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This is the archive of the combined Barking Spider and Andy Broad Portsmouth Blues Site mailing lists.
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ROLY WOODS- 1955- 2007 I was very sad to hear from Kev Ellis that Roly Woods, one of her great characters of the Portsmouth music scene, and supremo of Stormbringer Promotions, passed away in the early hours of 7th April, after an long illness. Roly was running rock discos in 1977, after roadying for Alice, one of the great “should’ve been” Portsmouth band featuring the great Dave Boots, (now living in Europe and still perfoming). Roly was always full of enthusiasm and inexhaustible energy, which eventually led him to run The Portsmouth Rock Workshop at one time Roly was running no less than eight venues a week! Radio Victory (where Shep Woolley another long-time friend of Roly, was broadcasting from at the time) were mercilessly bullied by Roly to publicise their gigs and read up the full list every Saturday afternoon! His Portsmouth Rock Workshop gigs at The Rotary Club were legendary, and seldom drew good size audiences Although he was a rocker at heart, Roly would become excited at all kinds of music. "The Spirit of ‘77" was definitely alive and well in Pompey thanks to Roly, and punk was embraced by the man from Stormbringer. He’d put bands on who had no equipment with bands who had, (on the understanding they shared their gear) and gave a lot of encouragement to everyone. He’d even give them money sometimes!!!! One of the legendary nights at the Rotary Club was the night that a massive truck arrived with a top class P.A for the band to use….. the punk band Chaos, featuring a young lad not yet in his teens, were playing that night..... the young lad's Dad was Phil Shulman, from the incredibly successful (at that time) rock band Gentle Giant…. I really got to know Roly well when the Irish trad sessions started in The Fifth Hants Volunteers in Albert Rd., which spawned The Motherfolkers and later An Seisiun and Father Jack, all bands I’ve been lucky enough to have been a member of. Roly and his lady, Chris Pegg, would turn up regularly to the Fifth Hants sessions, and later to Motherfolkers/An Seisiun/Father Jack gigs, and he was every bit as enthusiastic about this form of music as rock and punk. He managed to “put the arm on the Council” for the Music in The Square Festivals in Guildhall Square, and somehow managed to get some superb bands of all genres to appear. Later he ran The Denmead Beer Festival, ensuring bands like The Motherfolkers and later Father Jack appeared to entertain the masses with “Celtic music and formation drinking“. It’s no exaggeration to say if it hadn’t have been for Roly Woods there would have been no Barking Spider Promotions. He made me realise that a dream was only a dream if you didn’t pursue it until it became reality. I shall miss seeing Roly at my gigs, although I’m 100% he’ll be there in spirit. I can’t stand Abba - and I‘m pretty sure that Roly and I were of the same mind - but all I can think of at the moment is one of their titles - “Thank You For The Music.” G’night, Roly, I’ll miss you, maaan… John Roberts.