We didn’t know it at the time but that evening at the Mean Fiddler was an event not to miss and, sadly, not to be repeated. The official live debut of the reformed Hatfield and the North (with keyboardist Alex Maguire joining original members Phil Miller, Richard Sinclair and Pip Pyle), following an informal one earlier that year in Whitstable as part of what was billed as a Richard Sinclair Band gig (Phil and Alex were members and Pip joined in for a couple of numbers).
What made the occasion extra special is that prior to the Hatfield set, Richard and Phil were able to showcase their own projects, Richard playing solo and with a rotating cast of musicians, and Phil unveiling the newest line-up of In Cahoots, with Theo Travis, in what turned out to be his only appearance with the band, and Simon Finch on trumpet.
The Hatfield set was to prove the starting point of 18 months of international touring (with manager/promoter Leonardo Pavkovic at the helm), most notably in Japan and at major festivals like Baja Prog (Mexico) and NEARfest (USA), but sadly the reunion came to an end with Pip’s passing, before plans to write and record new music had come to fruition.
Back in March 2005 all this lay ahead and there was no way of knowing whether this would be a one-off occasion like the short-lived 1990 reunion with Sophia Domancich as fourth member, which made that copious evening of great music that extra special.
We’re happy to give you a chance to enjoy the entire event exactly as it happened, nearly 17 years later – how time flies!
Set one
Richard Sinclair & Friends
Set two
In Cahoots
Set three
Hatfield and the North
Phil Miller – guitar (set 1 tracks 7-8, sets 2 & 3)
Richard Sinclair – acoustic guitar & vocals (set 1 tracks 1-5), bass & vocals (set 1 tracks 7-8, set 3)
Pip Pyle – drums (set 3)
Mark Fletcher – drums (set 1 tracks 7-8, set 2, set 3 track 13)
Theo Travis – tenor & soprano sax, flute (sets 1 & 2, set 3 tracks 12-13)
Fred Baker – bass (set 2, set 3 track 13)
Alex Maguire – keyboards (set 1 tracks 7-8, set 3)
Peter Lemer – keyboards (set 2)
Simon Finch – trumpet, flugelhorn (set 2)
(All photos on this page are by William Hayter)