EAST OF ENGLAND GROUP COMPETITION

One of the regions biggest band competitions of the 70's was the East Of England Group competition held at Cromwells (Fat Pauly's) between June & August 1978. Organised by Cromwells, Ed Tartt, the prizes were £1000 for the winning band and a test session at Arista Studios in London. Second place was £300, third place £150 and fourth £50. The original 36 bands that entered dramatically increased once the first lot of publicity went out in the Evening News; "36 bands to try for £1000 prize" EEN 8th May 1978 and it was down to organiser Ed Tartt to whittle these down to the heat finalists. The competition was to run for seven consecutive monday nights from the 26th June with the last week being the final on the August Bank Holiday Monday (7th August 1978) The competition attracted big crowds.

Some of the acts advertised did change and it has been hard to confirm some of these heat changes, however, the finalists are all confirmed and correct. No details are known about the judges other than organiser Ed Tartt.

HEAT1 - 26th June 1978

HAZARD (Duxford, Cambs) - Winner

RUMBLESTRIPS (Norwich)

ROUTE 66 (Norwich)

ERIC YAWN AND THE TOTALLY BORINGS (Norwich)

JUSTIN THYME (Little Paxton, Nr Huntingdon)

HEAT2 - 3rd July 1978

PINTO (North Walsham) - Winner

THE PERISHERS (Great Yarmouth)

THE AUDITIONS (Norwich)

THE FANTASY (Norwich)

TUTCH (Bury St Edmunds)

SWEETCORN (Unknown)

HEAT3 - 10th July 1978

DIMITRI (Norwich)

GROSVENOR HILL (Fakenham)

BANDITO (Bury St Edmunds)

OVERDRIVE (Grantham) - Winner

THE ACCIDENTS (Maldon, Essex)

RICH GYPSY (Norwich)

HEAT4 - 17th July 1978

MANZELLO (Norwich) - Winner

KAMA KAZEE (Norwich)

LIQUID (Norwich)

FLASHBACK (Ely)

HABEUS CORPUS (Lowestoft)

THE SHAY SHOWBAND (Essex)

HEAT5 - 24th July 1978

RIFF RAFF (Great Yarmouth)

HASSEL (Great Yarmouth)

McDIVITT (Norwich)

WHEELER'S DEAL (Boston, Lincs)

BEAKY AND THE BOBCATS (Norfolk)

SUBWAY (Norwich) - Winners

HEAT6 - 31st July 1978

KANGAROO ALLEY (Norwich) - Winners

WHITE ISLAND (Leicester)

COUNTRY EXPORT (Norwich)

DUNE (Northampton)

NATIONAL GRID (Bedford)

AIRPORT (Norwich)

GRAND FINAL - 7th August 1978

HAZARD (Duxford, Camb)

PINTO (North Walsham)

OVERDRIVE (Grantham)

MANZELLO (Norwich)

SUBWAY (Norwich)

KANGAROO ALLEY (Norwich) - Winner