My very first band: "The Club 4" was basically
an instrumental group much like "The Ventures, but more like England’s
"The Shadows".
The Club 4 played extensively all over South Wales…usually rugby clubs,
working men’s clubs etc. We would play two sets a night, in between the bingo
sessions.
I earned enough money with Club 4 to buy a new pro drum
set: A spanking new blue Pearl Premiere kit complete with tom toms, hi-hat and
even a set of new Zyldian cymbals.
The Premiere kit took me through the following year and one more band: "The Misfits". It was with the Misfits
that that I played my first real rock n’ roll, covering the Stones, Beatles
and of course Chuck Berry.
It’s was now 1964 and I’d left school early playing
rock n’ roll (for money!!) but my dad insisted I work a day job just in case
things did not work out. He got me in his own firm of painters
& decorators. I lasted a few months before becoming a sign-writer for a
local publishing company, playing gigs at night with The Misfits. We were a
bunch of die hard rockers and getting quite popular locally.
Meanwhile, The Iveys were starting to gig locally and
were looking to replace their drummer, who being stuck on the night shift at
work couldn’t make the gigs. At this time I had not even heard of The Iveys.
"Schmoo", a good friend of every musician on
the local scene, told the Iveys about me being available as my band was in the
process of breaking up…so he gave Ron my mums address…
A few days later Ron Griffiths along with his dad
knocked on my mums front door looking for "Mikey Gibbins" . I asked
them in…and they asked me out: to an audition for the Iveys:
Piggy (Pete) on lead + vocals
Dai Jenkins on rhythm + vocals
Ron Griffiths on bass + vocals
When I turned up I noticed that they looked like a bunch
of "Mods" and they started to play Tamala Motown, Beatles, Yardbirds
etc. Pete kept wincing at my bass drum patterns saying that it was "putting
him off". He put on the 45’s on the record player and was surprised to to
find I was playing it right…He’d never heard a loud kick drum before!
After playing for an hour, the Iveys left the practice
room and debated amongst themselves…Feeling like an idiot, I waited...and
waited, for the Iveys decision.
More..."The Nosh"
