The above photo was taken on the very windy Mecca roof, this was later to be used
on the compilation album “NICE” by Peter Eden featuring our Decca recording
“Yesterday was Such a Lovely Day (Elsie)”.
The Elms, new management, new name.
The Mecca was going really well, unlike most other local bands we played a lot of
harmony stuff, Beach Boys, Four Seasons, plus Soul and Motown. We were bringing in
fans from all over the place, they were regularly queuing around the block to get
in. In 1968 we won the Silver Cup for attendance throughout the Mecca circuit.
The other prestigious music venue in the area was The Elms, at Leigh-on Sea. A number
of top bands had played there, I remember watching The Paramounts through the window
when I was about 13. There was a management/agency team booking the venue, Peter
Eden and Dick Mountney, they had a couple of bands which were recording and getting
TV exposure, Peter had also co-managed Donovan. To get in with them would be a good
move. They signed us up and put us in The Elms for three nights a week. These were
alternate to the three nights we were now playing at the Mecca, so after every Elms
night we would have to hump our gear, including the Hammond, up four flights of stairs
ready for the next day. We’d usually rehearse in the daytime at the Mecca, bearing
in mind we would need to learn about 5 or 6 new songs every week.
