Post by Ron Ryan on Feb 24, 2008 9:51:50 GMT
All you young ones out there who are interested in 'The Sixties' do you ever wonder what went on before the 'Beatles, Stones, Kinks, DC5 and all the rest??? Believe it or not there were Bands before the afore-mentioned, there were 'Skiffle Groups'!! Now mention Skiffle Groups' to anyone over 60 who loves music, and still plays in a Band and watch their eye's light up. Back then the Skiffle Groups' comprised of young people who loved music and wanted to play in a Band, but in the main could not read music, or had an instrument (you needed both to get in a normal Band back then). Also there was the the question of money, a 'cheap' new guitar back then (which was nearly unplayable) cost around £15, and when your Dad was earning around £5 a week the possibility of you getting one was very slight to say the least. So you saved money by dong a paper-round (as I did), and when you saved about two pounds fifty shillings (ah the good old days) you went to your local junk shop, and bought a second hand guitar. The drummer 'borrowed' his Mum's washing board (look in a history book), and the bass player went to a tea whole-seller and bought, begged, or 'borrowed' a big wooden tea chest which the loose tea (no tea bags back then) came in. Got a broom handle, and length of string, and there you go, one bass!! If all this seems in the realms of fantasy, well it's not, The Beatles started off in a Skiffle Group, as did 99% of the Sixties Bands including the DC5, and this writer!!!!