Let Sleeping Rock Groups Lie
Went to see the British Walkers reunion at Winston Billiards Cafe in Rockville on Saturday. For those who missed the British Walkers phenomenon the first time around in 1965 — and I missed them, too — they were a D.C.-area band that wore Redcoat-style outfits, spoke with British accents, and played Beatle songs, Beatle-type songs, and generally did a bang-up job of cashing in on the whole Beatle thing. Though I never witnessed the magic first-hand, I’d heard the band name and that of its charismatic leader Bobbie Howard whispered reverently often enough over the years. After all, Roy Buchanan was the band’s first guitarist.
So I don’t know what I was expecting — perhaps the Redcoat suits? At the least, I was hoping for some Beatle-y teen-club nostalgia.
What I got was the worst double-bill since Hendrix opened for the Monkees.
For some reason, Joe Lee, mastermind of the event, booked an opening act, the Mustangs, an 11-piece soul band, complete with horn section and four lead singers. Some of the group were part of Wilson Pickett’s last band. And, damn. They totally rocked the joint. Opening with a Sly & the Family Stone medley, the group perfectly captured the Staple Singers, Etta James, and James Brown, and gave the terms “bar band” and “cover band” a bright sheen of respect.
The crowd — not surprisingly, mostly aging white folks — screamed for an encore, which the Mustangs were happy to play.
The only way the Walkers could have followed that was if they were the actual Beatles. And even then, I’m not sure.
It did not help that after the Mustangs cleared the stage there followed an interminable amount of tuning up and microphone feedback. Hello, sound engineer: you just had 11 musicians onstage, now you’ve got five. Remove six mics and don’t screw with anything else. Hello, band: Tune up offstage. They make portable tuners for just this purpose. Buy some.
Howard is now 67 and he still has the mod hair and looks sharp in a Carnaby Street suit. But, unlike the stylishly-attired Mustangs, the other Walkers opted for a mishmash of jeans, ball-caps, and whatever Elvis-meets-David Byrne outfit Billy Hancock was wearing.
And what was Hancock doing onstage anyway? He was never a member of the band. Though everyone else onstage had, at one time, been a member of the British Walkers, this particular lineup never existed. Guitarist Geoff Richardson never played with Bobbie, according to Hancock’s liner notes to the reissue CD. (OK, that might explain why he was there.)
The band started with a cover of Sam Cooke’s “Shake,” also one of its local-but-not-quite-national hits. And right away it seemed that the British Invasion legend was more myth than reality. As Joe Lee told the Post’s John Kelly, “The band was as much a rhythm-and-blues group as a rock group….They looked like a bunch of guys from England, but they listened to all the same soul stations as I did in the ’60s.”
Howard said after the third song (”Knock on Wood”) that his voice couldn’t handle an entire night of singing anymore and introduced Hancock, who launched into one of his usual rockabilly songs. And I felt whatever good will I’d come with evaporate. I can see the Billy Hancock show any time. Plus, I just felt embarrassed for the band.
I left while Kelly, the nicest man alive, frugged valiantly on the dance floor, doing his part, at least, to keep that ’60s magic alive.
You be the judge: Here’s the British Walkers, followed by the Mustangs.
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:37 pm
I saw them at JVs Restaurant on Sunday - mix and miking was horrible; even asked Bobby if they could take a 15 min break and fix it - answer no. Steve Lacy on drums was the one thing that was really great. He could still pound out the sound!
July 25th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Thanks for the comment. I worried that would be the case. Lacy is good, I just felt so bad for the guys. The CD is cool, though.
DN
July 25th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Bobby’s voice was still one-of-a-kind that no one can duplicate (well, other than when he tried to pretend he was a british rocker on a few of the 45’s). Anyway, his original and individual voice is still there. Wish he could have continued. But, hey, Roy and Link also took the low road. I don’t know you, but I used to manage Blind Sam Myers (recently before death with the Anson Funderberg and the Rockets and also Robert Jr. Lockwood (Robert Johnson’s stepson) and Theotis Morgan and Lonnie Pitchford - I formed a band with all of them. I brought Cajun and Zydeco up the east coast in 1985 after the World’s Fair in New Orleans ( which I administered the folklife pavilion) - working with Joe Lee and the likes of the Lond Star Cafe in NY and many many other venues, anyway …… been out of the business for many years, but still like catching up. Luv, Patty, now 60 years old. Nice talking to you.
July 25th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
P.S. I grew up down the road from Bobby - I Went to Edison High School - off Franconia and Telegraph - we are the original people who knew them and all of the other bands coming out of Alexandria back then - including Jim Morrison (the Doors), Mama Cass (Mama and Pappas). We were there when! What a wonderful time. I credit that time period and the bands I listened to and knew members of (who I still know today) with getting that “groupie” spirit in me that caused me to become a producer, manager, etc. years later. Everytime we have a class reunion we talk about the “Cameron Club” and other places that the British Walkers and others played at, including our HS sock hops. Elvis never had it so good - he never had the Alexandria Roller Rink and venues where people opened up for the Yardbirds, and all those bands and individual musicians who are now legends and almost all of whom are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
July 25th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
P.S. From what I’ve heard the band only had 2 weeks to practice, having never been together in 40 years. The amazing thing is that Steve Lacy hadn’t owned a drum set in 30 years. A year ago, a local garage band that’s been in existence since the 60’s (the Sock Monkeys) and who plays all our HS reunions and such, and locally, asked Steve if he would join them but he said, hey, I haven’t played in years, so a a friend of mine from HS, Ron Scheider, my best buddy from HS, is now with the re-formed band. Anyway. No drum set in 30 years, 2 weeks of practice - hey = Steve was great! Billie Hancock stepped in cuz one of band members who was supposed to tour (as I understand it) recently died. Billy did a great job.
July 26th, 2009 at 1:14 am
Patty,
Great talking with you, too! You must know — or should know — Mark Opsasnick, who wrote the books “Capitol Rock” and “The Lizard King Was Here,” the latter all about Jim Morrison’s life in Alexandria and D.C. It’s utterly fascinating — he found most of the people from that time and place and the stories they tell are great.
Unfortunately, I was a bit (just a bit) younger and on the Maryland side of the river, so missed out on the first-hand British Walker experience. Glad he was able to come out for his fans again — just wish the events had been focused on the band and not all the other acts on the bill. And good sound is always essential.
DN