69ers / ZARZOFFS / third union band
Peter Knox
February 22, 2009
"now known by the performing name of 'Izzyforeal'. Izzy (as Peter Knox) entered the Taylors Square music scene in the late 60s, playing at the Oxford Hotel in the strange Dylanesque outfit Sylvester Quincy Barkers Music Box, which featured Waldo Hayes on guitar and Mike Turner on drums. That band also played regularly at the Trolley Car Bar in City Road, and the Wayside Chapel in The Cross. Also as Peter Knox, Izzy played with Daryl McKenzie and Red McKelvie in Quill, having replaced Terry Wilkins on bass when Terry joined Flying Circus.
Do you remember Peter Knox? For a time after his stint with Quill, Peter/Izzy played the wine bars around Taylors Square. In his typically skullduggerous fashion, he had a little outfit called Fluke (the name was a piss-take on Flake, who were hugely popular at the time). Fluke never got famous, so the piss-take on the name never got to offend anyone.
In 1970 Peter/Izzy joined the 69ers ( wiki ) replacing Brian Bethell. The band at that stage featured Keith Longman on drums, who was soon to be replaced by Dave Ovenden. After being sacked from the 69ERS and reinstated a number of times, Peter/Izzy was in that band’s lineup when they played at the 1973 Sunbury Festival in Victoria, too much critical acclaim and general merriment. It was during one particularly long sacking period from The 69ERS, probably in late 1970 or some time in 1971 (though these years may need to be verified by others who were there), that Peter/Izzy played bass with the Original Battersea Heroes, who by that time had moved away from their wine bar beginnings and were firmly entrenched in the rock music circuit. The Heroes at that stage featured Tony Burkys and Bob McGowan on guitars, Terry Darmody out front, and Dennis Burke (whose surname will have to be verified elsewhere) on a hybrid drum kit/washboard concoction.
A bit later in the 1970s (again, someone else will have to verify dates), Peter/Izzy played bass with Red McKelvie, Graham Lister and Dave Ovenden in the Third Union Band (who started out as Johnny and The Ringworms, but that’s another story …). It’s Peter/Izzy playing bass in the GTK clip of the Third Union Band featured elsewhere on this site (not Terry Wilkins, as stated).
Peter Knox: "Izzy Foreal believes the drummer in the “Messin with the Kid” foto is actually Daryl McKenzie. Izzy (as Peter Knox) played with Daryl and Red in Quill, having replaced Terry on Bass when he joined Flying Circus.
Izzy has just started a Facebook Group called " Does anyone remember the Ball Pants?" He was resident bass player there for some time. Izzy hopes it is OK to use the foto of Brougham Lane from your site for the group. Izzy is playing Bass on the Red Mckelvie video and it’s on Forealnfriends Utube if you don't have it. Feel free to grab it. It’s a great site you've made. I was Taylor Square as well and was at Frenchs, Flinders Street and Courthouse mainly but my memories are vague - can't think why.
I have also linked your site to our blogs because it seems to me the internet needs a lot more memories of Sydney in those years. I guess WE are now the HISTORY. Thanks for all your work. Looking forward to the next thing to come."
Daryl Mckenzie went off and joined The Nutwood Rug Band, and I think Keith followed him a little bit later. I think we tried auditioning some new players, but that didn't work out. I remember Daryl trying to talk me into auditioning for The Nutwood Rug Band, but I wasn't quite ready to jump from band to band in such a hurry. (Daryl, by the way, became my drummer in The Zarsoff Brothers years later - he was the third drummer in that band, joining about 1983 or 84, I think - at least it was halfway through the recording of The Zarsoffs 'Rude Awakening' album, because he got to play on about half the tracks.
He rejoined me for The Zarsoffs tour with 'The Boys Are Back In Town' bunch of shows in the 90s, and played on The Zarsoffs' 2005 studio album 'Mixed Business' - he wrote some killer songs for that album!
February 22, 2009
"now known by the performing name of 'Izzyforeal'. Izzy (as Peter Knox) entered the Taylors Square music scene in the late 60s, playing at the Oxford Hotel in the strange Dylanesque outfit Sylvester Quincy Barkers Music Box, which featured Waldo Hayes on guitar and Mike Turner on drums. That band also played regularly at the Trolley Car Bar in City Road, and the Wayside Chapel in The Cross. Also as Peter Knox, Izzy played with Daryl McKenzie and Red McKelvie in Quill, having replaced Terry Wilkins on bass when Terry joined Flying Circus.
Do you remember Peter Knox? For a time after his stint with Quill, Peter/Izzy played the wine bars around Taylors Square. In his typically skullduggerous fashion, he had a little outfit called Fluke (the name was a piss-take on Flake, who were hugely popular at the time). Fluke never got famous, so the piss-take on the name never got to offend anyone.
In 1970 Peter/Izzy joined the 69ers ( wiki ) replacing Brian Bethell. The band at that stage featured Keith Longman on drums, who was soon to be replaced by Dave Ovenden. After being sacked from the 69ERS and reinstated a number of times, Peter/Izzy was in that band’s lineup when they played at the 1973 Sunbury Festival in Victoria, too much critical acclaim and general merriment. It was during one particularly long sacking period from The 69ERS, probably in late 1970 or some time in 1971 (though these years may need to be verified by others who were there), that Peter/Izzy played bass with the Original Battersea Heroes, who by that time had moved away from their wine bar beginnings and were firmly entrenched in the rock music circuit. The Heroes at that stage featured Tony Burkys and Bob McGowan on guitars, Terry Darmody out front, and Dennis Burke (whose surname will have to be verified elsewhere) on a hybrid drum kit/washboard concoction.
A bit later in the 1970s (again, someone else will have to verify dates), Peter/Izzy played bass with Red McKelvie, Graham Lister and Dave Ovenden in the Third Union Band (who started out as Johnny and The Ringworms, but that’s another story …). It’s Peter/Izzy playing bass in the GTK clip of the Third Union Band featured elsewhere on this site (not Terry Wilkins, as stated).
Peter Knox: "Izzy Foreal believes the drummer in the “Messin with the Kid” foto is actually Daryl McKenzie. Izzy (as Peter Knox) played with Daryl and Red in Quill, having replaced Terry on Bass when he joined Flying Circus.
Izzy has just started a Facebook Group called " Does anyone remember the Ball Pants?" He was resident bass player there for some time. Izzy hopes it is OK to use the foto of Brougham Lane from your site for the group. Izzy is playing Bass on the Red Mckelvie video and it’s on Forealnfriends Utube if you don't have it. Feel free to grab it. It’s a great site you've made. I was Taylor Square as well and was at Frenchs, Flinders Street and Courthouse mainly but my memories are vague - can't think why.
I have also linked your site to our blogs because it seems to me the internet needs a lot more memories of Sydney in those years. I guess WE are now the HISTORY. Thanks for all your work. Looking forward to the next thing to come."
Daryl Mckenzie went off and joined The Nutwood Rug Band, and I think Keith followed him a little bit later. I think we tried auditioning some new players, but that didn't work out. I remember Daryl trying to talk me into auditioning for The Nutwood Rug Band, but I wasn't quite ready to jump from band to band in such a hurry. (Daryl, by the way, became my drummer in The Zarsoff Brothers years later - he was the third drummer in that band, joining about 1983 or 84, I think - at least it was halfway through the recording of The Zarsoffs 'Rude Awakening' album, because he got to play on about half the tracks.
He rejoined me for The Zarsoffs tour with 'The Boys Are Back In Town' bunch of shows in the 90s, and played on The Zarsoffs' 2005 studio album 'Mixed Business' - he wrote some killer songs for that album!
This was taken at the Botanical Gardens in Brisbane in circa 1970. I went up there to play in this band, 'The Fishermen' with Waldo Hayes (left) and Jim Farnham (right). I'd played with Waldo in 'Sylvester Quincy Barker's Music Box' for a few years around Taylor Square and The Cross, before Waldo moved to Brisbane. 'The Fishermen' only lasted about 8 months before I high-tailed it back to Sydney to get on with whatever I'd been doing. '69ERS' and 'Johnny & The Ringworms' with Red McKelvie came next, if my memory serves me at all, though things happened pretty thick and fast around then.