Ryde Castle - Summer '65
| Saturdays | Escorts |
| Mondays | Meteors |
| Tuesdays | Tomrons |
| Wednesdays | Escorts |
| Thursdays | Trevandians |
The Breakers were very much an 'apprentice' band. I was on bass, Ray Hunt and my brother, Pete, were on guitars, with Dave Bushal on keyboards and Jack Richards on drums. We were a typical 'first time' band: young, raw, and green as Southern Vectis buses (they were all green in those days). Mike Newbury took over from Jack early in '66, he was about 22 years old at that time. We thought he was ancient.
All of us later went on to more successful outfits: Dave to the Knights, Mike to 5 Alive, Ray to Perkin Warbeck before joining Pete and myself in Neon Rainbow (as did Dave a couple of years later). Jack did a stint with Perception before turning pro. Among other things, he was Tiny Tim's drummer at the 1970 Pop Festival; Not a gig he remembers with relish.
We did the summer of 66 at the Castle, along with the Knights, competing with the likes of Zoot Money, the Move, and other big names at the Disco Blue on the same night. Our first Castle engagement was in '65, working with the Meteors. It wasn't a great gig, at one time there were more people on the bandstand than on the floor, but the Meteors let us use their gear. They were all a couple of years older than us, and at the time, we regarded them as stars.
We were mainly an R&B band, doing Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley standards plus covers of stuff by groups like the Animals and Stones. By '66 we had gone through our 'rites of passage' at places like Woodside Bay (quite a tough camp) and the old Flamingo Club. So when we did our final season at the Castle we'd become pretty tight.
If I had to remember one particular gig, it would be the time we used the Meteors gear. Pete was dead chuffed being allowed to 'touch' Mewy's Rickenbacker, but I couldn't use Ross Hopkins's Fender because it was a left handed model. I can remember the buzz I got though, singing through a decent P.A. for the first time, rather than through the old shit kickers we had.
I occasionally get up and blow a bit of harp with Mewy when I see him playing. It's great fun, but the world's moved on a bit, and it's difficult to recapture the sheer exuberance of those old days back at the Castle.
Rob Atkins, bassist and lead singer with the Breakers, 1964-65