Boogie Hollin Band

I wrote this on Bang’s website a few years ago, and just added the last paragraph to sum things up on the Boogie Hollin Band thing… Cheers!

Greetings… The guitar player from “our” basement band sent me this link the other day, and the vibes from that heady time came flooding back.

Bang was one of our inspirations, we stood out front of the little bungalow on Hewes Avenue in Linwood, we went to Rockford Park in Wilmington and we left Chi (High) early to go to Village Records in the Tri State Mall to get our copies of your first album. We then dove into basement rehearsals of our own, around the corner from the Ferrar’s house. Our bass player Joe Harrold lived a block away on Worrilow Ave … By then, you guys were already on your whirlwind.

We did play together once though… It was the 1971 Chichester Battle of the Bands. Obviously Bang wasn’t battling, you were the opening showcase, and that was very exciting for us. It also gave us a harsh dose of rock reality. You guys were very tight and Frankie G was on fire. Your equipment looked and sounded much more professional… black stacks scuffed and scratched from being hauled from gig to gig, as oppose to our shiny, gray sparkled Kustom Amps. And most importantly the swarm of young girls around you guys were much more impressive… their tops were tighter and tinier, their hip huggers were lower and hippier, and they had that alert, but aloof 70’s cannabis gaze. As oppose to our groupies, which were non- existent. That did it, we wanted to rock and Roll at any cost!

There was one other thing you guys had that night that no other band could muster, and that was Billy Dugan… Seated on the floor of the stage at the Chichester High School auditorium, crossed legs, red hair and beard flailing, head full of acid and his beagle on his lap. Dugan simply sat there and grooved from his shoulders up in a psychedelic trance the whole time you guys played. That night he out did any of our local hippy heroes… Albert Tenaro, Joe Hooker, or any Pastorious you can name could not top him that night. Bill Dugan brought “the culture” to Chi that night.

We went on stage as Peoples Blues… Me, Jay MacPherson, Fred Evans, Jay Fausnaught, Steve Newsome and some cat from St James on keyboard whose name I’ve long forgotten. After that night we became Boogie Hollin Band, with me and Jay, Joe Harrold and Frankie Bifore. Then years later we played as Boogie Hollin with me, Jay, Albie Price and Henry Helegua. Then as the Boothwyn Jam Ensamble with me, Jay, Albie, Tom Deshullo and Wendell Hobbs, and who ever Albie brought home with him from Berkley School of Music in Boston. Then back to Boggie Hollin Band with me, Jay Albie, Dish and Dale… some keyboard player from the Buggy. Then it was simply a group of friends that played Fred Evan’s funeral this past December at Little Pine Tavern. It was me, Jay, Dish, Albie and my daughter Carley. Well, we never made it in Rock and Roll, we never got the groupies or the glory, but boy did we have fun! I’m feeling a Boogie Hollin Band reunion… Wake the Snake MoeMan!