Ginhouse out of the strong North

Scotland the brave with tartan warriors like Beggars Opera and Cirkus had prolifically scaled awesome musical heights during the Prog revolution. Sadly one band from Newcastle is often forgotten in the seventies shuffle namely the three- piece Ginhouse (name from St Andrews pub). Ginhouse played a mighty set at the Newcastle Polytechnic Ellison Building in 1969 and one year later at the Newcastle City Hall next to Steamhammer. Musicians comprised ex Household bassist Stewart Burlison, ex Household drummer Dave Whittaker and ex Heard / Household guitarist Geoff Sharkey who had just left Lusiki State Group which evolved into Geordie. (Lusiki State Group was fronted by future ACDC Brian Johnson)

The groups 1971 self titled album on B&C Records admittedly far from their vibrant live encounters where Geoff would make his beige Vox AC 30I tremble with discharge is the only legacy of this seemingly obscure group. Here’s the thing about Ginhouse, totally unique with no influence from any other Prog band. Ginhouse was strongly empowered by the author itive Sharkey vox and throbbing bass of Burlison, impressionably stamped on “Fair Stood The Wind”. This unison is apparent from the very start of their album through Geoff’s dimensional “Tyne God”, in my mind the Ginhouse glowlamp.

Another Ginhouse luminary is the thudding Journey” reeling with a great synth motif played by producer Anders Hendrikson. Sharkey who had paid his dues at an early age with The Hipsters and Antics had now come to actualisation impressionably displayed on the cello & string sensitive “Portrait Picture”, an immaculate conception of the highest calibre that Sharkey dissects with deliberation.The group also covered a jazz urgent version of the Beatles’ “And I Love Her” plus a sweaty workout on “The Morning After” where Geoff plays in different tones.The Ginhouse opus comes in the form of an eerie throbbing fusion of two tracks, “The House” & “Sun In A Bottle” perhaps the same besotted creation that Audience sang about. Burlison and Sharkey scale the darkly walls of this hideous effigy with jazzy proficiency. The hard drumming Whitaker then joined the underrated Kestrel while Sharkey moved with ex Quartermass Underwood’s Sammy alongside Audience’ Keith Gemmel. Geoff’s TV score database includes Three Rivers, Supersonic and Crackerjack plus further excursions with Skin Alley, Strapps, Alibi and Acrobat. These days his riffs are stripped with the band Gr8 and sessions with his daughter Brooke.