Fox Lites

Fox Lites was formed in 68, there abouts, by Chris Faulkner, one of a number of bored offspring of amateur dramatical parents of 'The Guildonian Players' who performed at the Methodist Church in Harold Wood, Essex. From a few old school projectors, a stack of old stage lighting and a few home-made special effects and a disco, the system grew into a three van extravaganza that fried the eyes.

Chris, Su, Si, Del, and Harry formed the nucleus while a floating crew of another six younger lads mucked in for the free entry.

Fox Lites was the resident lightshow at the Windmill Hall, Upminster, every Sunday night, to the likes of Van da Graff Generator, Supertramp, Thin Lizzy, and Roxy Music. Also there were gigs all over place in various colleges, youth centres and council facilities presenting bands of all descriptions.

The biggest gig was a summer ball at one of the Cambridge University halls where it took twelve hours to set up and six to take down and was a mind-blast of kinetic art.

Oddly enough they were very anti-drugs (teachers and GPO engineers) so much of the visuals were created with a clear mind (except for the odd swig of Woodpecker cider - I kid you not!)

Harry and Chris were a wizz with the liquid slide making and both had darkly stained hands as a result, An entire hall was transformed into a fluid multicoloured wonderland while the stage was professionally lit from all sides including backprojection screens. Super 8 and 16mmm projectors ran loops of weird stuff back and forth, glimpsed furtively out the corner of the eye. A short tour with the Globs (Global Village Trucking Co) led us unexpectedly to Windsor Free Festival where we ran the stage for a few days until organisation found itself.

Fox folded sometime in 85 when they grew up and got bored with it all - they certainly were not in it for the money!!!!

As for me, after Windsor it wasn't the same because I was now Experienced, so without a backwards glance I moved to better things.

Thanks Fox - for some great sober years!

Roger Hutchinson - February 2002