The Tories

Year 1964

The Tories at Schützenhöf Spandau 1964

The Tories at Schützenhöf Spandau 1964 - Photo: NN 

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Gigs couldn't be planned until Reinhard Bock and Micky Zeitner had successfully finished their final school exams ("Abitur") - but practising chords and scales were both possible and neccessary despite all exam stress: Hagen talked Bock into taking over the bass in the new formation. That meant doodeling bass scales over and over for him - he and Micky accomplished the exams anyhow in February 1964.

On March 28, The Tories had their first public appearance at Spandau Schützenhof. Shortly before, Hucky and Bokens had swapped instruments again, the bass guitar went back into Hucky's hands, Bokens played Hucky's 9-string Framus Melody from than on. In April and May, The Tories performed in the Spandau beer bar "Spandauer Wappen" every saturday and from the summer of 1964 onwards they played every weekend: In July 1964 they started a two month engagement at Hakenfelde's "Heideschloß". Hagen had negotiated an hourly rate of 10 marks for each member - an exceptionally good pay for an amateur band in those days! Additionally, the arrangement included that exactly at midnight the innkeeper's wife, Mrs. Faust, served an aspic cutlet, a big beer and a coffee "auf Haus" (for free).

After that midnight break, mainly smoochy blues were played, long slow pieces with a lot of improvised solo's ("If You Need Me", "Little Red Rooster" by The Rolling Stones, instrumentals by The Shadows ("Peace Pipe"), exceptionally played by Bokens.

In late 1964, The Tories won their first band competition at Spandau Casaleon, 1965 followed quite a number of first and second places at many more clubs all over Berlin.

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