(Bart Mendoza of Manual Scan and the Shambles recalls visitors to the San Diego scene.)
During the mid ’80s, quite a few musicians from beyond the county line had extended stays in San Diego. In more recent times, musicians like The Thrills (from Ireland) are sent to live in San Diego for a spell to “soak up the culture,” or like Beatles compatriot Tony Sheridan and Secret Affair’s Paul Bultitude, they have close friends or family in the area.
In the ’80s, the draw was the local ’60s scene and numerous groups, including New Jersey’s Mod Fun and Tuscon’s Marshmallow Overcoat (and later Grimblewedge) mixed with locals for short spells of time. Lots of lifelong friendships and relationships started during that time. I’ve helped bring many groups to town over the years; back in the day, many of them stayed wherever I was living or my parents’ house. I still remember how thrilled my roommates were to find a “tent city” had sprung up in our front yard during a New Sounds Festival.
Activity intensified around each of the annual New Sounds, which in later years had a week of shows leading up to the event. In addition to all the great local groups (Donkey Show, Tell-Tale Hearts, Nashville Ramblers, The Event, etc. etc.) there were excellent out-of-town bands such as The Funseekers, 27 Various, Untamed Youth, The Rumble, The Leopards, Hepcat, The Loved Ones and The Odd Numbers.
I was also lucky enough to convince a number of friends from England to come to San Diego and play the shows — and as many surrounding events as we could cram into their stays. The Risk were the only complete band to make it to town from England, ending up based in North Park. While I only connected a few dots during their visit, I did have the privilege of talking their drums out of a customs hold at the airport for them, a new skill that actually came in handy at a job a few years later.
Paul Bevoir of London mod power-pop group the Jetset was meant to play New Sounds with his band, but a death in the family of their frontman meant only Bevoir and writer Chris Hunt made it. Instead, they put together an American version of the band, and for the first time live, Bevoir sang the songs he wrote. Bevoir went on to Small Town Parade and acclaim as a songwriter, but is best known as an album cover designer, with dozens of discs to his credit.
The most well-known appearance of the British contingent was the only performance of Boys About Town, (Ed Ball / Times, Television Personalities — Simon Smith / Mood Six, The Merton Parkas — Bevoir and myself). Fellow Manual Scan member Kevin Donaker- Ring joined the band for the last two songs (including a cover of the Buzzcocks’ “Ever Fallen In Love”) but the hoped for fifth member of the group, Anthony Meynell (Squire) ended up having to sit out the show, stageside, as he was under exclusive contract for a Los Angeles show the following week.
It was an ironic situation, as Anthony has had the strongest contact with San Diego, beginning with an in-store at Off The Record’s original El Cajon Blvd. location. Manual Scan (Kevin, Bart, Ron Friedman and David Anderson) backed him at a gig at Pacific Beach’s Christ Lutheran Church in 1985, and again at New Sounds in 1986, from where the footage in these videos is taken, with David now replaced by Brad Wilkins.
Over the next few years, during his visits, Anthony attended Manual Scan rehearsals and produced a session, returning again in the ’90s and as recently as Oct. 11, 2008, for a gig at Brick By Brick. Manual Scan’s debut album was released in England on Meynell’s Hi-Lo label, and while in San Diego, he put together the American Heart & Soul album, with tracks from Mod Fun, The Rumble, Manual Scan, The Key, The J-Walkers, Lost Patrol and The Nashville Ramblers.
He remains a good friend. The Shambles have recorded three Squire tracks for various European projects, most recently, “The Life,” for a tribute album. The liners detail Meynell’s San Diego exploits, so this video was put together using pictures and flyers from the visits, record sleeves as well as footage from New Sounds 1986.
The Shambles – “The Life” (footage May 31, 1985):
To complete the picture, here’s a video of the Risk from the same show in San Diego:
— Bart Mendoza