11/11/10 16:34
Steve, here's all the lastest drivel from life as a rock'n'roller!
Wednesday, August 4th. CLEVELYS SOCIAL CLUB
A fairly rare mid-week gig for what must be our third or fouth appearance at this venue and as on previous occasions it’s a fund-raiser for the local Air-Ambulance Service. Once again, it’s a sell-oiut with punters coming in as early as 6.00 o’clock and find the same seats that they’d onbviously sat in for the past thirty five years!
As we take in some traditional fish & chips, up on the front promenade it’s pretty windy, but comes in handy in helping to cool our chips down a bit. A couple of support acts get everybody in a good happy holiday mood before we hit the stage at the now customary 10pm slot. As the set progresses the crowd find their feet and soon get rockin’ especially with songs like I Knew The Bride and Let’s Work Together. Closing the set, the crowd seem to have enjoyed the show once again and we look forward to doing the honours in the not too distant future.
Saturday August 7th
KARL THOMPSON’S BASH, BANBURY
It’s Karl ‘Mr. 60’s’ anual Birthday bash and held at his home in Banbury.
He’s certainly splashed out and along with ourselves are fellow 60’s performers, The Cuff Links, Merseybeat Legends and Everlys tribute act, The Temple Brothers.
Staged in a large Marquee oin Karl’s back garden, the event attracted a good enthusiastic crowd. We were really amazed with Karl’s own hideaway music room, complete with jukebox, pin-ball macjine and most importantly – a bar!
Our thanks to Karl and his wife June for their generous and genuine hospitality with plenty of food and drink for all invoilved.
Hitting the stage at around 10pm, everybody was certainly in party mood and contributed towards a great rockin’ night.
Afterwards we all relaxed and enjoyed more
JF with 'Mr. 60's' of Karl’s hospitality and mixed with the others participants.Karl brought out another of his prized possessions with an original 1950’s Gibson E335 guitar which had in fact belonged to original Dreamer, Pete Birrell.
After thoroughly enjoying ourselves, we finally headed back to our hotel around 4.00am, as you do when you’re wild rock’n’rollers!
Saturday August 21st. SOUTH VIEW HOTEL, SKEGNESS
Back after a year to this venue which kindly provides us all with a meal and accommodation. Unfortunately, the set-up took a mammoth three hours, for whatever reason. By 8 o’clock we were all ready for the evening meal, which turned out to be more than some of us could handle but most appreciated anyway. Next time I’ll forego the pudding!
It’s another 10 o’clock showtime and after a four mile jog to get rid of some of the meal (only kidding) we were up and rockin’ with the patrons getting to grips with some vintage dance routines, i.e. jivin’, twistin’, shake and St. Bernard's Waltz.
Tonight’s set in fact was a pretty lengthy 80 minutes and by the end we all felt the pressure with the loss of any feeling in my back-side! Thankfully, my wife Margaret came to the rescue with and a pint and a good rub!.
Sunday August 29th. CATHOLIC CLUB, PRESTON
This was quite a big day for this venue as not only did they have superstars like us appearing there, but out on the bowling green it was a big championship event. Back indoors we got everything set up just in time for the early arrivals. Outside we watched the bowling championships and enjoyed a pint in the warm evening sun. On the show with us were a young lady vocalist who had quite a bit of class both visually and vocally plus comedian who kept the show rolling along as well as providing some laughs, although his repetitive catch-phrase of ‘job’s a good un’ started to wear a bit thin after an hour or so.
Although it wasn’t planned, we didn’t go onstage till 10.45 by which time I was feeling more like bed than rockin’ & rollin’. But rock’n’roll we did, in fact it turned out to be another good rockin’ night and eventually came off at around ten-to-midnight. Unfortunately the girl singer was scheduled to go on again to finish the night off which she did with renewed enthusiasm. We finally got the van loaded and hit the road around 1.15 am and headed back over the Pennines and eventually got home around 3.45am – that’s rock’n’roll?
Monday 20th September, PONTINS, PAKEFIELD
Another lengthy trip down to Suffolk to this popular holiday site for another 60’s festival. Tonight we were due to share the bill with our good pals Marmalade but due to ‘unforseen circumstances’ they won’t be appearing. Unfortunately we didn’t find this out untill I’d set off from home and as I’d arranged to use the Marms’ drumkit, we were faced with the problem of no drums. Fortunately Jason Wood, being the multi-instrumentalist that he is, has a drum kit at home so we borrowed that and set off for our gig.
Arriving at Pontinland about four-and-half hours later, we set up the gear as OI had the luxury of having my own ‘drum-tech.’ namely Jason who set up the kit for me and very nice too!
As the Marms weren’t on, the more than adequate resident band filled in the gap which they with a very well executed set of 60’s classics. Around 10.30 we hit the stage and supported by a superb sound system we got the place into rockin’ mode with our usual mix of driving rockers and 60’s hits. Once again, it was another well received show from a very appreciative audience and after a rapid-fire pack-up, we bid farewell to the rest of band as they had to get back home for commitments the next day.
Afterwards Dave and myself enjoyed a relaxing pint before we each toddled off to our apartments and a good night’s kip.
Friday, September 24th, WHITBY PAVILLION
The 60’s Fests have proved so popular at this venue, they are now staging two a year with this one being the second. On our arrival we found the place was packed out with about 1500 people all baying for 60’s music! On the show tonight is another great British rock’n’roller and good ol’ boy, Mike Berry and it’s great to be working with him at last. Having a chat with him in his dressing room, playing bass for him is Alan Jones who in fact played bass with The Shadows for about 10 years during the 70’s and 80’s. Also attending the gig for the weekend is the Marchetta clan who all seem to be getting into the spirit. It’s also good to see some familiar faces come and have a chat as we enjoy the atmosphere and the music. We eventually hit the stage around 11.15 and despite the time, the audience are fired up and ready for some rock’n’roll. Unfortunately, as the set progresses, so the sound system digresses with the monitor mix seemingly getting uncomfortably louder. Several requests from Dave and Brian to the monitor engineer seem to fall on deaf ears (probably because of the volume?!) and in the end Dave has resort to a physical remedy actually turned the monitors upside down to quell some of the volume. Despite this, the show continued to go down well with the audience and regardless of our problems on stage, the audience seemed to love us just as much as ever! Afterwards, it was just a short journey back to Scarborough and a more convenient stop-over for the night.
Saturday, September 25th EPIC CENTRE, LINCOLN SHOWGROUND
Held just outside of town as part of a massive event for owners of mobile homes, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many in one place. The venue was almost hangar-like with the stage set in the middle with long rows of seats and table down either side with bars set up at both ends. On the show with us are Edison Lighthouse and The Tremeloes. My thanks to Dave Munden and Nigel the Trems. faithful Sound-man & Roadie for the use of the kit which was most appreciated as we’re due to go on second in the show’s running order. With a few drinks and sandwiches kindly provided in the upstairs dressing room, we chewed the fat with the Edison boys before I took a stroll to check out some of the mobile homes attending. Talk about variation, from massive US models right down to tiny two-berth jobs, the home-on-wheels concept certainly has a lot of appeal and whatever your budget is, there’s something for everyone. Back inside the venue there must have been about 2000 people attending and ready to enjoy some good 60’s music.
As we got ourselves ready for showtime, The Trems arrived with whom we enjoyed a bit of banter as we recalled the Billy Cotton Band Show, “Wakey, Wakey!” Helping out tonight in the band is Dave Robinson on guitar and a one-time member of Dave’s band back in the late 60’s, early 70’s. Off and running, we soon got the large dance floor in front of the stage full with everybody jumpin’ round. With Crying Game, followed by Price Of Love bringing the set to a close, another good night ensued. Thanks to not having any drums to pack away, I soon got out of my stage tunic and back into my ‘civvy clothes’ and hit the trail back to Donny and home,.
Friday, October 22nd. VILLAGE CLUB, CARLTON, BARNSLEY
Just a thirty minute drive for yours truly and to a place where the people are a bit wild and wooly but most hospitable. Arriving at tea-time, a tray full of teas were our usual number one priority before we start setting up the apparatus. It’s a typical Working Men’s club with tonight’s show being a ‘Help The Heroes’ charity event. We’re on with a couple of other local acts to keep the entertainment flowing along with the pints as the audience pile in resulting in a sell-out night.
Thankfully, the lady in charge of the operation, has put on a superb buffet which couldn’t have come too soon to us ‘Hungry Horaces’ as we loaded up with the delights on offer. Around 10.00 we were poised and ready to rock as the final items were auctioned off.
As the packed audience commence to rock along with us, ladies shake their tail-feathers whilst the men jump around and sing along. Tonight Chris is back with us and tonight I’m especially pleased as this week he’d been nominated for the top guitarist award in one of the trendy Sheffield magazines. Unfortunately he didn’t win but just getting the recognition certainly filled me with pride for ‘m’boy’.
The show went down a storm, proving that those Barnsley folk still like their rock’n’roll. Saddled-up and loaded we head back down the trail, all set for another two days of rockin’ on the road.
Saturday, October 23rd WHITE HORSE HOLIDAY PARK, SELSEY, CHICHESTER
Right down on the south coast, our four and half hour journey was made a little more pleasant by some really decent weather for this time of year. Arriving around 5.00 we set up in the camp’s venue, having followed on from a succession of other 60’s acts (Mungo Jerry, Swinging Blue Jeans, etc.). Round the corner our accommodation is a fairly spacious large caravan in which we stoke up the heaters as the October night gets typically colder. Prior to us going on, a young man fills in with a couple of songs by, of all people, Johnny Cash which comes as a pleasant surprise as Dave and myself are staunch fans of the ‘man in black’. Time for us to go at 10.30 and although the audience look as though they’ve had a grueling day with the kids, a few get up to boogie along with us before we ‘shut the shop’ for tonight. After getting everything packed and ready to load up in the morning, we head off to the late bar for a couple of pints before heading back to our caravan and a most welcome chip-butty served up by our Chef de Cuisine, Brian!
Sunday, October 24th. SEACROFT HOLIDAY PARK, HEMSBY
Our second appearance at this venue this year and another week of 60’s fayre. One of the features of rthis camp is that some of the chalets are the original type from the 50’s! However, they’re fitted out with more mod-cons than originally and inside they’re quite cosy and warm. Unfortunately, Dave was suffering from a sore throat, which seemed to have been affecting a few people of late. Plus, an unbalanced sound-mix to compete with the previous night hadn’t helped. Therefore, tonight we would have to revamp the show as to not to do any damage to Dave’s voice. To compensate, we combined the music with a question and answer session conducted by Dave and yours truly answering various questions from members of the audience. These ranged from; ‘what was Chuck Berry like to meet?’ and ‘Can you remember your first groupies?!’ The answer to the first question was “not a very nice person”! and although Dave coiuldn’t remember his first groupie, I (JF) could! This segment seemed to go down very well with the audience before Dave returned to playing the drums after over 50 years! Dave of course began his musical career as a singing drummer with the duo The Dominos. Swapping roles with Cruisers' drummer John Firminger who sang whilst Dave played drums on a rousing rendition of Great Balls Of Fire. The only drawback to this was that Dave proved to be a better drummer than John was as a singer! A brief spot by The Cruisers featuring Brian and Chris performing some Chuck Berry and Eddie Cochran classics was also well received. With all it's variations, the show was well received by both the audience and the promoter. However, at this stage, we're not sure whether Dave will take up the drums again on a more regular basis! Actuall the show’s concept appeared to work very well and maybe will be put into practice, occasionally, for other shows.
Wednesday, August 4th. CLEVELYS SOCIAL CLUB
A fairly rare mid-week gig for what must be our third or fouth appearance at this venue and as on previous occasions it’s a fund-raiser for the local Air-Ambulance Service. Once again, it’s a sell-oiut with punters coming in as early as 6.00 o’clock and find the same seats that they’d onbviously sat in for the past thirty five years!
As we take in some traditional fish & chips, up on the front promenade it’s pretty windy, but comes in handy in helping to cool our chips down a bit. A couple of support acts get everybody in a good happy holiday mood before we hit the stage at the now customary 10pm slot. As the set progresses the crowd find their feet and soon get rockin’ especially with songs like I Knew The Bride and Let’s Work Together. Closing the set, the crowd seem to have enjoyed the show once again and we look forward to doing the honours in the not too distant future.
Saturday August 7th
KARL THOMPSON’S BASH, BANBURY
It’s Karl ‘Mr. 60’s’ anual Birthday bash and held at his home in Banbury.
He’s certainly splashed out and along with ourselves are fellow 60’s performers, The Cuff Links, Merseybeat Legends and Everlys tribute act, The Temple Brothers.
Staged in a large Marquee oin Karl’s back garden, the event attracted a good enthusiastic crowd. We were really amazed with Karl’s own hideaway music room, complete with jukebox, pin-ball macjine and most importantly – a bar!
Our thanks to Karl and his wife June for their generous and genuine hospitality with plenty of food and drink for all invoilved.
Hitting the stage at around 10pm, everybody was certainly in party mood and contributed towards a great rockin’ night.
Afterwards we all relaxed and enjoyed more
JF with 'Mr. 60's' of Karl’s hospitality and mixed with the others participants.Karl brought out another of his prized possessions with an original 1950’s Gibson E335 guitar which had in fact belonged to original Dreamer, Pete Birrell.
After thoroughly enjoying ourselves, we finally headed back to our hotel around 4.00am, as you do when you’re wild rock’n’rollers!
Saturday August 21st. SOUTH VIEW HOTEL, SKEGNESS
Back after a year to this venue which kindly provides us all with a meal and accommodation. Unfortunately, the set-up took a mammoth three hours, for whatever reason. By 8 o’clock we were all ready for the evening meal, which turned out to be more than some of us could handle but most appreciated anyway. Next time I’ll forego the pudding!
It’s another 10 o’clock showtime and after a four mile jog to get rid of some of the meal (only kidding) we were up and rockin’ with the patrons getting to grips with some vintage dance routines, i.e. jivin’, twistin’, shake and St. Bernard's Waltz.
Tonight’s set in fact was a pretty lengthy 80 minutes and by the end we all felt the pressure with the loss of any feeling in my back-side! Thankfully, my wife Margaret came to the rescue with and a pint and a good rub!.
Sunday August 29th. CATHOLIC CLUB, PRESTON
This was quite a big day for this venue as not only did they have superstars like us appearing there, but out on the bowling green it was a big championship event. Back indoors we got everything set up just in time for the early arrivals. Outside we watched the bowling championships and enjoyed a pint in the warm evening sun. On the show with us were a young lady vocalist who had quite a bit of class both visually and vocally plus comedian who kept the show rolling along as well as providing some laughs, although his repetitive catch-phrase of ‘job’s a good un’ started to wear a bit thin after an hour or so.
Although it wasn’t planned, we didn’t go onstage till 10.45 by which time I was feeling more like bed than rockin’ & rollin’. But rock’n’roll we did, in fact it turned out to be another good rockin’ night and eventually came off at around ten-to-midnight. Unfortunately the girl singer was scheduled to go on again to finish the night off which she did with renewed enthusiasm. We finally got the van loaded and hit the road around 1.15 am and headed back over the Pennines and eventually got home around 3.45am – that’s rock’n’roll?
Monday 20th September, PONTINS, PAKEFIELD
Another lengthy trip down to Suffolk to this popular holiday site for another 60’s festival. Tonight we were due to share the bill with our good pals Marmalade but due to ‘unforseen circumstances’ they won’t be appearing. Unfortunately we didn’t find this out untill I’d set off from home and as I’d arranged to use the Marms’ drumkit, we were faced with the problem of no drums. Fortunately Jason Wood, being the multi-instrumentalist that he is, has a drum kit at home so we borrowed that and set off for our gig.
Arriving at Pontinland about four-and-half hours later, we set up the gear as OI had the luxury of having my own ‘drum-tech.’ namely Jason who set up the kit for me and very nice too!
As the Marms weren’t on, the more than adequate resident band filled in the gap which they with a very well executed set of 60’s classics. Around 10.30 we hit the stage and supported by a superb sound system we got the place into rockin’ mode with our usual mix of driving rockers and 60’s hits. Once again, it was another well received show from a very appreciative audience and after a rapid-fire pack-up, we bid farewell to the rest of band as they had to get back home for commitments the next day.
Afterwards Dave and myself enjoyed a relaxing pint before we each toddled off to our apartments and a good night’s kip.
Friday, September 24th, WHITBY PAVILLION
The 60’s Fests have proved so popular at this venue, they are now staging two a year with this one being the second. On our arrival we found the place was packed out with about 1500 people all baying for 60’s music! On the show tonight is another great British rock’n’roller and good ol’ boy, Mike Berry and it’s great to be working with him at last. Having a chat with him in his dressing room, playing bass for him is Alan Jones who in fact played bass with The Shadows for about 10 years during the 70’s and 80’s. Also attending the gig for the weekend is the Marchetta clan who all seem to be getting into the spirit. It’s also good to see some familiar faces come and have a chat as we enjoy the atmosphere and the music. We eventually hit the stage around 11.15 and despite the time, the audience are fired up and ready for some rock’n’roll. Unfortunately, as the set progresses, so the sound system digresses with the monitor mix seemingly getting uncomfortably louder. Several requests from Dave and Brian to the monitor engineer seem to fall on deaf ears (probably because of the volume?!) and in the end Dave has resort to a physical remedy actually turned the monitors upside down to quell some of the volume. Despite this, the show continued to go down well with the audience and regardless of our problems on stage, the audience seemed to love us just as much as ever! Afterwards, it was just a short journey back to Scarborough and a more convenient stop-over for the night.
Saturday, September 25th EPIC CENTRE, LINCOLN SHOWGROUND
Held just outside of town as part of a massive event for owners of mobile homes, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many in one place. The venue was almost hangar-like with the stage set in the middle with long rows of seats and table down either side with bars set up at both ends. On the show with us are Edison Lighthouse and The Tremeloes. My thanks to Dave Munden and Nigel the Trems. faithful Sound-man & Roadie for the use of the kit which was most appreciated as we’re due to go on second in the show’s running order. With a few drinks and sandwiches kindly provided in the upstairs dressing room, we chewed the fat with the Edison boys before I took a stroll to check out some of the mobile homes attending. Talk about variation, from massive US models right down to tiny two-berth jobs, the home-on-wheels concept certainly has a lot of appeal and whatever your budget is, there’s something for everyone. Back inside the venue there must have been about 2000 people attending and ready to enjoy some good 60’s music.
As we got ourselves ready for showtime, The Trems arrived with whom we enjoyed a bit of banter as we recalled the Billy Cotton Band Show, “Wakey, Wakey!” Helping out tonight in the band is Dave Robinson on guitar and a one-time member of Dave’s band back in the late 60’s, early 70’s. Off and running, we soon got the large dance floor in front of the stage full with everybody jumpin’ round. With Crying Game, followed by Price Of Love bringing the set to a close, another good night ensued. Thanks to not having any drums to pack away, I soon got out of my stage tunic and back into my ‘civvy clothes’ and hit the trail back to Donny and home,.
Friday, October 22nd. VILLAGE CLUB, CARLTON, BARNSLEY
Just a thirty minute drive for yours truly and to a place where the people are a bit wild and wooly but most hospitable. Arriving at tea-time, a tray full of teas were our usual number one priority before we start setting up the apparatus. It’s a typical Working Men’s club with tonight’s show being a ‘Help The Heroes’ charity event. We’re on with a couple of other local acts to keep the entertainment flowing along with the pints as the audience pile in resulting in a sell-out night.
Thankfully, the lady in charge of the operation, has put on a superb buffet which couldn’t have come too soon to us ‘Hungry Horaces’ as we loaded up with the delights on offer. Around 10.00 we were poised and ready to rock as the final items were auctioned off.
As the packed audience commence to rock along with us, ladies shake their tail-feathers whilst the men jump around and sing along. Tonight Chris is back with us and tonight I’m especially pleased as this week he’d been nominated for the top guitarist award in one of the trendy Sheffield magazines. Unfortunately he didn’t win but just getting the recognition certainly filled me with pride for ‘m’boy’.
The show went down a storm, proving that those Barnsley folk still like their rock’n’roll. Saddled-up and loaded we head back down the trail, all set for another two days of rockin’ on the road.
Saturday, October 23rd WHITE HORSE HOLIDAY PARK, SELSEY, CHICHESTER
Right down on the south coast, our four and half hour journey was made a little more pleasant by some really decent weather for this time of year. Arriving around 5.00 we set up in the camp’s venue, having followed on from a succession of other 60’s acts (Mungo Jerry, Swinging Blue Jeans, etc.). Round the corner our accommodation is a fairly spacious large caravan in which we stoke up the heaters as the October night gets typically colder. Prior to us going on, a young man fills in with a couple of songs by, of all people, Johnny Cash which comes as a pleasant surprise as Dave and myself are staunch fans of the ‘man in black’. Time for us to go at 10.30 and although the audience look as though they’ve had a grueling day with the kids, a few get up to boogie along with us before we ‘shut the shop’ for tonight. After getting everything packed and ready to load up in the morning, we head off to the late bar for a couple of pints before heading back to our caravan and a most welcome chip-butty served up by our Chef de Cuisine, Brian!
Sunday, October 24th. SEACROFT HOLIDAY PARK, HEMSBY
Our second appearance at this venue this year and another week of 60’s fayre. One of the features of rthis camp is that some of the chalets are the original type from the 50’s! However, they’re fitted out with more mod-cons than originally and inside they’re quite cosy and warm. Unfortunately, Dave was suffering from a sore throat, which seemed to have been affecting a few people of late. Plus, an unbalanced sound-mix to compete with the previous night hadn’t helped. Therefore, tonight we would have to revamp the show as to not to do any damage to Dave’s voice. To compensate, we combined the music with a question and answer session conducted by Dave and yours truly answering various questions from members of the audience. These ranged from; ‘what was Chuck Berry like to meet?’ and ‘Can you remember your first groupies?!’ The answer to the first question was “not a very nice person”! and although Dave coiuldn’t remember his first groupie, I (JF) could! This segment seemed to go down very well with the audience before Dave returned to playing the drums after over 50 years! Dave of course began his musical career as a singing drummer with the duo The Dominos. Swapping roles with Cruisers' drummer John Firminger who sang whilst Dave played drums on a rousing rendition of Great Balls Of Fire. The only drawback to this was that Dave proved to be a better drummer than John was as a singer! A brief spot by The Cruisers featuring Brian and Chris performing some Chuck Berry and Eddie Cochran classics was also well received. With all it's variations, the show was well received by both the audience and the promoter. However, at this stage, we're not sure whether Dave will take up the drums again on a more regular basis! Actuall the show’s concept appeared to work very well and maybe will be put into practice, occasionally, for other shows.
25/03/09 11:49
Sunday 10th. August, Burntwood Sports Centre, Lichfield
Amidst some pretty erratic weather, a large open-air concert is always a risky business. Thankfully, promoter Brian Yeates, just about got it right and it’s a sunshiny afternoon as we arrive. The bill is a most attractive one with fellow 60’s buddies The Searchers, The Tremeloes, Marmalade, The Fortunes, Animals and Foundations. Backstage, there’s a party goin’ on as a cake is cut to celebrate the birthday of Fortunes’ newest recruit, Eddie Mooney. Our time-slot is 5.15 so we ‘sing in the sunshine’ as we get the crowd into a semi-frenzy with a mix of 60’s and more contemporary material. Before you can say “I’ll have a pint”, we’re off and gone as both Brian and Jason have later gigs elsewhere, plus I’ve got to get back as I think I may have left a boiled egg on the stove!
Saturday 30th. August, Hutton Village Show, Weston-Super-Mare
Thanks to organizers Pat and Graham for inviting us back for this combination of horticulture and rock’n’roll. The nice sunny weather seems to be holding out and adds to the general enjoyment of this event. Supporting us is Bristol band who kindly provide the back-line in conjunction with our PA system. As on our last appearance here, the hospitality is excellent with a well-stocked fridge. About 200 people attend and it’s not long before the energetic ones are up and rockin’ and twistin’ in the best traditions whilst others sit it out and enjoiy the music, resulting in what appears to be another success for the village. Afterwards, the band shoot off homewards whilst Dave and I travel the 10 minutes to The Sandringham Hotel on Weston-Super-Mare’s seafront. The next morning, a grim sight greets us as directly across the road, the recently burn-out pier now remains just a black, mangled mass.
Monday 8th. September, Vauxhall Holiday Park, Yarmouth
A fairly rare week-day gig down at this venue. As Johnnie and Jason couldn't do the date due to other commitments two previous members of The Cruisers made a welcome return to the line-up for the gig with Carl Baker (2nd. guitar & harmonica) and Chris Firminger (lead-guitar) standing in along with Brian (bass/steel) and John (drums). Despite the change in line-up, the band maintained a solid back-up for the show with Dave, mixing the familiar 60's numbers with some impressive contemporary material although the mixed family audience may not have been as receptive as the more familiar 60’s Weekend crowd. After the show Dave joined the lads backstage to celebrate the reunion with a nice cup of Ovaltine(?).
Amidst some pretty erratic weather, a large open-air concert is always a risky business. Thankfully, promoter Brian Yeates, just about got it right and it’s a sunshiny afternoon as we arrive. The bill is a most attractive one with fellow 60’s buddies The Searchers, The Tremeloes, Marmalade, The Fortunes, Animals and Foundations. Backstage, there’s a party goin’ on as a cake is cut to celebrate the birthday of Fortunes’ newest recruit, Eddie Mooney. Our time-slot is 5.15 so we ‘sing in the sunshine’ as we get the crowd into a semi-frenzy with a mix of 60’s and more contemporary material. Before you can say “I’ll have a pint”, we’re off and gone as both Brian and Jason have later gigs elsewhere, plus I’ve got to get back as I think I may have left a boiled egg on the stove!
Saturday 30th. August, Hutton Village Show, Weston-Super-Mare
Thanks to organizers Pat and Graham for inviting us back for this combination of horticulture and rock’n’roll. The nice sunny weather seems to be holding out and adds to the general enjoyment of this event. Supporting us is Bristol band who kindly provide the back-line in conjunction with our PA system. As on our last appearance here, the hospitality is excellent with a well-stocked fridge. About 200 people attend and it’s not long before the energetic ones are up and rockin’ and twistin’ in the best traditions whilst others sit it out and enjoiy the music, resulting in what appears to be another success for the village. Afterwards, the band shoot off homewards whilst Dave and I travel the 10 minutes to The Sandringham Hotel on Weston-Super-Mare’s seafront. The next morning, a grim sight greets us as directly across the road, the recently burn-out pier now remains just a black, mangled mass.
Monday 8th. September, Vauxhall Holiday Park, Yarmouth
A fairly rare week-day gig down at this venue. As Johnnie and Jason couldn't do the date due to other commitments two previous members of The Cruisers made a welcome return to the line-up for the gig with Carl Baker (2nd. guitar & harmonica) and Chris Firminger (lead-guitar) standing in along with Brian (bass/steel) and John (drums). Despite the change in line-up, the band maintained a solid back-up for the show with Dave, mixing the familiar 60's numbers with some impressive contemporary material although the mixed family audience may not have been as receptive as the more familiar 60’s Weekend crowd. After the show Dave joined the lads backstage to celebrate the reunion with a nice cup of Ovaltine(?).