{"id":74,"date":"2012-08-24T22:38:00","date_gmt":"2012-08-24T21:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventryfolkclubs\/2012\/08\/24\/april-coventry-folk-rock-band-1969-70\/"},"modified":"2012-08-24T22:38:00","modified_gmt":"2012-08-24T21:38:00","slug":"april-coventry-folk-rock-band-1969-70","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventryfolkclubs\/2012\/08\/24\/april-coventry-folk-rock-band-1969-70\/","title":{"rendered":"April – Coventry Folk Rock Band 1969 \/ 70"},"content":{"rendered":"
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APRIL<\/b> were Coventry’s answer to Fairport Convention c 1969 \/ 71. I got to know them and their music well as they practiced at the Coventry Arts Umbrella club<\/a> and open up the Umbrella for some of their practice sessions. They did a range of material which included some of their own compositions, James Taylor’s<\/b> Carolina On My Mind<\/i>, Fairport’s<\/b> Who Knows Where the Time Goes<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The band consisted of –
\nBill Jackson<\/b> (vocals\/guitar\/recorder\/piano),
\nMick Thompson<\/b> (12 & 6 string guitars\/steel guitar\/vocals),
\nRon Lawrence<\/b> (8 string bass\/guitar\/vocals),
\nGray Richardson<\/b> (assorted percussion including congas\/bongos\/claves\/drums),
\nPat Lawrence<\/b> (sound balancer extraordinaire).
\nThe band played both rock and folk venues and the Warwick University Arts festival. Their manager was Stuart Urquhart<\/b> of Warwick.Their blurb sheet read –<\/p>\n

A COMPLETE NEW CONCEPT IN MUSIC TODAY<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cWe really like what APRIL<\/b> are doing. Their approach to music is really original and their sound is a full and complete one.\u201d Magna Carta<\/b><\/p>\n

What is so different about APRIL\u2019s approach to music? Basically the way they get such a beautiful mellow sound with an unusual electric line up.<\/p>\n

\u201cApril are an ultra-contemporary group turning in their ideas and music towards a folk influence. 80% of their material is original and so is their approach to material written by others. As can be seen from their line up, the group comprises a great variety of instruments (& effects) which go together to form a very interesting show, with good music the aim in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

April were the hosts every Tuesday at the Swan Folk & Kontemporary Klub,<\/i> Yardley Birmingham and supported acts such as Cliff Aungier<\/b> & Gerry Lockran<\/b>.
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\nRon Lawrence<\/b> lived out at Shilton on the Leicester road at the time and later formed another band with Roy Butterfield<\/b> and Al Hatton<\/b> (both ex Indian Summer<\/b>), Al Docker<\/b> (Ex Tsar<\/b>), Ron Lawrence <\/b>and Bill Jackson<\/b> (Ex April<\/b>) and called themselves Runestaff<\/b> after the Michael Moorcock<\/b> trilogy. I was living there at the time and watched them rehearse in the dining room. It was an attempt at a kind of Coventry Supergroup and it was sounding pretty good. Sadly the band split up before they had got to the gigging stage. I count myself lucky to have been one of the few to have heard them. Ron and Bill went on to play with another Coventry supergroup Monster Magnet<\/a> <\/b>and Moon<\/a> <\/b>In 1971 Ron Lawrence<\/b> also played in another outfit based at the Umbrella club – Love Zeus<\/a><\/b> with Loz Netto, Al Docker, Tony Cross<\/b>. Ron Lawrence <\/b>and Gray Richardson<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
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\nBy 1979 Ron Lawrence<\/b> was playing along side another Coventry musician – Loz Netto<\/b> in Sniff and the Tears<\/b> who had a hit with Drivers Seat<\/i>. Over the years Ron has sessioned for a lot of bands including the Kinks<\/b>.  http:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/ron-lawrence-mn0000743323<\/a> Ron lawrence was featured on some tracks from the Kinks 1978 album Misfits –  A Rock n Roll Fantasy<\/a>, Live life<\/a>, Get Up<\/a>  <\/b>and on Come Dancing<\/b>.<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
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\nThe band played all the usual venues and folk clubs in the Coventry and Midlands area including –<\/span><\/div>\n


\nThey also supported Birmingham band Tea & Symphony<\/b> at the Coventry Arts Umbrella <\/i>Friday 21st August 1970. Also down to play Club Caroline<\/i> – Walsgrave (Pete Waterman\u2019<\/b>s venue) March 1971. although this was cancelled along with the Umbrella gig owing to the split. They also played the Walsgrave <\/i>June 2nd 1970 with East Light<\/b>. 1971 Warwick University Arts Festival<\/i> saw them playing a folk concert (Saturday March 6th) with Jeremy Taylor<\/b> and Jo-Anne-Kelly<\/b>. They played The Village (Colin Campbell<\/i>) sat 26th Dec 1970.<\/p>\n

The band split up in autumn 1971, cancelling the gig I’d booked with them for the Coventry Arts Umbrella<\/i>. It’s a great pity we have no audio or videos for this band although i suspect some exists with band members.<\/p>\n

New Addition <\/b>– Brian Fawcus<\/b> sent in this earlier photo of April with a slightly different line up which i think may have been from 1969.<\/p>\n

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\nIn the above photo, left to right Unknown (Brian thought it was Roy Butterfield<\/b> but it doesn’t look like him – anyone know?), Bill Jackson<\/b> – vocals, Ron Lawrence<\/b> (holding the door open) bass, Mick Thompson<\/b> (on the floor) guitar, Barry Fawcus<\/b> (Brian’s brother) drums and Grey Richardson<\/b> percussion. So it looks like they had a drummer originally. The unknown person could have been part of the road team even.
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April at Warwick University Arts Festival 1971<\/p>\n

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\nComments from the Hobo Vox blog<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

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\n[this is good]<\/p>\n

\nHi there , not quite sure what to say but my Dad is Michael Thompson From the group April.<\/p>\n

\nI would be gratefull if you could let me know where you keep all this wonderful stuff as Id like to see it in the flesh. Dad found this website and I was so amazed to read it all. Is there any chance I could have a copy of anything as he has nothing from his band days and I would love to surprise him with somthing. Thanx.<\/p>\n

\nPosted by: tracey cairns<\/b> | 07\/14\/2008 at 11:41 AM<\/a>
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APRIL were Coventry’s answer to Fairport Convention c 1969 \/ 71. I got to know them and their music well as they practiced at the Coventry Arts Umbrella club and open up the Umbrella for some of their practice sessions. They … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventryfolkclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventryfolkclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventryfolkclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventryfolkclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventryfolkclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventryfolkclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventryfolkclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventryfolkclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventryfolkclubs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}