Nottingham band 1970-71

Line up:

Mick Barratt: Drums
Jet Coleman: Bass Guitar
Ian Williamson: Lead Guitar
Ian Lane aka Tom Lane: Vocals

A band put together by future Gaffa drummer Mick Barratt and his mate Ian Williamson on guitar. With Jet Coleman on bass who had been in “The Slant” in 1967. He would later become a roadie for Terrapin in the 1970’s. With a lead singer Tom Lane, they formed in 1970 and played locally at places like the 360 club in Bulwell and the Oval, Sutton building up a large following in a short time. Their set was the heavy blues rock of Cream, Hendrix and Free.

Mick Barratt had deputised for another local band “Age of Sin” before Hogweed. In the summer of 1971 Mick joined a disintegrating “Hi Bred Mishap” that featured Wayne Evans and Nick Turner. Mick and Wayne would then go on to form Gaffa, one of Nottingham’s favourite bands of the 1970’s.

“My dad was going to get rid of the drum kit and he said do you want it. I was fairly late starting (17) . I moved the radiogram into my bedroom and practiced to Simon Kirke (Drummer with Free). After only six weeks I got a gig. A mate I knew was in a band called “Age of Sin” and he asked “can you stand in”. It was at the Alexandra club in Sandiacre. My dad bought me a new kit for the gig. I told them I was an experienced drummer but I didn’t even know how to set them up. Somehow I winged it and I was away. I stood in with Age of Sin did a gig at Alexandra club in Sandiacre. I didn’t have a clue how to set it up and some grebo type guy came up and said to the guitarist can you tell the drummer to do a drum solo.

I also stood in with the Alan Dale Trio and The Mike Shepard trio. They were clubland type bands and both asked me to join but “You know it wasn’t my sort of thing”. Me and a mate Ian Williamson, who was a hot guitarist, were putting a band together and we decided to start rehearsing. A bass player called Jet joined, he was a roadie for a pop band and we also got a lead singer. We were called “Hogweed”.

Wayne Evans came to see us at the 360 club. So he was aware of me. For some reason we got a big following. We had a massive following in Bulwell and broke the attendance record at the 360 club”.