4 Mimes/The Discoes from Sheffield clubland

I remember the well I put them on at intake sports club, when I was concert chairman, they were all great lads ad so funny, one time I was in hospital for a good while, and while in recovery they came to visit me a couple of times, and each time they came brought me a huge basket of fruit, ii became good friends with bob

I saw The Discoes many times in the 1970s and early 1980s. The act hardly varied over all the years but it was a bit like re-watching your favorite video every now and then. I certainly never got tired of watching them.

 

Here's what I remember of the act:

 

Bridget the midget - Rex as Bridget, Bob as the guy who says 'I dig it, I really dig it'. Bridget's wig always fell off (part of the act).

 

Routine with Rex as the martial arts master from the TV series 'Kung Fu', with half ping pong balls for eyes. 'Yes, Grasshopper', were his lines, with the gag that they were written inside the ping pong balls. He switches them round and the lines became 'Grasshopper, Yes'. Some other toilet gag about 'looking for the one with paper'.

 

Demis Roussos - Think it was Bob as Demis, miming to 'Forever and Ever', wearing a huge, tent-like sheet thing. The other two guys were also underneath and they all started moving off in different directions.

 

The Streak - Bob does a runner around the club, with a police helmet covering his modesty. He removes it to reveal another one underneath.

 

Trail of the Lonesome Pine - Roger introduced this one by informing the audience that he had seen Laurel and Hardy on one of their British musical Hall tours. Roger as Stan Laurel and Rex as Oliver Hardy were brilliant. Being a Laurel and Hardy fan, this was my favorite part of the act. They played it as a nice tribute to L & H, with a more or less copy of the original (except Rex used a large inflatable bottle to hit Roger over the head with, instead of a mallet).

 

Cocktails for two - Mime to the Spike Jones classic.

 

Brown girl in the ring - The 'show me a motion' potty gag comes to mind every time I here this Boney M song.

 

Elvis - My memory is a bit confused here. I certainly remember Rex doing Elvis and running around the club in a vocal gap in the song. But others on here have mentioned 'Guitar Man' as the song he mimed to, which I think I sort of remember but I'm sure it was a different track that I saw him do in late 70s, early 80s (I can hear the tune in my head but can't think of the words, so don't know the title - they were difficult to make out at the time also) . My confusion could also be down to a memory of 'Guitarzan', the comedy version of 'Guitar Man', which I may be getting mixed up with some other club or TV act (seem to think The Discoes did this, with Bob as Tarzan).

 

Walk Tall - Roger as Val Doonican, in a jumper with extra long sleeves.

 

Up a Lazy River - Roger as Bing Crosby.

 

Rex as Freddie Trueman, from his time on the TV gameshow 'Indoor League'. 'We've got some rrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeet good uns on t'neet, si thi'.

 

Monster Mash - Rex wearing a Frankenstein's monster mask and massive wooden platform boots (takes one off and starts limping around). Bob as a hunchback with blacked out teeth. Gag using the toothpaste advert line about 'no fillings today, mum'.

 

Pretty Vacant - Mime to the Sex Pistols. Wooden guitar props. Think Rex did the wig thing for this one (gets people in the audience to throw the wig and he catches it on his head).

 

Space Oddity - Bob as Bowie, wearing some type of one legged sparkly leotard. A bubble machine let out a stream of bubbles that Rex first head butts and then tries to eat as the bubbles float around the stage. This then leads into the Barry White song 'My first, my last, my everything', with Rex getting close to Bob's Bowie, before scaring him off with his intentions.

 

Do you want to be in my gang - Rex as Gary Glitter. Wig gag, where Rex puts the wig on various places on his body.

 

Rex also did a routine where he gets his finger stuck in the mic stand. He says he will look a right berk going round Barnsley Market tomorrow. Then adds, 'It's shut!'

 

I think there was also a routine about ventriloquism, where Rex exclaims 'I'm ventilating' (I could be getting this one mixed up with another act on TV).

 

There may be more but that's all I remember.

 

Shame some video hasn't turned up yet. Would love to see some footage.

Hi filmfan,

Thanks for the effort you have put into this post. I never saw them on stage and this gives me a good insight.

Regards, Peter.

Hi filmfan,

 

Thanks for the effort you have put into this post. I never saw them on stage and this gives me a good insight.

 

Regards, Peter.

You're very welcome Peter.

Shame you never saw them on stage, they really were a great act. Their miming and comic timing was spot on.

I never saw them do a poor performance, they always gave it their best and the audiences loved them.

---------- Post added 16-12-2013 at 17:10 ----------

I remember the well I put them on at intake sports club, when I was concert chairman, they were all great lads ad so funny, one time I was in hospital for a good while, and while in recovery they came to visit me a couple of times, and each time they came brought me a huge basket of fruit, ii became good friends with bob

Nice that they took the time out to do that for you. That must mean a lot.

...I do have a 3 Discoes video !!!

Unfortunately it is a recording of a charity night at the Dial House WMC featuring other acts also on the bill , with the late Tony White as compere.

The case cover is just featuring the Discoes on it but they only feature in a 20 min slot - most of which is poor quality by todays standards, filmed probably by camcorder during the early 90's , in the smokey club atmosphere !

I will try and get the video transfered onto DVD over the next week or so , and can make some available copies to anyone interested !?

Hi bracken. Did you manage to get the video transferred to DVD or to a digital format.

Saw them a few times at our club UHWMC, They always filled the clubs and I could never understand why.

yes I remember them very well I was concert chairman at a working mans club at intake and I would book them a couple of times a year and you could hardly get in they were so good, I remember once when I had been badly scalded, and was in hospital for weeks. one day while I was in there, bob and the big lad from the the disco's arrived to see me ad brought me a huge box of fruits for me they were very kind and stayed with me for about an hour unfortunately the big fella died a good few years ago now and I lost touch with bob, I don't know if the other 2 are still alive not not they will be very old now but if they are I wish them well f not RIP BOYS X

A few of us met Rex in August when Joto came over from Canada and we had a meet for her.

Saw them a few times at our club UHWMC, They always filled the clubs and I could never understand why.

Started as Four mimes and at the time were a unique act, first time enjoyable. The second time as Disco's, same act and boring for me. However they had a good following.

How you can say they were boring is unbelievable.Dont know if anyone as mentioned it but me and my brother in law Paul Dunn played football with Roger and Rex for Grimesthorpe boys club both of them were good players Rex was always up to stuff on the field he did not take it to serious.We had a good team maybe some on the forum my have also played.

Rex Bacon retired a while ago due to ill health and Bob also recently retired from running the cee bee agency.....Fab act!!!

bob was a good friend of mine in the late 60s and early 70s. I used to hang around with them during those years especially bob e was a good friend to me especially when I was seriously burned with scalding boiling water they were a grate help to me now and again we would hang around the embassy club at intake may those who have gone rest in peace

Hi does any body no if the 3 discoes a mimes act made any Vid's of there shows in the clubs :)x

---------- Post added 24-06-2017 at 09:12 ----------

Hi does any body no if the 3 discoes ever made a vid of there stage show's .:)

There was a video of their last show at the Dial House from around 2000