Gigstory - David Bowie & The Buzz and The Powerhouse

David Bowie & The Buzz supported by The Powerhouse

The Lion Hotel – July 2nd 1966

After recently changing his surname from Jones (due to the popularity if Davy Jones from The Monkees) David Bowie began auditions and rehearsals for a new band called The Buzz in the February of 1966.The band consisted of Bowie (Vocals/Guitar/Saxophone), Derek ‘Dek’ Fearnley (Bass), John ‘Ego’ Eager (drums), Derrick ‘Chow’ Boyes (Keyboards) and John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (Guitar). Their first gig was on 11^th February at the Mecca Ballroom in Leicester and the tour continued right thru to December, including a residency at the Marquee in Soho. Part of the burgeoning Mod Scene the Buzz played classic R&B covers like the Harlem Shuffle & Hold on, I’m Coming, they also played You’ll Never Walk Alone along with two singles the band released; Good Morning Girl & I Dig Everything.

They were booked to play the Lion Hotel under Bowie’s old band name of The Lower Third. This gig was the first played with Billy ‘Haggis’Gray on guitar (replacing John Hutchinson.)

Support for the night was The Powerhouse who was put together by producer Joe Boyd on opening a London office for the Elektra label. He was looking for British talent to feature on a sampler Album for the label and Paul Jones (Manfred Mann) suggested the idea of a ‘supergroup’ to record a few tracks. The eventual line up was Paul Jones (Harmonica), Eric Clapton (Guitar), Steve Winwood (Vocals/Organ) and Pete York (Drums) from the Spencer Davies Group and Ben Palmer (Piano) who had previously played with Clapton and Jones in the Roosters. (quite a line up for a support act! What would be comparable today?).

The Powerhouse only recorded a few songs in March 1966 (produced by Boyd), three of which were released on the Elektra compilation album What's Shakin' alongside tracks by The Lovin' Spoonful, Al Kooper, Tom Rush and The Butterfield Blues Band. The album was later reissued in the UK under the title Good Time Music.
The tracks included were "Crossroads" (R. Johnson), "Steppin' Out" (M. Slim) and "I Want to Know" (S. McLeod). There was a fourth song recorded, a "slow blues", but to this day it remains unreleased. "The slow blues was never issued, so they must have it on tape at Elektra somewhere," said Clapton in a March 1968 interview, printed in Guitar Player magazine in 1992.
Bill for the night? Bowie and the Buzz were paid £30 and Powerhouse £25!

Were you there that night? Any memories of any other gigs in Warrington? Let us know at Warringtongigarchive@gmail.com