The Bristols Charleston, West Virginia 1966-1968   Formed a year after the Beatles last public concert and disbanded the year before Woodstock, the High School dance/concert band The Bristols had a mission: to bring to then backwaters Charleston, West Virginia the music that was already re-shaping the psyche of the youth of the rest of America. They were panned by scowling judges at a 1967 Battle of the Bands while their adoring fans crowded around the stage awestruck by their psychedelic music and light show. What the judges did not know (or maybe they feared) was that The Bristols would be credited with being among the first wave of rock bands in Charleston to break from the dominant R&B mold. The Bristols would not conform. There was new freedom in the cultural air. There were protests to be made and life to be lived in wild abandon. In 1968 they won a city-wide Battle of the Bands, vindication indeed: everyone knew that something new had arrived. Personnel: Mark Walbridge - Vocals, Guitar, Tamborine Steve Whisnand - Drums, Vocals Dick Allowatt - Guitar Chuck Aliff - Bass John Picklesimer - Fafisa keyboard Duke Vipperman - Guitar, Kaytar, Vocals, Harmonica, Tamborine Influences: The Rolling Stones, Animals, Rascals, Hendrix, Blues Magoos, Cream, Jefferson Airplane Setlist Sample: I Can't Get No - Satisfaction (Stones) Wild Thing (Troggs), Sunshine of your Love (Cream); Purple Haze (Hendrix); For What It‚s Worth (Buffalo Springfield); I Was So Much Older Then, I'm Younger Than That Now (Dylan); I Can See For Miles (The Who); Sometimes Good Guys Don‚t Wear White (Richard & The Young Lions); Fixing To Die Rag (Country Joe And The Fish); Madison Avenue Blues (Walbridge) Equipment: 3 Vox Amps, One Sears Silvertone for vocals and bass, Farfisa organ, Slingerland Drums, 1964? Gibson Firebird VII non-reverse, 1965? Epiphone coronet, fretless Kay guitar for sitar simulation, A Les Paul 335 imitation bass. Rehearsal Space: Duke Vipperman's basement Band Vehicles: Butch Legg's car Fashion Statement: Relaxed, some in jeans, some mod, Best Gig: First Place 1968 Charleston Battle of the Bands. Gig from Hell!: Never - every one was so much fun. How did we know? We would gather afterward at Shoney's to eat burgers, drink a milk shake and listen to the ringing in our ears! Sweet joy! Last Gig: Stone and Thomas Fashion Show June 1968. Comments: Keep up with band news at http://www3.sympatico.ca/duke.vipperman      Where are they now? Summer, 2005 Dick, Chuck and Pickle remain in Charleston, Mark is at WVU, Duke is in Toronto, Steve passed away April 3, 2000    Information contributed by Duke Vipperman duke.vipperman@sympatico.ca

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