I was 16 when I first saw One the Juggler supporting Elvis Costello at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1982 on Christmas Eve. I just thought 'blimey', these sound brilliant! I was quite far up in the balcony and all I could see was some kicking legs, but I could hear some real kick arse sounds! Great Christmas present that was! I immediately scanned the NME for their next gig,
which was at the Marquee, in London's Wardour Street. I got I then went on to many more gigs, I bought a new camera, and Lushi helped me chose the settings at the Half Moon Herne Hill gig, as I didn't have a clue. If some of the photos are blurred, that'll be because I was only between 16 and 18 and had discovered whiskey! Have long since undiscovered it! I got my gigging pal Tina and
school friend Anthony to come with me, and they just loved them
too. One night Anthony's band was playing at my local youth club,
Tina and I went down there, gave Anthony big hair, and then jumped
onto a train to the westend to see One the Juggler at the Marquee,
got to admit, I did feel bad about that, hope Anthony forgives
me! I made many friends, but have lost touch, and it would be lovely to find Sue Garnett and David O'Reilly, or anyone else who remembers me. By the way, this is Barnaby the cat! One night, I got on a train to Birmingham, barely any money (as you do at that age) to see One the Juggler at the Birmingham Poly. I was so young and naive, I couldn't even work out how to phone my parents to tell them I'd arrived safely, didn't know the area code, so I phoned a friend in London to phone my mum! The support band was the Orson Family, who had a great song called 'No-one Waits Forever', a sort of psycho country (everything was psycho in them days). I was meeting Sue and David there, and went back stage with the band afterwards, where I meekly (and quite anoracly) that One the Juggler had been the answer to a clue in the NME crossword that week. Tragedy nearly struck that night when someone in the audience went off with Rokko's hat, but fortunately it turned up again. They played so often at the Marquee, I got to know the staff, and had a membership card. One night Tracee dressed up as a nun and Mick Ronson played guitar. If I'd been only two years older, I would have known who Mick Ronson was, god rest him. Another night I was in the pub next door showing someone a picture I had blown up to poster size, unbeknown to me, Rokko was there, and called me over, signed it, and asked for one the same. One time I had got to Hammersmith Odeon early, for the Big Country support, and I started to get harrassed by some guy, and I started to get scared. I walked over to Hammersmith tube station, and he followed me, in and out of shops too. I walked back to the venue, where Tracee came out and asked me to come in and help them distribute Django's coming flyers, which I gladly did!! Big Country were actually on stage filming for breakfast tv. We put a flyer on each seat, and then was told to collect them all back up as people would sit there and set fire to them! OK! That was the night that Billy Connelly demanded a One the Juggler t-shirt even though there weren't any for sale! I remember seeing Stewart Adamson, god rest him too, walking round town with his wife and baby in the pushchair. And as Tina says, everyone wore lumberjack shirts and neckachiefs, apart from us, we wore gypsy clothes! I could go on forever, but I know only Tina will read it! I have some fantastic memories, and am really enjoying hearing other peoples, so please, please keep them coming. |
Hi
my name is Mitzi (although some of you out there may remember me
as Lorraine Bennett, but please don't call me that, I really dislike
it, no offence to any other Lorraine Bennetts!)
there,
and quite frankly was very disappointed. I was polite and clapped,
but they weren't how I remembered them and I felt flat! Then to
my delight, I found out I'd just watched the support band! One
the Juggler came on and were just something else, rock and roll!