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Chapter three – The Rock Period
by Steve Matthews

. steve w . . steve m . . . su . . . . . mark . . .

Following pressure from Steve Matthews to fully ‘rock-up’ the band’s sound; a rhythm section was phased in during the beginning of 1997. This comprised Jim Gair on bass guitar and Simon Hall on drums.During the phasing-in of the rhythm section, the band also played a one-off slot at the Mayflower Folk Club at The Man On The Moon as a four piece (without Su Lyn and Simon).


. . jim . . . . . . . simon . . . . . . . simon . .

With the full rock band set-up, Hedgepig became a fully-fledged folk-rock outfit, and played gigs both on the Cambridge pub circuit, as well as venues outside the city, such as in Clare (Suffolk) and Soham. New life and energy were brought into the band’s sound through the talents of Jim and Simon, and this was a particularly exciting time to be in the band.

Hedgepig, Clare, 16-05-1997
jim, steve m, steve w, su, mark,
simon

Ironically, after years of pushing for a rhythm section, Steve Matthews left the band at the end of June 1997, just as the band had bedded-in to its new rockier guise. The band gave him an excellent send-off gig at the end of June at The Wrestler’s. He moved to Falkirk, in Scotland, to take up a new job and a new life north of the border. He did honour a long-standing promise to Terry Kavanagh to play the Hash House Harriers gathering at The Guildhall in Cambridge in November 1997, and surprised the band at a gig at The Cock in Clare at the end of August 1997 – turning up unannounced from Scotland with his mandolin. He has since made occasional guest appearances with the band, when down from Scotland, both in 1998 and 2001. However, following his move down to Oxfordshire in 2002, the guest appearances have intensified through 2004 and into 2005.


Hedgepig, Guildhall, 30-11-1997
jim, steve m, steve w,simon, su, mark,



The band continued without Steve Matthews, and eventually replaced him in 1998 with Richard Morgan, who played flute, whistles and mandolin. Su Lyn left the band in 1999, but did return to guest on the recording of the CD album Second Sight. Female vocals were later added again to the band’s sound following the arrival of Kendra Hosie. However, in 2000, both Richard and Kendra left, with Richard moving to Canada and Kendra moving to Norwich.



Hedgepig, The Wrestlers,
08-05-1998 richard, mark