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Keynote Studios, Frensham
(c’79-85) Keynote was the place where many local bands, including Lethal Dose and Peachrazor, had their demo tape duplication done. The engineer was Tim Wheatley; who was also owner of Chestnut Studios, Churt and had been in various local bands, including Cryin’ Out Loud.
In ’96, Wheatley and Robert Lipson reunited and under the Esher born, progressive rock band Gracious! name recorded the “Echo” LP at what was listed as Dubmaster / Keynote Studios. This was published by Chestnut Music. Wheatley played bass, guitar and provided backing vocals; as well as engineering and co-producing, Lipson was on drums, and Sev Lewkowicz covered keyboards, vocals, and guitar.
Gallery:
Lethal Dose in the control room at Chestnut Studio receiving a master from Tim Wheatley, owner and engineer at Keynote Studios. and Liz Wheatley in 1980. Picture courtesy of Mick Magic 
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The Martin Brothers
(c’47-50) William “Bill” Martin (guitar/vocals) Bob McGowan (?/vocals) and George Martin (accordion/vocals).
Prior to The Martin Brothers, George was an accordion player and singer known as “The Boy Baritone”. He also played in the cine-variety group The Tango Trio, performing at The Ritz, Aldershot. George formed The Martin Brothers, shortly after de-mob, with his younger brother Bill and McGowan; who he’d met in the RAF and who became his brother-in-law.
This Aldershot based close harmony trio auditioned for Vivian Van Damm at the Windmill Theatre, London; successfully turning professional with a six-week season. This was followed by a tour of Scotland, then a place in the touring production Buttons and Bows. While touring Germany, George broke his leg, and the act disbanded.
McGowan would later play double bass in The Mickey Kennedy Band and, with wife Joyce, ran The Owls Club, Aldershot. George later became known as “The Casual Comedian” and did stand-up tours and appeared on TV. He also became the licensee of The Bricklayer’s Arms, Ash, but a musician, composer, and wrote scripts, notably for Basil Brush. He died on 4 November 1991.Gallery:
The Martin Brother (c’49) L-R: William Martin, Bob McGowan, and George Martin. Aldershot, Ash, Basil Brush, Bob McGowan, Buttons and Bows, George Martin, Germany, London, Scotland, The Boy Baritone, The Bricklayer’s Arms, The Casual Comedian, The Martin Brothers, The Mickey Kennedy Band, The Owls Club, The Ritz, The Tango Trio, Vivian Van Damm, William Martin, Windmill Theatre -
The Beehive, Aldershot
Situated at the corner of Pound Rd and the High Street, Aldershot; the Beehive hosted bands in the mid to late 80’s when Danny and Bev ? ran the pub.
1 May 1987: West One played The Beehive, Aldershot. Source West One In ’87, West One played three gigs at the venue, labelling it ‘The Real Buzzz… Club’, on 1 May, 5 June, and 18 July. Soloist Jimmy Newell also appeared at the venue, sometimes joined by Mike ? as the duo Jim & Mike and with the band Easytones. One of the last gigs at The Beehive was on 30 June 2012, when The Stylettes performed.
It closed at the end of March 2014 and was illegally converted to residential accommodation. Planning permission was then granted in 2017 for conversion to flats.
Gallery:
5 June 1987: West One played The Beehive. Aldershot. Source West One 
18 July 1987: West One played The Beehive, Aldershot. Source West One 
The Beehive, Aldershot in March ’94. Source: Photo by Chris Kelly via Peter Harrison on Historic Aldershot Military Town 
The Beehive, Aldershot 
The Beehive, Aldershot -
Creatures of Darkness
(c’82-’83) Sharon Pilling (bass), Kirk Kelly (drums) Alison Goldfrapp (vocals), Stuart Murray (guitar) and Andrew Buchan (synths).
This Guildford / Alton band played the May Bug Ball on 7 May ’83 at the University of Surrey, Guildford; along with LongPig, La Maison Du Chants, and Freedom Dance.
After Creatures of Darkness split, ex-members Murray, Pilling, and Buchan formed Dark Trio. The fourth Creature of Darkness, Goldfrapp, went and did her own thing. Pilling and Kelly, the final creature of darkness, also formed Screaming Lullabies with others in ’83.
Gallery:
7 May 1983: Ticket for The May Bug Ball at University of Surrey, Guildford with LongPig, Freedom Dance, Creatures of Darkness, and La Maison Du Chante. 
Creatures of Darkness (L-R: Buchan, Kelly, Murray, Goldfrapp, and Pilling) Picture courtesy of Sharon Pilling -
Consenting Adults
(c’80-’81) Alan Neve (vocals), Jez Swift (guitar / vocals), Tim Avory (drums), and Jackie Wills (bass).
21 July 1981: Consenting Adults supported Disruptive Patterns at The Wooden Bridge, Guildford This Guildford band are known to have played The Wooden Bridge, Guildford; they were certainly there on 3 February ’81 with Zero Time, and on 21 July ’81 supported Disruptive Patterns. The year before, on 20 July ’80’ they had also supported Disruptive Patterns at the Youth Centre, Guildford. After Swift left, ? Solomon picked up the guitar for the Consenting Adults.
Avory is a nephew of Mick Avory, drummer of The Kinks. Neve is sadly no longer with us.
Gallery:
Consenting Adults. Picture courtesy of Fred Pipes 
Consenting Adults. Picture courtesy of Fred Pipes 
Neve and Swift of Consenting Adults. Picture courtesy of Fred Pipes 
Neve and Swift of Consenting Adults. Picture courtesy of Fred Pipes 
Neve and Swift of Consenting Adults. Picture courtesy of Fred Pipes -
Salt Tank
(c’89-?) David Gates (synths), Malcolm Stanners (synths), and Andy Rose (percussion / vocals).
This electronic / trance trio from Guildford, started with just Gates and Stanners who had embraced acid-house in the mid-’80s. Stanners began working at Paradise Studio, where he engineered for Hawkwind and The Beloved. By ’91, the duo had earned and saved enough money to buy their own gear.
Salt Tank The result was three limited EPs on their own 4 Real Communications label: 91’s ‘Ease the Pressure’ [4R0001], ’92’s ‘Ethereal’ [4R0002] and June ’93’s 12 inch ‘ST1’. The bands “Aura” appeared on ‘Return to Farnborough Groove Vol.3′ in ’93. They quickly followed ‘ST1’ in September ’93 with ‘ST2’, signing to the Internal label and releasing their first LP in mid ’94 titled ‘ST3’, which was accompanied by two 12″ promo releases: “Charged UP” and “Final Charge”.
Salt Tank’s “ST3” LP released in 1994 These releases created enough buzz to be used in sets by Andrew Weatherall and Kris Needs and saw them compared to Orbital; who were also on Internal. They had also been performing live with the addition of Rose (ex-EB and the System) which drew further comparison, but this time to Underworld.
They recorded a session for The John Peel Show that was broadcast on 5 August ’94. Shortly after the broadcast they released their second LP ‘ST4 – Science and Nature’ along with the 12 inch promo “Gaza Strip”. The Peel Session would later be released as an EP titled ‘ST5’ in ’95. David Cavanagh describes the group in ‘Good Night and Good Riddance’ as “not quite hippy-ish enough for the ambient-dub crowd, but too hippy-ish for the superclub hordes at Ministry of Sound and Cream”.
Salt Tank Their following 12 inch, titled ‘ST6’, again on Internal, carried a surprise British Top 40 single in the track “Eugina.” Salt Tank’s follow up LP ‘Wavebreaks’ came in ’97, and they became one of the few bands to play a live set at Cream (how wrong was Cavanagh). [Ed – There is more to write…].
Back when Gates was training to be a dentist he did a stint in Iceland, meeting The Sugarcubes on the way over. They invited him to a gig in Reykjavik which he reviewed and was published in, we believe, Melody Maker. They did gig, notably at The Old Trout, Windsor.
Rose died from cancer in November 2012.
Tracks:
Gallery:
Salt Tank’s 1991 “Ease The Pressure” EP [4R0001] 
Salt Tank’s 1992 “Ethereal” EP [4R0002] 
Salt Tank’s June 1993 “ST1” 12 inch 
Salt Tank’s September 1993 “ST2” 12 inch 
Salt Tank’s “Charged Up” 12 inch Promo for ST3 from 1994. 
Salt Tank’s “Final Charge” 12 inch promo for ST3 from 1994 
Salt Tank’s second LP “ST4”, also released in 1994 
Salt Tank’s “Gaza Strip” 12 inch promo for ST4 from 1994 
Salt Tank’s Peel Session released as the “ST5” EP in ’95 
Salt Tank’s 12 inch, titled “ST6”, carried a surprise British Top 40 single in the track “Eugina”. 
ST7 
ST8 
Salt Tank 
Salt Tank 
Salt Tank 
Salt Tank’s “Aura” appeared on Return Of Farnborough Groove Vol.3 in 1993. Picture courtesy of Pete Cole 4 Real Communications, Andrew Weatherall, Andy Rose, Cream, David Cavanagh, David Gates, EB and the System, Farnborough Groove, Guildford, Hawkwind, Iceland, Internal, John Peel, John Peel Show, Kris Needs, Malcolm Stanners, Melody Maker, Ministry of Sound, Orbital, Paradise Studio, Reykjavik, Salt Tank, The Beloved, The Old Trout, The Sugarcubes, Underworld, Windsor -
The Palais, Aldershot
The Palais Ballroom, Aldershot sat on the corner of Queens Road and Perowne Street and was owned and run by Bob Potter. The site had previously been Miles & Miles Upholsterer & Army Camp Furnishers, which had burnt down in 1912, before being rebuilt as Pickford Removals’ warehouse, then converted into the Palais De Danse or Palais Ballroom as it was sometimes called.
9 December 1961: Poster for The Beatles at The Palais, Aldershot. Source: Donna Woodings via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia On 9 December ’61, The Beatles played their first gig in the south there. A mess up with advertising led to only 18 people turning up, when manager and promoter Sam Leach sent a cheque to the Aldershot News that they refused to deposit because new advertisers had to pay in cash. The night was billed on posters and handbills as a “Liverpool v London Battle of the Bands” featuring The Beatles and Ivor Jay and the Jaywalkers; who failed to show. The Beatles’ then manager, Leach, had thought Aldershot was much nearer London and had told them he’d arranged for all the record company scouts to come – none did!
9 December 1961: The Beatles at The Palais, Aldershot Of the gig, The Beatles original drummer, Pete Best, stated “Halfway through one number, George and Paul put on their overcoats and took to the floor to dance a foxtrot together, while the rest of us struggled along, making enough music for them and the handful of spectators. We clowned our way through the whole of the second half, John and Paul deliberately played wrong chords and notes and added words to the songs that were never in the original lyrics.”
Terry McCann, who drove the Beatles down that day, laughed when asked for his memories of that night. “People weren’t impressed…particularly with me on the drums, because that’s what happened for a quarter of an hour or so. Pete had got fed up at one point and I went and played on a few songs. I had done that type of thing before. I could keep a beat, but it wouldn’t have been very good. That’s the sort of night it was. The Beatles were disappointed with the whole thing and were getting on and off the stage – hence the pictures of George waltzing on the dance floor with John and drinking beer.” A few of the audience also donned their coats and went over to The Central Ballroom, Aldershot instead.
9 December 1961: The Beatles at The Palais, Aldershot The Beatles had been booked to play the following Saturday, and three more nights after that, but they never returned. The following Saturday, 16 December, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes took The Beatles place at The Palais, with Ringo Starr on drums. This time the Aldershot News ran Leach’s advert and 210 people showed up, but Leach cancelled the remaining three shows he had booked. A couple of months, in early ’62, later Emille Ford and the Checkmates played The Palais, supported by The Skeletons.
The building was later used by Radio Rentals and reportedly burnt down again, with flats now sitting on the site today.Gallery:
9 December 1961: Handbill for The Beatles at The Palais, Aldershot 
9 Dec 1961: The Beatles at The Palais, Aldershot. Source: Steve McKeown via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia 
9 December 1961: The Beatles at The Palais, Aldershot 
9 December 1961: The Beatles at The Palais, Aldershot. Source: Donna Woodings via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia 
9 December 1961: Pete Best of The Beatles at The Palais, Aldershot 
9 December 1961: Paul McCartney with locals 
9 December 1961: The Beatles at The Palais, Aldershot. Source: Steve McKeown via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia 
9 December 1961: The Beatles at The Palais, Aldershot 
9 December 1961: The 18 person ‘crowd’ getting down to The Beatles at The Palais, Aldershot. Source: Donna Woodings via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia 
9 December 1961: John Lennon at The Palais, Aldershot. Source: Steve McKeown via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia 
9 December 1961: John Lennon and George Harrison with locals at The Palais, Aldershot. Source: Steve McKeown via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia 
Clipping from unknown rag on The Beatles at the Palais Aldershot. Source: Susan Andre Lowson via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia Aldershot, Aldershot News, Bob Potter, Emille Ford and the Checkmates, Ivor Jay and the Jaywalkers, Miles & Miles Upholsterer & Army Camp Furnishers, Palais Ballroom, Palais De Danse, Pete Best, Pickford Removals, Radio Rentals, Ringo Starr, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Sam Leach, Terry McCann, The Beatles, The Central Ballroom, The Palais, The Skeletons -
Christ!
(c’87-’91) Philip Hutchinson (?) and Peter Hussey (?).
Originating in Church Crookham / Fleet, the duo started out as Christ & Satan. In March ’89 they released a double cassette EP, taking the A-side with underground label mates Ehrlich Bullet on the B-side, titled “Dark Side of the Sausage / Music is Dead Let it Rot” [MMATT 28/29]. Later that year, on 13 October, they released “Please Don’t Touch My Yoghurt” [MMATT 32] helped by Nick Galvin (?), Giles Hobbs (?) and Peter Harris (?).
Inlay for reissue of Christ!’s “Please Don’t Touch My Yogurt” [MMATT 32] cassette LP in 1992. Picture courtesy of Mick Magic The band performed three times at The Fox & Hounds, Fleet in ’89, ’90, and ’91. Their underground label became Music & Elsewhere and they released a further four LPs together: “Landscape Gardening with Ian & Myra” (M&E 128), “Ian Curtis in a Spacesuit” (M&E 129), “Mmm… Liquorice!” (M&E 194) and “Christ & Satan Fill Vol-Au-Vent Cases with Raspberry Jelly and David Bowie” (M&E 420).
On 24 August ’91 Christ! provided support to Inner X at a Sunday lunchtime gig at The George, Ash Vale; the two formative members doing an acoustic set. In addition, there was a reissue of “Please Don’t Touch My Yoghurt” in July ’92 [M&E 042]
Hutchinson went on to perform in Winterfall and also released “Falling Off My Skateboard into a Pile of Baseball Caps and John Reginald Halliday Christie” (M&E 130) under the name of The Calculus Affair.Gallery:
24 August 1991: Christ! provided support to Inner X at The George, Ash Vale. Source: Philip Hutchinson 
Christ! at The Fox & Hounds, Fleet. Picture courtesy of Philip Hutchinson 
Adrian Creek reviews Christ!’s EP, “Dark Side of the Sausage”. Picture courtesy of Mick Magic 
Inlay for Christ!’s “Please Don’t Touch My Yogurt” [MMATT 32] cassette LP from 1989. Picture courtesy of Mick Magic -
1ST
(c’88) Mark Charles (vocals), Mike Bishop (guitar), Julian Thorne (bass / vocals), ? “Chiv” ? (drums), and Steve Smith (keyboards / vocals).
After Shoot!, Dispute, Smith and Charles formed/joined 1ST along with Thorne of City / Inspecter Tuppence & The Sexy Firemen and the others. This rap/rock band appeared on ‘Yo! MTV’ with their track “Hardcore Rockin”.
On 5 March ’88, the band appeared at The Greyhound, Fuham supporting World Domination Enterprises, along with UT. They were also booked by Du Kane to play the Civic Hall, Guildford and bought along their dancer, Nathan ? in a tutu – beer throwing and spitting from the audience ensued. 1ST also supported Desmond Dekker at Dingwalls, as well as playing other venues in and around Soho.
A demo exists, recorded secretly and quickly in a Thames Television studio by a mate who did sound for Rainbow, but the mix was bungled according to Charles.
Chiv is sadly no longer with us. Smith and Charles went onto CUT.
Tracks:Gallery:
5 March 1988: 1ST supported World Domination Enterprises, with UT, at The Greyhound, Fulham. Advert taken from NME, 5 March 1988. Picture courtesy of Pete Cole 
A blurry still of 1ST on ‘Yo! MTV’ 
1ST photo by The Richard Young. (L-R Steve Smith, Mark Charles. Julian Thorne, Chiv, and Michael Bishop). Picture courtesy of Mark Charles -
Sympathy Underpants
(c’83-’85) Gideon Goddard (?), Alan “Gobber” Godfrey (keyboards), Richard Greenough (?), Danny Cundy (guitar), and Barry Noakes (?)
Sympathy Underpants, Ripley Village Hall. Source: Alan Godfrey via Guildford Town Past and Present We believe the band rehearsed somewhere in the Stoughton area of Guildford. Graham Wadsworth replaced Goddard sometime in ’84. The band are known to have performed at the Village Hall, Ripley, somewhere in Worplesdon, and the Civic Hall, Guildford in ’85, by which time the band had added ? Trevor (?).
Cundy would later crop up in ERA. Godfrey left us in 2021.
Gallery:
1985: Sympathy Underpants at Guildford Civic Hall.. Source: Alan Godfrey via Guildford Town Past and Present 
Sympathy Underpants c’84. Picture courtesy of Alan Godfrey 
Sympathy Underpants at a Worplesdon venue. Picture courtesy of Alan Godfrey 
Sympathy Underpants at a Worplesdon venue. Picture courtesy of Alan Godfrey
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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