Stevie Smith & The Purple Gang

Steve Smith’s stylish R&B band The Purple Gang existed somewhere between the demise of the much loved SALT and his harp playing stint with Bad Manners before he joined Ruthless Blues.
The Purple Gang were a classy rock & blues outfit with a wealth of their own material who gigged mostly round London circa 1984-85 and recorded an audio tape release in the days when no deal meant no album!
The original band was built round the blues harp/guitar axis of Stevie Smith & Brendan Hoban with guest’s appearances from the likes of the late Steve Waller, Dave Lennox (Mick Clarke Band) Steve Dixon, and Pete Reese (Ruthless Blues/Gary Moore).

23 years on from their last gig the Scottish exiled pocket dynamo Little Stevie Smith (vox/harp) (Ruthless Blues/Salt/Purple Gang/Bad Manners/Steve Waller & Stevie Smith Big band/Joanne Kelly/Long John Baldry) once again teams up with Herne Hill guitar legend Brendan Hoban gtr/vox (Hershey & The 12 Bars/ The Messengers/Steve Waller/Half Moon Jam band) plus top session drummer Pete Stroud and Kevin Dunsford on bass to revive on the South London’s best loved bands.

**In 1971, Stevie started hosting the renowned Sunday night jam sessions at the Half Moon in Herne Hill, South London. These sessions featured an amazing array of musical talent from the most popular bands of the era including members of the Jeff Beck Band, Rory Gallagher band, Thin Lizzy, and 7th Wave. Stevie Smith & Brendan Hoban were at the core of the fondly remembered jams. After 2 years of gigging as the Purple Gang the individual musicians went their own ways. Over the years both musicians felt they had unfinished business and 23 years on they’ve finally managed to reunite the THE PURPLE GANG. Don’t miss it.