Guitarist Mick Abrahams formed Blodwyn Pig in his home town Luton, Bedfordshire in the first few weeks of January 1969 after leaving Jethro Tull in early December 1968.

Bass player Andy Pyle had previously been a member of Abrahams’ pre-Jethro Tull group, McGregor’s Engine while sax/flute player Jack Lancaster was from Manchester and was working with the group Sponge when he got the call.

The trio advertised for a drummer and Ron Berg who’d been working with White Rabbit (singer Linda Lewis fronted them at one point) answered and got the job.

In his autobiography, What is a Wommett?, Mick Abrahams says that Blodwyn Pig rehearsed for a week before making their debut at the Cooks Ferry Inn in Edmonton, north London.

Melody Maker lists this as 27 January and notes that the quartet was billed as The Mick Abrahams Blues Band. In fact, Abrahams’ new group was billed under his own name rather than Blodwyn Pig for its first few gigs.

The following is an incomplete gig list of Blodwyn Pig 1969 gigs which are all listed in Melody Maker unless otherwise noted.

I’d welcome any additions. The band is billed as Blodwyn Pig unless noted.

Notable gigs:

27 January 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (debut) Billed as Mick Abrahams Blues Band

Melody Maker’s 1 February issue, page 4, reports the new band and name under its news extra section

1 February 1969 – Van Dike, Plymouth, Devon (Jonathan Hill’s book, Van Dike – The Life & Times of a Plymouth Club 1968-1972). Billed as Mick Abrahams Band

7 February 1969 – Bedford College, Regent’s Park, central London with Chicken Shack. Billed as Mick Abrahams Band

9 February 1969 – Kimbells, Southsea, Hants (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)

11 February 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)

13 February 1969 – Red Lion, Leytonstone, east London. Billed as Mick Abrahams

21 February 1969 – Blues Loft, Nag’s Head, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)

Melody Maker’s 22 February issue, page 6, says the band made its Marquee debut last week but I have not found a listing elsewhere. Monday night (17 February) was audition night so this is the possible date

22 February 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with Keef Hartley

3 March 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London. Billed as Mick Abrahams

15 March 1969 – London College of Printing, Elephant & Castle, south London with Chicken Shack and Jellybread. Billed as Mick Abrahams Band

18 March 1969 – Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire with Fleetwood Mac (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)

22 March 1969 – Mothers, Erdginton, West Midlands with Led Zeppelin

28 March 1969 – Hornsey Wood Tavern, Hornsey Wood, north London. Billed as Mick Abrahams Blodwyn Pigg

29 March 1969 – The Village, Dagenham, east London with Killing Floor and Yellow Dog. Billed as Mick Abrahams

2 April 1969 – Rambling Jack’s Blues Club, the Railway Hotel, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless’ book The Day Before Yesterday – Rock, Rhythm and Jazz in the Bishop’s Stortford area from 1957 to 1969)

15 April 1969 – Fishmonger’s Arms, Wood Green, north London. Billed as Mick Abrahams Blodwyn Pig

18 April 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Circus (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)

19 April 1969 – London College of Printing, Elephant & Castle, south London with Climax Chicago Blues Band and Smiley

20 April 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with Dr K’s Blues Band

21 April 1969 – King’s Hall, Romford, east London (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)

22 April 1969 – Bluesville ’69 Club’s Cherry Tree, Welwyn Garden City, Herts

23 April 1969 – Blues Loft, Nag’s Head, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)

25 April 1969 – Northern Poly, Holloway Road, north London with Elmer Gantry

28 April 1969 – Wall City Jazz Club, Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire with Frankie & The Countdowns and Shady Lane (Liverpool Echo) Billed as Mick Abrahams Blues Band

29 April 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)

9 May 1969 – Bedford College, Regent’s Park, central London with Free

10 May 1969 – Luton College of Technology Students’ Union, Luton, Beds with The Spirit of John Morgan and Mechanical Bird (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)

20 May 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Grail (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)

30 May 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Sam Apple Pie (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)

2 June 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London

4 June 1969 – Railway Hotel, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)

11 June 1969 – Blues Loft, Nag’s Head, High Wycombe, Bucks

13 June 1969 – Town Hall, Birmingham, West Midlands with Led Zeppelin and Liverpool Scene (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)

15 June 1969 – Free Trade Hall, Manchester with Led Zeppelin and Liverpool Scene (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)

16 June 1969 – The Pavilion, Bath (Poster) Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig

20 June 1969 – City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with Led Zeppelin and Liverpool Scene (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)

22 June 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with The Taste

25 June 1969 – Derwent College, York, North Yorkshire with Bonzo Dog Band, John Mayall, Ronnie Scott & His Band, Eclection and Alexis Korner & Invaders Steel Band (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)

26 June 1969– Guildhall, Portsmouth, Hants with Led Zeppelin and The Liverpool Scene (Blodwyn Pig concert Wiki site)

27 June 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Groundhogs (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)

28 June 1969 – Bath Festival of Blues, Recreation Ground, Bath with Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, John Mayall, Chicken Shack, Nice, Ten Years After and many, many others. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig

29 June 1969 – Albert Hall, Knightsbridge, central London with Led Zeppelin and The Liverpool Scene. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig

30 June 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London

6 July 1969 – Farx, the Northcote Arms, Southall, west London. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig

11 July 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Andromeda (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)

11 July 1969 – Brunel University Students’ Union, Brunel University, London with The Soft Machine, Aaardvark and Good Earth. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig

14 July 1969 – Friars, Aylesbury, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)

25 July 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Circus (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)

2 August 1969 – Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon (Torbay Express and South Devon Echo) Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig

5 August 1969 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London with Wine

Melody Maker’s 9 August issue, p12, has a good write up entitled ‘Blodwyn Pig continue with the heavy sound’.

9 August 1969 – Malvern Winter Gardens, Malvern, Worcestershire with Clouds (Poster)

10 August 1969 – 9th National Jazz, Pop, Ballads & Blues Festival, West Drayton, west London with The Nice, Family, Keef Hartley, Steamhammer and many others. Billed as Mick Abraham’s Blodwyn Pig

15 August 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Grail (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)

20 August 1969 – Rambling Jack’s Blues Club, the Railway Hotel, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless’ book The Day Before Yesterday – Rock, Rhythm and Jazz in the Bishop’s Stortford area from 1957 to 1969) Concert was cancelled due to summer recess

22 August 1969 – Blues Loft, Nag’s Head, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)

25 August 1969 – King’s Hall, Romford Market, Romford, east London

29 August 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Samson (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)

Melody Maker’s 30 August issue, page 24 notes that the band missed some dates because Ron Berg was ill

16 September 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with King Crimson

18 September 1969 – Social Club, Aylesbury, Bucks

21 September 1969 – Farx, the Northcote Arms, Southall, west London. Billed as Mick Abrahams Blodwyn Pig

22 September 1969 – The Village of the Damned Blues Club, Aurora Ballroom, Brompton, Gillingham, Kent with support (Poster)

26 September 1969 – King’s Hall, Romford, east London with Stone The Crows

29 September 1969 – Dunstable Civic Hall, Dunstable, Beds with Jesse Harper

30 September 1969 – The Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Ground (Tony Bacon’s book, London Live/Melody Maker)