VALEDICTION

Lead Vocals: Time Marten

Guitar: Terry Bunting

Bass: Simon Durrant

Drums: Dave Taylor

"December 27th, 1971, and Simon Durant and I are sitting on some packets of bricks in what is now the front bar of The Dial House Reepham, Norfolk. Back in the day it was called The Old Brewery House, and as it was undergoing building renovations, we got to use it for rehearsals for our first band.

We were waiting, with a fair bit of nervous excitement, for a lift to mine and Simon's first ever gig, at a school friend's party round her mum's house. The band was called Valediction (after the Wishbone Ash song), and we were to play a few tunes in the living room.

Apart from us two, the band consisted of Tim Marten on vocals and guitar, and Dave Taylor on drums. I can't remember most of the songs we played, but we definitely played Black Sheep Of The Family (by Quatermass), In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (Iron Butterfly), Love Like A Man (Ten Years After) and On The Boards (Rory Gallagher's Taste).

It must have been pretty dire, but it was good enough to give all four of us "the bug", and we all went on to be involved in music afterwards. Simon and I play guitar full time, Dave ran mobile discos and founded one of the first pirate radio stations, and Tim went on to be a very successful luthier, including a ten-year stint as Jimmy Page's guitar technician - both in Led Zeppelin and solo.

Fifty bloody years ago, and I'm still as enthusiastic about playing now as I was then!

We would only have to wait a few weeks before our first proper public gig, albeit with a couple of personnel changes. More about that later!

Here's some pix from that first gig, plus one taken from a rehearsal in what is now the kitchen at the Dial House." TB 24/01/2022