| home | what's new | news | biographies | gigs | guestbook | your replies | songlist |
I was asked to join my first band at the age of 15 by Ian Memmott, my best friend's
older brother - not because of my consummate skill on the piano (Grade 1 no less -
well you can't get less if truth be told), but because I was the only person he
knew with a portable keyboard (an old 60s organ - probably worth a fortune on the
retro market now, if only I'd kept it). So despite the fact that I hadn't
touched the piano since the age of 11, Ian steered us down the Progressive Rock route,
centred around his genuine skill of course - there can't be many bands whose first
cover was King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man. A fortnight after forming
we'd made a two song demo tape and entered the TSB Rock School championship.
Amazingly we got through to the Regional Finals, and suddenly realised we had another
two weeks to get a 20 minute set together - so in true Prog Rock style, our three
minute demo song became a 20 minute epic of meandering guitar solos, two verses and
a chorus! Needless to say, we didn't win. Andrew joined after a few months to
provide some proper vocals, and we moved towards more traditional heavy rock. Changed
our name to Halcyon in early 82 for self-protection (the drummer wanted to change the
name - nobody argued with Higgy!). Played a few gigs at the school, and disbanded
when the older guys left for college.
Adrian and I wanted to form a new band at the school, and luckily discovered that two
of our friends could play guitar and drums. After a brief flirtation with the terrible
name Psi-Phi, and me on lead vocals, we discovered another friend, Dave, who could
actually sing and be a front man. Quickly changed our name to Amethyst - more in
keeping with our Heavy Metal sound - wrote some songs, learned some covers, and
played a few gigs at school (including playing the theme song from Fame for the local
primary schools - as a reciprocal favour for the very supportive head of music at the
school, John Sheldon!). During this time I taught myself to play the guitar (after a
fashion), and started alternating between guitar and keyboards for different songs.
Adrian got "bored" after a year and left: he was firstly replaced by Yobber (real
name lost in the mists of time), who left school after a couple of months and was
replaced by Janet, who played the bass in the school orchestra in lieu of a proper
double bass. Janet was a very nice, quiet and shy girl who stunned us all by turning
up to her first gig in skin-tight leather trousers! Unfortunately she went on to
pursue a career in Accounting, so her brief taste of Rock 'n' Roll excess was
stifled - such a waste. Disbanded when we all left the sixth from and went our
separate ways.
Despite spending four of the intervening six years at a traditional hotbed of rock
bands, it wasn't until after my time at university (and a late night rambling
conversation) that the Pagan Lords came into being. This was instigated by my friend
Tony, who had never been in a band before, but had always wanted to. I already knew
that our mutual friend Nick was a drummer (with his own kit!), and Tony knew Chris
had played bass before. We started writing songs in a Goth-Punk style (Tony's
choice) round at Tony's house, and his housemate Martin bought a guitar and joined
in. Put together enough for a gig, but we just weren't good enough to play it!
I then made the mistake of trying to improve the band by suggesting a personnel
change - despite agreement from the others, the band fell apart after the dirty deed
was done, and I was left with the blame - never again! (Tip: just let bands fizzle
out, go off and join another one, avoid confrontation when friends are involved....
oh, and never start a land war in Asia).
After rekindling our desire for playing in a band, Nick and I asked around our mutual
friends and found the talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known to mundane
earthlings as Ken Bearman, who brought along a bassist and guitarist, and our
astrological band name. We soon had enough songs to play gigs, of which there were
many - most at Birmingham University - and we gelled together pretty well. Popular
enough to get asked to support "name" bands at the university.
When the first Finstock Farm gig was being planned (by mutual friend Ian Ward -
grandiose schemer, chemist and all-round danger to human safety), it was clear that
Twelfth House on their own would not be sufficient for such an event. Rather than be
sensible and find a band willing to play support, we decided to keep it to people we
knew, and form a one gig band playing standard heavy rock covers. Three rehearsals
later we were playing a one hour set, and we went down a storm. Having enjoyed it so
much (I got to play guitar solos - wa-hey!), we decided to do some more occasional
gigs. Of course we stuck to the principle of minimal rehearsals beforehand (no more
than four), but we did change the set each time, and ended up with quite a large
repertoire - even managing a two hour set for one gig.
Nick and Paul emigrated from Birmingham (Nick to Hong Kong then Australia, Paul to
Maidstone) and were replaced by Andy on drums and Ken on bass. We drafted in Mike on
guitar to fill out the sound. All was great in rehearsals, with Mike showing what a
talented guitarist he was. The first gig was a bit shaky - but then so are most first
gigs. The second gig was a completely different story though - the "Disastrous
Farm Gig" - worse even than the fabled Bad News "Disastrous Paris
Hippodrome Gig". The famous 'L'-shaped stage (in a barn this time, not a
purpose-built stage), coupled with a severe case of nerves for Mike, and a
pitch-shifter with a mind of its own, led to the worst gig I have ever played (by a
long way). Never before had I prayed for the ground to open up and swallow me; never
before had I longed for a power failure to stop us in our tracks; never before had I
wanted to wake up in the shower, with it all just a bad dream. Needless to say, the
band fizzled out soon after.
Ken, John and Andy approached Neil and I about reforming the Love Commandos, and we
jumped at the chance (thanks guys!). In the great Love Commandos tradition the aim
was to play good rocking covers to whoever would listen, although this time we decided
to be a little more adventurous, and a little more modern with the choice of songs.
Playing with power and passion, loud and fast, and as tight as a Scotsman who has
lived in Yorkshire (that's Neil by the way), we'll take you to heights of aural
pleasure (... end of plug). Recently adding a few originals to the set we're in
danger of becoming a serious band, but we always intend to have fun, so come along to
a gig - you'll never have a better night out (... alright, now it's the end of the
plug).