Constructive criticism from my cabbie... (From St Helens Star)

Yea, I remember those nights at the Raven, triplex, the "Raldo" and of course "Chezzies". John Bull and Chaplains on friday nights in Wigan were also favourites.
I also remember going to the Black House at Carr Mill as a youngster where I first discovered Heavy Rock, freakin out to Sabbath, Purple and all that. I also remember Snatchback playing there and the lead guitarist who I think was named "wizard" playing the electric guitar with his teeth, bare footed, stood on a piece of carpet, presumably to stop him being electrocuted. Absolutely brilliant. I wonder if anyone out there has any recordings of Snatchback, that would evoke some memories. Brilliant!!!!!!

Hi Chris,

Hope you are keeping well. Nice to see your column in the Star mentioning a few of the old local legends. As I seem to have an ear to the ground in all things musical in St Helens, I thought I'd bring you "up to speed" with the activities of some of our musical talents from back in the day.

Steve Byatt is, as you rightly said, in the AC/DC tribute band "ACE/DC". They are doing all right with it too. Probably what you dont know about that band is that it features Ian (Rusty Velour) Wood, Snatchback's original bass player and Steve Doyle, ex Steve Chainsaw three and many other local legends, also my original drum teacher. He taught me to play in Darwins music shop back in 1983 would you believe!!!!!! I was shocked at that as it makes 27 years behind the kit now!!!!

Dave Cottom saxaphone player of "Clear Cut" fame has just got through to go to London with the national TV show "The X factor" and is still doing the rounds of various venues in a duo called SAX MAD.

Dave Ward, Clear Cut, is also out and about playing under the name of "Dick Bond".

John Dutton, ex of Winston, is now living in the good old USA, Austin Texas, to be precise. He is still playing and last year returned to St Helens and jammed with Greg and the boys at the Zoo bar jam night.

Talking of the zoo bar jam night, Greg Davies, ex "The Windows", "Lurve bros" and doctor of all things musical is in a duo called FATBOY & SLIM with Mike Mcartney, ex Catch 22, and also runs the weekly jam night at the Royal hotel on Westfield street. Greg has been running the weekly jam night for over ten years now at various venues around St Helens. Also Steve Follin, probably one of the best drummers I have ever seen, also ex "The Windows" and many more, is on drums at the weekly jam night.

The Swampstompers are still going strong after nearly 25 years, are they St Helens longest surviving band?....answers on a postcard etc.................
....the band has gone through various line up changes over the years, although the main stays of Barry Dooley and Eric Burke have been present throughout the bands history. Barry Leach returned to the band a couple of years ago and the band are out and about throughtout the north west. Eric and Barry also go out as the Swampstompers acoustic duo and have played the Wickerman festival in Dumfrieshire, Scotland a couple of times.

Jacky Bond is back in St Helens and is playing again. I caught Jacky with the new "Jacky Bond band" at the Turks head beer festival last year, Norman Speed of the "Bingo Brothers" is on guitar with him. Nice to see Jacky back, he has also been sighted at the aformentioned weekly jam night doing his usual brand of harmonica based blues on a couple of occasions.

I myself have not been resting on my laurels. After 16 years working as a cinema projectionist I decided to go back to college to learn something new, I now have a degree in applied computing, also going back to college helped me to go back to playing drums on a regualar basis. Although I have been a member of various bands, such as The Swampstompers, The Reggie Trowel Experience and of course the Trubshaws, with Steve Byatt and Ian Wood, working in the cinemas business with its unsocial hours had meant that I couldn't devote much time to my playing but once I returned to college it freed up my evenings and weekends so I could go back out "on the boards" once again. I've been playing with a band called "The Lazzy Band" for the past ,almost, five years and we have been all over the country playing various venues week in/week out, we are at the Bell and Barrel on the 19th of February (shameless plug). We have also played the Cavern in Liverpool on a couple of occasions and the Newton festival a few years ago also.

Sadly George Lynan of "Gravy Train" passed away some time ago but his son Ian is playing with the Rock Band Rollin' Thunder, who are making waves in the rock world, and keeping the flame burning so to speak.

There are probably more names too numerous to mention. but, if I hear any more news from the world of St Helens rock old and new I shall pass the news on.