Muther's Convention

From Great North Road

A New Year's Eve in Luanshya - Zambia

By: Paudie Coughlan

The following set of photos was taken at the Caledonian Society Hogmanay Dance at Luanshya Ballroom on New Year's Eve, 1971 at which the band "Muther's Convention" played. This was considered one of the premier New Year's Eve bookings for bands on the Copperbelt in those days.There were about eight hundred people there. We were contracted to play from 8:30 pm that night till 4:30 am the next morning - a long night! Unfortunately there are not many good shots of the actual band. But the photos as a set capture the spirit of a New Year's Eve night from our past in Zambia. It was a big do, and I'd bet more than a few ex-Copperbelt people reading this GNR posting would have been there.

New Years Eve, Luanshya, 1971.

This shot shows John Costopoulos at one of his favourite pastimes of getting ready to perform. John was always without doubt the most professional of us when it came to looking smart for a performance, but he did get the odd wind-up about it. Sorting out his hair is Helen King of Mufulira, part of a group of friends that came along to this dance with the band.

New Years Eve, Luanshya, 1971.

This is early in the evening. None of the band is singing, so we would have been playing sedate instrumental "dance music". This was a polite term for old fogey music (ed.note - look who's talking now!!). We look dead smart compared to the way we dressed for sessions at Mindolo Dam etc !

New Years Eve, Luanshya.

Two friends of the band bopping away to the music, and obviously enjoying it. Left is Anthony "Ant" Tait of Mufulira. He went to Cumbria, UK after leaving Zambia. I see that his younger brother Chris "Pippa" Tait was in one of the photos of the Perth Bash held in December 2001. Ant is dancing with Helen King, John's hairdressing friend. Helen was daughter of Bill King, who was the Chief Driving Inspector in Mufulira for many years. Many of us did our driving tests with him as examiner. Helen had an older brother Gerry, and a younger brother Ian. Helen is married and now in Johannesburg.

New Years Eve, Luanshya, 1971.

Alistair doing one of the vital tasks of sorting out drinks during a break. The two girls on the right are the lovely Linda and Sheila Stone of Mufulira. They were the daughters of "Rocky" Stone, the head horticulturist at Muf mine for years. Linda was going out with John Costopoulos at this time. Linda is now Linda Hooper, and after living in RSA, is now in Sunshine Coast, Australia. Alistair was keen on Sheila at this time, but no luck as far as I remember. I last saw Sheila in in Zambia in Kitwe circa 1976. She is now Sheila Wallis, and living in Hout Bay, Cape Town. She was a great girl. Next to Alistair is Ian Kyle, with Helen King sitting on his lap. Ian surfaced on the GNR yesterday. He guested with the band, but I can't remember what the story was for this do. I was going out with Marilyn Broughton of Muf at the time, but she never quite got used to being a "band widow" and stayed at home that night.

New Years Eve, Luanshya, 1971.

Things were heating up by this stage. Here we are playing "Honkey Tonk Woman" by the Rolling Stones. How do I know I hear you cry. Because Des Wandry has a drum stick in his left hand, and is hitting a cow-bell held in his right hand, to give that distinctive opening sound for that song. It was the only number in which he did this. This allowed the drummer John more freedom to put in a more complex beat.

New Years Eve, Luanshya, 1971.

Resting at the end of a long night before beginning the task of packing up the equipment. As you can see from John's dress, we changed uniforms during the evening, after midnight, as the dance got into full swing. On the left is Peta (née Hall) Marnie's wife. Peta's people lived in Murundu, outside Muf. Her brother Douggie Hall now lives in UK. (ed. note - sadly, Marnie passed away in 2004.)

Again hopefully these few snaps and comments captured the spirit of a night in the festive season all those years ago, in a land now far away to so many of us, but maybe now a bit closer in memories to at least some of you reading this on the GNR.

Photos and text contributed by: Paudie Coughlan

February 2002