By Pete Wraith

An interesting anniversary has just passed us by. We forgot all about it as we were having enough fun anyway!

It is only because I inherited some bluegrass memorabilia after the death of my good friend Chris Metcalfe (obituary & photo) that I realised what a little gem the Leeds Bluegrass Club really is.

Chris had kept a financial record on a month by month basis of the club's income. Who performed and how much, if anything they were paid. If your band's name is not in the list, then you haven't played the club or more likely than not Chris didn't like you!

Most of the performances have taken place at the Grove Inn, Leeds with some of the larger gigs put on elsewhere. The ACMEs have been the most popular guests over the years with we think 10 appearances.

The Acme Band

I can also reveal for the first time that in December 1984 at the Xmas club he paid the DCBs £100. While the pie & peas supper cost the club £29. There must be some mistake - as we don't pay the DCBs that much these days!

The Down County Boys at that time

Kevin Garratt

The real hero of the Leeds club is Kevin Garratt, who has been a constant provider of music, organisation, moral support, encouragement and sound equipment to the club for those 20 years. While the enthusiasm of others has ebbed and flowed Kevin's has remained, with true Yorkshire grit and dour determination, constant.

Thanks, Kev, we all owe you!

Peter Wraith, Tardleyville, North Yorkshire.

Below are the bands we know were booked and entered into the club accounts book:

1982
Rainy City Bluegrass Band Web-page

Photo right: Peter Rowan

1983
Train 45, Pete Rowan, Del Mc.Coury,
ACME Country Band

1984
Duffy Brothers, Joe Val, Sky Line, High Country, Down County Boys

1985
ACME Band, Knowles & Strutt, Scare Crow, Rainy City Boys,
Whetstone Run, Free Mexican Airforce

1986
Dan Crary, High Country, Grant Street Band, Eclectic, Grass Roots,
Good Ol' Persons, Bob Paisley and Southern Grass, Tom Travis

1987
ACME Bluegrass Band, Bill Clifton, Steve Philips and Brendan Croker,
Ken Pearlman, Johnston Mountain Boys, Tom Travis, Grass Roots,
Sawtooth Mountain Boys, Jim Eanes, Jim Couza, Strange Relations (Barn Dance)

Photo right: The Duffey Brothers

1988
Duffy Brothers, ACME Bluegrass Band, Good Ol' Persons, Dave Haney,
Midnight Flier (Barn Dance)

1989

Rainy City Boys, Pull Up A Pavement, Midnight Flier (Barn Dance)

1990
Bluegrass Ramblers, Huckleberry Hollow, Acme Bluegrass band,
High Country Persons, Country Thyme (Barn Dance)

1991
Muleskinner, COP, The Occasional Bluegrass Band, ACME Bluegrass Band,
Strange Relations

1992
Down County Boys, Barry and Holly Tashian, Winquist-Collins-Morton,
Huckleberry Hollow, Bob Winquist Trio, Sally van Meter Band

1993
Huckleberry Hollow, Echos of America, Wrekin Havoc Mountain Boys

The Rainy City Boys (1994)

1994
Natural Hazard, Gary Brewer Band, Tom Travis, Rainy City Boys,
Missing Strings, ACME Bluegrass Band

1995
"Eve's Band" (Red Eye?), Down County Boys, Don't Fret, Special Concensus

1996
ACME Bluegrass Band, John Weighhell-Usual Suspects, Tony Furtado/Charles Sawtelle, Hillbilly Boogie Men

Photo right: Sharon Cort (1999)

1997
Baker's Fabulous Boys, The Slack Street Band, ACME Bluegrass Band

1998
Tony Furtado Band, Gary Brewer, Tim O'Brien & Daryl Scott, Five for the Gospel,
Monogram, Bluegrass Brothers, White House Re-union

1999
Sharon Cort, Unknown Band, ACME Bluegrass Band, Unknown Band

Brittania Bluegrass Band (2000)

2000
Sweet Storm, Rocky Mountain Ploughboys, Brittania Bluegrass Band

2001 Baker's Fabulous Boys, Mike O'Reily Band, Tony Triscka & Skyline,
Dulaman, Down County Boys

2002
Baker's Fabulous Boys, Bluegrass Brothers, ACME Bluegrass Band,
Tom Travis Band

Other Bands that we know have played:

The Crocker Brothers, The Arthur Robinson Band, The Honky Tonk Hobos,
White Lightnin', Rattlesnake

Resident Bands:

The Ken Tardley Playboys,
2002
(Pete Wraith 2nd right)

The Chevin Ramblers,
Sound In Mind,
Hired Hands,
Generation Gap
(gig report)
Ken Tardley Playboys,
3 Up Front (Big Band) 

Other Bands Offering Support

The Bronte Mountain Boys, John & Jo Feather, Feather/Lane/Rees,
The Back Row Band, Martin Tindal, Bev Williams.

28 April 2003