Coventry Music Archives's blog

The Gordian Knot Interview with Horace Panter of The Specials

 

Horace_n_rodd

Charley Anderson formerly of The Selecter has kindly sent a copy of an interview with Horace Panter of The Specials from the Coventry 80's fanzine Gordian Knot.

Back in 1973 Horace sent a letter to Hobo Magazine with a 50p advert enclosed. He was seeking a 'happy band' in need of a bass player with 50 watt gear! Although we printed the advert, owing to lack of money for printing, Hobo came out too late for Horace as he'd managed find musicians at the Lanch poly. 

In 1974 he wrote another letter asking if we could advise on places for his band to play.I'd set up the Hobo workshop by then which in 1975 moved to upstairs at the Golden Cross. Horace played for us in a jazz rock outfit with two of my musician friends - Ricky and Andy Cairns. I knew them as Ricky's band. Neol Davis and some of the other later members of Two Tone bands were there although they weren't all playing together at that early stage. Later Horace was in a band called Breaker. The Hobo letters are below and a link to Horace's fuller history - Ska'd for Life. Meanwhile enjoy the Gordian Knot interview.

  

Magazine[1]

Magazine2[1]

Horace

Horace Panter's Letter to Hobo Magazine in the 70's

Ska'd for Life: A Personal Journey with The Specials

Horace Panter

 Visit TWO TONE CENTRAL MUSEUM http://www.2tonecentral.co.uk/

Dave Bennett - Tribute to this Coventry Ragtime Guitarist and Organiser.

It was with sadness I learnt of the passing of Dave Bennett on the 28th March 2010. Dave passed away (perhaps as he would wish it) in action, doing what he loved - having just finished playing Ragtime at one of his venues in Coventry. 

Note - owing to the redevelopment of this site there is now a new post about Dave Bennett on the Coventry Folk Club Scene blogspot here http://coventryfolkclubs.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/dave-bennett-coventry-ragtime-guitarist.html

In his own words - 

"Dave started playing years ago when he was living in Aberystwyth and, influenced by Dylan, Tom Paxton,Joan Baez, et al, he concentrated entirely on fingerstyle guitar and became part of a folk group called the Pennyfarthing! While completing his PhD in Insect Physiology at the University College of Wales. In 1970 moved to Coventry and continued playing in folk clubs and music sessions. Was Sean Cannon's guitarist for a short while and even appeared on TV with him and made a cassette tape based on the TV programme. Met the Furey Brothers at "The Old Dyer's Arms" and developed his love of Irish music. Throughout the 70's and the 80's and 90's he played many solo/combo gigs throughout the UK and Europe. Many Solo/Duo/ Rock Band /Irish Showband/Country Band gigs and played until minutes before his demise!! Played with his partner Brenda, an unaccompanied traditional singer.

Influences
John James; John Hurt; Rev Gary Davis; Libba Cotton; Ralph McTell; Renbourne/Jansch; Stefan Grossman; Joan Baez; Bob Dylan; Bach; Beethoven; Debussy; Delius; Rachmaninov:Martin Carthy; Nic Jones; The Fureys; Sean Cannon"

I met Dave at the Rude Bear Folk at the Three Tons in Coventry in 1972. The club, run by Rod Felton and

Rod Felton Ad HOBO

 Dave Coburn, soon moved to the Boatyard in Gosford St. and Dave was a regular. His accomplished Ragtime style influenced many a guitarist. It was a style hard to emulate easily but nonetheless caused many to work harder at their picking. Dave went on to establish his own club at the Old Dyers Arms and encouraged so many players including a young Pauline black who used to play under the name Pauline Vickers at the Old Dyers Arms. Pauline has acknowledged that Dave 'kickstarted' her entire career before  Selecter. I remember seeing her play there circa 1978, doing a Stones and Joan Armatrading song and going over to give her the thumbs up. I never imagined that that was the start of a disguised musical career that would span Two Tone, TV and Radio and much else. A year later I saw her again at the Lanch Poly with Selecter who were just starting off.- the rest is history!.

More recently Dave has given guitar lessons to many including the brilliant Kristy Gallacher, one of the new upcoming Coventry singer songwriters. I 

Rude Bear Folk

was lucky to see Dave one last time in 2009 when I went back to Coventry. He was supporting his daughter Sarah, also an impressive guitar player at Janine's Acoustic Escape session. Dave invited me to another one of his folk club initiatives (somewhere near the Belgrade) but unfortunately I had to return home before that.

To the end he was an influential personality and player on the Coventry music scene, running clubs, playing and encouraging a whole new generation of acoustic players. Practically every one remembers him as a nice ,friendly and encouraging bloke and an amazing guitar player. There are other posts on this site about Dave if you look in the index (see sidebar). 

Bulls Head Folk Club

Dave's place in these annals of the Coventry music scene are more than well earned / deserved. Above there are some samples of his amazing playing.

"you are the man who kick started my entire career at the 'old dyers arms' in coventry....those were the days" Pauline Black - The Selecter

 

It's All About Coventry - head over there for info and Interviews

It's All About Coventry

Run by Ben Glass "It’s All About Coventry gives a great band and gig guide. 

and features a guide to gigs happening throughout the city. 
It also includes exclusive video interviews with Coventry bands and more."

http://www.itsallaboutcoventry.co.uk/bands_main.shtml

Coventry ragtime guitarist Dave Bennett is featured here on the Hobo site and Ben Glass interviewed his daughter Sarah Bennett on video. Her guitar work is amazing as you'd expect if you've heard Dave play. I got to see Sarah play at Justine's Acoustic Escape last year.

 

Hope and Anchor - Historic Music Venue - Threat of Demolition

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The Hope And Anchor pub in Whitefriars Lane (Central Coventry) is under threat of demolition. Musicians and music fans in the city are protesting the loss of the historic venue that enabled the Enemy and Two Tone bands to get started. 

Now owned by Coventry University, the site is to be demolished to widen the road and provide more car parking facilities!

Coventry Weavers

Back in the 1850's Coventry Weavers regularly met at the 'Anchor' for union and benefit society meetings and Digger Dave of Broadgate Gnome raised a an environmental question " What will happen to the apple trees in the garden. They are the only local remaining ones of the local variety Wyken Pippin". 

 However it is it's role as a pub venue with historic importance to the Coventry Music scene that has caused protest over its closure and threatened demolition.

The Coventry Music Scene

In the early 1970's it was one of many city centre pubs that formed a circuit for local and regional bands, folk clubs

Pete Willow in the 70's

 and discos along with the Colin Campbell, Plough, Golden Cross, Hand in Heart, Three Tons. Councillor Dave Nellist recalls being a DJ there in the early 70's. Folk performer Pete Willow tells us 

" I ran The Magic Lamp Folk Club there in the 70s with Bob Powell. Guests included Joe Stead, Armpit Jug Band, (the late, great) Gerry Lochran, Cliff Aungier, Kev Dempsey & Polly Bolton, Martyn Wyndham Read, Dave Paskett, and many others. Some good memories waiting to be bulldozed."

Two Tone

However it was during the punk and Two Tone days that the pub really cut it as a venue when an explosion of Coventry bands hit the scene. Top local bands, many of whom appeared on the  Sent From Coventry album, appeared at the venue (where, I think, the album was launched - correct me 

279197S

if I'm wrong).The list is endless but includes - Vietnamese Babies, Squad, Urge, Hot Snacks (Machine), EMF, Criminal Class, The Wild Boys, The End, and of course Two Tone bands The Selecter and Specials. Later bands include The Travelling Riverside Blues Band, The Primitives, Naphalm Death and The Enemy.

New Generation of Musicians

More recently one of Coventry's top acoustic artist and promoter Kristy Gallacher ran an acoustic night there, encouraging  a new generation of Coventry musicians and Horace Panter has played there many times in recent years.

Protest

Hobo was alerted to this by Paul Maddocks of the Coventry Society and since then a range of Coventry musicians and fans of all ages and Councillor Dave Nellist have protested the demolition.

Roger Lomas (Ex Sorrows and Selector's Producer) said on Facebook 

" Another venue lost!! When the hell are the powers-that-be in Coventry going to step in and INSIST that this does not

Roger-lomas-prince-buster-w265-h191-b

 keep happening ???"

Roger is remembering that over the last couple of years a number of Coventry music venues were threatened with closure owing issues over noise, including The Golden Cross and The Tin Angel and more and has been an issue in the rest of the country too at a time when the Government is stressing the importance of the Creative Industries.

Coventry's music scene has always been mainly centrally based and cohesive. Young people have travelled into the city centre for pubs and entertainment for decades now. While progress and redevelopment is important it's often done in disregard to the communities that use the City Centre. Locating new residencies next to longstanding  venues with a music licence is not a good idea. The new residents protest the noise and the musicians, landlords and fans protest the closure of the venue.

So What's Happening Now?

The Coventry Society have initiated a protest on a Facebook group and socialist councillor Dave Nellist is leading the campaign with the head of the Coventry Society Paul Maddocks. Bob Brolly is holding a debate on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire Radio. The Coventry Telegraph have covered it at least twice - Campaign to Save Doomed Pub 

and tonight (October 26th) the day it was originally due to be demolished The Pub should be demolished says Ex Landlord 

Tonight it looks like demolition has been stalled and some discussions have taken place but the fate of the building still hangs in the air. -

The Coventry Telegraph report -" A spokesman for Coventry University confirmed plans were still in place to demolish the pub and said a meeting took place on Friday between university bosses and the council to discuss ways of providing alternative performance venues in the city."

However, Mick Farr, a former landlord at the Hope and Anchor, told the Coventry Telegraph that he thought the pub 'should be closed down'. He claims that while the pub was good in it's heyday, recently the pub wasn't making money and was mostly empty except on Friday and Saturday. Dave Nellist denies that the pub was not used when it was open.

For sure a lot of pubs are suffering around the country owing to people paying the price of the machinations of the financial Rude Boys but as Peter Every says, in response to a comment on the Coventry Telegraph article 

"  Hope and Anchor. Post-Thatcher reasoning = "Dave Nellist hasn't got a clue obviously, if the former Landlord states it wasn't making money .. then that's that .. whats the point if these people who are fighting to save it never drank in there anyway! Get a life!" Hey! there are 400 empty rooms in Buckingham palace. BULLDOZERS!!!! Which bit of heritage don't you get? clearly the bit that happens after 1979..." 

We've Been Here Before! Here's a Meditation.

In 1973 we started Hobo magazine in response the bulldozers flattening the Coventry Arts Umbrella Club which 

Holyhead Youth Centres

had in some way facilitated bands with gigs, rehearsal space and more. It was getting harder for local bands to find venues to play,especially if they were young and new. Our campaign led to Coventry Voluntary Service Council arranging for us to have use of The HolyHead Youth Centre theatre to organise a weekly mixed media gig. So many young bands came to us and some of them told us they were about to give up as there was no where to play by the mid 70's. One 16 year who started off at the Hobo Wokshop, Holyhead Youth Centre was Dave Pepper - who later went on to form the X Certs, his band at the time was Phoenix (as he mentions in the comment below). When we moved to the Golden Cross we gave a first gig to a jazz rock group.The bassist was a young Horace Panter who wrote to Hobo asking if we knew of anywhere they could play (See letter below). 

Hobo Workshop

Back then you wouldn't know the importance of first step venues to artists but two other bands we gave first gigs to in 1974 were Analog and Trigon.  Later those two bands formed the Two Tone band Reluctant Stereotypes out of which came King in the 80's.Midnight Circus was another band whom we put on a few times. Later they became The Flys and appeared on Grey Whistle Test. It's leader Neil O'Connor joined his sister Hazel on the Breaking Glass tour as a guitarist. Meanwhile downstairs in the cellar, Charlie Anderson was youth leading a group of West Indian musicians who even then sounded great. No one would know that five years later most of these shy musicians would be creating pop history in the The Specials and Selecter. Neol Davies came along to help organise a jam session and we tried to encourage some of Charley's group to join in. They were a bit shy but Neol, already knowing Neville a bit,went down and jammed with them in the cellar. A few years late I saw Neol in bands like Chapter 5 and Hard Top 22 with some of them - transitions along the way to the final Two Tone line ups.

Horace Panter's Letter to Hobo Magazine in the 70's

And my point is...

I mention all this to illustrate the point that without places to start off, play and grow, develop stage presence and 

Charley Anderson and The Selecter

performance skills, make connections such as the one that Neol and Charley made, no new musical developments will happen in the city. At the time, no of us knew what some of the musicians would go on to do, including the musicians themselves and today in Coventry there are a range of impressive bands and acoustic artists coming out of the city. They deserve to be supported and to have a range of venues where they can play, build up a following, learn by mistakes and develop their own cultural heritage.

Whether or not the Hope and Anchor survives, I welcome the discussion that's going on between Coventry University and The Council on how best they can provide alternative performance venues in the city and the discussion on Bob Brolly's show. One important feature though is not to make them all corporate entities with entrance fees that restrict participation. Equally important is the intitative involved in somebody creating a venue or disco, whether they just be organisers or musicians. 

Kristy Gallacher at More Than Two Tones

Good examples currently, are Kristy Gallacher and Justine Watson who not only promote and play their own music but initiate acoustic nights to encourage others. They are not the only ones of course but without pubs available, these initiatives can't and would never have taken place.

Without them Pete Chambers wouldn't be able to write books like this -

Godiva Rocks - Pete Chambers

ADD YOUR THOUGHTS TO THE DISCUSSION

 

BNP Protest - Jerry Dammers Speaks

BNP Protest - Jerry Dammers Speaks

On that Train by Phil Knapper (Coventry singer songwriter) Video

Phil Knapper

Phil Knapper was a close friend and accomplished guitarist (rock and classical) and a Coventry singer songwriter in the 70's. He travelled with a musical troupe to Finland in 1970 which included Neil O'Connor (Hazel's brother), John Gravenor (of Wandering John) and Alex Murphy. I met him in 1974 when he came to Hobo Workshop (Holyhead Youth Centre) for one of the gigs. He lived nearby so we became good friends, often jamming - sometimes playing in very informal one off band gigs. We have no recordings of him except the few I recorded on mono cassette while jamming at my house. This video is one of his songs from that time but doesn't reflect the range of his guitar work (that he taught me how to play Bert Jansch's Anji at that session gives you an idea of the range.). Phil was born in Spennymore in Co Durham but his family moved to Coventry and his father worked in the coal mine at Kersley (although they lived in the Binley area of Coventry (hence the pictures). Phil's younger brother Stu Knapper is well known on the Cov scene as the leader of the late 70's punk band Riot Act. Sadly Phil suffered from schizophrenia which hampered his development as a musician and passed away in the 1990's. It was Phil who arranged for Neil O' Connor' s band Midnight Circus (later The Flys) to play for us at the Hobo Workshop in 1974.

On that Train - Phil Knapper

 

Asgard - More archive photos and John Peel cutting 1970

ASGARD - were a Coventry band in the style of Pink Floyd / Nice operating around 1969 - 71 period who were promoted by John Peel and played a number of prestigious gigs - eg Mothers in Birmingham after Pink Floyd and with Peel and Hyde Park etc. Following a recent post on Asgard with some of their music, bassist Richard Kilbride has sent these archive photos of the band and cuttings.

First a cutting from Disc  - Asgard are mentioned in John Peel's column - some of them, including their manager Paul Padum stayed at Peel Acres.

 

John Peel - Asgard

 

Asgard played in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral in 1969 as part of the West Indian concert calld Jerico -

 

Jerico 2

 

Jerico - Coventry Concert

Asgard bassist proposed free open air concerts in Coventry in 1969 in which people could even bring along poems to read (great initiative Richard) according to this Coventry Evening Telegraph article -

The council response is interesting!!

"NO LONG-HAIRED BEATNKS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO ELEMENT" - "THE SALVATION ARMY BAND..ARE A RAVE!!!"

"Councillor Arthur Taylor, Chairman of the Recreation Committee said he would be glad to make the park available to respectable pop groups but we do not want long-haired beatniks in the San Franscisco element playing in our parks! We have the Salvation Army band playing in our parks and it's a rave! But whether pop music is eeryone's choice, I don't know." Well  -

I must admit - I've never heard the Salvation Army band described as a 'Rave' before!!!! 

 

Header 2

 

Asgard Article

Asgard were invited to Alexis Korner's fiftieth birthday party!!

 

Alexis Korner's 50th Birthday

The following are photos of the young Asgard at play with guitars and dumpeer trucks in the 60's and photos from gigs and rehearsals etc.

 

 

 

 

 

Along with these photos was one of another band from the 1970c period - no idea who they are or if it's a Cov band or one Asgard played on tour with - if any or Richard can throw light on this photo - let me know.

 

Unknown band

Read more on Hobo  - A to Z of Coventry bands https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventry/coventry-bands-a-to-z/coventry-bands-a/asgard

Interview with Mojo (Tony) Morgan - Coventry Blues / Ska Man

TO BE CONTINUED SOON

Mojo (Tony) Morgan's musical career has spanned nearly 40 years and he's still playing and developing. He

Mojo Morgan - photo by Missy Rose

 began as a bass player in a range of blues bands in 70's; fronted a Coventry ska band in the early 80's and made a single, played in a band with Roddy Radiation (after the Specials), took the blues on the road with Travelling Riverside blues band in the 80's and ran a couple of venues and in more recent years moved to Wales where he is a blues singer with his own Outfit - The Hoochie Coochie Blues Band.

.

Trev Teasdel Interview with Mojo Morgan March 2009

1. How and when did you get started on all this music lark and what were your early influences?

When I was about 10 years old, my parent's record collection was a very large collection of artist's like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lenor Horne, Billie

 

Robert Johnson- Crossroad

Holliday, and a few Robert Johnson records which I fell in love with, and lots of blues and jazz albums. In the 60s I fell in love with the sound of the likes of John Mayall, Alexis Corner, Rolling Stones. Animals. and lots of other R&B

 

Alexis Korner with Rolling Stones members

bands. I was just mad for all that kind of stuff.
 
2. Your main instrument used to be bass What other instruments do you play.

I played Rhythm guitar and sang in my first band, and then I switched over to bass guitar, and stuck with it for the next 30 years.
 
3. The first band I saw you in was The Mick Green Blues Band - what led you to a love of the blues?

The feelings I had from listening to the blues. ( IT JUST SHOUTED OUT AT ME ).
 
4. Were there bands before Mick Green Blues band?

Yea! I just left school, and put a 3 piece band together called (Orange )  I was playing rhythm guitar and vocals, and Steve Harrison on drums, and Graham Dewis on Bass. we used to do lots of cover versions from The Doors, Cream, Stones, and that sort of thing! Graham Dewis's parents had a farm near Stoneliegh Island, not far from the N.E.C (Birmingham National Exhibition Centre). We used to practice there all the time. In the summer, we would practice out side to all the passers by on the motorway. The cows and the sheep liked us! We were young and just didn't care, and had a great time!

 

 
5. How did you meet Mick Green and Steve Harrison

I met Steve Harrison (Drummer) through a friend Alan Jones in Willenhall, Coventry. Steve lived up the road from me, and we became best friends. The last time I heard about Steve, he was living in France. It would be great to find where he is now, and to get back in touch.I met Mick Green through a guy called Tony who lived in the Stoke area in Coventry, and Mick became a good friend! We played together in Mick Greens Blues Band, and a few other bits and bobs, but nothing came to fruit! Steve Harrison, Mick Green and myself moved to Ealing, London, and formed a band with John Laverick and started jamming together, after a couple of weeks, we were giging around London, We were young and foolish! and it was crazy times
 
 
6. You seemed to be in a cluster of bands in the early 70's around some of the same musicians - ie Mick Green and Steve Harrison and few others such as Concert with Martin Barter on organ and one - I think with Johnny Adams (later with Squad). Apart from Mick Green band, there was Railroad in 71, Eli and Rein Chantre c 73 / 74 that I remember. What can you tell us about your early bands.

Some of the bands that i have played in!
 
ORANGE.
 
Mojo Morgan, ryth'm guitar and vocals.
Steven harrison, drums.
Graham Dewis, bass guitar.
 
MICK GREENS BLUES BAND. (1970)

Mick Green - Lead / Rhythm Guit / Vocals

Mojo Morgan - Bass / vocals

Steve Harrison - Drums

(at various times..Johnny Adams - Vocals / Guitar and Paul Samson? Guitar)
 
 
RAILROAD (1971)

Mojo Morgan / Mick Green / Steve Harrison (Trev Teasdel vocals / lyrics) although that didn't work out and this version of the band didn't get as far as gigging.

CONCERT 1971

New-1.aconcertjpg

Mojo Morgan bass / Vocals

Martin Barter - Organ

Steve Harrison - Drums

Jim Allen - Sax

 

(Other similar bands with Mick Green / Simon Lovegrove (Drums) Johnny Adams (Guitar) were - Eli - Raine Chantre?) 
 
 
JOURNEY OF A LIFE TIME.....Changed name of band to MORNING FREEDOM.
 
Tony King, vocals.
Ray .............Rhythm Guitar.
Trevor..............guitar
......................drums.
Mojo Morgan, bass
 
KRYSTAL....Lots of bookings with this band....working 3 to 4

nights a week.....Club Band.
 
 
BLEEDIN' HEARTS....Walsgrave based. All bands material!
 
 
ZENITH.
 
Jim Allen, sax and vocals.

Zenith2

Mojo Morgan, bass.
Steve Harrison, drums.
Mark Burton, guitar.
 

AntiBellumEMF

EMF (The Coventry EMF!)

E.M.F. (Ska with Blues bass) 1979 - 1982

(Link above to their My Space)
 
Donna Elkington, vocals.
Sharron Elkington.vocals.
Jim Allen, sax and vocals.

EMF

Mojo Morgan, bass.
Fitzroy Wilson, ryth'em
Leroy Wright, drums.
Dave Gordon, lead guitar.

SAMMY EARTHQUAKE AND THE VOLCANOES.
 
Dickie Slick, guitar and vocals.
Roddy Byers,AKA Roddy Radiation -  guitar and vocals.
Mojo Morgan, bass and vocals.
Red............, drums.

Mojo says - "Roddy Byers after the specials had is own band Roddy Radiation and The Tearjerkers and when he was'nt playing he would come with us and play with Sammy Earthquake and the Volcanoes"
 
TRAVELLING RIVERSIDE BLUES BAND.
 (Hear their tracks on My Space above)

John Alderson, guitar and slide.
Mojo Morgan, bass and vocals.
George Stevens, drums.
Trevor.............vocals.
 
THE HOOCHIE COOCHIE BAND. (In South Wales) - Still going.
 
Mojo Morgan, vocals.
Mr Chilli, bass and vocals.
Vince. guitar and slide and vocals.
AJ, drums and vocals
 
7. What was your take on the early Coventry music scene in the early 70's?

I just did my own thing, and didn't take much notice of what other bands were doing really!
 
8. How did the advent of punk affect your musical career after 1977?

I wasn't really into punk at the time!  But some stuff now, I do like. (21 Days I do like a lot ).  Two members from Sham 69 and two member from Towers of London.
 
9. By 1979 in the wake of Two Tone you formed your own ska band EMF - how did that come about and what was the idea behind the band. Was there still a blues buzz there?

The blues buzz never leaves me Trev.

With EMF. I just wanted to do something different!  I had just met Amos Anderson who new Fitzroy Wilson - rhythm guitarist and Fitzroy knew Leroy Wright - drums, and put an add in the paper for a singer and Sharon and Donna answered the the call and came for an audition and were recruited. Then all we had to find was the lead guitarist and sax player. I knew Jim Allen who played sax, so i recruited him. I think Dave Gordon - lead guitarist heard what we were doing and just turned up. The first practice we had all together was in Hillfields in one of the flats! and it just came together like that. It just jelled straight away!

Trev - (Yes I remember going to your flat in Hillfields in 1979 - you talked to me about doing some lyrics and you explained to me then that the concept was to form a Ska band but using blues basslines and Sax licks - I don't think it was recognised you were trying to do something slightly different with the Ska sound that fitted in with your love of the blues.

10 I went to a lot of EMF gigs at the Dog and Trumpet and Tile Hill in 1980 before I left Cov. How did the band fare after that - gigs, recordings etc.

We got under Oak Agency from Birmingham, and then the gigs started rollin in, playing all over the country in collages and then we started supporting all the Two Tone acts which was a great buzz!

Trev - I used to go to the regular gigs in Tile Hill and dance to try and get others up on the dance floor! It was very danceable music.
 
 
12 = 13. The band came second in Battle of the Bands and made a single for RCA - tell us the story and What happened to EMF - how come you split up?

 I can't remember how we got into Battle of the Bands but we had to go to The Odeon in Birmingham for the first heat

Battle of the Bands 1981 - EMF

 with all the Area bands, and we came first. RCA put us up in London to go in the studio to do a single which went on to a compelation album for the best of Battle of the bands, and was given a trophy of Battle of the bands. There was a lot of bickering in the band by then, and you don't need that in a band, so then i put an advert in the shop to start another band, Yea! A blues band! I left my own band and started The Travelling Riverside Blues Band with John Alderson. EMF got hold of another bass player and done the final battle of the bands.

14 Tell us about the Coventry bands you were in afterwards  There was a band with John Alderson and a band with Ex Special Roddy Radiation I believe - tell us about them. 

Mojo & John Alderson Little Red Rooster

Artist

When I put an ad in the Clay Lane music shop to put a blues band together. The day after John Alderson phoned me, and I remembered him from Wandering John ( A top Coventry band from around 1970).  He knew George the drummer, and Trev vocalist followed! I became best mates with John and we still get together on the phone and still comes down to see us down in Wales. He a great friend and great musician, he taught me a lot. 

15  Your ran a blues / Folk club at the Freemason's Arms in the 80's - can you tell us a bit about that..

I ran The Coventry Blues Club in the 80's at The Freemasons Tavern on a Thursday nights which we had some great Blues Artist from all over the UK. On Tuesday nights was a folk night with the main band Dando Shaft. Lots of different artists far and wide like Don Fardon, Mick Stuart, Dave Pegg. Martin Jenkins, Rod Felton and many more. 

16. How come you moved to Wales and when? 

DownInTheGutterxxx

HCB

My parents are from Wales, and I came down for holiday most of my life, I always wanted to live near the sea, and

Hoochie_Coochie_Radio

Artist

 wales just seemed right!   
 
To be continued To Come MOJO on the Hoochie Coochie Band  

The Primitives (Coventry band) tribute to Steve Dullaghan

News came in from Bassist John Docker that  Primitives bass guitarist Steve Dullaghan has passed

Image8

 away.

The Primitives were a charting Coventry band of the 80's, produce by ex Reluctant Stereotype Paul Samson.

STEVEN ANTHONY DULLAGHAN

bass guitar, guitars (1985-1989)

b. December 18, 1966
After playing in The Primitives, Steve was in Hate (with Pete Tweedie). Dullaghan, with Martyn Bates, later evolved Hate into Hungry i, with Steve playing guitar. They recorded two EP's on the Nursery label. After two years, he rejoined his first ever band, Nocturnal Babies ("fronted by original Primitives singer, Kieron"). He also roadied for Pulp, Catatonia, and McAlmont. Currently he is "going under the moniker Means To An End".

May 30, 2001, Coventry England's Godiva Festival - Steve sits on the panel of judges at the battle of the bands.

  

Here are a couple of their videos -

 

The Primitives "Secrets"

The Primitives - Crash

Some found pieces on the Primitives -

"The Primitives were from Coventry and formed in 1985. They filled the gap post-Smiths and pre-Stone Roses. Their

The Primitives

 first single was ‘Thru The Flowers’ which was released in May of 1986. The obvious focal point was Tracy Tracy who was cute as cute. The others dressed head to toe in black, wore skinny jeans and pointy boots and had Ringo Starr circa 1965 haircuts. nPaul the guitarist was clearly in love with Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground and had a great collection of guitars. The band went through more line-up changes than Spinal Tap. They released six singles with the sixth being a re-recorded version of ‘Thru The Flowers’ before they eventually signed to RCA in 1987. In 1988 the album ‘Lovely’ was released and it is brilliant. The other key to their sound was producer Paul Sampson who went back through all their old demos and found ‘Crash’ a song they had scraped. This was their only big hit."

"British indie pop band the Primitives was formed in Coventry, England in mid-1985 by singer Kieron, guitarist Paul Court, bassist Steve Dullaghan, and drummer Pete Tweedie; after a handful of gigs Kieron was replaced by vocalist Tracy Tracy, a peroxide-blonde bombshell whose presence inspired a more melodic approach, which earned the group inevitable comparisons to Blondie. The Primitives' debut single "Thru the Flowers" appeared on their own Lazy label in 1986 and was quickly followed by radio sessions for Janice Long, Andy Kershaw, and John Peel. Their second effort, "Really Stupid," preceded the band's first European tour, with "Stop Killing Me" appearing in early 1987. Tweedie was dismissed from the group (allegedly for mistreating Tracy's cats) prior to the Primitives' signing to major label RCA, and with new drummer Tig Williams the group recorded their 1988 debut LP, Lovely, scoring a major UK pop hit with the masterful "Crash." After completing an American tour, Dullaghan exited the lineup, with bassist Paul Sampson stepping in for 1989's Pure; the album failed to recreate the success and excitement of its predecessor, however, and when 1991's Ian Broudie-produced Galore met a similar fate, the Primitives disbanded. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide " 

 

More on Hobo - A to Z of Coventry Bands https://sites.google.com/site/bandsfromcoventry/coventry-bands-a-to-z/coventry-bands-p/the-primitives

Ted Little and the Lanchester Arts Festival - Coventry

 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

Lanch

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

Lanchester Arts Festival 1971 Programme

 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

Lanch Poly - Now Coventry University

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

Colin Richardson of the BRON Agency

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

 

Lanch Arts Fest Poster

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