Dave Irving

Born 18^th November 1946 in Crosby, Liverpool and educated at St Edwards College, Sandfield Park, Liverpool by strap toting red neck Irish Christian Brothers(Jesuit Order).

I was the first in my year to be strapped in front of the class for something ridiculous like talking so I was in the limelight from the start. They told me I’d never get anywhere in the real world so maybe that’s why I graduated big style to the world of entertainment.

My elder brother Rod was into all the fashionable stuff of the time like Elvis, Little Richard, etc and whilst I liked it I wasn’t into watching him slick his greased DA back and forth staring long into the mirror every 30 seconds. I remember watching Kent Walton’s ‘Cool for Cats’ on our first black and white TV and feeling curiously attracted.

Trad (Traditional Jazz) was a big thing pre Merseybeat and had some great times going and watching my cousin Andy Cooper on clarinet with many famous outfits of the time like Ken Colyer, Alan Elsdon, and later Kenny Ball, Acker Bilk. I really fancied playing sax and used to drool over all the Selmer catalogues, but was also torn between that and drums. Those American musical instrument catalogues were killers and must have broken a few parents’ wallets. So after many a long argument with me mom(sorry Mom) I finally persuaded her to buy me my first kit at age 16. It was a hybrid from Frank Hessys would you believe. A mixture of Broadway and Ajax drums with Krut (yes Krut) cymbals, and cost 21 quid. Yikes! I wish they cost that now. I banged away in the front room for hours much to the annoyance of my gran, but luckily the next door neighbours where somewhat old and deaf. I seemed to have a natural ability on the kit and could play some decent stuff from day one, but I did get all the books of the time including the Louis Bellson book which was very informative for someone who hadn’t had a kit outside of his house yet!

(Dont you ever go out? - Only to adjust the aerial!!)

I liked Trad but the first record that really turned my head around was a popular jazz hit by Dave Brubeck ‘Take Five’ with my first drumming hero Joe Morello. I went to a Ludwig Drum clinic in Renshaw Hall, Liverpool to see Morello who was outstanding. I’ll never forget him taking one hand off a roll to adjust his glasses, it just kept going!! After that I soaked in all the jazz I could and was lucky to be around at the beginning of prob the greatest most innovative jazz age – Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Cannonball Adderley through to the fusion era of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, and Return to Forever .

I was finally dragged into the Merseybeat world when some guys called at the house to check me out. They were forming a band around a guy called Terry Hines who had just jumped out of a well known Liverpool outfit of the times called ‘Clayton Squares’

Initially we were known as the Terry Hines Sextet and did the rounds of all the well known now ‘legendary’ nightspots; Cavern, Iron Door, Peppermint Lounge, Mardi Gras, Hope Hall, Litherland Town Hall et al. The Cavern was the most prolific, and we spent years doing lunchtime, all nighters, and evening sessions. We shared the same stage with some fantastic acts of the time all now legends. I remember Stevie Wonder coming up to me at a sound check and asking to borrow my kit which he played as we all know extremely well – that was a fantastic night. Also remember Wilson Pickett giving us some great compliments. Great times

Another item from those days I remember was when George Fame and the Blue Flames were to appear. Something transpired like a van prob and the Blue Flames weren’t able to appear even though Georgie was all ready there. We offered to back him as we knew the numbers. We did the show with him, he went down a bomb and for young bloods we did him a great service. The guy just pissed off after the show without a thank you or offer of a drink. Nice bloke NOT!

The Beatles had left town about two years previous so Liverpool was in much the same state scene wise as when they were around with a mass of bands still aiming at the ‘big time’ The band was a lot different to the standard Merseybeat outfit as we were all influenced by jazz, blues, and rnb, and played unusual stuff for the time. We were at one stage managed by the infamous Bob Wooler and we toured GB with the ‘Cavern Road Show’. Stuff evolved and we changed lead singers to a black guy called Steve Aldo who had a few records released previously with no success. The band name changed to ‘The Fix’.

I remember that version of the band was hugely popular in Liverpool at the time and had a residency at the ‘Mardi Gras’ Renshaw Street. The place was heaving every time we played and it was quite a successful outfit locally. Steve left and was replaced by Eddie Cave. The band did a month at the legendary Star Club in Hamburg, and gigged quite a lot around the UK recording a single ‘Its Almost Good’ on ‘PYE’ records (vocal backing by Dusty Springfield and Madeline Bell would you believe!) managed by Tito Burns and produced by Chris Curtis from the Searchers. This culminated in an appearance on ‘Ready Steady Go’(jeez that dates me!) together with The Who, Zoot Money, and Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers. The show opened with Cathy McGowan sat behind my brand new Super Classic Ludwig Silver Sparkle kit – Outstanding!! Still no big chart success on that one so eventually we moved on.

Next phase as the 60s moved to the 70s I played more on Social, and Cabaret Club Circuits. I was involved in a band with Beryl Marsden, and Paddy Chambers(Escorts etc) called Sinbad resident at a club called ‘Banyan Tree’ in the Adelphi Hotel basement. Hybrids of this band and the ‘Fix’ also had a residency at the Victoriana in Victoria Street. Paddy, myself, and bass player Pete Newton took Sinbad as a three piece to a long residency in an infamous nightclub in Liverpool called ‘The Wookey Hollow’. Also as the Buzz Band with augmented lineup.

(Buzz Band at the Wookey Hollow - L to R Bob Hardy(keys), Albie Donnelly(tenor), Willie Wenton(lead vocs), Me, pete Newton(bass))

Many big cabaret stars came through the place and were very complimentary about our late night spot. I met Lenni through this as he was playing with Tony Christie’s Penmen and he would later become my passport to Sad Café. Albie Donnelly joined later as we augmented the band but drifted away again later. Things came to pass and we were out on the streets again.

Albie and myself joined a Liverpool soul band called the ‘In Crowd’ which had Steve Aldo fronting sort of a Four Tops Tamla flavoured group. We spent quite a few years on the North east cabaret circuit which was a very busy time. I remember doing triples (3 gigs one night!) with this band which thinking back was astonishing. All of the above bands played American bases in England and around Europe and I would suppose all this graft actually honed our playing skills and moved us forward.

I jumped into a band called the ‘Ray Smith Band’ with a large American bases contract and spent 6 months touring round Europe playing in some great places. The hours were long but it was enjoyable playing away from the UK for a while.

After the American Bases stuff I was pretty pally with Albie Donnelly and we decided we would form a band to play stuff we liked just for the heck of it. We enlisted Ozzie Yue from another well known Liverpool group called the Hideaways (remember the Tick -a -Tick Timex TV ad??) and a guy called Alan Peters from The Almost Blues. Ozzie came from the Liverpool Chinese Dynasty and his father was the main point for newly arrived Chinese to the city. We pulled in a crazy guy called Alan ‘Gaz’ Gascoigne who would prove a major attraction due to his crazy antics on stage. We weren’t looking for anything other than to have a good time and play stuff we liked.

(On tour in Holland -L to R Tony Dunmore (bs), Me, Albie Donnelly (Sax), Ozzie Yue (gt,vocs), Bob Robertson (bari), Alan Peters (trumpet)

Dig those Flares man!!)

We scored a residency Monday night at the Sportsman’s pub next to the Royal Court and from then on it was history. Punters came from miles around to pack the place and those gigs turned out to be extremely enjoyable both from a playing and going down an absolute bomb point. I don’t think we’d ever been in front of that much appreciation before. Things went from good to brilliant and we started a two night stint there eventually moving out to gigs all around the country. The band played the University circuit a lot and was voted No 1 live band on the circuit in a Melody Maker Poll. We forced ourselves onto the London circuit with a residency at the famous ‘Hope and Anchor’ pub and a few others around the Camden area and it was much the same reaction as the Sportsmans, punters came from all over to witness the spectacle. Sort of a Frank Zappa and the Mothers do bizarre music and on stage antics with a Chinaman and a bald Turk who looked like King Faruk’s bodyguard (Albie as he was piss takingly known, amongst other titles!). Jonathan King was amongst the many people after signing the band and used to attend various gigs and chortle his head off at the stuff going down. We also had a residency at a pub in Fulham called ‘The Nashville’. Same story, packed to the gills every time we played with lots of ‘faces’ turning up cos we were deemed fashionable at the time (Fashionable – My God!). I can remember Peter Cook turning up, buying us all ale and dancing on the tables pissed as we played. Bob Hoskins was a regular too.

I remember also performing at JB's a famous rock venue in Dudley(still going!). We were so popular there after a small residency that they asked us to do their anniversary gig for them. Many Brummie/Midlands rock faces turned up. Roy Woods Wizard, people from ELO including Bev the drummer and Robert Plant, John Bonham from Led Zep. Our band had two drummers at the time and John liked the band so much he asked to jump up. Phil Chitwick who was on the other kit obliged so I got to play a duet with Bonham on 'Them Changes' by Buddy Miles. Great stuff!! although Phil look concerned his kit might end up as matchwood John hit em that hard!

We were that much in demand that we were invited by Richard Branson to entertain at his garden party at The Manor Studios in Oxfordshire. I had never seen so many famous faces before and they all crowded around and went ape shit as we played. Branson offered us a two album deal and we’d arrived so we thought.

Above -Album Cover from 'Local Lads Make Good' at Ridge Farm Sudios, and some dodgy promo pics from our chapter in the 'History of Virgin' publication. (Heinz Vegetable soup not pewk!)

Branson, and his cohort Simon Draper (of white South African origin) knew of a new and upcoming producer called Robert John Lange (also S. African -later called Mutt). Poor bastard was enrolled as producer. The difficulty with Supercharge was that it was primarily a live animal and that was difficult to transport to a luxurious studio surrounding (still is). We didn’t have a lot of original songs so Mutt augmented with some of his compositions which most of the guys would tell you were absolutely wrong for the band in every possible way. However, being green, and not wanting to lose our new life of luxurious surroundings and wild Branson parties every night, we played ball.

The first album ‘Local Lads Make Good’ was completed at The Manor and Ridge Farm Studios. Poor old Mutt I can remember a mike being set up at Ridge Farm with a press now when fart ready button. People rasped at pleasure and one of the tracks on the first album consisted solely of farts from the band. I bet he had fun mixing that! Mutt was all muesli for breakfast followed by a two mile jog for which he had the relentless piss taken out of him. He probably got his own back by asking for take after take to get things right. After ten takes it just becomes numbers not music.

After that we carried on gigging relentlessly. We scored some gigs with Queen at the Edinburgh Festival and elsewhere. They were nice geezers and invited us to lig at all their parties no expense spared. They were also very ecstatic about us opening their shows and invited us to open for them at the now famous ‘Party in the Park’ in Hyde Park in front of 20,000 people. I remember being driven through the crowd in a closed Transit fully attired to go straight on stage thinking ‘this is it, the big time’s here!’ Albie went on stage with a one piece body suit exactly like Freddy’s much to his amusement. The crowd thought it was pretty funny too – we went down a storm. Lots of bands were scared of Supercharge as we had the capability of blowing people away, but Queen knew that having a good opener paid dividends and kept you on your toes. Queen invited us to open for them on their forthcoming world tour – wow BIG exposure! Virgin Management screwed it up by putting too many clauses in, Bye Bye World Tour Thanks again Richard (spent many hours watching tv hoping the balloon would deflate over the shark infested waters!  Sore loser - too effin right!)

The 2^nd Album ('Horizontal Refreshment') was recorded at Headley Grange using the Manor Mobile. Mutt again in the driving seat. He gave us a bit more leeway to get involved in some of the production aspects and for me the result was a lot better. Pete Wingfield from Olympic Runners (‘18 with a Bullet!’) guested on keys and did some promo gigs with us including Victoria Palace with Crazy Arthur Brown (Fire!) as MC.

Neither album was a huge success and the inevitable record company/ management concerns about stuff reared it’s ugly head, and with this malcontent hanging around it was at a gig in Newcastle that Albie handed us the bad news. Branson had offered Albie and Les Karski (new songwriter) a continuous deal and the rest of us were history just like that after all the stuff we’d been through and worked hard at. I was gutted, and not only that, my wife was one month away from having our first kid. Good timing!

Six months after we split, the first album went gold in Australia (they like fart noises over there!). Albie took a scratch band out there including some London session guys and some of his cronies from Liverpool to do the tour we had all earned. They enjoyed a couple of tours out there but in the end Albie just pissed it away.

Supercharge still exist on the German circuit (Mark 27 version of the band) and Albie still gigs there regularly. Its not the same band as the original and plays cut down versions of old blues songs. Oh Yeah and there’s no jokes either! Mutt Lange is now a multi millionaire having produced hit albums with Def Leppard, AC DC, Foreigner, Bryan Adams, etc. We were his only failure, maybe I can blackmail him with that! We have two pages in the ‘History of Virgin’ book (photos above) which as usual tells the facts incorrectly but the pics are hilarious and I hadn’t seen them until the book came out. Ozzie can be seen occasionally on TV and in the movies doing Chinese bit parts (recently in Lara Croft Tomb Raider as a Buddhist Monk with Angelina Jolie – Hilarious!) We recently did a reunion benefit gig at Fogerty’s Liverpool for the drummer who played after me called Dave Hormberry. It was like riding a bike, and brill to see all the old faces again, and play some of those great tunes again.

Supercharge’s demise was probably good for me as I went on to play with the most successful band, rewarding in both music and friendship, I have ever been with.

Like I said after Supercharge split I was left with an eight month pregnant wife and no job. After a couple weeks on the panel I bit the bullet and took a factory job in Runcorn. It was hard work after doing the band thing. I’d been a musician all my working life since age 18 but I ground it out. It qualified us for a brand new centrally heated council house so wife and baby were comfortable again. After about six months the itchy feet started and I began to ring around everyone I knew to see if there was a gig out there

I was sat in front of the telly one night when ‘Sad Café’ were aired on a Tony Wilson program called ‘Don’t Call Us?’ or something like that on Granada. I thought the band sounded very good and the songs were great. I recognised Lenni (from Tony Christie’s band as above). I didn’t have Lenni’s number but got it from Paul Latham a trombone player who was a friend of Lennis and had done a small stint with Supercharge.

I rang Lenni to see if he knew anyone who was looking for a drummer. Lenni said I’d hit lucky as Café had fallen out with their existing drummer Tony Cresswell and had auditioned for a replacement. Lenni mentioned me to the band, I also knew Ian Wilson from Greasy Bear as he had been guesting with the Albertos when Supercharge and Albertos had done a double header at Manchester’s Palace Theatre. Bruce, the Albertos drummer was always joking about breaking my arms when we did gigs with them. They set an audition up at a rehearsal studio near Deansgate and I got the job.

(Left pic: taken at the 'Hollywood Roosevelt' on Hollywood Blvd (opp. Graumanns Chinese Theatre), Right pic: Goofing off in Kansas with a Chevvy Camaro Paul and I hired for a laugh)

The rest is history so the saying goes and can be viewed on the site. I must add that Sad Café has been my most enjoyable experience in a long musical adventure. This is not just from a musical standpoint, but also as a journey with excellent, extremely talented, humorous, and compassionate people all of whom I was proud to call my friends. When you go through so many highs and lows together then an irreplaceable bond develops whatever circumstances arise. At its height the band was so good live, and in the studio that when that chemistry kicked in everything would rise a foot off the floor. There’s no other way to describe it!

I left the band around 84 on a sad but friendly note. We had just finished a very successful sold out tour (we always sold out!) and as usual everybody else but the band made money, crew, pa, catering, transport, lights, ad infinitum. I didn’t want to make other people money anymore as I had a young family to keep so I wanted to make some for myself! A few lean years followed on the dole. Many of the band were made bankrupt, I lost my house.

I re-educated myself and went to Liverpool University to do a BSc Hons Computer Science (bit of a closet tecchie!). I graduated in 90 and spent 12 years working in the Software industry for large blue chip companies like Abbey National, United Utilities, etc (very strange working in a office full of nerds after my previous existence!). I was able to do things I had never done before as a musician! Take my wife and kids on holiday, afford a decent car, and get another house!! Buy a decent stereo, get insurance!!.

Another little anecdote is that it was me who gave Mike Rutherford Paul’s phone number. I was working with a band called Virginnia Woolf  and Rutherford had expressed a desire to produce them. We put some tracks down at Phil Collins Surrey Studio and it was at this time that Mike asked me if I knew any singers as he was forming the band. I gave him Pauls number as we weren't doing a lot at that time. Apparently it took him three calls to get Paul to believe it was him. Paul kept saying ‘Eff off Dave’ as he thought it was me taking the piss.

So to finish, my software days are over now (redundancy) and I’m playing again. I’m glad to be fit enough to hump kits around cheesy nightclubs again, and seem to be playing better than ever. Pretty good for an old bastard with a shaved head but there’s not enough gigs out there anymore! Watch out for a Cafe tribute band with some ex members!! Its definitely a young mans business!! (Good job I didn’t step in it)

^Revolution Studio Summer 2005 with Andy McPherson^               ^BBC TV London Dec 2007 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks' ID Parade^

Terry Hines Sextet, Pete Becket (KingBees now US band 'Player' million seller 'Baby Come Back'),  Georgie Fame, The Fix, Sinbad, Buzz Band, Ace (Paul Carrack), Supercharge, Albertos, Sad Café, Sneaky Pierre, Bay City Rollers, Aynsley Dunbar, Santana, Queen, Nils Lofgren, Wishbone Ash, Toto, Jan Hammer, John Bonham, Roger Daltrey,  Mike Rutherford, Jim Capaldi, Loz Netto, Richard Darbyshire (Livin in a Box, Zu Zu Sharks), Simon Philips and Mel Gaynor (fellow Zildjian endorsees), Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange, Dave Lee Travis, John Punter, Pete Wingfield,  Arthur 'Fire' Brown,  Andy MacPherson, Dave Rohl, Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Paul Di’Anno (Iron Maiden), Virginnia Woolf, Poacher, Kenny Johnson's North Wind, Joe Houston, Bare Wires, Bog Trotters,  Recent stuff: Bill Brooks Blues Band, Nearly Dan, Redgrave, ProTools. 2007 TV 'Never Mind the Buzzcocks'

Festivals of note: Reading (Twice; once with Supercharge, and again with Cafe), Glastonbury (with Sad Cafe), Hyde Park and Edinburgh Festival (Supercharge with Queen)