By Svengali
April 10 2004

With a lot of hard practice under their belt and their first gig now behind them it's time to introduce you to them. Here their manager and agent, Svengali, introduces us to The Gagging Ferrets.

It really started back long ago in the mists of time, when Ken E was approaching senior citizenship and Martyn (Eek) was still in short trousers. Ken was a man of many guitars, some of them nearly as old as himself, and poor little Eek had none. As I remember it they first came to the fore as a duo named "Rage against the Poteen" for the " Shirt Faced Session" at the AA last summer, when they both played classic songs including an unforgettable version of "Baa Baa Love".

This really set the scene for the great things yet to unfold....for Eek was mighty covetous of Kens guitars. So great was Eeks need to play with Kens instruments that he had the idea to augment the band by adding further minstrels with a view to playing at the "St Pats Day Bash" at the Madjet and show the Commitments just where they had been going wrong. Thus the Gagging Ferrets were formed.

Eek took the lead role as vocalist and rhythm guitar. Ken E on lead guitar ( mainly because he had the guitars and amps), Simon ( Nob) was taken on as drummer because he had his own drumsticks and a practice room at the back of his dad's pub. Keir ( Yes. that's his real name!) was asked to play bass because he lives on a boat and we all thought that was dead cool! Adam (Gilbert) was taken on as an act of charity as keyboard player. Otherwise he would have spent the rest of his life doing wonderful things as a professional musician. Our two lovely beauties Helen and Marion ( Noobs and Ma Weeble) who are known as "The Ovulettes" decided they would muscle in to keep a check on their men folk !!! ( very protective these Ovulettes!).

So, came the night of the first rehearsal last November and bloody awful it was too. The age span between lead guitar and drummer did wonders for popular ballad singing If you can imagine Burt Weedon playing alongside Dave Grohl then you have some. As a result, Hi Ho Silver Lining will never be the same again. Eeks ability to sing in 5/4 when everybody else is in 4/4 gave an added dimension to the overall delivery and it was pure luck that they managed to finish "Doo Wah Diddy" at more or less the same time! although I'm sure that the band were one verse ahead of Eek at the time! and so I could go on, as in fact they did. They practiced very hard, every week, with that goal of St Pats day in sight.

Hopes were dashed in February however, when an LI official was asked if they could play, responded "Gagging Ferrets? who the feck are they? never heard of them! No Chance! Not downhearted, the Ferrets, determined to strut their funky stuff, decided that they would take on the BIG ONE...and they played their first gig at the CFBT Charity Dinner on Friday 26th March 2004. Bloody good it was too !!!!! ( mainly due to the ever generous Loobs who decided that a massive wall of sound would disguise any semblance of musical ability and thus keep the drunken hoards happy!)

It is planned at some stage in the not too distant future to inflict the Ferrets on a group of unsuspecting and untamed London Irish supporters. Watch this space for further details.

It should be noted that all the Ferrets are good, clean God fearing people and if they are not allowed to play then God will come along and blow your stage down !!!!

Luv you all

Svengali

Footnote from Ken E.....

Joe V claims he picked the Gagging Ferrets name. He was originally intended to be a member, but found Eek’s rehearsal schedule too difficult to manage. So instead we called upon Adam to add musical ability to compensate for the loss of a singer/showman.

I rather think that Eek realized that I had enough gear to equip a whole group (well guitars and bass players) and thought that his mate Kier would also love to play fine instruments.

I don’t know about Keir, but Adam is a season ticket holder as obviously I am. Eek is a formidable LI supporter and is happy to bum a ticket off anyone who can provide it. Simon’s Dad is obviously an LI nut, so the Gagging Ferrets really came about because of London Irish. Really, folks, what misfortune would I have to suffer to meet Eek outside our passion for LI?  (And seriously, I think there is a super message here).