The Dematones first outfits included purple mohair jumpers, they seemed smart and striking when we bought them, but ohhh.. after 20 minutes of playing with 30 watt Amps blaring in your ears, and the sweat running off your forehead and your shirt clinging to you, they suddenly seemed a bit silly, and the stage slacks, so tight around the ankles that it took 5 mins to get them off.
Memories of specific places:-
At Faversham, I think on every occasion that we played there, we were asked to play the Mexican Hat Dance...?? Never did find out why..
At Bapchild, it was a December evening and violent storms, everyone got soaked carrying the gear into the hall, the floor inside was awash, and the singers and I got electric shocks from the microphones and guitars.
At Chalkwell road the singer was asked aggressively to stop singing one of the songs halfway through because it was upsetting and embarrassing to someone's girlfriend.
At the Cedars, I was threatened, and my guitar was grabbed because someone disapproved of the song...(they were the days when some people would listen to, say, Cliff but not Elvis, or the Beatles but not the Stones).
I was grateful that our bouncer that evening, (MP), was on the spot quickly to eject the individual.
Borden Grammar is memorable because it was for the Freedom From Hunger Campaign, .. we had already played from 7.30 till 9 at the Town Hall, and had 30 mins to pack up and move round to the Avenue of Remembrance. I think we had arranged to leave our amps behind for another group that was moving the opposite way, and we used theirs at Borden Grammar. Date was 1st Feb 1964.
The APCM hall was a wedding reception..(just think,...if they started a family straight away, the child would be forty by now).
Invicta Ballroom Chatham, (now a car park), the other group were pretty good. I think that the date was January 12th 1963.
Paget Hall Gillingham, It was for the Kent Beat Group Competition. ....and we lost, (2nd is nowhere). Date was late 1963.. There were so many rock groups at that time that the Dematones were fortunate to have even made the finals.
Bowater Lloyds Clubhouse, Sittingbourne... of all our venues this was my favourite.. I loved that place. We played there many times, and for me, it never lost its appeal.
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