Trev's Diary of Cov Music 1971
October Fri 1st - Moved to a cottage in Shilton - about 3 miles from the outskirts of Coventry on the Leicester Rd. with Al Docker - just the two of us at first. The cottage had been rented previously by Ron Lawrence and his Wife Pat. Ron was the bassist with the electric folk band - April (later Ron was in Sniff and the Tears for a while in the 1980's.). Al Docker's band Tsar were playing at Whitley Abbey School in Cov along with Flood. Fresh Maggots (Leigh and Gill) were there too. We took Dick home to Leamington. (not sure if Dick was a member of Flood - will check with Dennis Burns)!
October Sat 2nd - Al Docker's party at Shilton. Gave the cottage a good clean up.
October Sun 3rd - Went home to Willenhall - then to Umbrella club - met drummer Steve Harrison and Chris ? - we wrote sone songs.
October Mon 4th - Stayed at cottage - wrote a song and practiced on the cottage piano.
October Tues 5th - Went blackberrying with Al (Docker) over the fields. Al's group practised in the dining room - Charlie Bullen came over.
October Weds 6th - We went to Al's parents house and then to town and the Umbrella club. Met Jackie and Sam. Al and I went to see Keyboard player Tony Cross and guitarist Loz Netto play at a jazz session at the Smithfield Arms. (Tony Cross (who had played with Al and Loz in Love Zeus earlier in the year) was like a Jools Holland before Jools Holland - jaming with the house band on Jazz piano and Loz jammed on lead guitar.).
October Thurs 7th - Went to Birmingham to see Steve Knopinski and the others from Vicarage Rd. They had moved to Pershore Rd. Later at the cottage Steve Varney - a DJ from the Umbrella club came around. Tsar were practicing. Later we went on a midnight hike in the country.
October Fri 8th - Went to town - and the Lanch but couldn't afford to get in so we went to the Tally Ho, Golden Cross and the Umbrella. Met Jackie and Sam and Ade Taylor (formerly of Wandering John) - hung out with them in town. hitched home with Al.
October Sat 9th - Went to town - met up with Lyndie and the n Sam - Charlie Bullen's group practising at the Cottage in the evening.
October Sun 10th - Al and I made arty candles. Jackie and Sam coming through in afternoon. They didn't turn up but Pete and Gina did. Went to Al's parents for a meal. Al's dad gave us both a lift home.
October Mon 11th - Met Lyndie in town. Later Al and I sold cnadles at Lanch. Went to see Barry Bowerman at Whitefriars Gate. Went to Cross and Brolly. Guitarist John Alderson came back to Shilton for a jam.
October Tues 12th - Al Docker's birthday. Al went for job interview! Al's group practiced at the cottage in the evening while I did the washing up!
October Weds 13th. Rained and thundered - got soaked. Went in to the International Centre - met Clive and the King Henry 8th guys. Went to Festival cafe - Christine ? bought me a sandwich. Back to Shilton.
October Thurs 14th - Went to town with Al selling candles we made. Went early to the West End Club and helped Caravan load in the equipment. The new keyboard player - Steve Millar (not the guy of Joker fame) told us he was from Nuneaton area. Met Caz and Jean (who I'd met last year at Pete Waterman's Walsgrave venue -doing the door) and keyboard player Martin Barter and Charlie Bullen there. Got a lift back to Shilton from Ron Lawrence.
October Fri 15th - Al went to Leamington. met Sally in town - went to cross and umbrella - later to the Tally Ho with Jackie and Sam and then to the Lanch Poly gig.
October Sat 16th - Ron Lawrence came around to cancel the Runestaff practice for monday. I went to the Umbrella to met John Leopold about folk contacts for Umbrella gigs. Pete Webb also asked my help for contacts. Met Peta - went to the Lanch.
October Sun 17th Stayed in writing and practicing piano all day.
October Mon 18th - Sandra's birthday. Runestaff - Al's Cov super group with ex April members Ron Lawrence and Bill jackson, ex Indian Summer members Al Hatton and Roy Butterfield, Al on drums.
October Tues 19th - Went to see Heron at the Umbrella club - but they didn't turn up.
October Weds 20th - Al's group practice at Templas School. Met Jackie Fince - she gave me some of her poems to type. Met Thema too. Steve and Roy came to Shilton - evicted from house in Birmingham. Wanted to stay. Steve had been lead singer in a Birmingham band. Al agreed to them staying a while.
October Thurs 21st Mum's birthday. Steve and Roy helped to develop Al's candle trade -working towards a cottage industry - Bludor Candles.. Went to see my mother and then met up with Lyndie in town.
October Fri 22nd Went to town with Steve and Roy to get materials for candle making and then to Birmingham. Al went to Zeta's. I met up in the evening with Jackie and Sam - went to the Lanch.
October Sat 23rd Lyndie's birthday. Went to see her. Jan from the Birmingham moved in to the cottage as well - I met up with Lyndie - we stayed over at Al and Steve Varney's (two guys who did the disco at the Umbrella.Later Al was Bassist with Fission).
October Sun 24th John and Zeta at the Cottage with Al Big jam session at Shilton that night.
October Mon 25th Al's group practiced at the cottage. I worked on a sequence of poems sagaising the coming's and goings at the cottage.
October Tues 26th I went to Al and Steve Varney's disco in Hillfields.
October Weds 27th Steve Knopinski and Roy got proposal form for a loan to develop Bludor Candles. Kitchen was getting taken over with candle making! Lyndie gave me my 'famous' blue top shirt. I was wearing it in the pic Scon (Roadent) drew of me with the guitar by the side of Lady Godiva.
October Thurs 28th - Went to see Lyndie's play at Brookland's Annexe (the drama college).
October Fri 29th Lyndie's second performance at Brookland's annexe.
October Sat 30th Went down town to see Lyndie. Wrote in the evening, practiced guitar and piano (as often when not out and about on the Cov Scene).
October Sun 31st - Tom Paxton at De Montfort Hall in Leicester.
NOT NOW AN ENTRY FOR EVERYDAY - Some dates will be empty..
November Mon 1st - stayed in writing / practicing instruments - beginning to get serious on guitar and putting music to my lyrics.
November Tues 2nd - stayed in writing / practicing instruments
November Weds 3rd - stayed in writing / practicing instruments
November Thurs 4th - Went with Al Docker to Grantham on bus to see Jenny from the Umbrella club - she was studying there. However Jenny wasn't in Gratham so we stayed overnight there at some guy's house.
November Fri 5th - We explored Grantham early morning
November Sat 6th - Went to see folk singer Rosemary in town.
November Sun 7th - Al gave Steve and Roy 2 weeks notice to leave - the candle business wasn't working out and the candle wax was taking over the kitchen.
November Mon 8th Al's group Runestaff split up - last practice.
November Tues 9th Ex Indian Summer guitarist - Al Hatton came around to Shilton - stayed all day and night.
November Weds 10th Al got a car - gave his girlfriend Peta a lift to town. Went down to Lyndies - we cooked a meal - staying at Al and Steve Varney's house in Alma St.
November Thurs 11th Roy and Steve left Shilton. Went down to Alma street.
November Fri 12th -
November Sat 13th Lyndie came over to Shilton and later Al Ward.
November Sun 14th -
November Mon 15th Steve Brimstone came up from Hemel Hamstead to stay for a while - we went to the Umbrella club.
November Tues 16th Went to Alma St. to see Lyndie and the Varney's
November Weds 17th Took Steve Brimstone around Coventry centre - played guitars in evening - wrote a send up blues song.
November Thurs 18th Lyndie moved in to the Shilton cottage.
November Fri 19th Played guitar with Steve Brimstone, showed me some clawpicking on guitar.
November Sat 20th We went to the Lanch Poly to see Arthur Brown. Jackie and Sandra and the two Jan's and Rosemary there. Arthur on form.
November Sun 21st Stayed in writing / practicing and jamming.
November Mon 22nd Steve Brimstone's friend Tom came up from Hemel to stay. Went to the Umbrella Club - Jan coombs and Louise and Rosemary there.
November Tues 23rd Stayed in writing and jamming.
November Weds 24th Bought Bob Dylan / Band / Neil Young / Joni Mitchell songbooks to develop guitar playing.
In the evening had a 'happening' with people choosing poems to read / playing songs / making food / with candles / joss sticks and a bit peace vides / creativity.
November Thurs 25th..............Skip to -
November Tues 30th Sent a Merry Always Card to 100 music contacts in Cov (instead of the usual Birthday Card) including one to Scon (Roadent as he was later known with the Clash) - this was the first contact with him that carried through most of 1972 - meeting in around the Wimpy bar and the Lanch Poly gigs.
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December Fri 3rd - went to town with Steve Brimstone - met up with Paul Tranter - then Jackie and Sandra and Louise.
December Sat 4th - Went to Lanch Poly gig - Osibisa on - Clive - Sandra, Jackie.
December Sun 5th Jackie and Sandra coming to the the cottage (but didn't turn up). Steve Brimstone and I delivered Merry Always Cards to contacts - walked from Shilton to Lenton's Lane.
December Mon 11th Lyndie cut my hair - was trying for a new job.
December Tues 12th Lyndie went to Kenilworth. Ade Taylor and friends came up to jam - he had switched from bass which he played in Wandering John to rhythm guitar. He taught me how to do barre chords. Over the next week I practiced them day and night until my fingers were tougher. It was on a Spanish so it was harder to learn than on the Electric. Steve Knopinski got me playind some of the songs in the Band song book which utilised a lot of the chords. My favourite at the time was I Shall be Released. Over the last year I had mastered guitar and chords and arpeggios on the piano -started writing songs on guitar and piano instead of just lyrics, mastered basic clawpicking thanks to Steve Brimstone and Lyndie (who leant me her guitar to learn), had put music to some of the lyrics written before I played guitar. I never had any formal lessons but learnt bits froma range of Cov musicians or by watching them play at the many gigs I went or by jamming. I began branching out from lyrics to write poetry and humourous sketches and had done by first poetry gigs and played some of my songs live. The live performance side didn't get going properly until autumn 1972. I'd organised gigs and experimental poetry and music sessions at the Umbrella, assisted Pete Waterman with the Walsgrave in the early part of the year. Had built up a range of contacts on the Coventry music scene which set the basis for creating Hobo magazine. Organised my first festival - the Music Marathon (albeit that it had to be cancelled owing to lack of support from the local authority in terms of venue. The diary only sketches over much of it and gives a sense of chronology but it was a foundation year for me kind of!
December Mon 13th
Was asked to do a Poetry reading (alongside Adrian Mitchell) at the Colin Campbell for the Lanchester Polytech Arts Feb in Feb 1972 (which I did). That was two festivcal I read at that year - Warwick University Arts Fest earlier in the year and this one. I was mostly writing song lyrics at this stage rather than straight poems but used some of the lyrics also as performance poems. Later on went to see Lance.
December Tues 14th - Lyndies play started at the Butts Tech College. Met Reta on bus and later met Scon (later called Roadent) in the Wimpy bar. He kept a booklet of his poems on him and wrote new ones in it - I started the Communications Books at this time - taking them around like a cyber blog - with others writing in poems / lyrics / thoughts / graphics etc or communicating. Scon / Roadent was one of the most regular contributers, along with Lyndie and Sue from Birmingham.
December Weds 15th.
Recieved cards on Jan Gage and Jan Coombs, John Alderson, Mojo Tony Morgan etc. Got letter off Sue from Birmingham - during 1972 we would hitch around a lot to deveon and Nottinghamshire and became longstanding friends after we both moved to different places. Sue later helped with one of the issues of Hobo with finance and support. Met Egg (Hilary) who had this great silken lilac dress coat ( best I can describe it) on. Went to Steve and Al Varneys' and then the umbrella club.
December Thurs 16th
Went to see Lyndie's play at the Butts tech (more info in the section on Brooklands Annexe - see Hobo Index). Later went to see Pato at the Umbrella Club.
December Fri 17th
Down to read at the poetry event for the Lanch Poly Arts fest on Jan 29th 1972
Skinheads around everywhere in town!
December Sat 18th
Met Scon / roadent in the Belgrade Theatre with his book of poems. Met Jackie and Sandra - hung out with them the rest of the evening.
December Sun 19th
Ade Taylor (Wandering john bassist was going to come up to the cottage for a jam. Didin't turn up.
December Sat 20th
Went to town - hung out with Maggie from the Umbrella - evening it was mistletoe madness -Jackie and Sandra and Heather at Umbrella. Stayed there until 2am.
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December Tues 22nd
Got over 30 cards fromthe Cov scene so far and Jacky's today.Went to town - Sandra, Melve Preece, Lance, Steve were there.
December Weds 23rd
Steve Brimstone went back to Hemel Hemstead.
December Thurs 24th
Got card off my dad.
Went to town - christmas spirit - got merry. Met Sue and Lyn in Tally Ho - went to the Jag. Many people around.
December 25th Fri
Spent Christmas with my family - praticed poems ready for the Lanch gig.
Plough Club (Silk Disco) closed down Sundayt 2nd Jan 1972.
This is last part of the diary. I've excluded more of the personal side of the diary and some of the similar entried but hopefully it gives a glimpse of the scene in that year - they type and number of bands and venues, some of the characters and musicians. So were later world famous and others would be known to peole who view this blog on a regular basis. It gives a glimse of my own development on the music scene - developing as both a writer and musician and organiser.
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