Tamworth Bands History : 1981
01/10/81
Paradox
Two Gates Working Men’s Club
02/10/81
Bashful Alley
Early Daze
The Chequers
Tamworth Herald – 02/10/81
HEAVY rock returns to the Chequers tonight (Friday) with what promises to be an explosive double bill.
Bashful Alley and Early Daze – two bands from Lichfield – are hoping to pack the Hopwas venue to the rafters.
‘Alley have been going since last October but this will be their first gig with new drummer Robin Baxter.
Bassist Truff and guitarist and vocalist Rob Todd originally formed the band in Lancaster.
But they are anxious not to dwell on past achievements – including a gig supporting Sweet – preferring instead to look into the future.
“We want to promote this gig as a new start for the band,” said Truff.
HEAVY
The threesome make no bones about being a heavy rock outfit, although they reckon they don’t have any major influences.
At the moment they have about 11 of their own numbers with one cover version – an old Budgie number.
Early Daze are a blues-based four-piece outfit and they will be going on first tonight although the bands want to point out that it is strictly a double bill. Admission is 40p.
Tamworth Herald – 02/10/81
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| Chris Kelt...great lead guitar work. |
Trojan/Qwark: Warton WMC
THE hordes from Nuneaton had taken Warton club over to such an extent on Friday that it was difficult to find a familiar face in the fair-sized crowd.
Difficult, perhaps, but not impossible – for just a few people had motored over from Tamworth and Atherstone to check-out Qwark and monitor the progress of Trojan.
During Qwark’s set, the room took on the atmosphere of one of those London clubs you see in TV documentaries about the late ‘60s.
Psychedelic lighting illuminated the ceiling, loud keyboards dominated the sound and the whole place seemed reluctant to acknowledge that the last 10 or 12 years had never happened.
That’s not a criticism of Qwark though, for overall I enjoyed their set – despite sound difficulties.
What I would like to see the band do is write some more of their own material and try and move away from the Hawkwind sound a little.
Trojan were also dogged with sound problems which ruined their opening few numbers.
The sudden departure of rhythm guitarist Chris Price had also left them in an awkward position and versatile vocalist Dylan Haddon was forced to fill in.
But once they got over their early problems the band played a forceful and enjoyable set highlighted by some tasty lead guitar from Chris Kelt.
Trojan seem to have great ability as song writers in the HM vein and what they need to work on is making those good songs come together in a more dramatic, dynamic way.
They lack nothing in enthusiasm and ability. What they do lack is a little musical dexterity – I’m sure with a lot of hard work they can become a major force in the area.
05/10/81
Simon Bates
Drayton Manor
08/10/81
Trojan
Warton Working Men’s Club
09/10/81
Trojan
Warton Working Men’s Club
Tamworth Herald – 09/10/81
SO TAMWORTH Borough Council has unveiled his plans for next year’s arts festival.
The theme of the festival or so the council’s men with the money tell us is ‘young people’.
And one of the main aims of the month-long series of events they say, is to put on show the talents of young people in the Tamworth area.
But on further study of the festival programme we are left shaking our heads in disbelief.
Any display of contemporary music by Tamworth’s young people seems to be lacking. And that’s a shame.
The town has an abundance of talent in the form of dozens of young musicians who are only too willing to offer their services free.
Why didn’t the council think of putting on a day-long festival, perhaps at the Assembly Rooms featuring some of these local bands.
Surely that would have been better than spending £3,000 on booking, wait for it, The Wurzels.
19/10/81
Rock ‘n’ Roll Bonanza
The Village Cats
Polesworth Working Men’s Club
Tamworth Herald – 16/10/81
DHSS/Aardwolf – St. John’s Youth Club
Tamworth Herald – 16/10/81
TOMORROW night (Saturday) a “Rock for Jobs” concert will be held at Tamworth College of Further Education.
The gig, organised by, Tamworth Unemployment Committee, will feature local bands Flash Harry and The Classified Ads.
A committee spokesman said: “The concert is to attract Tamworth’s young people to the activities of the committee and to highlight the unemployment situation in the town.”
The concert sparks a return to the local scene for Flash Harry and another chance for the Ads to show their ever-improving talents.
Admission is free and the gig starts at 8pm. There will also be a collection during the evening.
Tamworth Herald – 16/10/81
Musicbox – Band’s appeal
A NEW Tamworth band who reckon their influences vary from The Jam through to Sixties pop by way of new wave are looking for a drummer.
Anyone interested in skin bashing for this unusual conglomerate should contact Mark or Brian.
17/10/81
Rock for Jobs
Flash Harry
Classified Ads
Tamworth College
Tamworth Herald – 23/10/81
Classified Ads/Flash Harry: Tamworth College
…hundreds of unemployed youngsters turned up for the gig.
Tamworth Herald – 23/10/81
26/10/81 – 07/11/81
Godspell
Tamworth Little Theatre
Arts Centre
Tamworth Herald – 30/10/81
TOP Tamworth band DHSS play at the Chequers in Hopwas tonight (Friday).
The busy three-piece have also lined up a date at Wilnecote Youth Club on November 26.
At the moment the band are looking to expand their line-up with a keyboard player.
Guitarist Vince Watts said “We feel the keyboards would really add something to the band’s sound.”
30/10/81
The DHSS
The Chequers
Tamworth Herald – 30/10/81
THE CLASSIFIED ADS will join musicians from all over the Midlands in a major competition next month.
For on Wednesday November 4 they will be Tamworth’s only representatives in a Musicians Union contest at Burton Town Hall.
A day in a recording studio is the contests prize and we would like to wish the Ads well in the competition.
Tamworth Herald – 30/10/81
OUTSTANDING young heavy rock band Omen return to Wilnecote Youth Club in their first gig as a five-piece.
Tamworth Herald – 30/10/81
CONGRATULATIONS to Mike Turner on the publication of the first issue of Tamworth’s own music paper Tambeat.
The well produced first issue included an interesting feature on Omen and Mike hopes to incorporate more local coverage in future issues.
Copies available from Rock-it Records.
Tamworth Herald – 30/10/81
NORTH Warwickshire’s heavy metal band Trojan are planning to play a pre-Christmas date at one of Atherstone’s schools.
04/11/81
Musicians Union Contest
Classified Ads
Burton Town Hall
Tamworth Herald – 06/11/81
Tamworth Herald – 06/11/81
Experienced Tamworth rock band Ice are back on the road after a summer of discontent.
The five-piece have managed a return to their old haunts around the Midlands.
This week they played at Sylvesters in Nuneaton and tonight (Friday) they’re at the Double M Club in Heath Hayes.
Tomorrow (Saturday) sees them headlining for the second year running at the massive Gunpowder Rally, the biker’s event near Coventry.
On November 8 they have lunchtime and evening sessions at the Coach and Horses in West Bromwich and on November 9 at the Riverside Recreation Centre in Stafford.
The mini-tour ends with dates at the Crown Hotel in Leamington Spa on November 17 and the Brimington Tavern in Chesterfield on November 20.
Their planned German tour this summer fell through and the wrangle between Ice and the agent involved is now in the hands of the Musicians Union.
Tamworth Herald – 06/11/81
OMEN’S ever-growing army of fans will make their way to Wilnecote youth club once again on Wednesday (November 11) for what should be a great gig.
But don’t let the Omen-army force you out. Why not make your own way up to Wilnecote and get a first hand look at the band who packed out Tamworth Arts Centre not long back.
Tamworth Herald – 06/11/81
AT LAST…Tamworth futurist band Those Attractive Magnets have signed a recording contract.
For the talented three-piece outfit have signed up with the newly formed Ebony Records.
The Magnets have already recorded two tracks for a forthcoming album featuring a host of other futurist bands.
And the album – as yet untitled – should be in the record shops just after Christmas.
Original band member Rikk Quay said “It was very exciting recording the two tracks. The studio facilities were excellent.”
And Gary Garrie (sic.), who joined the synthesiser group earlier this year, added: “The recording contract is the best thing that’s happened to the Magnets and the Tamworth music scene.”
The two album tracks “Fade Into Secret Silence” and “Go It Alone D5000” were both penned by Rikk and co-founder of the group Andy Baldwin.
They were recorded at a 24-track studio in Hull, the home of the independent Ebony label.
A SINGLE
Rikk explained that the Magnets could also have their own record on the market following the album release “Ebony are interested in putting out the two tracks as a single,” he said.
Meanwhile, the band are busy preparing a new set for future gigs which will probably take place in Birmingham.
11/11/81
Omen
Wilnecote Youth Club
12/11/81
Double Header Disco
Johnny Slade and Kid Braddley
Tamworth Progressive Club
Tamworth Herald - 13/11/81
Tamworth Herald – 13/11/81
Tamworth Herald – 13/11/81
A NEW Tamworth band are coming out of the wilderness and into the limelight.
Wilderness Laine…left to right: Cliff Jones, drums and percussion, Sean Keogh, lead guitar; Ian MacIntyre, bass; Joe Czernuszka, guitar and Andrew Thompson, vocals.
Wilderness Laine were formed way back in January and after nearly 12 months of preparation are now ready to hit the road.
And they should become one of the most …combos on the Tamworth scene, for their style is almost totally different to any of the current crop of bands.
BALLADS
At the moment they are working around a nucleus of nine or ten self-penned compositions ranging from vaguely folky ballads to hard rock.
Much of this material is based around 12-string acoustic guitars something which could cause sound problems when they start playing live.
Some numbers even feature Suzanne Cleall, a flautist, which shows the diversity of their material.
Lead guitarist Sean Keogh says “We’re certainly not a folk group but on the other hand we’re not HM either.”
Tamworth Herald – 13/11/81
ENTERPRISING bassist Mark Mortimer has come up with a novel idea to get local bands involved in the International Year of the Disabled.
Mark wants to organise a mini-tour of youth clubs and other halls in the Tamworth area with proceeds from the gigs going to the disabled.
The dates would ideally be around Christmas time and five local groups would be involved.
Thirty Frames A Second, Wilderness Laine, The Classified Ads, Private Property and possibly The Restricted would be the bands appearing.
Mark explained: “We would have five groups involved in the tour but only three would play on any one night.”
“We thought this would be a good way of raising money for the disabled and at the same time having some festive fun,” he added.
Now the bands want youth leaders or anyone involved with any organisations that might want a gig as part of their pre-Christmas entertainment to get in touch with them.
Tamworth Herald – 13/11/81
CONGRATULATIONS to the Classified Ads who finished fourth out of the six in their heat of the Musicians’ union contest at Burton Town Hall.
Playing to an audience of around 300, the band performed creditably to keep the Tamworth flag flying. Well done lads.
Tamworth Herald – 20/11/81
ONE of Tamworth’s most exciting young bands are set to make a long-awaited comeback with a gig tomorrow night (Saturday).
Ethis, who all but disappeared after a promising debut in January, make their return at Wigginton Village Hall tomorrow night.
November 1981
The DHSS
Tamworth WMC
Tamworth Herald – 20/11/81
DHSS follow their recent appearance at Tamworth WMC with a gig at Wilnecote Youth Club next Wednesday November 26.
Tamworth Herald – 20/11/81
Omen: Wilnecote Youth Club
OMEN – Firing on five cylinders for the first time – produced one of the best gigs seen in Tamworth this year and confirmed their leading status among the town’s young bands.
Tamworth Herald – 20/11/81
Stranglers - La Folie
Sam Holliday
Musicbox Rating *****
21/11/81
Ethis
Wilderness Laine
Wigginton Village Hall
22/11/81
Mike Sheridan and the Nightriders
Dosthill Cosmopolitan Club
26/11/81
The DHSS
Wilnecote Youth Club
Tamworth Herald – 27/11/81
Ethis/Wilderness Laine: Wigginton Village Hall
“BE HONEST and don’t spare us any criticism” said disgruntled Ethis drummer Mick Onions after the band’s comeback set.
30/11/81
Rock ‘n’ Roll Bonanza
The Street Kids
Polesworth Working Men’s Club
03/12/81
Bernard Manning Cabaret Show
Mile Oak Hotel
Tamworth Herald – 11/12/81
Tamworth Herald – 18/12/81
TWO of Tamworth’s top young heavy rock bands have joined forces for a bold venture early in the new year.
Omen and Ethis, considered by many to be Tamworth’s great white hopes, have lined up a two-night double-bill at the town’s Arts Centre.
The gigs are on Friday January 8 and Saturday January 9.
This is the first time that any band has been ambitious enough to try to play two consecutive nights at the town centre venue.
On Friday Omen will play first and Ethis second, and on Saturday, this will be reversed.
Tamworth Herald – 18/12/81
Tambeat makes a hat-trick
24/12/81
Mike Sheridan
Dordon Working Men’s Club
31/12/81
Buttercup Disco
The Longwood
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