Article
FUMBLE begin to feel good
 DES
HENLY is a successful pop singer. His group’s new album earned enviable
reviews.
Their single is played on Radio 1, they are about to leave
for an American tour. And he earns... 10 Pounds a week.
Des isn’t being swindled. It’s just that being anything less
than a star is scarcely viable in the overcrowded world of
rock’n’roll bands today.
Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart and Marc Bolan all once earned
that kind of money.
Difficult
Des’s band is called Fumble. They have appeared on television
and their name has been splashed across the front pages of
the music papers. So the signs are that they are going to
make it.
"I know people expect pop singers to earn more than 10
Pounds a week" he says. "But you get used to managing.
It used to be 5 Pounds a week – and that really was difficult."
All four members of Fumble receive the same wage from their
manager John Sherry. But, to be fair, almost all their bills
– even for clothes – are paid for them.
"The cost of keeping a band like this on the road is
astronomical." says Des.
"Sometimes our fee barely covers the money we lay out
on transport, food and hotels."
Fumble specialise in playing the early hits of people like
Elvis, Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers. It sounds an unlikely
formula for success. But even audiences at London clubs like
the Marquee and the Speakeasy have been shouting for more
at the end of their sets.
And David Bowie, who is a big star now, asked Fumble to play
as his support group on his tour of Britain and on his forthcoming
tour of the States.
Fumble have been playing together for five years. Des is 25
and a former art student.
Pianist Sean Mayes won an MA degree in Philosophy at Cambridge.
Bass guitarist Mario Ferrari is a former artist. And drummer
Barry Pike was a student at Cambridge.
Say Mario: "We’ve been gigging about for years and sometimes
people haven’t even bothered to listen to us.
"Now Fumble is just beginning to take off. That’s a nice
feeling."
- John Blake
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More
articles:
Success for Weston Group in beat championship
(Local paper, 1967)
Baloons flying
high behind Iron Curtain (Local paper, 1968)
Fumble (Record Mirror,
1971)
FUMBLE (Beat Instrumental,
1972)
American Press (1972)
Fumble gain a firm hold (1972)
Nancy
finds out all about....
(date unknown 1973)
There's no flies on Fumble (NME,
1973)
Fumble flies to fame and fortune
( 1973)
Rumble, rumble...here comes
Fumble (Record Mirror, 1973)
Fumble begin to feel good (Evening
News, 1973)
Fumble US Tour (Record Mirror,
1973)
In a class of their own
(Sounds, 1973)
Under the influence: Des
Henly (NME, 1973)
Rollin' and Fumblin'
(Melody Maker, 1973)
The Raver
(Melody Maker, 1973)
Back
in time - Nutrockers! (Reading Rock 73)
Accident Prone (Music Star,
1973)
An
interview with Barry Pike (Drum Magazine 1974)
Rock'n'Roll band signs up (St.
Albans Midweek Recorder, 1974)
Record and Popswop Mirror (Record
& Popswop Mirror, 1975)
Robin Katz talked to Sha Na
Na and Fumble (Sounds, 1975)
Pop goes GLC decibel dosage
(Daily Telegraph, 1975)
Concert reviews:
Playhouse Theatre
(supporting Bill Haley) (date unknown)
Newcastle,
City Hall (supporting David Bowie) (Jan 7, 1973)
Philadelphia,
Tower Theatre (supporting David Bowie) (Feb 17, 1973)
London,
Greyhound (May 17, 1973)
Paris
(May 31, 1973)
London,
Speakeasy (June 7, 1973)
London,
Marquee Club (July 14,
1973)
London, Rainbow Theatre
(supporting Chuck Berry) (Sept 7, 1973)
London, Marquee Club
(March 1974)
Bristol,
University (Apr 27, 1974)
London, Kings Road Theatre (Dec
15, 1974)
Burton-on-Trent,
76 Club (Mar 29, 1975)
London,
Roundhouse (supporting Dr. Feelgood) (Apr 20, 1975)
Festivals:
The Reading
Festival 1973
Alexandra Palace
Music Festival 1973
Roskilde
Festival, Denmark 1973 (Sounds)
Roskilde
Festival, Denmark 1973 (NME)
LPs and Singles:
Fumble
(Sovereign) 1972 (Melody Maker)
Poetry In Lotion (RCA) 1974
(Disc, Melody Maker)
Alexandra
Park (Sovereign) 1973 (Disc Magazine)
Million
Seller (Sovereign) 1973 (Melody Maker, NME, Disc, Sounds)
Not Fade Away (RCA) 1974
(Record Mirror, Melody Maker, NME)
Don't
Take Love (RCA) 1974 (Sounds)
German / Danish articles:
 Fumble
ride the oldie-wave (fans magazine, 1973) translated
Fumble
- Nostalgischer Pomaden-Pop (Flash magazine, 1973)
Success through persistence (BRAVO
magazine, 1973) translated
 FUMBLE
(GO, 1972)
Sjoveste LP i lang tid (Some
Danish paper, 1972)
Kendt
beatgruppe i Diskotek Limelight (Danish paper, 1973)
Roskilde-festival en stor succes
(Berlingske Tidende, 1973) |
