We also acquired a blind rhythm guitarist, James, a friend of Harry’s, with whom we played our first gig at St Peter’s, Woolton, on that famous stage. I borrowed Jimmy Ike’s Futurama and we opened with The Surfaris’ “Wipe Out”, James on rhythm, Harry hammering out those manic drum rolls with ease. Taffy had learned the tricky bass part to Chuck Berry’s “Talkin’ About You” and we were set. We practiced at Harry’s house off Wavertree Road and played St Peter’s again. At one gig in a working mens’ club in Birkenhead we were asked to turn down as the bingo caller upstairs couldn’t make himself heard. We were playing ‘My Blue Heaven’ at the time. But Harry wanted to play bass and Taffy and I were now a team. So that was the end of The Knights. 

Taffy knew a drummer, Ray, at Riversdale Tech. Ray had Premier drums, so we formed The Abstrax, with Jimmy Ikonomides on rhythm. The name was painted on Ray’s bass drum. (‘The Bonnevilles’ was on the other side). We were still playing covers but getting into blues – Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightnin’”, Roy Orbison’s “Candy Man” (B side of “Cryin’”, all dirty harmonica and laid-back guitar). But by that autumn, I’d blown my A levels and lost my Architecture place. Parental pressure and crappy gear were not helping. Neither were girls. 

Ray’s attractive girlfriend was always around at rehearsals and I’d met a really ‘essence bint’ at Taffy’s 18th birthday bash in Speke. Pity she always wanted to go out when we were rehearsing. I was sick of the earache from the others to get a better guitar, especially now Taffy had bought a Framus bass and his harp playing was improving rapidly. We played the Garston Empire (long since a bingo hall), which started running ‘beat’ nights at weekends, but other gigs were hard to get and we hadn’t enough paid work for me to afford the Burns I still coveted. 

After the Garston Empire, Taffy and I were approached to go to Hamburg. I’d have to get a better guitar. But instead of re-sitting my A Levels, I’d left school in fit of pique. I was flat broke and my girl-friend was getting serious. We passed on Hamburg then met a guy with a sunburst Gibson 335. We met up and I played his Gibson with awe (sounding ten times better). Oh boy, oh boy... 

As I sat in my front room in Garston, staring out the window at a confused future, a job came up with Esso at Dingle Terminal, involving Business Studies at the College of Commerce. It was the uncertain Abstrax, debt for better gear and continued aggro with my exasperated parents, or a career, the warm glow of parental approval and teenage kicks in front rooms and side alleys. 

Rock and roll lost out to sex and conformity. My days of the Mersey Sound days were over. 

Norman Revill

(with grateful thanks to Brian Evans, Garth Hennie, David Houghton, Tony Howard and Jimmy Ikonomides) 

[* the author, in his play DEAD BEAT IN DAKOTA, 2003]

PS I watched, frustrated, as the Mersey Sound took the world by storm. By the 1967 ‘summer of love’ I was a post-grad student at the College of Commerce and Liverpool was full of soul bands like Kasper’s Engine, who had a real fire-engine as a bandwagon, a Stax/Memphis Horns brass section and played classics like Otis Redding’s “Show Me”. In 1968, I bought a Gretsch Jet Fire Bird from Reno’s in Manchester and a Vox AC30. But there was no blues in Liverpool then. I met a few people and played The Magic Village in Manchester with a chiropody student and Hendrix freak, but 20 minute versions of “Hey Joe” were not for me. I sold the Vox, kept the Gretsch and moved abroad.

POSTSCRIPT:

Garth Hennie’s career with the Satanists was short-lived. He gave up rock & roll for jazz and worked for Rushworth & Draper for 38 years, repairing and making many beautiful instruments. The finest of these, a mediaeval lute for classical guitarist Brendan McCormack, was used by the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Garth still plays his Gibson ES-175 with Mama’s Jazz Babies at the Bakery, Rice Lane, every other Sunday evening.

David Houghton was a Policeman for 16 years. Now a freelance journalist/photographer, he writes a weekly Fishing Column for the Liverpool Echo.

Dave ‘Robbo’ Robinson went to work for Wedgewood and moved to Meir, Stoke-on-Trent.

Tony Howard went to uni in Edinburgh, joined top Scottish 70’s prog rock band Netherbow (‘The Album’, Lowgate Music 1976), toured the US and Canada with Fat Sam’s Band and now has a jazz trio, Easy Street. 

Harry Williams switched to bass, formed the Mafia group and is at the front on that famous pic of Liverpool groups photographed on the steps of St George’s Hall. They were managed for a time by Allan Williams before Harry joined The Secrets. He spent some years in Italy and died of lung cancer at the too young age of 39.

Jimmy Ikonomides also took up bass after the Abstrax. He went to France and Belgium with the Kruzads then joined the Detours, before returning to Liverpool and eventually settling down to a 'proper’ job.

Brian ‘Taffy’ Evans gave up playing to travel in the Far East. He is now Associate Professor of Bio-Chemistry at Curtin University, Perth, WA and a world expert on oil exploration. He still plays blues harp.

NR worked in advertising in London, latterly as a Creative Director at EuroRSCG. His play ‘ME, ‘KING KENNY’ & NAT ‘KING’ MOLE’, was at the Camden Head, Islington, London in 2002. DEAD BEAT IN DAKOTA, about John Lennon in New York, has played the Stanley and Unity Theatres, Liverpool and the Little Theatre, Southport. He still has the Hofner Triumph. It plays far better than his Epiphone FT-130 acoustic. 
Copyright Norman Revill 2006

Editors note: The first photograph is of Norman at Onchan Head, Isle of Man in 1963.

Photograph two shows Norman with two young ladies at Howstrake Holiday Camp in the Isle of Man in the summer of 1963.

Photograph three (courtesy Dave Houghton) was taken in Garth Hennie’s back garden in Windfield Road, Garston in 1963. Left to right: Dave Houghton (drums), Norman (rhythm), Garth Hennie (lead). Dave ‘Robbo’ Robinson (bass). Garth has his Hofner ‘President’ and Robbo his Hofner ‘Triumph.’

Photograph four (courtesy Dave Houghton) was taken by Dave in Robbo’s backyard at 75 Canterbury Street, Garston at Easter, 1963. Top: Garth Hennie (with Hofner V3), Middle: Norman (with Hofner ‘Triumph’ with pick-up). Botton: Dave ‘Robbo’ Robinson (with copy of Fenton-Weill bass). The bass Robbo is holding is a copy of a Fenton-Weill bass, made entirely by Garth Hennie. Unfortunately it was lost a long time ago, but if anyone reading this article knows how to locate it, please contact Mersey Beat.

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