Mike O'Neill (Nero & The Gladiators) R.I.P.

[Arpeggio]

So sad to hear about Mike's recent death. Nice post by Ray L & great comments from others too. Mike was regular at so many Pipeline Conventions and it was always a pleasure to talk to him. I also recall (personally) a brief chat with Colin Green back in 1995. I met him again recently, courtesy of Mo Foster. Yes....all of the Nero & The Gladiators singles were excellent. "I T H O T M King", "The Trek To Rome", "Czardas", "Boots", "Entry Of The Gladiators", "Tovarich", "Bleak House" etc., etc. It was only "I T H O T Mountain King" which was banned by the BBC - which was because it was considered to be disrespectful and irreverant to the memory of 'beloved' composer Edvard Grieg. Monti's "Czardas", Fucik's "Entrance Of The Gladiators" etc. were not banned as the originals were merely considered to be 'light orchestral' music. The whole scenario viz this part of the BBC's Music and Dance Policy Committee was set up by Sir Arthur Bliss (later Master Of The Queen's Musicke) during WW2. By 1961 he had LONG since left the BBC - but his influence was still felt. It's not generally known - but the person who banned "I T H O T M King", "S N A T Duckpond" & many others of that ilk was actually Sir William Glock (you will have to 'Google' him). Let's just say that he was a fine musician who was on first name terms with the likes of Igor Stravinsky, Pierre Boulez, Sir Adrian Boult, Karl Heinz Stockhausen, Benjamin Britten, Oliver Messaien etc., etc. You get the picture? A bit of a musical 'heavyweight' and intellectual snob. The likes of the Cougars and Nero & co. were probably contemptible to him!

Bests....Rob

[anniv 63]

Thanks for that information Rob.
So now we know who is to blame for these bans!!!
Say Brutus, its Sir Willie Glock , the snobby ...(better not say the rhymeing word)!!!!

Mike

[GoldenStreet]

I should have added, previously, my tribute to Mike, another largely unsung stalwart of the great early 60s instro movement.

Yes, Glock was a key figure in the classical music world and, throughout the 60s and early 70s, controller of the BBC Proms. Apparently, he was not the kind of personality to be argued with!

Bill

[GoldenStreet]

From Monday's Guardian obituary page, by his (I assume) daughter, Jess O'Neill...

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/n ... l-obituary

Bill

[Arpeggio]

Many thanks for this Bill.

[Derek Misselbrook]

What a lovely man, with such a interesting, hard life he had, how many more like him that were self taught to play a instrument, had respect from other musicians,
made a living and found fame in there life's..........A very sad loss to his family...........

[JimN]

Glock?

Obviously a son of a gun...

[RayL]

Mike's funeral was very well-attended. Led by Alison Redcastle, a Humanist celebrant, there were tributes from Mike's family and family friends. Names that you'll know from the musical world included Colin Green and Laurie Jay (from The Gladiators), Chas Hodges (from Mike's time in Heads, Hands And Feet), John Barber and Ivor Knight (from The Scorpions but who played with Mike as part of The Centurions) and Alan Taylor of Pipeline Magazine.

Ray

[spencer scott]

Ray it was Dave Gibbons,and Martin Waller ( from the Twang Gang)
Mike came down several times to my place remembered with great affection.
He will be missed.
Spence.

[RayL]

Hi Spence

Yes, the full line-up of the combined Centurions / Nero & The Gladiators at the Pipeline Convention on April 23rd 2000 was Mike O'Neill (keyboard), Dave Gibbons (guitar & trumpet), Martin Waller (sax), Pete Godding (saxes), John Barber (guitar), Vic Cross (bass) and Ivor Knight (drums).

There's an amusing 'secret' attached to the recording of that show. One of the numbers played was 'Hoots Mon', with Mike doing the famous spoken parts - "Hoots Mon! There's a moose loose aboot this hoose!", etc. Unfortunately, on the night the guy doing the PA didn't know the number well enough and Mike's mic was turned down.

To rescue the recording, I arranged with Mike to meet him at the Royal College Of Art in Kensington (next to the Albert Hall). We found an empty gallery and I played the music to Mike on headphones from a cassette machine (this was the year 2000). At the appropriate moments Mike yelled "Hoots Mon . . . etc" into a mic that I had plugged into a mini-disc recorder.

Back in my studio I combined music and voice together and dubbed it on to the video. All's well that ends well!

Ray