(c’72-’73) Steve Bayfield (guitar / vocals), Paul Coaker (bass), and John Bland (drums).
In ’72 Bayfield, who’d been in the Farnham Wall of Sound, and Coaker put together a combo with “The Baron” (not legendary jazz drummer John Von Ohlen as far as we can tell) on drums to play the 1st Windsor Free Festival. It worked well, but “The Baron” was just a temporary solution. Bayfield and Coaker had met Bland, the DJ who fronted the Plastik Rock Disco and ran the Cosmic Amoeba Lightshow, when he was mixing sound for Rocharch. Eventually Bland, joined the band that was to be called Ebling Mis; after an Isaac Asimov character from the Foundation series, as their drummer.
The band all lived in rented house in Fleet, they called Planet Oa or The Planet. Living together enabled them to rehearse / jam solidly for the first three months. There first gig was in early ’73, and the appearances that year included the University of Surrey, Guildford‘s Free Festival, and the 2nd Windsor Free Festival.
The Arts Centre, Church Crookham hosted the band on 23 February and 17 March ’73. The following month, on 21 April, they venture north to the Ex-Servicemen’s Club, West Byfleet, where they were supported by Virjin. Back on home turf the band performed at the British Legion Hall, Fleet on 5 May ’73. The Bedford Festival, held on Bedford Hill, Balham welcomed Ebling Mis on 2 June ’73, along with Everyone Involved, and Half Human Band. The first two weeks of July ’73 were busy for the band: They returned to the Church Crookham Arts Centre on 1 July, and four days later, on 5 July, they were at a Guildford College of Art’s event held at the Chapel Street Hall, Guildford with Wedje, Sphinktra, and Phoenix. The University of Surrey’s Free Festival was held on 7 July and Ebling Mis joined Roger Ruskin-Speare, Jonesy, Strider, Keith Christmas, Colin Scot, Byzantium and many more at the all-day event. The band travelled to Devon for the Whole Earth Fayre in Trentishoe, another free festival that also included Hawkwind, Pink Fairies, Global Village Trucking Co, and Clancy. On 14 July ’73, The Crown Hotel, Alton kicked the band out for being too loud. Ebling Mis returned to Windsor Great Park, performing on 25 and 27 August ’73 at the 2nd Windsor Free Festival joining fellow local band Camel as well as, the Pink Fairies, Fang, Nicky James, Coastroad Drive, Void, Shame Lady, Milton, Stiltz, Kraan, Ayup, Stormbringer, Gemini, Hawkwind, Raw Sienna, Global Village Trucking Co, Budgie, and Ahimsa. Then, when UFO let the University of Surrey down, on 19 October ’73, they were ably replaced by Ebling Mis who stood in at short notice and received support from Glyder. Our final showing for Ebling Mis in ’73 was, six days after, at Hatch Mill, College of Art, Farnham on 25 October.
Bland, who was one of Fleet Music Workshop’s “Famous Four” along with Carole and Keith Lewis and Sue Fletcher would go on to play in the Oa Band, formed by Bayfield, from ’75-’76, and then Earthforce. He also worked as a songwriter.
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