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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 3:05 pm
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Hi again Mal; welcome to the party! So many memories, so much pleasure & yet some pain--did we really do all this? Of course we did, this was & still is our life! I'm in Turkey at the moment, please keep in touch. Auzzie, Barry (brother on pedal steel) Frank (drums, who took over after you) Eddie (Auzzies brother) My son Dave (Sid) & seemingly half of the known universe is following JT's revelations. John, keep it going---I never thought that what we did in the sixties was important--hell, we were just doing what came natural to us!
Serious regards,
Tony
Falsetto harmony assured due to barbed wire? :D (more likely the booze!)


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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 12:07 pm
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Hi Tony, Just left a message on your Phone did not realise you were away. Spoke to John last night, we will definately have to get together for an " All our yesterdays" Speak to you when you get back. john is doing a great job. what a memory. My very best regards Mal


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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 1:26 pm
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Hi all, Mal here again. Sorry to distract from Johns story but on the subject of The Hi-Cats getting together again it would be great if we could trace Barbara Harrison. I don't know how many UK members are on this forum but if anyone has any information on Barbara such as , where she lived. where she worked, did she join other bands and who where the members, what school did she go to, how old would she be etc, etc. It may be possible to trace her. It would be best for anyone with info to PM me rather than put it on the forum and i will try to trace her. Even the smallest detail will help. Cheers Mal Thory


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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 2:38 pm
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Merseykid wrote:
To continue....................
IThere was one annoying fart. I believe he was Gerry Lee’s brother in law.
He was bossing everyone around. Pushing people out if the way and directing the traffic.
He had a big Havana cigar in his mouth, puffing smoke everywhere.
He pushed my brother Dave twice, supposedly to move him to allow his people to get past. It was totally unnecessary, and Dave was not the type you pushed around.
But he just wanted to show he was connected to the star of the show, and very important. Everything would have gone quite smoothly even if he hadn’t been there.

He then tried to push Dave a third time but this was a push too far.
My brother grabbed him by the lapel of his coat, and swung him round, nearly choking him on his cigar.

“If you push me one more time” he said “I’ll shove that f**king cigar up you *ss”
“Lit end first”
One of their roadies happened to be walking by, carrying an amplifier, and I saw him grin from ear to ear.

.


I can say that there was nobody like this when I played first act for Jerry Lee Lewis. We had a few Psycho fans who thought we were unworthy to be on the same stage as him, but nobody with a cigar, Thank God.

Bill the bassplayer (BC)

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If thine enemy wrong thee, buy each of his children a drum.


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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 4:47 pm
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Location: Liverpool UK
Hey Guys

I'm going to be rich.
Just got this Email on the Yahoo account.
What should I do.
OOOOOOOOOOOh I'm gong to be rich rich rich. lol

FROM: MR OMAR AHMED.
AUDITING / ACCOUNTING DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL BANK OF AFRICA(IBA/BOA)
BURKINA-FASO WEST AFRICA.
PHONE: 00226 78 50 64 94

(confidential)
My dear I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer of a huge sum of money from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. I decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction.

PROPOSITION; I discovered an abandant sum of $11.5M(Eleven Million Five Hundred thousand United states Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family. Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims to this money as the heir. I cannot release the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines. Upon

this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased as all documentations will be carefully worked out by me for the funds $11.5M(Eleven Million Five Hundred thousand United states Dollars) to be released in your favour as the beneficiary's next of kin.It may interest you to note that I have secured from the probate an order of madamus to locate any of deceased beneficiaries.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of my mutual business endeavour by
furnishing me with the following;

1. Your Full Names and Address.

2. Direct Telephone and Fax numbers.

These requirements will enable me file a letter of claim to the appropriate departments for necessary approvals in your favour before the transfer can be made. I shall be compensating you with $4.6 Million Dollars on final conclusion of this project, while the rest $6.9Million shall be for me. Your share stays with you while the rest shall be for me for investment purposes in your
country.

If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you, I await your urgent email.
Regards,

Your;s faithfully,
MR.OMAR AHMED
(PHONE:00226 78 50 64 94)

What do you think I should I do. Maybe play him along eh?


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 4:51 pm
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Location: Liverpool UK
I think I'll give him my local Police Station as my address.


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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 6:57 pm
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Getting back to the story (I’ll spend my millions later).


One of the funniest things that happened was when we had a booking at the Iron Door.

The agent told me that we were going to share the night with a group from the sticks, called “The Fabulous Phantoms”
They were from a small town. I think it was Burnley.
I’m afraid that Scousers (The nick name given to Liverpool People)
Treated small-towners with little respect, not in a nasty way but they sort of acted superior to them.
Now there had been an article in our local newspaper (The Liverpool Echo) about this group.
The story was, that wherever they played the crowd went wild and in some venues they had smashed the place up.
We assumed that we were facing some very stiff opposition.

The other Liverpool group on The Iron Door that night apart from us was Sonny Web and the Cascades.
Now Sonny Webb, their lead singer (Real name Kenny Johnston) was a mate of mine. We had known each other since the Liverpool sound had first started.
None of us wanted to follow this fantastic group, so I went to the dressing room to see Kenny and try and juggle the appearances of the bands so that we went on first before the Fabulous Phantoms.
I didn’t want our band to look bad by following them.

Now Kenny was no fool and when I walked into his dressing room he said, “I know what you’re going to say Johnny, and the answer is no”
“What” I said, Trying to look innocent.
“We’re not going on after that group” he said.
“Well someone has to” I said.
“OK” Kenny said, “We’ll toss a coin”
As he tossed the coin I called “Heads” and said a silent prayer.

My prayer was answered as the coin fell heads up. Kenny cursed.
I couldn’t hide my delight at winning, so the Hi Cats prepared to go on stage first.

We got a good reception as we went through our well-rehearsed show, and left the stage amid the cheers of our supporters.
We were only doing one long session each, that night, because there were three groups playing.

The records of the latest pop charts were playing as we removed our equipment and made way for the Fabulous Phantoms to set up.

We stayed behind to watch them
They started their act with their backs to the audience, they all had guitars including the lead singer, who then shouted out “One two three four” then they all spun around and crashed in with their guitars and drums.

They were total CRAP.

I looked across the dance floor at Kenny and he was looking back at me with a huge grin on his face.

The Cascades were going to look Fantastic that night.

The audience soon showed their disappointment with the Fabulous Phantoms, after all their City was crowded with really professional groups who would make mince meat out of these amateurs. Liverpool was and still is a tough city, especially to outsiders.
The only outsiders we are nice to, are tourists.
I was really p*ssed off that I had won the toss of that coin.

The local comedians in the audience had started to climb onto the stage and remove the microphones from the mike stands and singing, out of tune, into them, while the Fabulous Phantoms were still playing, with sickly grins on their faces, trying not to look frightened.
It wasn’t long before the bouncers had to come to their aid and stood by the stage until they finished their act.

Then the gloating Sonny Webb and the Cascades went on stage and blew the place away.

Damn

Soon the night came to an end. Everybody had started to go home, or to the nearest night café.
I went upstairs to the dressing room were the gloating Kenny Johnston was getting changed.

“You Jammy Bastard” I said
Kenny grinned at me.
“Well I offered to let you go on last” he said
“But no, you wouldn’t have it”
I ignored him
“What did you think of the Fabulous Phantoms” I said

Joe Butler’ their bass player joined in.
“I’ve never seen a worst group” he said “They were absolute Crap”
Frank, the lead guitarist nodded in agreement. “Crap” he said

“After all that hype in the Echo, I was expecting the roof to lift off the building”.

As I was talking I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye, and turned to see what it was.
Oh my God.
The Fabulous Phantoms were in the next dressing room, with the door wide open and had heard every word.

“Hi” I said, feeling mortified.
The rest of the bands looked up and then pretended to be busy with their equipment..
“It’s OK” Their lead singer said.
“After hearing The Hi Cats, before we went on, I knew we were in for a hard time”.
“Both of your groups showed us up”.

I started to feel sorry for them.
“You’ll get better with practise” I said trying to sound convincing.

He wasn’t convinced.
“We had heard about Liverpool, and all the groups, before we came and were a bit worried from the start”.
“I don’t think we’ll be accepting any more bookings here again” he said

And they didn’t.

Kenny Johnston, by the way, is now a Disc Jockey and presenter for the BBC in Liverpool.
I still see him now and again and often talk about old times.


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Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 9:33 am
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How did you guys split the money back then among three groups?
Was it an even 3 way split of what was taken in at the door or did the local groups get more?

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If thine enemy wrong thee, buy each of his children a drum.


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Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 6:10 pm
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Location: Liverpool UK
The total amount earned.
Less agreed expenses.
Van, fuel, Roadies wages, agents fees, Stan's amplifier.etc.

The remainder was divided equally among the band members.
We also employed an accountant to work out our Tax commitments.

Handling all the financial side of the band was another chore which I found had landed in my lap when I took over.

I just opened a bank account and put every thing into it.
I insisted that each member of the band had access to the bank statements so that everything was transparent.

Finances was a possible cause of friction and I was determined that there would be none in our group.

It must say something, in that we never had any arguments ever, about money.


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Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 6:21 pm
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If by "Splitting it among three groups"
you meant the three separate groups appearing on the Iron Door that night, then none of us knew what the other groups earned, unless they told us.

Everybody just negotiated their own fees with Management.
I suppose the groups that attracted the most paying customers got the most money.

I became quite an expert at negotiations.
I also found that it was an advantage if the managers liked the negotiator personally.
A fact that I worked on constantly.


I added this second part Bill, when I realized that I had misunderstood your question.

JT


.


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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 10:08 am
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Yes, the way clubs dealt with three different groups was more of what I was referring to.

Negotiating is always the least favored job, but the most important to get paid.

I have a gig coming up where we will share the bill with two other bands on one night at a roadhouse sort of club.

I guess we are going to split whatever is taken in at the door.

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If thine enemy wrong thee, buy each of his children a drum.


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Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 12:57 pm
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Splitting the door takings, in my opinion, is OK for the least popular bands, but not so good for the more successful.

How do you work that with the owners?
Do they make their profit from the beer sales?
Do you have a method of knowing the amount taken at the door?


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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:53 pm
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This story has been mostly about gigs we have had and the famous people we have met. I wonder if anyone would be interested in any other interesting aspect.

Fights
Women

I need my sharries to be kissed several times to reveal my most intimate secrets. (Are you there SlapChop?)

Of course it would have to be carefully edited in case I got thrown off the forum.


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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:47 pm
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Merseykid wrote:
Splitting the door takings, in my opinion, is OK for the least popular bands, but not so good for the more successful.

How do you work that with the owners?
Do they make their profit from the beer sales?
Do you have a method of knowing the amount taken at the door?


True- The more successsful bands will charge a higher cover charge.
A few good bars will guarantee a flat rate for the band so you don't have to charge a cover charge. That's my preferred arrangement.
If we get $400 for a four piece band for a 4 set night, that's a good rate from a club these days IMO. We often have ot settle for less, but it comes down to - Do you want to play or not?

Bar owners make nearly all of their profits from beer and drink sales.
Food is another source of income but the place we have the 3 band night planned for doesn't sell food- They have no kitchen.

The only way you know what is taken in at the door is if your have your own man collect the money. This is acceptable at some bars and not allowed at others. We actually trust one bar owner's man to do this and they have been honest so far.

We have had different experiences at different clubs. All club owners these days are crying poor.
What has made it difficult for live bands these days are DJs and karioke. It doesn't cost much to have a DJ play familiar hits or a karioke machine to urge people to buy drinks and make asses of themselves.
I feel that nothing can top the sound of a tight, live band but it does cost more to pay 4 than one or none.

I would love to hear any stories you feel like telling.

Bassman Bill

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If thine enemy wrong thee, buy each of his children a drum.


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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:04 pm
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What REALLY makes me boil....when there is a good paying gig they will hire an OUT OF TOWN band that is NO BETTER than yours and pay them 3,000 bucks. Then when they need a band and don't have any money they call you and want you to play for FREE! Really! This has happened to me. Of course we didn't do that. YES, they actually wanted seven people and our sound guy to show up and play FREE. People are freaking nuts!


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