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Moonmouse
(c’72 – 76) – Dion Barker (keyboards), Tim Mulley (drums), Chris Bayliss (guitar), and Sean McGowan (?).
This University of Surrey, Guildford based progressive rock band played numerous support gigs at the university, including for the likes of Barclay James Harvest and Camel. On 21 February ’75, the university’s Great Hall rang to the sounds of popular French progressive rock band Ange – popular in France anyway – who were supported by West German krautrock group Ash Ra Tempel and Moonmouse.
They also played other local colleges and a notable Steeleye Span ‘support’ slot at Hammersmith Odeon on 26 April ‘75, the result of reaching the finals of the ‘Tartan Brewery Students’ National Rock and Folk Contest Finals 1975. They competed against Al Hughes from Dundee, Lancaster Polytechnic’s Alive & Smiling, and Sky’s Crying from Portsmouth Polytechnic. By this point the band were 100% instrumental and came with a light show organized by Andy Collier and Rank Strand, securing the runner-up spot.
Barker also appeared in Habalis at the same time, and along with Gordon Wellard, Ian Gibson and Rob Kelly formed The Brains Trust.
Gallery:
21 February 1975: Ange, supported by Ash Ra Tempel and Moonmouse, played the Great Hall. Picture courtesy of Jon Downing 
Moonmouse clipping from University of Surrey Union’s Bare Facts, Issue No.223, 02 May 1975 Al Hughes, Alive & Smiling, Andy Collier, Ange, Ash Ra Tempel, Barclay James Harvest, Camel, Chris Bayliss, Dion Barker, Gordon Wellard, Great Hall, Guildford, Habalis, Hammersmith Odeon, Ian Gibson, Lancaster Polytechnic, Moonmouse, Portsmouth Polytechnic, Rank Strand, Rob Kelly, Sean McGowan, Sky’s Crying, Steeleye Span, The Brains Trust, Tim Mulley, University of Surrey -
Farnham Country Blues Club, Farnham
The Farnham Country Blues Club was organized by Jeffrey Kime and Jerry Gilbert and ran for just under two years, from ’69 to ’70.
In ’68, Gilbert had put on the first major British country blues festival in Farnham, and this was the impetus for a Country Blues Club. The club met fortnightly at The Albion Hotel, Farnham and consistently drew greater than capacity crowds. There were also special events, such as when Delta Bluesmen visited Britain. One such event went down on 28 February ’69 when the club hosted an event at Church House on Union Street, Farnham that featured Mississippi Fred McDowell with Ian Anderson’s Country Blues Band, John James, along with Mick Moffett and Pete Taylor.
28 February 1969: Ian Anderson’s Country Blues Band at the Farnham Country Blues Club event. Source: Ian Anderson via Historic Farnham Town and Surrounding Villages More recently, in 2007, the club gets a passing mention in Roberta Freund Schwartz’s book “How Britain Got the Blues: The Transmission and Reception of American Blues Style in the United Kingdom.”
Gallery:
28 February 1969: Farnham Country Blues Club presents Mississippi Fred McDowell. Source: Ian Anderson via Historic Farnham Town and Surrounding Villages -
The Frotteurs
(’81-82). Nigel Higgs (guitar), James Perrett (drums), Nigel Woodger (bass / vocals), Alan “Frid” Fryday (guitar / vocals).
This short lived 4-piece band, based mainly in Guildford, played their first gig at the Lower Bar, University of Surrey, Guildford in May ’81 and then went on to gigs at The Robin Hood, Standford. There were also a few gigs at The Wooden Bridge, Guildford, including a CND benefit gig on 7 November ’81 headlined by Drowning Craze, co-supported by The Frotteurs and Ferrari Red. The following month, on 23 December ’81, they joined Human Beings at their Christmas Party, held at The Wooden Bridge; the lineup that night was augmented with Dylan Cole from the UBz on guitar, Graham Melrose on sax and Gus Garside – who contributed to Barbed Wire – on Trombone.
23 December 1981: The Frotteurs at The Wooden Bridge, Guildford. Image courtesy of James Perrett Once labeled, by a fanzine, as Guildford’s best punk band, they played their last gig where they started at University of Surrey in early ’82. They did release a very limited-edition eponymously titled cassette album that carried 19 tracks. Two of the songs from that cassette LP: “Tourist Town” and “So It Goes” appeared on side 2 of Airship Records compilation “Listen to Me” [AP417] in ’82.
Inlay card for The Frotteurs cassette album. Image courtesy of James Perrett Later in ’82 a revised lineup of the band supported the Human Beings at The Grange Centre, Midhurst under the name ‘The Secret Seven’ who later turned into ‘100% Polyester’.
Higgs later performed with Phoenix, Drums and Wires, The Sid James Experience, Innocent Bystanders and Willie Austen. Perrett is based in Hampshire and has been working with independent bands and labels since the ’80s. He spent time at Watershed Studios, Portsmouth where he engineered the likes of The Lovelies; and help compile a CD for Station 360. His recent clients include Detour Records, Cherry Red Records, and Curious Fox.Gallery:
A flyer that accompanied the cassette album. Image courtesy of James Perrett 
Front sleeve of Airship Records “Listen To Me” compilation LP featuring two tracks by The Frotteurs 
Back sleeve of Airship Records “Listen To Me” compilation LP featuring two tracks by The Frotteurs 
nsert for Airship Records ‘Listen To Me’ compilation (AP417) 
Side 2 of Airship Records “Listen To Me” compilation LP featuring two tracks by The Frotteurs 
23 December 1981: The Frotteurs at The Wooden Bridge, Guildford. Image courtesy of James Perrett 
23 December 1981: The Frotteurs at The Wooden Bridge, Guildford. Image courtesy of James Perrett 
The Frotteurs (LtoR: Higgs, Perret, Woodger, and Fryday. Image courtesy of James Perrett 100% Polyester, Airship Records, Alan Fryday, Barbed Wire, Cherry Red Records, Curious Fox, Detour Records, Drowning Craze, Drums and Wires, Dylan Cole, Ferrari Red, Graham Melrose, Guildford, Gus Garside, Human Beings, Innocent Bystanders, James Perrett, Midhurst, Nigel Higgs, Nigel Woodger, Phoenix, Portsmouth, Standford, Station 360, The Frotteurs, The Grange Centre, The Lovelies, The Robin Hood, The Secret Seven, The Sid James Experience, UBz, University of Surrey, Watershed Studios, Willie Austen, Wooden Bridge -
Pineapple Tribe
(c’94-present) Colin Davies, Ben ?, G. Armitage, and Chris Jackson.
Out of the free party scene of the early 90’s came the Woking / Guildford area electronic / trance crew Pineapple Tribe. The crew’s first outing was to a boarded-up property in Colgate, near Horsham, in ’94, after which they began DJ’ing at The Britannia Inn, Guildford and The Abinger Arms, Abinger, and on 6 October ’95 they also appeared at The Stoke Hotel, Guildford.
18 May 1994: Pineapple Tribe’s Chris Jackson at The Brittania Inn, Guildford. Source: Pineappletribe They would subsequently become a regular feature at Notting Hill Carnival and had a presence at the Glastonbury Festival. They self-released a number of records on the Pineapple label. The 12″ ‘The Pineapple Tribe EP‘ [PINEAPPLE 001] carried “Anxiety” on the A-side, with “Supersonic Rainbow” on flip. There was a second 12″ [Pineapple 002] ‘Pineapple Tribe Vs. Pushanco – Untitled‘ that lent further into breakbeat / progressive house. The three tracks – “Shank“, and two versions of “Pfp” – were all written by Armitage, recorded at Path Studios, and mastered at Keith “Jah Tubby” Swan’s mastering studios, JTS Studios.
Pineapple Tribe’s New Year Eve bash at Francis Corner. Source: Pineappletribe Along a section of the North Downs Way, Francis Corner sits above the village of Shere. On 31 December in ’95 or ’96 party goers travelled the tracks built by the Canadian Pioneer Corps during WWII, for Pineapple Tribe’s New Years Eve ‘rave’. On 15 February ’97, The Farnham Fusion Festival, at The Maltings, Farnham, featured Pineapple Tribe in The Coalition Dance Emporium along with Fish Pig, Seed, and The Bridge.
We can neither confirm nor deny if Pineapple Tribe were involved in an all-night rave in August ’97 at the chalk pits off White Down Lane. After keeping local villagers awake with “some sort of demonic festival”, it was broken up when police served the organisers a notice under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act at 8:30am. The Crew, well Ben at least, were on The Coalition Dance Stage at Ambient Green Picnic ’98, held in Guildford, between sets by Kava Kava and Glow on the itinerary.
The last we heard is that the Pineapple Crew appeared at Notting Hill Carnival in 2024 and will likely be back again.
Gallery:
Pineapple Tribe first outing c’94, Colgate nr Horsham. Source: Pineappletribe 
Pineapple Tribe first outing c’94, Colgate nr Horsham. Source: Pineappletribe 
Pineapple Tribe first outing c’94, Colgate nr Horsham. Source: Pineappletribe 
6 October ‘1995: The Pineapple Tribe Sound System blew The Stoke Hotel, Guildford. Source: Pineappletribe 
15 February 1997: The Farnham Fusion Festival featured Pineapple Tribe in The Coalition dance Emporium 
Clipping from 15 August 1997 copy of The Surrey Advertiser. We can neither confirm or deny in Pineapple Tribe were involved! Source: Pineappletribe 
Pineapple Tribe’s DJ Ben appeared at Ambient Green Picnic 1998, in Guildford. Picture courtesy of The Surrey & NE Hampshire Music Scene 
Pineapple Tribe’s DJ Ben appeared at Ambient Green Picnic 1998, in Guildford. Picture courtesy of The Surrey & NE Hampshire Music Scene 
Pineapple Tribe’s DJ Ben appeared at Ambient Green Picnic 1998, in Guildford. Picture courtesy of The Surrey & NE Hampshire Music Scene 
The A-side of the “Pineapple Tribe Vs. Pushanco – Untitled” [Pineapple 002] 12″ 
The B-side of the “Pineapple Tribe Vs. Pushanco – Untitled” [Pineapple 002] 12″ 
The 12″ “The Pineapple Tribe EP” [PINEAPPLE 001] carried “Anxiety” on the A-sde, with “Supersonic Rainbow” on flip. 
Pineapple Tribe at Notting Hill Carnival in 199?. Source: Pineappletribe 
Pineapple Tribe’s Colin. Source: Pineappletribe 
Pineapple Tribe at Notting Hill Carnival in 199?. Source: Pineappletribe 
Pineapple Tribe presence at Glastonbury. Source: Pineappletribe 
Pineapple Tribe in a field! Source: Pineappletribe 
Pineapple Tribe in a field! Source: Pineappletribe 
Pineapple Tribe’s emblem. Source: Pineappletribe Abinger, Ambient Green Picnic, Chris Jackson, Colgate, Colin Davies, Farnham, Farnham Fusion Festival, Fish Pig, Francis Corner, Glastonbury, Glastonbury Festival, Glow, Guildford, Horsham, Jah Tubby, JTS Studios, Kava Kava, Keith Swan, North Downs Way, Notting Hill, Notting Hill Carnival, Path Studios, Pineapple, Pineapple Tribe, Seed, Shere, The Abinger Arms, The Bridge, The Brittania Inn, The Maltings, The Stoke Hotel, Woking -
The Absolute
(c’77-78) Peter Hart (drums), Clive Cook (vocals), Brian Kavanagh (guitar), and Eric Stanway (bass).
The Absolute were formed, the Summer of ’77, by Kavanagh and Cook after a few pints in The Wooden Bridge, Guildford. Bassist Stanway was subsequently added, as was, the band’s drummer Hart. On 12 March ’78, The Absolute were billed to perform, along with Strange Cult and The Ellory Bops, with future members of The Vapors, Ed Bazalgette on guitar and Howard Smith on drums, at the Memorial Village Hall, Worplesdon, but didn’t.
The Absolute at The Wooden Bridge, Guildford, with Ed “Who’s This?” Bazalgette in the audience. Picture courtesy of Adam Russel In the Spring of ’78, punk inspired The Absolute, who were “more than thrashy two-chord wonders having a pop sensibility pulled from a wide variety of influences including The Who, The Byrds, and Motown, but also with some axes to grind lyrically” were scheduled to support Crisis at the Wooden Bridge. Hart however was banned from the venue. As a result, bass player Steve Smith, who had shown an interest in drumming, was drafted temporarily to replace the band’s banned basher. Smith’s drumming created a much tighter band and temporary became more permanent. Later in the year the band played Guildford Tech or University, where the drummer was reportedly so inebriated he fell off his stool! They also appeared at most of the popular Guildford venues, often accompanied by The Ellory Bop.
The Absolute fell apart after a disastrous Guildford Free Festival gig, with the Guildford band playing their very last gig at The Royal, Guildford. In addition to playing at The Royal, Kavanagh could also be seen ‘doing the sound’ for others at the pub. Smith would later join The Vapors, and several other local bands.
Gallery:
The Absolute at The Wooden Bridge, Guildford. Picture courtesy of Adam Russel 
The Absolute at The Wooden Bridge, Guildford. Note the Starship poster behind drummer. Picture courtesy of Adam Russel 
The Absolute t-shirt. Picture courtesy of Steve Smith 
Band pic of The Absolute c’78. Note the Crisis poster top right. Picture courtesy of Adam Russel -
Natural Gass
(c’71-’72) David Sheppard (guitar), Chuck Pengilly (drums), Graham Cooke (guitar), and Terry Warriner (bass)
Not to be confused with several other bands of the same name, including Coventry based Natural Gass (c’69-’70) or Joey Molland and Jerry Shirley’s mid 70’s Natural Gas; this local rock/pop band played Fleet Country Club, Fleet; Samantha’s Club, Camberley, Tumbledown Dick, Farnborough; Lakeside Country Club, Frimley and many other local venues.
Natural Gass on stage Pengilly replaced Mike Riley in Threewheel sometime around ’74; then more recently got together with ex-Crescendos guitarist Mick Douglas and fellow Threewheeler Richard Hodgins to form a Bill Haley tribute band called Razzle Dazzle. Sheppard went onto join Lady Jayne.
Gallery:
Natural Gass band pic 
Image courtesy of David Sheppard 
Image courtesy of David Sheppard 
Image courtesy of David Sheppard 
Image courtesy of David Sheppard 
Image courtesy of David Sheppard 
Image courtesy of David Sheppard 
Image courtesy of David Sheppard 
Image courtesy of David Sheppard 
Natural Gass band pic Bill Haley, Camberley, Chuck Pengilly, Crescendos, David Sheppard, Farnborough, Fleet, Fleet Country Club, Frimley, Graham Cooke, Jerry Shirley, Joey Molland, Lady Jayne, Lakeside Country Club, Mick Douglas, Mike Riley, Natural Gass, Razzle Dazzle, Richard Hodgins, Samantha's Club, Terry Warriner, Threewheel, Tumbledown Dick -
The Albion, Woking
The original Albion was built by Reuben Percy in 1856, demolished and rebuilt in the 1890’s, and again in the mid 60’s. It is now the Woking One, Albion House office building.
In the 70’s however it was a promising local venue. 14-year-old Paul Weller and Steve Brookes played a short gig at The Albion, which sat opposite Woking Station, on 26 February ’72. The following month The Jam formed. In ’77, The Vulgar Bros. appeared at The Albion, and in ’78 Ribs signed a recording contract with Woking based Aerco Records following a gig at The Albion; subsequently releasing their one and only single.
Gallery:
On the left is The Albion Hotel, Woking pre-mid-60’s. Source: Richard Knotek via WOKING when we were young 
The Vulgar Bros. Paul Trew and Bernie Austin at The Albion, Woking in 1977. Picture courtesy of Paul Trew -
Brandenburg
(c’75-08) Dominic “Ireno Funes” O’Brien (electric piano), Paul Venables (guitar), Paul “Doppa” MacKenzie (drums), Tim Comley (bass), and Keith Burchett (synth / piano).
This Guildford prog rock band formed in ’75 and last performed in 2008. In the early days of the band Gary Maidment was a roadie for them. One gig at Jacobs Well’s Village Hall saw them perform to a largely unenthused punk audience, resulting in a brawl outside the hall – members of Brandenburg took it on the chin, literally. In ’76, the manager of Godalming band Tax Free booked the Civic Hall, Guildford and had Trident and Brandenburg support.
The Student Union Common Room at the Technical College, Guildford hosted a disco on 29 April, in what is believed to be ’76, at which Brandenburg provided an injection of live music. Graham Clutterbuck had booked them but made a loss. On 14 April ’78 the band supported Jasmine Pie at The Wooden Bridge, Guildford
O’Brien was last reported to be in Dorset. A Paul Mackenzie would also crop up in J.C. Regulator in ’99, but it is unclear if they are one and the same. Regrettably, we have learnt that Comley passed in early 2025.Gallery:
29 April 1976?: Brandenburg performed at this Guildford Tech event. Picture courtesy of John Hudson. 
14 April 1978: Jasmine Pie, supported by Brandenburg, were at The Wooden Bridge, Guildford. Picture courtesy of Gerald Eyton-Jones -
Ill At Ease
(c’81-’82) Jamie Legg (drums), John Hudson (bass), Sandra Bennigsen (keyboards), ? “Mac” ? (guitar) and Sheila ? (vocals).
After a year together the band only performed one gig, on 10 December 1982 at The Mariners, Frensham.
Hudson and Legg had both been in Strange Cult, Golden Age of Metro, Luxury Glass Town before Ill at Ease; while Legg had spent a spell in Matrix too. They stuck together after Ill at Ease and were later in Innocent Bystanders, with Legg breaking away once more to join Eat the Sofa.
Gallery:
10 December 1982 – Ill At Ease were at The Mariners, Frensham. Picture courtesy of John Hudson -
Cut the Mustard
(c’86) Dave Clarke (guitar / vocals), ? (guitar / vocals), Nick Gates (bass / vocals), Dave Gates (keyboards / vocals), and ? (drums).
Brothers Nick and Dave Gates along with Dave Clarke are the only band members we know, and we are not 100 percent about the Gates brothers.
Clarke had been in Lakesiders prior to Cut the Mustard.
Gallery:
Cut the Mustard with Dave Clarke far right.
Our Soundscene 
Human beings takes me back to 1981. Followed them all over the Surrey reading area for a year a great band and 3 good guys playing well written songs of the era. I wish john Tim and steve well what ever they are doing now. Should reform for a few shows just like Oasis but do the wooden bridge.
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