For some years now, we have been part of a Frank Zappa Tape Trading network and found the need to log and categorise tapes and concert venues.
We then decided that it would be nice to have a list not only of OUR tapes as well as OTHER PEOPLES tapes, but a list of ALL Frank's gigs, whether a tape exists or not!
So the list was born on a ZX Spectrum computer, using a surprisingly good database called... er... I can't remember. The next incarnation of the list appeared on a Commodore 64 by painstakingly retyping all the data in to another database that I also can't remember the name of.
Meanwhile, information was being collated by checking tape traders lists, magazine articles and adverts and Zappa specific sources such as Mother People and Society Pages.
We showed other people the list, who in turn contributed further information. The list grew bigger than the Commodore 64 (perhaps even bigger than Commodore?) and ended up being retyped into a PC database (Smart, followed by Superbase and eventually MS Access).
It is now here, on the good old Internet.
Right; The list is not 100% accurate. There are certainly omissions and incorrect dates, especially pre 1982, but it is definitely one of the most comprehensive lists we have ever seen. There are over 1200 dates and it is being constantly updated.
Please Note: We have had to wrestle with a lot of conflicting information over the years, so if you do wish to inform us of anything that is incorrect, please make sure YOU are right. We don't need any more guesses.
Copyright © 1985-2001 Kevin Boynton & Mick Peterson
Thank you to lots of people who have helped us with this list over the years;
Roddie Gilliard, Alb Pinchen, Martin Stevens (Snev!), Fred Thomsett,
Gary Cove, oh and no doubt many more... if I've forgotten you and you want to
be remembered, tell me now!
Special thanks also to the Zircon-Encrusted
Conceptual Continuity site for hosting the HTML version over the years.
If you want more of this... check out Charles Ulrich's site!
