Dekaf Records

The delayed success of Worth Every Penny, gave the band the chance to do some local gigs and build up a loyal fanbase. In 1963 no local bar, pub, village hall, and social club was safe from the cheeky chaps of Chester.

Trivia: The gig at the Amershed Village Hall was particularly memorable for James as he got locked in the toilet due to a broken bolt. Luckily, a local councillor was at hand to barge the door down, and the band only went on stage 20 minutes late.

After a brief time in the wilderness, Worth Every Penny was finally appreciated by the song buying public of the UK. In comparison to the music they would create, the album was rather tame, but it still opened up many doors for them within the industry and beyond. It allowed the boys to stay out of the dole queue and continue making the music they loved.

Trivia: The title track of the album sold well as a single, while the album track, Green and Pleasant was used as the opening title theme song of the short lived children’s nature show, Let’s Get Outdoors!

The early gigs promoting the album, Worth Every Penny, gave the band an early glimpse into their future careers. Anyone who was lucky enough to catch them playing at their early gigs in the 60s must have been amazed at how the rag tag group ever got to level they eventually reached.

Trivia: With the little money they were now getting as a result of the gigs, lead singer Pete treated himself to an old Vespa scooter so he didn’t have to walk everywhere anymore. Unfortunately he didn’t have it long before a group of local rockers pushed it into the River Dee.

While their stock was still high after the eventual success of Worth Every Penny, The Refunds took the chance to do a few small gigs in and around their local area. Because the album took a while to catch on, they hadn’t been playing many gigs up to this point. It took them a few weeks to rehearse in the attic of the local pub having to learn most of the words again. The gigs mostly went well and put them back on the local scene.

Trivia: The first gig back after the hiatus wouldn’t have been one for the purists. Pete forgot a whole verse of Fly City Love, and just improvised it by singing a lot of “la’s and yeah’s.” Thankfully the audience at the time didn’t know the song that well either.

The Refunds really lent into the money motifs after releasing Worth Every Penny. It became their trademark on all merchandise and promotion material while promoting the album. It was fortuitous too, that the money from the album allowed them to work full time as musicians.

Trivia: For two years, all ticket prices to see The Refunds ended in .99p so that each gig owner would have to give everyone a penny back as change. The venue managers weren’t too impressed, but it was a fun gimmick that gave all audience members a nice memento of the gig.

The cheeky chaps of Chester, The Refunds, first got together in 1962. Members Pete, James, Harry, and Henry were all out of work before they started playing their melodic and catchy pop tunes to the masses. Since they burst onto the UK music scene with their classic style, plenty of other bands have been inspired and delighted by them.

Go back to where the pop punk quartet Third-Rate Reprobates got their first big break. Off the back of their album Stark Raving Sad, plenty of venues were trying to book the newest sound in pop punk. As it was the summer, most of the gigs were played outside in parking lots, festival stages, and skateparks allowing plenty of people to watch and get in on the exciting action.

Trivia: Bassist, Timmy, had just learnt to drive and was adamant he was going to drive the band in their decrepit tour bus. Thankfully, the band and roadies all got to the gigs safely. The bus was not so lucky, as the many bumps and fender benders it got into meant it was not worth saving after the tour had been finished. IN the end, a local destruction derby took it off their hands for $10.

Go back to 1983 to the concert that really sent Robyn Coodle’s career up a gear. As a proud Cornish woman, Robyn could only have dreamed of playing at the Dayflower Festival when she was just starting out. When it became a reality, the gig became a great springboard for even bigger and better things.

Trivia: As a child, Robyn’s parents took her to the Dayflower Festival in 1961 and that is what inspired her to become the singer songwriter she grew up to be. It’s said you can hear her childish screaming in the background of recordings taken on the day.

#1983

It took a few years before her big break, but when it came, Robyn Coodle became a very popular and accomplished singer songwriter in the 1980s. Her Cornish roots, lyrical prowess and lilting voice set her apart from her contemporaries and gained her much success and fanfare along the way.

Milkshake Moustache’s debut album, Drink Up, We’re Going was no bubblegum pop album, it was full of sophisticated rock music. Because of the cover the album wasn’t taken seriously at first by the hardcore rockers, but with plenty of good radio air time it eventually found it’s audience. It was even a gateway for classic pop fans into the world of rock.

The man on the cover is guitarist Scott’s uncle Trevor Poulter. The picture was taken by Scott was his instant camera while in the US on holiday as a family. As the story goes, his family were waiting to go on a sightseeing tour, and his uncle thought he had plenty of time to grab a sweet treat before the bus arrived. Much to his annoyance as soon as he left the store with his ice cream milkshake the bus just pulled up. He wasn’t allowed to bring such an elaborate snack on board so had to quickly get as much down him as he could. The photograph was a favourite amongst the family and Scott couldn’t resist using it for their first album. Initially his uncle didn’t like being on the cover, but grew to love his place in rock history. He later would charge fans for a signature at his local record shop.

The whole cover was put together by arty Julie. All the elements were cut out in a collage and placed together in the form we see today. The yellow and pink swirl was actually taken from a sweet packet she had in her pocket at the time. She loved the explosion of colour it added to the black and white image of Trevor. Once her ideas were down on paper, the whole collage was sent to the art team at Dekaf who did the finishing touches and launched the album to the public.

If you want to celebrate this classic album cover for Milkshake moustache it is now available in our shop as a 12" fine art print to hang on your walls at home.

Introducing Milkshake Moustache, the classic rock band from the 1970s.

Neighbours and life long friends, Scott, Debbie, and Julie joined forces in 1970 to become Milkshake Moustache. From their dull street in Leicester, they worked their way up to become legends in their field. Their unique style of rock stood out amongst the crowd and brought them plenty of fans and admirers along the way.

We are very pleased to announce that we have brought back some classic merchandise for this classic band. We have also written a brand new article detailing the whole career of the band and its members. Find out how they first met, their early success, and how the band's reunion in the 90s.

Dekaf Records added a Shop on Website button to their Page.

Dekaf Records updated their website address.

👀 Something very special is coming soon...

We believe that great music is timeless! This is why we are bringing back some of our favourite bands and artists to celebrate their music with new merchandise, interviews, and articles.

Keep your eyes out and why not join us for the ride! You might rekindle an old love, or even find a new one. So whether you were a 60s hippy or a 90s raver we will have something for you.