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The Strawbs can certainly lay claim to a turbulent history when it comes to line-up changes, and boast a star studded cast of past and current band members.
They began life in the mid-1960s when Dave Cousins and Tony Hooper formed the bluegrass duo, Strawberry Hill Boys in London. The double bass player, Ron Chesterman, joined them and they recorded an album with Sandy Denny which remained unreleased for several years. Denny then left to join Fairport Convention and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, bassist John Ford and drummer Richard Hudson joined in 1970. This line-up lasted for two albums before Wakeman left in 1971 to be replaced by Blue Weaver, formerly of Amen Corner. The album Grave New World followed in 1972, after which Tony Hopper left the band and Dave Lambert joined.
The next album contained two hit singles, Lay Down and Part Of The Union which was written by Hudson and Ford. Hudson and Ford left the band and formed a moderately successful duo as Hudson Ford and had a handful of hit singles. Blue Weaver also left to join the Bee Gees, so three new members were drafted in; Chas Cronk on bass, Rod Coombes on Drums and John Hawken on keyboards. Two albums, Hero and Heroine and Ghosts were recorded with this line-up before Hawken left the band. The quartet of Cousins, Lambert, Cronk and Coombes produced a further three albums, Nomadness, Deep Cuts and Burning For You followed by Deadlines on which Tony Fernandez replaced Coombes on drums.
Occasional line-ups performed during the '80s and '90s but the 30th anniversary concert at Chiswick in 1998 brought together nearly all the past members of the band for a musical feast and since then the Strawbs have been touring, either as a five or six-piece electric or a three-piece acoustic band.
Tonight sees the first visit of the Electric Strawbs (Cousins, Cronk, Lambert, Coombes and John Young) to the Musician, and tickets are priced at £13 advance and £15 on the door. Advance tickets are available from the venue, Rockaboom Records, WeGotTickets and See Tickets. Support comes from Leicestershire's own star-in-the-making Fay Brotherhood!
