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We have already found a surprising number of images, cuttings and promotional material from our early days, and the memories come flooding back!
And new history is being created in the here and now too - we love the encouragement we're getting via Social Media messages for instance, and also the new images we receive.
So now Its great to finally have a 'home' where all of this can be displayed and enjoyed by all - but we think there may be more out there that everyone would like to see.
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Some of our tales & trivia
DENIGH: Cancelled!
Phil's Kawai Guitar
Phil's Kawai Guitar
A little piece of interesting trivia.
MORE, together with DENIGH and TOMAHAWK, were due to support VARDIS at the Leas Cliff Hall way back in 1981.
However, the show was cancelled by the council for fear of fighting following trouble at an earlier gig at the venue.
The cancellation sparked a peaceful protest in the town by local Rock fans.
Phil's Kawai Guitar
Phil's Kawai Guitar
Phil's Kawai Guitar
Great shot of Phil in action, and in glorious colour. Affectionately known as The Blue Meanie, this guitar is the Kawai 'Rock N Roll Star.
Plug it into a Marshall stack and turn it up to 13 ... Oh yeah!
Honestly, you wouldn't believe it.
Its only got a single DiMarzio pick up but the sound was blinding ..
.. and then it ripped yer ears off!
Different Strokes?
Phil's Kawai Guitar
1979, and DENIGH was the support band to headliners The Sinceros - a new wave/power pop band - and was probably a bit of a mis-match.
They were an established, popular band and active from 1979 to 1981.
Wikipedia tells us that their singer, guitarist and main songwriter, Mark Kjeldsen, died in 1992. The other band members Bobby Irwin (drums), Ron François (bass), and Don Snow aka John Savannah (keys) went on to work variously with Squeeze, Tina Turner, Van Morrison, Nick Lowe, and the Teardrop Explodes. Sadly, Irwin died in 2015.
François is now a record producer in Australia; and Savannah is still active and is a producer in the US.
Phils Guitar Sound
The question has been asked .. how did Phil get 'that sound' from his guitars?
Well, a good part of it must be the way he played, after all he began with good technique from having had classical guitar tutoring.
However, there was a secret weapon.
Yes he had the Marshall amp and 4x12 speaker cabs but behind this was a 'cheapo' plastic practice amp that he'd owned for years.
The lead from his guitar plugged into his effects pedals, and then a lead from the effects went behind his Marshall stack to the input of the practice amp.
A lead from its 'speaker out' socket then went into the Marshall amp.
A little fine tuning, balancing the 'ins & outs' and he had his sound.
One problem, the Marshall input circuit got fried every now and then!
Luckily we had an electronics 'wiz' who was happy to fix it.
Gerry, where are you now, I wonder?
RACING CARS - An early influence
RACING CARS - An early influence
Jon met Phil around 1976, when Phil was recruited to complete the line up of TALISMAN – a local pop/rock covers band. He brought many fresh ideas with him, and one was the music of Welsh band, RACING CARS.
Phil had their album 'Downtown Tonight' that included their soon to be released single
'They Shoot Horses Don't They'
We included it in our 'set list' almost as soon as they released the single in 1977.
Phil clearly rated their guitarist Graham Headley Williams. He admired good guitarists, and I don't necessarily mean those that can whiz up and down the fretboard at the speed of light. Guitarists that understood the instrument always had Phil's ear.
And up to this point, I hadn't realised what an amazing vocalist Gareth 'Morty' Mortimer was.
When they released their next album, 'Weekend Rendezvous', Phil said, "Let's do
'Down By The River (Swampy)'
and we did of course.
RACING CARS music isn't 'rock' but neither is EAGLES, and both have influenced our music in some way.
Give 'Down by the river' a listen, there's some clever guitar in it, and Morty's voice is true rock!