Bootle Bands 80's - to present

Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:18 am

hiyya i thought this would be a good thread to start about Bootle bands from when we were in them in the 80's up to present... .... Wal and John feel free to throw in your memories too...

Here we are talking about Bootle bands in the 80's... to present day... My memories are Live Transmission (my band), My Fake Joy, Ultimate Vision, Sian, The Real People to name a few.. i heard the lads from the Real People got a studio over on the Wirral now... Remember SADOL ? The warehouse in Porter St where we all rehearsed ? George McKane ? yes he is still alive i think... not heard from him for ages... What ever happened to John Halpin ? Carl Hunter - bass player with the Farm ? mates wif "Slum Dog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle...

This is the thread for all your Bootle 80's bands to present memories... and if you know new Bootle bands gigging now post the info here...

Mack

bboardman · Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:14 am

Hi Mack--Mine goes back to the 60s---Does anyone remember the INSIDE OUTFIT--cheers Billy

Wayneboy · Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:56 pm

I remember Sian from downstairs in sullys Mack, great times in there, first thing i think about sullys was the bogs

Robert Parker and I were Talking about when he was in Sian , so he says but i cant remember. Was he or wasnt he any one know lol

We had our carpet laid by the lead singer i think, well it was but cant remember his name and g/f is not here to ask.

But she rang me while i was working in London at the time, lol trying to get me jelous

mckeown · Sat Mar 07, 2009 2:42 pm

SIANs singer was dave shields(good lad)

john halpin moved to america got couple of letters at the beginning but never heard from him since.

MY FAKE JOY split up and reformed as THE VIRGIN DEAD with late great paul bowness on bass.

anyone remember THE TEXT?(almost a jam tribute band)

or bruces band REINFORCEMENTS from the wirral?

george McCane was a great bloke he did a lot for us ruff arse kids.he was a cross between derek hatten and martin luther king.he took MY FAKE JOY on a mini tour of ireland with ECHO MUSIC writter joe rileys follie CAME UNDER MAIN(i think thats how you spell it?) one of their members was called TUNNICLIFFE thats all i remember about them.
we played the baggot inn in dublin (i believe U2 played there in the late 70's early 80's)
and a couple of gigs in the ivy rooms.

george also got us an unforgetable gig in WARWICK university and a recording session in birmingham, produced by one of the members of musical youth.
also recorded in the M.U.T.U.R.C studio in hardman street,and played that gig round the back(can't remember the name of it?)
like i say george was a top bloke

not forgetting the musicians who never quite realised their talent
drummers like ; carl tierney,eddy garrett and paul garrett.
singer songwritters like dylan walker,anthony kelly
and many more

i am currently rehearsing with another ex bootle lad jan seddon,we've just got our new drummer called kev,and a 16 track digital studio and are preparing an internet assalt soon

you have been warned!!!

by the way macca,do you remember the gig at a queens road youth club.
and the INTERESTING jouney home!!!! for me you and worm.
love to here your memory of that

thats it for now,i'm getting finger cramps.john.

SOMEONE STOP THE WORLD,I JUST WANT TO GET OFF

macca

mckeown · Sat Mar 07, 2009 4:21 pm

another one for ya.

JON VILLE ROAD

i don't think them and sian could have played together.
all that static from the spandex mixed with the tons of hair spray would have been a health and safty nightmare

RYTER2 · Sat Mar 07, 2009 4:23 pm

John,

I hope your new band formation is a success.

Bill

mckeown · Sat Mar 07, 2009 4:25 pm

nice one bill,will keep everyone WELL informed

para alpha · Sat Mar 07, 2009 5:27 pm

I knew Anthony Kelly from Compton walk (If it's the same one?)

I also remember Dylan Walker... Dylan was a good mate of mine when we where kids on the Rimrose Estate! I was in contact with him for a while after we moved then nothing! I don't know what ever happened to him. I hope he is well.

mckeown · Sat Mar 07, 2009 5:47 pm

[quote="piper alpha"]I knew Anthony Kelly from Compton walk (If it's the same one?)

I also remember Dylan Walker... Dylan was a good mate of mine when we where kids on the Rimrose Estate! I was in contact with him for a while after we moved then nothing! I don't know what ever happened to him. I hope he is well.[/quote]

yes it's the same one.
i was born in brackley ave(in front of compton) and grew up with peter,anthony and sally.
i was in bands with dylan in our early teens when he lived up by the corrie.
lost touch with him so don't know what he's up to nowadays.
good people and good times.

rivermersey · Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:32 pm

I went to St George of England 1971 to 1976 the was a boy in our form Jimmy Hughes he lived on Fernhill Road just by the ODVA. you could hear him playing the drums every night. I belive he went on to play with one of Phil Jones bands "Afraid of Mice"? and also with "Black"

paul1965 · Sun Mar 08, 2009 1:31 am

rivermersey wrote:I went to St George of England 1971 to 1976 the was a boy in our form Jimmy Hughes he lived on Fernhill Road just by the ODVA. you could hear him playing the drums every night. I belive he went on to play with one of Phil Jones bands "Afraid of Mice"? and also with "Black"

yes your right mate, my daughter goes to school with his and she's a very good singer......carl hunter went to school with carl from the age of 4 and was best mates right through school, he lives in crosby now and is into film and i think he helps his son out with his group, great lad

Shaun · Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:40 am

I used to see Johnville road and Sian at the old Marsh Lane community centre in the late 80's/early 90's.. Also used to watch the Real People quite a lot. I know Chris as he lives by me near the Walnut tree pub.. He's usually out a lot as the 'Real Deal' - little duo and often comes over to chat with me and the missus..

I've been in a few bands myself, was recently in a Coldplay Tribute called Square One and we played to over 12,000 at the Mathew St festival in 2008 on the exchange street stage.. Was amazing and quite frightening but something I'll remember for the rest of my life.. Sadly split up after 3 years last year and now got a rather nifty 8 piece Pink Floyd tribute together and it's sweet!

New band is called Pink Floydish and based between Bootle, Fazackerly and Kirkby.. We're putting on a massive Dark Side of the Moon show on at the Kirkby Civic centre on May 30th if anyone's interested?

What's sad is that the music scene in Bootle is quite crap now.. Does anyone remember the big outdoor festivals in North Park as well?? What happened to that? I'd love to set one back up again if I could.....

mckeown · Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:03 pm

the first bootle festival i remember(in the north park)must have been in the early 80's when Liverpool's "next big thing" COOK DA BOOKS headlined.
great gig,the only other band i remember from that day was a band called something like "FOUR BANANAS AND HALF A POUND OF MILLET" a four piece plus two female backing singers.

later on in the 90's (about 91) i played with my band called THE VIRGIN DEAD in the marsh lane carnival(some of you locals may remember our rehersals over JOHN COLLO'S cooked meat shop),which went up marsh lane along Washington parade,round onto Stanley road and into the north park via knowsley road entrance.
i remember at the time,being young punks we had a anti police type song called big blue man and it was like a cry of anarchy as we struck up the chords and belted it out as we passed marsh lane police station

.
none of it would have happened for us if karl tierney hadn't lent us his generator (thanks for that karl,top bloke)
couple of years later we played the north park again, in a festival organised by the great JIMMY WALKER (he did so much for the community when we where kids,could do with more blokes like him nowadays)
this time it was a band called SO77 another punk band with a female singer,don't remember much about that gig,alcohol playing a part in that day!have a couple of pics,so i know i was there

good times,it should still be around for young bands starting out.

mckeown · Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:55 pm

woop woop woop,
i have finaly got a picture up

.their will be no stopping me now!!
i needed to disable bbcode!!

this is a picture of MY FAKE JOY ;- john halpin,john mckeown and stand in drummer mark (don't know his last name?)
mick moss and george McCane
in the hills of Dublin in the mid 80's

THE VIRGIN DEAD ; billy kinley,paul bowness,john mckeown

Fri Mar 13, 2009 10:39 pm

Hiyya John

I've still got the video from our trip to Ireland somewhere. Must dig it out and put onto DVD for you... I've also got plenty of old band pics too.

Wheelys just finished his book about "Eric's" the Club. It's 600 pages and as big as a telephone directory. We interviewed lotsa bands who played there - too many to mention but they include.. The Stranglers, Simple Minds, Flock of Seagulls, China Crisis, Hazel OConnor... the list goes on and the book is excellent... it will be available from Amazon within the next 3 weeks. Full name of book is "Eric's - All the best clubs are downstairs - everybody know that"... will post more when it's available.

Mack

mckeown · Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:03 pm

macca good to here from you again,
i had totally forgotten about the video of ireland!!!!
and would love to see it if you do get it onto DVD.
also those photos would be very interesting.

glad to hear wheely has completed a book and that it will be published soon,will defo get a copy.
you must have had a blast interveiwing all those famous names.

john

Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:04 pm

My band - Live Transmission 1

My Band - Live Transmission 2 - our exhibition in Art in Action

Pic i took of Bootle band Ultimate Vision

Mack

Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:07 pm

hiyya John

Yeps it was real fun. Book took 7 years to complete... never thought it would get finished but thanks to Paul Wheely and Jaki Florek the co writer it finally made it to print.

Will defo have a dig around for the Ireland video and get you a copy when I have transferred it to DVD.

Mack

rockanrollagain · Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:09 pm

Does anyone remember a band called The Vis Johnson Band? The were very entertaining and good aswell 'There Aint Nothin Like a Dame ' was there finale and great to watch. I never kept up with the music scene - too busy changin nappies and and all that! Is this band still going?

Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:12 pm

I dont remeber them rockandrollagain, I wonder if anyone else out there remembers this band ? What decade where they playing ?

Mack

rockanrollagain · Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:20 pm

The last I remember seeing them was late 80's poss early 90's. They palyed Kingies and The red Lion and other pub's around and about. I am sure the lead singer was a fireman.

backb2 · Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:41 pm

They played about 3 weeks ago in Cooksons Pub on Gorsey Lane (the one on the bridge)

hope this helps.

mckeown · Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:55 pm

just another flash of memory of bootle bands.

TOY TABOO; spud murphy bass player,cameron montgomory was our milkman oh and the keyboard player.seen them a THE VENUE,liverpool

i think spud murphy and tony griffiths were in a band called EXTERIOR MOTIVE

tony griffiths was then in a band called WAVING THE TRAINS i seen them in the KIRBY SUIT. i seem to remember tonys band just prior to their chris joining toying with the name INTERNATIONAL RESCUE before becoming JO JO AND THE REAL PEOPLE and then finally becoming THE REAL PEOPLE

rockanrollagain · Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:56 pm

Gearraway!!!! I would like to see them again. If you hear where they might be comming up next I would like to see if I can catch them. I wouldn't bother going out to a pub unless there was something good to watch! Thanks for that, I will keep my eyes peeled.

rivermersey · Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:24 am

I Remember Cook Da Books playing "Rich men don't" in the north Park along with Broadway playing some ecellent covers of the early beatles stuff.
Anyone remember Steve Spear one of the best guitarists going, He played with the lotus eaters for a while.

rockanrollagain · Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:50 am

This is where I am rubbish. I remember going to the festivals in North Park but me and hubby took the kids and as much as we loved what was going on, we were too busy keeping up with our kids we never got to register who we were listening to. I loved them community events. Incidently I remember as a very small child events used to happen in Kings Park - one in particular was a fancy car exhibition thingy - not sure what it was, but lots of lovely big old fashioned cars parading around the concrete bit before you got to the playgroung area.

PETER CRAIG · Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:33 am

Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:11 pm

I recorded that Cook the Books gig in the North Park onto a cassette recorder when I was in the audience. Sound turned out really good too. Must dig it out and upload to the interweb. You can really get the atmosphere with hearing all the audience too.

Mack

Shaun · Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:39 pm

Vis Johnson runs the karaoke in the Cat and Fiddle on Monday nights now

rockanrollagain · Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:49 pm

I thought the Cat Fiddle had closed - must have been getting refurbed. I remeber this as the Jutland and then Fleets ah the memories. Thanks for the info.

Dobbsyboy · Sat Mar 14, 2009 7:41 pm

I remember 2 lads in St Wilfrid's High School in the year above me, called Paul Whelan and Peter McVeigh. I think they were a synth -duo called Live Transmission. I seem to remember thm playing a gig in Goddard hall, but i could be wrong. Paul went off to become an author and wrote a book about Eric's in Liverpool, but what happened to Pete I don't know.

Then I look down the postings and lo and behold ther they are......spooky. When's the bloody book coming out Whelan? ha ha!

Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:20 pm

ha ha

Hiyya Dobbsyboy, yep I run this site ( Pete = Mack )!!! The Erics book is now finished and looks superb... be available to buy in the next few weeks... Wheelys keeping his head down because he thinks everyone will be knocking on his door...

Mack

King Tonka · Sun Mar 15, 2009 3:36 am

Thanks for putting the Cook da Books MP3 on Mack, it's years since I heared them.

Still sounds good if a little rough but as the late John Peel used to say, better live than over produced. Remember seeing them with Big Country And Craig Charles at Sefton Park, they were the better band by far.

Dobbsyboy · Sun Mar 15, 2009 3:24 pm

That photo above, the one of local band Ultimate Vison-is that a guy called Wally Riley on the right of the picture?-I remember playing footy with him and a gang of his mates on the Melly footy pitch years ago-the usual Sunday afternoon 40-a-side kickabouts we had when we were younger (and fitter....). I heard he played drums, is that right?

mckeown · Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:54 pm

[quote="Dobbsyboy"]That photo above, the one of local band Ultimate Vison-is that a guy called Wally Riley on the right of the picture?-I remember playing footy with him and a gang of his mates on the Melly footy pitch years ago-the usual Sunday afternoon 40-a-side kickabouts we had when we were younger (and fitter....). I heard he played drums, is that right?[/quote]

as far as "I" know it is him.
ultimate visions drummer(on the far right of the pic) was called wally.