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[Brighton] Bob Grover dead



Zeberdi

Zeberdi

“Vorsprung durch Technik”
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Oct 20, 2022
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Not Andy Naylor said:
Ian was a great Zap compere and let me try a few things out on those open mic nights! I bumped into Angie in Eastbourne a few months ago and asked if she was still living the life. She said "I'm a granny now", which shook me a bit. But of course we're all ancient - if we're still here, that is.
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Is Angie still working/involved with the Labour Party? Last time I saw her was about 25 years ago when we met up for lunch at Westminster! Lovely, lovely lady.

Edit - I just realised that instead of “Angie” that ran the Zap with Neil, Dave and Pat, you could have meant “Angie”, Ian’s wife? Also a lovely lady :lol:
Not Andy Naylor said:
And a great mention there of Keith Hurley, who played a big part in the background of those times. He did the PA at the Old Vic and the Hare and Hounds in the 80s and 90s.
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Another dear friend whom I lost touch with when he moved to Sweden. A decent drummer with a son who was (when I last saw him too!) a young prodigy on the drums.

Very sad to have found out he had died.

Isn’t it incredible that Bob‘s passing should link all of us to those we knew on the performing arts/music culture of Brighton in the 70s-80s - he really was a Brighton legend.
 
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Tom Hark Preston Park

Tom Hark Preston Park

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Jul 6, 2003
72,976
Not Andy Naylor said:
Ian was a great Zap compere and let me try a few things out on those open mic nights! I bumped into Angie in Eastbourne a few months ago and asked if she was still living the life. She said "I'm a granny now", which shook me a bit. But of course we're all ancient - if we're still here, that is.
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Have to say tho, I found Birds With Ears pretty much unlistenable
 




Zeberdi

Zeberdi

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Oct 20, 2022
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Tom Hark Preston Park said:
Have to say tho, I found Birds With Ears pretty much unlistenable
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Ian was really more of a performance artist than a straight up musician see my post above

Very ‘unlistenable’ to many, as were Extremists in an Igloo and the Wild Wigglers - they straddled the boundaries between performance art, comedy and music in a way that was quite innovative but certainly not everyone’s cup of tea!
 




R

rippleman

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2011
5,063
Only just caught up with this very sad news. Bob always came across as a nice fella. The Pirahnas were part of a fantastic scene in Brighton at the time.

A regular at the Alhambra, I sometimes used to bunk on the minibus when they did gigs in London.

I remember the gig John Peel went to at the Alhambra. I'd arrived usual time and word had got out and there was a huge queue. I was panicking that I wouldn't get in when their manager (who's name shouldn't escape me but has!) saw me and pulled me out of the queue and straight in the door.

Those times hold so many happy memories for me.

Thank you Bob. RIP
 


Tom Hark Preston Park

Tom Hark Preston Park

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Jul 6, 2003
72,976
rippleman said:
Only just caught up with this very sad news. Bob always came across as a nice fella. The Pirahnas were part of a fantastic scene in Brighton at the time.

A regular at the Alhambra, I sometimes used to bunk on the minibus when they did gigs in London.

I remember the gig John Peel went to at the Alhambra. I'd arrived usual time and word had got out and there was a huge queue. I was panicking that I wouldn't get in when their manager (who's name shouldn't escape me but has!) saw me and pulled me out of the queue and straight in the door.

Those times hold so many happy memories for me.

Thank you Bob. RIP
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Tony Byford was the manager's name at the time, he used to live in Buckingham Road, which sort of became the band's default HQ. Thinking back, how on earth did anything ever get arranged with total reliance on landlines? 😀
 


aolstudios

aolstudios

Well-known member
Nov 30, 2011
5,561
brighton
rippleman said:
Only just caught up with this very sad news. Bob always came across as a nice fella. The Pirahnas were part of a fantastic scene in Brighton at the time.

A regular at the Alhambra, I sometimes used to bunk on the minibus when they did gigs in London.

I remember the gig John Peel went to at the Alhambra. I'd arrived usual time and word had got out and there was a huge queue. I was panicking that I wouldn't get in when their manager (who's name shouldn't escape me but has!) saw me and pulled me out of the queue and straight in the door.

Those times hold so many happy memories for me.

Thank you Bob. RIP
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I was at the back with JP most of that gig. He was absolutely sweet & classy to 15 year old me & insisted on having my autograph before he'd give me his. He wrote 'John Peel is fat'.
Mentioned my band on his next show too as our schoolgirl fans had been plaguing him all night 💓
 




B

Brovion

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Jul 6, 2003
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Tom Hark Preston Park said:
Does anybody remember The Anti-Piranha League? Bunch of losers that used to congregate at the Windsor Tavern. Their gripe with the Piranhas was that a local band had dared enjoy a little bit of commercial success and had therefore sold out and were to be despised. Wankers
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I was going to mention them. I'd never heard of it, then at one Piranhas gig (can't remember where but they were supported by a mod band called The Cheeks) I could hear this chanting from the audience: "APL! APL!" Grover made some comment about the Anti Piranha League being out, and I wondered what small-minded wankers could possibly begrudge them the miniscule amount of commercial success they'd enjoyed. Even as a 'joke' it was pretty bad.
 


Tom Hark Preston Park

Tom Hark Preston Park

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Jul 6, 2003
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The thing that I was always in awe of - having decamped from the Medway Towns earlydoors - was just how easily Brighton fully embraced all things punk. I'm sure there will be the odd grockle who will pull me up on this, but my recollection of the time is that there was only one solitary heavy rock venue in the whole town, namely the Northern (now the Hobgoblin) in London Road
 


R

rippleman

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2011
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aolstudios said:
I was at the back with JP most of that gig. He was absolutely sweet & classy to 15 year old me & insisted on having my autograph before he'd give me his. He wrote 'John Peel is fat'.
Mentioned my band on his next show too as our schoolgirl fans had been plaguing him all night 💓
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I slipped one of those old computer punch cards with "Jimmy Pursey Is Innocent" punched out on it into his pocket - with a request on the back - which he read out on his next show.

Happy days
 




R

rippleman

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2011
5,063
Tom Hark Preston Park said:
The thing that I was always in awe of - having decamped from the Medway Towns earlydoors - was just how easily Brighton fully embraced all things punk. I'm sure there will be the odd grockle who will pull me up on this, but my recollection of the time is that there was only one solitary heavy rock venue in the whole town, namely the Northern (now the Hobgoblin) in London Road
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It's the only one I recall (assuming you are discounting the Hungry Years?)

The Odd Grockle
 


aolstudios

aolstudios

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Nov 30, 2011
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brighton
Tom Hark Preston Park said:
The thing that I was always in awe of - having decamped from the Medway Towns earlydoors - was just how easily Brighton fully embraced all things punk. I'm sure there will be the odd grockle who will pull me up on this, but my recollection of the time is that there was only one solitary heavy rock venue in the whole town, namely the Northern (now the Hobgoblin) in London Road
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& the Hungry Years
 






The Clamp

The Clamp

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Jan 11, 2016
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West is BEST
Tom Hark Preston Park said:
Tony Byford was the manager's name at the time, he used to live in Buckingham Road, which sort of became the band's default HQ. Thinking back, how on earth did anything ever get arranged with total reliance on landlines? 😀
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Funnily enough, I think things got done quicker and with more certainty with landlines.

When I was in a small touring band with a few other music acts and some poets and other assorted performers, we also ran a zine, all was organised by Snail Mail, landline and occasionally Fax.

Once something was organised, people turned up. No convenient WhatsApp or text to cancel plans last minute.

Rehearsals were set for a certain night. Everyone showed up. Same with gigs/tours.

Similar with nights out at pubs and venues. You turned up.

We’d be in one of about three venues every Friday and Saturday. Just pop your head in and find your friends.

A bit shit in an emergency but 9/10 times stuff got done with more efficiency and reliability in an analogue world. No room for flakes or last minute bailers.
 


Zeberdi

Zeberdi

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aolstudios said:
& the Hungry Years
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Oh gawd - don’t start me on the Hungry Years, that was my Baz Clifton, Laughing Gass era. Mick Perrin on Guitar who went on to play with Sue Bradley (Reward System). If I recall, Baz’s mate Clive had a band together with Baz at 6th form called the ‘Sliding Doors’? LG Played at the Vault.


Friday nights at the Hungry Years late 70s, beer on the floor, air thick with the smell of patchouli and Old Holborn, head banging and Afghan coats …
 
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B

Binney on acid

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Shoreham
lasvegan said:
Weekends at the Alhambra, never missed when the Piranhas were playing. My older brother (RIP mate) was a founding member of The Ammonites.
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I don't know if I ever saw The Piranhas, but I was good friends with Mike Roberts, who may or may not have joined them in latter days. I'm sure that Mike was a founder member of The Ammonites, with Nick Stewart. I did see Mike and Bob playing at a pub in Trafalgar Street, around the time of the Norman conquest. Bob was very unassuming, to put it mildly. Mike wasn't exactly sober that evening.
 






WATFORD zero

WATFORD zero

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Jul 10, 2003
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Zeberdi said:
Oh gawd - don’t start me on the Hungry Years, that was my Baz Clifton, Laughing Gass era. Mick Perrin on Guitar who went on to play with Sue Bradley (Reward System). If I recall, Baz’s mate Clive had a band together with Baz at 6th form called the ‘Sliding Doors’? LG Played at the Vault.


Friday nights at the Hungry Years late 70s, beer on the floor, air thick with the smell of patchouli and Old Holborn, head banging and Afghan coats …
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I remember Barry dragging me along to see his band at Knoyle road Church Hall. I'm guessing that pre-dates the era we are talking about, but not by much as Peppa banned me from the Hungry Years maybe a year later around the time of my 17th Birthday :wink:
 
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S

scooter1

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Sep 12, 2006
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Past the Leisure Centre, left at the lights
Brovion said:
Also of course Richard Adland, aka Dick Slexia, the Piranhas drummer. As an aside I wonder where Reginald Frederick Hornsby and Zoot Alors are now?
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I haven’t worked all the way through this thread yet, so this may have been answered but Zoot(Phil Collis) has lived in New York for years. As for Reg, who knows, although I may find out further through this thread…
 


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