Hornblower
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Strangest gig?I've been thinking for a while about starting this thread as I'm sure there are some places or gigs that will have stuck in serving and ex-bandies memories...
The strangest place I've done a beat retreat was in Broadmoor secure hospital. I'm pretty certain there will have been some other forumites there at the time with better memories than me, but I do remember a secure gate electrically opening for us to march into the compound to do the gig.
It felt strange knowing that Reggie or Ronnie (whichever one of them was there at the time) might have been watching.
Anyone know why we were there on that one? 
Let's see your dits then... 
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joe90
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Re: Strangest gig? | Hornblower wrote: |
Anyone know why we were there on that one? |
The ancient adage ' Nutters, Hatters, Kids and Flys' seems to ring a bell!! 
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admin
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Which band was that with HB?
We did a gig at a blind school once and all wore rig... they were a really appreciative audience as well
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Hornblower
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| admin wrote: | | Which band was that with HB? |
Fleet - but I don't remember whether it was my first time round or post-BRNC second stint.
I was hoping that someone else who was there would help out which is why I didn't commit myself. (Commit myself - geddit? Ah, forget it) 
Wish I could black cat you Deli and tell you we did a gig at a deaf school...
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RAB
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Re: Strangest gig? | Hornblower wrote: |
. I'm pretty certain there will have been some other forumites there at the time with better memories than me, |
Yes I remember it well matey.....
But I was released in 1998 with a clean bill of health...
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mrbassbone
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The strangest gig I was involved in was a ship arrival ceremonial for a Diving Barge while stationed with the Pacific Fleet Band in Pearl Harbor. The barge set some world record and we were on hand to play when it was towed in by a tug.
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Jim Mason
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In the 70,s the Royal Yacht was touring the South Pacific Islands, and we called at a small island in the Solomons Group. I was asked by the resident Roman Catholic priest if the band could go ashore and play in the village (the only only). I asked them to provide something to sit on and we duly arrived in a jungle clearing to find a couple of benches and a few tree trunks.
A crowd of about 200 arrived and gathered around the band, and the priest explained who we were and what we were doing. The music was well received but after a while I realised that some of the band were a bit uneasy. One of the musicians said to "Have you had a close look at the audience?"
We were in a leper colony.
I have never seen so many musicians sit so close together, before or since!
Jim
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MrJpig
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WAAAAAAAAAH greta dit Boss...good to see you back
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MrJpig
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I remember a couple of gigs on a big grey ship playing to a lot of men passing boxes and bags in a big line...that was bizarre 
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admin
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| Jim Mason wrote: | | We were in a leper colony. |
You couldn't write comedy like that! I take it you didn't drop your hand to bring the band in 
Great to see you back Col.
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Hornblower
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I too am pleased to see you Col Jim.
I'm sure I'm not the only one to have been worried about you.
I hope you're in good health.
Keep those dits coming!
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2nd Clarinet
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| Hornblower wrote: | | admin wrote: | | Which band was that with HB? |
Fleet - but I don't remember whether it was my first time round or post-BRNC second stint.
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Second time around HB or else I would have remembered that one!
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bootybandy
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| MrJpig wrote: | | I remember a couple of gigs on a big grey ship playing to a lot of men passing boxes and bags in a big line...that was bizarre |
On the Hermes in 1974, the band under the baton of Chris Kelly was nearly decapitated as the RAS wire between the Hermes and it's RFA snapped. There was a lot of brown adrenelin flowing after that.....
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admin
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Adrenelin eggs rolling everywhere... 
There was the county show where they sent the band on because it was too wet for the prize bulls 
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2nd Clarinet
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| admin wrote: | Adrenelin eggs rolling everywhere...
There was the county show where they sent the band on because it was too wet for the prize bulls |
I and many more of us did a couple of those in Fleet Band.
Oooooooo. weren't we lucky! We just happened to have our capes with us......
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admin
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The Milton Keynes bowl gig where the audience outnumbered the conductor by 2 and one of them was in a pushchair... asleep! Needless to say, we did the march on followed by the march off!
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2nd Clarinet
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| admin wrote: | | The Milton Keynes bowl gig where the audience outnumbered the conductor by 2 and one of them was in a pushchair... asleep! Needless to say, we did the march on followed by the march off! |
Cat IV?
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General Melchett
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We once (Scotland Band) did a gig in the middle of the rain forest to some natives in Guyana - My, how they loved the Pure Gold books and Tunes and Toasts! The booty driver was so worried that he kept the engine on the 4 tonner running......
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joe90
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| bootybandy wrote: | | MrJpig wrote: | | I remember a couple of gigs on a big grey ship playing to a lot of men passing boxes and bags in a big line...that was bizarre |
On the Hermes in 1974, the band under the baton of Chris Kelly was nearly decapitated as the RAS wire between the Hermes and it's RFA snapped. There was a lot of brown adrenelin flowing after that..... |
Same thing happened on the Ark in 1970/71 except it took some unfortunate matelot's eye out. Not pretty.
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Hornblower
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Would someone who went 'Down South' in 1982 like to recount the story of marching off a landing craft in full No 1's?
I'd love to hear it again and let others share it too. I wasn't there, so I'll leave it to someone who was - any takers?
In the event of nobody being able to spin the dit - use your imaginations folks, it was as funny as you can imagine... (Well it was when it was told to me at any rate)
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General Melchett
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That has also been done by Scotland Band off an LCVP from Fearless in '94. Not in No1's, just Banyan Rig for a Ship's Company BBQ on Tobago. The Beach recce wasn't too good as the march off the ramp ended up a good swim to the shore. I'll see if I can dig out some phots.
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Hornblower
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Cool!
I'd have loved to have seen it, but unfortunately my 3 week holiday in Tobago wasn't until 1996 
Great place and I'd go again. 
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MrJpig
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There was the time in Gib when we got a 'lift' from Booty in his RIB due to the bus strike at the docks. Full Cerries holding onto whatever we could as we bounced across the harbour to HMS Invincible (I think) then we nearly lost Bandy when he slipped on the pontoon and nearly went between it and the harbour wall......who was that Bandy??
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bootybandy
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| MrJpig wrote: | | There was the time in Gib when we got a 'lift' from Booty in his RIB due to the bus strike at the docks. Full Cerries holding onto whatever we could as we bounced across the harbour to HMS Invincible (I think) then we nearly lost Bandy when he slipped on the pontoon and nearly went between it and the harbour wall......who was that Bandy?? |
I don't know who that Bandy was.....buuuuuttttttt. Geoff Hill did the same trick in Istanbul between the jetty and a pontoon. Nearly lost him in the Bosphorus. (Very strong current). He was the VBI on Bulwark at the time when the Ark band was deployed as well.
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Jimbo
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I did a gig with BRNC band a few years ago in a pukka ancient Roman Colliseum, in Pozzuoli just outside Naples. Changing grots were just 'rooms' under the seating area, dusty as hell, redders and looking like it would fall down at any moment.
Still, we followed the gig with an all nighter/dayer and ended up adopting a stray dog, which we called 'Fish' - he followed us around all night and day, we even smuggled him on the tube train and took him for a ride! hehe
Couldnt get him into the NATO barracks though, you should have seen his sad little face as we left him at the main gate to go and get some quality head own ... aaaaaaahhhhhhh  
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