English Irving and The Ubombs 1977 - 1980
Paul Tuxworth - Guitar, Vocals
Anando Bahti - Bass, Vocals, Guitar
Roy Erzinger - Drums, Vocals
Ian Thurnwald - Sax, Vocals
Mark Cornwall - Fretless Bass, Vocals
Publicity photograph of The U-bombs by Iris K.
Schoolboy -
It's Automatic -
The Last Violin
Available on CD We started rehearsals that day and within a few weeks we had compiled a set of about 20 songs, mainly covers with a few originals penned by both Phil and Paul. Our first gig was at a private party being held at the Blackwood Masonic Lodge Hall, a large and rather old building nestled in amongst the native bush in the Adelaide Hills. We sounded raw, very loud and we played fast, with some songs lasting for only a minute or so. We must have made quite an impression. The audience didn't clap or cheer. They didn't heckle us or go home. They just stood there looking at us with their mouths agape. It seemed as if nobody was quite sure of how to react to our aural assault, although I did notice a lot of toe tapping and head movement while we were playing. We decided that this stunned response was a good sign.
Next up was a nine-week residency at the infamous Belair Hotel, which is where I would go for a drink with my friends and work mates. I was aware that the bar manager was keen to improve on the average of 10 punters showing up to regular Thursday night disco and so I suggested that The U-Bombs could do few shows and see what happens. He agreed to a trail run with free admission, a modest display ad in the city press and even paying us some cash! (in return for the 100% bar takings of course!).
It was a pretty sweet deal for us considering that at the time, nobody really knew who we were and we had no way of knowing how many would show up. Apparently though, many had heard of the band through word of mouth after we had played at some backyard parties (young bands take note) and combined with the free admission, it meant that we got a full house on the first night. An excellent night of dancing and cajoling was had by all even though there was broken beer glasses all over the floor. The manager had a smile that stretched from ear to ear because the bar made more money in one night with the U-Bombs than a year of 'Do The Hustle Competitions' and so he readily agreed to continue with a Thursday night residency. It was during this period that Ian joined the band playing tenor sax, adding a new dimension to the sound of the group even if he couldn't be heard! continued next page
and The Ubombs