Here & Now (band) - History

History

The first version of the group, co-founded by drummer/vocalist "Kif Kif Le Batter" in March, 1974, were known for jamming (free improvisation), which they did exclusively. They believed in the purity of creating music "in the moment" and didn't have rehearsals or songs. No-one ever paid to see or hear them either, as they would only play their music at free shows and free festivals.

One other part of their manifesto was to never to release, or even make, recordings of their music. Consequently no recordings at all of the 1974 version of Here & Now are thought to exist. Other members of the original band included Franco (Bass), Marguerita (Vocals), Chris Kelleher (Violin), Joleon (Lead Guitar) and Jose Gross (Keyboards).

The band had a residency at the Albion Free State's 'Meat Roxy' in Ladbroke Grove, and made their last performance at the August, 1974 Windsor Free Festival. The band reformed as a 3-piece in November, 1974, with Kif Kif, Jose (temporarily on Bass), and Joleon.

This line-up gigged at the Greyhound venue in Fulham Palace Road, before adding Brother (Bass), Richard Heley (Vocals) and Paul Noble aka Twink (not Twink of the Pink Fairies) on his home-made synthesizer.

This line-up also gigged at the Greyhound, The Chippenham in Maida Vale and at the Cabbage Patch in Twickenham, before making their final performance at Stonehenge Free festival, in June, 1975. Often sharing the bill (even Stonehenge!) with neighbor-squatters, Joe Strummer's 101ers. After Stonehenge 1975, Jose Gross and Richard Heley, amicably left the band to form the new-wave group 'Blank Space'.

Kif Kif and Twink trawled the English free festivals for a bass player and guitarist, and finally found Keith the Bass and Stefan Lewry at Watchfield Free Festival in August 1975. Although this is often described as the formation of the definitive Here & Now line-up, Keith the Bass was not convinced at the time, and after a short while left to form the band 'Burnin' Sensation' with guitarist Bernie.

During 1976 H & N were often joined on stage by dancer Suze the Blooze, who, by 1977, was also singing for the band.

A year later, in September 1976 Keith the Bass did agree to join Here and Now.

Kif Kif, Twink, Steffe and Suze had toured all the 1976 summer free festivals using stand-in bass players, or just jamming without one. The band used to travel, and live, while on the road, in Twink's ex-police bus.

It's not going too far to say that, during the mid 1970's, there was a rare, special, ethereal element to the band. An element which was shared with the early small free festivals they invariably played at. A sort of magical charge built up as the amazing adventures of the mid 70's unfolded.

Just before the Planet Gong collaboration in September 1977, Keith Bailey, who by now had appointed himself leader, ousted Twink from the group and recruited Gavin da Blitz on synthesizer.

Although Gavin was a close friend of the band, other members felt that losing Twink was a wrong turn, and the associated Planet Gong excursion into 'the music biz' took them ever further from the fields of dreams..

In 1977 Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth recruited the band to tour with them under the name Planet Gong, and this combination released a live album Floating Anarchy 1977 and a single "Opium for the People".

Floating Anarchy 1977 is reputed to have sold around 250,000 copies, more than any other Gong record.

Although credited to "Zero" (A pseudonym of Daevid Allen) the bulk of the material on the album was selected from Here & Now's original repertoire they had built up from jamming at festivals.

The title track "Floating Anarchy Radio" Was actually written by Kif Kif, Jose Gross and Richard Heley of the 1974-75 line-up, and was originally titled "Soviet Kommercial Radio".

The band also forged a strong relationship with punk pundit Mark P.'s group Alternative TV, touring together and, in 1978, releasing a joint live album What You See Is What You Are.

In December, 1978 Kif Kif and Suze played their last shows with the band. KK started his own band, "The 012" with José Gross, a recording studio, Street Level also with José Gross and Grant Showbiz and formed a cassette label Fuck Off Records, a recognized pioneering move in the DIY lo-fi movement. In 1985 he formed a new trio World Domination Enterprises. In 1980, Suzy formed the cult post-punk girl-band "Androids of Mu". Kif Kif founded noisy psychedelic pop group "The Love Bringers" in 2012, with ex-World Dom Bass player Steve Jameson.

Here and Now toured extensively in 1980 and 1981 living on their converted bus. This included the free summer festivals of Deeply Vale, Stonehenge and Glastonbury. The band temporarily went back to their 1970's ethos of doing gigs with no entrance fee but a voluntary collection amongst the crowd to help funds.

In 1981 Steffe left due to dissatisfaction with the direction and vibe of the band and became deeply involved in reggae/world music. playing with Inner Force. He formed Nomadiks and also worked with Addis rockers.

Here and Now continued under the leadership of Keith the Bass with Dino Ferrari (a long time roadie with the band ) and a variety of drummers. The band recorded a number of albums including Fantasy Shift, Coaxed out from Oxford,; Theatre and Been and Gone. This incarnation split in 1986 due to record company troubles and the Stonehenge Free festival getting closed down by the police. They reformed a year later in 1987 with Keith on bass, Gavin on keyboards, guitarist Dino Ferrari, saxophonist Jonathan 'JC' Lambert and ex-UK Subs drummer Pete Davis. Gavin left Here & Now finally in 1990 to be replaced by Andy Roid. Steffe returned along with Drummer Steve Cassidy in 1990 after playing with Keith in a televised performance of Gong for Central TV. This line-up recorded the UFOasis album. Andy Roid left in 1996.

In the early 2000s Keith the Bass and Steffe continued the band, with Joie Hinton from Ozric Tentacles/Eat Static on keyboards and Steve Cassidy on drums.

Since 2001, a line-up featuring Kif Kif, Twink and Steffe, mainstays of the mid-70's band, have occasionally performed, under the name "Ici Maintenants". All their material is improvised in the moment, a la 'innocent' mid-seventies Here & Now. They produced one live album 'Space and Time' in 2003, and recorded another in 2009, which is yet to be released.

Steffe left the H&N band again in early summer 2009 after concluding he could no long work with Keith the Bass. He has continued to work with Steve Cassidy on various fusion projects and contributed to Joie Hinton projects. He is now concentrating on solo work and his long-time involvement in Visitation Arena with Cher Newsam, .

In September 2009 a new line-up was announced: Gwyo ZePix (ex Zorch and Gong); Slim Verhoef (ex Giant Eyes); Nik Nimbus); Drumbiz (ex Mandragora and Giant Eyes); and Keith the Bass.

September 2010 saw Esoteric Recordings release remastered versions of both Give & Take and All Over The Show.

Despite several re-releases, to date, no members of the band have ever received any royalties for these albums, or any of their other material originally released by Charly Records, including "Floating Anarchy 1977".

In 2011 Mark Robson of Kangaroo Moon and Magick Brothers took the helm of Keyboard Meister and vocals. Andy Roid also rejoined the band following a guest appearance jamming with the band at a free party in mid-Wales in August 2011, giving the band two synth players. Dino Ferrari also made a reappearance at a gig in Kingston, Surrey in April 2012. The band were also joined onstage by Gavin da Blitz at the same gig.

Although the band do not make British television appearances, British television presenter Matthew Wright is a high profile fan of the band, regularly mentioning the band on his series The Wright Stuff.