FAMILY AFFAIR

Circa:
Home town:
Members:

• Peter Cook - Guitar & vocals

• Pam Cook - Bass & vocals

• Calvin Keloran - Drums & vocals

• Keith Austin - Piano
  

FAMILY HOGSWORTH 

Circa:
Home town:  Bulawayo
Members:

• Andy McGibbon - Lead guitar

• Richard Bridgeford - Bass

• Meg Allard - Drums

This blues-based outfit emerged from the pips of the SHORT CIRCUIT QUAVAS and revelled in playing music they all enjoyed, rather than that which was more commercially rewarding.

FANTASY 

Mike Rainbow - Vocalist
Ian Davis - Lead guitar & vocals
Alan Prewett - Rhythm guitar & vocals
Ernie Mindry - Bass & vocals (1969 - 1970)
Stu Ogilvie - Drums

FEEDBACK 

Circa:  1973
Home town:  Gwelo
Members:

• Nick Lostrom - Vocals

• Brian Jakubec - Keyboards

• Mossie Hill - Drums

• Mike (Beb) Othitis - Guitar

• Paddy Keogh - Guitar

• Manager:  Tom Whitney

FIDDLERS THREE 

Circa:  1962 - 1963
Home town:
Members:

• Bob Duncan -

FINKS (Added 18/07/06)

• Rob Cushman - Lead guitar

• Jonah Cushman - Rhythm guitar

• Giles Porter - Bass

• Willie Birch - Drums

This was the first band that Rob Cushman played in and the gig venue they established themselves at was the Women's Institute in Lobengula Street - although they also did their fair share of house parties.  Their greatest hour came when they were placed second to the impressive FRUITS OF LOOM in a Texan Rock Band contest.

See also ROB CUSHMAN under SOLOS and the 3 G's, MOTETS and IVANA, RAY & ROB under BANDS.

FLAGSHIP (Added 18/07/06)

Circa:  1976
Home town:  Salisbury (Originally from the RSA)
Members:

• Maurice Fry - Guitar & vocals
• Garry Ellis - Bass
• Rob Davies - Keyboards & trumpet
• Richard Pickett - Drums & vocals

FLAGSHIP completed a very successful 3 month residency at Club Tomorrow, Salisbury, have travelled from South Africa to do so.  Rob Davies continued to tour Rhodesia with his subsequent band, WIZARD.

See also WIZARD under the BANDS pages, as well as ROB DAVIES under the IN THE TRADITION pages.

FLASHER

Circa:
Home town:
Members:

• Andy Scott -

• Robbie Wright -

• Bill Malkin -

• Alastair Coakley -

FLOWER (Added 09/05/06)

Circa:  1977

Participated in the Texan Rock Band Competition at Trade Fair Rhodesia in 1977.

FORMULA 

Circa: 1966
Home Town:  Bulawayo
Members:

• Byron Mathias - Lead vocalist

• Richard Darlow - Lead guitar

• Rudi Goema - Rhythm guitar & vocals

• Murray Hammond - Bass guitar & vocals

• Ronnie "Bungi" Robshaw - Drums & vocals

FORMULA was something of an overnight event, forming in June, 1966, and disbanding at the end of the same year.  They practiced in a church hall on the corner of Matopos Road/23rd Avenue and taped most of the music they covered from LM Radio.  It says something for the talent that existed in the band's line-up as, despite their short tenure together, they excelled in being placed second to the RAMBLERS at a Bulawayo Rock Band Contest held at the Large City Hall in September of that year.  This led to them securing a four-week spot on an RTV pop show on Sunday evenings, hosted by Mike Westcott and produced by Val Lunn.  It is thought that Beverly Lyn-Taylor was the leader of the dance group which also appeared regularly on the show.

For regular gigs, the band hired the Small City Hall for Friday evenings.  Gigs would always be followed by "chow" at Fritz Drive-In Takeaways.  Other venues which hosted the band included the Queens Sports Club and BAC.  They also appeared on the Mayor's Christmas Show and did Callies Club on New Year's Eve.

Decision time had arrived for the band, however, and the question of going professional was begging.  This ultimately led to their break-up with Byron, Rudi and Richard deciding against this option.  Bungi and Murray decided to do so and relocated to Durban in South Africa where they gigged on the local scene.  In due course Rudi returned to Bulawayo whilst Bungi moved on to Johannesburg and, Murray, Australia.

FOUR FRETS (Added 01/01/2006)

See FRETS LTD

FOURTREKKERS 

Circa:  1960's
Home town:
Members:

• Pete Baker

The band is believed to have released a long playing record.

FREDDIE AND THE FANTOMS 

Circa:
Home town:  Salisbury
Members:

• Fred Smithdorf - Lead vocals.

This band was another comprising former Alan Wilson High boys and were known, affectionately, as Freddie & The Foreskins! 

FRETS LTD (Added 01/01/2006)

This entry is dedicated by the surviving band members to the memory of the late Barry Nadin

Circa:  1965
Home town:  Salisbury
Members:

• Rob Taylor - Lead guitar

• John Lester - Rhythm guitar

• Barry Nadin - Bass

• Steve Bailey - Drums

Subsequent changes:

• "IT" Thomas replaced Rob Taylor

• Nick Winnell replaced John Lester

• Steve Bailey replaced by John "Tubby" Williams

The brainchild of lead guitarist, Rob Taylor, the Frets Ltd were born on the crest of the Beatles' wave of success.  At the time all the band's members were scholars at Churchill School in Salisbury's Eastlea suburb.  With Rob being the only band member with something of a musical background, they took their first tentative steps as the FOUR FRETS making their debut at the Portland Cement Club in 1965.  This gig was followed by others at school functions at Churchill and Roosevelt, as well as house gigs in the Greendale area.  As the band gained experience and confidence they started to look beyond their local boundaries, procuring the spot as resident band at the Highlands Country Club. 

Nothing To Fret About - Portland Cement Club (circa 1965)

From left to right: John Lester (rhythm)/Barry Nadin (bass)/Rob Taylor (lead) & Steve Bailey (drums)

In due course the band appeared at the Rhodesville Catholic Church's "Youth Evenings" and went on to play throughout Mashonaland, boasting appearances at places such as Bindura, Sinoia, Wedza, Trelawney and Inyanga.  Many of these gigs were hosted inside tobacco barns "Just to add", in Steve's Bailey's words, "to the flavour!".    As they made their way their name evolved from the FOUR FRETS to FRETS LTD.  One of the key ingredients underpinning the band's progress was the outstanding logistical support they received from noted "drinks managers" such as Irven Ridler, Peter Southworth, Paul Conway and Richard Broadrick.  It was well known at the time that the high Mashonaland temperatures could cause dehydration and copious liquid intake was essential to carry off successful gigs without flagging!

During this period the band became aware of the Fuzz Box and, fascinated by the effects it produced, set about procuring one for themselves.  This was achieved through the technical skills and knowledge of a friend, Paul Conway, who worked at the Post Office as an electronics technician.  Initially the band ran the bass guitar through it before doing the same with the lead and, in a short while, it became the latest gizmo on the local music scene.  In the absence of any conflicting evidence, the band can probably lay claim to being the first Rhodesian band to use this technology.

Inevitably military call-ups started to disrupt the band's activities and Rob Taylor made way to "IT" Thomas and John Lester was replaced by Nick Winnell.  Steve Bailey was replaced by John "Tubby" Williams.  Despite these changes, the band remained loyal to Churchill ensuring that all successors came from that fine institution!

The band "enjoyed" some dubious publicity in 1966 when the Police raided one of their gigs at the Highlands Methodist Church Hall and discovered drugs - believed to be dagga - on the premises.  The incident made the national media but, thankfully, the band emerged unscathed!

The band's members also look back upon their gigs at the Mazoe Hotel on Sunday afternoons with fondness, especially the cornish pasties which always guaranteed the "squirts" the following day!

The band soon found themselves on the "serious" music circuit playing on Saturdays at the Discotheque in Union Avenue supporting visiting artists such as Gene Rockwell and Little Joe.  On one occasion, Bennie Miller, who had just returned from overseas did an impromptu performance with the band which left them all totally stunned by his prowess.

Where People Used To Go To Fret!!

By this time military call-ups had become so frequent that the band's members constantly "chopped and changed" and the forward momentum was terminally disrupted.  Among those who did manage to stick around for a while was Hillary Thackwell on vocals.

Their biggest rip-off occurred when a very articulate and dapper gentlemen promised them a gig to a full house at the Hellenic Club - the thought of a full house of profits being shared sold the band on the idea immediately.  Only problem was that when they pitched for the gig the venue management never knew a thing about it so, in one instant, their vision of a packed hall was reduced - literally - to an empty one!!

Beset by all these interruptions to the line-up and ensuing lack of continuity, the band formally disbanded in 1968.

In the intervening years Barry Nadin died in Zimbabwe in 1986.

Nick Winnell resides in Australia.

"Tubby" Williams went on to sing opera and now lives in the United Kingdom, as do Rob Taylor and Paul Conway.

"IT" Thomas is around!

John Lester resides in Botswana.

Pete Southworth is retired in South Africa after a very successful in the banking world.

Irven Ridler resides in Cape Town's Table View suburb where he has a private pub full of FRETS LTD momentos and memories.

FRICTION (Added 19/06/05)

Circa:
Home town:  Salisbury
Members:

• Graham Yates - Lead vocals

• Kyle Lee - Lead guitar

• Dennis Haunt - Rhythm guitar

• Lorna Kopfman - Organ

• John Vareldzis - Drums

FRICTION
Lead guitarist, Kyle Kee, (L) and the man with the rhythm, Dennis Haunt (R) 

***SEE ALSO SYNAPSE***

FRIENDLY PERSUASION

Circa: 1970
Home town: Bulawayo
Members:

• Tommy Sean - Vocals

• Mike Hancock - Guitar

• John Kirsten - Guitar

• Paul Amato - Guitar, flute & harmonica

• Rich Accorsi - Organ

• Peter Price - Drums

FRUITS OF LOOM 

Circa:
Home town: Bulawayo
Members:

• Kenny van Staden - Lead guitar 

FUNNY FARM (Updated 15/08/05)

Circa: 1971 - 1972
Home town:  Salisbury
Members:

• Rob Munro - Lead guitar

• John Kay - Organs & vocals

• Roger Sheard - Bass

• Derm Knight - Drums (Replaced by Mike Garner).

FUNNY FARM were formed when John Kay and Roger Sheard arrived in Rhodesia from Zambia.  Rehearsing their material in a large hut in the Salisbury Showgrounds the band were soon established on the local gig circuit, playing at many church hall venues.  The Greendale Scout Hall, in particular, hosted a number of their performances.  They also played at Beverley Rocks occasionally and had a residency in the beer garden of the Mazoe Hotel on Sundays.  The band's demise came about when John Kay left its ranks, followed shortly afterwards by other band members.  

FUGITIVES (Updated 19/05/05)

Circa:
Home town:
Members:

• Richard Culpin - Vocals (Then replaced by John de Kock followed by Jack McGroaty  (See also APACHES/CHEQUERS/STEREOS & DRIFTERS)

• Koos du Plessis - Lead guitar

• Jerry Barnard - Rhythm guitar (See also DRIFTERS, HOLY BLACK & LATE FINAL) 
• Doug Smith - Bass
• Clive Kluckow - Drums

FURIES (Revised 16/09/05)

Circa: 1958
Home town:  Salisbury
Members:

• Mike Westcott - Vocals

• Duncan Harvey - Lead guitar

• Mike Murray - Bass

• Nick Gonifras - Drums

• Dave "Squeege" Lewis, who was a member of the earlier line-up, left the band to join the ETONIANS in 1963.

• Pol Rogers - Joined later as saxophonist

THE FURIES (Circa late 50's)

Left to right:  Rob Chaplin (drums)/Mike Murray (bass)/David "Squeege" Lewis (rhythm) & Duncan Harvey (lead).   Mike Westcott had not yet joined the band on vocals.

The FURIES were started in 1958/59 by three scholars from Churchill High School - Sandy Baxter (guitar), Rob Chaplin (drums) and Dave "Squeege" Lewis on an open-tuned acoustic "Hawaiian" guitar with strapped-on pickup complete with grass-skirted dancing girls and palm tree graphic on the body!  The band played popular covers of 50's rock, as well as a bit of skiffle.  The group practiced in the lounges of their homes (much to their parents' consternation) and played sessions at church halls in the Greendale area and surrounding suburbs.  They were also popular at school dances and had a liking for playing gigs at Rooseveldt Girls' High!  Later on, a saxophone player in the form of Pol Rogers joined the band, followed by a recognised (read 'proper'!) singer in Mike Westcott.  As the band spread their wings they started to play beyond the confines of Salisbury.  Their material also started to include touches of R & B.  In 1962 "Squeege" Lewis to join the ETONIANS (who had changed their name from the RAIDERS).