Chris Berry Vocals, French Horn & Saxophone

Pete Ross Guitar

Rik Entwistle Bass, Backing Vocals

Rick Allan Drums, gong, (Scottish voice in The Wall)

Michael Hodkinson Organ, Rhodes, Piano, Synths, backing vocals

So how did Le Lix begin: well, Rossendale rock legend powerhouse drummer Rick Allan, plucked singer Chris Berry from the Stubbins cabaret scene in 1989 and planted him firmly in the spotlight on screaming hot lead vocal. Joining Rick was Stuart on bass a Cockerney and Bury Blooze guitar hero Mick Harlick who Rick had kept hold of since his previous days with Forestroke & Jim Beam back in 70’s on Bury’s greaser circuit.

History tells us that during a gig at the Eagle and Child Shuttleworth 1991, Mick had drunk so much that when the Paramedics turned up to revive the semi collapsed fret burner they’d decided it easier to leave his Stratocaster dangling on him as they made a stretcher exit. Pete Ross happened to be stood at the bar, with his trusty aqua blue Gordon Smith Guitar strapped on and with Mick having left a tray of drinks at the altar, that was the Marshall stack, Pete invited himself and plugged in finishing off Rory Gallagher/ Johnny Winters hot blues rhythm Call it What You Want I call it Messing With The Kid.

Rick steered the group into doing a couple of Floyd tracks and not just Pink, Eddie to, Knock on Wood for one. Another Brick in the wall was mastered & still performed regularly in today’s set. The tick tock of time with its great lyrics relating to the drag of everyday life living in Rossendale, Comfortably Numb by the sisters for Pink Floyd was another stadium anthem brought down and put into a four price that was soon to become five, when John Purple Hayes, bog roll & disinfectant salesman, great keyboard player and master of the harmony vocal, hooked up and the Lix sound took on a more a progressive approach to tonality and dynamics.

Meanwhile, further up the road in Edenfield a young puberty blues ridden youth had formed a heavy metal band called Wastelands (Where are they now file #405) performing locally at such prestigious venues as Haslingden Sports Centre Haslingden Football club and Haslingden public hall.

Pete & Chris were checking out a group playing at Montys now Maxwells 1991, supporting them was Edenfields answer to ACDC Wastelands. Pete & Chris enjoyed the evening and were particularly impressed with Neil ‘Sodium’ Marshs guitar playing plus the show stopping attention grabbing wailing vocals of the skinny long haired vocalist, enter stage left Rik Entwistle, now the current Big Lix bass player of 12 years.

One day during a long summer holiday a year or tow earlier, Rik decided to climb on his racer and cycle up to the Eagle & Child and listen to Big Lix as he knew that they played near the window so he could at least here them as 13 although drinking now and again he preferred not going to pubs where his older friends couldn’t get the pints in or pubs within a 2 mile radius of his house as he was scared someone who new his Mum or Dad would grass him up. (Rock & Roll)

Rik waited patiently for Lix to begin, they’d just put in the last bit of equipment, 10 or 15 minutes went by and suddenly a loud one two aahaaa, one two aaaaaah, one chew aaaaahhhh rattled the windows, it was Chris checking the mic. After another 10 minutes the group fired up and ripped through Mott The Hooples, All the Youg Dudes, Rik danced outside with his bike enthusiastically head banging along now and again at the guitar breaks. As the number crescendoed to an end, Chris announced that the number was a sound check and they’d be back on at 9.15pm. Shit Rik thought ‘I told my Mum I’d be in at 9pm.’ So dutifully, he set off back singing Boogaloo Dudes all the way home.

Back in the days of Purple Effect and the glam rock also of Dirty Raincoats, hustled and bustled through Bury the two bands teamed up with Bid Lix and Wastelands and all four played together at the Derby Hall, now the Met Theatre, to a packed house for the Bury music festival Friday Rock night. Wastelands opened up with 3 originals and ACDCs Whole Lot Of Rosy. The drumming of Chas Morrison (went on to tour the World with The Space Monkeys and now plays for Giles Petersons wagon brake favourites the mellow groove of RSL, also key player in SSR recording studios) particularly wowing the crowd, it was even reviewed in the Bury Times.

Big Lix followed, kicking out a storming set of classic rock with the other bands not even close to touching them, especially their great psychedelic version of U2s dub tastic ‘ Bullet in The Blue Sky. ‘Slappin em down, 1 hundred, 2 hundred, 3 hundred.’

A few months later, Rossendale youth forum put together a superb event at Whittaker Park, an outdoor music festival consisting of, Wastelands, & Big Lix, this proved to be Rik

Entwistles baptism of fire, hooking up to the Lix riddum section filling the boots of Stuart, who had left to pursue an alternative lifestyle.

That afternoon after arriving so early, the stage wasn’t even built Rik played with energy he’d been saving up his 17 years and plucked every bass note needed to send the message of music as a healing power far and wide across the Rossendale park.

Later that day Rik, joined the Lix at his 5th gig that weekend, at the Horse & Jockey, Bury, where they then had one of those 60s style oil projectors that was perfect compliment to Lix’s lager induced classic pub rock.
Going back in time previous to this, let us look at where the musicians trained up, starting with the Daddy of Stubbins rock himself, Mr Rick Allan, Ricky Chip……. …….

Stage left sees the still good that is Pete Ross skipping from Lynard Skynards Freebird to his own interpretations of Gilmour via his trusty axe. Chris & Pete went to school together and later formed White Witch. Chris has also played with 18 piece soul band, Man Made Soul who played big money gigs ( but paid the singer the best part of fuck all) unleashing their tightly rehearsed Rossendale Soul ( also know as R Soul) popular covers of James Brown, Wilson Pickett and Oti

swearing on stage simultaneously showing his true rock roots, after all soul is bumming music. (joke)
Chris also led Gaz Ramsden, guitar, Simon, turn the sticks round to damage the other drummers kit as much as possible, Rothchild and bass starer, Johnny Shock, rampaging with songs by the Cult, Lenny Kravitz as well as several stunning originals.

At the same time Chris was running a very successful jam night on Sunday Evenings at the now defunct Corner Pin, in Stubbins (the former home of Dog Shit Tim) within a nasal inhalement of Fort Sterlings egg butty type factory air biscuit.

Local heroes Cas Crabtree, Ray Pilkington (Stubbins own loudest Blues shouter)
Warren (the Cat, star on the guitar, wank shaft) Taylor, and Gian (Cliff Richard, Ronny Corbett) Rothchild of Badger fame, Riks new band, Houston 500, Mick ‘The Shirt’ Smith, Andrew ‘Pad’ Parkinson (who would later dance provocatively towards old ladies in attendance of a Lix gig at the Phoenix Brandlesholme ) were all regular contributors back in the day. The Jam sessions were great fun and full of talent and boy were Mondays heavy after several pints of the Corner Pins finest. Even bands such as Elbow started out the legendary Chris (the whitest teeth in Rock and Roll) Berry’s jam nights.

During this time the Lix were playing at the Bridge Inn hemlshore, the Broughton Arms, Blackburn, the Farmers Arms, Bolton the Black Pudding festival, then in Stubbins at the Corner Pin and also the Hark To Towler tottington. Then under the great ownership of Bob (here’s another tray of drinks for you lads on the house) and Lesley (not like todays tight arses)

Around this time after a couple of years of gigs almost every Friday or Saturday night it came time for Rik to pursue a degree course at Derby University, taking on BA honours in American Studies and Music back in 1995. With Rik away in the Mdilands Lix’s gigs became a little less frequent. Just at summer holidays, easter, Christmas & the odd one off. After reaching the end of his degree, Rik was becoming very reclusive and depressed. The Lix were determined not to lose the bassist and kindly encouraged him to take up his role in the Lix after a period lasting several months, with Warren Taylor taking over bass duties to keep the band gigging whilist Rik was away at sea (Ward 11 for those with local knowledge) Rock & Roll.

John (keyboards) Hayes had found the money he was making performing as a club DJ, a lot easier than the peanuts Lix collected and decided to call it a day. Glenn Barnes filled his boots for a while, before dedicating himself to his progressive solo work.

Upon his return the Lix were better than ever, Rik with new ideas after 3 years in a blues funk reggae mash up called Blue Vein and a temporary spot as lead guitarist in Derby based roots Rastafarian reggae group Fugawi, consisting of ex members of Pressure Shocks, 70s midlands group.

Just around the roundabout lay a moddy youth who went by the nickname of Ras, aka Mike Hodkinson, at time, pool hustler, fruit machine addict. He was jamming with local musicians Che Gabriel Amick, guitar virtuoso, Al Entwistle (drums) and Nige Clucas (now Galaxy 102 DJ) and was doing the odd session with Rik. Rik brought Ras along to the rehearsal for a run through.