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HISTORY
to contact Hedgepig, email
hedgepig@gmail.com
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Chapter two – The Middle Period
by Steve Matthews
The fifth version of Hedgepig, which ran from the end of 1993 until the Spring of 1995, was one of the most settled periods of the Hedgepig saga. The band comprised Steve White on vocals and guitar, Steve Matthews on mandolin, banjo and bodhran, and Mark Lemon on fiddle and mandolin. The regular weekly practices, supplemented by continued gigs in local pubs, fine-tuned their material. They also played the club tent at The Cambridge Folk Festival for St Neots Folk Club as well as Cambridge’s Strawberry Fayre.
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Hedgepig at Cambridge Folk Festival,
30-07-1994 Steve W, Mark, Steve M
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This line up was also the first to go into a recording studio, first recording a four track demo tape in July 1994 (with Neil guesting on bass guitar), followed by the cassette album First Footing, recorded in the Winter of 1994/95. First Footing was released in the Spring of 1995, and featured the guest vocals of Su Lyn (who would later join the band). Both the demo tape and First Footing were recorded at Kite Studios in Cambridge by Roger Chatterton.
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Roger (Girton Golf Club 18.06.96)
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First Footing cassette album
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Hedgepig at The Radegund, 31-10-1996
Steve M, Terry, Mark, Steve W
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At this time much support was given to the band by Terry Kavanagh, landlord of The St Radegund public house in King Street. Terry booked the trio on a regular basis – which directly funded a large chunk of the recording and production of the First Footing album. Terry also made sure that the band was well stocked with his excellent beers during their gigs at ‘The Rad’. Testaments of the band’s gratitude for this support still exist at this pub – with the Hedgepig signed photograph displayed on the pub’s wall, and the band’s name smoked onto the pub’s ceiling by Steve White. Terry also got due credit on the cover of the First Footing cassette album. Terry has continued to support the band, and gets along to as many gigs as he is able – his presence is always great to see, despite the constant calls for ‘Lilly Marlane’!
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Hedgepig #5 would also first flirt with the use of a p.a., although one disastrous self-mixed gig at The Man on the Moon taught the band that they really needed a sound engineer to mix them! Roger Chatterton, of Kite Studios, was already known to the band, and was therefore brought in as sound engineer to mix the band at live gigs. Roger fulfilled this role for a number of years to come, and brought with him a vast experience and professionalism (albeit with the occasional grumpy outburst!).
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Hedgepig at The Radegund, 16-03-1995
Mark, Steve M, Steve W
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Hedgepig at The Wrestlers, 21-10-1995
Steve M, Steve W, Su & Mark
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Steve White wanted to add female vocals to the band sound, and Su Lyn joined in the Spring of 1995, creating Hedgepig #6. This line-up took the band further forward, building-on and adding to the reputation of Hedgepig #5. They played various local pubs and clubs, such as The Earl of Derby, Fulbourn Hospital Social Club, Romsey Town Labour Club and Girton Golf Club, and were given a monthly residency at The Wrestlers.
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Hedgepig played various support slots at The Boat Race, including for Rock, Salt and Nails and Pagan Billy. The latter gig was a particularly wonderful night for two well-matched local folk bands, who should really have done more together. The evening was also particularly busy for Mr. Lemon - who was then Pagan Billy’s mandolin and fiddle player. The band, and particularly Steve White, learned much about stagecraft from observing Rock, Salt and Nails. As well as playing other local pubs, including The Castle Inn, the band also first ventured out of the county to play at a pub re-opening in Colchester. In addition, they were the first band in over 400 years (since the market was established in Cambridge) to play on the Cambridge Market – for National Markets Day in May 1996.
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