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The Pink Fairies, one of two Peoples’ Bands along with Hawkwind who flew the flag for free music and Anarchy in the early 1970s underground scene in the UK. They often performed impromptu gigs in Ladbroke Grove as well as benefit gigs. Based around the blues guitar of Paul Rudolph and the double drumming of Twink and Russ Hunter, they were sometimes termed a 'musical terrorist organisation', turning up to play anywhere for free, even unwanted. They were, in short, the ultimate ongoing rock 'n roll agitprop stunt.
They evolved out of the drinking club formed by Steve Peregrin Took, formerly Marc Bolan’s partner (or side-kick as he has been known) in T Rex (Tyrannosaurus Rex), the Pretty Things, the Deviants, Syd Barrett etc in 1969. Took along with Mick Farren and Twink, whose previous form included time in The Fairies, Tomorrow and Pretty Things, used the Pink Fairies as the name for their underground supergroup, only to see Twink run off with the band name for his new project (Pink Fairies Mark 2) with three ex- Deviants members. Mick Farren’s first ‘’solo’ album Mona can be argued to be the first Pink Fairies album as it features this original Pink Fairies Mark 1 line-up.
After Mark 2 of the band broke up in 1972, a new version (Mark 3) formed which went hideously awry until ex- Steve Took's Shagrat guitarist Larry WallisLarry Wallis is a guitarist, songwriter and producer for Stiff Records. Early Bands In 1968, he formed a band called The Entire Sioux Nation with Terry Nolder on vocals, Tim Taylor on bass and Paul Nichols on drums. The band split up in late 1969 at the s took over and transformed the band, leading them on the classic Kings Of Oblivion LP. Wallis was simultaneously in both the Pink Fairies and the original line-up of Motorhead with ex-Hawkwind bassist Lemmy.
Although never in an official line-up of the Pink Fairies (after Mark 1) Steve Peregrin Took continued to be associated with the Pinks. He played support slots for the Pink Fairies (as well as Hawkwind) as well as jamming as third drummer, even once deputising on bass guitar.
The Pink Fairies career as a band has always been somewhat chequered and spasmodic to say the least! Members of the Pink Fairies and Deviants have been largely interchangeable throughout the years which is logical when Mark 2 of the band was formed by Twink and the original Deviants (minus Farren). A more recent member of the Deviants (Andy Colqhoun) appeared with Larry Wallis from Pink Fairies Mark 3, Twink from Pink Fairies Mark 1 and 2, Russell Hunter and Duncan (Sandy) Sanderson (from Pink Fairies Mark 2 and 3) for the (relatively) recent Fairies reunion album, Kill 'Em & Eat 'Em as Pink Fairies Mark – who knows?.