The Lostbrook Strawbs Collection Volume 7

The evening began with a surreal experience. I don't recall the exact circumstance, but it was probably during John Ford's visit to my apartment when I learned that Dave and Tony needed a ride to this gig in Sparta, New Jersey. I jumped at the chance and quickly offered the services of my 1977 Chevy Impala. On the night of the show, Allison and I picked Dave and Tony up at their hotel, threw a couple of guitars in the trunk, and headed for the George Washington Bridge. We barely knew where we were going in those pre-GPS days. Navigating was even more difficult because my brain had basically short-circuited. The only thoughts coming through were in a loop: "Dave Cousins is in the back seat of your car. There he is in the rearview mirror. Don't look at him. Dave Cousins is in the ...." I really don't remember much about the trip. I can only hope that I somehow managed to appear calm and cool. We arrived after dark and were ushered into Krogh's where we met the owner. We hung around "backstage" in the kitchen for a few minutes before excusing ourselves to go find seats for the show.

The restaurant was packed and there were no tables available. The standing-room area was also jammed. The only available space was directly in front of a remote PA that stood on a tripod approximately 20 feet off the stage-left corner. People had already backed away from it as if it were radioactive. When the show began, I imagine I resembled the "Maxell Chair Guy" with my hair blowing back. Consequently, there is some distortion on this tape, mostly during the louder vocal moments. It must have been loud in the entire restaurant since Dave commented, "I hope we're not gonna blast your eardrums out." The quieter, middle portion of the set was easier to listen to, and it was also the most interesting:

Cousins and Willoughby performed two excellent songs - "Stone Cold is the Woman's Heart," which Dave describes in his book, "Secrets, Stories, and Songs," as "one of the most emotional I have ever written." (As the song begins, you'll hear John Ford test my microphone.) The second song, "You Never Needed Water" contains some of the most vicious lyrics I have ever heard.

Hudson and Ford followed up with the usual "Heavy Disguise." You'll hear John place an order for "a hamburger and chips and a side order of salad" while tuning his guitar. They followed up with "Floating in the Wind" as an extra treat.

The real surprise of the evening was the ultra-rare performance by High Society, which consisted of several Strawbs members fronted by soundman Terry Cassidy on vocals. Don't let Dave fool you with his "maitre d'" story.

I've often wondered how this show came about since it was scheduled on, as Dave says, "the one night off on our tour." I had the impression at the time that it was a private event arranged by the restaurant's owner and that he must have been a Strawbs fanatic. While writing this introduction, I decided to do some research and discovered on the Krogh's website that the restaurant was still owned by the same person. Emails were exchanged and I am pleased to present the following story:

"My name is Bob Fuchs and for the past 31 years I have been the proud owner of Krogh's Restaurant & Brew Pub, located in Sparta, New Jersey. I have always been an avid (actually INSANE!) Strawbs fan. To put this description into context, if I had the opportunity back in the 70's or 80's to book a private performance with either the Rolling Stones, the Beatles or the Strawbs, I would have chosen the Strawbs hands down. As it turned out, I was blessed with the opportunity to do so. As the owner of Krogh's, there have been many memorable days, but two stand out as the most significant.

#1. The Saturday after 9/11. Every business in America was concerned about war and worried if their businesses would survive this horrendous act of war and the collapsing economy. I was no different. After struggling through a week of anxiety, the weekend finally arrived and we all waited with "baited breath." Would guests dine out and support the local businesses or would they stay home and "hunker down?" To my absolute amazement, on the first Saturday after 9/11 we set an all-time sales record. The relief, joy and satisfaction I felt in knowing that our loyal guests wanted to come home to Krogh's to feel warm and welcome was the most gratifying day I have ever experienced in my career at Krogh's.

#2. Booking the Strawbs for the very first time at Krogh's. They have performed at Krogh's over 7 times but the first night was truly my #1 dream and fantasy come true. It was an evening of pure joy and total amazement and it was deeply spiritual in so many ways. Here is the story of that remarkable evening and how it came to be:

I had thought that the Strawbs were finished, never to be seen again. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard they were back in the states on tour. The closest venue they were playing was a club named "My Father's Place" on Long Island, New York. I decided to go and once I got there I sat at the bar in front of the stage and got ready for the show. I was so very excited and thrilled to see the Strawbs once again, since the last time I had seen them was around 1975 in Denver, Colorado. I forgot the name of the club but went to all 5 shows, 5 nights in a row. My college roommates thought I was nuts! Well as the band came in, there was a girl sitting next to me and each band member was saying hello and chatting with her. Her name was Lisa, and I got to know her quite well. After the band had passed by I asked Lisa where else the Strawbs were playing on this tour. She mentioned some other venues and then stated that they had an open night they were hoping to book the following Saturday. Mostly I was just kidding around, but I stated that I owned a club and if they would like to play at Krogh's to give me a call. I left her a business card, and that was it. I forgot about it and never expected to hear from anyone. A day or two later, my phone at work rang and it was a representative from the Strawbs and the first gig was booked, as simple as that!

This was such a special event for so many reasons. My mind raced with excitement, anxiety, and unbelievable anticipation and joy. Not only was it a dream come true for me, but I knew our guests from the community would truly enjoy this rare musical event. My anxiety and uncertainty about the night was deep. Although I was paying more for the Strawbs than I had ever paid for any band, I was uncomfortable charging my guests an admission fee. That would have taken the fun out of it! I wanted this night to be extra special. Once you add a cover charge to any event, the perspective and pressures change. I therefore decided this show would be free of charge for as many guests that would fit into the building.

It was now the night of the event, and excitement ran wild for everyone, especially me! I had only briefly met Dave Cousins once before and it was an awkward meeting. Now my blood was pumping a mile a minute as I was going to meet Dave as the host of one of his concerts - WOW!!! Too much for my brain to handle! As the band approached Krogh's they had no idea what to expect. Here they were in the middle of "nowhere," playing in a venue they had never heard of before. When Dave Cousins peered in the building he had a look of bewilderment on his face. But it was a look of fun bewilderment! He immediately stated that this pub reminded him of the old pubs he played when the Strawberry Hill Boys were just starting out. What an honor for Krogh's! After he entered, he immediately admired the building and especially the bar. He then asked what I was charging for the show. I stated "No charge, it is free. It is my gift to my valued guests." I saw a look of relief and joy on Dave's face. To me it seemed that by not having a cover charge all the pressure was off, so "let's have fun!" This is how I interpreted his look, strictly my speculation. I believe I was right because the show was totally awesome. It was the best musical event ever at Krogh's, bar none! The band started around 11pm, played just about non-stop until 2am, and then requested to play longer. I called the Sparta police for permission and stated that we would like to stay open later than 2am. I told them that we would stop serving alcohol if we were permitted to continue. Unfortunately, my request was denied. This magical evening came to an end and EVERYONE in the building had a tremendous time. Most of the guests had never heard of the Strawbs before, and though they were completely unfamiliar with the music, it was quite a treat for them. People were even dancing on the tables! (I had visions of lawsuits - just kidding!) The Strawbs played all their great stuff and the encore was "Part of Union." The show was recorded and videotaped, and this was an evening I WILL NEVER FORGET. I am so blessed to have fulfilled my number one fantasy. The evening was a six hour blur to me. I had invited all of my college buddies and some local guests who love the Strawbs and we all got to eat together with the band. Dave had prime rib and loved it! Words cannot adequately express how special this evening was for me and all of my valued guests at Krogh's."


Bob's story reminds me of an incident in the kitchen: when Dave was told it was to be a free concert, I suggested that he play "To be Free," one of my favorite Strawbs songs. Dave couldn't remember the words so I helped him sing the first verse right there in the kitchen: "The gilt-edged invitation came and I said what can this mean?"

I also couldn't figure out why we had driven in the dark to this show. It would have been light out in mid-April had we been driving to an 8:00 performance. The 11:00 start time explains all that.

I want to thank Bob for enthusiastically agreeing to include his story in this introduction. He was given short notice, and his task was made more difficult by Hurricane Sandy issues. I understand the restaurant is operational but his home is still without power. I pictured him writing this with a quill and a candle. Knowing the background story should make this a more enjoyable listen for Strawbs fans everywhere. Thank you Bob for the entire experience!




April 13, 1985
Krogh's Restaurant and Brew Pub
Sparta, NJ
USA


Recording Equipment: Internal Mic>Sanyo M2533>(2)Maxell XLII-S 90
Transfer: (2)Maxell XLII-S 90>Alesis Tapelink USB>Audacity>WAV>CQ Mastering>FLAC


Taper: Lostbrook
Mastering: CQ
Covers: ethiessen1



01 Stormy Down (4:25)
02 Autumn (10:11)
03 The Hangman And The Papist (4:49)
04 New World (5:32)
05 A Glimpse Of Heaven (4:56)
06 Josephine For Better Or For Worse (5:11)
07 The Man Who Called Himself Jesus (6:01)
08 Stone Cold Is The Woman's Heart* (6:23)
09 You Never Needed Water* (5:08)
10 Heavy Disguise** (4:58)
11 Floating In The Wind** (8:35)
12 Got To Get Out Of This Rut*** (4:18)
13 All My Life I Give You Nothing*** (6:19)
14 You'll Be The Death Of Me*** (3:31)
15 Simple Visions (4:44)
16 That's When The Crying Starts (4:25)
17 Cut Like A Diamond (4:33)
18 Lay Down (5:41)
19 Part Of The Union (3:54)


Dave Cousins - guitars, vocals
Tony Hooper - guitars, vocals
Richard Hudson - drums, vocals, Heineken bottle
John Ford - bass, guitar, vocals
Chris Parren - keyboards
Brian Willoughby - guitars

* Cousins/Willoughby
** Hudson/Ford/Parren
*** High Society - Terry Cassidy (vocals) with Hudson/Ford/Parren/Willoughby




Images for all shows as well as full size images for this show.

Images for this show: