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Wishbone Ash

by 31 Comments

Venue:

The Stables, Milton Keynes

Date: 06/10/2015

In the Autumn of 1972, I was not yet 16, and Wishbone Ash announced a British tour. I had seen them twice already. They were my band. Argus was the soundtrack of my life and I scoured the dates in the NME, looking for Guildford Civic Hall. In vain. There were no other dates close by (amazing to look back and think how little we travelled to gigs back then) and I was distraught. Over the next few days I hatched a plan.

So, on the next Saturday, I walked the 2 miles into town and positioned myself on the steps of Guildford Library, armed with a big notepad, a couple of pens, and a plastic bag in case it rained, and the pad got wet. At around 9.30am, I approached a tall, long-haired guy, in an ex-RAF greatcoat.
“Excuse me,” I said, very nervously. He turned and looked me up and down.
“Yes, mate,” he said.
“Um, I’m doing a petition. Erm, Wishbone Ash aren’t coming to the Civic on their next tour and I want to get enough signatures to make them change their mind.” He looked at me for a few seconds and smiled.
“Good for you, mate. Argus is fantastic, isn’t it? Where do I sign?” I shoved the pad at him and handed him the pen. I had my first signature.

Guildford was always busy on a Saturday. It’s market day and the Library was just up the road from what was one of the biggest fruit & veg markets outside of London. Guildford is also a University town, had a couple of colleges, and a thriving gig-scene. I realise now that I was standing across the road from the Horse & Groom, a pub that, less than 2 years later, would be blown to bits by the IRA.

Within the first 4 hours, I had nearly a hundred signatures, including 2 of my brothers and several school-friends. I was cold, my feet ached, but I was very happy. I walked back home.

Next Saturday, I was out there again. It began to rain, and didn’t stop for 3 hours. I moved up the steps, under the porch of the library. This restricted me to just the people that were going into the library. By lunchtime I only had 20 more signatures. As the rain eased, I move back down onto the pavement. My big brother turned up, fresh from Saturday morning football, his kit still in his bag. I was pleased to see him. He’s the reason I love music.
“How you doing, mate?”
“Not as good as last week,” I said, forlornly. He grinned at me.
“Let’s see,” he said. From behind me came the entire football team from the 6th form at our school. They whacked me on the back, elbowing me and generally taking the micky out of their skipper’s little brother. They all signed the petition, accompanied by comments like, “Wishbone who?” and “I hate ’em, long haired greebos. Give us the pen.” With the clamour of noisy lads around me, I started to attract even more attention. The wet, miserable day turned out to be one of my best.

(Continued in comments)

The audience:

As you’d expect. However, I did chat with two 16 year olds, wearing vintage Wishbone shirts, who love the ‘other guitarist (10 year veteran, Muddy Manninen) just as much as AP. Brilliant.

It made me think..

I love this band. They make me feel 15 again.

11

Comments

  1. I spent 6 Saturdays on those steps, until I had more than 700 signatures, just under half the capacity of the Civic Hall. I was in the band’s fan club, Member No. 23. I put the petition into a large envelope, wrote a letter describing why and what I had done, and posted it off to Doreen, who ran the club.

    Two weeks later, I came home from school to find a letter for me on the kitchen table. It was from Doreen. She said she was amazed at the effort I had put in, and the response I’d got. She had shown it to the band’s agent, who said to show it to the band, when they got back from the USA. In the end, Martin Turner and Steve Upton saw it and, a few week’s later, I got another letter from Doreen, telling me that the promoter had been asked to add Guildford Civic Hall to the end of the tour. I think I floated to school that day. In the following week’s Melody Maker, there was a small announcement that the band had added the date ‘due to a petition organised by a fan club member.’

    The gig sold out, with me proudly in the front row, with my big brother.

    I have kept going to see them over the years, have continued to buy the new albums, and admire Andy Powell so much for keeping the flame burning. As you know, Colin H, of this parish, has written a new book with Andy Powell about his life and the history of the band. I got my copy on the day it came out. So, armed with the book, I set off to see the band at the lovely Stables, near Milton Keynes. The gig was brilliant. The current band are my favourite line-up since the original foursome and, having just finished an American tour, they sound red hot. They played four tracks from the new album during the set, the rest being a good spread across the 46 years of their history. After 3 new songs at the start, Andy played the opening chords to The King Will Come, which was followed by Warrior and Throw Down The Sword, and I was transported back, lying on my bed, listening to Side 2 of Argus (I used to skip Leaf and Stream as well.)

    At the end of the gig, I waited while the band all signed stuff and then presented my copy of the book to Andy. I told him the story (much abridged) and he listened, grinning. Then, he wrote my name, signed his autograph and topped it off with “Great story!” I shook his hand and thanked him for all the years of pleasure he’s given me, telling him the band are as good as ever. He nodded, “Sounding really good, aren’t they?”

    Once more, some 43 years on, I floated back to my hotel, grinning all the way.

  6. That IS a great story Niall! It fits in perfectly with the positivity that keeps Andy going and which, I think, is why I was so happy to help him write the book. Hope you’ve enjoyed it. I’m going to Ashcon in Chesterfield on Saturday. No idea where Chesterfield is, but I’m sure it’ll be fun…

  7. Colin, I’m really enjoying the book. I love the voice that you have found for Andy. It draws you in, engages you, it’s a ‘pull up a chair’ voice. The only reason I haven’t finished it yet is because I had 2 books on the go, and the other one had a certain urgency to the need to finish it. It was astronaut Jim Lovell’s book, and I’m going to meet him in 3 weeks time!
    Enjoy Ashcon and say hello to the nicest man in music for me.

    • Crikey – you’re sky high already; the astronaut can only take you higher! Really glad you’re liking the book – Andy’s ‘voice’ in the book is very substantially his own. If I helped to bring it out, I’m delighted to have done so!

  8. Niall, you and I are the same age. I loved Argus the same time you did, sadly I went on to other things and lost contact with their later releases. Until I bought a 2cd compilation a couple of years back and was surprised how good it still sounded.
    Despite all this yours is a lovely story. It is a happy story yet honestly brought a lump to my throat. As others have said, if you have that gift don’t waste it.

    • The first three Wishbone Ash LPs are among my most treasured possessions, but I recall being hugely disappointed with Wishbone Four which seemed to go off in a less interesting direction to the earlier stuff.

      After that I lost touch with their music, what with the line-up changes etc.

      • Sounds like you need a copy of the book, Conchmeister… 🙂

        Actually, it’s not all about line-ups or album/tour/album. It’s about a positive young man who answered an ad for a band in 1969 and stuck at it, through thick and thin, because enough people cared – himself included. I think you’d enjoy it.

  10. Your excellent article reminded me that I picked up a copy of the remastered edition of Argus just a couple of months ago – what a wonderful album!
    In fact, that’s my listening sorted out for the next hour as I start my work day…

  12. A top notch piece, NB.

    How fab were – and still are – the Ash ?

    I’ve just gone onto the nogfamily Spotify and had to fight my way through the Scruffizer and Stormzy playlists to dredge up some Ash.
    I’ve got the vinyl in the loft and will pop up later for a rummage and blow some dust off of the speakers.

    On an entirely unrelated point – Taste at the Isle of Wight …This year’s stand out old rock masterpiece..
    COYS

  14. From Andy’s pretty much self funded album, 1996’s Wishbone Ash – Illuminations, this is a fantastic track. AP just kept striking the match, hoping that, one day, it would light.

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