1964
- Fred plays drums for Uttoxeter’s ‘Johnny Saturn &
the Asteroids....
1965
- ....then takes over the drum stool for the potteries’ group
‘Legendary Lonnie’s Few’.
1967
- Harley St. Blues – which includes Pod and Fred – support
Rory Gallagher and Duster Bennett
at Henry’s Blues House, Birmingham.
1968
- Fred and bass player Mo Cope abscond to the Barron Pollet Roadshow,
for a brief spate of Cabaret !
1969
- Pod and Fred re-unite, to form ‘ Getchell ‘ with Ernie
Johnson on Bass and Dennis Coultas on Vocals.
1970
- Fred joins Irish Folk-Rock band Dr. Strangely Strange,
for tours of England, Ireland Holland and Denmark. Plays London Roundhouse
with special guest Gary Moore on Guitar. John
Peel Radio Show live broadcast with James Taylor. New band
members....
1971
- ....Terry & Gay Woods ( ex Steeleye Span ) do a series of gigs
and a farewell show at Drury Lane Theatre, with Al Stewart. Fred joins
the ‘ Sutherland Bros. Band , signed to Island
Records, and recorded one Album and two singles, ‘The Pie’
and ‘Sailing’ .Toured as support for Free,
Mott the Hoople, David Bowie and Scottish Dates with Elton
John. Golden Rose Festival, Montreaux with The Doors,
Lindisfarne, Caravan and Gary Wright Band.
1972
- Fred leaves the brothers, who go acoustic, before joining up with
country rock band Quiver.
1974
- Fred ( with brother Vince on Bass ) reconvenes with Pod and Dave Faulkner,
backing singer and harmonica player Jimmy Powell, as Jimmy Powell
and The Dimensions.
1976
- Fred appears on the album ‘ Broken Down Gentlemen ‘ by
popular folk duo John Leonard and John Squire.
1978
- Dave acquires teaching post in Uttoxeter, and is soon drafted into
the local music scene playing keyboards, guitar and harp ! including
a scratch band with Fred, Leonard & Squire, Martin Carter &
Graham Jones, Tony Capstick and a very young Julie Matthews. Dave also
guests on album by singer songwriter Steve Womack.
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1979
- Fred and Dave become drum & bass team for newly formed Oakapple
Country Dance Band, built out of musicians from Uttoxeter ‘
Heart of Oak ‘ Morris side.
1980
- Dave, back on keyboards joins newly formed pop/rock band ‘ Lip
Service ’ with Fred, and original members of Uttoxeter
band ‘Shoot’, Clinton Peak, Richard Crutchley
and punk dentist John Prew !
1984
- Fred and Graham Jones become the ‘Zydeco Bros’
the rhythm section on Derby band R.Cajun’s 1st Album ‘ Bayou
Rhythms’ released on Mike Harding’s Moonraker label…Graham
leaves to join a country band, and is replaced by Dave R.Cajun
& the Zydeco Bros.start a new dance craze, at all the major
Folk Festivals.
1987
- RC & ZB record the 1st Dub / Cajun album with the help of Champion
Doug Veitch and the Mad Professor. Clive Harvey is now on guitar after
the demise of his previous band ‘ Roaring Jelly ’
1989
- Fred and Dave join up with ex Cherry Red label band ‘ Yeah
Jazz ’ after a chance meeting in the local co-op, with
singer/songwriter Kevin Hand.
1990
- RC & ZB support Lonnie Donegan at Hounslow May
Day festival, play Jersey International Folk Festival and appear on
BBC’s Folk on Two.
1991
- RC & ZB play Tonder Festival in Denmark, with Ralph McTell, Da
Danann Kate & Ann McGarrigle, Beausoleil, La Bottine Souriante,
Alias Ron Kavana and Cajun legend D.L. Menard
1992
- Yeah Jazz release the E.P. April which is played on Steve Wright’s
Radio One programme, RC & ZB appear on Andy Kershaw’s
Radio One show, and the newly formed ‘Zydeco
Hot Rods’ with Dave on Accordion play at Britain’s 1st
Zydeco Festival, in Derby, supporting Louisiana Legend, Roy Carriere’s
Band Dave & Fred team up with ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’
for a series of summer ceilidhs At The Bass Museum, in Burton-upon-Trent.
1993
- RC & ZB release their 5th album ‘No Known Cure’ play
festivals supporting Van Morrison, Canned Heat and
Debbie Harry, and broadcast live from BBC Pebble Mill
on Jim Lloyd’s Folk on Two.
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1994
- Yeah Jazz and RC & ZB both perform at Heineken
Festival. RC & ZB release their 6th album ‘That Cajun
Thing’ and play at Paul McCartney’s company’s
pre-christmas party,before finishing the year at Derby Assembly rooms,
with their Cajun Hogmanay. RC & ZB’s Ossun Two-Step,
used as theme music for BBC 2 television programme ‘Cooking
Oils’ presented by Chef Roy Ackerman and Art Critic Brian Sewell.
1995
- Fred and Dave launch Smalltown Records with the release
of ‘Dances & Dirges’ by The
Vice Bishops of Uttoxeter, the name having being borrowed, without permission
from Messrs. Fry and Laurie ! RC & ZB play dates in Switzerland,
including Basel Prison !
1996
- Yeah Jazz signed to German record label, Scout, where
their album ‘Short Stories’ is released under the pseudonym
of Big Red Kite. RC & ZB play dates in Northern
Ireland and Holland.
1997
- Dave, Fred, Pod and Dave F .reform as the Vice-Bishop’s
Blues Band. Fred and Dave team up with Alan Squires and Pete Oakley
for a few dates with ceili band ‘Captain Swing’
1998 - Reunion gigs by both Lip Service and Oakapple. RC & ZB play
at Paul McCartney’s daughter’s wedding,
and later record a track with him, at his studio, put on C.D. which
became a Christmas present for the newly weds, Mary and Alistair.
1999
- Dave and Fred hastily form a party outfit, hence the birth of the
Booze Bros. Band Dave appears in Shane Meadows’ 2nd film
‘A room for Romeo Brass’ on the piano together with students
from Oldfields Middle School. Chris from RC & ZB plays accordion
on Paul McCartney’s album ‘Run Devil Run’
Recorded at Abbey Road Studio.
2000
- RC & ZB play at Liverpool’s ‘Beatles Festival’
The Vice-Bishops Blues Band releases
‘House of Cards’ C.D. and
Yeah Jazz release ‘Songs from
Biscuit Town’ RC & ZB release their 7th album ‘Get
up, Get down’ and once again finish off the year with their legendary
Cajun hogmanay at Derby’s Assembly Rooms.
2001
- Vice-Bishops blues band record session at Pebble Mill for Paul Jones
Radio Two programme. RC & ZB support Jools Holland at
Henley Festival, and play Ulster American Folk Park with Sharon Shannon
and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
2002
- Dave, Fred and Alan from the V.B’s
Ceili band guest on singer, songwriter and guitarist Pete
Oakley’s album ‘Long Shadows1.
2004
- The Vice-Bishops’ Blues Band
releases it’s 2nd CD entitled Caught in
the Crossfire”
2005
- Dave & Fred form their seven piece outfit ‘The
Zydeco Brothers’ Band’ from the remnants of the Booze
Bros line-up, with the addition of guitarist Pete
Oakley and saxophonist Ben Appleby
2005
- Release of the difficult second album by The Vice-Bishops of Uttoxeter
together with special Guests and entitled ‘Airs & Disgraces’
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