The Fabulous Fezheads

There’s a lot of rubbish talked about electric guitars and gear in general, mainly by people who just don’t play many gigs. It’s easy to be a bedroom guitar hero - not so simple when you have to do it for real. The Fabulous Fezheads have been touring constantly with the same Old Blue Transit Van since 1919, so we know a thing or two…… There are a couple essentials that I require out of all my instruments and equipment That it stays in tune under all conditions It keeps working under all circumstances Everything else is a bonus There are basically only 2 types of guitars Fender and Gibson, everything else is either a copy of a variation on – Steinberger’s don’t count as they’re just silly Even modern Fenders and Gibson’s are copies, just massed produced copies of the 1950’s originals Most people are either Fender players ( Keith ) or Gibson players ( Slash ) I don’t like Gibson’s, I’m a Fender player myself, although I have strayed to the dark side when playing mandolins, however without my two favourite brands are Hohner Pro and Burns. Hohner pro guitars from the 1980’s and 1990’s are just the best kept secret in the guitar world, they turned out better J Basses than old Leo and better Les Paul’s then old Les. I have a couple of Hohner basses that I use for live gigs and Fenders for the Studio I hate guitar snobs When you’re faced with festival crowds in dodgy weather conditions, the last thing on your mind is whether you have a nitro paint finish, Seymour Duncan’s and a brass nut. It’s, am I still in tune, can I remember the words, and what the hell comes next! I have a dog of a bass for such situations – Old Picky Old Picky is an Aussie bass from down under that cost me £36 from Australia (£6 was import duty) and is basically a lightweight P Bass for girls finished in a tasteful Hot Pink Sun Burst - nice After an extensive rewiring job caused by a stray peavey bandit in the back of the Kebabs Old Blue Van, Old Picky is now my first choice to tackle the gigs where other fear to tread. Rule number one never take anything precious to a festie - certainly not a decent guitar And try to use other people’s amps and PA wherever possible The Fezheads mainly use old peavey amps because they are so durable One of our Bandit combos survived a drunk sitting on a round of full pints which someone in their wisdom had placed on top of the amp after a gig at the Stroud Music Festival. Somehow this guy’s bottom managed to crush the glasses with the beer in them, they literally exploded with a bang, filling up the amp with a combination of best bitter and glass splinters - The amp survived – not so sure about the drunk….. Another thing that I don’t get is relic guitar thing Why would anyone spend a fortune on a deliberately aged instrument? Spend the summer with the Fezheads in the Old Blue Van, all your gear will quickly age from closet classic to relic! We can relic anything even people….ask father Ken Anyway must dash need to slaughter a goat for the barbi…... Afkatglhoops

Brief History The Fabulous Fezheads are the Countries Premier Sand Dance Vaudevillian Illusionists carrying on in the Tradition of Old ‘Blind Ned’ Cleggett and his Famous Stage Act of the 1930’s the Amazing ‘Flying’ Cleggetts. Starring his Great Grand Son Pete the ‘Flying’ Cleggett the Fabulous Fezheads were actually founded in 1991 as the result of a chance encounter between Adonis Kebab, El Turnipo, Phil the Hun and Pete the ‘Flying’ Cleggett while performing at the Brighton Arts Festival. Listening to tales and stories of Pete’s amazing family Music Hall Act with the Sand Dance, and Ned’s Spectacular Stunts they were inspired to form a new act to include the Sand Dance and adopt the Fezhead name. 1996 we made the leap into Stage illusion with Cleggett the Escapologist – “the ‘Flying’ Cleggett is Bound, Blindfolded, then Nailed and Chained in the Sarcophagus of Dhoom from whence he’s challenged to Escape!” Having fulfilled part of his dream to perform one of the Famous Stunts of his Great Grandfathers Stage Act, Pete felt it was time to press on so we became the Fabulous Fezheads In 1997 the Fezheads came of age with the revival of The Flying Cleggett – “the act that put in ‘Flying’ into Cleggett. Pete risks everything when he is Loaded then Fired as a Human Projectile.” This was shortly followed by the Vanishing Cleggett ( Magic ) Hoops of Destiny and Laces of Fire ( Both Stunts ) In 1999 we built The Wheel of Death - “a rotating wheel of death upon which the ‘Flying’ Cleggett is used as a spinning Human Target for our resident Knife thrower ‘Phil the Hun’.” Although we had practiced for many months there were still safety concerns with this Act especially when it was first premiered at 5.30am during a pagan May 1st Dawn Ceremony! The Wheel of Death is in fact based on the old American burlesque Act of ‘Chopper’ Smith and his performing Baboon in the 1930’s Midwest. The original Act consisted of ‘Chopper’ strapping the unfortunate Baboon to the Wheel of a Wagon and throwing knives between the spokes of the wheel and the Baboon. Obviously we could not ( for various legal, moral and practical reasons ) lay our hands on a Baboon and Wagon, however we appeared to have the next best thing in Pete the ‘Flying’ Cleggett and Adonis Kebabs brilliance for building Stage Props. The Act of the ‘Flying Cleggett and the Wheel of Death’ consists of Pete (the ‘Flying’ Cleggett ) being strapped onto a revolving wheel of death and having knives thrown at him by a Blindfolded Knife Thrower! The Blind Knife Thrower purely using the sound of Cleggetts voice as a guide for the deadly blades. 2002 saw the premier of Dr Roger’s Cabinet of Correction – “In a desperate attempt to improve his performance, Cleggett is clamped by his head in a Cabinet of Correction and Sawn in half in order that Dr Roger can perform corrective surgery!” In 2005 the Fabulous Fezheads Band went Electric and during 2006 recorded their concept album Fezphobia In addition we for the last 10 years we host and promote our own Festival The International Fig and Date Fayre held the last weekend in March at different locations around the UK. For information and performance details please consult our extensive website: www.Fezheads.com or www.myspace.com/fezheads