The Ominous Dr Clip Clop

The secret identity behind the mysterious Ominous Dr Clip Clop turns out to be none other than Maeyc Hewitt, later to be the mastermind behind Strength Through Joinery, Radio 23 and Nixon & Jarvis among others. Each performance featured a different selection of guest musicians providing back up for the Doctor's idiosyncratic but ultra-catchy songs. The Doctor himself would sometimes appear on stage with a fake second head protruding from the neck of his white lab coat. During his run of gigs in 1981, the cream of the local music scene queued up for a stint in his group - John Cratchley, Rebecca Ward, Annie Williams, Alan Holmes, Mark Thomas, Chris Pilditch, Owen Hughes, Scott Saunders, John Lovering, Phil Layton and of course the glamorous Clopettes - Annie Stubbs and Maria Hycz all making appearances.

Here is a long-awaited opportunity for the good doctor's legacy to be reassessed as we present four complete live performances, recorded between June and December 1981. There appear to be no photographs of the Doctor in action in our archives - if you have any you would like to share here, please send them to thearchivist(at)turquoisecoal.com.


The Ominous Dr Clip Clop - Glanrafon Pub, Bangor
18th June 1981

Maeyc Hewitt - guitar / vocals
Rebecca Ward - drums
John Cratchley - bass
Annie Williams - organ
The Clopettes - vocals

1 Far Out
2 Picture of Beauty
3 Animal Magic
4 Jingle Jangle Girl
5 Go for Gene
6 Nid Rwyf Eisio Mynd i'r Ysbyty
7 Animal Magic (encore)

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The Ominous Dr Clip Clop - Plas Coch, Llanedwen
14th July 1981

Maeyc Hewitt - bass / vocals
Owen P. Hughes - drums
Chris Pilditch - guitar
Alan Holmes - trumpet / bass

1 Nid Rwyf Eisio Mynd i'r Ysbyty
2 Jingle Jangle Girl
3 Go for Gene
4 Milk & Cookies
5 Animal Magic

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The Ominous Dr Clip Clop - Plas Coch, Llanedwen
29th September 1981

Maeyc Hewitt - guitar / vocals
Mark Thomas - drums
Alan Holmes - bass
The Clopettes - vocals

1 DJ's intro
2 Jingle Jangle Girl
3 Animal Magic
4 Picture of Beauty
5 Nid Rwyf Eisio Mynd i'r Ysbyty
6 Go for Gene
7 The Big Footprints

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The Ominous Reverend Clip Clop - Plas Coch, Llanedwen
15th December 1981

probable line-up:
Maeyc Hewitt - bass
Mark Thomas - drums
John Lovering - guitar
Scott Saunders - vocals
Phil Layton - saxophone
The Clopettes - vocals

1 Intro
2 The Big Footprints
3 Animal Magic
4 Go for Gene
5 God Is My Friend
6 Milk & Cookies
7 Nid Rwyf Eisio Mynd i'r Ysbyty
8 Jingle Jangle Girl
9 Hip Hip Hooray for Christmas (incomplete)

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