Uriel
begin gigging during the Spring; a contemporary setlist includes covers of songs
by Cream ("Sunshine Of Your Love", "Tales Of Brave Ulysses",
"Politician", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "N.S.U.",
"Spoonful"), the Jimi Hendrix Experience ("Manic Depression",
"Foxy Lady", "I Don't Live Today"), John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
("All Your Love", "Have You Heard", "The Same Way",
"Dust My Broom"), the Spencer Davis Group ("Stevie's Blues"),
Traffic ("Dear Mr Fantasy"), The Beatles ("Strawberry Fields
Forever"), The Nice ("Rondo", "Azrael (Angel Of Death)",
"Daddy, Where Did I Come From ?", "Flower King Of Flies"),
Donovan ("Season Of The Witch", "Hurdy Gurdy Man")
[03] London, Middle Earth [supporting Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band,
also: Come Early]
[--] Woodford, Montclair Youth Club
[--] Hackney [London], Upton School
Uriel
record a demo in a little studio close to Holland Park tube station ("Saturn",
"Bogey Man")
They have a summer residency at the Ryde Castle Hotel on the Isle of Wight;
the event is commemorated in the later Egg song "A Visit To Newport Hospital"
(they also support The Herd, and possibly Stray and Chicken Shack)
[20] Ryde [Isle Of Wight], Ryde Castle Hotel [supporting Crazy World Of Arthur
Brown; also: Helcyon Order]
[27] Ryde [Isle Of Wight], Ryde Castle Hotel [supporting Fairport Convention;
also: Helcyon Order]
Uriel becomes a
trio after Steve Hillage leaves the band to continue school (and eventually
study at Canterbury University); dropping most of its cover versions, the trio
replace them with original compositions by Mont Campbell and Dave Stewart, including
"Egoman", "The Salesman Song", "Leda And The Swan",
"Morfudd The Nun" and parts of "Symphony No.1", namely "Gripperknicks",
"Horn Movement" and "Speed" (Campbell); "Swooping Bill",
"The Nightmarish Plateau Of Leng" and "Snido The Snail From Happytown
Vale" (Stewart) and "The Other Day I Was Thinking" (Campbell/Stewart);
plus covers of Mussorgsky's "Night Of Bare Mountain", Holst's "Saturn",
the Dick Barton series theme "Devil's Gallop"
They play their first trio (afternoon) gigs at Shanklin Pier before leaving
the Isle of Wight to return to London
Around this time, Uriel
record a demo at Peter Wicker's Studio 19, consisting of the songs "Egoman",
"Swooping Bill" and "The Salesman Song" (all three tracks
are included on the 2007 archive release Arzachel by Uriel)
[23] London, Roundhouse (Middle Earth) [also: Juniors Eyes, Writing On The
Wall, Arcadium, The Gun, Sleepy]
Uriel
are offered management by the managers of the Middle Earth club; part of the
arrangement include regular appearances at the club
[14] London, Roundhouse (Middle Earth) [supporting Principal Edward's Magic
Theatre, Third Ear Band, Radha Kinoka, Temple, also: Sitar Master, Pandit Trika]
[28] London, Roundhouse (Middle Earth) [supporting: Super Star Jam Session
with Soft Machine, Zoot Money & Andy Summers, also John Mayall's Bluesbreakers,
Writing On The Wall, Arcadium]
Bowing to demands from
their new management, Uriel change their name to The Egg (quickly
shortened to Egg)
[11] London, Roundhouse (Middle Earth) [also: Love Sculpture, support: Giant]
[16] London, Country Club [also: Jody Grind]
[25] London, Roundhouse (Middle Earth) [supporting The Pretty Things, also:
Melanie, Glass Menagerie, Dave Brock & Peter Judd]
[07] London, Fishmonger's
Arms [also: Liverpool Scene]
[08] London, Roundhouse (Middle Earth) [also: Family, Arcadium, Steamhammer]
[--] London, Speakeasy
[--] London, Drury Lane Arts Lab
[01] London, Royalty Theatre [supporting Soft Machine; also: Arcadium]
[06] London, Roundhouse (YCND) [also: Peter Brown's Battered Ornaments, Alexis Korner, Stray, The Deviants, Mike Stevens, Gary Farr, Exploding Spectrum, Roy Harper]
[13] Southall, Farx Club [also: Jerome Arnold, Steamhammer?]
[23] London, The Roebuck
Following Egg's début appearance at this Tottenham Court Road pub, the
band's unofficial manager Bill Jellett organises a weekly residency for them
there; Steve Hillage occasionally sits in; among the audience at one of these
gigs is Pat Boland, a DJ and headhunter for Decca Records; with Middle Earth's
plans to start a record label failing to materialise, Egg end up signing with
Decca
Egg plus former Uriel cohort Steve Hillage reunite to record (under pseudonyms) Arzachel's eponymous album
[30] London, The Roebuck
Egg record their debut
single in a studio near Oxford Street
[07] London, The Roebuck
[14] London, The Roebuck
[23] London, The Roebuck
[24] London, Playhouse Theatre (Top Gear w. John Peel) (producer: Pete Ritzema)
- "Seven Is A Jolly Good Time", "While Growing My Hair"
and "The Song Of McGillicudie..." performed (broadcast Aug 13)
[29] "Seven Is A Jolly
Good Time" c/w "You Are All Princes" released on Nova, a sub-label of Decca
[31] London, Roundhouse (YNCD Benefit Night) [also: Juniors Eyes, Dr K's Blues Band, Bridget St.John, Jody Grind, Screw, Stray, Andromeda, Stonehouse]
[05] London, BBC Studios [Stuart Henry 'Noise At Nine'] (broadcast Sep 21)
[26] London, All Saints' Hall [supporting Stray]
Sessions for "Egg"
at Lansdowne Studios, London
[04] London, University College
[14] West Hampstead, Railway Hotel "Klook's Kleek" [supporting
Family]
[24] Redhill, Greyhound
[25] London, Regent St. Poly [also: The Peddlers]
[30] Redhill, St. John's Church [also: Dr Strangely Strange]
[31] Twickenham [London], Eel Pie Island
[22] London, Imperial College [also: Principal Edwards' Magic Theatre]
[23] London, Lyceum (Time Trip Into The Seventies) [also: Spirit Of John Morgan, Rare Bird, Griffin, The Galliard]
[24] Redhill, Greyhound
[30] London, Lyceum [also: Kuby's Blues Band]
[06] London, University College [also: Hard Meat]
[17] London, University College [supporting Taste]
[24] London, Imperial College [supporting Procol Harum]
[30] London, The Temple [supporting Formerly Fat Harry, Gary Farr]
[31] London, Marquee Club [supporting May Blitz] (first-ever appearance
at the Marquee)
[01] Kingston, Kingston Hotel [support: Heaven]
[21] London, University College [supporting Joe Cocker]
[22] London, Lyceum (Nova Night) (Egg's appearance cancelled)
[05] London, 100 Club [also: Jeff Dexter]
[13] "Egg" is released on Nova
[11] Croydon, Star Hotel
[supporting Comus, Keith Tippett Group]
[17] Croydon, Star Hotel [also: Keith Tippett Group]
[21] Birmingham, Town Hall [supporting Black Sabbath]
[02] London, Roundhouse (Camden Rock Festival) [also: Family, Taste]
Sessions for "The Polite Force" at Morgan Studios
[15] Manchester, Faculty Of Commerce - Polytechnic Union (Nova Night) [also: Galliard, Pacific Drift, Clark-Hutchinson]
[26] Hounslow, Arts Lab
[27] London, The Crypt
[25] London, Kings Head [supporting Castle Farm]
[02] London, Roundhouse (Implosion) [also: Matthews Southern Comfort, Brett Marvin & The Thunderbolts, Michael Chapman]
[30] London, Roundhouse ('Evensong')
[03] East Ham [nr London], Hounds Green Man
[31] A feature on Egg in Melody Maker by Richard Williams mentions the fact that Decca doesn't want to release their recently completed second album, on the grounds that the group doesn't have a manager or an agent. The band mention they have only played a dozen gigs in the last six months, "and the past few weeks have been even worse"
[11] Redhill [nr London], Greyhound
[04] London, BBC Studios
[Alan Black show] (broadcast Feb 12) [also: If]
Around this time, Egg assist Steve Hillage in the recording of a demo for Decca
Records, made at the label's West Hampstead studio (Barbara Gaskin guests on
backing vocals)
"The Polite Force"
is finally released on Nova
[04] London, Paris Cinema [Sunday Concert] (producer: Jeff Griffin) ["A Visit
To Newport Hospital", "Long Piece n°3 Pt.2-4" and unknown performed] (broadcast
Feb 14) [also: Argent]
[13] Canterbury, St.Thomas' Hall
[20] London, Northern Polytechnic [also: Audience, Burnin' Red Ivanhoe]
[21] London, Roundhouse (Evensong) [also: Groundhogs, Renaissance, Mark-Almond,
Spirit Of John Morgan, and special guests Wishbone Ash]
[05] Doncaster, Top Rank
Ballroom [also Yes, If]
[06] London, 43 King Street (Oz Police Ball) [also: Roy Harper, Gnidrolog,
Third World War, Pink Fairies, Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come]
[12] London, BBC Studios (Sounds Of The Seventies) [also: Lancaster]
[18] Norwich, University of East Anglia (all-nighter) [also: Audience, Lindisfarne,
Quiver, Bronco, Stoned Rose, Orpheus]
[20] London, Kingham Hall [supporting Daddy Longlegs]
[26] Southend, Kursaal Ballroom (Southend Tech Rag Dance) [also: Oblivion
Express, Gypsy, Gentle Giant]
[28] London, Lyceum [supporting Groundhogs, also Gypsy + special guests Molesto]
[03] London, Chaguarmas Club
[13] London, Lyceum - Workshop (Tuesday lunchtime workshops)
[22] London, Marquee Club (Sounds of the Seventies) [supporting Skin Alley]
[01] London, Imperial College
Union [support: Forever More]
[02] London, Imperial College [also: Cochise]
[20] East Ham, Hounds Green Man [support: Ugly Lites, Oxsounds]
June
[25] Liverpool, Cavern Club [support: Kansas Hook]
[11] London, The Seagulls [also: Octavia]
[14] London, The Temple [also: Gringo]
[02] London, Carshalton
Public Hall [Ottawa Music Company]
Debut performance by the Ottawa Music Company, a large orchestra co-founded
by Dave Stewart and Chris Cutler, featuring all members of Egg and various others
[09] Widnes, Queen's Hall [also: Comus, Schunge]
[04] London, Kensington Town Hall [also: Mantra, Tintagel, Fuller-Smith, Dave Russell]
[23] Watford, Kingham Hall [support: Slump]
[06] London, North-East London Poly [supporting The Groundhogs]
[13] London, Imperial College [also: Third World War]
[01] Newcastle, City Hall [supporting Groundhogs, also Quicksand]
[03] Norwich, St.Andrew's Hall [supporting Groundhogs, also Quicksand]
[04] Leeds, University [supporting Groundhogs, also Quicksand]
[05] Wolverhampton, Civic Hall [supporting Groundhogs, also Quicksand]
[08] Aberdeen, Music Hall [supporting Groundhogs, also Quicksand]
[09] Dundee, Caird Hall [supporting Groundhogs, also Quicksand]
[10] Glasgow, Green's Playhouse [supporting Groundhogs, also Quicksand]
[11] Edinburgh, Playhouse Theatre [supporting Groundhogs, also Quicksand]
[17] Loughton [nr London], Loughton College [also: Black Widow]
[01] Boston, Starlight
Rooms [also: Spontaneous Combustion]
[15] Oxford, St.Claire's Hall [also: Snow Leopard] [Khan, with Dave
Stewart on guest keyboards]
[11] London, City Poly
Navigation School [also: Quicksand]
[12] Farnborough, Technical College [supporting Lindisfarne] [Khan,
with Dave Stewart on guest keyboards]
[22] London, Maida Vale Studio 4 (Top Gear w. John Peel) - "Germ Patrol", "Wring
Out The Ground (Loosely Now)" and "Enneagram" performed (broadcast
Mar 07)
A second series of (three) Ottawa Music Company concerts is organised, including
the participation of Henry Cow plus Steve Hillage and Barbara Gaskin
[25] St.Martin's College of Art [Ottawa Music Company]
[26] London [Battersea Rise], Emanuel School [Ottawa Music Company]
[28] London, Playhouse Theatre (Top Gear w. John Peel) [Henry Cow (Dave
Stewart guests)]
[06] Redhill, Market Hall
[Ottawa Music Company]
[--] Swansea Arts Festival [also: Music Improvisation Company]
[11] Watford, Hydraspace [also: Lifeblud]
[13] London, BBC Maida Vale 5 ("Sounds Of The 70s" with Pete Drummond) - "Enneagram"
/ "Hoax" [="There's No Business Like Show Business" / "Wring
Out The Ground (Loosely Now)" (middle section) / "Long Piece No.3 (Part 3)"]
performed (broadcast Mar 23)
[18] Swansea, University [also: George Khan's Stagecoach]
[06] Harrow [nr London],
Headstone Manor Recreation Ground [also: Gypsy, Byzantium, Gwenyway, Mantra]
[07] Abingdon, North Banks College of Further Education
[21] Weybridge, Brooklands Tech (Main Hall) [supporting Chicken Shack, also
Jaffee]
[30] Watford, Palace Theatre [Ottawa Music Company]
[27] Colchester, Essex University [support: Matching Mole]
Setlist: "Germ Patrol", "Long Piece no. 3 Parts 2 & 4", "Wring Out The
Ground (Loosely Now)", "Blane", "Long Piece no. 3 Part 3", "Enneagram", "A Visit
To Newport Hospital"
[06] Burton-on-Trent, "76"
Club
[--] Margate, Dreamland [support: Spontaneous Combustion]
[22] Roehampton, Parish Hall [Ottawa Music Company]
[30] Hemel Hampstead, Arts Centre (Boxmoor Hall) [also: Nick Webb]
[09] London, Roundhouse
(Implosion) [also: Third Ear Band, Demick & Armstrong, Thirsty Too and
special guest Leo Kottke]
This final performance by Egg is captured in part by an audience member; the
recording (consisting of an extended rendition of "Long Piece No.3")
sees the light of day in 2007 on the archive CD The Metronomical Society
Egg split up; Clive Brooks joins the Groundhogs, Mont
Campbell starts studying the French horn, and Dave Stewart joins
a new incarnation of Steve Hillage's Khan
The final manifestation
of the Ottawa Music Company takes place as part as Henry Cow's Cabaret Voltaire
series; it reunites Dave Stewart and Mont Campbell for the first time since
Egg's break-up
[05] Kensington Town Hall (Cabaret Voltaire) [Ottawa Music Company]
Sessions for "The Civil Surface" at Saturn Studios, Worthing