Image Courtesy of Annie (Hartz) Dickinson
West Coast Natural Gas
Seattle, Washington
About 1966  ~ 1968

Members
 

Chuck Bates ~ Guitar
Dave Burke ~ Bass
Pat Craig ~ Vocals
Steve Guinn ~ Guitar
Dean Herrick ~ Guitar
Michael "Kep" Kepley ~ Guitar, Vocals
Jeff LaBrache ~ Drums
Kris Larson ~ Guitar, 12 String
Steve Mack ~ Guitar

In Memory of

Kris Larson
d:  June 2013


Photo Courtesy of Jeff LaBrache

---

West Coast Natural Gas became Indian Puddin' and Pipe after we had recorded in San Francisco in 1968. Just after the tracks were recorded,  the band basically broke up and Matthew Katz changed the name to Indian Puddin' and Pipe.  Then in late 1968 Pat Craig went back to San Francisco, called Steve Mack and he went down to put together the performing version of  Indian Puddin' and Pipe which was: Pat Craig, Steve Mack, Rex Larsen, Paul Trousdale, Dennis Lannigan, Steve Jackson, Barry Lewis. The most well known version of Indian Puddin' and Pipe lost Lewis and added Rick Quintanal on Drums and Jock Ellis on Trombone. Lydia Moreno did some sessions with us.

Pat Craig, November 2002

---

Photo Courtesy of Kristopher Larson

---

Here are a couple of long lost photos of West Coast Natural Gas. The bottom one is actually the the group that went to San Francisco, but the picture was taken just before we found Pat Craig.  The very top photo is is almost the original band at Volunteer Park, Seattle, in front of the old art museum.

Here's the story as I recall it:

Steve Guinn and Dean Herrick knocked at my door, one night after I got home from my job at Lockheed Shipyard. Steve said they were forming a band called West Coast Natural Gas, and had already recruited Jeff Labrache (drummer) and Dave Burke (bassist). As it turned out, both Steve and Dean played guitar, but they wanted me for the twelve string / folk rock sound.  I don't have any idea how they located me, and I had never even heard of either of them before.

I hated the name they chose but decided "what the he--", I'll try anything. In actuality, Jeff nor Dave had actually been recruited as yet, but Steve finally got all five of us together, somehow. Dave, Jeff and I were not satisfied with entire group but still wanted to play folk rock, so, we located two other guitarists, Mike Kepley "Kep", and Chuck Bates, who was sharing an apartment with Doug Hastings (Daily Flash) at the time. We figured we were really on our way then.  All of a sudden, Chuck left and I believe joined the Air Force, or maybe the Army. We somehow found Steve Mack and got back on track.  A short time later, Kep contracted hepatitis and since none of us were real proficient at vocals, we added Pat Craig, who had been strumming his guitar and singing, on University Ave. (The Ave.) for spare change.

So, there we were, an actual band, still with the name WCNG, and we headed out for San Francisco and the brilliant management of Matthew Katz (pronounced Kaytes).  He signed us for management, booking and production, and now owned the name West Coast Natural Gas, as he also did with "Jefferson Airplane", "Moby Grape", and "It's A Beautiful Day".

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Christopher Larson, September 2008