Email Received on 13th April 2010

Hi Dizzy,

Unbelievable that you have dug up our tape, also with the extra tracks added!

This is Howard Williams, the H.Williams who co-wrote a couple of the songs on it. Thank you for your extreme digging and also for your flattering comments.

I am away at the moment but will get in touch with Conrad (co writer and writer of the other songs) and discuss what kind of gear we can provide you with, say by late April. Nice site. I still love some of the bands you compiled, The Rats, Blitz, etc. circa the second Roxy LP. Punk was - and still is - a major inspiration for us.

How did you come by this lost moment in time? Were you the booking manager at the Bridge House? Don't recall getting that gig.

All the best, Howard Williams

Email Received on  27th April 2010

Hello Dizzy,

 Just to say it is a pleasant surprise to see our 1981 epic cassette on your website (originally planned as a vinyl 45, which in retrospect would have been a better move). We (Howard & I) have other studio recordings and material relating to the band which started life as a proto punk outfit called Nice Evening Music or NEM (this is 1977). Around the end of 1978 we changed our name to Groop 4 and the music began to take on shades of mod/psychedelia inspired by the likes of the Yardbirds, Who, Small Faces & Syd Barrett. The line up was expanded to include keyboards but eventually reverted to the classic Who type 4 piece and the new name of MXYZTPLK found by Howard who was a fan of Superman comics. John Peel referred to us on his famous radio show and the band with the most un-pronounceable name of 1981. Interestingly we supported Clare Grogan & Altered Images at the legendary W.Hampstead, Moonlight Club. At another gig (Gossips) I destroyed a Fender Strat during a performance and almost brained Dr of Dr and the Medics with a resulting shard of wood ricocheting of the ceiling. Other band members were Jason Dick (drums), Phil Hope (bass - went on to work with Dave Stewart & have a top 10 hit), Bob Metribian (keyboards - of Club Dog fame) Simon Tyrell (keyboards).

I think there would be interest out there in our recordings. Our music was a precursor to all the new psychedelia that came later with Ocean Colour Scene, Charlatans etc etc. I am still playing and writing songs but would love to this music reach a new audience. Attached is pic of a Rock Garden c.1981 myself & Howard Williams.

 Best wishes,

Conrad Blakemore / Guitar & songwriter.