Premier Rock Forum

simmo wrote:

Which one is you?

The tallest one in the middle! The goofy looking one. Actually, they all look goofy.

I think this band would be terrifying.

simmo wrote:

The Simpsons

Colonel Panic wrote:

From the 'where are they now?' files we bring you:

Kosmic Psycle

(right to left)

Alan Petty - Keyboards, Ambience, Herbs
Joe Formby - Keyboards, Rugs
Digby Willard - Keyboards, Soldering
Jeff Stilbey - Drums, Chemicals

Having spent the late sixities touring the Ipswich pub scene under a variety of names (Tradewinds, Nuggle, Sparsk Eden), grammar school friends Kosmic Psycle relocated to London's Ladbroke Grove area in 1971. Ostensibly there to study engineering at Imperial, the Psyclers came into the possession of a three gallon bong during an abortive police raid on the house next door. This was the creative breakthrough they had been looking for, marking a shift away from the tight, modish beat of the Ipswich era with the abandonment of their guitar and bass (later used by local reggae band and ganja dealers 'The Lions'). In came loose vocal harmonies and the spacey drone of three poorly tuned mellotrons, offset by the insistent drum work of Stilbey.

The next two years saw them break out of the west London squat party scene and into the free festivals that dotted the west country during the summer months. These legendary gigs were variously described as 'loud', 'long', and 'incomprehensible'. It was reported that the drummer regularly finished songs in a third of the time the rest did. During the intervening winter they spent their time attempting to capture the free wheeling, anarchic spirit of these performances on tape. The resulting album ('Hedgerow Dawnscape') was a surprise success throughout Europe. This was partly due to the throbbing 20 minute epic 'Nova Solaris', and the poetry reading of guest John Peel (who had been a vocal supporter, and provided much needed beans during the recording). However in retrospect the RRP of one penny (insisted upon by Stilbey) was probably more significant.

'Hedgerow' was simultaneously the zenith and the end of Psycle. Although known throughout Europe (mostly in the form of ashtrays formed from melted vinyl) they had never played a paying gig, and had lost a fortune on their album. Citing 'irreconcilable political and chemical differences' Petty, Formby and Willard returned to their studies while Stilbey began touring with the Pink Fairies.

Petty is now head of the engineering faculty at Aston University, Formby now live in Texas, where he designs machines to recover flesh from cattle carcasses. Willard is an advisor to the department of trade and industry.

Stilbey was last heard performing with Flux of Pink Indians in 1984, although there are rumours that Julian Cope allows a man called 'Jeff' to camp in his garden throughout the winter.

Take your pick:

Marsupialized wrote:Take your pick:

The Furesidents

The woman in front looks uncannily like my mother, except that my mother is white and has a smaller nose.