I’m going to sweep through a few Buzz Clubs here. These few gigs feature bands who never quite made it but later had member (or members) that did, or bands who weren’t meant to play, or I should have booked!
24 September 1987
1,000 Violins
The Rain
The Anyways
I recently posted Guy Van Steene‘s photos of 1,000 Violins, well, they also happen to be the next Buzz Club, they stepped in after Australian band, The Triffids cancelled.
I loved 1,000 Violins, but, darn! That would have been a great gig – I absolutely adored The Triffids! Anyway, thanks very much to the boys from Sheffield for stepping up and driving down South, it was a great night. Too late to get new tickets printed….
….but enough time to hit the letterset and photocopy shop to get the correct fliers made.
Main support came from local band, The Rain, who had released this wonderful 7″ single a few months earlier.
The Anyways were first on, they were from Oxford.
I was also in time to contact Adrian Creek at the Camberley News & Mail with the correct information, and he gave the gig a push for us.
Danny and I had had a bit of a summer break from the Buzz Club – here’s why:
1,000 Violins released this great single on Dreamworld Records (the label we were also on).
Dave Driscoll AKA Fruitier Than Thou was in the crowd and recorded the night on his trusty Sony Walkman.
10 October 1987
The Gargoyles
(featuring Hugh and Ted from The Housemartins)
I don’t really have much to say about The Gargoyles, they played and that’s about all I remember! The fact that Hugh and Ted from The Housemartins were in the band meant we had a large crowd for the night.
I think first on, Lax Lifetime were local.
I really loved the main support band, Metro Trinity. This wonderful band from Manchester, only released one 12″. Jez Williams from Metro Trinity later became more well know as guitarist of Doves (and SubSub prior to that). Johnny Male, the lead singer and song writer was later in Soul Family Sensation and Republica. He also later co owned the bar Riki Tik in Soho, I used to frequent it in my London clubbing days about 10 years later.
I love this whole Metro Trinity e.p. to this day. Wonderful stuff.
Metro Trinity had a big proper looking fella managing them. I had promised them £50 for the gig. He was trying to squeeze more money out of me and I said ‘Look, no one knows them down here, I booked them because I think they’re great. I could have got a local band, who would have brought a crowd and played for £30.’ He looked me in the eye and said ‘You’re good.’ shook my hand firmly and they did the gig for £50.
Again, thanks to Dave Driscoll for this live recording from the Buzz Club.
Out of interest, here’s what later sparked from Metro Trinity – it’s no wonder the e.p. is so damn good.
and a pop hit for Johnny!
Thursday 26 November 1987
Local band night:
The Aurbisons (featuring Dave Driscoll, recorder of so many Buzz Clubs and a band who’s name I never spell the same way twice – sorry Dave!))
The Gathering
The Caretaker (bar) (AKA Giles Sennet)
Drink Britain Dry
The Deadbeats (featuring Jason, later in Bennet who had a little hit with ‘Thank God Mum’s Gone To Iceland‘! Jason now runs the brilliant Musical Bear label, which my band Kodiak Island are on.)
ITTLG 