Pete Bocking 6

info courtesy Butch Mepham

Line-up 

• Pete Bocking - Lead guitar
• John (Butch) Mepham - 6 string bass
• Ian Starr - Drums
• Graham Attwood - Sax
• Clive Neill - Sax
• Keith Shepherd - 4 string bass 

After The Fourtones came The Pete Bocking Six, seeing as none of us were sober enough to count, their was usually 5 or 7 or 8 even at one gig.

The line up as far as I can remember (maybe some one else will be able to help here) was Pete Bocking (lead guitar), Ian Starr (drums), Graham Attwood (sax), Clive Neil (sax), myself (six string bass) and Keith Shepherd (four string bass).

I can't tell you the full history of the group, as I left after about 4 months when I gave up playing to join the merchant navy as an engineer.

We played all the normal venues in and around Manchester.

I can remember one gig at Bernard Mannings Embassy Club, where we fielded two sax players and two bass guitars, a really powerful sound for those days!

On another occasion, we played the Oasis with the Beatles. Paul McCartney had turned up without his guitar and borrowed my Fender Jazz Bass.

We (as usual ) went for a pint across the street, to the Nags Head. When we returned the Beatles had left leaving my guitar on the floor with all the back damaged. Paul had been wearing a big buckle on his belt and this had scratched through the varnish cutting into the wood. I never even got an apology.

Although The Pete Bocking Six wasn't as well known as the other groups I played for (possibly they weren't going for long enough), I know several people who can remember them , and who saw them play. Their main memory was the powerful sound we had.

John (Butch) Mepham

Sorry dont know where Clive Neal is but do remember the "sit up and beg" Ford POP he use to drive in (1962/63)

Chris Bowden - 11/8/11

Clive (Skid) Neale lives in Harwich. Up until a couple of months ago he played jazz carinet/sax with me at the Wagon pub at Wix (near Harwich).
He is currently (May 2013) recovering from open heart surgey.

Peter Jezard - 14/5/13

The Pete Bocking Six was formed in late July 1962 by Pete Bocking on lead guitar (Fender Stratocaster) (b. Peter Bocking, Monday, November 2, 1942, Withington, Manchester 20, Lancashire, UK d. October 31, 2009, Milnrow, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, UK) (ex-The Fourtones (Ricky and Dane Young and the Fabulous Fourtones), Phil Corbett and the Coasters), John 'Butch' Mepham (b. July 27, 1941, Manchester, Lancashire, UK), on 6-string bass, Ian Starr on drums, Graham Attwood on sax, Clive Neil on sax and Keith Shepherd on 4-string bass (b. 1944, Huyton, Liverpool, Lancashire, UK ). 

On Saturday, September 29, 1962 as The Pete Bocking 6 they supported The Beatles at the famous Oasis Club at 45 - 47 Lloyd Street, off Albert Square, Manchester 2. After the show, Pete Bocking took John Lennon and Paul McCartney to a party, where they struck up a friendship. When The Pete Bocking Six later played at the famous Cavern Club at 10 Matthew Street, Liverpool with The Dakotas, Lennon and McCartney returned the favour and entertained Bocking in Liverpool.

Some Pete Bocking Six concerts: 

• Saturday, September 29, 1962: The Oasis Club, 45 - 47 Lloyd Street, off Albert Square, Manchester 2, Lancashire, UK, as The Pete Bocking 6, Supported The Beatles, from 7pm
• Saturday, December 8, 1962: The Oasis Club, 45 - 47 Lloyd Street, off Albert Square, Manchester 2, Lancashire, UK, as The Pete Bocking 6, supported The Beatles, from 7pm 
• Friday, December 21, 1962: The Oasis Club, 45 - 47 Lloyd Street, off Albert Square, Manchester 2, Lancashire, UK, with Mike Starr and the Crestas
• Monday, December 31, 1962: The Oasis Club, 45 - 47 Lloyd Street, off Albert Square, Manchester 2, Lancashire, UK, as The Pete Bocking 6, supported Lorne Gibson and the Lorne Gibson Trio, with The Olympics and Jackie Fordell
• Monday, January 21, 1963: The Cumberland Ballroom, Belle Vue, Manchester, with Pete MacLaine and the Dakotas, Johnny Martin and the Tremors, Ricky Shaw and the Dolphins, 8pm - 12pm

John H. Warburg - 23/3/14