8. STAR CLUB CAPERS.

Liverpool is world famous not only for MerseyBeat but for its sense of humour and put the two together with a drop of 'rocket fuel' and you have an explosive combination. Just by the Star Club was a bar run by a lovely couple called Gretel and Alfons it became our Local our little bit of home, our Liverpool Shrine as it was the nearest thing to a pub that we could find and we soon educated Gret and Al how it was done. None of this continental rubbish half a glass of beer and half a class of froth ,no way, a full pint or nothing even though it was litre glasses. One of the group would pop in and say to Al , 20 pints by, say ,ten o'clock when we came off stage and there is was our 'rocket fuel' it wasn't real ale, only Lager but ,when in Rome....

The sign out side the bar said Bier which meant beer and it soon became the world famous Beershop. (Ken on the left)

We were out there on a six week contract as the resident house band and saw many groups come and go but the Liverpool lads didn't get on to well with the London bands apart from a couple like Johnny Kidd and the Pirates and Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers . John and the gang were sensational a real power outfit and they got on well with us and later back in England, Johnny and I became good friends as we toured together. I was gutted when he was killed I was playing in Manchester that night and I just couldn't go on...so sad.

Back to happy times.

John boy and the guys had a number one hit 'Shakin All Over' and his act was to jump up on top of the piano and pull out his cutlass and at the bit when it goes Doodly diddum didum do... TWANG he would throw the sword into the floor an jump down 'BRILL' until a gang of 'rocket fuelled' scousers lent a hand. At the climax of the... TWANG a certain Mr Geoff Nugent of the Undertakers ,although he protests his innocence to this day, cut the sound and issued a very loud Raspberry over the mike. Bedlam... Johnny went ape and chased us all round the Star Club weaving his cutlass above his head shouting obscenities against our parentage! The audience loved it ,they thought it was part of the act and after several pints of rocket fuel Johnny saw the funny side and laugh till he cried

Spooky  in the picture of the Pirates Johnny Spence, the bass player ,had exactly the same Fender Bass as me only one number after me, and Mick Green the Gibson Les Paul Junior well I had the same guitar when  I changed from bass to lead guitar in a C&W band years later Spooky or what?

Talking about Spooks next time you will see real R&R spooks And I have the picture to prove it!

At the Bier Shop (Ken is second from the right)

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Carry on Star Clubbing!