Jade was formed at Birmingham University by second year students Rob and Paul, after Dream Powerhouse, their first year “power trio” had run its course. There was some market for midrange-heavy squawk metal and slightly out of reach Rush cover versions, particularly among male engineering and science students, and there was usually a fair attendance. They started as supports and gradually built up a hardcore of followers, and a minority of semi-good natured hecklers.
And so, Robin departed from the drums, percussion and hitting things stool of the Powerhouse of some Dreams and some nightmares. The name was also jetissoned into the ether, and there wasn’t an instant replacement for that.
They was joined by Neil Horsburgh on vocals, Nigel on keys and Neil R on drums. They played under a token name Class of 47, at the Electronic Engineers Christmas party. The gag was that that particularly course comprised many trainspotters. If any, this could have been their Spinal Tap at the airbase gig. The support band played well known hits by the Police and Madness etc, and had all the faculty admin staff and the students dancing. Class of 47 played Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody near the end of their set. The rest was, for an Xmas party, a fairly uncompromising mix of their originals, hard rock standards, and some acoustic numbers, including even Eleanor Rigby. There was a niche of those who loved heavy metal and sad acoustic dirges, but a wedge of those who wanted to party on to the hits! C.o.47 weren’t about to fire up a drum machine and add contemporary Bros-like repetitive synth basslines to their fayre.
Back Left: Nigel (obscured), Neil H, ?? , Neil R (drums), ??, Rob (guitar/vox/mandolin)
At some point they chose the name Jade (prior to the 90s girl group!), and retaining the same line up, they played originals and covers from Deep Purple, Jethro Tull and others. This line up played live between March and November 1991, with Nigel being replaced by Nick on keys in autumn term 1991. The highlight of their shows was a Spinal Tap medley, complete with a tinfoil/cereal packet Stonehenge edifice, brought on by long standing fan and flatmate Bob. Their authentic non ironic Spinal Tap Xmas party moment was a distant memory, as they grew in popularity around campus.
Technically they were now Jade Mk.I-a – in the Gillan Glover Blackmore Lord Paice classification scheme. This ushered in a more hippy folk feel, already hinted at on some earlier originals such as Child In Harmony. In summer 91, for one of other reasons, perhaps availability of drummers, Jade had more or less a hiatus. What emerged in that period was a fluid collective, with outings as the Oi Delee Delay Folk Band at Freak Brother’s society festivals in summer 1991. Friends from other rival (with a fairly small r) bands joined in. Kemi was a big part of this, appearing playing multiple instruments.
In this, the band’s sound opened further to acoustic music with more mandolin, bongos and a variety of flutes, recorders and penny whistles. As with Led Zeppelin III, hard rock was now playing second fiddle. This was a long way from Dream Powerhouse.
The folk direction wasn’t fully embraced by all of the band, but it undoubtably shifted their course – they were becoming less of a steelworks and more of a woodland band – their logo now even reflected that.
Nick played acoustic guitar and vocals, and as of late November, Rob now took over most vocal duties, as their last gig with Neil H was early in November 91. The other thing that left with Neil H were a lot of the following, which were in no small part due to his charismatic presence. The front of Mk.I gigs was crammed with headbangers, hippies, guys and gals in capes and odd hats.
By the end of that month, MkII played an acoustic / electric gig and premiered some of their new sound. This included a reworked reggae version of their original “Chance”, which dated back to Dream Powerhouse days.
In Feb 1992, they won the Birmingham Uni heat of the combined campuses Battle of the Bands. The Uni publication “Redbrick” railed against their overlong songs and Marillion-esque stylings. Although Redbrick hadn’t pinpointed the correct type of prog Jade were mongering, in hindsight there was a valid point that losing extraneous verses to make their songs more concise would have broadened their appeal. But mass appeal wasn’t the intention, and maybe part of the reason they didn’t go on to win the final, held in May 1992, at “Berlins” Birmingham Uni.
“We didn’t win (the battle of the bands) but it was a good gig. (There was a) “disco” afterwards, and we got “champagne“
In between the heat and the final mentioned above, Jade played at “Gig IX” at the debating hall at Brum Uni. Also on the bill were musician friends. The middle billing band’s name, was even more last millennium than ours. This was one of a series of gigs put on by the Uni tech guys as a showcase of their production talents, and they also video’d the performance, which wasn’t bad, but Rob was hampered by a bad cold.
The show was beamed onto screens around the Union, with subtitling “Live in the Deb Hall NOW!” to drum up more attendance. But not many came, even though the nightclub “The Wall” would be packed out later on, as usual.
The band continued to play, frighteningly close up until their final year exams. In minutes of any encores at the Pen & Wig gig, I was whisked parentally back home to Manchester. Since on a very rainy 9am the following morning my sponsoring company had summoned me for interview in a very grim part of Oldham. Bubble burst! From thrashing straggly long hair around on stage to wearing a shiny grey suit at interview. But as a result I landed a graduate job in more salubrious and sunny climes of Devon. Anyway, all that, is another chapter!
A most curious and baffling Jade incident, was appearing on a gig billing with local punk bands, including Another Fine Mess; at least a certain “Toxic Jade” were billed. There’d been a crossed wire, or high jinx somewhere, and in a phone call with the organisers, where I insisted we had fully fledged eco credentials, they were still sure they’d arranged this with us at a pub in Cannock, where I don’t think any of us had ever frequented. As it turned out, we didn’t try to join in on the punk action of our toxic cousins, though it could have been quite fun! I’d have been up for some Stranglers or DK at least. All the flyers they’d sent through, with a view to us flyposting around the manicured Birmingham Uni campus, did not get the solvite treatment from us.
At the end of Uni in summer 1992, the band members went off on their adventures, travelling, inter-railing, summer jobs and the like, the last chance of postponing reality, prior joining the real world. Although for better or worse, corporate haircuts had a stay of execution until much later in the 1990s.
Rob and Paul have continued jamming and made a few demos in later years. Rob has added a guest solo on my latest album, and both he and Neil have kindly given song reviews prior to its release. Neil H continues his activities – see website below. They reconvened, with Kemi and others in 2017 for old times sake and partook of the breaking of the poppadom in Small Heath.
Rob website : Home (robertillesh.com)
Neil Horsburgh website: http://www.lovecommandos.net