dawn

In December 1971, Banks got together with bassist John Leech, to form a new band. Inevitably, the task of finding a name arose. Banks recalled an Old Testament reading from 1 Kings 19:12, probably heard during a church service, in which Elijah says:

"After the Earthquake, there was a fire - but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire, there was the soft whisper of a voice."

Banks immediately thought that 'after the fire' would make a good name for a band, and so After The Fire was formed. Having decided on a name, Banks and Leech advertised for a drummer, eventually taking on Ian Adamson.

Banks sold his Hammond T as part exchange for a Hammond C3, and they gigged as a bass, drums and keyboard outfit (Banks supplementing the Hammond with a signal generator loaned from his old school.) This line-up lasted about a year, playing mostly in the Upminster, Hornchurch and Romford area. (The first recorded show took place at Harold Park Baptist Church in June 1972). They had some success in a Melody Maker contest, and at one point they were offered a record deal and management. But the band lacked the knowledge and experience to know what they were being offered, and in the end nothing came of it.

So, in late 1972, only a year after they had formed, the original line up of After The Fire drifted apart, and Banks continued to teach science.

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