THE BOHO STORY: A WORK IN PROGRESS

This post is a summary of the musical adventures of my band BOHO to date.

After a long gap, we are now back in action with a new line-up: JM w/Louis May (guitar), Matt Geary (bass), Andy Ferguson (sax/flute), Mick Hawksworth (drums).For our first gig, we are opening for Thunderclap Newman.

BOHO began in 1999 when, as if by magic, musicians found each other and the band was born. I suggested we call ourselves The Bohemians but Paul Harrison came right-back-at-me with BOHO. The name stuck. We play beatnik music, inspired by the Beat Poets. Some might call it funked-up folk. To get a sense of the music we play, go the BOHO MySpace site, which we're in the process of upgrading.

I kept an Archive of our musical adventures, including boxes of taped recordings, photos, scribbled set lists, e-mails, video and more. Here is some of it.

1999

24 Nov: ALL SAINT'S, LEWES

First live gig of the original BOHO line-up: JM + Louis May [Guitar], Fran Galpin [bass], Mike Edwards [Drums], Imogen Rogers [Saxophone], Paul Harrison [Percussion].

Our first promotion, which features Jack Kerouac on the ticket, also featured introductory speech by JM on the History of the Beats, solo spot from the centre of the audience by Andy Spiller and poetry by Joe Lang.

2000

3 Feb: KOMEDIA Our first 'New Beat Experience' event in Brighton was a great success. People came out of the woodwork and many tribes met. We sold 194 out of 198 tickets. BOHO headlined + poetry from Joe Laing + Jake and Marcus + Hearth ( a folk duo) + DJ + lights by Big Fug.

That week's events at the Komedia were being sponsored by a drinks company. As part of this, they had erected a stage and PA at Brighton Station to showcase a variety of acts. Playing on a station concourse (Jan 26th) at rush hour was a strange and wonderful thing. It sounded great - like making music in a cathedral. But the audience came and went. One minute it was two drinkers and their mangy dogs and a small scattering of onlookers, the next 300 people pouring through the station. We had a group photo taken on Platform 1 which was meant to appear in The Argus but never did.

28 April: METWAY STUDIO, BRIGHTON. We recorded our first EP in one day at the Leveller's studio with Jake at the controls. Alex May had by this time replaced Louis on guitar (although both played on this session).

Tracks: Brighton Boho Beat/Tear Me Up/ Be Bop. Be Beat/Sometimes/ Voice/The Last Years (of the 20th Century)

30 June: ALL SAINT'S The BOHO band headline 'A New Beat Experience' which also featured Louis May & Matt + Hearth. [Missing poster]

18 Aug: KOMEDIA The new BOHO line-up (with Alex on guitar) may have received top billing but the real star of this show was the legendary Billy Childish, who delivered a long set, half poetry (mesmerising) and half music (Delta Blues from Chatham, played on a long rectangular guitar that looked like a car door). Fabulous stuff. Also on the bill, an extraordinary performance by the wonderful Josefina Cupido - One Woman, One Drum + the great Nigel Burch + solo performance by Louis.

The BOHO line-up split up soon after. Mike the drummer left to return to his painting and things just drifted apart.

The graphics for the posters of this period and the great BOHO record player logo were created by the wonderful Foz (known in the music world as the guitarist in David Devant and his Spirit Wife).

2001

In the early months of this year, a new BOHO line-up began to take shape, although we decided to call ourselves 'The Electric Crayon Set'. I remember rehearsing on Sundays at the YMCA with Dean Jones (bass) and Paul Harrison, playing a cardboard box, with Anna on violin. It was cold.

24 May: KOMEDIA The first and only live gig by the aforementioned ECS [with Paul on drums!] in a psychedelic night out we called 'The New Underground Experience' Star of the show was the legendary Arthur Brown - 'The God of Hellfire' - who was followed by the brilliant Dutch psychedelic band Baron Saturday. Also a set from Audio K.O. + Poets + DJ Chris + Lights.

Sometime between May and December, a new BOHO line-up emerged - a bigger band involving much more complicated arrangements. This featured: JM (Guitar/Vocals), Paul Nieman (Trombone), Hanna (Guitar/Flute/Mandolin), Ben (Keyboards), Steve Wrigley (Guitar), Dan Sheppard (Double bass) Paul Harrison (Percussion), Marcus Ripley (drums). We called it Boho Blue.

29 Dec: KOMEDIA The first live gig by BOHO Blue (New Line Up/Classic Sound) + Josefina Cupido + 3 Girl Rumba + Furry Hopkins + Louis May with Steve (Mojo Fins) [+ Yeb (African saxophonist) ?]

2002

2 March: ALL SAINTS

The BOHO BLUE band headline 'A New Beat Experience' which also featured Furry Hopkins + Big Sugah + People Like Funk + Yeb [African saxophonist] + Waypoint (Louis May & Ben Schiltmeijer). [Missing poster/ticket illustrated]

3 May: KOMEDIA One of our greatest events, featuring a stripped-down BOHO BLUE (w/ JM, Paul H (drums), Paul Nieman, Hanna and Steve Wrigley (bass). Also featured: Big Sugah + Makula (Dean Jones' band) + Scattered (4-piece fronted by Emil) + Wireless + Yeb.

The gig also featured a live internet link-up with the beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, live from his City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, projected on a big screen in the club. Thirty minutes of intense poetry by one of the Old Masters. This was produced and engineered by Alex May in collaboration with Bryan Mattheson of iMusicast in San Fran. An extraordinary event. We later produced, with permission, a CD of the reading.

June (?): Solo recording in a flat in Mountfield Road, Lewes by Emil Nitrate, using Apple Powerbook and a MOTU 828. Limited edition of 100 copies. Nine original songs by JM (except * w/Louis May).

Track Listing: My First Satellite/I Know It's True/All My Chances/ *Driving to Nowhere/ Tear Me Up/High/Blues Ain't Going to Treat Me Right/I Keep Waking Up In Your Dreams/ Twin Towers

24 July: SUSSEX ARTS CLUB A fresh event and a new venue for 'The New Acoustic Experience'. Featured solo performances by JM and Louis May + Juju & Ollie + Bernadette Cremin (performance poet) + Yeb (with kora player) + Ife Tolentino (Brazilian guitarist/singer) w/ Paul Newman.

[Poster: The last psychedelic poster produced by a master of the art - Michael English of Hapshash & The Coloured Coat, who died 25th Sept 2009.]

25 Sept: CONCORDE 2 BRIGHTON

THE NEW UNDERGROUND EXPERIENCE

In association with Ian Grant of Track Records

Sons of Shiva (World Premiere)Featuring Hugh Cornwall (former Stranglers frontman), plus Sex W. Johnston, Chris Goulstone aka Lord G., Steve Lawrence and Windsor McGilvry

Lach & The Secrets: New York-based band featuring Lach (founder of the anti-folk movement) with Billy Ficca (formerly of Television) and Roy Edroso (of The Reverb Motherfuckers)

Baron Saturday: The groovy riff explosion from the Netherlands featuring John (guitar), Rick (vocals), Caspar (bass), Niels (drums) www, baronsaturday. com

Plus a live internet link-up with The Deviants, (Mick Farren/Andy Colquhoun) playing live from a club called Spaceland in Hollywood. [Broadband connection enabled by Moving Image. Produced and engineered by Alex May.]

Featuring lightshow by Neil Rice and the legendary DJ Jeff Dexter

There's a long and weird story connected with this gig. Maybe later.

30 Dec: KOMEDIA

First and only live appearance of new BOHO line-up: JM + Fran Galpin [Bass], Andy Spiller [Guitar], Mick Hawksworth [Drums]

+ Slipstream - 'Music for Poets to Pikeys'. Part of the Medway Beat Scene, the band often played gigs with Billy Childish and his band. This was their Brighton debut. Their lead singer and songwriter now has a successful solo career.

+ The Makuli - Band led by Dean Jones + Kate from Big Sugah making her solo debut.

DJ Chris/Lights by Big Fug

2003

6 Jan 2003: A live one-take recording by Emil Nitrate at the Tin Tabernacle, using Apple Powerbook with MOTU 828. 100 copies pressed. Track listing: One Fine Day/All The Lies/ I Know It's True/ I Believe/ Blues Ain't Going to Treat Me Right/ Poetry and Love/ High/ Sometimes/ Tear Me Up/ Driving to Nowhere.

25 April: KOMEDIA

'The New Beat Experience Vol 5' featured 7+7 Is with Slipstream, The Waypoint, a BOHO set from JM w/Steve Williams plus the poet Interference.

12 Sept: KOMEDIA

'The New Beat Experience Vol 7' featured the first live gig by a brand new BOHO line-up: JM w/Steve Steve Williams [guitar] + Bob Taylor [bass] + Mick Hawksworth [drums].

Also on the bill, The Mutts + Dean Jones (w/Anna) + Louis May. In addition, two fantastic poets - Pete Brown and Spike Hawkins. Lights by Big Fug.

27th Nov: LEWES ARMS:

2004

12th Feb LEWES ARMS:

BOHO play live in the games room.

14th Feb SOUTHOVER GRANGE, LEWES: 'An Evening of Poetry and Music for Peace.'

1st March: This was a live one-take recording by Emil Nitrate on an Apple Powerbook/Matu 828, at the Tin Tabernacle in front of an invited audience - with projections. An Extended Demo containing the following tracks: Will You Believe Me/All The Lies/ Time For A Change/ Sunshine Superman [Donovan] + It's A Shame/What A Time It Was/That's Life. Cover: Mick Hawksworth.

[Photos by Flo]

26th March: ROUNDABOUT, Barn Theatre, Field PLace, Worthing

Posters advertising the following gigs:

18 June ROYAL OAK, LEWES

31 July KOMEDIA

'The New Beat Experience 8. Line-up was: Ant Man Bee, The Mojo Fins, BOHO, Tam Dean Burn, Serena & Bob.

Ant Man Bee [Photo: Flo]

21 August THE SNOWDROP, LEWES

17 October: ELEPHANT & CASTLE, LEWES

2005

11 Feb: ROYAL OAK, LEWES

24 Feb: TSUNAMI BENEFIT, LEWES TOWN HALL

15 April: ROYAL OAK, LEWES

2O May: ROYAL OAK, LEWES

1 July: ROYAL OAK, LEWES

5 August: ROYAL OAK, LEWES

19 August: ROYAL OAK, LEWES

2006

14 April ROYAL OAK, LEWES

First and only gig with new BOHO line-up: JM w/Mick Hawksworth (drums), Matt Geary (bass), Louis May (guitar), Steve Williams (guitar)

2008

21 Jan: LEWES ARMS

One of two semi-acoustic events which both featured a new BOHO line-up of Chris Lewis (guitar) and Simon (violin). Solo sets from Ollie Elmes, Louis May and Hanna.

20 March: LEWES ARMS
The second of these semi-acoustic events featured a BOHO (this time with the addition of Maia on vocals) with sets from Elsa & George, Cameron Mobbs & Finn Cotton and The Cowboy Outfit (Tab& Heather).