Kitwe Band "Paper Lace" 1973 to 1975

From Great North Road

By: Paudie Coughlan

This band was in existence when I moved to Kitwe in December 1973. The up-front musicians were Kenny Ramage on lead guitar and Adrian Lawlor as lead vocals.

Sue Forde managed and organised the group. Kenny was actually in his last year of boarding school at this time, and was talented way beyond his age. We used stand-in lead guitarists while Kenny was away.He joined full time in mid 1974. Most of the sessions were in Kitwe at places like the BCEL Club, Polo Club,

and Flying Club. Unfortunately Mindolo Dam was going through a ban on sessions at the time of these photos due to fights. Sue also managed to get us a formal function at the Kitwe Club, which led to other formal club functions.

Paper Lace, BCEL Club, Kitwe, 1974.

Kenny Ramage doing a lead guitar solo during a session at the BCEL Club in Kitwe. Robin Kinnear is in the left background. Dave Robbins on drums, Paudie Coughlan on keyboards/rhythm guitar. Out of shot are Robbie Centonze (bass), Adrian Lawlor (lead vocals). For some reason, this function was Fancy Dress, hence the ponchos etc. This was the beginning of a transition period just before Dave Robbins leaving, and Robbie going onto drums, and Robin onto bass.

The BCEL Club became a very popular session venue during this period due to the ban at Mindolo Dam. This photo was taken by Sue Forde.

Paper Lace, Masonic Hall, Kitwe, 1974.

This, and the next two shots, were taken at a private function at the Masonic Hall in Kitwe (alongside the Buff Club, furtherest away from the Parklands shops). The function was either Billy Charlton's 21st birthday party, or a wedding (around that time could have been Pierre and Cherrie Fabel? Gavin and Jill Knowles?). Out of shot are Adrian Lawlor and Gavin Cochran (a stand-in lead guitarist). The fingers on the left belong to Robbie Centonze on bass.

These four Masonic Hall photos were taken by Sue Forde.

Paper Lace, Masonic Hall, Kitwe, 1974 - Dave Robbins.

Music affects musicians in different ways (as it does the people who listen to them playing it). Here Dave Robbins is off on a musically induced fantasy about.........? The music must have been slow and dreamy here because drummers don't usually play with their eyes closed, for obvious reasons (like missing a drum or two).

Paper Lace, Masonic Hall, Kitwe, 1974 - Paudie Coughlan.

Paudie enjoying a keyboard solo. Note the supply of Mosi close at hand.

Paper Lace, Masonic Hall, Kitwe, 1974.

Out of shot to left is Robbie Centonze. L to R Adrain Lawlor, Gavin Cochran, Paudie Coughlan. In addition to being a lead vocalist, Adrian was also a fairly accomplished drummer and rhythm guitarist. Gavin was from Ndola, and was ex-Lusaka, He later played in a number of Ndola bands, including several started by Mike and Geoff Paynter. Obscurred in the photo are Robin Kinnear and Dave Robbins.

Paper Lace, picnic at Rhodwins, 1974.

This was taken at Rhodwins Resort on the Mufulira - Kitwe road, at a band & friends picnic. Robbie was a bassist, drummer and vocalist. He was the main naughty bugger in the band. When he and Kenny Ramage got together to make mischief, things generally became unpredictable. Note Robbie's mischievous grin.

Readers will be either amused or shocked to see that Robbie is holding a Vienna sausage at a strategic angle to the dog. We were all discussing going up to "the hut" on the other side of the lake to buy hamburgers etc. Robbie had just said "Be careful of the hot dogs - you never know what part of the dog you might get"!

Paper Lace, Kitwe, 1974 - Kenny and Mosi.

Kenny Ramage undergoing what we musicians called "Pre-Gig Maintenance". The procedure being carried out is "Body, Mind and Soul Lubrication". Kenny is using the very popular and highly respected "Mosi Lager Ingestion Method". Note the semi-braced position and the determined look on his face. The procedure is repeated several times before, and even during, the gig. This method was controversial because the recommended dosage could easily be exceeded. The symptoms from exceeding the recommended dosage included lack of coordination, slurred speech, inability to stand up properly, and a general loosening of social inhibitions resulting in anything from over-amorous, to ridiculous, to aggressive behaviour.

HOWEVER, musicians are a tough and hardy breed (especially NR / Zam ones). Even when suffering from severe overdose symptoms from this treatment, they still managed to play complicated chords and solos on guitars and keyboards, play complicated drum beats, stand up straight, remember the words of songs and pronounce them properly, sing in tune, check out the chicks, and in general carry out proper and enjoyable entertainment of their audiences. True professionals.

Paper Lace, July 1974 - Sue Forde's Farewell Dinner, Kitwe Club.

At Sue Forde's farewell dinner before she left for Australia. Note the true musicians' attitude being demonstrated by Kenny, in that he is wearing a head-band at a dinner at the then snooty Kitwe Club. Karen Kearns, then going out with Adrian, was sister of Geoff Kearns, drummer in that very successful ex-Kitwe band "The Gentle People". I believe that Karen is in RSA, and John Costopoulos tells me that Geoff is now in Australia after leaving Durban. Keith Parry married Kitwe girl Carol Hope, and as far as I know they went "down south". The look on Sue Bartlett's face shows that she was clearly not used to the behaviour of musicians in posh surroundings. Sue B. was from Kalalushi.

Paper Lace eventually broke up in late 1975 after both Kenny and then Adrian left Zambia to go to RSA, where they later played in bands together in Jo'burg. Robbie Centonze (drums), Robin Kinnear (bass), and myself (keyboards/rhythm guitar) then joined up with Pete Cotterill (lead guitar) to form "Crystal Blu". This band was Ndola based, and played a lot at Tudor Inn, and the usual Kitwe venues. Mike Thomas frequently guested with "Crystal Blu" on lead vocals (and tambourine!). Mike, Robbie, Robin, and myself went on to play for various separate Copperbelt bands into the 1980's.

In true GNR style, these people involved in 1970's Copperbelt bands "Paper Lace" and "Crystal Blu" are now spread over the globe: UK (Adrian Lawlor); Namibia and then to Cape Town, (Kenny Ramage); Jo'burg (Robbie Centonze, Dave Robbins), Durban (Mike Thomas), Zambia (Robin Kinnear ed. note - sadly, Robin passed away in 2004), Australia (Sue Forde, Paudie Coughlan, Pete Cotterill,). ed. note - Paudie and Sue met up again through the GNR in early 2002, and were married in December 2003.

Photos and/or text contributed by:

Paudie Coughlan and Sue Coughlan.

March 2002