(vocal and instrumental group)
(1967-1972) Hokey, Buz, Bob & Tim.
History
Armed with a red Hofner Colorama, a semi-acoustic Harmony with a pickup screwed to it and a set of sticks, Hokey, Buz, and drummer, Dave Knight undertook a number of gigs under the name of Sounds Revolting. It didn't really sound too good (two guitars & a mike through a 15watt amplifier with one 12" speaker.) With the addition Buz's brother, Tim, on home made bass in 1966, this spectacular line up became the Outside Toilet by late 1967, the name suggested by new-boy drummer Bob Aylott who also introduced to the group lights, electronics and a box of funny hats, masks, wigs, crockery etc. He looked and played like Keith Moon and was instrumental in pushing the band on to bigger and better things. Thus the group soon got moving in 1968 playing all kinds of gigs from Saturday morning pictures (remember them?) to the front room of a neighbour's house. The O.T. soon became a well-oiled machine on the church hall youth club and minor disco circuit around the Harrow area. the Chain joined them for many of these gigs from the early part of 1968, dancing in front of the group.
The stage set-up
Unlike their local and even national contemporaries, the O.T. had their own ideas about stagecraft. They wore long old fashioned dressing gowns and the stage was covered with props like the plastic torso of a woman (Fiona), a dummy head and various plastic legs. Their other props included cardboard amps which were either jumped on or kicked off the stage at a suitable point in the show or later blown up with theatrical maroons (electrically detonated charges - could be pretty loud!). Rubber rats, a watering can and an old violin were also blown up at various times. The stage was lit by a lightshow which developed into a fully blown psychedelic show with projectors, slides, oil and strobe lights, (used at a wedding gig?). Remember this was middle class suburbia not San Francisco.
The show
The show usually started with a bang - literally - somewhere in the first number. This usually woke up members of the audience not familiar with the group who then blasted on though their versions of pop numbers and into a medley at which point they were joined onstage by the Chain. The act came to a climax with puffs of flash powder, destruction of cardboard amps, explosions and a reworking of Rachmaninov's Piano study in Cmin complete with early synthesiser sounds.