Here goes then. 49 and counting (thankfully) work as stage manager for er .....er.... FM, that's it, FM.
Live in Redhill Surrey, with Ali who also organises the Merchandise on gig days. Bit quiet recently, but soon to get busy?!
First contact with the band was when a mate lent me Takin' it to the Streets in god knows when. Then bought the back catalogue. Saw them prob half a dozen times before the split. Never met any of em but my old mate Jem had became keyboard player.
I've known Jem since 1977 and gigged with him a couple of bands I was in and also 'roadied' for Tobruk in the early days.
When Firefest 4 was announced he asked me down to a rehearsal studio in west London to see if I was interested in helping him initially. (he does have a rather large collection of keys. It fills a whole room in his West Country mansion). Got the keyboard tech job, which morphed into bass tech as well(thats my instrument of choice)and now because I'm a bit of a list maker and don't forget much, thats morphed into stage/tour/dogs body manager. I also take quite a few of the promo and live stills for the band as well.
Really wierd when I met them at that reharsal, as it was a bit like have your own private gig........ Great bunch of blokes, the most unpretentious, underrated and talented I've ever worked with. Steve Church
Nice to see you on the site Steve!
Keep looking in[8-)]
I'll never forgive you for the Razorblack you tube entry..........MDC
Afternoon everyone,
Rich here from East Yorkshire,
Married to Karen (just had our 25th anniversary!). Becky & Hollie (and Sid the dog) complete the troupe. I’m also Manager of Holme Rovers in the FM league. I work it the cut & thrust of the retail shopfitting industry, drink too much wine, play guitar and am just about to try & set up a little Apple based recording facility, aiming to digitally capture years worth of musical idea’s stored up inside the old grey matter that are just waiting to be unleashed. (well that’s the plan, but ask me again how its going in five years time!)
I first discovered FM when an airing of the “That Girl” video (anybody remember “The Power Hour” TV show?) awoke me from my snooze in the early hours of a Saturday morning after a Friday night out on the beer.
I went out the same day and managed to acquire a copy of “Indiscreet” on cassette from “Our Price” in York, the vinyl copies had sold out. Played it to death, well, until “Jaws 3”, (pet name for the cassette player in the Ford Capri) had chewed it up once & for all. A couple of weeks later I managed to get hold of a copy of the album on vinyl & the rest is history. I think I’ve got just about everything that was ever released, a feat I am really proud of considering we’re talking the internet / Ebay era’.
My FM collection was built up from trawling the Record Fairs & spotting traders adverts in Record Collector magazine. I remember genuine excitement when I spotted something rare, for example; the Jap CD imports of “Paraphernalia” & similarly a promo copy of ”Aphrodisiac” (single sheet cover but with three unreleased bonus tracks, WOW!) or being on holiday in some remote area of France & finding a promo CD single of “Closer to Heaven”, sandwiched in-between Val Doonican’s Greatest Hits & by coincidence, Romeo’s Daughter’s first album also on CD, (naturally I bought them both, Val & Romeo’s!). I wasn’t always so lucky though and there was genuine dis-appointment when I paid £30 for another rarity that turned out to be them bloody Prog. Rockers from Canada! Oh well!
We first saw the band live supporting Bon Jovi in Leicester, followed by a gig at the “Central Park club” in Burton a couple of weeks after. A tight little venue that, I think Pete nearly knocked himself out on a low Air conditioning cassette sited just above the drum kit & Chris fell over backwards but still managed to keep playing his Flying Vee throughout the misdemeanour! From this point on Karen & I were hooked and travelled many miles to see the band a.
We didn’t realise until a long time afterwards that Steve & Chris were in Wildlife and we’d seen them supporting Michael Schenker at Sheffield City Hall in ’83. I think I’d probably seen Mr Jupp previously beating the skins for Samson, who I managed to catch regretfully only on a couple of occasions, the most memorable being a gig in York 1979 / 80? (To promote their “Survivors” album with a certain Bruce “Bruce” Dickinson on vocals). Are the rumours true that Pete Jupp was alias Thunderstick??!! (Joke!)
I’m starting to waffle now! This is turning into the longest essay I’ve written since I left school. So, moving swiftly on……
I was over the moon to drop on to the Frozen Heart website a few years ago (yes, embarrassed as I am, I’ll admit to being one of the contributors to the “your own work” page!) and I have much admiration for all those who kept the FM flame burning on this & the SO! Web sites. I think that the FM Official site is top dollar especially the Forum, which continues to be entertaining.
I made it to Firefest in 07, Winstanley College earlier this year with Becky, my eldest daughter, who is also a fan (well both daughters had no chance really as they were weaned on FM from birth). I have my tickets safely in hand for this October’s show & I can’t wait.
Really looking forward to the release of the new album, a Winstanley dvd? & a tour? (not greedy then?)
Here’s hoping that their continued hard work brings the guys the further the success that they rightly deserve.
R.
Nil commento (its the other video's you need to be worried about)[:-)]
Webmaster,
Please make this thread sticky.
Thank you.
/Bo Braendstrup.
Thanks Rich - I was trying to remember the name of the club in Burton-On-Trent - Central Park it was indeed !
Amazing that 20/25 years on, many of us on here were probably at the same gigs, without knowing it obviously then, but are now connected through this great site !!
I was only thinking yesterday that when the Q&A gets around to Pete, I was going to ask him how many times he cracked his head on the low club ceilings doing the bass drum standing routine during “Other Side Of Midnight” in the early days - Central Park was low, and so was the Wardour Street Marquee from memory ?
Maybe all contributors here going to Firefest should arrange a pre-concert meet up ??
Cheers, James
James, I've got some photo's from that show. I'll send you an email over, you never know you could be in the frame!
HI ALL
Im John Bradley, from the north east of England. Im 40 years old. Ive been maried to susan for 12 years and have a daughter the same age. I have two step-sons aged 23 and 21 and a grand daughter who is 9 months old....
my first taste of FM, was the indescreet album, i was into the 80's stuff....wham duran spandau etc (sorry)..when my friend played this album in his car shortly after he passed his test...i was hooked, i got the tape cassette and played it until i almost ruined it lol.....i moved to Leicester in 1989 and the first thing i bought when i had my first paypocket was Tough it Out, and fell in love again with the music...i soon was telling all who would listen about this fantastic band, all my friends too were hooked...i saw them the only time at Rock City Nottingham when they returned with Andy on the guitar.....what a night, my favourite concert ever....the memory of Didge leaving in his old Fiesta was a sight!!! the guys chatted for a bit by the bus and i was buzzing!!!...
ive been a huge fan ever since and meeting fellow fans on here has been awesome, i just hope i get to see them again real soon, and meet some guys on here...
We were born and bred in Blackburn Lancs. Paul is 47 Toni is a lady of 21.[o:)] But i will tell you paul was coming out as toni was going in..lol [o:)].We both work for Canopies UK a fiberglass door canopy firm, we also make a carport (which you may have seen in the sunday papers, many times)Toni is a keen farmer on farmtown,facebook, and spends a lot of time singing on Singsnap. Paul is mad about bikes [moped] and xbox live
We had tickets for the Town & Country gig ( now doing the rounds on you tube)but Paul wasn't allowed time off work. The 1st time wasn't until the Accoustic tour
at Burnley -Paul had already seen Merv numerous times with Streetfighter,and shared "headbanging" sessions to Demon's Night of the Demon, at the Rising Bridge working men's club, baxenden,with him on friday's. just a note people this club is at the top of a very steep hill and at the bottom is Merv's favorite PIE Factory lol - Since the Burnley gig we've seen the lads 20 times in total, now in need of a 21st cause we are getting withdrawel symtoms lol [o:)][:)s][Moped]We have met the band on nearly every occasion but the best of all have been the latest 2 (firefest & Wigan) where we got the chance to meet up with many fans from this very forum,espeically the "mob" that met at the pub [8-)]Hi all[8-)]October is coming, fast, we're getting excited..are you? [:)]
