Dave "Digger" Hart

Dave was in so many Portsmouth bands from the late 1950's through until 2006, when he moved to live in sunny Spain.
He kindly sent these photos and his memories of the times

Unknown,Unknown, Dave Thistle, Pat Green, Dave Hart, Unknown '57 Thunderclaps Skiffle Group Tony Porter Late 50s Tony Porter Group Colin Hart (My brother) Late 50s Strollers Dave Hart, Joe Farnell, Dave Cobb, Colin Hart '58 Strollers Dave Hart, '59 Dave Hart, Tony Porter Group '60 Hillside Dave Hart '62/'63 The Southerners. This was outside of Dave's parents house in Emsworth Road North End Dave Hart, Colin Quaintance, Dave Field 62/63 Southern Sounds Bottle in the Wall Cellar (formerly Tina's Cellar, later I think it was called Scandals) Dave Hart, 62/63 Grasshopper Club was in Parkstone Dorset and it was one of Tony Porter's venues Tony Curtis (Road Manager, with Maracas) Dave Hart, Chris Ryder, Pete St Clair, Colin Q, Dave Field and Tony Porter 62/63 Grasshopper Club Dave Hart, Steve Martin, Pete St Clair 62/63 Southern Sounds Dave Hart, Chris Ryder, Pete St Clair, Colin Quaintance, Dave Field, 64/65 Southern Sounds Dave Hart, Mick Archer, Frank Kelly Colin Quaintance '65 Dave Hart, Combo Hayling Club Dave Hart, Frank Kelly, Keith Hawkins, Colin Hart '66 Dave Hart, Combo Dave Hart, Keith Hawkins, Pete Jackson Early 70s High Society at The Metropole Hotel Southampton (no longer there) Dave Hart, Keith Hawkins, Pete Jackson Early 70s High Society at The Metropole Hotel Southampton (no longer there) Dave Hart, Keith Hawkins, Pete Jackson Early 70s High Society Dave Hart, Keith Hawnins, Pete Jackson 70s High Society at The Metropole Hotel Southampton (no longer there) Keith Hawkins, Dave Hart, Pete Jackson late 70s High Society A 1977 High Society interview Remember the early days in someone’s front room? You only went there to talk about last Saturday’s match, drinking goals and kicking cups of tea. You’d seen the guitar in the corner before, but this time you picked it up — the thrill of Elvis and Gary was ticking away in your subconscious. Whilst Fred guided your fumbling fingers over the vital three chords you wondered whether his guitar was made for a giant as it seemed almost impossible to get the strings to touch the frets. When your newly formed group finally descended on some poor unsuspecting social club you realised that your gear and instruments were not all they should be, and your electronic box of tricks more ready for the dustbin than the stage. Eventually, by massive H.P., the band was well equipped and had lurched its way into the three gig a week routine. But soon you realised that things were not yet going smoothly. Arriving home from work to face a hurried tea and a nagging wife who alternated her threat of divorce with her pet subject, the H.P. on the P.A. — and all this against the background noise of the neglected kids and the television! Then at the gig a new problem. The guitarist, having discovered volume and sustain, caused the band to embark on the first of many tangles with that red nosed, cloth capped character with the committee badge who always seems to assume command after his third mild and bitter. Then there was ‘agro’ in the break, would the band remain together to finish the evening let alone the next gig? The few musicians that emerge from this sort of experience go on able to form stable working relationships, the rest move from band to band. Today, one is increasingly aware of this ‘group reshuffle’ both at the top and bottom of the ladder and it is sometimes a wonder that any band can stay together long enough to establish themselves nationally. ‘HIGH SOCIETY’ are one of the exceptions, and with eight years’ experience behind them seem to have every chance of extending their considerable local reputation nationally. As they have obviously found a formula that works, I spoke to Dave Hart (lead guitar and backing vocals) about this problem of ‘sticking together’. “Dave, can you give me some of the answers of sticking together?” DAVE: “l think there’s a few reasons. One is with a smaller band (by this I don’t mean duos or soloists), there are less people to disagree with and therefore less personality clashes. For instance if there were four of us there would be more chance of a clash and so on. I wouldn’t say we remain a trio for these reasons, it’s just that we get along together although we are of quite different personalities. Also, the trio does make for better money which is another important consideration.” “I’m not saying the band is old, in fact you have quite a young image, but individually you had all been playing your instruments for some time before the band was formed. Do you think this has made the difference in a more professional outlook?” DAVE: “I would say we are all on the same side. For instance, you may have the entertainer/musician playing a holiday camp scene somewhere and having violent disagreements within the unit, but it stays together because the money is there. In our case whatever is good for the band must be good for us. Sometimes I like to go on a heavy trip on the guitar at rehearsals, but if we agree it’s not good for the band we don’t do it. Whatever we play has_to be good for the audience, and that’s got to be good for the band “I see you try to keep the band’s name in the public eye as you have an advert in ‘Stage’ and ‘Showcall’ magazines. Do you use any other medium for advertising?” DAVE: “No, that’s the only two. I can’t say how much good it does us, but I think it is true to say we might get one job a year as a direct result of these two adverts. On the other hand, we might get bookings from a number of places that don’t mention they have seen the adverts. All in all, I think it pays for itself in the long run. You tend to think when you’ve been in ‘Stage’ for as long as we have and suddenly you’re not, that people might assume you’re out of the running.” “Do you think this preserves and heightens your image in the eyes of the booker?” DAVE: “I think it does. I don’t know many people who will look down the column and say to themselves ‘I’]l book that band’, because most of the people that take this type of publication are already in the business and know _ what they want I anyway. It just keeps one in the public eye.” “Of course your recent record con tract must have gone some way towards strengthening the unity of the band, or at least preserving a ‘Status quo’. Do you agree?” DAVE: “Yes. Although we have only made one single, which we weren’t entirely happy with, the existence of the contract was an encouragement. However, we have a single in the pipeline for which we expect great things.” “Does the band have a cabaret, and if so what form does it take?” DAVE: “We do a little thing where we all play the drums and a mime act to backing tapes which was ideal when we did the ‘Bailey’ night club circuits, but in the main most of the functions we play at just require dance music. We expect to be doing some cabaret routines for the holiday camp gigs this summer.” To sum up, I wish ‘HIGH SOCIETY’ every success with their new record and hope that this article will encourage musicians in new bands to stick together long enough to produce one themselves. As you may realise, the date of compiling this article and the date of publication are two different things, but I would like to think that the band will remain together for a long time. ‘HIGH SOCIETY’ can be seen every Mon at the Salutation Portsmouth. Dave Hart, Keith Hawkins, Pete Jackson '77 High Society 2012 at the Sargent's Mess, Royal Marine Barracks,Eastney The Denver Four were Colin Hart (Dave's brother) bass, Dave Thistle guitar, Dave Hart drums !, Pat Green guitar. Redz With Haz & Paul May in 2010, This last one's current, old musos never die!!!

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