NOVEMBER 1983

Mon 7
Steve returns from honeymoon. New rehearsals as a three piece with backing tapes commence at Smithy Brook farm.

Tues 8
More Smithy Brook rehearsals. Journalist Andy Darlington visits during the day for an in depth interview for "Soundmaker" magazine.

Wed 9
Morning rehearsal at Smithy Brook to accommodate Ian's date playing with Bill on The Invisibility Exhibition Tour in Canterbury tomorrow. Mark Hughes from a local fanzine visits the farm in the afternoon to interview Steve and David.

Thur 10
Take David into Leeds to purchase band equipment - leads, stands and straps. Also an echo box and a Fender Bassman 10 combo for live work. Later organise van and collect all the band gear from Smithy Brook in preparation for a move to London rehearsal studios tomorrow.

Fri 11
Warf Rehearsal Studios, London: Up at 6am and collect David and Steve before driving to London. The room we are given has no PA in it so have to negotiate to move. Ian arrives from Bill Nelson gig. Quite a fraught rehearsal with volume and tuning problems. David smashes his Ovation guitar!

By the time an audience arrives in the  form of Polydor persons Clive Banks and Billy Keane with Chris Carr, everything comes together and it is well received by all concerned. Leave at 6.30pm and head back to Wakefield, stopping for chips en route and almost locking ourselves out of the van. Unload at Smithy Brook by 11.30pm.

Mon 14
Matter Hatter Studios, Stockport: Kev Moore and I help load gear from Smithy Brook and drive van to Stockport for  a week of live rehearsals for the band. Have to lug gear up several flights of stairs on arrival. Book into nearest pub for accommodation. Rehearsal gets underway in the afternoon.

Tues 15
Matter Hatter Studios, Stockport: live rehearsals.

Wed 16
Matter Hatter Studios, Stockport: live rehearsals. I bring sound engineer Brian Lyons to listen to a couple of run throughs and leave him with the band.

Thur 17
Matter Hatter Studios, Stockport: live rehearsals. Early start at 1030. Brian Lyons in attendance until 3pm when I come to collect him.

Fri 18
Matter Hatter Studios, Stockport: final day of  live rehearsals. Kev and I arrive at 3pm and we go through a gear packing routine which we will have to adopt on the forthcoming dates. This is scuppered slightly by David's decision to buy a fridge and load that into the van too. Back to Yorkshire.

Sun 20
David producing one of my other bands the close harmony quartet Limbo at Amazon Studios Liverpool. Work on 2 masters and two demos with engineer Paul Lewis. Session  complete and return home at 3.30am.

Mon 21
Steve, Ian and David record an introduction tape for gigs at Smithy Brook farm.

Wed 23
Live Date: Bretton Hall College, Wakefield - warm up gig. Arrive at 6pm for soundcheck. Bryan Lyons and his PA are there, plus Kev Moore has his first try as chief roadie. After the check band go back to David's, who is the most local, for a meal. When they return there is a full house. Mingling with the students are lots of ex-students that we remember from our time here, local musician friends like Ada Wilson and even a few lecturers. The gig is rough and ready with David dropping guitars and beers spilling, keeping Kev busy, but it is good fun and goes down really well.

Thur 24
Live Date: Henry Africa's, Glasgow.  Collect the band at 11am. Arrive in Glasgow at 4 pm, followed closely by Kev and Brian in the van with the gear. During the Soundcheck it becomes clear that there is going to be a beer promotion going on during the gig. Curtain up isn't until midnight. All goes well though. ZZ Top are in the audience having played elsewhere earlier in the evening, as is Robert Plant who tell me he thinks "the boys" are going to be huge. Afterwards the band think that the audience response was a bit muted but the promoter assures me that he is well pleased and that usually there is no response from the audience at all! Left the venue at 3.30am. Ian kept complaining that I was falling asleep at the wheel, but I don't remember anything about it. Eventually Ian argues himself into the driving seat although technically he wasn't on the insurance papers. Arrive safely back in Yorkshire at 9am.

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