Great venue, fabulous band, fabulous sound!! You might recognise the Beefheart legend Steve Froy of incredible Captain Beefheart Radio Station in the audience (A man who knows everything!). Also my mate Mike Green!!
A bit of background:
In the course of 1967/8 I was eighteen years old, taking A Levels at Kingston Polytechnic. An incredible year. I had a new girlfriend, now my wife, a motorbike and access to the burgeoning underground scene in London – UFO, Middle Earth, Eel Pie Island, Les Cousins, the Marquis….. The whole scene was taking off.
Every Friday night I worked the twelve hour night-shift at Lyons bakery. Here I met Mike. He had the longest black hair which he refused to brush because he claimed it caused split ends and broke off. Mike was a regular at Middle Earth. Every weekend he would drop acid and head off for an all-nighter with the likes of Pink Floyd. Mike was into the nascent West Coast scene. Every break we would avidly talk music.
Many an evening was spent in Mike’s bedroom playing all the latest sounds, pawing over sleeves and talking wildly. This was the year of fabulous debuts. Mike introduced me to Country Joe and the Fish, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Love, Doors, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Grateful Dead, The Mothers Of Invention and that incredible first Beefheart album – Safe As Milk.
