T R I V I A

(or ... Galahanorakia!)

This page is packed with interesting Galahad-related snippets for all you "Galahanoraks" out there! Check out the "off-beat" items too in the separate boxes.

• The "Rude Man"
• How the name "Galahad" came about
• Some fantastic facts & figures about Galahad
• Cover versions played by Galahad
• Original Galahad songs performed live but never recorded
• Known Bootlegs
• Internet polls and lists featuring Galahad and/or its music

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The "Rude Man"

Perhaps some of our visitors from outside the UK wonder what the big guy with the large ... guitar in his hand is all about. He appears on various GALAHAD album covers as well as, of course, featuring on the backdrop of the pages of this site.

It all started with the Romans, it would seem ... and he's a significant tourist attraction down 'ere in our cosy part of England, the county of Dorset. Read all about the "Rude Man" (the Cerne Abbas Giant) here.

How the name "Galahad" came about

According to Arthurian legend, Sir Galahad was the son of Sir Lancelot and Elaine D'Corbenic. (Sir Lancelot thought he was sleeping with Guinevere, but he was tricked by Morgana.) Sir Galahad was the bravest, purest and most noble knight of all. He was also one of only three knights who actually achieved the Holy Grail (according to popular legend). He was so overcome at such a wonderous sight that he expired immediately!

off-beat Up comes on down If you thought Year Zero was a long time coming, pity Peter Gabriel's fans who had to wait quite literally a decade for his new studio album, Up, before it got released in September 2002. In fact, the recording process was so protracted that one of the guest vocalists on the album died four years before the album's release! Speaking of which ... after all that time, guess which date got chosen for the official release of Up? Yup — September 23, same as Year Zero's. Let's hope PG's sales didn't take too big a dent!

However ... Sir Galahad has absolutely nothing to do with why Galahad are called Galahad!

Rather, Roy (Keyworth) was working for a fruit and vegetable delivery business in Christchurch, Dorset in the mid-80's where he spotted a supplier invoice with the heading 'Galahad Produce'. Roy was so impressed with the name that he decided to call his new band after it.

So the reality is that Galahad took their monicker from a fruit and veg grower! And to this day Roy has never seen another invoice from 'Galahad Produce' or ever come across them again. Weird ...

And having said all that (1): Stu (Nicholson) ended up calling the band's record label 'Avalon Records' in keeping with the Arthurian aura of the name.

Some fantastic facts & figures about Galahad

• The band played their first gig on August 31, 1985 at Somerford Community Centre, near Christchurch, Dorset, England. They have since played well over 500 gigs in a dozen countries. The most gigs played by the band in one year was 53 back in 1987. The least number of gigs played is 0 (yes, none) in 2001 — our very own Year Zero!

• Stuart Nicholson was the last member to join the original line-up. His audition was held in Mike Hooker's front room, and was Genesis' Afterglow. Stu almost joined another local band who split within a few months!

• Unusual venues include a car showroom in Southampton to an audience of Vauxhall Astras and Cavaliers, several carnivals with the band precariously balanced on moving floats, two firework displays, two house parties and a wedding (Stu's).

• Galahad have rehearsed in over two dozen different locations including five front rooms, three youth clubs, several pubs, one village hall, a Scout hut, a church hall, a derelict theatre but only one proper rehearsal room! The village hall in question, at Holdenhurst near Bournemouth, was where the newly reformed King Crimson used to practise in the early 80s. A picture of KC rehearsing there and of the hall itself can be found in the rather glossy booklet which accompanies their Frame by Frame boxed set.

• Galahad have written, recorded and commercially released over 70 original songs, which may not seem a lot, but when you consider that no fewer than 12 of these are over 8 minutes in length and that one is actually a 60 minute piece of music plus the fact that their total recorded output clocks in at nearly 7 hours worth of material, it does constitute a pretty large body of work.

• Thus, although Galahad have only released 7 albums on CD format (not including live/best of/re-mix albums), this probably equates to about 11 albums in terms of the old two sided vinyl records or even 13 Close to the Edge's (classic Yes album that only lasts about 35 minutes!).

• The shortest recorded Galahad track is Bark in D Minor which clocks in at a mere 45 seconds and appears on the Nothing is Written album.

off-beat Una cerveza, por favor October 2002: If you type the phrase "lyrics en español" into the Google search engine at the moment, Room 801's Lyrics en Español page, which features Spanish translations of a couple of Galahad songs by Alberto Cositore, crops up consistently (and inexplicably!) in second or third place. This accounts for a large number of visitors we're getting from the countries of South America, who arrive at the site having carried out this particular search at Google.

The band's longest track is Year Zero from their album Year Zero which constitutes the whole album and lasts for about an hour!!

• Galahad has sold albums in 46 countries including unlikely territories such as the island of Guam, Puerto Rico, all of the Baltic States, Hong Kong, Cuba and Kazakhstan. Tim Ashton (the third bass player for the band) who now lives in Japan even came across a Galahad section in the Fukuoka Virgin Megastore, which ironically contained two Galahad albums which have not been officially released in Japan!

• Band members past and present live on three continents: Europe, Asia and Oceania.

• Galahad has had a total of 17 full time members since its inception. BUT a total of 35 musicians and guests have played with the band either live or in the studio over the years. 6 keyboard players have graced its ranks (even more than YES!). [The Where Are They Now? page has updates on some of these past band members.]

• Spencer's first gig for Galahad was at the Academy nightclub in Boscombe, Dorset, on April 6, 1987. He was only 16 at the time and the band had to get permission for him to play!! The Academy is now called The Opera House, a world-renowned night club, home of Slinky, one of the most famous club nights in England ... not that it would be of interest to most Prog fans!!

• Galahad have performed either in part or as a whole over 60 cover versions [see here for details]. However, in general, cover versions have not been a part of their set since 1989!

• Stuart's hair has varied in length over the years of between 26 inches and 0.1 of an inch. Indeed, these days all the members now have short hair (some very short ... or is that receding?) and are in severe danger of becoming the world's first skinhead Prog band!!

• Galahad has travelled more than 10,000 miles whilst on tour throughout Europe. Transport used includes vans, coaches, double-decker buses, trams, cars, trains, planes, boats, taxis but no private jets or helicopters!

• Galahad's Dreaming from the Inside 7" single (only 500 pressed) is listed in the Record Collector rare record guide (Year 2000 Millenium edition) as being worth £15 in mint condition. Stu has about a dozen left; any offers??

• Galahad songs have been played on at least 70 different radio stations throughout the World (that we know of!). In the UK the band has garnered airplay on several local British radio stations and BBC Radio One. Ironically, Galahad find it hardest to get played on their own local radio station which does virtually nothing to help expose talent from the local area!! Yet Galahad music has been played on at least a two dozen US radio stations plus stations in such far flung places as Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Turkey, Japan, Israel, Indonesia, Poland, Latvia to name but a few.

• Stuart once carried out a live long distance radio interview by phone on a Dutch radio station whilst drunk at the Munich Oktoberfest in Germany! The band also conducted a live radio interview on a Scottish radio rock show from the bar at The Seaview Public House in Parkstone, Dorset!!

• Galahad's 1998 album Following Ghosts found its away into at least a dozen internet top album lists [see here for some of them], including a number one position on one of the most prestigious Progressive Rock sites on the web, ahead of more well known luminaries such as Genesis, Rush and that other Progressive band with Bournemouth roots, King Crimson!

• Galahad has licenced its albums/songs to other record labels in Japan, Germany, Poland, USA, France and Argentina but has never managed to obtain a recording contract with a 'major' label, which is probably why the band are still going and celebrating 16 years in existence!!

Cover versions played by Galahad

Genesis: Afterglow - Many too Many - Dodo - Firth of Fifth - Willow Farm From Suppers Ready - Hairless Heart - Chamber of 32 Doors - Land of Confusion - Musical Box (End Section) - Watcher of the Skies (Beginning) - The Knife - Dancing with the Moonlit Knight - Los Endos (Part)

Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb - Eclipse - Brain Damage

Steve Hackett: Shadow of the Heirophant - Clocks

Focus: Sylvia

Rush: 2112 (End Section) - Marathon

Marillion: Forgotton Sons - Garden Party - Fugazi (End Section) - Kayleigh - Lavender - Blue Angel - Slainte Mhath

Black Sabbath: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

AC/DC: Whole Lotta Rosie

Led Zeppelin: Whole Lotta Love

John Lennon: Imagine

off-beat The ships that never sailed In the early part of 2002, a number of "look-and-feel" directions were being considered for the relaunched version of Room 801. Only one made it through though — the rest doomed to perpetual anonymity ... until now. Click here to view the four ships that never sailed.

Dire Straits: Romeo and Juliet

U2: New Years Day

Faith No More: From Out of Nowhere

MC Hammer: Don't Touch This

Holst: Mars Bringer of War

Paganini: Selection

Beethoven: 9th Symphony

Bach: Toccata

Bizet: The Farandol

Anyone's Daughter: Adonis

Rock and Roll Medley inc. Twist and Shout, Johnny B Goode etc.

Christmas Medley inc. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, A Spaceman Came Travelling

Various: Feed the World

E L P: Brain Salad Surgery - Fanfare for the Common Man

Greg Lake: I Believe in Father Christmas

Spartacus: Theme from The Onedin Line

Yes: Starship Trooper (End Section)

Twelfth Night: The Ceiling Speaks - Fact and Fiction - East of Eden

Queen: We Will Rock You

Motorhead: Ace of Spades (part)

Performed by Stu and Dean at their piano-and-vocal-only gigs at Whitchurch and Misters Smiths in the 2000/2001 period:

Queen: Love of My Life - Play the Game

Radiohead: High and Dry

Original Galahad songs performed live but never recorded

[ ... never recorded for commercial release, that is.]

City of Freedom
Winter in Berlin (Instrumental by Mike Hooker)
Powerplay
Through the Looking Glass
All Good Signs
Angels on the Balcony
The Dance of the Midnight Mushrooms
Nothing is Written

Known Bootlegs

06/12/85 Regent Centre, Christchurch, Dorset.
10/07/87 Joiners Arms, Southampton, Hampshire.
20/09/87 Mr C's, Poole, Dorset.
15/11/87 Mr C's, Poole, Dorset.
06/12/87 Mr C's, Poole, Dorset.
20/12/87 The Britannia, Poole, Dorset.
16/02/88 Interview and Session for Radio Solent show called 'Something Else'
04/03/88 Regent Centre (Supporting IQ).
18/06/88 Rick's Garden Party.

off-beat This week, I have been mostly hearing ... What was Stu N listening to in June 2001? Find out, courtesy of the ProgressForum! (now Evo Music).

24/06/88 Mr C's, Poole, Dorset.
11/07/88 Academy, Bournemouth, Dorset.
??/10/89 2CR Radio Session.
27/07/90 The Oakdale, Poole.
??/09/90 Canute, Southampton.
12/10/90 Royal Standard, London.
05/11/90 Ringwood Firework Display, Hampshire.
05/01/91 The Marquee, London.*
16/02/91 Espace Curial, Paris.
06/09/91 BBC Radio One, Friday Rock Show Session.
4&5/10/91Radio Krakow, Poland (tracks).
16/11/91 The Wheatsheaf, Stoke-on-Trent.
18/07/92 Whitchurch Parish Hall.
30/08/92 Tramonti Di Sotto, Italy.*
05/09/92 Theatre Royal, Hanley, Staffs.* 25/09/92 Juggendhaus, Eggenstein, Germany*
26/09/92 Paradiso, Amsterdam.*
12/12/92 Whitchurch Parish Hall.*
02/05/93 Rotherham Rugby Club.*
18/06/93 King Arthurs Court, Bournemouth.*
16/07/93 Whitchurch Festival.
3&4/9/93 Radio 3, Warsaw, Poland.
09/09/93 Radio Krakow, Art Rock, Poland (tracks & Stu interview).
16/09/93 Radio Krakow, Art Rock, Poland (tracks).
28/10/94 Mr Smith's, Bournemouth.
30/12/94 La Llave Oculta Radio Show, Buenos Aires, Argentina (tracks).
??/??/94 The Musical Box, Buenos Aires, Argentina (tracks).
22/04/95 Herringthorpe Leisure Centre, Rotherham.
28/04/95 La Llave Oculta Radio Show, Buenos Aires, Argentina (tracks).
24/06/95 Club Madagascar, Bournemouth.
09/09/95 La Llave Oculta Radio Show, Buenos Aires, Argentina (tracks). 02/10/95 Stuttgart, Germany.*
06/10/95 De Lantaarn, Hellendoorn, Holland.*

Note: *Also on Video.

Internet polls and lists featuring Galahad and/or its music

[Just do a page search for 'Galahad' after you follow the links below.]

1. MLWZ show, Radio Alfa Krakow, Poland (Galahad featured in the show's listeners' '95 poll with Sleepers, in '98 with Following Ghosts and in 2002 with Year Zero!)
2. E-Prog, USA
3. Gnosis, USA
4. WRFL radio, USA
5. Klutie's Pages, Holland
6. Ian Gillan Digs Galahad!