Guitar player 1960’s-70’s

LOVE OR CONFUSION

Summer 68-spring 69
Mick Gorman: Guitar
Andy Ellis: Drums
Les: Bass

Thanks to Billy for sourcing the following info for me.

Mick O’Gorman (he dropped the O in the 1970’s due to anti-Irish feelings prevailing in Britain during the Troubles) was born in 1947 to Irish parents in Doley, Staffordshire. Doley was a small rural hamlet comprising of 6 council houses. Mick’s parents were not particularly musical (he has memories of his father trying to play an old accordion but not really succeeding!) and he doesn’t remember much music being played in the house until he heard a Jerry Lee Lewis EP that his older brother had bought.This inspired Mick to buy his first guitar out of an Exchange & Mart catalogue. He was not in any musical group at school and left education at age 15 before moving to Nottingham a year or two later to stay with a friend (Dave Bickley?) who had a flat. Mick remembers answering an advert in the Nottingham Evening Post which simply said ‘guitarist wanted’. This led to him joining a group comprising of Alan Ellis and a base player called Les; they used to practice in Alan’s kitchen before naming themselves Love or Confusion and playing a couple of gigs around Nottingham.
There was another group called ‘Love or Confusion’ in the Sheffield area at the same time who had Phil Brodie in their line up who late played for Bitter Suite among others.

TYND SLUJ

Tynd Sluj & Black Belch. Later became High Bred Mishap – 1969-1970
Mick Gorman: Guitar
Nik Turner: Vocals
Archie McKelvie: Harp
Fraser: Bass
Unknown drummers

Raymond Acid’s Aclitoris Circus – 1969-70 – Later became High Bred Mishap – 1969-1970
Mick Gorman: Guitar
Nik Turner: Vocals
Archie McKelvie: Harp
Fraser: Bass
Bicyle Bill: Sax
Unknown drummers

HIGH BRED MISHAP

Later line up High Bred Mishap – 1971
Mick Gorman: Guitar
‘Freaky’ Phil Smith: Guitar
Nik Turner: Vocals
Mick Barratt: Drums
Wayne Evans: Bass

Eventually Mick began to attend a Sunday jam in the Meadows (he can’t remember which pub) at which Colin Staples used to attend. It was here that Mick met Nick Turner (who at the time was a window dresser at Debenhams) and a life long friendship began. At first Nick merely asked Mick to play guitar while he recited some of his poems but gradually a band began to form, initially comprising Mick on guitar, Nick on vocals, a Jewish chap called Fraser (who some time later went on to murder his girlfriend!) and a revolving cast in the drum seat (none of whom Mick can remember). This was High Bread Mishap who, according to Mick, also had various other names along the way – Tynd Sluj, Black Belch and Raymond Acid’s Aclitoris Circus. The latter played a gig at Nottingham University Campus with ‘Bicycle Bill’ on sax. Eventually Fraser left and was replaced by Wayne Evans. High Bread Mishap played quite a few gigs at the Imperial on St James Street. It was around this time that Mick made the Frog Bass for Wayne. Eventually Mick Barrett became a permanent member on drums and the band played their final two gigs – on the Market Square and the day after at the bandstand on The Embankment [in 1971.]
Bill Bryant was possibly their manager.

Left to right:
Howard Derbyshire (mate)

“freaky” Phil Smith – Guitar
Mick Barratt – Drums
Mick O’Gorman – Guitar
Nick Turner – Vocals
Wayne Evans – Bass

crouched down is
mick Barratt’s mate Steve “Jack” Attenborough
with Micks Dalmation who was called Domino

the rest of the younger lads are unknown

Read more about High Bred Mishap.

GAFFA

Gaffa (one gig only) 1972 – (Might of only been a four piece from these five)
Mick Gorman: Guitar
Wayne Evans: Bass Guitar
Mick Barrett: Drums
John Herod: Guitar
Richard Ronson: Guitar

Mick played guitar for Gaffa’s first gig – this was at the Catholic Club on Carlton Hill in 1972.
Mick worked at Clements music shop in the 1970’s whilst playing very sporadically with groups none of which he can remember. Music took a backseat whilst Mick earned a living – initially by importing Lamborgini parts from Milan, a hustle that started due to Mick himself being one of the few people in Nottingham to actually own one. Mick then started fabricating fibre-glass bumpers and spoilers for Lamborginis and this lead him to make guitar cases – he thinks Colin Staples had one at some time and also Doc Shellard. This was around 1977. Eventually Mick also started making fibre-glass horses for fairground roundabouts and rides etc whilst also having a short spell as a gold dealer in the early 1980’s.

Sometime in his early 60’s [2007-2009?] Mick took up rocknroll and boogie boogie piano primarily due to the fact that he thought there were plenty of guitar players around but very few pianists and therefore he could make more money. He started going out on the road billing himself as Jerry Prezley and then later Jerry & the Jive Stars who played their last gig at a holiday camp out-of-season somewhere near Bristol [need to find out who was in these bands]
Micks’ last gig was a one-off for his 70th birthday at The Navigation with himself on piano and vocals, Peteloaf on bass, Johnny Mayhem on guitar, Too Tall ?? on harmonica and Stevie Otter on drums.

Below are photos of Mick Gorman playing guitar with High Bred Mishap at the opening of Paul Smiths first shop with Nick Turner singing circa 1970.

wiki
Paul Smith fashion chain
Smith opened his first shop, Paul Smith Vêtements Pour Homme, in Nottingham in 1970. The shop, located at 6 Byard Lane, had a floor area of only twelve feet by twelve feet (less than fifteen square metres) and sold a mix of established labels alongside Smith’s own designs. His shop was open on Fridays and Saturdays only, and for the rest of the week Smith did freelance work in Nottingham and London. It was during this time that he took classes in tailoring and worked as a buyer for Browns in London.