Shagrat (band)
Encyclopedia
Shagrat was a British
band formed by Steve Peregrin Took
and Mick Farren
in 1970, they recruited Larry Wallis
(guitar, backing vocals), Tim Taylor (bass), Phil Lenoir (drums), Dave Bidwell (percussion). Mick Farren left the band shortly after and never recorded with them.
and was a contraction of 'Shagrat The Vagrant', the name under which Steve Took had been credited on Mick Farren's album Mona. Larry Wallis offers an alternative explanation. "Steve Took" was Steve Took's real name as far as we were concerned, so he decided to take on another persona, "Shagrat" who was the guy with the slanty eyes, pointed beard and the suede shoes. Interviewed in 1972, Steve himself offered yet another explanation: I am gutter Rock, I'm a schneide. That's why I had Shagrat - it was a rat trip. Rats turn over at an amazing pace and they have a lot of kids. Not only do they eat the poison but they thrive on it and get bigger and they can still slip under doorways. It's the ecology trip. Do you know how many rats were killed in New York last year? 'Cos I don't! Hah! I can't remember my figures.
in Stockport
, they recorded a session of which three tracks are known to survive, "Boo! I Said Freeze", "Peppermint Flickstick" and "Steel Abortion". The band undertook their first gig, at the Phun City
Festival near Worthing
, Sussex
on 24–26 July 1970. The band played a 30-45 minute set, including all the songs from the Strawberry Studios session. The gig had certainly got the band off to a good start, but problems set in immediately afterwards. Phil Lenoir left (Took claimed that they never saw him again after the festival) as did Tim Taylor, leaving Shagrat in search of a new rhythm section.
A new drummer was recruited, Chicken Shack
's Dave Bidwell, while Took switched to bass guitar. They continued to rehearse together in preparation for several live dates which had been booked and they received approaches from several record label
s. In the end what finally terminated Shagrat as a performing entity was the fact that Took was the band's only full time member. Chicken Shack had never actually broken up and during 1970 regenerated into Savoy Brown
, taking Bidwell along with it. Wallis meanwhile joined Blodwyn Pig
and later UFO
. With gig bookings looming, and Took not wishing to cancel, his only option was to play those gigs by himself.
Acoustic Shagrat
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band formed by Steve Peregrin Took
Steve Peregrin Took
Steve Peregrin Took was an English musician. He is best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan...
and Mick Farren
Mick Farren
Michael Anthony 'Mick' Farren is an English journalist, author and singer associated with counterculture and the UK Underground.-Music:...
in 1970, they recruited Larry Wallis
Larry Wallis
Larry Wallis is a guitarist, songwriter and producer. He is best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead.-Early bands:...
(guitar, backing vocals), Tim Taylor (bass), Phil Lenoir (drums), Dave Bidwell (percussion). Mick Farren left the band shortly after and never recorded with them.
Origin of the name
The band was named after the orc Shagrat from The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
and was a contraction of 'Shagrat The Vagrant', the name under which Steve Took had been credited on Mick Farren's album Mona. Larry Wallis offers an alternative explanation. "Steve Took" was Steve Took's real name as far as we were concerned, so he decided to take on another persona, "Shagrat" who was the guy with the slanty eyes, pointed beard and the suede shoes. Interviewed in 1972, Steve himself offered yet another explanation: I am gutter Rock, I'm a schneide. That's why I had Shagrat - it was a rat trip. Rats turn over at an amazing pace and they have a lot of kids. Not only do they eat the poison but they thrive on it and get bigger and they can still slip under doorways. It's the ecology trip. Do you know how many rats were killed in New York last year? 'Cos I don't! Hah! I can't remember my figures.
Career
At Strawberry StudiosStrawberry Studios
-Formation:The facility was originally called Inner City Studios and located above a music store in the town centre. In early 1968 it was bought by Peter Tattersall, a former road manager for Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Tattersall invited Eric Stewart – then lead guitarist and singer of...
in Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, they recorded a session of which three tracks are known to survive, "Boo! I Said Freeze", "Peppermint Flickstick" and "Steel Abortion". The band undertook their first gig, at the Phun City
Phun City
Phun City was a rock festival held at Ecclesden Common near Worthing, England from July 24 to July 26, 1970. Excluding the one-day free concerts in London's Hyde Park, Phun City became the first large-scale free festival in the UK....
Festival near Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
on 24–26 July 1970. The band played a 30-45 minute set, including all the songs from the Strawberry Studios session. The gig had certainly got the band off to a good start, but problems set in immediately afterwards. Phil Lenoir left (Took claimed that they never saw him again after the festival) as did Tim Taylor, leaving Shagrat in search of a new rhythm section.
A new drummer was recruited, Chicken Shack
Chicken Shack
Chicken Shack are a British blues band, founded in the mid-1960s by Stan Webb , Andy Silvester , and Alan Morley , who were later joined by Christine Perfect in 1968.-Career:...
's Dave Bidwell, while Took switched to bass guitar. They continued to rehearse together in preparation for several live dates which had been booked and they received approaches from several record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s. In the end what finally terminated Shagrat as a performing entity was the fact that Took was the band's only full time member. Chicken Shack had never actually broken up and during 1970 regenerated into Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown, originally known as the Savoy Brown Blues Band, are a British blues rock band, formed in 1965, in Battersea, South West London...
, taking Bidwell along with it. Wallis meanwhile joined Blodwyn Pig
Blodwyn Pig
Blodwyn Pig were a British blues–rock group founded by guitarist–vocalist–songwriter Mick Abrahams, after he left Jethro Tull in 1968 due to a falling-out with Tull leader Ian Anderson.-Career:...
and later UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
. With gig bookings looming, and Took not wishing to cancel, his only option was to play those gigs by himself.
Band members
Electric Shagrat- Steve Took: Lead Vocal, Rhythm guitar, maracas
- Larry WallisLarry WallisLarry Wallis is a guitarist, songwriter and producer. He is best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead.-Early bands:...
: Lead Guitar and backing vocals. - Tim Taylor: Bass
- Phil Lenoir: Drums
Acoustic Shagrat
- Steve Took; Vocal, acoustic guitar
- Larry WallisLarry WallisLarry Wallis is a guitarist, songwriter and producer. He is best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead.-Early bands:...
: Acoustic Bass - Dave Bidwell: Percussion (tambourine, handclaps)