It’s beginnings can be traced to the whimsical mind of Eamon Nancarrow and his trusty sidekick Ken Heaven. On drums was Stephen Campbell the first, and due to his decision to quit days before the first gig, nearly the last drummer of Nellie Dean.
With help of the legendary DJ Tommy Vance they soon found an accomplice in Eugene Scribes, bassist and Dickens fan. Sadly Eugene was to be our very own “Stuart Sutcliffe” and pass on without having a chance to savour the triumphs to follow.
Luckily enough we bumped into his doppelganger Xan Philips in the Nellie Dean pub in Soho and he was soon convinced into throwing his lot in with us. In those days we had very strict criteria on joining the band - silly names.
Founding Members:
Vocals: Eamon Nancarrow
Guitar and faux pas: Ken Heaven
Bass: Xan Philips
Drums: Stephen Campbell
Band members:
Drums:
Laurence Llewyllen Bowen (or Tony as we knew him then)
Rob (the mad funking Cannuk) Shipman
Gary Baker
JJ
Guitar
Noel O’Rielly
Dave Bigwood
Clive
Honorary Members:
Lee Powis: Guitar (and best hair cut and best backing vocals)
Management: Alex Balkin.
Road Crew:
Brendan (bikilly) Kelly, Live sound engineer, guitar tech, roadie, pyrotechnics (flaming hair) and head of security for the last roll up.
Art and design: Ian (Inky) Worland,
Sir Jonathon Bramley OBE BBC Bafta winner.
PR: The late and much lamented Stephen Magee.
Nellies:
Gail and Richard,
The Nancarrows (theres millions of them, too many too mention),
The Heavens,
The Scribes (nee Phillips),
Dave (love) Shack,
Fishy the younger,
(if there any nellies out there who we have left out please drop us line, as my memories have been blurred by the passage of time).
Places :
The Stick of Rock Bethnal Green (playing at home as we called it),
Red Lion Brentford,
The Marquee,
The Rosetta Bar,
The Nellie Dean (Soho)
