AGENCY DAYS
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PLEASE
NOTE THAT THIS SECTION IS STILL VERY MUCH UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
IF ANYONE FROM THESE EARLY DAYS WOULD LIKE TO ADD INFORMATION
(MY MEMORIES ARE SOMETIMES HAZY) I'D BE GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU......
WHERE
IT ALL BEGAN......
LONG
AGO, WHEN DINOSAURS AND ALMA COGAN STILL ROAMED THE LAND, THREE
LADS FROM LICHFIELD, A SMALL PEACEFUL CITY IN THE HEART OF THE
ENGLISH MIDLANDS, HEARD AN ELMORE JAMES RECORD.......
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LEVI SET CARD
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THE
LEVI SET
THE LEVI SET
CONSISTED OF IAN CHARLES (DRUMS),
HIS BROTHER JOHN (BASS) AND A YOUNG
LAD CALLED JEREMY SPENCER ON LEAD
GUITAR, HARMONICA AND PIANO. THEY PLAYED UPBEAT CHICAGO BLUES,
AND JEREMY SOON MASTERED THE THRILLING SLIDE RUNS OF ELMORE
JAMES TO PERFECTION
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A VERY EARLY JEREMY SPENCER
AUTOGRAPH - ON MY BIRTHDAY CARD!
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AWAITING THUMBNAIL
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ALTHOUGH
I WAS OFFICIALLY MANAGER, IT WAS A FRIEND, PHIL
SMITH, WHO WROTE A LETTER TO MIKE
VERNON AT DECCA EARLY IN 1967. AMAZINGLY WE GOT A POSITIVE
REPLY, AND A LETTER FROM MIKE VERNONS OFFICE
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AWAITING THUMBNAIL
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AS OUR BOOKINGS
BETWEEN FEBRUARY 20th AND 28th 1967 WERE APPROXIMATELY NIL,
WE QUICKLY ARRANGED AN AUDITION IN THE WORKING MENS CLUBROOM
IN THE TINY VILLAGE OF WALL, NEAR LICHFIELD IN STAFFORDSHIRE,
WHERE MY PARENTS KEPT THE LOCAL PUB. MIKE VERNON WAS INSTANTLY
IMPRESSED BY JEREMY, AND WITHIN A DAY OR TWO WE WERE ASKED TO
PLAY IN THE INTERVAL AT A CLUB IN BIRMINGHAM CALLED 'LE METRO',
UNDERNEATH THE ARCHES OF SNOW HILL RAILWAY STATION, THIS WAS
TO BE ONE OF THE LAST GIGS THAT PETER
GREEN PLAYED WITH JOHN MAYALLS
BLUESBREAKERS, AS HE WAS IN THE FINAL STAGES OF SETTING
UP HIS NEW BAND.
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AWAITING THUMBNAIL
LE METRO
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AWAITING THUMBNAIL
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WE DID A COUPLE
OF NUMBERS IN THE INTERVAL, THE SECOND OF THEM WITH PETER GREEN
SITTING IN ON HARMONICA. HE THEN WENT INTO A HUDDLE WITH JEREMY
AND MICK FLEETWOOD, AND THAT WAS
THE END OF THE LEVI SET!
FOR A WHILE, DURING
THE SETTING UP AND REHEARSING OF FLEETWOOD
MAC - WHICH THEN CONSISTED OF JEREMY, PETER GREEN, MICK
FLEETWOOD AND BOB BRUNNING ON BASS
- WE WATCHED THEM GROW INTO A TIGHT BLUES UNIT, AND MANAGED
TO GET INTO THE STUDIO WITH THEM, BUT WORK COMMITMENTS MEANT
WE SAW GRADUALLY LESS OF THEM. THEY WERE ALWAYS WELCOMING, THOUGH,
AND A FRIEND - TERRY GALLAGHER
- AND I WERE OFTEN DRIVING THROUGH THE NIGHT TO CATCH A GIG,
BEING REWARDED WITH GREAT MEMORIES, LIKE BEING GIVEN A ROSE
BY CHRISTINE PERFECT AND KIDDING
AROUND WITH DANNY KIRWAN.
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AWAITING THUMBNAIL
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DUSTER BENNETT ALBUM FEATURING
THE LICHFIELD CLUB
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HAVING
BEEN BITTEN BY THE MUSIC SCENE BUG, AND WITH THE ADVANTAGE OF
HAVING MET A HUGE NUMBER OF BANDS AND BLUESMEN THROUGH FLETWOOD
MAC, PHIL, TERRY AND I DECIDED TO OPEN A BLUES CLUB IN OUR HOMETOWN
OF LICHFIELD - THE MOST UNLIKELY TWIN FOR CHICAGO YOU CAN IMAGINE.
THE FIRST SUCH CLUB, THE RECTANGLE, WAS IMMORTALISED BY A DUSTER
BENNETT ALBUM SLEEVE WHICH FEATURES THE POSTER. THE SECOND
INCARNATION, THE POKEY HOLE, IS STILL REMEMBERED WITH AFFECTION
BY LOCALS OF 'A CERTAIN AGE'!
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THE THREE FOUNDER MEMBERS IN
TYPICAL POSE
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HEAD GIGGING IN ANOTHER SMALL
CLUB, LATER IN THEIR CAREER
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ALTHOUGH TINY
(HENCE ITS NAME) AND BEING HELD ABOVE A PUB - INITIALLY THE
PRINCE OF WALES, THEN THE ROBIN HOOD, FINALLY THE MALT SHOVEL
(ALL NOW DISAPPEARED) -THE POKEY HOLE SOON GOT A REPUTATION
FOR PUTTING ON GREAT BANDS. THE FAVOURITE CROWD PULLERS WERE
'EARTH', WHO PLAYED A FRIDAY NIGHT
ONCE EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS OR SO, BEING PAID AROUND £15
AND TREATED TO A CURRY AT THE 'STAR OF BENGAL'. THE NIGHT THAT
THEY CAME ON STAGE, ANNOUNCED THAT THEY HAD CHANGED THEIR NAME
AND LAUNCHED INTO 'BLACK SABBATH'
WAS ONE OF THE GREAT PERFORMANCES, DESPITE TONY
IOMMI HAVING TO COMPLETE HIS OBLIGATORY 20-MINUTE SOLO
WITH TERRY GALLAGHERS ARMS WRAPPED ROUND HIM. TERRY PLAYING
AIR GUITAR AND HOLDING A PINT AT THE SAME
TIME WAS ONE OF THE GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS
IN ROCK!
THE HOLE ALSO FEATURED BIRMINGHAM
BANDS INDIAN SUMMER, DOG
THAT BIT PEOPLE, HANNIBAL,
HOSTED THE FIRST GIG BY A DUO CALLED 'MEDICINE
HEAD' A LOCAL BAND FEATURING DAVE
'CLEM' CLEMSON, LATER OF COLOSSEUM,
HUMBLE PIE AND JACK
BRUCE & FRIENDS. ALSO THERE WERE DUFFY
POWER, SIMON AND STEVE (FEATURING
STEVE RYE OF THE GROUNDHOGS)
MIKE CHAPMAN, TEA
AND SYMPHONY AND MANY MORE
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A TYPICAL LETTER FROM THE GREAT
AND SADLY MISSED STEVE RYE
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THERE
WERE SPIN-OFF CLUBS FROM THE ORIGINAL POKEY HOLE, AND THESE ARE
TWO CONTRACTS FOR APPEARANCES BY EARTH IN 1969, JUST A YEAR BEFORE
THEY RELEASED EVIL WOMAN. ON THE LEFT, THEY ARE BOOKED TO APPEAR
AT THE PENNYCLIFFE CLUB IN BROWNHILLS ON A SUNDAY NIGHT FOR THE
PRINCELY SUM OF FIFTEEN POUNDS. ON THE RIGHT, THEY ARE TO PERFORM
AT THE CAVES CLUB IN WALSALL ON A MONDAY NIGHT - THIS TIME FOR
TWENTYFIVE POUNDS
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THE BIG BEAR YEARS
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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BLACK SABBATH
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KING BISCUIT
BOY
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EDDIE 'GUITAR'
BURNS
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LIGHTNING SLIM
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BREWERS DROOP
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KING PLEASURE
& THE BISCUIT BOYS
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TRAMP
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SOME INTERESTING COPIES OF CONTRACTS
FROM TRAMP IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES. THESE ARE THE AGENCY FILE
COPIES AND RARELY HAVE A SIGNATURE
CONTRACTS
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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NECROMANDUS
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JUDAS PRIEST
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FLYING HAT BAND
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CHAMPION JACK
DUPREE
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