Anon (band)
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1965 |
| Defunct | 1966 |
| Headquarters | Surrey , England |
| Products | Music performances, demo recording |
Anon was a musical group established by students at Charterhouse School in Surrey, active from May 1965 until December 1966. This ensemble eventually combined forces with another Charterhouse band, Garden Wall, to create the progressive rock outfit Genesis. The founding members were Rivers Jobe on bass, Richard Macphail as vocalist, Anthony Phillips handling lead guitar, and Rob Tyrrell on drums. Future Genesis member Mike Rutherford joined as rhythm guitarist but was briefly substituted by Mike Colman due to school regulations.
History
The inception of Anon occurred when Anthony Phillips reconnected with Rivers Jobe, his former bandmate from The Spiders during prep school. After joining Charterhouse in April 1965, Phillips assembled Anon with Jobe, Rob Tyrrell, and Richard Macphail. The band's name was inspired by the word "anonymous". Soon after formation, Mike Rutherford became part of the group as rhythm guitarist following an audition.
Anon concentrated on performing covers of songs by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and rhythm and blues artists such as John Mayall. Their sole recorded output was a demo featuring "Pennsylvania Flickhouse," an original composition by Phillips.
Both Anon and Garden Wall members were considered nonconformists within Charterhouse, where popular music was discouraged in favor of classical genres. Their longer hairstyles and frequent visits to pubs led to disapproval from parents and teachers alike. This environment contributed to Macphail's departure over family concerns, Rutherford's temporary exit after his guitar was confiscated, and other lineup adjustments including Mike Colman’s brief involvement.
By July 1966, both Rivers Jobe and Richard Macphail were preparing to leave Charterhouse. Macphail arranged a joint performance involving Anon and Garden Wall, which marked the conclusion of Anon's five-member formation. Jobe went on to join Savoy Brown, while Macphail worked as a sound engineer for Genesis until 1973.
The trio remaining—Phillips, Rutherford (who took over vocal duties), and Tyrrell—persisted until Tyrrell's exit led to the disbandment of Anon in December 1966. Tyrrell later became part of Freddie Mercury’s pre-Queen group, Sour Milk Sea. In January 1967, Phillips and Rutherford joined forces with Garden Wall musicians Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, and Chris Stewart to establish Genesis, with Rutherford acquiring his first bass guitar.
Members
- Rivers Jobe – bass (May 1965 – July 1966; died 1979)
- Richard Macphail – lead vocals (May 1965 – Spring 1966, Spring 1966 – July 1966; died 2024)
- Anthony Phillips – lead guitar (May 1965 – December 1966), rhythm guitar (May 1965)
- Rob Tyrrell – drums (May 1965 – December 1966)
- Mike Rutherford – rhythm guitar (May 1965 – Spring 1966, Spring 1966 – December 1966), lead vocals (Spring 1966, July 1966 – December 1966), bass (July 1966 – December 1966)
- Mike Colman – rhythm guitar (Spring 1966; died 2010)
Lineups
| May 1965 | May 1965 – Spring 1966 | Spring 1966 | Spring 1966 |
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| Spring 1966 – July 1966 | July 1966 – December 1966 | ||
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