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Midnight Circus
(c’77) Paul Rainbird (guitar), Ron D “Boz” Bowes (bass/vocals) and Martin Vasey (drums).
This Farnborough based three-piece rock band played Tumbledown Dick, Farnborough; Fleet Country Club, Fleet (which was originally called Baroque Rock Club); and the Town Hall, Farnborough, where they supported Straightshooter. The band played original tracks with a smattering of covers, such as John Lennon’s “Instant Karma”, Jimi Hendrix’s “Hey Joe” and The Rolling Stone’s “Brown Sugar”. Mervin George organized the Charity Rock Christmas ’77’ event at the Agincourt on 17 December ’77 and booked Straightshooter to headline with Eclipse and Midnight Circus in support.
17 December 1977: Straightshooter, Eclipse, and Midnight Circus at Agincourt. Source: Dominic O’Riley via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia On the demise on Midnight Circus, Bowes and Rainbird formed Gambler with Steve Porter (guitar) and Doug Hay (drums). In the 70’s Bowes was also in Palantir, Stag, and Sneak Preview and played bass for Van Der Graaf Generator’s David Jackson on some demo work. In the 80s he was a member of Shoot the Butler and Flix. He has since released 7 LPs and 3 Singles as Ron D Bowes. Social worker Vasey is resting in peace.
Gallery:
Midnight Circus at the Fleet Country Club in 1977. Source Steve McKeown via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia 
Midnight Circus at the Fleet Country Club in 1977. Source Steve McKeown via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia 
Midnight Circus at the Fleet Country Club in 1977. Source Steve McKeown via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia 
Midnight Circus at the Fleet Country Club in 1977. Source Steve McKeown via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia 
Pop Scene article c’77 by David Reading include image of Midnight Circus. Source: Ron D. Bowes Agincourt, Baroque Rock Club, Camberley, Country Club, David Jackson, Doug Hay, Eclipse, Farnborough, Fleet, Fleet Country Club, Flix, Gambler, Martin Vasey, Mervin George, Midnight Circus, Palantir, Paul Rainbird, Ron Bowes, Ron D Bowes, Shoot the Butler, Sneak Preview, Stag, Steve Porter, Town Hall, Tumbledown Dick, Van Der Graaf Generator -
Ebling Mis
(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.
Ebling Mis at the Windsor Free Festival 1973. 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.
Gallery:
Ebling Mis’ John Bland. Source: www.stevebayfield.blogspot.com 
Ebling Mis’ Steve Bayfield. Source: www.stevebayfield.blogspot.com 
Ebling Mis’ Paul Coaker. Source: www.stevebayfield.blogspot.com 
Ebling Mis at the Windsor Free Festival 1973. Source: www.stevebayfield.blogspot.com 
Ebling Mis at the Windsor Free Festival 1973. Source: www.stevebayfield.blogspot.com 
Ebling Mis listed to play the Windsor Free Festival 1973. Ahimsa, Alton, Arts Centre, Ayup, Balham, Bedford Festival, Bedford Hill, British Legion Hall, Budgie, Byzantium, Camel, Carole Lewis, Chapel Street Hall, Church Crookham, Clancy, Coastroad Drive, Colin Scot, College of Art, Cosmic Amoeba Lightshow, Devon, Earthforce, Ebling Mis, Everyone Involved, Ex-Servicemen's Club, Fang, Farnham, Farnham Wall of Sound, Fleet, Fleet Music Workshop, Free Festival, Gemini, Global Village Trucking Co, Global Village Trucking Co., Glyder, Guildford, Half Human Band, Hatch Mill, Hawkwind, John Bland, Jonesy, Keith Christmas, Keith Lewis, Kraan, Milton, Nicky James, Oa Band, Paul Coaker, Phoenix, Pink Fairies, Planet Oa, Plastik Rock Disco, Raw Sienna, Rocharch, Roger Ruskin-Speare, Shame Lady, Sphinktra, Steve Bayfield, Stiltz, Stormbringer, Strider, Sue Flecther, The Crown, The Planet, Trentishoe, UFO, University of Surrey, Virjin, Void, Wedje, West Byfleet, Whole Earth Fayre, Windsor Free Festival -
The Fighting Cocks, Bagshot
Sitting on the junction of the A30 and High Street, let’s hit you with a little pub history first: The current building was built around 1925, but there’s been a pub on this site since the Elizabethan period. Then it was called Blackboy. Its name changed, no later than the mid-16th century, to The Running Deer. It then changed to The Bull, and finally to The Fighting Cocks in the early 18th century.
The Fighting Cocks hosted the Thieves of Dreams and Blue Velvet, on 9 November ’91, with TOD returning on 11 April ’92. The Outcast Band appeared at The Fighting Cocks on 19 February ’93, and the following month, on 6 March, Who Moved the Ground? performed, returning on 17 December that year. Who Moved the Ground? would return again on 17 September ’94, when they included the pub on the promo tour for their second single, “The Chase”/”What’s That”. Three years after their last visit to the pub Thieves of Dreams’ first gig in ’95 was at The Fighting Cocks on 18 March.
The Fighting Cocks, Bagshot is now owned by Heineken and called The Cedar Tree. There used to be live music weekly, but no evidence of that since mid-2022.Gallery:
9 November 1991: Thieves of Dreams and Blue Velvet were at The Fighting Cocks, Bagshot. Source: TOD Thieves of Dreams
11 April 1992: Thieves of Dreams were at The Fighting Cocks, Bagshot. Source: TOD Thieves of Dreams 
17 September 1994: Who Moved The Ground? released their 2nd single: “The Chase”/”What’s That”. This clipping, from an unknown mag, lists the promo tour dates. Source: Who Moved the Ground? 
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The River Bottom Band
(c’68) – Chandler “Roy St. John” Holmes (guitar / vocals), Peter “Jug” Mallett (jug), Pete Farr (?) and John Lathey (guitar/vocals).
Holmes was an American living in Farnham and pulled together The River Bottom Band with a few work colleagues at Shattaline and others. They played a number of local gigs and had a residency at the Bush Hotel, Farnham playing a repertoire of jug and country rock; covering the likes of “Proud Mary” along with their own compositions, “Met You Down in Moretonhamstead” among them.
The band supported Farnham Wall of Sound at the Civic Hall, Guildford on 8 April ’70, then on 7 August that year Holmes formed a duo with Steve Bayfield to perform at the Church House, Farnham, at which The River Bottom Band also played. They returned to the Civic Hall on 5 November and along with September Tree and Zynthoid supported Don Partridge.
Holmes went on to join the Farnham Wall of Sound. Under the stage name Roy St. John, Holmes later recorded on Virgin Records, notably “The Way You Look Tonight” in 1976 and led Pub Rockers “Phoenix”. He later moved back to the US. We would rediscover Lathey at Crofter’s Folk Club, The Wheatsheaf, Alton, on the bill with Hot Vultures and Earthforce on 13 September ’78. He would also support the latter’s headline slot at Bellerby Theatre, Guildford on 23 November that year. His composition for guitar, “Just a Little Something for Goldfish to Dance to” appeared in 2009 on Mikkel Andersen’s LP “El Llanto De La Guitarra” (The Lament of The Guitar) on the Helikon label [HCD 1057]. Farr went into the movie industry after Falmouth Art College. Worked on Alien and The Meaning of Life amongst others. Now retired he does some sculpting and has started making acoustic guitars. Mallet would also perform as a duo with Bayfield, appearing at the Arts Lab held at the Library Hall, Aldershot on 25 July ’70. He moved to Cornwall in the mid 70’s then to Devon, where he sadly died at the turn of the century.Gallery:
The River Bottom Band… Source: Mike Andrews via Historic Farnham Town And Surrounding Villages Aldershot, Alien, Alton, Arts lab, Bellerby Theatre, Bush Hotel, Chandler Holmes, Church House, Civic hall, Crofter’s Folk Club, Don Partridge, Earthforce, Falmouth Art College, Farnham, Farnham Wall of Sound, Guildford, Helikon, Hot Vultures, John Lathey, Library Hall, Mikkel Andersen, Pete Farr, Peter Mallet, Phoenix, Roy St. John, September Tree, Shattaline, Steve Bayfield, The Meaning of Life, The River Bottom Band, The Wheatsheaf, Virgin Records, Zynthoid -
Farnham Wall Of Sound
(c’69-’70) Mike “Heba” Evans (guitar/vocals), Chandler “Roy St. John” Holmes (guitar/vocals), Steve Bayfield (guitar/vocals), and Terry Murphy (drums).
The band started rehearsing in ’69 and called themselves, ironically, the Farnham Wall of Sound due to their lack of kit. They are known to have played the Civic Hall, Guildford on 8 April 1970, with The River Bottom Band, of which St. John was a member.
Evans is sadly passed. Bayfield, who’d played a few folk clubs solo, teamed up with St. John, and the duo appeared at North Camp Hotel, Farnborough a couple of times in early ’71. St. John later co-wrote lyrics for four Unicorn tracks with Kevin Smith. He later recorded on Virgin Records, notably “The Way You Look Tonight” in 1976 and led Pub Rockers Phoenix and then Klondike Pete & The Huskies; Smith, Pete Perryer, and Pat Martin of Unicorn would often stand in with them. In addition, St. John was best man at John Peel’s wedding. After moving back to the US in the 80’s – He came to UK in the 60’s with his parents, his dad was with Pan American Airlines – he DJ’d on USA FM radio, now lives in St. Louis and still gigs with his current band Rocky & The Wranglers.
Gallery:
The guitarists of the Farnham Wall of Sound guitarists (L-R: Evans, St John, and Bayfield). Source: www.stevebayfield.blogspot.com Chandler Holmes, Civic hall, Farnborough, Farnham Wall of Sound, Guildford, John Peel, Kevin Smith, Klondike Pete & The Huskies, Mike Evans, North Camp Hotel, Pat Martin, Pete Perryer, Phoenix, Rocky & The Wranglers, Roy St. John, Steve Bayfield, Terry Murphy, The River Bottom Band, Unicorn, Virgin Records -
The White Swan, Aldershot
The White Swan, on North Lane, Aldershot, which was known affectionately as The Mucky/Dirty Duck, closed in 2012; having been a pub from around 1880 when it was run by Charles and Fanny Bignall.
In the 60’s, when Ernie ? was landlord, a Mr. Forman regularly played accordion at the pub. Jumping to the ’90s, on 4 September ’94 it was on the promo tour for Who Moved the Ground?‘s second single, “The Chase”/”What’s That”. A week later, on 11 September, Thieves of Dreams played there.
Planning permission was granted, in January 2013, for this English Heritage listed Grade II building, and it is now offices and flats.Gallery:
4 September 1994, Who Moved The Ground? released their 2nd single: “The Chase”/”What’s That”. This clipping, from an unknown mag, lists the promo tour dates. Source: Who Moved the Ground?
The White Swan, Aldershot 
The White Swan, Aldershot 
The White Swan, North Lane. c2006. Source: Paul Atkins via Historic Aldershot Military Town -
X13
(c’94-’96) Andy Clark (guitars / programming / b.vocals) Phil Mears (vocals / guitar), Dave Gould (bass / programming), and Geoff Hawkes (guitar / b.vocals).
After the The Flowers of Sacrifice split the first time around Clark pulled together X13. Hawkes, who’d previously been in Giant Arc, was replaced by Clark’s fellow Flower Pat Evans (guitar) early in the band’s development. This industrial punk band then recorded their first demo cassette titled “Reality Lost” but oft referred to as “!” due to the cover. Hawkes returned, displacing Evans, before the recording of the second demo cassette: “Razor Edge”.
The X-13 “!” demo cassette. Source: Flowers of Sacrifice In their almost two-year lifespan the band, who did try but failed to work with a live drummer, called Paul ?, could be caught playing at The Old Trout, Windsor; The West End Centre, Aldershot; the Rock Garden, Covent Garden (twice); The Marquee, London and The Slaughterhouse, Berlin.
Hawkes and Clark went on to form Industrial dance band Splinter Faction, with Sean Passingham. Then Hawkes, Gould and Clark put together Clam, a rather melodic and tuneful combo, that included Dave Webb of Buzzwagon. Clam split when Gould moved to Northampton, but Webb and Hawkes reignited Buzzwagon for a while. In 2019, Clark recorded some EBM/Industrial tracks under the name The Last Pandemic, including a reworking of the X13 song “Stimulation”.
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Piccadilly Mudmen
(c’86-’88) Nic Butt (drums), Nick Whitehouse (bass/vocals), Peter Sherry (guitar/vocals), and Alan “One The Buck” Clutterbuck (Guitar/vocals)
This Guildford/Godalming band played The White Lyon, Worplesdon and The Duke of Wellington, Farncombe quite a few times – they actually rehearsed in a cellar over the road from the Duke. They also gigged extensively in Guildford, Godalming, Ash, Gomshall, Woking, and up into London. They recorded an eponymous demo cassette EP at Wood Court Studios in March ’88, that carried “Fat World”, “Cut”, and “Comic Strip Heroes”.
Sleeve for Piccadilly Mudmen’s eponymous cassette EP. Picture courtesy of John Hudson The 2 April ’88 found them, supported by His Wooden Fish, at The Red Lion, Milford and two months later, on 1 June ’88, the band were booked, along with Hill Stormers and Cha Boom Cha, for the new band night at The Tunnel Club at The Mitre, London.
We know that the band went through a total of three drummers, with Butt, who may now be in Cambridge, having the longest tenure. Ros Paxman, of Hector’s Breakfast and The Polite Young Men fame, also spent a spell as vocalist with the Piccadilly Mudmen, along with ex-Bloodhound Nick Gibson on sax. Whitehouse, who spent a brief spell in The Flying Tigers around the ’89/’90 period, as did Gibson, relocated to Edinburgh and is now further north. Clutterbuck had previously been in The Golden Age of Metro and Strange Cult, and is reportedly still playing.
Gallery:
1 June 1988: Piccadilly Mudmen, with Hill Stormers and Cha Boom Cha were all part of a new bands night at the Tunnel Club. The Mitre, London. Advert from NME’s 4 June 1988 issue. Picture courtesy of Pete Cole Alan Clutterbuck, Ash, Bloodhound, Cambridge, Cha Boom Cha, Edinburgh, Farncombe, Godalming, Gomshall, Guildford, Hector’s Breakfast, Hill Stormers, His Wooden Fish, London, Milford, Nic Butt, Nick Gibson, Nick Whitehouse, Peter Sherry, Piccadilly Mudmen, Ros Paxman, Strange Cult, The Duke of Wellington, The Flying Tigers, The Golden Age of Metro, The Mitre, The Polite Young Men, The Red Lion, The Tunnel Club, The White Lyon, Woking, Wood Court Studios, Worplesdon -
The Four Horseshoes, Camberley
Sat on the Frimley Rd, Camberley, The Four Horseshoes was built in 1865 by Ashby’s Brewery, Staines; and hosted many a live music night in the early ’90s.
In ’90, Who Moved the Ground? appeared at the venue twice, on 14 July and 11 November. Explodehead performed there, in the alcove next to the stairs, on 9 February ’91, and Blue Velvet, who were gigging regularly on the local scene, visited The Four Horseshoes on 10 August and 26 October that same year. Thieves of Dreams, our first know gig for the band, opened for Who Moved the Ground? at the pub on 18 May ’91, which reportedly went down well with supporters of both.
Blue Velvet at Four Horseshoes, Camberley 1991 The next year, on 1 February ’92, the Four Horseshoes hosted Fate; and once again Thieves of Dreams, who were supported by Pretty Green, rocked it on 14 March that year. We are also aware of an appearance by Camberley / Farnborough band, Redefining Beautiful, with The Exploding Fir Trees, on the 25 July, but do not yet know the year.
It is still a pub today, now owned by Heineken, with the occasional live band.
Gallery:
25 July 19??: Redefining Beautiful played the Four Horseshoes, Camberley with The Exploding Fir Trees. Picture courtesy of Martin Warren 
18 May 1991: Who Moved the Ground? supported by Thieves of Dreams appeared at The Four Horseshoes, Camberley. Source: TOD Thieves of Dreams 
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Rusty Bucket
(c’85-’90) Jerry Morgan (drums); Kevin Mann (guitar), Phil Leahy (bass/vocals), and Ben Bennett (guitar).
Proud to be loud, Rusty Bucket were from the Hawley area and changed their line up a few times with departures and the addition of Jim ? (?), Pam ? (vocals), Paul Marshall (bass) and others. Morgan approached New in Town vocalist Miles Brant to audition with the band, with Brant jpining the band shortly after. We know the band took part in the Battle for the Limelight at Princes Hall, Aldershot in ’89, just before the venues refurbishment began, and appeared several times at The George, Ash Vale, notably on 30 December ’89. The next year they performed 14 times in August ’90 and maintained a similar cadence in September, returning to The George, Ash Vale on 25 November ’90.
1989: Rusty Bucket at Battle for Limelight. Prince Hall, Aldershot. Image courtesy of Ben Bennett. They went on to rename themselves Little Bones, after The Tragically Hip track. Mann, after playing with Mr Stixx for a brief time, emigrated to Australia and we found Leahy touring with Laid Back Country Picker in 2024. Bennett sadly passed in 2023.
Gallery:
Rusty Bucket c’85 departing from New Inn Hawley for gigs on South Coast. Source: Jerry Morgan via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia 
Rusty Bucket clipping from Farnham Herald, Sept 1990. Picture courtesy of Steve Hack. 
1989: Rusty Bucket at Battle for Limelight. Prince Hall, Aldershot. Image courtesy of Ben Bennett. 
1989: Rusty Bucket at Battle for Limelight. Prince Hall, Aldershot. Image courtesy of Ben Bennett. 
1989: Rusty Bucket at Battle for Limelight. Prince Hall, Aldershot. Image courtesy of Ben Bennett. 
1989: Rusty Bucket at Battle for Limelight. Prince Hall, Aldershot. Image courtesy of Ben Bennett. 
Rusty Bucket at the Charity Barn Bash. Image courtesy of Ben Bennett. 
Rusty Bucket at the Charity Barn Bash. Image courtesy of Ben Bennett. 
Rusty Bucket at the Charity Barn Bash. Image courtesy of Ben Bennett. 
Rusty Bucket at the Charity Barn Bash. Image courtesy of Ben Bennett.
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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