Music plays on to honour band-mate

A SIXTIES band which once came second to Slade in a talent contest, reformed for a charity gig in honour of their bass player who died of cancer.

For years Tony Wade and the Breakers' bass player Glynn Nixon dined out on stories that, "it was no shame to lose to Slade" in a battle of the bands contest, without ever really knowing if it was true.

Then in 2008, drummer Sid Swift did some research and discovered it was indeed the legendary Brummy rockers who had narrowly snatched victory on that night in Stafford in 1965.

That research prompted a band reunion – but within two weeks of agreeing to reform Glynn, of Biddulph, was diagnosed with cancer.

He died earlier this year, aged 61, without ever getting to play with his former band-mates.

But the Breakers did reform – as Tony Wade and the Old Duffers – and on Saturday night they raised more than £1,000 at a special concert at Biddulph Moor Village Hall held in Glynn's memory. All proceeds went to the Douglas Macmillan Hospice in Blurton.

Sid, from Biddulph, said: "We were all aged 17 or 18 when we formed the band. We were invited to take part in a beat group competition. We won the heats and made it to the final, where we came second to a group called the Inbetweeners.

"Some time later Glynn was watching Tizwas on Saturday morning TV and Noddy Holder was on, saying he used to be in a band called the Inbetweeners.

"For the past 40-years he has dined out on that story.

"Then last year I emailed the Slade website asking if it was true. I got a reply saying yes it was true. Dave Hill and a couple of other members were in the band when we played with them and Noddy Holder joined shortly afterwards.

"Glynn was a great bloke and we all loved him. So we decided to do something in his memory and give the profits to the Douglas Macmillan Hospice."

The Breakers were formed in the 1960s by school friends Roger Jones, Sid Swift and Neil Sutton – none of whom could play an instrument at the start.

Glynn Nixon, a school-friend of Neil's then joined and the band started playing cover versions, until they were joined by singer Allan Campbell – who had been performing under the name Tony Wade.

Guitarist Neil, aged 62, from Congleton, said: "Because Glynn was taken ill the old band didn't get back together, which was very sad. But we carried on, and it's been really good."

The band – lining up as a six-piece with Neil's son Richard and Glynn's brother-in-law Gerald Steadman joining Sid, Allan, Roger, and Neil – stormed through a host of 60s hits on Saturday to the sell-out 150 crowd.

Sid, aged 64, added: "It didn't feel like 40 years since the last time we played live.

"The response and feedback we got from the crowd was fantastic and we will be performing again in the next few months, but only for charity."

Anyone interested in booking the band for a 60s night, should call Sid on 01782 763529.