The official FRIARS Aylesbury compendium
Page last updated 20th October 2008
New Friarage Hall, Aylesbury
Mike Cooper
Monday June 2nd 1969
Mandrake Paddle Steamer :
Brian Engel Martin Briley Martin Hooker Barry Nightingale Paul Riordan
Mandrake Paddle Steamer
Paul Riordan advised the Friars Aylesbury website of their likely set:
Couger and Dark - usually our opening number; SloBlo (Instrumental); October Country;Blitz;
Overspill; The East Wing; Solitare Husk Carmen (instumental arrangment of Bizets Carmen)
See below
Mike Cooper, writing for the Friars Aylesbury website in 2008 said:
"I'm not good at recalling gigs that far back. I did so many in those days they all blurred into one after a while..at least in my memory. I also have no recollection of that other band at all (that'll be Mandrake Paddle Steamer then ! - Ed). I was probably in the bar...arrogant little fuckwit that I was. Funny you mention Lol (Coxhill) though...he was from Aylesbury. We will tour together as The Recedents in the UK in July...but not Aylesbury alas."
Mike Cooper, after we pointed out that he was an inspiration to the Mandrakes:
"I apologise to those guys and say thanks!"
Paul Riordan, writing for the Friars Aylesbury website in 2008 said:
"Mike Cooper was one of my inspirations when I was staring out - I have a couple of his EP's' - and of course can remember seeing him at Friars - I was trying to convince the band to listen - but none of them were into all that 'blues stuff'"
As below
David Stopps in an email to Mike Cooper 2008 (reproduced with kind permission of David Stopps)
"I
can completely understand your difficulty in recalling a single Monday
night gig back then on 2nd June 1969. There must have been so many of them
and it was nearly 39 years ago!
For us though it was a hugely important show. It was our very first. The
week after you headlined we had the Pretty Things and the week after that
it was Free. In the 15 years that followed we presented Genesis, The
Clash, Captain Beefheart, U2 and hundreds of others.
But it was your gig that started us all off.
Just a big thank you for that and its great to hear you are still touring"
Gerald Saunders writing for the Friars Aylesbury website in 2008 said:
"I have membership number 50 from the Mandrake Paddle steamer + Mike Cooper.
I won the Mike Cooper Album - all signed -. stupidly lent it to someone at Wycombe College and never saw it again"
As below
Mike Cooper has been in the music business for 40 years and continues to play to this day. He has had a long running project, The Recedents, which also features Aylesbury's own Lol Coxhill
The Mandrakes are in the throes of completing a new website (see below) and have compiled a new album.
Clippings from The Bucks Herald and Bucks Advertiser
Advert for the first night at Friars
Mike Cooper official site Mandrake Paddle Steamer official site
This was the first ever Friars Aylesbury gig
Sights and Sounds - What Mike Cooper is up to these days as part of his Hipshot label
© copyright 2007-2008 www.aylesburyfriars.co.uk
