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Found this great picture of Brian With vince eager
Note The teddy boy suits

Is Brian away with the groove or has he fallen asleep?

He's really sent, man!

And looks like he's pounding out the beat on the back of the bass!

What a great photo!

The Rollercoaster EP with The Vagabonds' recordings has a picture from the same gig on the front (and the story on the back).
Am I right in presuming that it is the stage of the 2 I's?

Ulrich

I think it is the 2I's, yes, and, given how long Licorice said the playing sessions were, I wouldn't be surprised if he fell asleep propped up by the double bass!

I wonder who made their band jackets?

Fantastic for the UK in 1957!!!

These photos are so evocative of that era....fabulous!

Back then I wished I was as old as my big sister- I was too young (8 years old in 1957) so I didn't get a chance to venture down to Soho from Kentish Town!

And another thing...!!

As far as I'm concerned, what with their 'Oh Boy' TV appearances, Wildcats/Krewcats period, and later, backing of Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran etc etc - Brian Bennett and Licorice Locking were, and are, and always will be British rock'n'roll legends - before they ever joined the Shadows!

And they are both live and well and still playing AFAIK- God bless and keep 'em!!

cockroach wrote:As far as I'm concerned, what with their 'Oh Boy' TV appearances, Wildcats/Krewcats period, and later, backing of Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran etc etc - Brian Bennett and Licorice Locking were, and are, and always will be British rock'n'roll legends - before they ever joined the Shadows!

Agreed. Hank, Bruce, Jet, Tony, Brian, Licorice and many other future names were all on the scene before fame beckoned, and knew each other at the 2I's. They all appeared on ABC TV's Oh Boy show and an early live performance of Move It was given by Chris Andrews (when he was Day-Before-Yesterday Man) backed by Brian on drums, Licorice on bass and Tony Sheridan on lead guitar before his Beatles days in Hamburg.



Totally logical that Brian should later take over from Tony and Licorice from Jet in the Shads. And Tony Sheridan might earlier have got Hank's gig if he had been on the 2I's on the night in question!

Thanks Iain!

I hadn't seen that clip before! Great stuff- and a very raw, faster cover version of Cliff's then new release...including Chris Andrews doing his best Jerry Lee/Little Richard style piano stuff!

It occurred to me that the guys in that clip just MIGHT have comprised Cliff's new backing group if Tony hadn't been away on tour and Hank hadn't been conveniently around in the 2Is the day Cliff went looking for Tony with John Foster.....I think, or was it Rick Richards?

They wouldn't have been the Shadows- but would have been a pretty hot backing group!

There's a whole 'alternative history' fantasy there!

Indeed. And with Big Jim Sullivan in Tony Sheridan's slot, a hot backing group they were - to Marty Wilde.

And yes, it was John Foster.

Definitely the 2i's, please take a look at my Facebook group Rockin at the 2i's, loads of interesting stuff including regular contributions from some of the originals who played there.

Neil