Hawkwind and The Velvet Underground
You know what it's like, you look forward to seeing some artist or other and then when you get there - it's rubbish. Two gigs spring to mind immediately, the first was the Velvet Underground. It was 1970, London England and the VU were playing. OK so we all knew that John Cale had left but hey! this is the Velvet Underground - WRONG!!!!! These strangers got up on stage, yes folks it was the "Squeeze" version of VU. What can I say, most of us spent the time at the bar wondering what the hell we were doing there. Can't remember anything at all about them other than the fact that there were rubbish - could have been 4 guys off the street. Maybe they were, who knows. The other gig was Hawkwind at Glodsmith College, London (supported by Sweet - don't laugh, Sweet could be quite good on the night but not tonight). It started off badly, the Hawkwind fans didn't take kindly to Sweet who in turn ended up mooning the audience. Not exactly high art. Eventually Hawkwind took to the stage, by which time in the absence of "certain substances" I had had a drop of whisky, a very L-A-R-G-E drop. So Hawkwind, who I had seen many a time before, started (this was around their "In Search Of Space" period) and the strobe lights were pointed at the audience. I think I lasted 5 minutes before my head was pounding louder than the bass drum. At which point, I had to get up and leave. So remember whisky and Hawkwind do not mix! Keith

Roy Buchanan
Roy Buchanan was an original guitarist. He was technically proficient, and could produce a number of strange and eerie textures with his unusual techniques. Feedback and overtones were effectively used to create some unique music. His vocals were pretty mediocre to these ears. I'd recommend the "Sweet Dreams" compilation (2 CD), or possibly the self-titled, "Roy Buchanan", if you don't want to spring for the higher priced set. The "Messiah Will Come Again" is a great cut, which can be found on either of these titles. Dave

Saw Roy Buchanan in a club back in the mid seventies. He had an almost ethereal feel and texture to his playing. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand. That Sweet Dream compilation is a good one. After the show I I ordered a beer and when I turned I bumped into Roy. I apologized profusely and ended up having a fifteen minute conversation. He was a real gracious and nice man. What a tragic ending. Wes

Band Names That Mean Something
There are lots of bands out there that their names mean something other than just the band ie: Three Dog Night = "Real cool one" (Eskimo for a real cold night, 3 dogs to stay warm.) I won't get into it but, 10cc means something too( and it ain't dope). Any more?? As always Thanks - Rock-on. The Unknown Lightman

The Lovin' Spoonfull (see 10cc) H P Lovecraft - Does that count, named after someone not something Cream - cos they were.... Van der Graff Generator - one of those things in science museums Caravan - cos they traveled slowly on the road & annoyed other drivers (I think I made that one up) Brain Dead - not a band just a description of me at the mo' 

Jethro Tull, Procol Harum. Tull is an old farming instrument and PH is Latin for something... Ken

I think Procol Harum means "beyond these things". Hyacinth

The Roundhouse (was The UFO Club)
I can't find much either on the net or in any of my books, so it'll have to be mainly from memory. 
The Roundhouse was an engine turning shed, although shed is a misnomer. It's a huge round (obviously) brick building. It was acquired at some point by the Gilbey's Gin company who added a balcony on wooden stilts. The first time that I can find it being used as a music venue was 15th October 1966 to celebrate the launch of International Times (an underground newspaper). You probably won't be surprised to hear that Pink Floyd were on the bill. There were another 2 or 3 gigs there in '66. In 1967 UFO moved there and following its demise Middle Earth moved there from Covent Garden. The shows run by both UFO & Middle Earth were all-night events. Middle Earth closed in early '69 just after I started to go, I don't think that there is a connection. During this period the type of music was very much "cycle derek". Later, possibly late '70, there were Sunday afternoon shows there under the name Implosion. Same sort of music. I suppose the audience was made up of what people called hippies. After that it seemed to fall into disuse for a while but it was resurrected as a theatre. I went to see Oh What a Lovely War there a couple of years ago and wandered misty eyed around the place with a very large nostalgic lump in my throat. I also bored my family telling them what it used to be like.

It was/is reached from the street by some outside steps which had a sort of balcony at the top. When we entered there was a desk where you showed your membership card and paid your entry fee. The inside of the Roundhouse is easy to describe - it was big and round and tall and very spartan. The floor was concrete and you could see where the rails had been (hasn't changed). Around the edges there would be stalls selling jewelry, clothes, & stuff. I seem to remember that on the right as you went in there was a bar. The stage was just a simple raised wooden stage with the dressing rooms somewhere behind. The audience sat in the middle just listening - after all we were far too cool to dance. In fact when you hear live recordings from that era you can often hear the cries of "Sit down!". 

Can't really remember much else, if you (that's anyone) is ever in North London I recommend a visit to Chalk Farm to see it. If you can get inside so much the better. Then just mentally remove all the seats, etc and travel back 30+ years, close your eyes and listen to Pink Floyd playing Interstellar Overdrive. Makes the hairs stand on end. Keith

Me too. "Piper...." is far and away my favorite Pink Floyd album. Syd was definitely a tortured genius, his solo stuff was especially weird. "The Madcap Laughs" was almost a rough demo and yet it remains my favorite (gosh 2 favourites in one post) Barrett album. The CDs are worth getting for the extra tracks. I saw PF in '67, which you all know cos you've read my other posts;-) but they seemed very distant. In fact I was looking at PF site today where someone else was at that same gig and they remembered that Syd's guitar wasn't actually plugged in! It seems that David O'List was known to play from the wings to cover Syd on this sort of occasion. 
Now all together: I've got a bike............ Keith

Paul Kosoff and Free
Like everyone else at the time, I saw a bunch of shows. This was only the first West, Bruce and Laing show at the Palladium. The second show, maybe a year later featured W,B&L and had Mott the Hoople, Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids and possibly another act. I went to see a few shows at the Pasadena Rose Palace-the weirdest of which featured the Cream Movie as the headline act, supported by the Grateful Dead, the Santana Blues Band (no kidding-that is the way they were announced!), and Big Mama Thornton. The Shrine auditorium had a lot of good shows. In December 1968, for Christmas, a great show was put on. Country Joe and the Fish were the headliners. Second on the bill was the Dead. Also featured was Spirit (who got into the Christmas spirit by empting a shoe box full of joints to the crowd as a Christmas gift- there was a lot more community in those days, I feel) I went to almost every Procol Harum show in town. From the Rose Palace to the Santa Monica Civic-They were always wonderful! I saw a lot of Paul Butterfield at the Santa Monica Civic, and the reformed Electric Flag and Moby Grape there also in about 1974. Later on I would go see J.Geils at the Santa Monica Civic (with Peter Frampton opening!) On June 13th, 1969 I saw the Who at the Palladium, with Poco (known at the time as Pogo- before the comic strip threatened legal action!) and the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band- what a terrific show! A year later, on June 14, 1970 I saw the Who at the Anaheim Stadium (those boys went a long way in one year!) with John Sebastian, the guys who had the hit with "Ride Captain, Ride (I hate that song to this day), and Leon Russell (fresh off the Mad Dogs tour-but with basically the same band) Bonnie Bramlett sat cross legged on the stage for the Who. She was hot stuff in 1970! I would go see a lot of the Airplane, in those days. I went to the Earl Warren Fairgrounds in Santa Barbara, in 1969 for a show with the Airplane, Steve Miller Band and the Flying Burrito Brothers. My annoying friend and I cornered Jack Cassidy (the main reason to see the Airplane) before the show-He kindly put up with us for a while. One of my favorite shows was Muddy Waters at the Ash Grove in 1971 (?) We sat at the same table as Eric Burdon and an exotic looking Black woman. After the show we went backstage to greet the master. Muddy was a congenial person and genuinely cheerful toward us. He was sharing a bottle of whiskey with Big Mama Thornton, and the two of them were pleasantly looped. My buddy had on a pair of shorts. While we were talking to Muddy, Big Mama leaned over and plucked a hair from my friends leg! He yelped a big one, and Muddy and Big Mama yowled in laughter! I'll always cherish this memory. Dave

Mr.MoJo Risin
I posted this when I first found this forum. I saw The Doors in 67 in this beat up old warehouse on the Santa Monica pier they called "The Cheetah". This was when their first album came out, and they weren't really known yet. Jim was in black leather, and pretty wasted. He was screaming, writhing, jumping on and off amplifiers, creating mayhem, and frankly, kinda scary. After the show my friend and I went outside. I was sitting on a curb, and I noticed on of the laces was untied and tangled on one of my tennis shoes. As I was trying to figure out how to untangle it, I saw a shadow in front of me. My friend was looking behind me and smiling. Without turning around, I kept fiddling with the lace, I figured out the problem, and tied my shoe. The shadow moved, I looked up and it was Jim Morrison walking away. My friend says "It was really weird man, he just stopped on the street, and watched you tie your shoe". Carson


Which Fleetwood Mac is best?
I have to admire the taste of the forum members. Stevie Nicks was a pretty face in her twenties, but sings from her throat, not her diaphragm. She is not "classic", for me. I saw the "Original" Fleetwood Mac in November 1967 at the Marquee Club, on Wardour ST. in London. My family went there for Thanksgiving holiday. I had made friends with some English guys and they took us there. They hadn't put out their first record yet, but Peter Green's reputation was enough to fill the club. The Mighty Mac were wonderful, but I always had a hard time with Jeremy Spence's quasi "Elmore James" noodlings. Peter's features were terrific, and the quartet's rhythm sound with Mick and John was dynamite. I can recall this show with no problem, some 33 years later. The warm up act was "Black Cat Bone", featuring on guitar a youthful Paul Kosoff, later with "Free". They were pretty good also. We returned to the Marquee the following evening to see Long John Baldry, who had a hit in England at the time "Let the Heartaches begin." He took the stage in a tuxedo ( in stark contrast to the previous evenings Mac with their jeans and tee shirts) He was kind of in the Tom Jones mode at the time. What was interesting about his act was the fact that on keys he had a mousy looking cat who is now know as Elton John. Some of the other musicians (Caleb Quaye on guitar) made their way into Elton's later '70s touring band. You can imagine with this caliber of musician, how good the music sounded. I have other great shows from the 60's including the Mac at the Fillmore East opening for CJ and The Fish. Peter

Peter Green is too cool. Almost Syd Barrett-ish in his departure and drop-out at the height of his career. The early Mac, in my opinion, is the only Mac for me. Peter Green's body of work is so deep and he did so much, via Fleetwood Mac, to help launch the blues resurgence in England. Next to Savoy Brown, the Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac was really the most true blues/rock bands. Even he Stones got into the psychedelic trip for a while, but the Mac and Savoy Brown stuck to playing blues- rock. Peter Green's new album is a real keeper. Brian

Great Voices of the Sixties
Just thought I'd list some great singers in my opinion of the sixties etc. Stevie Marriott, Gary Puckett, Steve Ellis (Love Affair), Long John Baldry, Robert Plant, Janis Joplin... any thoughts? Frankie

My additions: Sandy Denny, Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Harry Nilsson, has Van Morrison been mentioned yet?, and many others. Yeah, I'm glad to see Marriott, but just for Small Faces (never really got into Humble Pie, to be honest). And I guess I must mention Bob Dylan for his distinctive voice and phrasing, and Sky Saxon of the Seeds and Rudy Martinez of ? and the Mysterians. Maybe not technically as great as some of the other singers, but distinctive, entertaining voices. Jason

Yes, you have mentioned some pretty good ones, I am not familiar with Long John Baldrey's music I have only read about him. Other voices that I like are Lydia Pense (Cold Blood) and Paul Butterfield. Raul

I liked the variety of artists you mentioned. really nice to see Steve Marriott mentioned. His work in the Small Faces was great but only a warm up for what was to come when he formed humble pie. Incredible singer with fantastic range. What more can be said for Janis Joplin? Talk about range and excitement-she really did open doors for a lot of future women in rock. Long John Baldry- his vocals were a perfect match for his material, you don't hear his name mentioned too much when conversation turns to great voices-nice to see him included. I would add grace slick for great female voices of the 60s and Paul Rogers for the great male. You can add my vote to Janis Joplin. I loved her voice on Cheap Thrills. Long John Baldry, I much preferred his early stuff. How about Rod Stewart, Capt Beefheart, Nico, John Lennon, Paul McCartney (check out Long Tall Sally - another Beatle one take classic).  My personal favourite (at least for the next 10 minutes) - Roger Chapman of Family. Mike

Mood Lifters and Van Morrison
I was listening to Van Morrison's "Cleaning Windows" last night, and the sheer joy in the lyrics at simple things like enjoying music and the satisfaction of good honest work well done had me grinning like an idiot. He's amazing at that sort of thing. "And it Stoned Me" does it too - it conveys the sense of simply taking special wide-eyed note of the countless small pleasures and miracles in daily life (if you're paying attention and getting away from the computer and TV and newspaper now and then). The sense of wonder and surprise and childlike innocence likened to the feeling of water on a dusty throat carries an almost spiritual sense of lightness and joy. Makes you want to go fishing - not to catch fish, but to let the sunlight tickle you and the birds serenade you and maybe just jump in the water with all your clothes on simply because you're alive and you can. 
That kind of music is surely a treasure and a welcome release from the junk that the world and its confusion and darkness can try to weigh you down with during the day. This also explains my love for bubblegum music: Sheer joy and release and cheerful innocence. Try it sometime - you might like it! Jason

Speaking of great voices, Van Morrison's just keeps getting better. His Astral Weeks and Moondance have a real "otherworldliness". So soothing. His voice is so powerful and strong but always smooth. His work with Them really turned me into a fan of his. There's a lot more to Them than Gloria. Van is really one of the best singers from the era. Try listening to Astral Weeks on a rainy day. Awesome! Ken

Haight-Ashbury
Hi all; .... I lived in the Haight for about a year or so in the mid-70's, I had to move from my place near the Panhandle (which paralells Haight Street) because the place was bought and gentrified. (I had no money to be a gentleman... :)! I've been back there on visits several times, the latest was when I stayed at the Red Victorian Bed & Breakfast (They have a website) on Haight St. last May. I was in SF then to see Jefferson Starship Acoustic. Last year I went up for the annual Haight St. Fair and saw Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience play. The Haight has always had problems, ever since it first attracted music/artistic types in the early 60's because of the then cheap rents. It's always good to be a resourceful solution if you are there. A book on the Haight to check out is "Beneath The Diamond Sky" by Barney Hoskyns (Simon & Schuster). It covers the Haight scene from 1965 to 1970. There are some Haight related websites, such as the Haight Ashbury Free Press (which is dated, a bit stale and hard to navigate) and the 30th Anniversary of the Summer of Love. Both these have some good things, especially the photos... ...I'll most likely be up there in the Haight again if and when Jefferson Starship plays in Golden Gate Park in the Fall. I'll forward details when available... Best Regards! John B. Krug

I was born and raised just outside the City and visited The Haight many times in those days. The Summer of Love ('67) was really I time to remember but in went steadily downhill very quickley. I never really went back there and spent any time after '69 not only bercause I went into the military but because The Haight turned into a Skidrow type setting after the summer of '68 and it was filled with rip-offs, panhandlers, bums, and drug addicts. I still continued to spend alot of time in SF, just not there. I have many great memories of Fillmore, Winterland, Berkely theater, Carousel Ballroom, Golden Gate Park, but those days are gone forever.. I did go back there with my wife and son about 4 years ago, and it is a trippy place to visit, but is now taken over by capitalist Hippies. First thing I saw when we came to the corner of Haight/Ashbury was a Starbucks, and I knew it would be all downhill from there. Paul

Some people can still (barely) say, they were in Paris in the 20s. Best time I had in San Fran, (mind you, I was only one of the many little incorrigible 14 and 15 olds in 67 and 68), was seeing Quicksilver Messenger Service at "The Family Dog". I guess the weirdest time I had then, was being in a commune, in the middle of nowhere, sitting around a campfire full of acid heads, banging on tin cans and loud things with sticks, only to wake up and have my breakfast served by Hells Angels. Carson

Yeah, I was there last week. 3 blocks of tie-dye t-shirt shops with shrines to J. Garcia; a prominent Ben & Jerry's on THE corner with 3 buck cones; a pricey music shop; The old Dead communal house with a fresh coat of paint; Well fed looking young "hippies" with bandana'd doggies sampling the "panhandling experience"; Meter maids feverishly writing tickets; Still, it was gorgeous day and San Fran remains a very trippy city. While in the neighborhood I recommend a morning row in Stow lake, Golden Gate Park. Quay