Torquay's other history: the historic bands of The Bay

By Kevin Dixon, on Saturday, July 10, 2010

Here’s a few bands and performers that have originated in Torquay over the years.

First of all, this is She’s Gone, a 1965 one-off single by Torquay’s Jonston McPhilbry. It’s described as a ‘mod-friendly hybrid of jazz and English beat” and a ‘good example of jazz styled freakbeat.

Check out John Snell’s site. John first started playing guitar in 1963 at the age of 17 when a friend at Audley Park offered to teach him Apache by the Shadows. He joined the Last Tik Band (formerly The Telstars of Torquay) in 1964. This was followed by the Torquay-based soul band The Indiana Highway. A later band was Subdued Hubub, pictured at the Shiphay Manor Club 1970-73, while the Hip Hooray Band played between 1974-1980.

Much missed are the legendary Riff Power Band, who regularly appeared in the Pelican in the late 70s (now a block of flats opposite the police station). Riff Power is still performing in the Jackie Lynton Band (the light blue cowboy shirt) in

Cheers to Rob M for sending me a CD featuring the classics: Porno Madness, Ripper Boys Rule, Dance Craze, Pogo on the Plebb, and Mojo Working.

This is Headlode, originally called Full On Hate Machine, performing at two of Torquay’s Lost Pubs: The Railway in 1996

and The Parrot 2 in 1997

Their song Welcome to Edith’s was about the Edith Morgan Unit: ‘A nice place where you can shout, you come in but you don’t come out.’

The most famous Scrumpy and Western band of them all, The Wurzels, have produced 28 albums in a 40 year career.

John ‘Jai’ Howe was a Wurzel (1985 to the late 1980s; 2002 to 2007). Born in Torquay, and brought up in Hele, Jai died in 2008 aged 60. He’s the one with dark hair at the back.

One band that I can’t remember was Five Knots Max, described by fans as ‘perhaps the most important musical export from Torquay’. Peter has been in touch to say that this ’80’s prog retro new wave rock’ band had a cult following around the Bay and had a number one single and album in Poland with Deathbed Charlie in 1984.

According to Peter: “Paul Coward, the very temporary bassist with Motorhead, auditioned for the band but didn’t get the gig after proclaiming that the band ‘Treated their rods like ****!’ I only became aware of them after hearing them play at the Crown & Sceptre in St Marychurch at the folk night they had every Thursday. Amazingly they got to play a few songs even though they were about as ‘Folk’ as The Sex Pistols were to Country and Western.

“Still they struck a chord (‘scuse the pun) with me and over the next 18 months I went to a couple more of their gigs. In fact, on one occasion I was the only person in the audience. Anyway they caught the eye of the guy who ran Soundz record shops in the Bay. He put them in contact with one of his record company friends who saw some potential and the rest is history. They released an album in the UK on an indie label but it tanked – but amazingly enough it got picked up in Poland of all places and the band were huge – if so very fleetingly”.

From another fan, Alfie: “When it was a good night they were up there with the best, but on a bad night, when the drummer had had a few, they could be awful, which in some ways made them to me more exciting. I recorded a few of their gigs on cassette which I had a listen to recently, and they still stand up well. God knows where they all are now, although I once saw the guitarist serving cream teas at The Tudor Cafe in Babbacombe in the early 90s. I only remember this as he had very long nails. I also still have THE album. They can’t have sold many as it looks like it was handmade and coloured in using felt tips! Mine is one of the rare unsigned copies. Rock on the Max!!”

If anyone has any more information on Five Knots Max, let us know…