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.
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? [:)]
Hi all,
I first met the band in Wigan.
My party didn't make it to the pub, but drove by
at considerable speed.
Instead we made it to the soundcheck [:)]
And had the opportunity to say "hello" to Steve O.
- and shake hands with Merv and Steve Church.
And Ant and his lovely wife Lisa, not to forget. [:)]
Oh, not to forget the trip back to the hotel
with Matt (aka Lidia [:D])
and meeting the marathon runner Doddy
at the hotel. [8-)]
I WILL make it to Nottingham (that's the plan),
only thing not sorted yet is train tickets
fron Birmingham International to Nottingham.
I'm looking forward to seeing all of you.
This thread is great. But there are definately a few missing. Roll up, roll up..Don't be shy!
[:D]
Hi, I'm Gary and I live in Rhondda, South Wales.I first saw Chris & Steve in Wildlife supporting Schenker in '83,thought they were superb. Bought FM That Girl single and been a fan since.My second all time fave band to UFO.
David (45) from Steve O's home town of King's Lynn.
I went to the grammar school in Lynn, so didn't know the Overlands then - they went to 'the other place!' My first sight of the boys performing was at the Black Horse in Castle Rising in I think 1982? Enough of that though and onto the music!
It seems so long ago but I think my first proper FM gig was at the UEA in Norwich. My favourite gig was at the Waterfront, also in Norwich (very low ceilings, but Pete still managed to fly over his kit I remember!). I was leaning on the stage throughout and managed to grab a playlist at the end which I still have (somewhere!!). I noted that they had misspelled 'Hard Luck'....!! In later years the band player The Oval Roundhouse two or three times - good days!
I remember seeing the lads as support to Quo at the NEC I think. We arrived a bit late so missed their entrance. They were awesome - I have to disagree with a previous poster, the Quo fans around me certainly didn't sit and watch arms folded. Needless to say, we got some odd looks when we walked out as soon as Quo came on - worth the trip regardless of the brevity of the show for us!
Indiscreet and Tough it Out tour shirts still have pride of place hanging in my wardrobe and come out for most gigs I get to.
I'm still in Norfolk, married 25 years next August. Work in a factory and dream of being FM's general dogsbody manager! [:))]
My current claim to fame has to be top place in the FM FPL League - disappointed that Pete/Merv never got to putting that team in...[:|]
I have tickets to Firefest but it looks like I won't be able to go. Although having read some of the posts on here, I'm determined to do my best to change that. Definitely have one spare ticket for Saturday though - offers?! [:-D]
Good luck to the boys with all that seems to be going on right now and I hope to catch up with a few of you in October!
I'm 37 yr old Chris from Newcastle, UK. Single with 2 teenage sons. Working abroad most of the time these past 4 years in an office job.
Into all genres of rock & metal (from very soft to extremely hard & brutal!)
I happened to first hear FM's Bad Luck in my local pub in '89 so went and bought a ticket for their headline show at Newcastle Riverside that year (I think!).
Was completely blown away by the band and loved their little medley of Thin Lizzy songs - a band I also love - while not being too familiar at that time with much of FM's music. Been an avid follower ever since though but only got the chance to see the band live 5 times.
One of the funniest was when they supported Status Quo and me & my 2 mates were surrounded by "old" Quo fans near the front. When FM came on I started going nuts bouncing up and down singing along to "That Girl" and Stiv acknowledged that by pointing at me and smiling while all around us people were scratching their heads like "what the hell!" priceless!
I got Andy Barnett's autograph from a gig in Redcar. He had decided to go out for a run before the gig so I collared him when he came back, hence the autograph "I'm knackered!!! Andy Barnett"
Obviously the Firefest reunion was just incredible with the meet-and-greet! Unbelievable!
Being a not-so-active drummer and collector of drumsticks, I asked Pete before the gig if he had a spare one that I could have. He said no but he would throw one or two out at the show and wished me "good luck!" By pure chance I got the stick and told Pete afterwards... "Bloody Hell!" was the reply! Just an epic weekend! Just great to meet some down-to-earth guys and enjoy a beer and a chat after an amazing show!
Everything sorted now for Firefest and I look forward to meeting some people from this forum at Nottingham over the weekend. See you there!
Hi Im Dean, Im 42 and from the Rhondda Valleys in South Wales, married to Deb for 15yrs and have 1 daughter.
Followed Fm around the area back in the day from St Davids Hall to Boogiz night club for the Acoustic set and also Bristol Bierkeller a few times.Was luck enough to be at Firefest 4 for the spectacular reformation and will be there again for this years Party [:D][:D]
see you all at the bar.
