Broadgate Gnome

FISSION
circa 1973-4

Rick Thawne (lead guitar), Johnny Adams (lead/rhythm/acoustic guitars/vocals/songwriter), Al Varney (bass), Simon Lovegrove (drums), Ant Callaghan (lyricist/vocals)

Rock music influenced variously by Hawkwind/classical/medieval and jazz.

Johnny Adams later played with Squad c.1979.

Regular band at Hobo Workshop. Support band for Budgie at the Royal Navel Club. Played the Windsor Free Festival. They supported Hawkwind at the Locarno.

When asked by Q Artistes why they don’t play Slade and Rolling Stones, they replied ‘because Slade and the Rolling Stones play Slade and the Rolling Stones!” That told ‘em! (From HOBO unpublished edition)

FLYING CIRCUS
circa 1972

Johnny Adams (guitar/vocals)

Concert ticket states - ‘Dance at Berkswell Reading Room featuring Flying Circus & Square 4 disco. Saturday 2nd December 1972.

FLYING MACHINE
circa 1969

Pop group

Line up: Steve Jones (guitar, vocals), Tony Newman (vocals), Stuart Coleman (bass), Paul Wilkinson (drums).

Newman and Coleman previously in Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, Wilkinson previously in The Peeps and Jones was in The Sabres (with Wilkinson).

Singles:

Smile A Little Smile For Me (Tony McCauley & Geoff Stevens) b/w Maybe We’ve Been Loving Too Long 1969
Baby Make It Soon b/w Smile A Little Smile For Me 1969
Send My Baby Home Again b/w Look At Me Look At Me 1969
Hanging On The Edge Of Sadness b/w Flying Machine 1970
The Devil Had Possession Of My Mind b/w Hey Little Girl 1970
Yes I Understand b/w Pages Of Your Life 1970

Albums:

Down to Earth With The Flying Machine 1970

FOLKLORE
circa 1969-81 and beyond

Traditional folk group.

Regulars and organisers of Henley College Folk Club, New Inn, Longford Road. Coventry. Supported folk acts such as The Yetties, Derek Brimstone, The McCalman’s.

Described by CET (Sat Nov 14th 1981) as the longest running folk outfit.

CET go on to say ‘Folklore was established in 1969 around accountant Graham Holt, Alan Rowe (an engineer at the GEC) and Roland Matthews (A lecturer) when they formed the Henley College Folk Club at Bell Green’. Artist and art lecturer, Barry Jackson (a talented musician who can play more than 12 instruments, joined in 1973.’

Their second album came out in 1981 called Eine Kleine Folk Musik featuring 12 tracks including ‘The Dalesman’s Litany’ and ‘The Smuggler’s Song’. It was produced by Norman Wheatley, former presenter from Mercia Sounds Folk Show and later with BRMB. The album was recorded at Mercia Studios.

The FOUR CLUBS
circa ?

Mari-ann / Rick / Dek / Keith R Phillips (info from business card)

Manager was F Smart of Chandos Street, Coventry.

FRESH MAGGOTS
circa 1969 - 1971

Folk Rock

Line up: Mick Burgoyne (vocals, guitar, violin, tambourine, glockenspiel), Leigh Dolphin (guitar)

Nuneaton duo who recorded for RCA. Booked for Arts Umbrella Jan 1971. The blurb in Umbrella News read “A rock group from Nuneaton as outrageous as their name, which promises good entertainment for devotees”. CET 1973 says Fresh Maggots invited to play Windsor Free Festival with Trilogy & A Band Called George.

Although they were contemporary folk-orientated, in another incarnation they were influenced by the German group Kraftwerk and used synthesisers.

Played Warwick University Arts Festival 1972

Single:

A: Car Song/ B: What Would You Do (RCA 2150 1971)

Album:

Fresh Maggots (RCA SF8205 1971)

(thanks to Mick Burgoyne for updated info) ... (and again - to Trev Teasdel)

FROM THE SUN
circa 1966 - 1968

Psychedelic group

Line up: Mick O'Rourke (vocals), Colin Williams (guitar), Tony Warner (organ), Reg Sparke (bass), Rick Sparke (drums).

Formed towards the end of 1966 as a soul band, but quickly switched to their own material. Williams, who was the arranger described the group as '..trying out new material with a very free-form basis. It's a sort of cross between blues and American West-Coast'.

O'Rourke was previously in The Gazelles and The Image.

Williams later in Indian Summer.