A Pencil band to perform at Old Man and Scythe

A Pencil were popular musicians in the town back in the late 1970s and early 1980s – and are excited about their forthcoming date at Ye Olde Man and Scythe in Churchgate.

The band reformed four years ago with the classic line-up of Dave Hill on guitar, Stub on vocals, Andy Scoble on bass and Jonny Clarke on drums.

It is the same line up which recorded the band’s only demo back in 1981 which featured The Advertiser, Stranger In My House and Future Shock.

Picture by Andrew Clarke

The band still perform those three tracks along with a number of other A Pencil songs from back in the day and some songs by Other Games, formed in the early 1980s after A Pencil broke up.

There are also a couple of new songs to keep things fresh.

The band regularly gigged back in the day, including playing to 10,000 people in Stonehenge.

Guitarist Dave reckons fans will not be disappointed when the band returns on Saturday.

“We’re still relevant today and we were always ahead of our time,” he explained.

“Our style of music is impossible to pin down. Someone once described us as a cross between punk, funk, space rock and reggae and maybe that’s part right.”

Bassist Andy says the reunion came about because the band always wanted to get back together but had to wait until the time was right.

A Pencil

He said: “It happened online because Andy Hamer, another of our former band mates, was having a special birthday and we thought we would surprise him by reuniting for the occasion.

“We enjoyed the birthday bash but didn’t actually play – and then Covid held us back too.

“But some things are meant to be and we are ready now and really looking forward to playing in public again on Saturday.”