Zenith

(c’74-’78) Tony Ecclestone (bass) Tidu Mankoo (guitar) Biddy Mankoo (drums) Steve Barnes (drums) Kakoo Nagi (vocals, percussion)

With band members from Farnborough, Yateley, Elstead and a little further afield in Finchampstead and London, Zenith played numerous gigs around the area.

This two-drummer lineup combo performed a range of original material along with a selection of covers. Much of the material combined intricate guitar and bass lines along with time signature changes and notably, Zenith included many Santana tracks in their set.

An early gig, in ’74, saw the band performing at Ballmore Hall, Caversham; near Reading, a town where Zenith entertained at The Target, the Cricket Club and the university. Bearwood College, Wokingham was another venue once frequented, as was the Methodist Central Hall, and Agincourt, Camberley. Later in their tenure, during ’77, the band supported Straightshooter at the Fleet Country Club, Fleet, the same year that keyboardist Simon Waring joined the band. There were also appearances in Crowthorne and Bromley.

Easthampstead House, Bracknell hosted the band once, and another Bracknell venue familiar to many had The Enid headlining their South Hill Park Rock Festival with Zenith lower down the billing. The band also performed in the Cellar Bar at South Hill Park, and recorded several sessions in the venue’s studio, all produced by Rare Bird’s ex-organist / keyboardist, Graham Field.

Ecclestone left the band in ’78 to join Straightshooter and is currently playing bass for Sloe Train. Biddy and Tidu Mankoo were in a band called Design around ’86, who released a single on Dental Records, the B-side of which was titled ‘Never Gonna Give You Up‘ [So tempted to Rickroll our readers – Ed]. Nothing is known of Barnes, Nagi, or Waring after Zenith at this time.

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