This Post has been updated and transfered to the new Hobo sites here along with all the comments http://covdiscoarchive.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lanchester-arts-festivals-now-coventry.html
Ted Little was responsible for organising the Lanchester Arts Festival in the late 60's / early 70's.
I never knew Ted Little but as an 18 year old, like many Coventry musicians and fans of the time, I regularly frequented the Lanchester Polytechnic's student's union on a Friday or Saturday night to see some the best upcoming underground acts of the time. The kind of bands and acts that you'd hear on John Peel at that time. The Lanch gigs were the highlight of the week. Everybody would be there. It was such a great social-networking venue and an inspiration to budding local musicians. The first band I saw in the autumn of 1969 was Soft Machine. The list of bands I saw just goes on and on and includes -
Principal Edward's Magic Theatre, Jack Bruce, Colosseum, New Jazz Orchestra, Skid Row, Osibisa, Tyrannosaurus Rex (and later T. Rex), the Nice, Yes, ELP, Ralph McTell, Strawbs, Mr Fox, Atomic Rooster, Blodwyn Pig, Jethro Tull, Roy Harper, Vadergraff Generator, Can, Groundhogs, Duster Bennet, Kevin Ayres and the Whole World,Curved Air,Grimms, The Liverpool Poets, Jake Thackery, Neil Innes, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Scaffold, Paul Jones,Claire Hammil, Blackfoot Sue,Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts, Heron, Fairport Convention, Centipede, Nucleus,Arthur Big Boy Crudup, Climax Chicago Blues Band,Patto, Mott the Hoople, Roxy Music, Wild Angels, Nashville Teens, Leon Russell, Adrian Mitchell,Pete Brown's Piblokto, ELO, Wizzard, Gentle Giant, Fleetwood Mac, Who, Elton John, Caravan, Bridgett St. John, Lindisfarne, Stone the Crows, Medicine Head, Brinsley Schwarz,Brewers Droop, Ivor Cutler, Edwin Hawkin Singers , Lesley Duncan, Suzi Quatro, Cockney Rebel, Arthur Brown,-
These are just the ones I remember seeing. Later there was the Clash, Sex Pistols, Selecter, Specials, Bad Manners, Bowie, Pink Floyd, Chuck Berry, UB40 and so many more - not neccessarily in that order!
Ted Little wasn't responsible for all of those bands however. He was a student at the Lanchester Polytechnic in
Coventry, where he read modern studies between 1967 and 1970. His interest in arts administration began when he ran the Lanchester Arts Festival in 1970.
I'm not clear on whether Ted actually invented the Lanchester Arts Festival but he certainly helped to establish it as a multi-media festival with some of the top bands, street theatre, film, poetry, classical, blues and jazz, comedy and much more. This model appears to have been quickly followed by nearby Warwick University with their annual mixed meda arts festival which always took place a month later in March in the early 70's.
I only know of Ted Little because the other day I got an e mail and phone call from Colin Richardson who is sited on the 1971 Lanch Arts Festival programme as the man who booked most of the artists for the Festival through the BRON Agency in London. Colin (who was a former manager of the Marquee Club in London), was
full of praise and respect for Ted Little and they established a good working relationship. Colin was particulary impressed with the Multi-media aspects of the festival and the interest and inspiration that he brought to the festival. Colin told me that it was Ted who asked him to book Monty Python's Flying Circus for what would be their first ever Live performance at the Belgrade Thetre as part of the 1971 Arts Festival. (This story will be told more fully in another post).
I also seem to remember there were some great (60's style) artistic posters produced for both the Arts festival and the gigs. If anybody has any of these posters please let us know. I really think they should be archived on the internet in some form!
I was interested to learn that Ted went on to be the administrator of the Birmingham Arts Lababoratory in 1974. I remember going along to the Arts Laboratory to watch how the Birmingham Streetpress was layed out and designed after starting Hobo magazine. I can't recall meeting Ted or even knowing that this was the same guy who organised the
Lanch Arts Fest. However, as a result of Colin Richardson's phone call, I am now aware of Ted Little and his influence on the Coventry and Birmingham Arts and music scene of the early 70's.
(Colin Richardson's Blog on Typepad http://colinrichardsonjazz.typepad.com/blog/
In my research, I discovered that Ted had gone on to bring his innovative and democratic approach to the arts to the London Institute of Contemporary Art which he headed and, in the words of the Guardian, he became one of 'Britain's leading arts administrators' .
Unfortunately Ted Little fell down the stairs and was paralysed in 1985 but despite his serious disability - "Between 1985 and 1987 he was director of Northampton Arts Centre, followed by two years as director of Artsline. He was active in the development of disability arts; in 1993 he established the Arts Council of Great Britain's initiative to increase the employment of disabled people in the arts." The Guardian
Ted Little passed away in 1999 aged 56 but his influence on the Coventry and Birmingham arts scene,not to mention his work in London and elsewhere, is still felt but those who went to Lanch Festivals or the Birmingham Arts lab back in the 70's.
If anybody has anymore information on Ted Little (especially his role in Lanchester Arts Festival) or anyone one else associated with organising the bands and festivals at the Lanch or any posters / flyers, please get in contact. I can add your information / memories in and any material you have. Alternativly leave a comment here.
You can read more about Ted Little by following these links to obituaries in the Guardian and the Independent.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/1999/aug/12/guardianobituaries
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/ted-little-1116790.html
Hi - I was at the Lanch from 66 to 69 and was the union social sectetary during 67/68. Ted Little, who I knew well, took over from me Sept. 68. Ted was in his mid-twenties (a mature student as opposed to the immature rest of us!), a soft-spoken Irishman with experience in the jazz world. The LAF was very much his idea. Many of the lads who had worked with me to organise our gigs went into Ted's and they put on a good range of stuff in their first go in 69 - I particularly remember Pentangle in the cathedral.
I'm trying to piece together information about the gigs I was involved with and I found a list at deanocity3 which is very patchy and probably inaccurate in parts. For example, I had Cream and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (with a guest appearance by Jimmy Tarbuck no less!) during the 67 rag week. Amen Corner then Soft Machine started the 67/8 season which included Julie Driscoll and The Brian Auger Trinity, The Jeff Beck Band and The Kinks.
If an archive of the student newspaper - Phoenix - from the period exists, which I doubt, there would be loads of information about all of this and the early days of the LAF in there. If I find anything I'll let you know.
Keith Glazzard.
Posted by: Keith Glazzard | 05/06/2009 at 05:15 PM
Hello again - I've been looking at the acts listed above and some memories return.
A poetry/acoustic night in the first LAF I think might have included Ivor Cutler. There was certainly a wild mad scot whose name I will eventually remember (banjo player), and the amazing Davey Graham (having a not unusual bad night). Poet Christopher Logue too.
The Bonzos gave a superb night at the Lanch for Ted (68?) a few months after they had done at Warwick University a few months before. Germaine Greer, already a bit of a celebrity, was at the gig (a lecturer at UW that year).
Speaking of Gibbet Hill, the first time I saw Cream was in the bar of the UW student union about October 66. Excellent - no stage, just set up on the floor at the end. Had a chat with Eric and Ginger at half time.
The house band at UW was called New Economic Model and supported the likes of Chickenshack and The Crazy World of Arthur brown. Their drummer was Guy Evans who became a full-time member of Van der Graaf Generator when he graduated (a more or less local lad I think).
Colosseum almost seemed to be a Cov house band at the time - on everywhere. Founder John Hiseman was a mate of one of our lecturers at the Lanch (citation needed) but I first encountered him, I think playing in the Graham Bond Organisation (having replaced Ginger Baker) at the blues club at the back of the pub up Highfield Road (or Harnall Lane?) just across from the football ground - Thursday nights. Dick Hextall-Smith, cap, clogs, two saxes and all was very memorable.
Meanwhile, back at the Lanch, in 67/68 I had to organise two formal balls. As a 19 year old working class kid I had no idea, but they went well. Humphrey Lyttleton's band were superb, and brought Danny Thompson, also of Pentangle, back for another night in Cov. The other was headed by a a jazzy trio called The Peddlers who, I have since been told, actually recorded that bloody awful Telstar hit (Tornados) for Joe Meek (citation needed).
Something I am very sure of was that the folk club organiser - Steve Kurrein - asked me if he could put Alexis Korner on next week. I had to make sure the bills were paid, which they were. About 30 of us had a wonderful evening with the founder of British blues.
We had Simon Dupree and the Big Sound on the main stage one Saturday night. They went on to rebrand as Gentle Giant.
One panic which I remember was having booked Marmalade. A few days before, I got a call saying they would break the contract due to a better offer. We had to promote Julie Driscoll, second on the bill, to top it. Wheels On Fire was in the top 5 or so about then. We couldn't sue for loss of income as we made more on the night than we would have done (money, which in my time went back to subsidising the folk club and other good ventures Ted Little, of course, took this to a higher level).
One band we had on more than any other was the local Ray King Soul Band. When TwoTone exploded I was sure that I was hearing echos of the Coventry I knew back then.
Great days. When I left I though they would never be better. But incredibly, they have been for me, and I can guarantee that they have been for Cov as well.
Posted by: Keith Glazzard | 05/08/2009 at 09:47 PM
[this is good] Hi Keith,
Trevor signalled me that you had posted some interesting stuff on those halcyon days of the LAF. A lot of it connects with me...and I can tell the name of the mad Scot was (is?) Ron Geesin, who was good mates with Ivor Cutler. They were both booked by me and I even had to drive Ivor Cutler and his little harmonium to the gig as he had no transport at the time, which was great, because we became friends on the journey. Unquestionably, the proudest achievement for me was the 'coup of all coups', getting Monty Python for their first ever live-on-stage appearance. As you so rightly say..."great days".
Posted by: Colin Richardson | 05/09/2009 at 12:38 PM
I've only recently come across this site, and of course it brought back lots of memories. I was at the Lanch (officially from 1965-70, but heavily involved in the music scene there for some time after that). I can claim to have changed the type of music being played, as when I first arrived all the then Social Sec was interested in was mainstream pop groups. I managed to persuade him to book Cream, and will never forget the look of amazement on his face at the queue round the block to get in.
I knew Ted Little well - I stood against him (and lost) for Social Sec. It was during his year in the office that he did indeed found the Arts festival, and he asked me to look after all the press side of things, as well as the staging. I well remember this formidable female, who turned out to be David Bowie's wife, arriving one day asking for me to discuss his appearance at one of the multi-media events (this was before his fame). I had to gently persuade her that Bowie had not actually been booked, and her response was unprintable. I believe this led to his changing agent, just before his career took off.
I also persuaded the Students Union Council that it would be a worthwhile investment to buy a sound system, decks etc rather than paying someone else - I ended up running the discos myself using largely my own record collection. The once-weekly discos, held in the main hall, when the "townies" were let in proved to be a huge money-spinner (costing effectively nothing to put on), the cash being used to underwrite all the band bookings.
During the Arts Festival, Ted somehow managed to persuade Chuck Berry to fly over for a gig, held in the Locarno. I have fond memories of shaking the great man's hand as I introduced his show. What we didn't know was that he was having it recorded, and out of those recordings came a live album (called "The London Sessions" paradoxically) and single - My Ding-a-ling, which of course went to No.1. The festival never received a penny in royalties, which would have gone a long way to repaying the Council the £18k they had to spend underwriting the losses. Incidentally, once the Chuck Berry gig was finished, we had (with great difficulty) to clear the hall so Pink Floyd could set up for Act 2 of the evening's entertainment (which finished at some time about 4 in the morning as I remember - the Locarno management had to be bribed not to pull the plug.
Nice to see the comments from my old mate Keith. Happy Days.
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