Larry Wallis (born 19 May 1949) is an English guitarist, songwriter and producer. He is best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead. (More from Wikipedia)
Mick Farren left the fold shortly afterward, and Twink and Steve Peregrin Took formed a band called Shagrat with Larry Wallis (guitar) – who later appeared in several incarnations of the Pink Fairies – and Tim Taylor (bass). The band name is taken from a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and Took is credited on the Mona – The Carnivorous Circus album as "Shagrat the Vagrant". Twink left the band after a short while, and Steve Peregrin Took became the bandleader with the other two plus Phil Lenoir (drums), and later Dave Bidwell (percussion). The band is often called Steve Took's Shagrat and was the springboard for Took's solo career.
Mick Wayne replaced Paul Rudolph on guitar in the Pink Fairies, and this line-up recorded a single, "Well, Well, Well" b/w "Hold On". For the band's next album Kings of Oblivion (1973) – by far the easiest Pink Fairies album to find, at least in this country – Larry Wallis was brought in as the guitarist, and they also pressed him into songwriting duties; the credits list Wallis as playing Big Guitar. The album is mostly a sonic assault that also includes the playful song "Pigs of Uranus" – but even that song ends with a fabulous electric guitar solo.
Mick Farren stayed around just long enough to help found this amazing band; one Allmusic review that I can't find now included a passing reference to the Pink Fairies as being the perfect 1970's British rock band. However, Farren was still closely associated with the band; he co-wrote one of the best songs on Kings of Oblivion with Larry Wallis, "When's the Fun Begin". Mick Farren also wrote the liner notes for the Pink Fairies' comeback album, Kill 'Em and Eat 'Em (1987).
After taking several years off from making music, Mick Farren resurfaced in 1978 with a brilliant solo album, Vampires Stole My Lunch Money. The album opens with what might be the best cover of a Frank Zappa song by anybody: "Trouble Coming Every Day", a seething litany of what's wrong with the world that could surely have come straight from Farren's pen.
Vampires Stole My Lunch Money is a more personal record than his other albums. There are no less than three songs about drinking – "I Want a Drink", "Half-Priced Drinks", and "Drunk in the Morning" – plus a monologue about personal demons called "(I Know from) Self-Destruction". Whether this is just a persona or the actual state of Mick Farren's life at that point – I doubt anyone could tell the difference, the music is that heartfelt. Musicians on hand include Larry Wallis of the Pink Fairies and Wilko Johnson of Dr. Feelgood; supporting vocals are provided by Sonja Kristina of Curved Air and Chrissie Hynde, the lead singer of Pretenders (a year and half before their first album, Pretenders came out).
Also in 1978, MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer was released from prison after a drug conviction, and he was invited by Mick Farren to celebrate by performing at a gig at Dingwalls Dancehall that was run by former Pink Fairies roadie David "Boss" Goodman. To my knowledge, this is the first time (chronologically) that past UARA Andy Colquhoun (guitar) performed with Mick Farren. Others present include Larry Wallis (guitar) and George Butler (drums). This concert helped revive Wayne Kramer's musical career; he has released several more albums over the years and has also appeared in concert with Mick Farren on other occasions.
The tape was thought to be lost for many years but later turned up in a box, marked "Dingwalls"; and several tracks from the show were released by Total Energy Records on a 2000 CD called Cocaine Blues 1974-1978 with an artist name of Wayne Kramer & the Pink Fairies. This is somewhat misleading, as the concert was actually circa March 1979, and only Larry Wallis had ever performed as part of the Pink Fairies at that point in time.
