Royal Variety Showband

Line-up

• Brian McGladdery - vocals
• Kevin Parrott - guitar
• Roger Tweedale - drums
• Gary McDougall - bass
• Tony Bamforth - keyboards 

I joined in answer to an ad in the Man Evening News, "Guitar player required, must have good sense of humour".

They were originally formed as the "Yellow Bellow Room Boom" to front a record on CBS which was really Godley & Creme while they were still students, but managed by Kennedy Street. The original guitarist was John "Murph" Murphy, plus a sax player called Geoff Walters.

Anyway, the record flopped but they decided to stay together, doing a sort of Bonzo Doggish act.

I had just returned from Denmark where the Big Sound broke up. I went for the audition at Jim O'Farrell's office on Gore Street, where Kennedy St Ent's had relocated, and was offered the job.

The following day I thought better of it, and didn't go to rehearsal, but 'phoned in to say I'd changed my mind.

Thirty minutes later, two of the boys turned up to my Mum & Dad's house, frogged marched me into the car, and I ended up staying 10 years.

The first gig was at The Oasis which went too well.

The following day Sunday lunch we did at Warrington Towers social club, and they shut the curtains on us and chucked us out. Well, we had set off a smoke bomb to open the show.

That evening we turned up at Leigh Garrick, set up the gear and waited to find out what time we were on. Roy Jackson (owner) came into the dressing room, and politely said "Royal Variety Show?"

"Yes, that's us" "Well lads, get your f****** gear off my stage, I've had your report from this afternoon!"

I then tried to quit the group again, but they wouldn't let me.

The Royal Variety Show recorded under the name of Oscar in the 1970s. We did the rock venues as Oscar, then went out and did the clubs as RVS. Have a look at this link on You Tube. It's me with the green Telecaster. 

Kevin Parrott  

Memories

Happy Belated Birthday Tony for Monday October 25th.

Julie from Whitefield Manchester many years ago! 1/11/10

Roger and Gary were originally in a band called The Elegants, can't tell you a lot about them apart from the fact that we (the Travellers) gigged with them on the same bill and they were a very good band.

I met up with them by chance some time later outside a club in Oldham! It was 1967 and both the Travellers and The Elegants had split.

Roger and Gary were planning to form a new band and intended to ply their trade in Germany. I joined up with them and we recruted two further members and set off to Germany where we entertained the American forces. Sadly on our return several months later the group split and Roger and Gary became session men backing club acts ect.

It was while they were doing this,while backing Dave Berry he suggested they might like to become permanent backing members of his friends band and introduced them to Wayne Fontana. He was looking for a regular bass player and drummer and so they joined him.

I'm not sure how long they were with him as I lost touch but they later became members of the Royal Varierty Showband.

Roger is sadly no longer with us and I believe Gary took over his parents boating bussiness in Bury Lancs. If he should read this I'd lke to say hi Gary, sorry I missed Rogers funeral but I did'nt hear about it till the day of the actual funeral.

Dave Brierley - 1/6/11