How did you discover Man?

[Colin Salter]

I too stumbled across Friday 13th - in HMV in Glasgow - and saw them live soon afterwards in a club whose name Mr Heron always has to remind me of (upstairs on Sauchiehall Street) c1985. So weird seeing them in dinner jackets! And that was that, as I thought a one-off reunion tour or something, until years later I was on tour myself in South Wales, stage manager with a theatre show ("Frankie and Tommy", about Tommy Cooper's early ENSA days as part of a double act). I saw fliers in Aberfan Community Centre for a Man gig in Merthyr a couple of days later. A guy who worked in the centre, his band was the support act. We were playing in Blackwood the night of the gig, packed up our show in record time, I dropped the cast off at their hotel and raced to Merthyr. Got there just as the boys were kicking off their set, on a makeshift stage in a booming sports hall. I was mesmerised - like Rob W, I'd never been so close to them, mostly gigs at the Apollo in Glasgow up to 1976, and here they were only a foot or so off the ground and only a few feet away. I found myself staring! It was late 1992, must have been around the launch of Twang, and there was a large chunk of Twang material in the middle of the set including Pope and Kangaroo which I can't say I cared much for. But everything else was in place and in order. Chronically shy, I declined the Aberfan guy's offer to take me backstage afterwards!

[Mike Morgan]

That'll be George 'Porky' Peckham and yes, he is. Now retired, but he left a few fascinating messages on various Man and Deke releases. Something else you don't get on CDs or downloads.

Also did loads on stiff records in late 70's. he scratched a telephone number onto Elvis's This Years Model stating that you'd get a prize if you rang.  I believe that pissed Stiff off but true to his word, I got a 'signed' photo of EC and a badge that said something like 33 in 78 and also had a '45' reference.

[Stephen Merchant]

Topic deviation alert! Apologies but I thought this was interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpidqcG7sSo

How did you discover Man? Oh the usual way, friends houses & recommendations. First saw them 2nd of November 1972 at Oakengates Town Hall, Principal Magic Edwards supporting {I think}. Man were at least an hour late, what audience there was were getting restless and us young trainee 16 year old 'heads' had a train to catch, and then Man wandered in, eating fish and chips without a care in the world before casually taking to the stage!! I think we saw about 20 minutes before we dashed for the last train to Shrewsbury. It was enough though...at least we'd seen this band that had intrigued us so much.

[rockprof]

That'll be George 'Porky' Peckham and yes, he is. Now retired, but he left a few fascinating messages on various Man and Deke releases. Something else you don't get on CDs or downloads.

Ah, that explains Pecko as well....I always imagined it was 2 different blokes. What about 'Rays'? He's on a few, and I hope ysadenyn isn't a rude word.

[Rob W]

I have a 'Porky's Prime Cut'. Deep Purple's Fireball from memory. I probably have more than one , but I do recall first seeing this on Fireball, and asking pal's what it was. Nobody knew. 

As for 'ysadenyn'. I've done what I bet everyone else on this MB has done; Welsh to English dictionary. No such word    

[Barry Island]

I too stumbled across Friday 13th - in HMV in Glasgow - and saw them live soon afterwards in a club whose name Mr Heron always has to remind me of (upstairs on Sauchiehall Street) c1985. So weird seeing them in dinner jackets! And that was that, as I thought a one-off reunion tour or something, until years later I was on tour myself in South Wales, stage manager with a theatre show ("Frankie and Tommy", about Tommy Cooper's early ENSA days as part of a double act). I saw fliers in Aberfan Community Centre for a Man gig in Merthyr a couple of days later. A guy who worked in the centre, his band was the support act. We were playing in Blackwood the night of the gig, packed up our show in record time, I dropped the cast off at their hotel and raced to Merthyr. Got there just as the boys were kicking off their set, on a makeshift stage in a booming sports hall. I was mesmerised - like Rob W, I'd never been so close to them, mostly gigs at the Apollo in Glasgow up to 1976, and here they were only a foot or so off the ground and only a few feet away. I found myself staring! It was late 1992, must have been around the launch of Twang, and there was a large chunk of Twang material in the middle of the set including Pope and Kangaroo which I can't say I cared much for. But everything else was in place and in order. Chronically shy, I declined the Aberfan guy's offer to take me backstage afterwards!

Know what you mean about being close to the band. After so may years they were playing at Lanterns in Ashburton a very small venue and we got so close we could have reached out and touched the hems of their garments. If that wasn't enough it was my favourite line up Messrs Jones, Leonard, Ace and Williams and I had never seen this combo before. Just so happy as I came back from the bog past some stairs to see the band descending the stairs instruments slung over their shoulders. If I remember correctly a heavenly choir of angels seemed to be singing as they emerged from a bright halo of light behind them. On the other hand that may have been due to the pre-gig preparations kicking in. Whatever it was down to, it was a superb gig and I seem to recall Deke playing a bit of keyboard which I had never seen before either.

[Mike Morgan]

Ysadenyn

Anagram of 'Andys Yen'?  Not a clue what that might mean though

[Pete T]

Ysadenyn

Anagram of 'Andys Yen'?  Not a clue what that might mean though

..also "Sandy Yen"!!..

..and "Deny any S"

[Rob W]

Or could be

Denys? Nay!

Made that up me sen. None of this make an anagram website mullarkey for me. No sirrreee!!!

Incidentally, I did try to shoehorn 'jumping like a kangaroo' in but try as I might, just couldn't do it. Sorry Mr T from Scourie.   

Back to my tax returns now   

Don't worry everyone, it'll only take a minute   

   

 

[Barry Island]

Sydney an?

[rockprof]

Yes Danny...
How many went scuttling to the old collection to check? 

[Jack the Train]

Early 80's, workmate had taped Man's contribution on to a reel to reel tape and, surprisingly , my dad had a reel to reel player so I borrowed it. At that time all Man's stuff was deleted so I spent loads of time downstairs at Paperchase in St Anns Square in Manchester picking up their albums second hand as and when they appeared. Great fun as I had no idea how many albums they'd released so when one popped up that t I hadn't got it was snapped up. Nowadays of course you can Google and see everything anyone's ever done and probably listen to it for free on YouTube. Boring...

[Ron Fronberg]

man first time

san francisco march 1975 a long time ago

line up was babe ruth, man and peter frampton

the recording truck was outside that night to record frampton.

so if frampton was recorded, i also have always wondered if man was also recorded.

time for the way back machine

ron

[Rob W]

Early 80's, workmate had taped Man's contribution on to a reel to reel tape and, surprisingly , my dad had a reel to reel player so I borrowed it. At that time all Man's stuff was deleted so I spent loads of time downstairs at Paperchase in St Anns Square in Manchester picking up their albums second hand as and when they appeared. Great fun as I had no idea how many albums they'd released so when one popped up that t I hadn't got it was snapped up. Nowadays of course you can Google and see everything anyone's ever done and probably listen to it for free on YouTube. Boring...

"Paperchase"... The very same shop I purchased my first Man LP, Slow Motion. It was late getting into the shops. I went into Paperchase almost daily until they got it. The fella at the shop was also waiting impatiently for it.

Paperchase is still alive, moved though, just off St Ann Sq and not selling music of any sort, anymore. I can still picture the record racks and where Man's section was.   

[Jack the Train]

I remember going down the stairwell to the basement at Paperchase and seeing a handwritten A4 notice on the wall with the gig listing for Manchester Poly including, amongst others, The Honeydrippers. I turned up expectantly at the Poly on the appointed date and sure enough in that sweaty basement was Robert Plant doing RnB covers, 18 months since I'd seen him from a quarter of a mile distant at Knebworth with his other band..