Jet Playing a Tribute to Tony

[donna plasky]

In the same week that we mark the passing of John Rostill, sadly we must also mark the passing of Tony Meehan. For me, the names Jet and Tony are almost inseparable. Here's a video I found of Jet paying tribute to Tony. I am not sure if the other band members are part of this Forum, but this certainly is a great performance. Rest in peace, Tony.

Jet and Tony.jpg (4.72 KiB) Viewed 5567 times

[GoldenStreet]

On this seventh anniversary of Tony's passing, I am reminded of his chapter, Tony's Story, in the 1961 book The Shadows By Themselves in which he revealed his ambition to one day write a book about the "Golden Age of Soho", chronicling the events as he saw and experienced them at the 2i's and elsewhere, of the origin and evolution of a new music form that would change popular youth culture forever.

I'm not sure if Tony ever did write that book, but I'm sure it would have been a fascinating read, about an era long gone, and an important social document for the succeeding generations of popular music historians.

Bill

[donna plasky]

TonyAutograph.jpg (12.88 KiB) Viewed 5446 times

I found this photo of Tony and was wondering if anyone knows whether he was left-handed. If not, then maybe this photo was "flipped" when it was published. If Tony was in fact left-handed, does anyone know if he set up his drumkit differently than a right-handed person? I don't know anything about playing drums, so I don't know what to look for...or if there even is such a thing as playing the drums left-handed.

Bruce has a nice tribute to Tony on the Shadowmania website: http://shadowmania.co.uk/tonymeehantribute.htm

Thank you and kind regards,
Donna

[Jay Bass]

Hi Donna
Some Left Handed drummers do set up thier kit differently eg
hi hat on the right ,floor tom on the left, left foot for bass drum pedal .etc
But it seems most left handed drummers just adapt to playing right handed.
our previous drummer in The Twylight shadows Was left handed, but played a standard right handed set up kit.
Interstingly enough Brian licorice Locking also writes left handed , but plays right handed ,i suspect that it is because back in the early days left handed instruments where very hard to get hold of and they usualy cost more if you could find one.
so learningto play right handed for left handed people would have been quite common.
probably why jimmy Hendrix played a upside down right handed strat.
Dick Dale plays a left handed guitar which is strung as upside down right handed guitar
with the low E string where the High E string should be etc.again this maybe because he was forced to use a
upside down right handed guitar when first took up the guitar.

regards
Jay

[JimN]

Looking at the LP sleeve (upper right in the photo) and checking it against the layout of the reverse side of The Shadows' first LP http://shadowmusic.bdme.co.uk/gallery/image.php?mode=medium&album_id=97&image_id=790, I take the view that the photo is the right way round and that Tony was either left-handed or ambidextrous.

[donna plasky]

Thank you, Jay and Jim. I never knew any of the things you mentioned; it is very interesting, especially about Dick Dale. I have seen people playing upside down guitars before, but I hadn't thought it through as to where the low E-string would be. Sounds like a difficult decision, whether to learn to play a guitar upside down, or learn to do what Licorice did and just play right-handed and eventually get used to it. And, if Lic had bought himself a left-handed bass as a youth, that would've put a wrinkle in the idea of joining a band and inheriting the other person's guitar (ie Jet's bass that was the property of The Shadows).

I found this video of Paul McCartney playing what he says is the double bass used by Elvis' band. Paul is fretting the strings with his right hand, so I guess he is playing it upside down, so to speak. Thank you for teaching me about this. I really appreciate it.

- Donna

[GoldenStreet]

Mike Felix, drummer with the 60s group the Migil 5 (1964 hit with Mockingbird Hill), was left handed and set up his kit the "other way round".

MF.JPG

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I recall Jimi Hendrix being quoted as saying something to the effect that as Fender didn't produce that many left handed Strats, they couldn't be as good as right handed ones!

Bill

[Paulps]

At the now defunct Derby club, Daniel Martin, who is left-handed, would often pick up a right handed bass guitar, turn it upside down, and play perfectly. I asked him once if he practised doing this and he said he didn't, he just "did it".

[Arpeggio]

Fascinating stuff! To get back to the first question. The people backing Jet are the fabulous (purely my adjective here - because they're great!) Shadders (South Coast Shadows Club) - who were at "Pipeline" this year. Geoff Bearpark, 'Nobby', Barry (now sadly deceased), John A & John G are lovely guys & super musicians. Jet first met the Shadders at a private function and, after listening carefully to their first set, decided that they were good enough to back him on stage -which they did on a handful of occasions. Plus, of course, on 'Sound' and also keyboards.....the inestimable Mr Bob Dore.
Rob

[Mike Honey]

I am lefthanded but play the guitar right handed. As a matter of interest i always encourage my lefthanded pupils to play righthanded.It feels awkward at first but they make much faster progress as they already have better control over their left hands when it comes to forming chords;

mike