Guitarist Mick Abrahams formed Blodwyn Pig in his home town Luton, Bedfordshire in the first few weeks of January 1969 after leaving Jethro Tull in early December 1968.
Bass player Andy Pyle had previously been a member of Abrahams’ pre-Jethro Tull group, McGregor’s Engine while sax/flute player Jack Lancaster was from Manchester and was working with the group Sponge when he got the call.
The trio advertised for a drummer and Ron Berg who’d been working with White Rabbit (singer Linda Lewis fronted them at one point) answered and got the job.
In his autobiography, What is a Wommett?, Mick Abrahams says that Blodwyn Pig rehearsed for a week before making their debut at the Cooks Ferry Inn in Edmonton, north London.
Melody Maker lists this as 27 January and notes that the quartet was billed as The Mick Abrahams Blues Band. In fact, Abrahams’ new group was billed under his own name rather than Blodwyn Pig for its first few gigs.
The following is an incomplete gig list of Blodwyn Pig 1969 gigs which are all listed in Melody Maker unless otherwise noted.
I’d welcome any additions. The band is billed as Blodwyn Pig unless noted.
Notable gigs:
27 January 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (debut) Billed as Mick Abrahams Blues Band
Melody Maker’s 1 February issue, page 4, reports the new band and name under its news extra section
1 February 1969 – Van Dike, Plymouth, Devon (Jonathan Hill’s book, Van Dike – The Life & Times of a Plymouth Club 1968-1972). Billed as Mick Abrahams Band
7 February 1969 – Bedford College, Regent’s Park, central London with Chicken Shack. Billed as Mick Abrahams Band
13 February 1969 – Red Lion, Leytonstone, east London. Billed as Mick Abrahams
21 February 1969 – Blues Loft, Nag’s Head, High Wycombe, Bucks
Melody Maker’s 22 February issue, page 6, says the band made its Marquee debut last week but I have not found a listing elsewhere. Monday night (17 February) was audition night so this is the possible date
22 February 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with Keef Hartley
3 March 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London. Billed as Mick Abrahams
15 March 1969 – London College of Printing, Elephant & Castle, south London with Chicken Shack and Jellybread. Billed as Mick Abrahams Band
28 March 1969 – Hornsey Wood Tavern, Hornsey Wood, north London. Billed as Mick Abrahams Blodwyn Pigg
29 March 1969 – The Village, Dagenham, east London with Killing Floor and Yellow Dog. Billed as Mick Abrahams
2 April 1969 – Rambling Jack’s Blues Club, the Railway Hotel, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless’ book The Day Before Yesterday – Rock, Rhythm and Jazz in the Bishop’s Stortford area from 1957 to 1969)
15 April 1969 – Fishmonger’s Arms, Wood Green, north London. Billed as Mick Abrahams Blodwyn Pig
18 April 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Circus (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live)
19 April 1969 – London College of Printing, Elephant & Castle, south London with Climax Chicago Blues Band and Smiley
20 April 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with Dr K’s Blues Band (Poster)
22 April 1969 – Bluesville ’69 Club’s Cherry Tree, Welwyn Garden City, Herts
23 April 1969 – Blues Loft, Nag’s Head, High Wycombe, Bucks
25 April 1969 – Northern Poly, Holloway Road, north London with Elmer Gantry
29 April 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live)
9 May 1969 – Bedford College, Regent’s Park, central London with Free
20 May 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Grail (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live)
30 May 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Sam Apple Pie (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live)
2 June 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London
11 June 1969 – Blues Loft, Nag’s Head, High Wycombe, Bucks
16 June 1969 – The Pavilion, Bath (Poster) Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig
22 June 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with The Taste
27 June 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Groundhogs (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live)
28 June 1969 – Bath Festival of Blues, Bath with Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, John Mayall, Chicken Shack, Nice, Ten Years After and many, many others. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig
29 June 1969 – Albert Hall, Knightsbridge, central London with Led Zeppelin and The Liverpool Scene. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig
30 June 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London
6 July 1969 – Farx, the Northcote Arms, Southall, west London
11 July 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Andromeda (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live)
11 July 1969 – Brunel University Students’ Union, Brunel University, London with The Soft Machine, Aaardvark and Good Earth. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig
25 July 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Circus (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live)
Melody Maker’s 9 August issue, p12, has a good write up entitled ‘Blodwyn Pig continue with the heavy sound’.
9 August 1969 – Malvern Winter Gardens, Malvern, Worcestershire with Clouds (Poster)
15 August 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Grail (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live)
20 August 1969 – Rambling Jack’s Blues Club, the Railway Hotel, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless’ book The Day Before Yesterday – Rock, Rhythm and Jazz in the Bishop’s Stortford area from 1957 to 1969) Concert was cancelled due to summer recess
22 August 1969 – Blues Loft, Nag’s Head, High Wycombe, Bucks
25 August 1969 – King’s Hall, Romford Market, Romford, east London
29 August 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Samson (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live)
18 September 1969 – Social Club, Aylesbury, Bucks
21 September 1969 – Farx, the Northcote Arms, Southall, west London. Billed as Mick Abrahams Blodwyn Pig
22 September 1969 – The Village of the Damned Blues Club, Aurora Ballroom, Brompton, Gillingham, Kent with support (Poster)
30 September 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Ground (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live)