I recently had an e-mail from Dean Prezley who used to be in the band “Little Bo Bitch” that Steve Carroll was also a member of. Dean would like to get in touch with previous band members. Sadly I have currently lost touch with Steve Carroll and I can’t recall who else asked me about the band some years ago so I thought I would add this note and then I can put members back in touch with each other if they are interested
Later Note: Sadly Steve has now passed away, see this post
I have been a Praying Mantis fan since I first heard "Captured City" on Metal for Muthas. Time Tells No Lies has always been on of my favourite albums and I was overjoyed when I first discovered it was out on CD. I didn't know what had happened after the first album until in about 1994 I discovered "A Cry For The New World". I was worried about getting it as I thought it had to be a disappointment but I was wrong. I loved it and have followed the band and maintained this website ever since.
Back to my real name, Kraig Dean, don’t have a website (yet) as I’m putting a band together so until then it seems like all it will do is confuse everyone, including me! However I use a website called yousendit.com to send songs to anyone who cares to listen, large files that auto launch yer Windows Media Player, or Real Player. My stuff is influenced by Alice In Chains, Pantera and Megadeth but for the most part is quite original. I’m not a razorblade vocalist so if you dig only deathcore you might not dig Kraig Dean. Been told I sound like Lemmy from Motorhead, which is a compliment c’os I dig Motorhead, mainly the original line-up Ace Of Spades etc. so its grungy with spit shine. Now, I was just a wimpy long curly haired wippersnapper when I hooked up with the at the time un-named band that would later become Little Bo Bitch. We were: Kraig Dean, Mick Sweeney, Terry Reece, Tony Watson. The look was IN YOUR FACE David Bowie spiked many colors, earrings which at the time was SHOCKING! DREADFUL! as me grandparents would later state (god bless them). We played one gig with a heat up bunch of gear at Raynes Park School’s PE auditorium. The place was packed, with uniformed lads, sort of like Malcom Young without the little cap. I recall we more or less sucked, not sure. But it was fun and I was a celebrity (too bad not a coed school)so I avoided getting beat up everyday. WHERE ARE ME LADS? MICK? TERRI? TONY? You may all be married, not dead (hope not)so if you remember ME, and could give a flying Shepperds Pie, email me! Off I go now……………………
Hello There
I knew the lads from Little Bo Bitch back in 1978 – and often wondered what became of them, my band were stable mates with LBB at Superfly Promotions London. Bob Kean was the business partner of our manager Barry Sullivan who managed my band and Bob managed the LBB boys [hope that makes sense] – would be very interested to know if you discovered their where abouts ? I know Steve joined PM and that Bob was involved in the Mantis early development ? – hope you do not mind my asking
Regards
Gary G.
Okay, my confusion is part ADD induced and part HOW TO FIND SOMEONE YOU KNEW with unknown names flying around like that scene out of Poltergiest – Steve Carroll was the guitarist for Little Bo Bitch AFTER I was forced back to the States for the Zeenteeth Time by non other than mum dearest. Musically, the transition was seamless as I NEVER stopped playing in bands, even when I landed in Arizona via London. You want CULTURE SHOCK? I was, as Elvis once sang, “so lonesome, I could die”. I’m sure the “then there was three…..again” boys back in Raynes Park, London must have felt, well, uh, a bit lonely thus the name The Lonely Boys (?) Seems they had an album titled Little Bo Bitch, on which Steve played. I KNOW THIS IS ALL A MASSIVE BORE to Praying Mantis fans, but its kind of fun to mess about with. By the way, I never did get my Gravatar email confirmation so I can paste the one and only biggest nobody nobody ever heard of picture, on PM’s site. Then I can send my peculiar brand of sci-fi high octane core songs to anyone other than those who live in my townhouse complex, and they ain’t exactly what I call “up on things” – anyone who states “well I listen to pretty much everything except Hip Hop and Country” is not a good candidate for slipping a demo to. “Cool stuff” means they never listened to a single song, they lost the CD, or translated “its being used as a coaster for my dope smoking, beer guzzling friends. Right then, put him in the Iron Maiden (cool!!) EXECUTE HIM (bogus!!!).
“I KNOW THIS IS ALL A MASSIVE BORE to Praying Mantis fans”
Just the opposite. It’s actually quite exciting to hear from someone at least distantly related to the band you (I) love. Especially if he didn’t let his passion for making music rot. For instance, I just discovered that Bob ‘Angelo’ Sawyer (was in Mantis as well as in Maiden) now plays (and sings!) in a blues band called Bloodless Coup: http://www.myspace.com/bloodlesscouplondon. On the other hand, what the hell happened with Colin Peel? What a shame SUCH a voice got wasted…
So, Kraig and the alikes, don’t you ever hesitate to try this way of renewing lost contacts. The world might appreciate the info you can give.
Mik Sweeney joined Classix Nouveaux and now lives in Cork.
I was in a band with Steve Carroll called Midus before he was in LLB -I was second choice in the audition but the first choice had other better offers LOL-I was 18 but Steve was much younger i think
I played bass and guitar [badly] and occasional keyboards [worse]but its so long ago and i was in about 5 bands in the early seventies and the memories of each one kinda blur together LOL but I still have one picture of the band .
We did some rehearsing in priory road NW6 and gigged maybe four times
I remember Superfly promotioms with Bob Keane and Barry Sullivan RIP-my then girlfriend who was a singer[we came second in a talent contest in Kenton as a duo where the winners were The Krankies] went to his funeral some years ago]
I remember auditioning for Flock Of Seagulls and Charlie Dore and playing in a awful covers band at a gig in Epsom where ELvis Costello depped as vocalist/guitarist once .I also lived in a house opposite Gary Moore in NW5 in the 80’s for a while[he had a BMW [top of the range] BUT COULDN’T DRIVE and I had an Austin Maxi]
Midus played the Windsor Castle in harrow road to some dissappointed Jam fans who had turned up on the wrong night and a girl threw roses at me and ripped my shirt buttons off whilst i was playing.
I have a friend whose band headlined the Nashville Rooms kensington [i saw Ian Dury there as well] or a venue in west hampstead??-the support acts were Joy Division and U2 and i think they played with The Cure in Camden .I saw AC/DC at The Marquee twice and a whole lot of other gigs ?
Also i knew a cowboy builder called George who got all his pigeons shot by Joe Strummer in Camden stables
fairly random memories
haha those were the days
I remember Little Bo Bitch playing Middlesbrough Rock Garden on Saturday, January 12th, 1980. I never realised Mik Sweeney of Classix Nouveaux had been in them though. I had them down as power pop clones and wondering why I had wasted my time coming down to watch them!
Praying Mantis also played there on more than one occasion.
Hi I was also involved with Barry and Bob and steve Jolly /tony swain having as part of a Band called smile and “The national smile week” but Im better now..
I know (sadly) that Barry has passed away but does anyone know if bob is still around..? He supported me and my band efforts over a couple of years way back then..and much later introduced me to Colin Thurston (RIP) David Bowie (Heros)/ Duran, Duran who produced some of my later material.
be grateful for any info Thanks, Steve Nolan
Hello Steve
We met very briefly in the summer on 1978 – you visited the Superfly offices 13 Grt Western Rd.
I was part of the band that Barry signed to replace your original Smile band.
Hope you are well and success found you along the way
We also worked with Jolley & Swain, plus many others -including TV/Radio and National press coverage
But as most things connected with Barry, it all eventually ended in tears, so we returned back to Bristol
I did however find success in other bands years later
Gary G
I Know Robert Wainwright (Bass) from Little Bo Bitch, Robert is a music producer now I think with a company called The Next Room, Daniel Peacock is a tv producer and still an actor. You can contact Robert on Twitter @thenextroom. Sammy L.
Hi Guys
I was a founder member of Smile along with Steve Nolan….
We have been working with a new band….Toffees….
Checkout… Toffees or Piers Nolan Songs on You Tube.
Jim Neasham
R.I.P. Barry
You tried your hardest to do it for us.
I just know we were a feather away from getting there.
We are still doing it…. We are now pushing/promoting Steve’s Son Piers Nolan Band
Toffees…. Check out either toffees or piers Nolan songs
On you tube.
Jim & Steve are still doing our thing!!!!
Bob, I hope you are well…. Get in touch!
jamesneasham@btinternet.com
I was the singer in little Bo bitch from beginning to end. I remember everyone involved and the highlights were perhaps first band on at reading festival 1976 and making the album @abbeyroadstudios 1979. Hope all who were there or thereabouts are well.
Hi Tony, Sorry it took me so long to approve your comment. I must have missed the message
Hi Tony how you doing? Would be great to know how you are all getting on. It’s Lesley from Newcastle 🙂
Hi Lesley,
We’re all getting on fairly well – for it being over a quarter century later… Terry lives in Brighton with wife and child – Mick lives in Ireland with wife and child – and I refuse to leave London, where I live with neither wife or child – though I must say I’ve never been happier.
Hi Tony
Great to hear your all Ok. Seems forever ago but got great memories. Still have a listen to little bo bitch every now and then.
We’re all still pals here in Newcastle need to have a chat sometime, would be great 🙂 x
L B B were the first band i ever saw, at Raynes Park High, where i had the misfortune to go. they made HUGE impression on me, a longhaired ultra-wimpy Bowie fan of all of about 14.probably one of the few good memories of that sh+thole school.
Hi to Tony, Dermot, terry, and Steve, also Tino for PM hope all’s good with you guys, I was the bass player in Little Bo Bitch for while,….those days… great times, wonder what happened to Bob Kean,
best bob w,
I remember promoting LBB a couple of times in 1979 in Devon when I was playing at being the nets secretary at the local college. I remember Bob Keane had an office in Beauchamp Place and I would occasionally pop in. LBB were a great band and should have had much more success than they did. I wore the yellow and red sweatshirt for years, clearly lasted longer than the band.
hi Tony do you remember playing avdel club in welwyn garden city in mid seventys with Little bo bitch Great nights “annoying all the neighbours” and have you still got the leopard skin strides, great nights thank glen.
hi Tony do you remember playing avdel club in welwyn garden city in mid seventys with Little bo bitch Great nights
My dad is Bob Keene and I have had praying mantis and little bo bitch records all over my house growing up. I don’t think he has ever even thought of trying to connect over the internet, even if this comment is 5 years late.
FAO; Dave Keane – Hello Dave .. What did Bob do after leaving management [if he did?]
I knew Bob when he was at Superfly with Barry Sullivan [13 Grt. Western Rd Westbourne park]
You might be interested to know that your dad and Little Bo Bitch feature in the book ‘Bright Lights Dark Days’ by TG Gayner – it also features many of the bands and characters that made up that generation of the late 70’s from Zaine Griff Steve Jolly Slade Queen Kate Bush the Heavy Metal Kids and many more
Hi Dave
Please send my best regards to your dad. I doubt he will remember me – it’s nearly 40 years ago – but I promoted Little Bo Bitch a couple of times in North Devon in 1978/79. And I used to go to your dad’s offices in Beauchamp Place in Knightsbridge when I was in London. I wonder if he remembers a band called China who I introduced to him in about 1980/1.
With warmest regards and thanks for posting
Graham Shaw