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29th September 2012

Top Picture: Nero and the Gladiators on stage

Bottom Picture: Colin Hicks (Tommy Steele's brother)  and The Cabin Boys

Nero and the Gladiators

Nero & the Gladiators were an instrumental band led by keyboardist Mike O'Neill for more than three decades. Mike O'Neill had hitch-hiked from Leigh in Lancashire, to London, where he was instantly hired by Clay Nicholls in late 1958, and then by Vince Taylor in the Summer 1959. By September 1959, he was recruited by Colin Hicks (Tommy Steele’s brother) as pianist of his backing group The Cabin Boys along with Dave 'Zom' Tick on guitar, Rod 'Boots' Slade on bass, and Jimmy Nicol, the original drummer. They accompanied Colin Hicks for four months work all over Italy, where they had rave reviews about their great rock 'n' roll show. The  through a Cameo appearance in the Italian financed and directed documentary movie “Europa di Notte” (Europe By Night) where Colin Hicks and his group appeared singing "Giddy Up A Ding Dong", proved to be such a big hit in Italy it resulted in a very lucrative invitation to go on tour.

In late 1959, Jimmy Nicol left to join Vince Eager and his Quiet Three. Laurie Joseph aka "Laurie Jay" replaced him. At this time, The Cabin Boys always opened the show with Colin Hicks following after the warm-up. However, probably inspired by the surrounding scenery and the Italian movies, The Cabin Boys decided, one night backstage in Milan, to change their name to Nero & the Gladiators. They then parted company with Colin Hicks who choose concentrate on Italy and the Gladiators looked toward home and maybe recording contracts.

Upon their return to England in January 1960, Mike O'Neill and 'Boots' Slade got a publishing deal and spent the cash advance on an echo unit which gave the band their distinctive “Italian sound”. This is how they were billed on the posters when they were supporting Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran. On the same bill was another Leigh lad Georgie Fame, who had moved into Mike’s flat when he was in Italy. Georgie Fame introduced them to Colin Green who was then the lead guitarist with Billy Fury's backing musicians the 'Beat Boys'.

Mike O'Neill originally recruited Colin Green to play guitar on their debut single, “Entry Of The Gladiators which was released on Decca in March 1961, only reaching No. 39 in the charts.

Soon they abandoned their flamboyant orange stage suits in favour of Roman Legionnaires costumes complete with helmets, breast plates, boots, swords, shields. In fact all these items were formerly used in the film "Quo Vadis" and so were going spare. Mike O'Neill fronted the group in a toga and laurel-leaf crown like a Roman Emperor.

The follow up record, also released on Decca, was in June 1961. It was a rock version of the Edvard Grieg's classic, "In The Hall Of The Mountain King", and featured the guitar work of Joe Moretti. Unfortunately the BBC decided to ban it because it differed from the original, and it only reached No. 48 in the charts. After recording their third offering "Czardas" (which missed the charts completely), Colin Green moved to the Beat Boys who would become the Blue Flames first backing Billy Fury then later Georgie Fame. The Gladiators then went through 30 different guitarists

Laurie Jay who was also drumming for The Echoes at the same time, left to front his own band The Laurie Jay Combo, and was replaced with Tommy Brown, previously with Chas McDevitt and Johnny Duncan & His Blue Grass Boys.

By the end of 1962, the group went to France but after seeing the Beatles at Paris Olympia in early 1964, they decided to call it a day.

Following the demise of The Gladiators, Mike O'Neil returned to England and played in numerous bands, including The John Barry Seven; Tony Colton & The Crawdaddies; The Division Two first backing The Ivy League and then The Flowerpot Men; The Echoes backing Dusty Springfield; The Jimi Hendrix Band before reforming The Gladiators from 1991 to 2005 and playing various nostalgic rock ‘n’ roll shows. They made their last record  Tovaritch/ Bleak House in 1963.

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Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

Pj.keat@ntlworld.co.uk

You Write:

Brian Writes:


Thoroughly enjoyed reading your book. This brought back very happy memories of the late 50s and 60s.
We moved to Highbury Grove when I was 9 and spent all my teenage days on the estate.As you
wrote Ports creek and Farlington marshes was a real play haven for us youngsters.

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