[Brighton] Bob Grover dead

[Eeyore]

I just missed these gigs in the late 70s being still of junior school age. Was the Alhambra where Dr Brighton's is/was now ? I know Bob drank in Dr B's around then

 

[BN9 BHA]

In the early days bands used to rehearse at the vault, but a couple of dodgy shed doors with a padlock over a couple of side crypts weren't enough to stop your gear getting nicked.

And I do remember in the later days, one or two of the 'occupants' there being dug out of the walls. Probably just as well it closed when it did

punkbrighton | The Vault

 

[trueblue]

I remember a Mr Murray…was he at Tideway? I don’t think he was so I’m not sure why I know the name.

Longhill but I've also read he taught at Patcham Fawcett. Maybe he did the rounds!

 

[BN9 BHA]

Longhill but I've also read he taught at Patcham Fawcett. Maybe he did the rounds!

Definitely was my music teacher at Fawcett, late 70s early 80s.

 

[aolstudios]

You're another NSCer who was probably at numerous of the same gigs as me. I remember the Poison Girls playing the Vault. There are at least 3 members of Brighton Riot Squad on NSC, and I gather they had a run in with some people I knew, down the Vault. I think Attila mentioned this in his autobiog. I seem to recall seeing Joby and the Hooligans in the Vault too. It wasn't a very commodious venue, was it?

Played my first ever gig at the Vault. Innocent times

 

[CHAPPERS]

RIP. Top man. Spent a few hours and more with him as he propped up the bar the Greys.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Very sad. The Piranhas played a big part in my musical upbringing and were one of the first bands I got into when I was finding my own musical identity.

We must be similar age, was the first band i ever saw live at was then the Buccaneer, not called Patterns. Open up my mind that night and never lost the buzz for live music.

 

[clivebuckley]

Birds With Ears were my favourite Brighton band; Ian was such a brilliant front-man - one look at him, and you thought "Yup, Art College student"! I still play their only album, Youth In Asia, today.

An old school friend of mine, Stu Jones, managed them for a while, and also worked in the Attrix record Shop in Sydney Street.

Did he run the Zap.

 

[Peteinblack]

Did he run the Zap.

That I don't know.

 

[zefarelly]

Only just seen this. RIP Bob . . . No legitimate friendship or brotherhood like some claim . . . but Fond memories of gigs and 'Boring Bob' doing Sunday nights in the Duke in Shoreham late 80's. Like P&tTTBs the Pirhanas have always been local legends slightly before my time. . But much enjoyed. I particularly like getting beaten up . . .the song, not the reality!

 

[fork me]

Very sad news. Met him a few times in the 90s when I was promoting and DJing. Nice guy.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Longhill but I've also read he taught at Patcham Fawcett. Maybe he did the rounds!

Maybe I’m confusing him with someone else.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

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?

I read on another forum sometime ago, Reg the bass player was last heard of living in Swindon and working as a mechanic. Phil as somebody else replied, lives in New York.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Bob on the right at Dicks bar after the Donny game in August 2011.

 

[clivebuckley]

Crikey. It is amazing how many NSC posters were in and around it all back then.

Luke (when he was about 17) had a brief liaison with a pal of ours (who was also a part-time squeeze of John from the Molesters). His older brother Addison was in an on-and-off with another pal (I used to hang around with a gang of young women back then). A couple of years later (1979) me and my GF shared a flat with Tracy 'Spenser' (née Preston, daughter of Denis, who produced Stranger on the Shore by Acker Bilk) for a bit, while Tracy hooked up with and fell out with various elements of the local scene to a mixture of our amusement and concern.

From 77, we must have seen the Piranhas a couple of dozen times, with three or 4 gigs a week at the Buccaneer, Basement, Vault and of course Sunday night at the Alhambra, with the ubiquitous blues Jim as stroppy-bollocks support. The Piranhas always did a good show, and were well regarded by the punk rock contingent of which I was an enthusiastic headbanger. The Dandies (Adrian RIP) were another favourite of mine. And of course Tom Maltby and his wrist action.

I assumed you were about 10 years younger than me - presumably not. I lost contact with most of my Brighton connections in 82 when I moved to Canada, sadly. I wonder if we knew any of the same people.

Well our paths must of crossed as quite a few on here must of ,music and football often has a cross over.
I used to love watching Pookisnackenburger in Churchill Square.

 

[Zeberdi]

Did he run the Zap.

No.

I was one of the founder members of the Zap Club and worked with and for them for several years in various capacities.

The Zap was a performing arts club which began at the New Oriental hotel in the 80s ( before moving to the Royal Escape, then the Richmond and finally the Arches before it became a night club in 1997), it was founded by Neil Butler and his wife Pat and Amanda Scott and the Butlers were later joined by co-directors, Angie Livingston and Dave Reeves who had met at University.

Ian met Neil when he was at Brighton Poly on the Expressive Arts Course in the late 70s - I met him a bit later when Birds with Ears were coming to the end of their run. Ian compered the performance arts nights with his post-Birds with Ears band, Extremists in an Igloo being the resident band and then formed the zany Wild Wigglers with Neil and Liz Agiss. Neil was always around on Tuesday open mic nights - and usually on the other nights which were a mix of music, comedy and various expressive arts acts.

Ian continued to compere mic nights and acts through the week well into the early 90s before he got married and moved to Edinburgh to work the performance art circuit.

 

[lasvegan]

Weekends at the Alhambra, never missed when the Piranhas were playing. My older brother (RIP mate) was a founding member of The Ammonites.

 

[Gwylan]

You're another NSCer who was probably at numerous of the same gigs as me. I remember the Poison Girls playing the Vault. There are at least 3 members of Brighton Riot Squad on NSC, and I gather they had a run in with some people I knew, down the Vault. I think Attila mentioned this in his autobiog. I seem to recall seeing Joby and the Hooligans in the Vault too. It wasn't a very commodious venue, was it?

There'll only be three - you're not likely to see Frank on here

Sad to hear the news about Bob, The Piranhas were a great band in their day - a time when there was a real buzz about the Brighton music scene. Harry mentioned The Dandies earlier, that's a band I really thought were going to make it big. And for those people asking about John Helmer. I bumped into him at a technology conference about 20 years ago - he was a marketing manager for an internet company. Quite a departure for him.

 

[Lush]

Another regular at the Alhambra on Sunday nights in my stripey trousers. Forever grateful to be let in as I was clearly under age. RIP Boring Bob.

 

[zeemeeuw]

Extremists in an Igloo

That's jogged my memory, saw them several times as our (Biology?) teacher was in that band. So guess I was a (youthful) part of the scene too.