Miston Tuac

Welcome to another posting of a series of gig listings for 1960s bands. None of these lists is exhaustive and my idea is to add to them in the comments section below over time. They are here for future researchers to draw on.  I have also added a few interesting bits of information and will add images in time.

I’d like to encourage band members to get in touch to share memories, or for anyone to send corrections/clarifications to my email: Warchive@aol.com 

Equally important, if you attended any of the gigs below or played in the support band, please do leave your memories below in the comments section for future historians to use. If you know of any missing gigs, please add them too, if possible, with the sources.

John Salisbury, Andy Allsup, Stuart Mead, Bobby Gee and Peter Buckner

MISTON TUAC

Guitarist Terry Munro got in touch and said that Miston Tuac started life as Clive Sheridan & The Bluestars who were formed in the Hounslow area around 1961.

The band comprised Clive Sheridan (real name Clive Dowling) on lead vocals; Terry Munro on lead and rhythm guitar; Andy Allsup on lead and rhythm guitar; Joe Miller on lead and rhythm guitar; Phil Wallington on bass; and John Salisbury on drums.

As Munro explains, the three lead and rhythm guitars would play different lead sets then revert to rhythm.

The band played pop covers, which the musicians would learn and perform the following week. However, the group also wrote some original material but it was mainly instrumentals.

Munro says that after he left in 1964, Stuart Mead joined as lead guitarist (from Jeff & The Dreamers) and they changed name to Miston Tuac.

However, Mead wasn’t photographed with the band when they were featured in the Middlesex Chronicle in early 1965 (see below).

Jeff & The Dreamers, circa 1962/1963 with Stuart Mead on guitar. Photo: Peter Buckner

Munro recalls that it was John Salisbury who came up with the name.  Confusingly, during the band’s tenure, Salisbury changed his name to John Roberts.

Barry Allmark, who previously worked with The Downliners Sect, also joined as new lead singer.

Photo: Middlesex Chronicle, February 1965

 

The Middlesex Chronicle ran an article and photo on the band in its 26 February 1965, page 3, with the following line-up:

Barry Allmark – lead vocals

Andy Allsup – lead/rhythm guitar

Joe Miller – rhythm/lead guitar

Phil Wallington – bass

John Roberts – drums (real name: John Salisbury)

Miston Tuac, February 1965

Other members were:

Stuart Mead – lead/rhythm guitar

Peter Buckner – bass

Bobby Gee – lead vocals

 

Andrew Perry – drums

The band’s manager Roy Harris, who had left a message on the Ealing Club entry, and has since been in touch, confirmed that Miston Tuac were a Hounslow band.

Peter Buckner, who later replaced Phil Wallington, added that the band may have rehearsed in the Lord Palmerston in Hounslow. By this point Joe Miller had departed and the band carried on as a quintet. It seems that Barry Allmark left when Miller did.

Buckner confirms that the line-up he worked with was Bobby Gee, Andy Allsup, Stuart Mead and John Salisbury (see photo at the top).

According to the message that drummer John Salisbury left on the Ealing Club entry, Gee later died in France in a road accident.

At some point, John Salisbury (who worked under the name John Roberts) left and Andrew Perry joined on drums.

Manager Roy Harris says another group billed as Mistral-Tuac appeared on the scene but bore no relation to this band.

Photo: Boyfriend magazine, December 1964. Mistral Tuak

However, I’ve listed any gigs I have found by this band below. This other band may also have gigged as Miston Tuac (see comments below).

Selected gigs:

13 June 1964 – Attic Club, Hounslow, Middlesex with Alex Harvey Soul Band (Kingston & Malden Borough News)

Advert: Kingston and Malden Borough New

23 June 1964 – Attic Club, Hounslow, Middlesex with The Faires (Kingston & Malden Borough News)

Advert: Kingston and Malden Borough News

4 July 1964 – Attic Club, Hounslow, Middlesex with Blues By Six (Kingston & Malden Borough News)

14 July 1964 – Attic Club, Hounslow, Middlesex with Alex Harvey Soul Band (Kingston & Malden Borough News)

Advert: Kingston and Malden Borough News. Supporting Alexis Korner on 25 July 1964

25 August 1964 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, Middlesex with The Tramps (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette/Middlesex Chronicle)

30 October 1964 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with The Berries (http://aylesburymusictown.co.uk/) By other group, billed as Mistral Tuac

30 October 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette) May have played other Fridays around this time

 

5 December 1964 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with The Penny Blacks (http://aylesburymusictown.co.uk/) By other group, billed as Mistral Tuac

 

2 January 1965 – Egham Hythe Social Centre, Egham, Surrey (Staines and Egham News) By other group, billed as Mistral Tuac

16 January 1965 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Brokers (Julie Fielder book: What Flo Said Next) By other group, billed as Mistral Tuac

 

12 February 1965 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)

 

6 March 1965 – Graven Hill Theatre, Bicester, Oxfordshire with The Primitives (Oxford Mail) By other group, billed as Mistral Tuac

20 March 1965 – Carfax Ballroom, Oxford with The Trolls (Oxford Mail) By other group, billed as Mistral Tuac

 

22 April 1965 – Byron Hotel, Greenford, west London with Great Expectations (Middlesex Chronicle)

 

29 October 1965 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with The Quantum (http://aylesburymusictown.co.uk/) By other group, billed as Mistral Tuac

18 January 1966 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardners, Isleworth, west London with The In-Tacks (Middlesex Chronicle)

 

10 July 1966 – Byron, Greenford, Middlesex with Group One (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)

Thanks to Peter Buckner for the band photo at the top

Copyright © Nick Warburton.  All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author.

 

 

22 thoughts on “Miston Tuac”

  1. I’ve got photos of my dad’s band, Miston Tuac. He was the keyboardist in the band (name not listed in your original post) – his name was Dave Binks. The bandname originates from an anagram of something else…

    1. Hello Suzanne. I’ve just come accros this when browsing the net.

      Have you still got the photos – I played lead guitar in the band.

      In those days, Dave used to live with his parents @ 89 Moyser Rd SW16. I assume he eventually got married – hence you came along.

      The band broke up & eventually, Dave joined Geoff Straker (played bass) & they formed an electronic company – Tuac Istruments. I think it went bust.

      I have not been in touch with anyone since those days, except Mole Sellick. He was the drummer. Unfortinatly, he died in 2009. Are you still in touch with any of the others? It would be nice to hear from them.

      I don’t know how Miston Tuac came about – Mole the drummer, came up with it & we all liked it. This is well befor internet days of course, so we could not search anywhere!

      I don’t know how ofter you visit this site but it would be great to hear from you. All the best – Clive Coumbe

      1. Hello

        I’m really sorry I never saw these replies! I have the band photos – how should I send them?

        My dad (dave binks) did design the amps…he then went on to create Trantec – a wireless music technology company, making wireless microphones and guitar systems. Sadly my dad passed away in 2014. He would have loved hearing all this.

        Suzanne

  2. hi
    I lived in Carshalton in the 1960s and MistonTuac played a gig in Carshalton Park around the mid 60s and that is all I can remember ! I only remember it because I was around 12 or 13 and it was the first live gig i ever saw (next one was David Bowie at Wallington Town Hall !)

    John Mac

  3. Further to my earlier note – I forgot to mention Steve Horsey. He was the singer & most of the time, we used to practice @ his parnets home in Walthamstow. Again, I not seen him since the group days. I left the band + the drummer in 1969. I think they carried on for a little while after that.

    I can be contacted on clive@classicfm.net.

    1. Hi Clive

      Is this the same band as The Miston Tuac above? Looks like your band was from the Streatham area?

      Can you add more details about the line-up you worked with alongside yourself plus singer Steve Horsey and keyboard player Dave Binks. Also what was the time frame please? Sounds like it was 1967-1969 period?

  4. John Salisbury is my uncle and gave up drumming when he net his wife, he lived in West London until recently moving to the south coast.

  5. Peter Buckner got in touch with some info on Jeff & The Dreamers (see photo above). He said the following:

    Singer Jeff Snelling
    Drummer Keith Alibaster. (Not sure if that is the correct spelling)
    Bass Player David Buckner
    Rhythm Guitar John Mathews
    Lead Guitar Stuart Mead

    They started out at Derley Youth club in Southall and then playing at dances in Featherstone secondary modern school and then various other places Manor House North London and the Marquee club

    1. I used to be in a band called the Avengers, we supported Jeff & the dreamers at Featherstone Rd school on a regular basis
      Members of the dreamers were related to members in my band…….ie…..Trevor Matthews DRUMS……Pete Buckner……Bass. our singer was Paul Tiller later of black cat bones. My name is Roy Pryer & I was lead guitarist………
      Happy Memories.

    2. I remember them well, the band i was in used to support them at Featherstone Rd school. Peter Buckner was our bass player, Trevor Matthews our drummer i was lead guitar…..Happy Times.

  6. Tuac did become an electronics company. They made amplifiers, sound to light units, disco mixers, etc. I bought many of their products. They sold mainly through electronics magazines but had a shop on Tooting Bec. Good gear almost bombproof design

    1. Just come across this. Tuac was owned by Dave Binks & Geoff Straker. I think Dave designed the amps, because he used to work for Phillips. I would love to get in touch with either of them – or Steve Horsey, who was the singer. The drummer, Mole Sellick died in 2009. I’m on facebook – -shame we lost touch.

      1. Hello

        My dad (dave binks) did design the amps…he then went on to create Trantec – a wireless music technology company, making wireless microphones and guitar systems. Sadly my dad passed away in 2014. He would have loved hearing all this.

        Suzanne

  7. I saw Clive Sheridan at Kew Boathouse. He was with the Bluestars. He came on after the Cadilacs who wore gold suits. One number he did was DOWN THE LINE. I remember a WATKINS ECHO CHAMBER was on the floor. I used to work with Clive at BOAC, of course his name was Clive Dowling. He was very popular because he was so friendly and modest. He gave me tickets for the night and I did not know he was a singer in a group. Well I turned up and watched the Cadilacs. When he came on stage I was stunned. He was at ease and went through a few numbers then suddenly burst into DO YOU WANT TO DANCE , my what a performer!!!

  8. The other band called Mistral Tuak was featured in Boyfriend magazine in December 1964 (see picture above).

    The line-up was as follows:

    Brian Gold – lead vocals
    Terry Lewis – lead guitar
    Mick Waller -rhythm guitar
    John Parsley – bass
    Malcolm Trott – drums

  9. Hi, my Dad was Joe “Mick” Miller the original lead guitarist. He was originally from Hinton Avenue in Hounslow, later moving out to Staines. He recalled many gigs travelling out in the van! Happy Times!

    I will send the band photos

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