Nashband
started practicing in an Ellensburg garage loft in 1968 at Tom Stinsons
house. It was Tom, Randy, Rich and I playing for the love of it.
We
soon attracted a following and were eventually busted one night by the
local Sherrif for minor consumption. There were 40 people in the
loft at our rehearsal/party. Things had changed!
We
then started playing to High School kids at grange halls during the early
70’s for cover charge. We did good at first because there was no
interference from the authorities. Eventually we had to hire off
duty cops or they wouldn’t rent us the halls. That pretty much curtailed
the boozing that went on. It became harder to make a buck.
During that time we also did a lot of wedding receptions and private parties.
We
began playing in the bars around 1975 when we were old enough to drink
legally in Washington. Shortly thereafter with the addition of Pat
Martin on guitar we hired the GMA and Fredie Sounds booking agents to find
us work in the northwestern US and Canada as a Rock Band. We would
leave Ellensburg for 2 months at a time playing 6 nighters from Havre Montana
to Merritt, BC and south to Rawlings Wyoming. There were several
working bands from E-burg in those days such as Lucky Pierre, and Appaloosa.
We wouldn’t have missed it for anything.
Rich
is still active in the Bay area and I play with old high school buddies
as often as I can in the Pacific Islands near Guam.
Still
playing,
Mike
Thorpe, December 2008
The
Nashband in the 70s and 80s offered a case of beer for the 'naked gator'
every night they played and paid off only once that I can remember.
It was in Libby Montana at GOOD TIME CHARLIES. The girl just dropped
her top and scooted around on the floor for a bit. She was very 'talented'
so we awarded the case of beer on the condition we get to drink it with
her! Her boy friend was not impressed but liked the band so he drank
with us.
Also
in Libby we played at the LOG CABIN TAVERN. In fact we were the last
band to ever play there because it burned to the ground after hours on
a Saturday night. Luckily we had already packed up the equipment
and in the morning we headed to the POST TAVERN in Missoula Montana to
play an audition for a GMA Music agent.
I remember
Rich Blue had a rare Gibson reverse firebird guitar that slid off the front
of my base drum during a break that night and shattered the tuning head.
Bill
Schairers was our Sound and Light man in those days and deserves much credit
for always helping and putting up with all the BS.
The
picture is of Rich Blue approximately when I met him. He was about
15 and very fluid on guitar leads. Thanks to all who made it happen,
Michael
Thorpe, January 2009
Randy,
Rich and Mike in 2005 - Courtesy of Mike Thorpe
Rich
Blue -Courtesy of Mike Thorpe
