Droof Booth: The Pie Gallery

Ever wondered what you might look like if you ate ALL the pies? We did. With a little help from the iPhone App 'Fat Booth' (and some pies) we managed to create the exact look we were...well...looking for. Here are the results:

From left to right:

Mike 'Apple Pie' Applebee, Jon 'Fatty Boy' Smith, Anthony 'Pork Pie' Hewitt, Steve 'Chubby Chops' Cox, Phil 'Double Clotted' Gilbert, Paul 'The Cube' Eustice, Jonathan 'Heavy' Handley and Nick 'The Lampshade' Arkle.

Taken from a recent second gathering of Droof Boys in Cornwall hosted by Paul E. Nick Arkle was in attendance (again) under protest as honorary Droof Boy and chairman. More photos and details of this historic event will appear here as if by magic shortly...or should that be drekkly?

Posted by Chubby Chops

BinDrivingAllNightMaHandsWetOnTheWheel

Mike Applebee just reminded me that back in 1973, several of us bought copies of Golden Earring's 'Radar Love' single from a couple of school prefects for 15 pence a copy. My memory is hazy but I vaguely remember playing football out on the playing fields and then being distracted by a small crowd forming around a cardboard box full of vinyl 45s.

I don't even know if I'd heard of Golden Earring before but I bought one anyway so as not to miss out, just in case it was any good.

Little did any of us know that it would go down in history as a classic rock standard.

Where did the prefects get them from though?

Classic Albums - Crime of The Century

Warning: If you don't like whimsical whimsicalness...don't read this.

I haven't done one of these for a while but I spent a pleasurable few hours yesterday re-visiting some old Supertramp albums. The reason? Well, I heard 'School', the opening track to Supertramp's classic 1974 album on the radio and it instantly transported me back in time to Droof Days. I'm pretty certain I first heard this album at Paul Eustice's place, above his parent's pub in St. Day. It was always winter and dark outside in those days, probably November. Electric bar heater set to one bar. Fags would have been smoked. Almost certainly a pint or two of Devenish bitter would have been consumed. Piles of records stacked against the wall were flicked through...and chosen...

Even before you put the record on the turntable, the striking cover artwork sets the mood. The eerie blackness and infinite vastness of space sets the tone for the similarly immense and dark music about to envelop you as the needle hits the deck.

The first few soulful notes of Rick Davies' lonely harmonica drift upwards from a cavernous space and slowly pull you down into it. Faint rumbling kettle drums echo in the distance and Roger Hodgson's textured guitar begins the hypnotic chord sequence to 'School'. Already, I'm lost, drawn in...floating in the vast arena of Supertramp's space opera soundscape.

The sound on this album is just so rich and textured...and so dark and moody. So perfect for the time. No, make that just 'perfect'. I spend almost the entire length of the album with goosebumps running up and down my arms. It's one of those albums which totally and absolutely envelops you. How did they do that?

Well, aside from the outstanding musicianship...

I don't know.

What I do know is that it was recorded at Trident Studios in London and was produced by the young and very talented Ken Scott. Yes, that's right, the same Ken Scott who just a couple of years earlier had co-produced Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane and Pin-Ups. The first two albums back there were also recorded at Trident Studios.

T.Rex, The Beatles, Queen, Rod Stewart were just a few of the other artists who recorded at Trident back in the day. Is there time to mention that the grand piano at Trident can be heard on Elton John's 'Your Song', The Beatles' 'Hey Jude'? (sure, go ahead - Ed). Presumably this is the same piano used on Crime of the Century throughout. (and presumably Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust?- Ed)

Trident Studios

This struck me at the time because I could then, and still can, hear a very specific sound on both Crime of the Century and Ziggy Stardust. This interested me many years ago and I did some research which frustratingly I cannot repeat even with the internet and the power of Google.

What I remember discovering was that Trident had a unique echo chamber. I saw a diagram of the main studio on one of the upper floors and the echo chamber which was actually a few stories down in what must have been the basement I guess. Instrument sounds were fed into this chamber and 'echoed' before returning to the mixing console (Trident had unique custom built consoles like the one below). This must be a 'true', natural echo which is more often than not usually created using echo plates and reverb springs etc. Anyway, to my ears at least I think that the awesome echo and spaciness on both Ziggy Stardust and Crime of the Century have a very similar quality to them. Listen to Mick Ronson's guitar solo on Moonage Daydream...that's what I'm talking about.

Anyway, don't get me started on Mick...


Put Supertramp's Crime of The Century on now. I dare you.

Suddenly it's 1974 and you are a Droof Boy. You have to be at Redruth Grammar School in the morning. You'll freeze outside the main doors with your mates, waiting for some prefect to let you in. Probably have a double Classics lesson to not look forward to. Who cares. Lose yourself in Crime of The Century for an hour or two...

Posted by Steve

Halloween Meet Up

From left to right: Steve Rose, Nick Arkle, Steve Cox, Paul Eustice, Mike Applebee and Philip Gilbert

It's been quite a while since the last post but there was a small gathering of Droofers last weekend in Bristol on Halloween to be precise. Four Droof Boys were in attendance with the addition of two old friends and band members who used to play in bands with Paul and Steve in the eighties. Steve Rose, originally from Bristol but now residing in Baltimore, USA. He still plays drums with his band Vulgaria. The other honorary member for the night was Nick Arkle, keyboard player and prankster extraordinaire.

In true Droofboy fashion, nobody could be bothered to make the effort to dress up for Halloween but Nick did bring along a bag of witches fingers, fangs and dubious looking lollies which came in very useful whilst sampling the delights of the Chinese food spread out on good old lazy Susan.

Plumping for the 'eat as much as you can for £15.50' option, the boys acquitted themselves well and managed to come back for seconds on several dishes. We didn't quite manage all 65 dishes on offer but it was a good effort. Phil tried squid for the first and last time.

The friendly staff at The Water Sky Restaurant were more than attentive as the lads quaffed oriental lagers and fumbled with chopsticks late into the evening. Much fun was had by all and we all piled back to Mike's to reminisce and talk nonsense into the small hours before falling asleep on inflatable things that snored in the night.

Posted by Steve

Bacon Sandwich

From left to right: Perry Watson, Steve Cox, Jon Handley (kneeling), Mike Applebee, Paul Eustice, Robert Hellings and Simon Hart discuss bacon sandwiches.

This rather blurry photo (taken by Anthony with a cheap camera he tells me), shows a crowd of Droof boys on the way back from one of Jon Smith's legendary parties at Nancemellin. I think we were all a little worse for wear and probably hadn't had more than a couple of hours sleep amongst the hay bales in the barn. My memory is a little hazy but I recall somebody mentioning the fatal words 'bacon sandwich' at which point we all started salivating and the mission was then on to go and track one down in Camborne.

I think it may have been a Sunday so our quest became quite desperate but we finally managed to track one down somewhere. I remember trying the bus station but we might have eventually found a little cafe somewhere that made them. They weren't actually very nice I remember but they sated our hunger and off we departed to our separate homes.

Posted by Steve

Parker's Kitchen

Mike brews up

Parker's kitchen at Melrose House was...and probably still is the centre of the known universe. Anyone who has experienced the joy of sitting around the Melrose House kitchen table whilst enjoying one of Sheila Parker's magnificent meals will know the true joy of 'home cooking' and being made to feel welcome...even if you were a virtual stranger.

This is me and Mike just back from picking 'shrooms' I believe. Shroom tea was a splendid way to end off a Sunday afternoon walk in the 'Roly-Poly' fields above Melrose House in Lanner. Our parents had to put up with insane giggling over Sunday night roasts and we are sorry for that...

Footnote: I am kitted out in full Pratts Army/Navy Surplus Great Coat (Sgt. Evans 6'7" it said on the inside pocket) gear with obligitory college scarf. Mike has settled for the casual combat jacket.

Posted by Steve

Looking For The Aliens

click on image for closer look

Strange events have occurred since last week. Firstly, I suddenly found myself in contact with Paul Eustice again after an 18 year estrangement. Emails have been exchanged, memories have been jolted and a pledge to meet up in the near future has been made.

Secondly, an alien visitation happened yesterday when I discovered a package had been delivered and was left on the tank of my motorbike. On opening, I discovered two copies of the Flight Seven Seven single: 'Looking For The Aliens/Stranger'. All of my vinyl 45s disappeared after I left home as I carelessly left them in the care of my parents who duly disposed of them after I had flown the nest. My copy of this (and Mushy Doubt) were dispatched to a Lanner Women's Institute jumble sale no doubt.

Anyway, these two songs were the first ever to be recorded by the band in May 1982 (so it says on the sleeve notes). I remember two days spent at John Knight Studios, near Coverack, Helston. Recording, mixing, drinking cups of tea and smoking fags at the studios which must have been a converted military installation of some sort. From the outside it appeared to be a giant grassy mound with a door in it in the middle of it...in the middle of nowhere. I remember going outside for a smoke at one night when we were there late mixing the tracks down. My eyes scanned the starry skies looking for aliens but there were none. None that I saw anyway. I believe Paul took a few photos whist we were there...Paul?

Flight Seven Seven at Carlyon Bay

John Knight, who also ran a small advertising agency (and still does by the look of things) was so taken with us that he asked us to return and record a couple of short jingles for the local drinks manufacturer 'Jollys'. I think they were used on a TSW TV ad a few times. "We're the Jollys...."

Fun times indeed.

I have yet to set my turntable up to listen to and convert these track into MP3s...but it will happen soon.

Posted by Steve