I lived in Oxford in the 70s and early 80s (my parents kept a pub in the city centre) and I saw the band many times at the Corn Dolly and a couple of times at the Board Hotel in Eynsham.  I'm sure I saw at least one Oxford college gig too.

I remember wandering down the Dolly one night in ’79, just as this unknown (to me) band took the stage.  It may have been August Bank Holiday Monday after the Reading Festival, or a little later in September – the recollection is hazy!  The next recollection is crystal clear - a curly-haired bass player in a T-shirt and silver baggy trousers, with a silly grin and Marty Feldman eyes, bouncing back and forth across the stage as they opened their set with a song called “City Love”.  What a great song it turned out to be, and what a great band!  That night I was hooked, and subsequently saw them whenever I could.  They were VERY popular at the Dolly, and notably different to any other band playing there at the time.  It was predominantly a rock and NWOBHM venue.  In late ’79 / early ’80 the only other band that attracted as big a crowd as Never Never was Urchin, the band fronted by Adrian Smith before he joined Iron Maiden.

The original line-up was (I agree with you) one of the very best bands I’ve ever seen.  I loved the songs, the sense of humour, the musicianship and the performances.  When I tried to tell people about them I could never describe them adequately – they defied pigeonholing.  They weren’t rock or prog, they weren’t punk or new wave, but they had elements of all of those.  A band with two contrasting singer/songwriters is always interesting, but Dane and Neil were perfect foils both in their songs and in their performance. What a crying shame it didn’t last!!  We were devastated at the Dolly when Neil left.  It was a major topic of conversation for weeks.  I saw the post-Neil Never Never many times, and also The Vetos and Splash at the Penny Farthing.  All very good, but never quite as magical.

I'm attaching some photos.  The one of Paul, Bryan and Dane off stage was taken at the Corn Dolly in September 1980.  The not-so-good shots of Dane and Neil were taken at the Board Hotel in February 1980.  Also, there's a pic of me wearing my Never Never T-shirt in 1982.  I’m pretty certain I still have it somewhere but there’s no way it’ll fit!  Less hair, more belly.  I'm sure I have an envelope that was autographed by Dane, Neil, Paul and Bryan at the Dolly but I can't find it.  If it turns up I'll send you a scan.

I have a cassette I recorded of the band (with Neil) at the Corn Dolly in March 1980.  It’s not great quality, and the last time I tried to play it it jammed (pesky C120s – I don’t miss those!), but I am going to try and salvage it.  Fortunately I'm married to the girlfriend I gave a copy to, and I think we still have the copy somewhere.  

A few other Never Never memories:

• When I first used to go and see them, Paul had very long hair.  Then one day he turned up with it cropped short.
   
• Neil doing a big paintbrush gesture above his head to introduce Painters Clouds.
      
• Neil had three basses: a Rickenbacker, a Wal and one he referred to as “The Lawnmower”.
      
• I’m sure I saw Druid on the OGWT in the 70s.  My only recollection is that they reminded me a bit of Yes.
      
• My own band used to play at the Dolly on the quieter nights (we weren’t in the same league) and we opened for the post-Neil Never Never on at least one occasion.

Simon Forrester

December 2006