Clive Leyland

Sunday, March 13th 2005

Coming forth for a very long time...

UPDATE on the Bandersnatch's 'forthcoming' CD "Round and Round". It has been coming forth for a very long time but is now well on the way. Being recorded at The Playroom (ie my house). Mainly just the backing vocals to do (though with six of us, that can take a while). Hopefully another few weeks should do it.

Wednesday, February 2nd 2005

At Cross Keys Folk Club again

SOLO this time at The Cross Keys Folk Club at Uppermill. Lovely club in the intimate atmosphere of the centuries-old barn. One of these days I'll get up there in the daylight and admire the alleged view. (Guitarists: first outing for new acoustic AER amp - tiny little thing but bags of punch and great tone - all the PA you need for a solo spot).

Tuesday, January 18th 2005

After dinner singer

A FIRST for me - 'after-dinner singer' at the Halliwell (Bolton) Local History Society. A selection of the local history songs, with more chat than singing. Much recognition of places and events by the audience - mention of a particular street brings the response "what number?" Performed Teddy Ashton's poem "Will yo come o' Sunday Morning" to my own tune - very apt since we were at Smithills Hall, former home of the local potentate whose closure of the road over Winter Hill in 1896 caused the mass trespass which is the subject of the poem; "bringing it all back home", you might say.

February 1st 2005

Reminiscing

ALMOST 40 years separate the photos of me on the left and right at the top of this page. The young lad with the quiff on the left is almost 21. The other chap with the 'high forehead' is rather older. The younger one was taken on the day my first band The Moonstones broke up in 1966.

Here's another picture from the same session. You might recognise the handsome fellow at the front with the Gibson J160E as Alan Roscoe - now a member of Bandersnatch. Then there's me with the Gibson 335 (and my eyes shut). The other two likely lads are Pete Turbefield (Fender Precision bass) and Tony Worsley (drums). Baby, baby, where did our hair go?

This even earlier picture shows The Moonstones (may even have been under the original name of The Citizens) at the Old Links Golf Club in Bolton in around 1962. Tony (with drums and low level microphone on camera tripod), me (Watkins Rapier and serious glasses), Pete (Höfner Senator Bass and about a foot shorter than in the 1966 picture) and Patrick Taylor (Höfner Colorama and big hair). Patrick founded the band, recruited me, Pete, and Tony from school, then moved on after a couple of years or so. Alan was then recruited through an ad in the Bolton Evening News - we were impressed as much by his rhythm playing as by his Höfner Verithin and Truvox amp.