Gary Leeson,
Friars fan, writing for the Friars Aylesbury website in 2008:
"Casually
glancing through one of the national music papers one day I noticed an ad
for the Hunter Ronson Tour, being a Mott/Bowie fan I scanned the list of
venues with anticipation, I couldn’t believe my eyes there it was, 19.3.75
Friars Aylesbury, this was amazing, but amazement was quickly replaced by
panic, questions raced through my mind, when are tickets going on sale ?
will I get one ?
To my
relief, I managed to score a couple of tickets. I remember the excitement
and buzz of everyone queuing in the alley way leading to the BAH. Once in
I noticed that extra lighting and PA equipment had been brought in, more
than other Friars gigs I had attended, all this just added to the
excitement this gig was generating.
The
music they played as far as I can remember was from Ian Hunter's brilliant
first solo album and Mick Ronson's excellent Slaughter On Tenth Avenue
album along with some Mott numbers. I recall a lot of fans including
myself being in awe that these two “Rock Stars” were playing such a small
venue. A review in Melody Maker by Chris Welch mentioned that the gig
was so loud that people were rolling around the floor with bleeding ears,
I can’t recall anything as dramatic as that but it was certainly an
unforgettable gig"
Ian Hunter, writing for the Friars Aylesbury website, 2009:
I was a
big mate of Pete Frame’s, who said to come with him to the club. Pete
had my dog when we left to come to the States. I always liked Stoppsy,
in those days of strange promoters he was one of the good ones at that
time.
We
always seemed to have a great time there: One of those gigs which became
entrenched in your memory for some stupid reason. We did hundreds of
gigs like that but, for some reason, that one would stick out. It just
became this very special gig that was up the M1. There were hundreds of
‘em but some that stuck out. Friars was one of ‘em. Great little club.
Ian Hunter, on his
website, responding to this website's webmaster in 2008:
"Well,
it was Pete Frame, Dave Stopps and Kris Needs territory wasn't it? I met
Dave Stopps on the Ringo tour (he manages Howard Jones) and Kris and Pete
came to a recent gig in Milton Keynes
(Spring 2008 - we were there
too!). (Friars)
itself was great but like I say I remember the people - 'Zig Zag' and all
that"
Hunter continues to make and tour music as
at 2010 including the Mott the Hoople reunion in 2009. Mick Ronson died in 1993. Support artist Warren Harry died in
March 2008.
