Band History

AFGM history

The AFGM ‘Rock Family Tree’ can be traced back many years - Chris Melhuish (guitar) and Mike Dawe (drums) were at Junior school together and played in touring bands ‘National Grid’ and ‘Yours’. Mike was also the session drummer when Chris was song writer for Carlin Music back in the 70s. In the 1998 Chris was jamming with some friends and called Mike to see if he would sit in at a session. Soon afterwards Mike suggested that Chris start writing and they form a band. Keys player Mike Robson was replaced in 1999 by actor John Telfer (you’ve probably seen him in Bergerac or heard him on Radio 4 as Rev Alan Franks in ‘The Archers’) joined as vocalist & keyboard player in late 1999. This was just after the original bass player, Phil Kent moved from the Bristol area and Tim Martin was recruited by his old buddy Mike; this “Engine Room” (the rhythm section) had together played numerous gigs in various bands and had a few thousand miles of gigging travel under their collective belt.

A little later David James joined as rhythm/acoustic guitarist until 2005, when he left for other musical ventures; the band then continued as a more rock-inspired and edgy 4-piece. In the last 10 years AFGM has played tour support with many great bands including, Wishbone Ash, 10cc, Focus, Supertramp’s Carl Verheyen & Cliff Hugo, The Yardbirds, The Animals and The Blockheads to mention a few. The band then recruited Chris’ daughter Jo as backing vocalist who was joined briefly a year or so later in 2007 by Debbie Hall for a few months and a couple of gigs. It was the 5 piece band of Mike, Tim, John, Chris and Jo who, over a three year period, recorded AFGM’s 4th and most recent album ‘The River’.

Sadly Mike Dawe died suddenly in July 2008; a much-loved musical brother whose memory will always remain part of the band.

In January 2009, three new members joined: Michael Platt (Tim’s youngest step-son) as backing vocalist and then Steve Byrne (ex-Boulevard, Multistory & No Quarter) was announced as AFGM’s new drummer. Interestingly, Tim had played briefly with Steve in Boulevard for a 3 month stint in 1982. In January 2009, Bryan Berry joined AFGM on rhythm guitar/vocals and so AFGM is now a 7 piece outfit!

At The Fleece gig in Bristol on 7 November 2009, Michael Platt performed his last gig with AFGM. Michael is a great performer in his own right and won the 2009 Welsh X-factor. As a result he has moved on to develop his solo career. In January 2010 we recruited an additional female backing vocalist, Sophie Claridge.

Mike Dawe 1953-2008

Today I went to the funeral of a friend that I have known for around twenty years.

Mike Dawe was a big guy, well over six feet tall, but big in a non physical sense too. He was an awesome rock drummer who gave all he had at each performance, he had a huge sense of humour and could find the funny side of any situation. Mike loved a bet on horses and dogs, and even though he had as many donkeys as four legged friends, he enjoyed watching them run.

He loved a pint of Blackthorn cider too, (Somerset Champagne he called it), and one pint was never enough for the thirst was as big as the man.

His claim to fame, in his drinking circle at least, was that he had downed three pints one night and had driven most of the way home before a police car crashed into him. True to form, Mike came up smelling of roses. He passed a breath test, proved that the police driver was in the wrong and got an apology from the police.

The funeral service was packed, the funeral director estimated that around 250 people attended. As we entered, we were played in by the man himself, with two tracks from his own drum album. Only Mike would play at his own funeral. The service was short and unsentimental, but tugged at the heartstrings of everyone present.

I freely admit to being in tears as we left the building to the strains of AFGM's "Thank You". After every gig that I saw Mike play, I would buy him a pint of cider to hand to him as he came off stage. Today the tradition continued, as, at the wake at our local pub, I bought a pint of cider and placed it over the fireplace to symbolize the end of his biggest gig. The rest of his band were very touched by the gesture and insisted on being photographed with "Mike's Pint".

I have written this in memory of a good friend, Mike Dawe 1953-2008. Sleep well Mike.

Good friends are hard to find............and even harder to lose.

Bill Bowdren

In Memory of Mike 1953 - 2008

Mike Dawe

(drums, percussion, backing vocals) had fond memories of his first drum, a plastic Selcol snare in bright orange sparkle which was a Christmas present at the age of 9. A little later he was particularly influenced by Bill Bruford and Simon Phillips. Past bands include Bristol-based Sharp Practice.

Worst Gigs

'Drummers are from Pluto' by Mike From AFGM (from bristolrock.co.uk)

Men are from Mars and women are from Venus...........and bloody Drummers are from PLUTO.!!!-That was a line from the very funny film, Still Crazy which featured the Hilarious Timothy Spall as the Wild and uncultured Drummer in Strange Fruit-a band of Middle aged men who reformed to play the Wisbech Rock Festival after some 25 years away from the Music Scene. The reason I have highlighted drummers is that in my experience (which believe me is too vast and spans a period of time that I don’t wish to mention) the drummer is undoubtedly in most cases the wildest, most unpredictable member in the band and is the most likely individual to be incapable to perform through the excesses of alcohol or perhaps doesn’t show at all at a rehearsal or gig because he’s chasing someone’s wife or is running from the taxman or the Old Bill!!! What a great club we belong to. Anyone who is not a drummer couldn’t possibly understand the angst and trauma of driving a rock band along, propelling the other members of the band through two hours of pain sweat and physical torture...........You have to be someone very special to achieve this and a fair degree of insanity goes a long way also. Yes the age old joke about the man hanging around musicians is the drummer always makes me chuckle but without him any band is without doubt impotent and sterile as a result.

Well this brings me to my worst gig experience.

Many moons ago (even before the dreaded breathalyser which many drummers I know have had to try and blow into since!) I was the drummer in a covers band that had been booked to play at a very posh wedding on a 35 acre estate somewhere near Cheltenham. A huge and very expensive marquee was erected and a stage was contained therein for our performance. The banqueting was of the highest standard with a carvery, many and varied cold meats, home baked bread, pate all manner of salads/vegetables and then a fantastic selection of english and continental cheeses, not to mention the gateaux’s and fruit salad and profiteroles and strawberries and cream!!! All this to be washed down with lashings of champagne. This wonderful fayre reminded me that all I had had that day was a stale pork pie and a bag of pork scratchings!!!

The gig itself went okay and after the obligatory ‘Hi-Ho Silver Lining’ we ended the gig to rapturous applause and then proceeded to take full advantage of the food and booze on offer! Well it would be rude not to and in true drummers tradition I was knocking back the beers/lagers/wines/G and T's, oh and don’t forget the Bollinger’s!!!!

Time flies and before long it was 1am and I was feeling no pain!!! The dance floor was full and the DJ, Boogaloo Bill from Stroud was in full flight playing anything from Ken Dodd to Black Sabbath which totally confused many of the OAPs that had stayed up to party! I checked my watch and couldn’t believe that it was 1.45 and this signalled that it was time for me to split as I was supposed to be playing rugby in the Morning. I had a job to find my old Vauxhall Viva amongst the Jaguars, Porches and Rolls Royce’s but eventually I set off and before long I had found the M5 and put my foot down taking my car almost up to 70 mph which for an old rust bucket was quite an exhilarating experience! And then it happened! Usually I am aware of the bass drum rolling around on the passenger seat next to me. My back seat is crammed to overload with drum cases and stands etc. In the front footwell would be my cymbal case and the boot would be full also with more hardware, BUT NOT TONIGHT!!!!!!!!.

I had enjoyed myself so much and had tried to drink Gloucestershire dry single handed that I had actually left my F......!! drums behind.!!!!!

By the time I had returned and collected my gear it was 3.45 AM when I got home and to cap it all I was then LOCKED OUT!!! Needlessly to say I didn’t make it to rugby and spent the next day spewing up on a fairly frequent basis. All drummers out there should be proud of me for maintaining the dubious and farcical image that we drummers are tarnished with, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Mike and his gear taken at 'Infar Studios, Bristol'