ELVIS

Where were you in the latter half of the 70s? New Rose by the Damned was the first single released by an English punk band, Monty Pythons Flying Circus became as big an influence on TV comedy than The Beatles had on music and before the end of the decade audiences were exposed to their surreal comedy film ‘The Life of Brian’. Sadly, millions mourned across the world as 1977 claimed the life of Elvis Presley.

However, here in South Shields also in 77, boxing’s Heavyweight champion of the world Muhammad Ali visited the town to have his wedding blessed at Laygate Mosque. And legendary punk band Angelic Upstarts formed and within a few year appeared on Top of the Pops and toured the USA. Before making it they gigged at the Bolingbroke Hall in the town. Another crew who played in that hall were The Borestiffers.

Who were The Borestiffers? The Borestiffers featured an early Wavis O’Shave he of later musical fame and appearances on live TV music show The Tube, other members included Heedfuzz, Braddy, Teddy Anteater and John ‘Fig Roll’ Davies who would rarely turn up. February this year was the 50^th anniversary of that notorious gig played in front of several rival gangs of the town.

A surreal non-musical skiff-lish group playing empty suitcases, sooty guitars, bullworkers and even a kitchen sink, The Borestiffers in total recorded two cassette albums, played four gigs in South Shields, three at Bolingbroke in 76 and one at The People’s Palace in 77. But it was the initial gig that ended in a riot that remains in folklore memory.

I hear you had some trouble during your Bolingbroke rehearsal?

WAVIS: Two of hardest men in the town used to work out in the gym there and when they heard us making such a racket they turned up to see what was happening. All of the band went deadly silent and I had to explain. When they asked how much we charged admission I told them, a slice of bread, hard boiled egg or a stick of celery.

HEEDFUZZ: They wanted to sit in on the rehearsal of the first piece of our noise. Once we finished, they silently returned to the gym.

Who and how many turned up – any local ‘celebs’ of the town?

WAVIS: There was a fair turn out from about four different rival town gangs – Whiteleas, Biddick Hall, the Nook and Westoe.

BIG PHIL: There were about twenty members of the Whiteleas Estate Aggro Boys – most of them didn’t have a clue what to expect. I knew it was going to be nuts but the idea of trouble wasn’t in my mind, we were a well-known gang of lads who stood together in times of trouble.

HEEDFUZZ: About 50 or so attendees from various parts of the town. Turf warfare was a common practice during the 70s.

What songs were on the set list?

WAVIS: Most I recall were from the first Borestiffers cassette album ‘Black Shoes and Mongooses’ like Rubber Song where we dropped the stylus onto the rubber turntable and chanted ‘Rubber song’. Three different songs about shoes, one making it to my ‘Anna Ford’s Bum’ album, also Josepheener Tursepheeners with accompanied customised absurd dance.

HEEDFUZZ: We also did The Seven Puppets of Corbett – spoofing the Queen hit, and it was about The Sooty Show. Intro music was the Can Can followed by a loud recording of an outside back yard toilet flushing where we entered the stage, wandered round like lost souls, and then re-entered again.

Can you remember how you were dressed?

WAVIS: I had a Subbuteo floodlight strapped on my head and played a Sooty guitar.

HEEDFUZZ: I had a top hat with a child’s pink telephone attached around the rim with elastic bands, and a tailcoat.

BIG PHIL: The gig itself was so surreal many of the lads just couldn’t cope with what they had witnessed – the weird outfits, the fact that the group couldn’t play. I was in heaven.

On the night was there a compere?

WAVIS; Nope, we had no one to spare but I doubt anyone would offer if we did, but we did have member of the Sunderland Hells Angels on the door as a bouncer who in later life featured on various TV shows as Martial arts instructor. His jacket was padded out with multiple parts of a lathe.

HEEDFUZZ: Spike Milligan would have been superb but he had earlier wrote to Wavis declining an invite to manage us thinking we were musical.

***Heedfuzz, Braddy, Wavis & Teddy. pic taken in the famous South Shields landmark The Westoe Netty.***

Why did you choose to play Bolingbroke Hall?

WAVIS: I had to tell the owners that we wanted it for a poetry recital otherwise I doubt they’d have given it us. Eight quid it cost. I thought it was the perfect size venue for an expected sizeable gathering and if there were any trouble which I’d predicted, they’d be plenty of space for people to fight! It inspired the Angelic Upstarts to book the place.

HEEDFUZZ: It was a suitable size and ideally situated in the centre of town ideal for public transport.

BIG PHIL: At the end it all erupted, and the place got trashed in unison by all the gangs there. On the way home everyone was laughing in bewilderment. We knew we had witnessed something out of the ordinary but most couldn’t grasp what! I was a bit upset about the mini riot but over the moon that I had witnessed so much absurdity in such a short space of time.

HEEDFUZZ: On the way to the show I met a kid who was going and he opened his wallet to prove he had a ticket as well as a slice of bread in there asking if it was really needed. I told him it was a charity gig for the Marine Park wildlife.

Alikivi April 2026

‘I was born in 1932 and been in the business since I was 14 years old. When I was 18 I had to do National Service for a couple of year, you had to do that after the Second World War’.

London born Ray remembers his roots and where his life on stage began…

‘Originally the family were Irish and came over to Jarrow in the North East where my Dad was born, then he hitch hiked down to London to get work.

After I completed my National Service I went up north and joined a repertory company in Blackburn for a couple of year, before auditioning for Brian Rix at London’s Whitehall Theatre where I ended up staying for seven years’.

Comedy and farce are the backbone of Ray’s work but a rock n roll swerve in 1977 saw a musical celebrating the life of Elvis Presley.

The show opened at London’s Astoria Theatre with pop stars Shakin’ Stevens and PJ Proby playing the Elvis role in different stages of his life. Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan tours quickly followed.

‘I enjoyed the Elvis show so much. We got in touch with his agent and asked to put a show on about his life and he said sure go for it. So we went ahead and here we are over 40 years later talking about it’.

‘Having previously written with Tony Hilton and John Chapman, I then started to write my first solo play which was ‘Run For Your Wife’, that ended up running for nine years in London.

We also had a six week run in New York and that went well, really delightful’.

Various TV and film stars appeared in the 1982 and 83 productions of ‘Run For Your Wife’ including Richard Briers (The Good Life, Ever Decreasing Circles), Bernard Cribbins (Carry On, Tales of the Unexpected) Bill Pertwee (Dad’s Army) and Carol Gill (Robin’s Nest, Carry On).

The show was first performed at the Windsor then promoted to the Shaftsbury Theatre, London.

‘My process is I write the play, then have a rehearsed reading which we do in my house or garden, I always play in it, and that’s where I get a real good feel for it. I do a re-write then we go to Guildford or Windsor Theatre and do a three week production’.

‘After that I do a re-write then a short six week tour and another re-write. By the time we come to do it in the West End it’s really, really polished and the play is then set in stone’.

‘The premise is basically simple and that’s why they play so well, in fact my plays are played all around the world, and in Poland ‘Run For Your Wife’ has been playing for over 27 years and is still running’.

‘Also in Russia my plays, play for months and months and they love them – because the basic premise is so easy to understand’.

‘The well-known actors who I’ve worked with in the past, like Richard Briers and Donald Sindon, know what I’ve done with the play so respect it and rehearsals are really fun. Plus any producer who does them knows what would have gone in to them’.

With a skill set of actor, writer and director, Ray added producer, with west end credits including Chicago, Andy Capp, Elvis, Jack the Ripper and Birds of Paradise. Is he thinking of slowing down ?

‘I’m not writing anymore, I don’t have the feeling to write, but there is a lovely little dinner theatre near Reading called The Mill at Sonning Theatre. They love doing my plays there and I always go down to see them’.

‘I’ve directed a couple there and even though they were written years ago they still play wonderfully well. They do dinner before the show and it’s around £60 a ticket – it’s always packed out’.

‘Looking back I’ve been very fortunate over the years because my plays are done all over the world. I’ve been really, really lucky – you betcha’.

For more info on Ray check his official website, Facebook and Twitter accounts:

Ray Cooney

Interview by Alikivi September 2021.

ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST MUSIC & CULTURE

THE BATTLE OF BOLINGBROKE – The Borestiffers 50th anniversary gig

PLAY LUCKY: Celebrating 75 years in showbiz with Ray Cooney O.B.E