A few days ago I came across an old NME clipping up for sale on ebay. It advertises the 23/12/72 Cockney Rebel gig at Kings Cross Cinema.

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Seguing into Christmas Eve (on a Sunday) the show, running from midnight to 6am featured Cockney Rebel (with a stripper) two movies and a DJ.

There was also a support act called Chris Hardy. I dropped him a line and he was kind enough to reply with a few memories of those early days.

Chris and Cockney Rebel were (loosely?) handled by the same management at the time, and Chris remembers very early recordings of Cockney Rebel being played in his flat.

Chris also recalls passing on a Zemaitis guitar to Steve (though not the acoustic one featured in the recent Daily Mail piece). I wonder what happened to it as Cockney Rebel must have gone 'guitar-free' soon afterwards.

Chris went on to become an award winning poet, folk-blues guitarist and songwriter.

www.poetrypf.co.uk/chrishardybiog.shtml

Delightfully Chris still performs with a band called Little Machine (www.little-machine.com) who set well-known poems (by the likes of Keats and Byron) to music. They gig around the country so check them out if they happen by.

It was a surprise and a treat to find Chris and hear from him. Great to see both acts from that night still performing!

fantastic ! kings cross cinema ! how fabulous ! I remember reading all about that
not from 72 as I didn't didn't discover Cockney Rebel until Judyteen hit the turn tables of radio one !
but I do remember reading all about the gig in question ! probably whilst pouring over some lucky so n so 's cuttings they had managed to keep from way back when ! or at ms morrison ( she would always be buying up memorabilia of the Internet ! she got me some 45's and a 12 inch ( to replace mine that were left on my bedroom window sill that hot summer of 75 ? 76 and way they were ruined ! the 12 inch was Heartbeat Like Thunder something I'd missed whilst going of to collage working getting married and having babies ! ( from 77 on wards I guess there was no fan club as such or info about what the man was doing ! besides he cleared off over to sit and have brunch didn't he and lounge by the pools of Beverly Hills ) abandoned us lol

I do remember seeing an awesome collection at Huntingdon Hall a few years back a Fan had bought along for Steve to sign It was fantastic ! it looked like my wedding album ! I mean the book it's self ! big cream embossed thing with a protective see though cover ! made me heave a huge sigh and stare daggers at my husband ( he'd considered mine not worth the room the box took up in the lift and demoted it to the garden shed ! for the mice and mould !) I still haven't forgiven him .
but anyway thanks for sharing this !
it's made my day !
note to Deborah
check eBay more often for Harley stuff

It was a surprise and a treat to find Chris and hear from him. Great to see both acts from that night still performing![/quote]

I've just read this out to Sean ( the husband ) and his comment was
" what about the stripper ? "
" is she still performing ?
lol "
what's he like ?
men !