Bez goes down...

[max_tranmere]

The pointless bloke from The Happy Mondays has been sentenced to four weeks in the slammer for attacking his girlfriend. He was originally given community service but refused to do it so the Judge sent him down.

I always wondered what Bez did in the studio, he was the band's dancer on stage but spent as much time in the studio during the recording sessions as the other band members. I've cut and pasted the following from Wikipedia. I think we can agree that not since Paul Rutherford in Frankie Goes To Hollywood has there been a band member whose role was so minor:

'PILLS AND THRILLS AND BELLYACHES' album (1990)

Personnel
Shaun Ryder ? vocals
Paul Ryder ? bass guitar
Mark Day ? lead guitar, rhythm guitar
Paul Davis ? keyboards, programs
Gary Whelan ? drums
[edit] Additional personnel
Rowetta - guest vocals
Tony Castro - percussion
Simon Machan ? original programming
Bez ? Vibe


'YES PLEASE!' album (1992)

Personnel
Chris Frantz - Producer
Tina Weymouth - Producer
Steven Stanley - Mixing
Mark Roule - Recording
Simon Machan - Programming and Sampling
Scott Hull - Editing
Paul Ryder - Bass Guitar
Shaun Ryder - Vocals
Mark Day - Guitars
Bez - Bez
Rowetta - Backing Vocals
Gary Whelan - Drums
Paul Davis - Keyboards
Bruce Martin - Percussion
Kermit - Additional Vocals on "Cut 'em loose Bruce"


As can be seen above, Bez 'progressed' from being the 'vibe' to having the job of just being 'Bez' over a two year period. Imagine his passport: 'Occupation - Bez'...

[Jonone]

Lots of bands have had dancers .. Hawkwind had Stacia, Blue Aeroplanes had one, Howard Jones had one for a time .. his was dancer/mime artist, Stone Roses had a sometime peripheral member called Cressa. Isn't it the musical equivalent of football's 'good in the dressing room' ? No harm in it !

[spider]

I read in the paper that once he'd been taken to the cells he decided that he's like to do the community service after all and sent a note to the Judge via his solicitor accordingly.

The Judge sent a message back to the effect of "fuck off you're too late".

!happy!

[andy at handiwork]

Hmmmmmmm...Stacia. Why dont bands have a sometime topless, well endowed, lady dancer these days? I liked the strippers the Stranglers had on now and again as well.

[Essex Lad]

He is a complete waste of space.

[justincyder]

and the term 'dancer' is a particularly generous title for someone who basically moved in an erratic fashion whilst winged off their face

[belfast_birty]

Agreed!

[spider]

At least now he's in the nick he won't be turning-up on the Ultimate big Brother.

[Jonesy]

Prince's dancer, Cat from the 80's period......she could dance!