Every single gig The False Dots have played have been at small, independent grassroots venues. So it seems fit to celebrate by listing all of our gigs, ever! The Red Italics are not UK gigs. As you can see the band had some years where we were frantically busy, a few years where we weren't and a few big gaps, where we were doing other things.
1980
Our first ever gig after nearly two years of trying to get it together. Our singer, Pete Conway didn't show up! For these gigs, Craig Withecombe, myself (Roger Tichborne) and Paul Hircombe shared vocals duties. We decide to continue like this!
13 December - The Harwood Hall, Mill Hill
1981
18 February - Orange Hill School, Burnt Oak
13 March - Hendon Rugby Club (supporting The Chevrons)
3rd April - The Midland Arms (Supporting Way of The West)
18th July - Harwood Hall, Mill Hill
26th September - Kenton Jewish Youth Club (our drummer Mark Barnet was a member and got us a couple of well paid gigs here!)18th October - Kenton Jewish Youth Club
13th January, Karsbygarden, Norseborg - Stockholm
15th January, The Underground club, Stockholm
16th January, Pub Bastun, Aland, Finland
19th January, Tumba Gymasium, Stockholm
20th January, Alby, Stockholm
7th March, The Moonlight Club, West Hampstead
27th August, Bell MCC Rally, Elstree
Around this time Eleanor Caine joined as a singer
26th November, Gooners Club, The Copper, Tower Bridge Road
1983
28th January, Gooners Club, The Copper, Tower Bridge Road
1st February, The Ad Lib Club, Kensington
23rd February, The Moonlight Club (supporting Tokyo Olympics)
15th March, The Tunnel Club Greenwich
26th March, Harrow Music Festival (daytime)
26th March, BACS Ltd (supporting David Anderson)
8th April, The Moonlight Club, West Hampstead
Craig & Eleanor leave and Venessa Sagoe joins on vocals
26th August Bell MCC Rally, Elstree
16th September, Chequers MCC Rally, Cambridge
3rd October, Prince Albert, Golders Green
28th October Prowlers MCC Rally, Abbots Langley
18th December, Barnet College
7th January, George IV, Kentish Town
26th February, Dingwalls, Camden Town
15th March, Bald Faced Stag, Burnt Oak
19th April, Bald Faced Stag Burnt Oak.
25th May, Bald Faced Stag, Burnt Oak
3rd July, Pindar of Wakefield (venue now The Water Rats), Kings Cross
2nd August, Grahame Park Festival
24 August, Hendon Rugby Club
3rd September, Watling Festival, Montrose Park
Vanessa Sagoe leaves the band
1985
Allen Ashley joins the band on vocals
12th July, Old Bull Arts Centre, Barnet
23rd November, Le Tiki Club, Belgium (supporting Soldier Bike)
30th November, Cricklwood Hotel, Cricklewood
13 December, Old Bull Arts Centre, Barnet
22nd December, The Three Hammers Pub, Mill Hill
Allen Ashley Leaves the band
1988
Neil Cox formerly of The Mods (appeared on the Mods Mayday album) joins on vocals
22 August - Mill Hill Music Complex Party
28th December, The Midland Arms (now Claddagh Ring), Hendon
1989
23rd February, The Midland Arms (now Claddagh Ring), Hendon
1990
Neil Cox leaves and Tony Robotham joins on vocals
19th May, St Josephs College
Tony Robotham leaves - The Band takes a short break from activity
2002
20th April, The Red Lion, Colindale
7th September, Mill Hill Music Complex Party
2nd November, Mill Hill Sports Club
20th December, The Three Hammers (Boz Boorer joined us on guitar)
2003
6 June, Mill Hill Music Festival, Mill Hill Sports Club
26th June, The Three Hammers Mill Hill
2005
1st June 1985, MHMF,Mill Hill Sports Club
2006
3rd November, Mill Hill Sports Club (Kate Nash was support act)
2007
8th June, MHMF, Mill Hill Sports Club
18th December, Mill Hill Music Complex Party
2008
3rd March, The Bull Theatre (supporting Lee Thompson & Chris Spedding band)
2009
15th December, The Claddagh Ring, Hendon
2010
Connie Abbe joins on Vocals
15th Februrary, Lock 17, Dingwalls, Camden
14th May, Mill Hill Sports Club
19th May, Fiddlers Elbow, Camden Town
15th June, Purple Turtle, Camden Town (supporting The Bollock Brother)
13 November, The Claddagh Ring
2011
29th January, The Arts Depot, Finchely (supporting The Foundations)
27th June, MHMF, Mill Hill Sports Club
Connie Abbe leaves the band
2012
Allen Ashley rejoins the band on vocals, Fil Ross switches to Bass, long time bass player Paul Hircombe dies having quit in 2009 to become a career criminal.
13 December, Friern Barnet Library (End of occupation party)
2013
11th October, The Bohemia (Occupation Party)
2014
20th December, Midland Hotel, Hendon
2015
23rd May, Midland Hotel, Hendon
18th September, Midland Hotel, Hendon
6th November, Fiddlers Elbow (with Dell Richardson of Osibisa and The Black Doldrums)
19th December, Chandos Arms, Colindale
2016
29th April, Midland Hotel, Hendon
26th June, Chandos Arms, Colindale
21st October, Chandos Arms, Colindale
16th December, Midland Hotel, Hendon
2017
21 May, North Finchley Festival, Bohemia, Finchley
19th June, Jesterfest, Fortune Green
22nd September, The Bohemia, Finchley
9th December, Chandos Arms
2018
24th February, Midland Hotel, Hendon
12th May, Kings Head, Enfield
30th June, Mill Hill Town Square (daytime )
13th July, Midland Hotel, Hendon
13th October, Midland Hotel, Hendon14th December, Mill Hill Rugby Club
2019
15th March, Midland Hotel, Hendon
19th June, MHMF, Adam and Eve, Mill Hill
19th November, Adam and Eve, Mill Hill
13 December, Midland Hotel, Hendon
2022
Allen Ashley leaves the band and Roger Tichborne takes over on vocals
11th June, Adam and Eve, Mill Hill
19th August, The Bohemia, Finchley
28th September, The Dublin Castle, Camden Town
23rd November, The Dublin Castle, Camden Town
2023
17th February, The Edgware Services Club, Burnt Oak
24th March, The Dublin Castle, Camden Town
6th May, The Mill Hill Services Club
15th September, The Dublin Castle, Camden Town ** Tom Hammond joins on Trumpet
28th The Old Bull Arts Centre, Barnet (with The Silencerz)
4th November, The Dublin Castle, Camden Town
23rd December, The Dublin Castle, Camden Town (supporting The London Sewage Company)
2024
3rd February, The Dublin Castle, Camden Town (The False Dots 45th Birthday Party)
23rd March, The Beehive, Bow ** Without Tom
13th April, The Bull Theatre, Barnet (supporting The Silencerz)
26th April, The Dublin Castle, Camden Town (supporting Skaface)
17th May, Mill Hill Music Complex Studios
30th May, The Horn of Plenty, St Albans
16th June, The Dublin Castle, Camden Town.
22nd June, The Dublin Castle (Charly Records 50th Birthday Party with The Bollock Brothers) Without Tom
29th June East Barnet Festival (main band The Alan Warner Band) with Tom
6th July, Jesterfest, Fortune Green
Next Gig
17th November, The Dublin Castle
2024 has already become the joint busiest year for gigs since the band got back together in 2000 (to have a jam and record a few old numbers). We've already surpassed last years total of seven and we are only half way through the year!
We still have two to go to equal 1984, but we will be doing our best!
Being a band on the grassroots circuit for 45 years is something of an achievement. One of the comments we here time and time again is "Why have we never heard of you before?" from both young and old audience members. There are three reasons.
1. When we were young, we were always falling apart as band members came and went. Four times we were on the verge of deals and it all went pear shaped.
2. The sort of music we were playing was viewed "Last years thing" by 1983/4 when we really hit our peak and we were under constant pressure to blow with the wind. It was hard playing Ska/Punk when everyone wanted New Romantic music!
3. We were too naughty for many of the labels that looked at us. Although Rock and Roll music is supposed to be rebellious, apart from the punk explosion 1976-80, if you didn't play the game, they were not really interested in you. Anti war songs like Action Shock and songs sympathetic to transvestite prostitutes having relationships with Tory MP's, like Not All She Seems were just a bit too edgy. I will never forget the look on an A&R guy from EMI's face when he said "That Not All She Seems tune is really catchy, what is it all about?" and I told him.
We've mellowed a bit since then, but the energy is still there.
We've just released a brand new single, to celebrate Englands participation in the Euro's. We hope you like it!
First published on the 23rd December 2023 and updated 18th June 2024
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