July 2013 - A retrospective 40 year anniversary look at Frank Lea's contribution to the Slade Isle Of Man concerts...
Francis Whild Lea – one of the four male offspring of Frank (Snr) and Edna Lea from Codsall, Wolverhampton. Frank is a younger brother to Ray and James, and older brother to John.
I met Frank quite recently, for the first time in many years, at a get together organised by film director and author Alan G Parker.
I was aware that the 40 year anniversary of Slade’s triumphant Earl’s Court gig was looming (followed by the impending anniversary of Don’s life changing car crash) and I thought it would be interesting to talk to Frank. I wanted to discuss his memories of standing in for Don, as Slade drummer, for the two Isle Of Man gigs in the Summer of 1973. Not much can be found of these events on the web, and it would be good to get his side of this piece of Slade history.
Slade Timeline
Tuesday 26 June 1973 – Skweeze Me Pleeze Me hits No1 in the UK (Slade’s 5th No.1 single)
Saturday 30 June 1973 - Don's Bentley damaged. Fans rip the windscreen wipers off as souvenirs at the Holiday Inn, Swiss Cottage.
Sunday 1 July 1973 – Slade play to 18,000 at Earls Court, London
Wednesday 4 July 1973 – Don Powell involved in a car crash in Wolverhampton. His girlfriend, Angela Morris, is killed.
Slade's intended recording of Skweeze Me Pleeze Me on Top Of The Pops is cancelled.
Thursday 5 July 1973 - Frank has trial / rehearsal with Slade at Wednesbury school.
Friday 6 July 1973 - Frank announced in the press as replacement drummer for IOM gigs.
Sunday 8 July 1973 - Frank Lea stands in for Don on drums at Slade’s first summer gig at the Palace Lido in Douglas, Isle Of Man.
Sunday 29 July 1973 - Frank Lea stands in for Don on drums at Slade’s second summer gig at the Palace Lido in Douglas, Isle Of Man.
I met Frank quite recently, for the first time in many years, at a get together organised by film director and author Alan G Parker.
I was aware that the 40 year anniversary of Slade’s triumphant Earl’s Court gig was looming (followed by the impending anniversary of Don’s life changing car crash) and I thought it would be interesting to talk to Frank. I wanted to discuss his memories of standing in for Don, as Slade drummer, for the two Isle Of Man gigs in the Summer of 1973. Not much can be found of these events on the web, and it would be good to get his side of this piece of Slade history.
Slade Timeline
Tuesday 26 June 1973 – Skweeze Me Pleeze Me hits No1 in the UK (Slade’s 5th No.1 single)
Saturday 30 June 1973 - Don's Bentley damaged. Fans rip the windscreen wipers off as souvenirs at the Holiday Inn, Swiss Cottage.
Sunday 1 July 1973 – Slade play to 18,000 at Earls Court, London
Wednesday 4 July 1973 – Don Powell involved in a car crash in Wolverhampton. His girlfriend, Angela Morris, is killed.
Slade's intended recording of Skweeze Me Pleeze Me on Top Of The Pops is cancelled.
Thursday 5 July 1973 - Frank has trial / rehearsal with Slade at Wednesbury school.
Friday 6 July 1973 - Frank announced in the press as replacement drummer for IOM gigs.
Sunday 8 July 1973 - Frank Lea stands in for Don on drums at Slade’s first summer gig at the Palace Lido in Douglas, Isle Of Man.
Sunday 29 July 1973 - Frank Lea stands in for Don on drums at Slade’s second summer gig at the Palace Lido in Douglas, Isle Of Man.
The Venue – The Palace Lido
The originally named Coliseum complex in Douglas, Isle of Man, opened in 1889. It included an enormous ballroom, which at the time claimed to be the biggest in Europe. The hall itself was originally called the Palace Pavilion Ballroom, and later re-named the Palace Lido.
In 1965 the Palace Hotel and Casino were added to the complex (the first licensed casino in Britain).
The ballroom was sadly demolished in 1994 to allow a car park to the money-spinning casino.
The seated capacity of the venue was 5,000.
The originally named Coliseum complex in Douglas, Isle of Man, opened in 1889. It included an enormous ballroom, which at the time claimed to be the biggest in Europe. The hall itself was originally called the Palace Pavilion Ballroom, and later re-named the Palace Lido.
In 1965 the Palace Hotel and Casino were added to the complex (the first licensed casino in Britain).
The ballroom was sadly demolished in 1994 to allow a car park to the money-spinning casino.
The seated capacity of the venue was 5,000.
Interview
The date is set to meet Frank - Monday 8th July.
I arranged to meet him outside Selfridges in Oxford Street, London. I didn’t realise, until the morning of the interview (whilst doing my research), that we were actually meeting on the 40th anniversary of the first gig where Frank stood in for Don….
Frank and I walked to an old haunt where we could chat – the Angel In The Fields, in Thayer Street, Marylebone. (By the way – Frank was a cheap date. My only expense to gain Frank’s thoughts was a Diet Coke and a packet of ready salted crisps).
I showed Frank some archive scanned press that I have from 1973. He laughed about the pic that was used of him in the papers. He told me that it was taken at Jim’s house in Warstones Road in Penn, Wolverhampton. Frank says there was another pic taken with him and Jim at the piano – a copy of which Frank still owns.
The date is set to meet Frank - Monday 8th July.
I arranged to meet him outside Selfridges in Oxford Street, London. I didn’t realise, until the morning of the interview (whilst doing my research), that we were actually meeting on the 40th anniversary of the first gig where Frank stood in for Don….
Frank and I walked to an old haunt where we could chat – the Angel In The Fields, in Thayer Street, Marylebone. (By the way – Frank was a cheap date. My only expense to gain Frank’s thoughts was a Diet Coke and a packet of ready salted crisps).
I showed Frank some archive scanned press that I have from 1973. He laughed about the pic that was used of him in the papers. He told me that it was taken at Jim’s house in Warstones Road in Penn, Wolverhampton. Frank says there was another pic taken with him and Jim at the piano – a copy of which Frank still owns.
Another press article I showed Frank was from the July 1973 edition of the It’s Here And Now teen mag. It had a pic of Frank and Jim together, with Frank sporting a tache. Frank said that he had never seen this pic or article before – and was quite amazed at seeing this relic photo.
Frank read through the yellowed articles and immediately noticed some errors in the text… The old press stated that Don taught him how to play drums (Frank was self-taught). Another article stated that in 1973 he played with a band called Jackrat (Frank had never played in a band before standing in for Don)…. Despite the errors, Frank asked to keep the articles.
DK: Back to 1973. How did you find out about Don’s accident on the morning of 4th July 1973?
FL: Me and Don used to go out clubbing in Wolverhampton, we’d gone out clubbing that night. Don had driven into town - as I’d lost my licence from drink-driving, as you do when you were that age (20). We went to the Lafayette club. It got to half way through the night and Don went down to another nightclub (Dix’s) to meet his girlfriend Angela – while I stayed at the Lafayette. I was going to meet Don again later at Dix’s.
This routine would happen often… I would be with my mates in The Lafayette, Don would be in Dix’s, and I would walk down to him to give me a lift home. You know what Don’s like – he was good like that.
On that night I remember having a few drinks in The Lafayette and asking my friend, Anthony, to drop me down to Dix’s for Don to give me that lift.
When we got down to Dix’s I noticed that Don’s car wasn’t there. He always used to park his car right outside the main entrance of the club – so the bouncers could keep an eye on it. The club had a little sliding hatch on the front door – and the bouncers would open it to watch Don’s car.
When me and Anthony arrived at Dix’s, I was surprised to find Don’s car wasn’t there. I thought “That’s weird – fancy him leaving me”? Anthony then offered to drive me home to my parents’ house in Codsall. (If only mobile phones had been invented in those days – I would have called Don and found out where he was).
(What Frank didn’t know was that Don’s car WAS still at Dix’s club. Very unusually it was parked at the side of the club – and Don and Angela were still inside the nightclub. The reason that Don’s car was parked at the side was that another car was already parked in Don’s usual spot – and nobody knew who owned it).
The next thing I remember, it was 3 or 4 O’Clock in the morning and the phone rang. I was in bed and ran downstairs to get the phone. My Dad would’ve gone mad as he’d have to get up early to go to work…
It was a call from Wolverhampton Police. They asked if I was Frank Lea, and whether I knew Don Powell. I confirmed that I was Frank and that I knew Don. They asked if I could help them, as Don had been in an accident. I thought by “accident” that the police meant he had just bumped into another car and maybe dented the bumper. I presumed Don was at the police station and they wanted me to help get him home…
Without giving them much time to talk, I asked why they were calling me. The police said that I was the only person they knew who was connected to Don. So I asked why didn’t they ring his Mum and Dad? They said they didn’t know their number, so I gave it to them and went back to bed. I didn’t think anything more of the events…
The next morning I went to my part-time job in Wolverhampton. When I arrived at work the other guys said to me that they were sorry to hear the news about Don. They said that he’d been in a car crash. He was in a serious condition and his girlfriend had been killed.
I couldn’t believe it. I waited til the news came on the radio so I could have the details confirmed.
DK: Back to 1973. How did you find out about Don’s accident on the morning of 4th July 1973?
FL: Me and Don used to go out clubbing in Wolverhampton, we’d gone out clubbing that night. Don had driven into town - as I’d lost my licence from drink-driving, as you do when you were that age (20). We went to the Lafayette club. It got to half way through the night and Don went down to another nightclub (Dix’s) to meet his girlfriend Angela – while I stayed at the Lafayette. I was going to meet Don again later at Dix’s.
This routine would happen often… I would be with my mates in The Lafayette, Don would be in Dix’s, and I would walk down to him to give me a lift home. You know what Don’s like – he was good like that.
On that night I remember having a few drinks in The Lafayette and asking my friend, Anthony, to drop me down to Dix’s for Don to give me that lift.
When we got down to Dix’s I noticed that Don’s car wasn’t there. He always used to park his car right outside the main entrance of the club – so the bouncers could keep an eye on it. The club had a little sliding hatch on the front door – and the bouncers would open it to watch Don’s car.
When me and Anthony arrived at Dix’s, I was surprised to find Don’s car wasn’t there. I thought “That’s weird – fancy him leaving me”? Anthony then offered to drive me home to my parents’ house in Codsall. (If only mobile phones had been invented in those days – I would have called Don and found out where he was).
(What Frank didn’t know was that Don’s car WAS still at Dix’s club. Very unusually it was parked at the side of the club – and Don and Angela were still inside the nightclub. The reason that Don’s car was parked at the side was that another car was already parked in Don’s usual spot – and nobody knew who owned it).
The next thing I remember, it was 3 or 4 O’Clock in the morning and the phone rang. I was in bed and ran downstairs to get the phone. My Dad would’ve gone mad as he’d have to get up early to go to work…
It was a call from Wolverhampton Police. They asked if I was Frank Lea, and whether I knew Don Powell. I confirmed that I was Frank and that I knew Don. They asked if I could help them, as Don had been in an accident. I thought by “accident” that the police meant he had just bumped into another car and maybe dented the bumper. I presumed Don was at the police station and they wanted me to help get him home…
Without giving them much time to talk, I asked why they were calling me. The police said that I was the only person they knew who was connected to Don. So I asked why didn’t they ring his Mum and Dad? They said they didn’t know their number, so I gave it to them and went back to bed. I didn’t think anything more of the events…
The next morning I went to my part-time job in Wolverhampton. When I arrived at work the other guys said to me that they were sorry to hear the news about Don. They said that he’d been in a car crash. He was in a serious condition and his girlfriend had been killed.
I couldn’t believe it. I waited til the news came on the radio so I could have the details confirmed.
I then got one of the guys to give me a lift up to where Don’s wrecked car had been taken. It was the 24 hour garage in Broad Street. It was the only 24 hour garage at that time in Wolverhampton. We found the car, it was covered in tarpaulin. I could see the front of the car looked like a piece of paper that had been scrunched up….
I realised that Don’s 3 ton car had hit a sandstone wall in the Compton Road, and this had caused all the damage.
So when I think back to Don’s accident, was I really the first person to know about it? Maybe... but I dismissed it, as you never think that one of your mates would’ve been involved in a bad accident…
DK: Did you go to visit Don in hospital?
FL: No, I didn’t. Don’s family were all there by his bedside, night and day. My position at the time was that I was a good mate, and brother of James. I didn’t think it was appropriate for me to go.
DK: On to covering for Don at the IOM gigs. The story goes that you were a plumber at the time, fixing a washing machine at Jim’s house, when you were asked to cover for Don. Is this a true story?
FL: Correct. In those days when you left school, you had to have a job. With James there was hell to pay in our house when he joined The ‘N Betweens. My parents’ considered that he threw away his glittering career in art and becoming a proper musician by joining a rock band. Above all, James was a fantastic artist at this time.
So when I left school it was a matter of fact that I had to get a job. 4 to 5 miles from where I lived were a couple of factories. When kids left my school, in those days, they mainly got jobs in factories. I didn’t want to do that. Around this time we were having central heating put into Mum and Dad’s house. I thought it was interesting when I watched the fitters. I thought it would be a better option to be a plumber than working one of the factories, pressing buttons all day. So I did an apprenticeship in plumbing. However, I didn’t work much – I didn’t want to work!
One day shortly after Don’s accident, James was having a problem with a washing machine. I told him I’d be round to fix it.
I used to like it round James’ house (Warstones Road). It was always welcoming there. His wife, Lou, would really look after you….teas, coffees, always something to eat! (And she’s still the same now). Anyway, I was underneath a kitchen cabinet, fixing plumbing, when I could hear James talking. He was saying that the band needed to get a drummer in to replace Don – so they could fulfil the Isle Of Man gigs. Slade were always really good at not taking their fans for granted.
James and the band were considering David Donovan (Slade roadie Haden’s brother) stepping into the band. He was in a professional band called Rock Rebellion. He was a good drummer, a more technical drummer than me. However, I could play the way Slade played…
Anyway, I was there thinking “I could do this”. I knew all the songs, knew all the set, I even knew exactly where Nod burped every night. Also, I knew exactly how Don played. I’d modelled myself on him, I was a big fan of the band…
Should I say something or shouldn’t I?
Anyway, I decided to tell James I could do it. After talking, he agreed that he thought it was possible. Like I said, he knew that I knew all the songs. He rang Nod, and then Dave, and said to them “How about Frank?”
They agreed to test me out at a rehearsal. We were to rehearse at the usual Slade rehearsal hall in Wednesbury School. The school was associated to the local church, and the hall was run by the local vicar. He was a pisshead! He’d come along and collect the £2 / £2.50 fee from you in cash – and go straight down the local pub with it! Loads of local groups used to rehearse in these rooms – Judas Priest included.
James took me down to the rehearsal early, to run through stuff and for me to get a feel before the others arrived.
People don’t know this, but I’d never actually played in any band before…
I realised that Don’s 3 ton car had hit a sandstone wall in the Compton Road, and this had caused all the damage.
So when I think back to Don’s accident, was I really the first person to know about it? Maybe... but I dismissed it, as you never think that one of your mates would’ve been involved in a bad accident…
DK: Did you go to visit Don in hospital?
FL: No, I didn’t. Don’s family were all there by his bedside, night and day. My position at the time was that I was a good mate, and brother of James. I didn’t think it was appropriate for me to go.
DK: On to covering for Don at the IOM gigs. The story goes that you were a plumber at the time, fixing a washing machine at Jim’s house, when you were asked to cover for Don. Is this a true story?
FL: Correct. In those days when you left school, you had to have a job. With James there was hell to pay in our house when he joined The ‘N Betweens. My parents’ considered that he threw away his glittering career in art and becoming a proper musician by joining a rock band. Above all, James was a fantastic artist at this time.
So when I left school it was a matter of fact that I had to get a job. 4 to 5 miles from where I lived were a couple of factories. When kids left my school, in those days, they mainly got jobs in factories. I didn’t want to do that. Around this time we were having central heating put into Mum and Dad’s house. I thought it was interesting when I watched the fitters. I thought it would be a better option to be a plumber than working one of the factories, pressing buttons all day. So I did an apprenticeship in plumbing. However, I didn’t work much – I didn’t want to work!
One day shortly after Don’s accident, James was having a problem with a washing machine. I told him I’d be round to fix it.
I used to like it round James’ house (Warstones Road). It was always welcoming there. His wife, Lou, would really look after you….teas, coffees, always something to eat! (And she’s still the same now). Anyway, I was underneath a kitchen cabinet, fixing plumbing, when I could hear James talking. He was saying that the band needed to get a drummer in to replace Don – so they could fulfil the Isle Of Man gigs. Slade were always really good at not taking their fans for granted.
James and the band were considering David Donovan (Slade roadie Haden’s brother) stepping into the band. He was in a professional band called Rock Rebellion. He was a good drummer, a more technical drummer than me. However, I could play the way Slade played…
Anyway, I was there thinking “I could do this”. I knew all the songs, knew all the set, I even knew exactly where Nod burped every night. Also, I knew exactly how Don played. I’d modelled myself on him, I was a big fan of the band…
Should I say something or shouldn’t I?
Anyway, I decided to tell James I could do it. After talking, he agreed that he thought it was possible. Like I said, he knew that I knew all the songs. He rang Nod, and then Dave, and said to them “How about Frank?”
They agreed to test me out at a rehearsal. We were to rehearse at the usual Slade rehearsal hall in Wednesbury School. The school was associated to the local church, and the hall was run by the local vicar. He was a pisshead! He’d come along and collect the £2 / £2.50 fee from you in cash – and go straight down the local pub with it! Loads of local groups used to rehearse in these rooms – Judas Priest included.
James took me down to the rehearsal early, to run through stuff and for me to get a feel before the others arrived.
People don’t know this, but I’d never actually played in any band before…
The rehearsal went fine, but after a few songs Nod bent over and listening down to the bass drum. He couldn’t hear it. I was too nervous to say anything – but I knew the bass drum wasn’t right. The problem was the way I positioned my drum stool. It made the foot peddle slip at an angle and the bass drum get hit incorrectly... What we decided to do was to knock some nails in the floor – to stop the pedal moving to one side as I hit it.
However, the band agreed that I was in! We just did another full day rehearsal, doing the full set, before the gig.
The other thing that swung the decision for them to choose me, rather than Dave Donovan, was I presume it made a good story… I was James’s brother and I was 18 (although I was actually 20 or 21). It looked good in the press.
DK: Did the band shorten the set, because you were a novice? Or drop any numbers as they were too difficult?
FL: No the full set was played.
DK: Was it therefore the same set as had been played at Earl’s Court a week before?
FL: Yes.
DK: How about the songs. Were any changed to accommodate you?
FL: The songs were exactly the same… Actually the only thing that changed was that on all the hits (hit singles), Don played shuffle on the snare drum. Don had very strong wrists and could do this. He was a very powerful drummer.
I’d never done the shuffle before. I’m not saying I couldn’t have done it – but I just didn’t feel comfortable with it, and we didn’t have long enough to rehearse it properly. So James suggested I just play it normally and use the bass drum to make up for the shuffle. We tried this way in rehearsals and it really didn’t sound any different to the way Don played it. (Frank gives me an example of what he means by tapping the table to the beat of Cum On Feel The Noize).
DK: What was Chas’s reaction to you being appointed? Did Chas get involved in the decision?
FL: No, the decision was left to the band. Chas came up to Wolverhampton to discuss things. He liked the idea of me joining the band, because of the family connection... He thought it would work well from a PR point of view.
Chas was really good with me. He spoke to me personally about what to expect from the press. He advised me what to say – so I didn’t say anything I shouldn’t (not that I would have anyway). He also said that if the press gave me any pressure that I should call him and he’d step in and sort it. He protected me like he protected the boys in the band.
DK: So when the band made the press announcement, and your photo was in the papers, did you get recognised in the street?
FL: Yes. People did recognise me. However, in Wolverhampton, lots of people knew me already. I was a “Towner” – I was in Town a lot. I was known in my own right anyway. James used to have to say sometimes that he was “Frank’s brother” to get into clubs! But yes, when the press came out, I did get a different reaction from people.
I knew that I was going to be in the band for two shows only. That was it. When the shows were over, that would be the end of it.
DK: Was there ever a thought that if Don didn’t recover that you might replace him in the band?
FL: No. The thought was that I was just in the band for that short period of time, to see how Don got on with his recovery. Nothing further than the two gigs was considered. At my age, other people in my position might have thought “that’s it – I’m a star”. But I never did – I knew my stint was only for two gigs.The band’s plan was to get Don back behind the drum kit as soon as possible to help him recover.
DK: Can you remember any formal press that you did for the Isle Of Man shows?
FL: I remember the Daily Express did a double page feature – with me pictured with two bikini clad girls on the beach! The Daily Mail spoke to me too, as did other national papers.
However, the band agreed that I was in! We just did another full day rehearsal, doing the full set, before the gig.
The other thing that swung the decision for them to choose me, rather than Dave Donovan, was I presume it made a good story… I was James’s brother and I was 18 (although I was actually 20 or 21). It looked good in the press.
DK: Did the band shorten the set, because you were a novice? Or drop any numbers as they were too difficult?
FL: No the full set was played.
DK: Was it therefore the same set as had been played at Earl’s Court a week before?
FL: Yes.
DK: How about the songs. Were any changed to accommodate you?
FL: The songs were exactly the same… Actually the only thing that changed was that on all the hits (hit singles), Don played shuffle on the snare drum. Don had very strong wrists and could do this. He was a very powerful drummer.
I’d never done the shuffle before. I’m not saying I couldn’t have done it – but I just didn’t feel comfortable with it, and we didn’t have long enough to rehearse it properly. So James suggested I just play it normally and use the bass drum to make up for the shuffle. We tried this way in rehearsals and it really didn’t sound any different to the way Don played it. (Frank gives me an example of what he means by tapping the table to the beat of Cum On Feel The Noize).
DK: What was Chas’s reaction to you being appointed? Did Chas get involved in the decision?
FL: No, the decision was left to the band. Chas came up to Wolverhampton to discuss things. He liked the idea of me joining the band, because of the family connection... He thought it would work well from a PR point of view.
Chas was really good with me. He spoke to me personally about what to expect from the press. He advised me what to say – so I didn’t say anything I shouldn’t (not that I would have anyway). He also said that if the press gave me any pressure that I should call him and he’d step in and sort it. He protected me like he protected the boys in the band.
DK: So when the band made the press announcement, and your photo was in the papers, did you get recognised in the street?
FL: Yes. People did recognise me. However, in Wolverhampton, lots of people knew me already. I was a “Towner” – I was in Town a lot. I was known in my own right anyway. James used to have to say sometimes that he was “Frank’s brother” to get into clubs! But yes, when the press came out, I did get a different reaction from people.
I knew that I was going to be in the band for two shows only. That was it. When the shows were over, that would be the end of it.
DK: Was there ever a thought that if Don didn’t recover that you might replace him in the band?
FL: No. The thought was that I was just in the band for that short period of time, to see how Don got on with his recovery. Nothing further than the two gigs was considered. At my age, other people in my position might have thought “that’s it – I’m a star”. But I never did – I knew my stint was only for two gigs.The band’s plan was to get Don back behind the drum kit as soon as possible to help him recover.
DK: Can you remember any formal press that you did for the Isle Of Man shows?
FL: I remember the Daily Express did a double page feature – with me pictured with two bikini clad girls on the beach! The Daily Mail spoke to me too, as did other national papers.
DK: How did you travel to the IOM gigs?
FL: We flew from Birmingham airport on the day of the gig. It was the first time I ever flew on a plane. I shit myself!
DK: And then how did you get to the concert hall?
FL: There was some fella, a big noise over in the IOM, that had something to do with the Palace Lido. He picked us up at the airport. He was waiting with his Roller and took us for a champagne breakfast. He then took us to the Palace Lido Hotel – right next to the concert hall. I remember the hotel well, it had a casino in it. We checked into the hotel – and I did an interview with a girl from Melody Maker.
We then did another rehearsal in the afternoon – once again going through most of the set. A few numbers we did a couple of times, to make sure I knew them… Then the band said: “Right. That’s it – rehearsals over”.
One thing that has stuck in my head was someone started to talk to me as I left stage and I remembering Chas booming at me: “Frank! Will you fucking come on!” I was only being polite and talking to this guy…
DK: Did you stay overnight in the IOM?
FL: Yes we did, and I think that me and Nod stayed over an additional night after that…. Or maybe that was after the second show.
DK: What about stage gear for the gig? It was all very last minute, what did you wear?
FL: In those days getting customised t-shirts printed was difficult. I tried to be inventive and get my own design printed… The band had had some t-shirts with Skweeze Me Pleeze Me printed in glitter on the front (DK: these were sold through The Sun newspaper and the Fan Club). I thought I would do a similar thing. I asked a clothes designer to print the number “12” in glitter on the front of a black t-shirt.
DK: Why the number 12?
FL: “12” was to represent substitute, as in a football match (me being substitute to Don).
DK: Did you wear it?
FL: No. It didn’t work out. She basically just stuck glue on the t-shirt and threw glitter on it. When it dried, it was so stiff the t-shirt stuck out from my body. I thought “I can’t wear that”! From what I remember I ended up wearing a psychedelic black t-shirt with circles on, and a pair of jeans. I’ve got some pictures of me playing at the gig.
DK: Really – I’ve not seen any pictures from the IOM gig?
FL: Trouble is they’re really small – they’re just the contact prints. The guy who took them asked at the end of the show if I wanted the full set. I said “No”…… He’d followed me round all day taking photos. Many were taken from the side of the stage. I really didn’t think about the history of the event and keeping them. So all I’ve got left as a memory is one page of contact prints!
FL: We flew from Birmingham airport on the day of the gig. It was the first time I ever flew on a plane. I shit myself!
DK: And then how did you get to the concert hall?
FL: There was some fella, a big noise over in the IOM, that had something to do with the Palace Lido. He picked us up at the airport. He was waiting with his Roller and took us for a champagne breakfast. He then took us to the Palace Lido Hotel – right next to the concert hall. I remember the hotel well, it had a casino in it. We checked into the hotel – and I did an interview with a girl from Melody Maker.
We then did another rehearsal in the afternoon – once again going through most of the set. A few numbers we did a couple of times, to make sure I knew them… Then the band said: “Right. That’s it – rehearsals over”.
One thing that has stuck in my head was someone started to talk to me as I left stage and I remembering Chas booming at me: “Frank! Will you fucking come on!” I was only being polite and talking to this guy…
DK: Did you stay overnight in the IOM?
FL: Yes we did, and I think that me and Nod stayed over an additional night after that…. Or maybe that was after the second show.
DK: What about stage gear for the gig? It was all very last minute, what did you wear?
FL: In those days getting customised t-shirts printed was difficult. I tried to be inventive and get my own design printed… The band had had some t-shirts with Skweeze Me Pleeze Me printed in glitter on the front (DK: these were sold through The Sun newspaper and the Fan Club). I thought I would do a similar thing. I asked a clothes designer to print the number “12” in glitter on the front of a black t-shirt.
DK: Why the number 12?
FL: “12” was to represent substitute, as in a football match (me being substitute to Don).
DK: Did you wear it?
FL: No. It didn’t work out. She basically just stuck glue on the t-shirt and threw glitter on it. When it dried, it was so stiff the t-shirt stuck out from my body. I thought “I can’t wear that”! From what I remember I ended up wearing a psychedelic black t-shirt with circles on, and a pair of jeans. I’ve got some pictures of me playing at the gig.
DK: Really – I’ve not seen any pictures from the IOM gig?
FL: Trouble is they’re really small – they’re just the contact prints. The guy who took them asked at the end of the show if I wanted the full set. I said “No”…… He’d followed me round all day taking photos. Many were taken from the side of the stage. I really didn’t think about the history of the event and keeping them. So all I’ve got left as a memory is one page of contact prints!
I didn’t think, at that time, about keeping photos to look back on in 40 years’ time. I thought I would have been dead in 40 years’ time! In those days there wasn’t such a thing as collecting memorabilia…
DK: The drum kit you used for IOM. Was it Don’s kit?
FL: Yes it was (Don's silver Ludwig kit). The bass drum peddle was just adapted as I said before – a couple of nails knocked into the floor to stop it sliding away.
DK: What are your memories of the actual first gig? How big was the venue? Did it hold about 3,000 people?
FL: No, it was bigger than that. I was told it held 6,000. My first ever performance in front of an audience was in front of 6,000 people!
DK: What memories do you have of the gig?
FL: I remember sitting in the dressing room backstage, and then standing at the side of the stage waiting to go on. I recall playing the first couple of numbers straight – before Nod introduced me. He said “As you all know, Don’s had an accident. The good news is he’s coming round and doing ok. In his place we’ve got Jim’s brother, Frank”.
Everybody was cheering. I thought “What shall I do? Shall I stand up”? I decided to stay seated and just raise my hands in the air.
I do remember having a freak out at one point. I remember being aware of everyone at the side of the stage, all just watching me. It was a lot of pressure you know, especially never having played in front of any audience before. It was about a quarter of the way through the gig and my arms went to jelly. I thought “I can’t do this. I’m gonna stop in a minute, I just can’t do it”. But I then considered things and thought “Get a grip Frank. Just get on with it” and I carried on.
DK: Was Skweeze Me Pleeze Me played?
FL: Yes – I played it, but not the shuffle way that Don would have.
DK: How did the IOM gigs compare to other Slade gigs?
FL: The show was exactly the same as any Slade gig. It was the full Slade set. Full Slade gear. Normal crew and roadies. Chas flew over for the gigs. The only difference was me!
DK: What was the audience reaction for you personally?
FL: It was fantastic! When Nod introduced me the noise was like the Wolves had scored at Wembley!
DK: Did you actually get paid for the gigs?
FL: Yes – peanuts! Only joking, I got £200 for the two shows – £100 a show. Was I disappointed with £200? No! I didn’t consider the monetary side – I was just pleased that I did something that everyone else in the country wanted to do.
Really the band didn’t know what to pay me. The money was just really to cover my expenses, if I had any. In actual fact I’d have paid the band £200 to do the gigs! It was an enormous thing…
DK: After the event, when Don was better, did you ever talk to him about standing in for him for the gigs?
FL: It was a strange one. We never talked about it. I didn’t mention it to him, and he never mentioned it to me.
It was an unusual situation with Slade – I roadied with them, I drove them, I played with them, then I was the co-owner of the record label (Cheapskate – managed with James, and then with Chas) to which Slade were signed (before signing to RCA). I’ve done all the roles I possibly could with Slade!
DK: Back to the IOM. Was the second gig easier than the first?
FL: It was different. The first gig was a real big deal, as I said, we were met at the airport by the guy in the Roller, we had champagne breakfast….
After the first gig, a big dinner party was organised back in the hotel. We had a big sit-down dinner. I remember to this day what meal I ordered: Minestrone Soup followed by Steak. The waiter asked me if I wanted parmesan sprinkled on the soup. Nervously I agreed (as I’d never had this before). And then I didn’t drink the soup as it smelt of sick!
There were a lot of people there… After dinner the road crew seemed to be having more fun than the band, so I spent most of the night with them, drinking. With the second gig we didn’t have all of that.
The second gig was just a gig in some ways, although there was still the pressure there. We did a run-through as before in the afternoon…
DK: Who were the support band?
FL: It was some local band who I can’t really remember. This is apart from their drummer, who was one of the people at the side of the stage watching my every move. He was a lot older than me, probably in his late 20’s. I remember him saying to me “you were brilliant” as I came offstage.
Thinking back on the IOM shows it was great that at the end of the day I am recorded in various history books as the man who stepped in to do these shows. The only thing that I hate about the whole event was the “Plumber To Drummer” title that got associated with me at the time!
DK: Finally, would you change anything about performing with Slade at the IOM shows?
FL: No way!
Copyright: David John Kemp 2017
Contact: [email protected]
Interview Date: 8 July 2013
DK: The drum kit you used for IOM. Was it Don’s kit?
FL: Yes it was (Don's silver Ludwig kit). The bass drum peddle was just adapted as I said before – a couple of nails knocked into the floor to stop it sliding away.
DK: What are your memories of the actual first gig? How big was the venue? Did it hold about 3,000 people?
FL: No, it was bigger than that. I was told it held 6,000. My first ever performance in front of an audience was in front of 6,000 people!
DK: What memories do you have of the gig?
FL: I remember sitting in the dressing room backstage, and then standing at the side of the stage waiting to go on. I recall playing the first couple of numbers straight – before Nod introduced me. He said “As you all know, Don’s had an accident. The good news is he’s coming round and doing ok. In his place we’ve got Jim’s brother, Frank”.
Everybody was cheering. I thought “What shall I do? Shall I stand up”? I decided to stay seated and just raise my hands in the air.
I do remember having a freak out at one point. I remember being aware of everyone at the side of the stage, all just watching me. It was a lot of pressure you know, especially never having played in front of any audience before. It was about a quarter of the way through the gig and my arms went to jelly. I thought “I can’t do this. I’m gonna stop in a minute, I just can’t do it”. But I then considered things and thought “Get a grip Frank. Just get on with it” and I carried on.
DK: Was Skweeze Me Pleeze Me played?
FL: Yes – I played it, but not the shuffle way that Don would have.
DK: How did the IOM gigs compare to other Slade gigs?
FL: The show was exactly the same as any Slade gig. It was the full Slade set. Full Slade gear. Normal crew and roadies. Chas flew over for the gigs. The only difference was me!
DK: What was the audience reaction for you personally?
FL: It was fantastic! When Nod introduced me the noise was like the Wolves had scored at Wembley!
DK: Did you actually get paid for the gigs?
FL: Yes – peanuts! Only joking, I got £200 for the two shows – £100 a show. Was I disappointed with £200? No! I didn’t consider the monetary side – I was just pleased that I did something that everyone else in the country wanted to do.
Really the band didn’t know what to pay me. The money was just really to cover my expenses, if I had any. In actual fact I’d have paid the band £200 to do the gigs! It was an enormous thing…
DK: After the event, when Don was better, did you ever talk to him about standing in for him for the gigs?
FL: It was a strange one. We never talked about it. I didn’t mention it to him, and he never mentioned it to me.
It was an unusual situation with Slade – I roadied with them, I drove them, I played with them, then I was the co-owner of the record label (Cheapskate – managed with James, and then with Chas) to which Slade were signed (before signing to RCA). I’ve done all the roles I possibly could with Slade!
DK: Back to the IOM. Was the second gig easier than the first?
FL: It was different. The first gig was a real big deal, as I said, we were met at the airport by the guy in the Roller, we had champagne breakfast….
After the first gig, a big dinner party was organised back in the hotel. We had a big sit-down dinner. I remember to this day what meal I ordered: Minestrone Soup followed by Steak. The waiter asked me if I wanted parmesan sprinkled on the soup. Nervously I agreed (as I’d never had this before). And then I didn’t drink the soup as it smelt of sick!
There were a lot of people there… After dinner the road crew seemed to be having more fun than the band, so I spent most of the night with them, drinking. With the second gig we didn’t have all of that.
The second gig was just a gig in some ways, although there was still the pressure there. We did a run-through as before in the afternoon…
DK: Who were the support band?
FL: It was some local band who I can’t really remember. This is apart from their drummer, who was one of the people at the side of the stage watching my every move. He was a lot older than me, probably in his late 20’s. I remember him saying to me “you were brilliant” as I came offstage.
Thinking back on the IOM shows it was great that at the end of the day I am recorded in various history books as the man who stepped in to do these shows. The only thing that I hate about the whole event was the “Plumber To Drummer” title that got associated with me at the time!
DK: Finally, would you change anything about performing with Slade at the IOM shows?
FL: No way!
Copyright: David John Kemp 2017
Contact: [email protected]
Interview Date: 8 July 2013
Above photos kindly provided by Nigel Sartin