in the late 70’s / early 80’s. The band consisted of John Westacott (bass) / Richie (Headrock) Medlock (Drums & vocals / writer) / Zodicoaxial (Kevin Harrison) on guitar / 12 string / electronics / composition). Lynda Harrison – Synthesiser / keyboards and vocals. They were one of the early bands into experimental electronic and sythi sounds. Kevin gave me the following lyric / poems for Hobo. However they were never published as Hobo folded shortly afterwards. As far as I know, this configuaration never got to the gigging stage ( although I may be wrong!). It seems to have been a transitional stage between the progressive music of Whistler in the early 70's and The Urge in the late 70's. John Westacott had also been a member of the early version of Last Fair Deal (already blogged about). Whistler were regulars at the Coventry Arts Umbrella c 1969 / 71. (Just found The Urge on YouTube - Revolving Boy Vid - It's really cool Revolving Boy - The Urge (Check it out). Also found Kevin Harrison's site Kevin Harrison's site
STOP PRESS!! Kevin Harrison has sent some addtional info on Zoastra -
"Zoastra was indeed a transitionary project, it was certainly more experimental than Whistler but contained seeds of the cut-up poetry/prose that 'urge' employed to good effect in the late seventies.
Envisaged as a Science-Fiction/Faction vehicle there were 2 line-ups, the first included myself, Charles Bullen (later 'This Heat' member), two drummers Gary Curtain & Al Docker, Lynda Harrison and John Westacott, this formation rehearsed twice at The Nags Head, Nuneaton.
Imagination tuned to the Big note
Got sussed in a space
Got spaced and sussed the
Angle at which all life
On this planet evolves
Like an envelope the smaller
Part of encapsulation
Bitten by my transmuted mind
Found alive two ice-frozen
Humans licked down the waste
Eaten true in haste.
Kevin Harrison (Zoastra) 1974
Mirror image falling
Visceral plains converging
Tactile dactylites tacky on Vu-screen
Increase photo-image fall-out
Micro-sonics beaming in on all sides now
We must not reiterate
Protect isometric scanner gamma shields
Psyche in on sound and image flakes
Laser-tronics up full-sound.
Dip! – Cut!
Re-program atmosphere
Dials set zero
Now Millennium.
Kevin Harrison – (Zoastra) 1974
Neon strip ice-cream dripped back in time
To Formentara
Cinematic surfing girls serve it up in dreams
Venus seems so far, Lurex faction sleeps
Micrograms run down zingel, lightening
Caressing skin, time spaced abstract
Vegas!
Kevin Harrison – (Zoastra) 1974
TO FIND OUT MORE AND HEAR SOME OF THEIR MUSIC TRY THESE SITES -
really good site with some of Kevin Harrison's CD's and some by Urge and the lyrics.
Real Life Kevin Harrisons Bandspace
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