Nashband
AKA:
No Dogs Allowed
Ellensburg,
Washington
1973
Members
Rich
Blue ~ Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Ted
Grover ~ Drums
Randy
Hiner ~ Bass, Vocals
Pat
"Red Dog" Martin ~ Guitar, Keyboards
Greg
Pugh ~ Guitar, Vocals
Tom
Stinson ~ Guitar, Vocals
Mike
Thorpe ~ Drums, Vocals
Gary
Williams ~ Drums
Crew
Bill
Schairers ~ Sound and Lights
In
Memory of
Tom Stinson
d: August 2011
Randy,
Pat, Mike and Tom - Courtesy of Mike Thorpe
The Nashband played
all over Washington, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia. Most
of
the members are still playing regularly
Richie Blue,
December
2005
Tom Stinson owned
the Nash Rambler the band was so appropriately named after.
Marie McKean,
September 2006
Early
Photo of Nashband - Courtesy of Mike Thorpe
Nashband
- Courtesy of Mike Thorpe
Nashband
started practicing in an Ellensburg garage loft in 1968 at Tom
Stinson's
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 Sheriff
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
