Welcome!
You’ve arrived here probably because you typed “Never Never Band” into a search engine, there being no obvious link to here from my main site.
These pages have nothing to do with The Never Never Band from Geelong, Australia.
No, this is about the original Never Never Band from the UK.
It’s an opportunity for me to dredge the memory and re-live some great musical moments from 1979/80. It was a long time ago, so please forgive any errors caused by distorted recollection, incorrect assumption or wishful thinking. You should not rely on anything you read here, but I’ll do my best.
I stumbled across The Never Never Band by accident in the autumn of 1979, when my mate Eric and I went into a music pub called the Horn of Plenty in St Albans, Hertfordshire one Monday night on the off-chance that someone decent might be playing. We'd done this on many occasions in the punk/post-punk era and encountered some real rubbish. This time, however, we heard a sublime guitar solo as we entered and stayed to witness a stunning show that combined the raw energy of punk with the musicianship and talent of the dinosaur bands.
We soon learned that The Never Never Band played at the Horn every Monday night and we became regulars in their audience. I'd rate them as one of the top three live bands I ever saw, which includes all the big names since the early 1970s. They were that good.
Apart from the Horn, they played in Oxford, Aylesbury and Bicester, and probably lots of other places too.
The original line-up was:
Dane (he never used his surname) on guitar and vocals
Neil Brewer on bass and vocals
Paul Fulford on keyboards
Bryan Fitzpatrick on drums
Dane and Neil were music veterans who had been in the prog band Druid, which had some success before being been totally eclipsed by punk around 1977/78. Bryan was a fair bit younger, lived in Hemel Hempstead with his parents and was a mate of a bloke I worked with. Don't know anything at all about Paul.
Dane and Neil (and possibly Paul?) lived in Berkhamsted, Herts.
I saw them at a couple of other venues: Hatfield Forum, where they supported Shakin’ Stevens (!) and Berkhamsted Civic Centre.
The Hatfield Forum show was a strange one, with the band playing second fiddle to a lesser talent (sorry Shaky). Dave Edmunds, the “I Hear You Knocking” hitmaker, was in attendance and was there to see the aforementioned rock and roller. We bumped into him in the foyer after The Never Never Band had finished their set. He’d obviously just arrived and asked Eric if Shaky had been on yet. I think Eric was quite pleased to have been spoken to by a star! We resisted the temptation of berating Edmunds for his tardiness, but he’d just missed what may well have been the best live act he’d ever seen. Eric and I stayed for two of Shaky’s songs, then, having heard quite enough, went back to my house to watch Match Of The Day on the telly.
The Berkhamsted show was another strange one. It was a very short set and a problem with the bass guitar was given as the reason for the early finish. But Neil had at least one spare bass on stage with him, so I really don’t know what was going on. The beginning of the end maybe?
In April 1980, using a borrowed ghetto blaster, I made an unauthorised recording of a complete Never Never Band show at the Horn of Plenty. I still have the tape and it's amongst my most prized possessions.
A few Mondays later, with no explanation, the band took the stage with a different bass player and all of Neil's songs had been dropped from the set. There was no explanation for the change - “personal and musical differences” presumably. After about a month with the new line-up, they disappeared without trace. I saw Neil once more, playing with a new band, Splash, in The Spotted Bull, a pub in Hemel Hempstead and, a couple of years later, Eric, who “discovered” The Never Never Band with me that fateful Monday night, saw Neil playing on his own in a Hemel pizza joint.
Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, my live recording is now transferred to CD .
I would welcome contact from anyone who saw the band, particularly from anybody who has recordings, photographs, press cuttings or, hope of hopes, a video. Better still, if Dane, Neil, Paul or Bryan ever see this, I would dearly love to hear from you. Please send me an email guys.
These pages are produced as a tribute to a truly great band. If I’ve unwittingly done anything to annoy the band, its individual members or anyone representing them over copyright or anything else, please get in touch.
Click here for The Never Never Band Hall of Fame
Click here for The Never Never Band Picture Gallery
Other information
After Neil left, they released a cassette of studio material which was good, but not a patch on their live show.
Dane and Paul emerged as a duo called The Vetos, who released two singles on RCA: “It’s Only Now” in 1982 and “Not Tonight” a year later. I have a copy of the first, but I’ve never seen the second.
Dane and Neil's colleagues in Druid were drummer Cedric Sharpley, who later played with Gary Numan, and keyboard player Andrew McCrorie-Shand, who wrote the theme and incidental music for the Tellytubbies!
Two songs from the Druid era survived the transformation and were played by The Never Never Band. Painters Clouds and Barnaby were featured on the album Fluid Druid.
The Valley was often introduced as being about Berkhamsted.
The only song I can remember them performing that isn’t included on my St Albans tape is The Kicker. Thankfully, it’s included on the Corndolly recording.
Somebody who worked with my sister knew Neil Brewer and loaned her one of his demo tapes, containing three tracks:
Never Let You Go
Torchy
Siberia
Very fine songs they are too. Luckily, I have a copy of the tape.
Since publishing these pages, other information has emerged, some from the depths of my memory, some from fellow fans. This newly surfaced trivia can be found here. Each little piece of information tends to raise a whole load of new questions, but that’s the nature of this sort of detective-work.
Anyway, I've enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Hope it's been of some interest to you.
Phil
Final update 25 August 2006
You’ve arrived here probably because you typed “Never Never Band” into a search engine, there being no obvious link to here from my main site.
These pages have nothing to do with The Never Never Band from Geelong, Australia.
No, this is about the original Never Never Band from the UK.
It’s an opportunity for me to dredge the memory and re-
I stumbled across The Never Never Band by accident in the autumn of 1979, when my mate Eric and I went into a music pub called the Horn of Plenty in St Albans, Hertfordshire one Monday night on the off-
We soon learned that The Never Never Band played at the Horn every Monday night and we became regulars in their audience. I'd rate them as one of the top three live bands I ever saw, which includes all the big names since the early 1970s. They were that good.
Apart from the Horn, they played in Oxford, Aylesbury and Bicester, and probably lots of other places too.
The original line-
Dane (he never used his surname) on guitar and vocals
Neil Brewer on bass and vocals
Paul Fulford on keyboards
Bryan Fitzpatrick on drums
Dane and Neil were music veterans who had been in the prog band Druid, which had some success before being been totally eclipsed by punk around 1977/78. Bryan was a fair bit younger, lived in Hemel Hempstead with his parents and was a mate of a bloke I worked with. Don't know anything at all about Paul.
Dane and Neil (and possibly Paul?) lived in Berkhamsted, Herts.
I saw them at a couple of other venues: Hatfield Forum, where they supported Shakin’ Stevens (!) and Berkhamsted Civic Centre.
The Hatfield Forum show was a strange one, with the band playing second fiddle to a lesser talent (sorry Shaky). Dave Edmunds, the “I Hear You Knocking” hitmaker, was in attendance and was there to see the aforementioned rock and roller. We bumped into him in the foyer after The Never Never Band had finished their set. He’d obviously just arrived and asked Eric if Shaky had been on yet. I think Eric was quite pleased to have been spoken to by a star! We resisted the temptation of berating Edmunds for his tardiness, but he’d just missed what may well have been the best live act he’d ever seen. Eric and I stayed for two of Shaky’s songs, then, having heard quite enough, went back to my house to watch Match Of The Day on the telly.
The Berkhamsted show was another strange one. It was a very short set and a problem with the bass guitar was given as the reason for the early finish. But Neil had at least one spare bass on stage with him, so I really don’t know what was going on. The beginning of the end maybe?
In April 1980, using a borrowed ghetto blaster, I made an unauthorised recording of a complete Never Never Band show at the Horn of Plenty. I still have the tape and it's amongst my most prized possessions.
A few Mondays later, with no explanation, the band took the stage with a different bass player and all of Neil's songs had been dropped from the set. There was no explanation for the change -
Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, my live recording is now transferred to CD .
I would welcome contact from anyone who saw the band, particularly from anybody who has recordings, photographs, press cuttings or, hope of hopes, a video. Better still, if Dane, Neil, Paul or Bryan ever see this, I would dearly love to hear from you. Please send me an email guys.
These pages are produced as a tribute to a truly great band. If I’ve unwittingly done anything to annoy the band, its individual members or anyone representing them over copyright or anything else, please get in touch.
Click here for The Never Never Band Hall of Fame
Click here for The Never Never Band Picture Gallery
Other information
After Neil left, they released a cassette of studio material which was good, but not a patch on their live show.
Dane and Paul emerged as a duo called The Vetos, who released two singles on RCA: “It’s Only Now” in 1982 and “Not Tonight” a year later. I have a copy of the first, but I’ve never seen the second.
Dane and Neil's colleagues in Druid were drummer Cedric Sharpley, who later played with Gary Numan, and keyboard player Andrew McCrorie-
Two songs from the Druid era survived the transformation and were played by The Never Never Band. Painters Clouds and Barnaby were featured on the album Fluid Druid.
The Valley was often introduced as being about Berkhamsted.
The only song I can remember them performing that isn’t included on my St Albans tape is The Kicker. Thankfully, it’s included on the Corndolly recording.
Somebody who worked with my sister knew Neil Brewer and loaned her one of his demo tapes, containing three tracks:
Never Let You Go
Torchy
Siberia
Very fine songs they are too. Luckily, I have a copy of the tape.
Since publishing these pages, other information has emerged, some from the depths of my memory, some from fellow fans. This newly surfaced trivia can be found here. Each little piece of information tends to raise a whole load of new questions, but that’s the nature of this sort of detective-
Anyway, I've enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Hope it's been of some interest to you.
Phil
Final update 25 August 2006
Go to www.neverneverband.co.uk for the latest version.
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