The Skabilly Rebels & The Neville Staple Band at the
Rialto.

by Pete Clemons

Audiences are not stupid. It’s a great feeling when, those on a stage, appear to be enjoying their evening’s work. Its a kind of telepathy. Gig goers sense when things are going well and when they are not.

And that was exactly the situation at the Rialto recently. The Skabilly Rebels, fronted by Roddy Radiation, alongside The Neville Staple band both put on a memorable evenings work. And the audience loved it.

The Skabilly Rebels, particularly, I felt put in a tremendous shift. The only real downside was a muffled vocal sound from the PA which was nothing to do with the band.

Roddy uses the stage well. He paces up and down as if stalking his prey. He twists, contorts, snarls and grimaces. Additionally he owns an impressive body of work with which to delve into. Bonediggin, Sea Cruise, Judgement Day, Blues Attack. Rat Race, Do Nothing, Doesn’t Make it Alright, Hey Little Rich Girl, Your Wondering Now all made it into the set list.

Almost as soon as he joined them Roddy more than played his part in creating what made The Specials so unique. His cutting edge style and inventiveness has, indelibly, left it’s mark on the bands legacy. With the impressive back catalogue Roddy has in his arsenal there is only one likely outcome in a sonic attack. Be prepared to be outgunned.

Still a forerunner of the Ska movement Neville has, in recent years, formed the Neville Staple Band. The group tour regularly and thrill audiences. Neville has surrounded himself with talent. The backing band is packed with excellence and, together with wife Christine, the vocal is shared.

Along with the crowd pleaser’s Neville creates a style that mixes dance music with punk. Also included are re-workings of classic Trojan records tunes. The added brass is sympathetic and vibrant. The resulting sound instinctively makes you want to dance.

It was a great evening of contrasts. Both Roddy and Neville are amongst the founders of the 2 tone movement. One a driving force and musical architect the other adding the dynamism, charisma and energy, that made the whole scene so distinctive. Additionally Neville put the fun into The Funboy 3.

The Rialto Ballroom has had an impressive face lift since I last visited. A non descript staircase leads to an impressively wide landing. This includes a magnificent chandelier hanging from it. The concert room had doubled its size and, presumably, its capacity. So it was a real shame about the vocal.

 Fresh Maggots

by Pete Clemons

Although not at all about the stretch of road itself, but more so, the surrounding countryside, Rosemary Hill is one of eleven enchanting tracks on the bands one and only album ‘Hatched’. The title of the song apparently came to the band when passing through Kenilworth, on the way home, after a holiday in Devon.

Mick Burgoyne and Leigh Dolphin both grew up on the same housing estate in Nuneaton but did not become firm friends until they met up as teenagers on the local folk circuit during the late 1960’s.

Both were accomplished multi instrumentalists and each shared a mutual interest of music in sounds as diverse as Led Zeppelin, Rory Gallagher’s Taste and The Pentangle. This meeting of minds led them to the common ground they needed to team up and to begin to write and craft songs together. What they created was fairly innocent and ‘of that time’ but combined their love of both rock and folk music.

Mick and Leigh, it seems, came up with the band name when they noticed a sports shop advert they had seen in a local newspaper – ‘fresh maggots always available’. Presumably, the maggots were available for the fishermen of Nuneaton.

The band name had not been meant to be taken at all seriously but things moved fairly quickly after being ‘discovered’ during September 1970, and by the time of their second ever gig, that the name stuck. Another local band ‘Boots’ were supposed to have been the band in the spotlight that particular evening. Fresh Maggots were actually the support band. But it seems as though it was the duo and their folk songs that had made the more lasting impression and impact.

Fresh Maggots were then invited down to a London studio to make a demo. This, in turn, led to the RCA record label sending some of their people to a gig in Coventry where they were immediately signed up.

At that time, and bear in mind that these two musicians were still just teenagers in 1970, their only real ambition was ‘just to walk on stage with our gear, say hello and try to make as many people as possible a little more cheerful’. As such all became a bit overwhelming for them as the pair was now being touted onto radio shows such as Radio Luxembourg. To them, they had very little control over their own destiny.

On Saturday 9th October 1971 the pair played Durham University. They were the support band to Van Der Graaf Generator. Dennis Burns, who was their roadie and was also involved on the mixing desk, remembers that particular gig well. Van Der Graaf’s iconic album ‘Pawn Hearts’ was released during October 1971 and the band were just beginning to promote it by taking it on the road. The whole of side 2 of the record is taken up by a single track called ‘A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers’ and was described in Melody Maker as one of the most fascinating and dramatic items they had ever heard. The album was certainly memorable to Dennis. And even today that particular album remains a huge favourite amongst the progressive rock fraternity.

The following night, Sunday 10th, and Fresh Maggots were appearing at London’s Marquee Club in Wardour Street. This time they were the support to ex Jethro Tull’s bass player Glenn Cornick’s, then, new band Wild Turkey. And so impressed had they been the night before that members of Van Der Graaf Generator were also in attendance having also made the long journey south.

Fresh Maggots were certainly becoming more widely known. They were touring heavily at this time as during November 1971 they played as far south as Tofts club in Folkestone.

During their short existence, Fresh Maggots completed several local BBC radio interviews and live sessions. They appeared at local stations in Sheffield, Leeds, Teeside and Liverpool. They also recorded a session at the BBC radio theatre in Portland Place near to the London Palladium for Alan Black and Anne Nightingale who had made their record the album of the week on their ‘What’s New’ programme.

Fresh Maggots only album ‘Hatched’ album has had the CD reissue treatment complete with the non-album single track ‘Car Song’, and its B side, as a bonus. The music itself has a very grand and majestic feel to it. In part, I guess, due to the orchestral arrangements within it. The songs are well structured and are about hope and love.

But there is so much more to it though than the delightful Rosemary Hill. Despite being classed a folk record the album contains elements of fuzz guitar and feedback as well as some quite stunning harmonies and melody. The songs on it are wistful and, yes, maybe a little naive, but for me personally that just adds to the charm.

Some time ago I read that Mick Burgoyne, on reflection, has mixed thoughts about the album. ‘Some of it makes me very proud but some of it makes me cringe’. Like most musicians, however, the pair will be self-critical about their work and pick on the parts they could, with hindsight, maybe have done better. As the artists they are entitled to. However, as the listener of the final product, I for one enjoy it just the way it is and I always feel that little more cheerful for listening to it.

More here https://coventryfolkclubs.blogspot.com/2013/04/fresh-maggots.html

Fresh Maggots on Spotify 1st and 2nd albums. https://open.spotify.com/artist/06VUtXjmLbkXTSoV3cqJaW

 Punk at the Universities

by Pete Clemons

We tend to look back at the punk rock years with a wry smile. Nowadays it seems to be so much more acceptable. But it is fair to say that when punk rock first took off in the UK it was not given a warm welcome. Far from it in fact. Local councils made it as difficult as possible for the venues to put the bands on. And where the bands did get to play band members and their fans were often ridiculed or physically attacked by opposing groups of individuals. It was not an easy time for them.

Universities, which eventually warmed to the genre and welcomed them in, initially gave punk rock a particularly hard time. Examples of this are detailed below.

During 1976 the Students Union at Warwick castigated the pop music newspaper ‘Sounds’ in an article in its arts publication. It was annoyed about the prominence given by ‘Sounds’ to a group called ‘The Damned’. Sounds had included a headline ‘DAMNED HEAD FOR THE CHARTS’. The article went on to say that:

‘Sounds has yet again taken upon itself to ram punk rock down the throat of the unsuspecting public. Apparently the Damned’s first single, for the obscure ‘Stiff’ label, sold 4,000 copies, when a sale of 25,000 is usually needed even to make the lower reaches of the Top Thirty. And they give us this kind of headline!’.

Toward the end of 1976 it was reported that ‘Punk rock artists the Sex Pistols left their entertainments fixture at Lanchester Polytechnic without full payment after an impromptu meeting of union officers at the concert heard complaints about the group’s stage act’. Of course it was reporting on the Sex Pistols / Clash gig during November of that year:

‘Lanchester follows the National Union of Students policy which recommends colleges not to invite people with racist or fascist views onto campuses, and it was decided that the Sex Pistols act had included racist and fascist references’. The Sex Pistols and a supporting punk rock outfit, The Clash, who had been booked for £475, were paid just £50′.

An attendee of that concert, told the SU at Warwick that it was all ‘fairly obscene’. The attendee continued: ‘at one point the audience booed the Sex Pistols after their version of ‘Substitute’, which the group’s lead singer countered with familiar Anglo-Saxon invective. It is widely accepted that they are fascist. It comes out of the experience of unemployment, bad housing, sleeping rough and being anti-establishment. They are not working class, more drop-outs. But their support is working class. They see themselves as mediums of these frustrations, they see their role as a political role, using the channel of popular music because other channels are being closed’.

The attendee continued: ‘But the support band, The Clash, had started off the concert with a song the lyrics of which could be seen as inflammatory: ‘All the power is in the hands of people rich enough to buy it. White riot, I wanna riot, white riot, a riot of my own’.

Yet incredibly, and less than a year later, both The Sex Pistols and The Clash could have played Warwick University.

Yes it could have been true! Ents were offered The Sex Pistols for the 1977 Xmas Party provided the gig was unannounced. And so, much to their credit, the Ents team booked them. A major scoop but then problems started. The tour dates were put forward a week, which scrapped arrangements at our end, and then they decided to switch to Mr. George in Coventry City Centre.

The arts pages mentioned: Ah, so near yet so far; but the Warwick Uni SU has it on good authority that if Ents are offered the band again they will accept them if conditions are acceptable. The most controversial rock band of recent years played at Mr. George’s club on Saturday 17th December.

And finally, at around the same time, after originally being booked to play Warwick University, it seems The Clash were cancelled down by the University, due to insurance reasons. Punk rock, it seems, had won the hearts and minds in the end.

Coventry Music Museum – The Primitives

by Pete Clemons

For getting on for 15 years the Coventry Music Museum, which has been at it’s current location on Ball Hill since around 2013, has showcased the wealth of musical talent this city has been fortunate enough to have been gifted.

From its beginnings at Coventry University Pete Chambers has
made the museum a focal point since around 2010 – if not earlier than that.

To achieve this longevity the museum has had to overcome many hurdles. And
those issues have taken dogginess, commitment, sheer hard work and much more
besides in order to press on. Pete’s determination and resolve is unparalleled
in these parts, if not more widely. The museum is indeed a labour of love.

And incredibly, since the pandemic – and despite initially
battling against a tide, the museum appears to be going from strength to
strength. Growing evermore in it’s popularity.

Each year Pete attempts to freshen things up by introducing a
new feature exhibition. And this year that accolade belongs to The Primitives
and, in particular, their hit song Crash.

 During a speech for the official opening of the exhibition
Pete attempted to describe what made Crash, for him, the perfect pop song.
Difficult to put into words, it was a visitor who gave him that lightbulb
moment when the comment was made that The Primitives ‘Made it look easy’.

A Primitives line up of Paul Court on guitar, Tig Williams drums, Paul Sampson
bass and Tracy Tracy vocals were there to help celebrate the opening of the
section of the museum dedicated to them and all they have achieved.

 The quartet also performed a really wonderful acoustic set
that included Through the Flowers, Don’t Know Where to Start, Buzz Buzz Buzz,
Way Behind Me and of course Crash.

 The exhibition is representative of the art and the music
that The Primitives created. And, as you would expect from Pete, meticulous
attention has been paid to detail.

 This homage maps the band from their beginnings in 1984 to
the present day and the collection contains instruments, memorabilia and much more.

 The museum may be Pete’s vision but a whole lot of credit is
due to the team of knowledgeable volunteers who support the venture. And Pete
is quick to acknowledge this. The exhibition includes an area for choreographed
images which, I’m sure, will prove to be immensely popular.

 As far as I understand the exhibition will remain for the
duration of the year. It is a must visit venue.

The student side of Warwick University has had, for almost 60 years, a positive reputation regarding the entertainments it has put on. Dances, for example, were arranged around term times but also events such as the Presidents Ball, Freshers week and Valentines were also celebrated annually.

But it seems it wasn’t quite so easy establishing those entertainments and getting them off the ground. Going by some recent articles I discovered, the mid 1960s appears to be when the university decided to expand its horizons, create an entertainments budget and encourage the growing beat culture to its campus.

The following are extracts of university papers, from 1965, that indicate how Warwick went about creating such an event.

UNIVERSITY DANCES: In order that the students themselves should be able to play an active part in the selection of groups for University dances we include the following selections. Please indicate your preference and return the slip to the entertainments committee office as soon as possible: The Animals, Georgie Fame and. the Blue Flames, Manfred Mann, Dave Berry and the Cruisers, The Hollies, Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers, Moody Blues, Merseybeats, Pretty Things, Yardbirds, Zombies, Spencer Davis Group, Downliners Sect, Long John Baldry, Graham Bond Organisation, Alexis Korner, The Who – suggestions also welcome.

THE DANCE: The First Warwick dance (the advertisers -apparently forgetting there was a dance here) was unfortunately not too well favoured by the University students, however, The Falling Leaves and The Chads gave a very reasonable performance. The vast majority of the people who came along were from other colleges, or were of undetermined origins and it was these who enabled the organisers to make a profit of thirty pounds. After the dance, students from one of the other colleges in town made off with our “university of Warwick” sign, and yesterday, after many enquiries, the union received a message from Lanchester saying that they would return the sign as soon as possible.

The poor representation of Warwick University students at the dance sponsored by the Liberal Society, shows that something is drastically wrong with the social life of the University at weekends. The ratio of students from the neighbouring colleges to Warwick students must have been ten to one. Unless more of our university students take an interest in dances sponsored by the University, and other social functions at weekends, the social life here is going to be abysmally dull from now till the end of the year. If everyone take a negative attitude, this is not going to help matters much. So why not come in future and mix with your fellow students from the University as well as from the other Coventry Colleges.

As well as fascinating I found these notes about the early events to be quite amusing. Interesting to note also that it was Oxford’s The Falling Leaves, who had a minor hit with ‘She Loves to be Loved’, and not one of those suggested groups, who appeared at that early dance. Of course Warwick University dances went on to become bigger and better, ultimately becoming a huge success and attracting some huge names.

A superior Beat/Mod 45 from Oxford’s Falling Leaves who made this one single for Parlophone in 1965 before cutting ‘Beggar’s Parade’ on Decca the following year. They were Rod Stephens (vocals),Will Patrick(Guitar),Mal West(bass),Neil Stanley(organ) and Larry Nedel (Drums).

Continuing a theme for old record reviews, here are a few I came across for Don Fardon. These are from when he began, and, during his time as a solo artist.

I cannot find a review, as such, for his very first release. However I did come across some information, from March 1968, regarding a licensing deal for Don’s, then, new record:

1968 (The Lament of the Cherokee) Indian Reservation / Dreaming Room:

Gene Norman, president of GNP Crescendo Records, has made arrangements with Deutsche Vogue to release the product of their label’s English producer Miki Dallon in the U.S. and Canada. Deal was concluded at the recent Midem Convention. The first two of these recordings are being released this week – ‘Coming on Strong/Could You Really Live Without Her’ by Tony Ritchie and ‘(The Lament of the Cherokee) Indian Reservation/Dreaming Room’ by Don Fardon.

Don kept plugging away with further releases. Here are the reviews for two of them:

Pinkerton’s Assorted
Colours – 1966

by Pete Clemons

1966 was an important year for Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours. Their debut single ‘Mirror Mirror’ had hit the charts and further releases had become highly anticipated. This gave the band a period where they were exposed in the music press.

The following words were by vocalist, Tony Newman, while ‘Mirror Mirror’ was still climbing the charts…..

‘The trouble is, that big break is so elusive’ said 19 year old Tony Newman, the Pinkerton Assorted Colour who wrote their first hit ‘Mirror Mirror’, currently sliding up the pop 50. ‘Naturally we’re very pleased about it – it’s going in the right direction’, continues Tony.

Have the group got any ideas on a follow-up disc? ‘Yes, we’ve recorded several things already. I wrote eight or nine numbers before we brought out ‘Mirror Mirror’, and now we’ve done a new one along the same lines’. ‘I suppose’ added Tony, ‘that in a way, I’d like to do something completely different, but it is a bit chancy’.

Bass player, Tom Long, and Autoharp player Sam Kempe were part of an interview for the follow-up…….

Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours ask, ‘Will we be April Fools?’. Reason is that they release their follow up to their first smash hit on April 1st. Which leads to a matter of a split confidence inside the group. Sam (Pinkerton) Kempe said he felt ‘Don’t Stop Loving Me Baby’ was better than their first ‘Mirror Mirror’. He said ‘We recorded it first, Its a better number. Its more ‘beaty’, more like our stage act’.

But Tom Long (rhythm guitarist) says ‘We relied an awful lot on gimmicks for ‘Mirror’. Don’t think it would have been a hit at all without the publicity, because it was an inoffensive record, rather like a fairytale. But the new one will be difficult. Anyway, follow ups are one of the more interesting things in the pop world. We’re interested in the Overlanders next record, because they’re in much the same position as us. We survey the scene. The Hollies always follow up a hit well – except for the George Harrison number!. The Animals follow up as well. But Marianne Faithfull, Hedgehoppers Anonymous and Jonathan King missed out on theirs. I don’t think ours will go higher than number four’.

Who helped Pinkerton’s most? Said Tom: ‘Our manager, Reg Calvert. He has drive and energy. Took us when we were nothing. He gave us our image, recording contract and everything’. So said the Eliza Doolittle’s of the pop world.

Don’t Stop Loving Me Baby / Will Ya (review by a national music magazine)

The group certainly lives up to it’s name here!. The sounds they create on this disc are both assorted and colourful. I was particularly impressed by the ear-catching vocal blend, which occasionally shoots off into flights of falsetto.

The tune is simple and easily digested, while the beat is driving and contagious accentuated by some great guitar work and double-time rattling tambourine. I thought the added strings and bells were a bit unnecessary, but they wont hamper it’s success. Flip side; Another stormer and not dissimilar in conception, which makes an extremely strong ‘B’ side.

Magic Rocking Horse / It ain’t Right (review by a national music magazine)

Its been nearly five months since the boys last one, but this material is right enough to return them to the charts. Mid tempo and a song of lightness – about getting away from the problems of life astride a rocking horse. Should have all round appeal, plaintive lead vocal. Flip sip is more routine, but well arranged.