Alan Kent Set Extras

We played a club one night in New Brighton only to find that we would be backing a couple of strippers.... Ok, exotic dancers.... No, strippers. Well, we were not a backing band and as far as we were concerned, we weren't paid as one. Anyway, in for a penny..
Before I set my drums up on the stage, I asked the blonde one where she stripped - On the stage or working the floor, so I could set up the kit accordingly. Well in an upperty voice she told me, "I perform my act on the floor with a chair" ..So what. I performed my act on a stool!.
Well, the next thing was her bringing out some sheet music for us to play. (No chance! We were in a group... I didn't say we were musicians!). Anyway, she wanted "Water melon man" and "Summertime" and we did "Summertime" in our set, but a rocky version, and we just played the chord sequence to "Water melon man". ..She was not impressed and said "Call yourselves a group!" So I told her, "Call yourself a stripper. We are not a backing band and acts like yours are two a penny". Hey, they were probably on more money than us anyway. She really thought she was something and told me "..not to get excited when she performed her act.." (Hey, I played in a band. She couldn't show me anything I hadn't seen before..) Well, looking back I suppose it was an experience.

Alan bought his first Wah Wah pedal in the early seventies and though they are a very exciting effect he shouldn't have used it in every number... well, boys with new toys. We've all been there I suppose.

One night, Barry (Chopper) was playing his new Shaftsbury guitar and was getting some strange crackles and things so I told him to check his leads, "They're alright", he said and continued to play with the crackles still appearing. In disgust he threw his guitar onto the stage, cracking the polyester finish. I asked him to check his leads again. He did and one was loose...
Why don't people listen to what drummers are saying?... I said why..

When we first started, we went around a few clubs looking for work. At one club in Birkenhead, Alan and Geoff went inside leaving me outside to watch the van, as they knew the manager from playing there in past groups. They told me afterwards that the manager had looked through his spy-hole in the door because they had told him I was outside and he said, "Will that be your drummer swinging from the bus shelter?" And they said "Yes. That'll be him..." Well, I was younger and a drummer and I was getting bored just watching the van. (I had seen it before yer know).