Hondo
So who was around Cambridge in the early 80's?
The band was formed in an upstairs room above Barney's clothes shop in Mill Road, Cambridge. Paul Hue, Neville Laing, and John Murapa had started writing a few songs and were joined by Gwil and Brian, drummer Richard Dixon and Micky Wong, who left before the band began gigging. Paul Maguire ran a music shop in Burleigh Street called, Cambridge Musicians Centre and met John when he was buying a new guitar. Paul was invited to join as keyboard player and the band was born.
The first gig was at The Great Eastern Hotel on Hills Road Cambridge with new drummer Mark Livemore. The gig started without keyboards as Paul M's shop had been robbed and he had been tied up with the Police all day. Eventually he got there half way through the fourth song. In the first year of the band forming they played Strawberry Fair at 3pm and then went on to do a 2 1/2 hour gig headlining at a packed Corn Exchange in the evening.
The band went on tour, playing venues all over the UK. The music was a cross between reggae and rock and accidentally fitted perfectly with the new Sca scene and the band's 3rd single, Party, which was featured on the Cambridge Compilation album, Honey For Tea, was written by the band to attract the Sca fans. Paul Maguire and John Murapa left the band in 1981. Paul left to work with a well known drummer in America and John returned home to Zimbabwe when he sadly died the following year.
The band returned to its reggae roots and continued recording and touring. You can hear some of the songs on the archive site for the recording studios where Hondo recorded their songs.
In fact this site is well worth a trawl through, as it has a discography of all the bands who ever recorded at the studios.
Hondo
So who was around Cambridge in the early 80's?
The band was formed in an upstairs room above Barney's clothes shop in Mill Road, Cambridge. Paul Hue, Neville Laing, and John Murapa had started writing a few songs and were joined by Gwil and Brian, drummer Richard Dixon and Micky Wong, who left before the band began gigging. Paul Maguire ran a music shop in Burleigh Street called, Cambridge Musicians Centre and met John when he was buying a new guitar. Paul was invited to join as keyboard player and the band was born.
The first gig was at The Great Eastern Hotel on Hills Road Cambridge with new drummer Mark Livemore. The gig started without keyboards as Paul M's shop had been robbed and he had been tied up with the Police all day. Eventually he got there half way through the fourth song. In the first year of the band forming they played Strawberry Fair at 3pm and then went on to do a 2 1/2 hour gig headlining at a packed Corn Exchange in the evening.
The band went on tour, playing venues all over the UK. The music was a cross between reggae and rock and accidentally fitted perfectly with the new Sca scene and the band's 3rd single, Party, which was featured on the Cambridge Compilation album, Honey For Tea, was written by the band to attract the Sca fans. Paul Maguire and John Murapa left the band in 1981. Paul left to work with a well known drummer in America and John returned home to Zimbabwe when he sadly died the following year.
The band returned to its reggae roots and continued recording and touring. You can hear some of the songs on the archive site for the recording studios where Hondo recorded their songs.
In fact this site is well worth a trawl through, as it has a discography of all the bands who ever recorded at the studios.