Phoenix

(c’89-’92) Mike Bell (vocals), Nigel Higgs (guitar / vocals), Andy “Spud” Dobson (guitar), Steve Stokes (drums), and Jon Bicknell (bass / vocals).

The band formed in January ’89, but original bass player Guy Hardy left this Haslemere / Grayswood, based combo in November ’89 and was replaced by ex-Squire bassist, Bicknell, and Stokes joined about the same time. During ’89 they released the ‘First Flight‘ cassette LP, which included a cover of The Beatles ‘Back in the U.S.S.R’. There was also a demo cassette EP titled ‘Crash Landing‘ too, that was recorded in Postsmouth and sold at Collectors Record, Guildford.

In 1990 the band released a vinyl EP titled ‘No Time at All‘ [FAG1] on their own Roll Your Own Records label, pressing a limited 1,000 copies, which were sold through Record Collectors; Chamberlin Music, Haslemere; and Our Price, Farnham. Cut at Abbey Road recording studios it did receive some airtime on local radio. The title track was recorded using studio time they had won in Southsea Pier’s ‘Battle of the Bands’ that same year. The B-side carried ‘Sunshine Smile’ and ‘Open Your Eyes’; the latter being penned and dedicated to Emily, Bell’s sister-in-law, who was in a coma after being hit by a car. The band are known to have played the Astolat, Guildford; Cartoon, Croydon; and Flicks, Guildford.

After Stokes left, the band wound down. Higgs, who’d been in a punk band c’77 that supported The Damned and had moved to Surrey in ’80, joining The Frotteurs shortly after, and Bicknell went on to form Drums and Wires in ’92, along with Paul Ridout (drums). Stokes had been in a Godalming band called Mud.

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