Fans of Fruupp

This page has been set up to allow the very small universe of  Fruupp fans to communicate interests,  make requests, and voice .... whatever.  Alternatively, you can put out a request or communicate with fellow fans by making an entry in the Guest Book. 

 

16 September, 2008   MEMORIES OF FRUUPP'S SHOWS IN HIGH WYCOMBE TOWN HALL & AT FRIARS AYLESBURY.  Roger, now living in Nairobi, Kenya, writes: "I am Roger, a Brit living now in East Africa. I googled Fruupp and found this site you are involved in! Great memories have been evoked. I grew up in Buckinghamshire, England and by 1974-5 I was a long-haired, wide-eyed 15 year old who happened to go to various Fruupp gigs both at High Wycombe Town Hall and at Friars Aylesbury too.  The Wycombe gig was early..Future Legends material.. must have been because I remember the shock-value of the pre-salvation Stephen Houston's theatrics in using fake-blood capsules!! It was truly scary to us impressionable young rock fans!! When the Prince of Heaven's Eyes came out me and my mates all piled over to the next town, Aylesbury, on our motorbikes! ( I was 16 by then!) and I remember taking my little audio tape recorder with me, because like others I was yearning for the band to put out a live album. So, I got a fairly half-decent bootleg recording of one of their gigs...I took it with me to Africa when I went there to work, in 1984, and to date the tape is in a house belonging to my estranged wife, .... gotta go down to Dar sometime and literally dig it out!! It must be rather mouldy by now coz Dar is as humid as hell.. but I will try. It was a fantastic performance of all their new and old numbers!! This could turn out to be your 6th recording!! If its in good nick and decent quality, what would you be able to offer me for it? Well anyway, nice to find such memories via Google... all the best.. and yes, they were incomparable... quite different to bands I loved equally like Yes and Genesis... these guys were more down to earth coz they came down to our level (Bucks!!) and yet always put on a real SHOW.. unlike many bands like Man and Rory Gallagher who were good musicians but held little mystery. Yes I do seem to remember when Queen supported Fruupp... Queen shot to greater heights and I wonder whether Freddie and Brian were inspired somehow by the frilly shirts Fruupp used to wear in their shows.... certainly they were some of the best dressed rock artistes in the mid seventies!! I will never forget Peter Farrelly's creamy vocals... i would call them "Baileys Irish Cream" tones!! So smooth and sweet sounding to the ear.... a truly unique band!!"

  16 September, 2003:   MEMORIES OF 1976 NOTTINGHAM BOAT CLUB SHOW & REVEREND STEVEN HOUSTON'S "ANNIE AUSTERE".  Peter Rowe from the U.K. writes: I went to see Fruupp back in 1975/6 at the Boat Club Nottingham and they were great. In fact they were playing some new stuff off of their next album they were planning to make but never did. This is the one after Modern Masquerades. I met Stephen Houston in the 1980's when he was the the Rev Stephen Houston. Did you know he recorded an LP on vinyl called The pride and the Preacher. I managed to pick up 2 copies and he signed one of them. On this LP he did an alternative version of Annie Austere which was quite interesting. I also have autographs of all five members of Fruupp and a personally signed copy of the insert for Prince of Heaven LP with message from Paul Charles written inside about Mud.

11 September, 2003: MEMORIES OF 1976 SHOW IN CHELMSFORD, ESSEX. Ian Ellis from the U.K. writes: I was fortunate enough to see them at the Chancellor Hall in Chelmsford, Essex on their 1976 spring tour. Although it's a long time ago, their uniqueness has remained with me. I particularly recall the stage set-up being like someone's front room; armchairs, a hat stand, etc. -- all gently rubbing shoulders with their backline. I'd never seen anything like it before (this preceded Rogers Waters living room section of the Wall by three years!) All the aforementioned props duly played their parts in the evening's performance. When the band initially filed on stage they all hung up coats,scarves, etc. and then donned them again at the conclusion of the show. Between numbers the mainman sat in the armchair and told short stories pertaining to the relevant songs about to be played. It was heady, magical stuff indeed...Unfortunately, this was the only occasion I saw them. Judging by comments on the web site, I'm led to believe this was not their best period. Without having seen them before I cannot comment (on their earlier performances) but if the gig I witnessed was not 'vintage stuff' one can only wonder what they must have been like earlier on in their career! The show I saw was unique, entertaining and musically perfect. I bought Modern Masquerades on the strength of what I saw that evening... it still sounds good today!

14 August, 2001: MEMORIES OF FRUUPP IN LONDON.   Anita from the U.S. writes: I have been a fan of Fruupp since the first time I met the guys back in a small pub in south London; a past acquaintance was a roadie for the boys.  I went to see them perform at the Marquee Club in SOHO.  One of my most prized possessions is the only vinyl I have left of theres, having lost the others on leaving my parents' home.  I am now living in the states.   It was so good to find that there are others who appreciate what those guy's could do.


5 July, 2001: MUD IN STAINED-GLASS, # 2.  Frans de Heer made a second stained glass picture of Mud inquisitively strolling for his pot of gold, and kindly traded it to "yours truly" for some Fruupp "stuff".   This wonderful art piece today adorns the wall of my office in the wooded hills of Lafayette, California, situated just above my mellotron. 

5 March, 2001: MUD IN STAINED-GLASS. 
Peter Farrelly is not the only artist-designer in the world of Fruupp.   Frans de Heer of Amsterdam has made a wonderful stained-glass window of "The Prince of Heaven's Eyes".  He writes: "Hereby I send you a photo of a unique stained-glass window.  Stained glass is my profession and for a long time I wanted to make it.  Well here's the result."  Fruupp's most storied album clearly had an impact on one fan. 

3 January, 2001: A CALL FOR FRUUPP LYRICS
J & A Coleman" acoleman@indigo.ie: I would just like to say how much I have enjoyed your fabulous Fruupp site.  I've been a huge fan of the Band since the late seventies and in all those years, would you believe, any time I mention Fruupp, people say "WHO"!  I never realised there were so many ignorant (of Fruupp) people out there.  I would love to get my hands on the words for any or all of their songs.  I do hope you can point me in the right direction.  I have been trawling the Internet for months to no avail. Joey Coleman. (ed: lyrics can now be found in the Lyrics section.)