Musical History 1969-2000...

· 1969: `The Express Train` a fictional band in the minds of Cliff Hason, Dave Partridge, Tony Cox & my goodself (we were into the Byrds big time). `Skydog` this time we had equipment and won the 1974 Bournemouth beat contest (held next to the pier) for the most professional band, we really thought we had made it. Billy Burr (vocals) Mally Windett (bass) Nick Buckle (drums) Davey Boy Andrews (guitar) Mr soul (guitar&vocals)
We quickly changed our name to the Freshly Layed band which had two incarnations. The first comprising of `Skydog` members. Mally left to pursue spiritual paths and Jim Young joined. We enjoyed considerable success locally packing out the badger bars in Glen Fern Rd. We charged 10p a head and made £40.00 one night, a king's ransom in those days. It was about this time that a rather confused looking swiss guy asked me how he could get in contact with local musos, I thought he was a waster and sent him off to a club on the other side of town, yes it was none other than Furter the Funk. He came back a week or so later and just as well as our bass player was leaving to play in a heavy metal band. We actually made him audition, but I sort of knew he was going to be the man and still is. They do not come any better than this.

· 1977: `Freshly Layed 2` (the real deal) Roger (Fats) Hunt (vocals) Bobby Pendry (guitar & vocals) Richard (the funk) Furter (bass) Nick Buckle (drums) Tim Holt (guitar& vocals) This band had a regular spot every thursday at the White Buck in Burley, it was always busy, we also played the whole of the south coast circuit. Our music was inspired by the likes of `Little Feat` and we were writing a lot of our own material; towards the end in 1979, 80% of our set was original. We reached the final of the `Melody Maker Rock Contest held at the Roundhouse in Bournemouth but after that the band just sort of fizzled out. Our farewell concert at the St Stephens Hall drew over 1200 people, a fantastic way to go out.

· 1979: `The Outsiders`: Tim Holt (guitar & vocals) Richard Furter (bass) Nick Buckle (drums) Tris Stevens (guitar & vocals) we played all original material, funky rock and no 15 minute solos the band split up in 1981.

· 1981: Nick joined `Biz Internationale` and Richard left for `Cosmetics` with Mr Smith (Richard Mazda) so I was left without a band, not for long though. `Gringo` needed a guitarist and as we were good friends so it seemed a
natural thing to do. It was great just to be in a band and not have to organise anything, I had a lot of fun in that band until it broke up in 1983. The `Gringo` line up Billy Ooates (guitar & vocals) Graham (congas & vocals) he had a great voice. Big G.(bass) has also helped us on occasions when Richard was away. Melvin Carter (drums) Tim Holt (guitar & vocals).

· 1983: `The Rocking Erics`: Tim Holt( guitar & vocals) Richard Furter (bass) Bobby Pendry (guitar & vocals) Richard found him living quite close to me. Tim Holt (guitar & vocals) Sandy Murray (occasional vocals) Sandy used to be our sound engineer in the Layed.
It did'nt last that long mainly because it had no real direction, but Sandy and I knew that the old `Biz` brass section were looking to do something and in 1985 at Holdenhurst Village Hall we saw the light. A dream come true: we had ourselves a soul band and `The Agency` was born.

· 1985: `The Agency`: Sandy Murray (vocals) Mr Soul (guitar & vocals) Richard Furter (bass) Melvin Carter (drums) Nick Buckle (percussion & vocals) Bobby Pendrey (guitar & vocals) Graham Millman (trumpet & vocals) Martin (Ace) Bradford (tenor sax) Dave Hutton (vavle trombone) in 1987 Mike Wheatley replaced Dave Hutton Dave Caswell also joined around that time. Sandy left in 1990 to travel around Aussie with his new wife Sally. I was left to find a replacement. Andy Wilkinson joined. He seemed the obvious sucessor to Sandy and had helped us out at various gigs. Bobby Pendry left at this time and Dave Caswell left in the early 90's my brother Simon Holt joined in 1996 and the line up has remained stable to this day.