Back in 1976/77, Norwich-based Spiny Norman was one of the top rock
bands in East Anglia. Named after the giant hedgehog from Monty
Python, they started out as a pub band playing covers including Alex
Harvey, The Who and Thin Lizzy. Their stage act was outrageous, and
frontman Mick Hudson used a variety of props including a smoking
guitar which would be smashed up on stage as the culmination of "My
Generation". Their stage act was heavily influenced by the
Sensational Alex Harvey Band, and the Heavy Metal Kids, whose song
"Rock and Roll Man" was always Spiny's encore.
They started supporting big name acts at West Runton Pavilion on the
North Norfolk Coast, during which time they began writing their own
material. They were introduced to session guitarist Bryan Daly (who
subsequently made a fortune writing the theme tune to "Postman Pat"),
who set about trying to find the band a recording contract. His
contacts in Decca brought an A&R man to West Runton to see Spiny
Norman play a triumphal support gig with the mighty Judas Priest,
after which they went to London to record a four-track demo in
Decca's Number 1 studio. Several other record companies also came to
see the band, but by now the tide had turned against them with the
advent of punk.
Even so, Spiny Norman gained an impressive tally of support gigs,
including John Miles (while he was in the Top 10 with "Music"), Ian
Gillan (ex-Deep Purple Mk 2), Smokie (while "Living next door to
Alice" was a hit the first time round, Trapeze (fresh from a stadium
tour of the USA), and the German rock giants Can. They were also
offered the opportunity of a European tour supporting Mott (Mott the
Hoople after Ian Hunter left).
At the end of 1977, Spiny Norman morphed into Kama Kazee, which kept
going for a while before splitting, with band members pursuing other
interests. Vocalist Mick Hudson answered an ad in the Melody Maker,
and ended up joining Switzerland's top rock band, the Steve Whitney
Band, with whom he toured all over Europe and recorded several
albums. Brian Wise spent several years performing as a solo artist,
also travelling widely, and Clive Tully became a freelance outdoors
and travel journalist.
