User:LL1963

User:LL1963

Started in October 2008 by original members of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (aka Bonzo Dog Band), Roger Ruskin Spear, Rodney Slater and Sam Spoons (Martin Ash).

On 28 January 2006 most of the surviving members of the original Bonzo Dog Band played a concert at the London Astoria, to celebrate the band's official 40th anniversary. Neil Innes, "Legs" Larry Smith, Roger Ruskin Spear, Rodney Slater, Bob Kerr, Sam Spoons and Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell appeared. There were also a number of special guests filling in the role of Vivian Stanshall, one of two members of the band not still living (the other being bass player Dennis Cowan). The various Stanshall impersonators included Stephen Fry, Ade Edmondson, Phill Jupitus and Paul Merton. The classic Bonzo stage antics were very much in evidence, including performances on the Theremin Leg and Trouser Press. The show was filmed and was broadcast on BBC Four and also released on DVD in May 2006.

A countrywide tour, with Ade Edmondson and Phill Jupitus, followed during November 2006, starting in Ipswich and ending with two nights at the Shepherds Bush Empire, where Paul Merton and Bill Bailey joined in for a handful of songs. David Catlin-Birch (lead guitar and vocals) joined the band for the tour; Catlin-Birch has also been a member of World Party and The Bootleg Beatles.

Officially calling themselves The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band again, the group released a live double CD of the Astoria concert titled Wrestle Poodles... And Win! on 13 November 2006.

On 10 December 2007, the band released their first new studio album in 35 years, a 28-track album titled Pour l'Amour des Chiens ("For the Love of Dogs" in French).

The reunited lineup were due to perform again in 'The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band Christmas Show' on Friday 21 December and Saturday 22 December 2007 at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London, but the shows were postponed without explanation. The shows were later played in 2008. The full membership then decided to go their separate ways and do separate projects.

The ingredients of Three Bonzos and a Piano had been playing together before. In 1979, Roger formed Tatty Ollity with Dave Glasson, former Member of Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band, Sam Spoons and Dave Knight (now deceased). They released a single, 'Punktuation' on Rough Trade. In 1985, Roger and Dave Glasson formed The Slightly Dangerous Brothers, producing a single, 'Let's Talk Basic', with a great video featuring some of Roger's robot creations. Roger Spear stopped performing in the early 1990s, but after the Bonzos reunion shows had finished was keen to continue playing live. Neil wasn't keen to continue under the aegis of the Bonzos, having a successful solo career. . Roger and Sam, therefore, resumed their own collaboration, then asked Rodney to join them to play some Bonzo tunes. Dave Glasson – ex-Whoopee Band – completed the line-up.

"We decided we couldn't really use the whole band title (Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band) if Neil wasn't involved, so we had to find a new name," says Roger. Watching The Jonathan Ross Show one night, Roger spied Four Poofs and a Piano, and Three Bonzos and a Piano were born. The first performance of this new line-up was on xx October at The Bull's Head pub in Barnes, London where they were the 'special 'guests' of the Bill Posters Will Be Band, with whom Sam Spoons has played since 1983. The Bill Posters play this venue on the first Thursday of every month (except August). A number of monthly gigs followed at The Latest Music Bar in Brighton, finishing in January 2009. (THEN DO STUFF ABOUT 2009 shows)

Roger is in charge of sax, clarinet, trouser press and giant robots (don't ask!), Rodney plays saxophones and washboard, Sam is on drums, electric spoons and didgeridon't, while Dave takes control of piano, bass, pullover and glasses. Andy Roberts, former Liverpool Scene and The Scaffold, who is one of the best respected musicians is a regular guest on proper guitar, banjo and ukulele.

A new CD entitled "Hair of the Dog" was released on 6 February 2010 to coincide with a show at The Bloomsbury Theatre, London, which included 'Legs' Larry Smith and Vernon Dudley Bohay Nowell.

The band's current activities can be followed on www.threebonzos andapiano.co.uk and are also described in Doo Dah Diaries.