Ian Hunter Verden Allen
Mick Ralphs Dale Griffin Overend Watts
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.
Verden ‘Phally’ Allen for the Friars Aylesbury website, 2009:
That’s
where it all started off. Our first gig was at an air force base with
King Crimson. Ian was dressed in a suit. It didn’t sort of happen. We
done the Roundhouse then Aylesbury and something just clicked. That was
it. It all started in Aylesbury!
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"
Ian Hunter, quoted in the
Aylesbury Roxette (talking to Radio 1), summer 1976 said:
"Aylesbury is like a little
San Francisco. It's one of those places where everything seems to
start...I don't know what it is, but the people there seem to sense what's
going to happen. I know Mott the Hoople happened in Aylesbury long before
anywhere else, and it was the same for David Bowie. Everybody seems to be
friendly, and they make you feel good - and whenever I played there, I
felt like an old friend being welcomed home. In fact the atmosphere of
Aylesbury got to me to such an extent that I was seriously considering
moving there at one time...but then I moved to America instead."
Paul Brett, writing for the
Friars Aylesbury website in 2008 said:
"I
can remember playing at Friars a couple of times and vaguely with Mott the
Hoople. My old band members in Sage can remember the gig but nothing that
sticks out, except the audience were always good and receptive to our
music. Pity no one back then kept a diary of
individual events. There are lots of great live venues that have closed
over the years and that's a shame"
Clippings from the Bucks Herald and Bucks Advertiser
Mott the Hoople split in
1974, not before Hunter brought out the highly acclaimed 'Diary of a Rock
and Roll Star' book. Ian Hunter still records and tours to this day (the
webmaster saw him in 2007/2008 and he was on blistering form, with Terry Allen
joining him on stage in 2007). Hunter played Friars in 1975 as the Hunter Ronson
Band with the late Mick Ronson and in 1977 as Ian Hunter's Overnight
Angels. The remainder of Mott the Hoople carried on as Mott with a couple
of line up changes (see date links above) Hunter also provided a guest appearance at the British Lions
(remains of Mott with John Fiddler from Medicine Head) gig
in Dec1977. Mick Ralphs, post MTH, joined Bad Company with Free's Paul Rodgers
and Simon Kirke. Dale Griffin continued into the Mott and British Lions
periods (both of whom played Friars) and then became a Radio 1 producer
and is now in ill health. Verden Allen was still making music as at 2002
(and in fact 2007 as we saw him play with Hunter on his UK tour). As as for Overend,
his history is not so well defined.
Mott the Hoople with the
original 1969 line up reformed for 40th anniversary shows in October 2009
at the Hammersmith Apollo. Some of the Friars team were there and can
confirm it was a sublime experience.
