Injun

Late sixties Nottingham band.

Injun

Ian Belton – lead guitar, vocals. Later in Shades of Blue. Died 2018 or 2019
Chris Steer (b 1949 Nottm, Sherwood) Guitar
Alan – Bass
Vince – Drums

Alan Gascoigne – played with the Savages, and later Desparate Dann
Tony Crosby

Formed in 1967/68. Played the Miltons Head. Scottish John who used to run the Milton’s Head at a later stage also ran Old Boots. They also played working men’s clubs and played s far out as Newark.

Chris Steer outside the Tabla in Bulwell

Injun Covers band mainly blues
Tim Hardin – Morning Dew
Bob Dylan – Dear Landlord,
Howlin’ Wolf
Jimi Hendrix – Stone Free

Injun also backed the Mighty Sparrows.
The Mighty Sparrows were looking for a new backing band and Injun filled in as “The Rest” for a short period.

Chris Steers first gig he ever went to was at the Albert Hall, Nottingham to see Jet Harris and Tony Meehan. Top of bill was Gene Vincent. c64/65.
Also used to go to Dungeon, Beachcomer, Boat.
Saw Beefheart on bill with Taste in Nottm.
Canned heat at Sherwood Rooms.

Chris knew Terry Sylvester of Liverpool group The Escorts very well. Terry was 18 months older than Chris. Terry joined The Swinging Blue Jeans in 1966 and in 1969 replaced Graham Nash in The Hollies.
Chris used to follow the Escorts, seeing them at the Dungeon and many other places, Dinnington village hall near Sheffield.

When Terry was with The Swinging Blue Jeans they played Ollerton Miners Welfare for a week maybe. “I was still at my mums” Chris’s mum answered the phone and said “It’s your friend Terry from Liverpool). Chris went to a football match with Terry who was a big Liverpool fan. It was Nottingham Forest vs West Ham United. Staying at the Market hotel in Newark even thought they were playing Ollerton. Terry “we are stopping at Newark and we are thinking of going to Forest”. Chris “we sat in the stand”. After the match they went back to Newark to drink. Terry is based in Canada now.

Jim Island managed the Escorts and the swinging blue jeans. The Escorts played the Cavern about 150 times. Unfortunately they never got the breaks. They were the youngest of the Liverpool bands. The top bands were managed by Brian Epstein.

Chris was a bit wayward.
While Chris was fruit picking in Wisbeach in 1970 he met Maxine Caine. He used to hitchhike to Wisbeach many times. Maxine was from Long Sutton. Her dad worked for Perkins Engines in Peterborough. She used to watch the bands. T Rex were playing at the college in Wisbeach (ISLE College maybe), probably still Tyrannosaurus Rex with the duo Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn . Maxine was there and she said “I knew you would be back”. She was very fabulous looking and very stylish. She had dark hair. She had a friend Ann who worked in a chemist shop. After Maxine stopped going out with Chris (“she was fully entitled to ditch me”) she later went out with Rick Wakeman probably meeting him at a gig.