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Long gone Brighton bands/Lost venues









Hornblower

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
1,712
I think I'm a bit older than some of you but I cut my teeth playing with bands in the Brighton area. The Northern was my first gig, they used to have trad jazz during the week and I played clarinet with a pick-up band, I was 14 and still at school (Boundstone). Christ, that was 43 years ago. When I turned 16 I was working at Heathershaws music shop in Worthing and playing in a covers band called ARB (on sax now) that had a Friday night residency at a pub on the Old Shoreham Road in Southwick. Then I joined a funk band called ZOO that did quite well in the Melody Maker battle of the bands. After that I joined Rocky Sharpe and the Razors who were regulars at The Richmond and The Alhambra. Happy days.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,708
The Fatherland
I also remember the 66 Club and Jimmy's, surprised no-one has posted anything about the Big Apple Club that was located in the ballroom above the old Regent Cinema at the Clock Tower. The entrance was in Windsor Street.
http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__9767.aspx.
Reading the above also brings back fond memories of the Cottage in Middle Street, nr "Expansion Records".

I love threads like this as my father was on the scene back in the day and used to go to the various bars, cafes and clubs often mentioned. He would often be seen in the back room of The Bath Arms in The Lanes and a cafe just down from there; Lorelie or something similar.
 








catfish

North Stand Brighton Boy
Dec 17, 2010
7,677
Worthing
I think I'm a bit older than some of you but I cut my teeth playing with bands in the Brighton area. The Northern was my first gig, they used to have trad jazz during the week and I played clarinet with a pick-up band, I was 14 and still at school (Boundstone). Christ, that was 43 years ago. When I turned 16 I was working at Heathershaws music shop in Worthing and playing in a covers band called ARB (on sax now) that had a Friday night residency at a pub on the Old Shoreham Road in Southwick. Then I joined a funk band called ZOO that did quite well in the Melody Maker battle of the bands. After that I joined Rocky Sharpe and the Razors who were regulars at The Richmond and The Alhambra. Happy days.

My parents bought me a violin from Heathershaws in 1970.
 


I love threads like this as my father was on the scene back in the day and used to go to the various bars, cafes and clubs often mentioned. He would often be seen in the back room of The Bath Arms in The Lanes and a cafe just down from there; Lorelie or something similar.

I think the Lorelei was in Union Street. We used to frequent the Cottage because you could get something to eat at one or two in the morning, which wasn't easy in the Brighton of the early 70's.
 




Hornblower

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
1,712
My parents bought me a violin from Heathershaws in 1970.

It was a lovely old shop. They went bust when they overstretched themselves - they opened a guitar factory making quality nylon string acoustics just aroud the time that the japanese flooded the UK market with the same thing for half the price.

Shame, they had some wonderful craftsmen working for the shop.
 




It was a lovely old shop. They went bust when they overstretched themselves - they opened a guitar factory making quality nylon string acoustics just aroud the time that the japanese flooded the UK market with the same thing for half the price.

Shame, they had some wonderful craftsmen working for the shop.

The shop was nr Worthing Station wasn't it? Friend of mine from Hangleton used to work there in the early 70's.
 




catfish

North Stand Brighton Boy
Dec 17, 2010
7,677
Worthing
It was a lovely old shop. They went bust when they overstretched themselves - they opened a guitar factory making quality nylon string acoustics just aroud the time that the japanese flooded the UK market with the same thing for half the price.

Shame, they had some wonderful craftsmen working for the shop.

My old man was a musician and knew most of the people who worked there. He probably shared a few pints with you back in the day.
 










Jon Hunisett. He was definitely there from 1972-74, maybe a while longer.

Barry Feast ran the shop. Nice guy but a terrible rogue with the women.

This sounds a familiar name, Jon also had an "XX" entourage. I remember numerous after work sessions in the Railway Hotel opposite the station: I think it's been renamed now.
 


BN9 BHA

DOCKERS
NSC Patron
Jul 14, 2013
22,689
Newhaven
Stretching the thread a bit, there's a book out mid-Feb on the Kent punk scene called The Kids Are All Square. Should include at least one Piranhas story...

Speaking of the Piranhas, does anybody remember the wankers that were The Anti-Piranha League? Their main gripe seemed to be that the Piranhas has 'sold out' i.e. had achieved a wee bit of commercial success. They used to hang out at the Windsor Tavern, used to always make a point of going in there with a Piranhas tesco-esque carrier bag courtesy of Attrix solely to wind them up :lol:

I remember some people wearing APL. badges, didn't really get it myself, but there were plenty of tw@ts about at the time.
 






BN9 BHA

DOCKERS
NSC Patron
Jul 14, 2013
22,689
Newhaven
Anyone remember The Clash at Sussex Uni on White Riot tour -27/05/77 - best gig of my life even now!!
Remember seeing the picture cover of the single in the window of Fine Records in Brighton Square - thinking thats a bit of me, nicked a pair of straight leg trousers from the dead mans shop at the top of Church St to replace my flares and all of a sudden 1-2-3-4 I was a 16yo punk - exciting times!!

Dead mans shop. :lolol: very good.
I never heard it called that but do remember the shop very well.
 


scooter1

How soon is now?
I remember some people wearing APL. badges, didn't really get it myself, but there were plenty of tw@ts about at the time.
The APL badge wearers were predominantly Depressions fans, and Depressions hangers on who we're indeed jealous of the Piranhas initial moderate success(pre Tom Hark they were signed to Virgin, and things were looking very positive), and then the success of Tom Hark put them on a different level. My dad was The Piranhas manager between late 77 and 81, disposed of after the success of Tom Hark, primarily thanks to Pete Waterman. Supporting the Jam on the Sound Affects tour was probably their greatest achievement - if you don't count having a tune you didn't write played at football grounds when the home team scored.
The DP's were a great band, but a nasty incident at one of their gigs put paid to people going to see them, and their popularity waned, and then Dave Barnard formed the Vandells
 


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