Laurence Bond Miller

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Laurence first began writing music note for note on manuscript in the summer of 1972.  He was 18 and had nearly no idea what he was doing.  "This came as a great relief".  Sure he's written songs before, but these weren’t songs.  These were compositions which didn't follow a traditional songwriting format, and always jam packed chock full of the absurd.  For instrumental breaks, instead of figuring out chord progressions (yawn), Laurence would draw hallucinogenic scribblings to inspire the player.  "Why not?"

Laurence formed a band called MARSH CRABBITTS & HIS CLAPFOLD PLATUNE that summer, comprised solely of clarinetists & saxophonists -- good friends of his.  Although some had been formally trained, none were particularly proficient on their instruments.  With little composition theory Laurence began a wonderful time composing bombastic numbers with little expertise.  Several of his bandmates also pitched in with their equally "interesting" compositions. 

This lasted from summer 1972 thru 73 where MARSH CRABBITTS & HIS CLAPFOLD PLATUNE  topped off their short lived career leading The 1st ANN ARBOR OZONE PARADE in the spring of 1973.  Our picture made the front page on the Ann Arbor News (see above).  The band also performed at the 1st ANN ARBOR HASH BASH with an audience of jocks and college kids (long before "out of towners" began their hideous annual mass migrations).  And last but not least, the band triple billed at THE PEOPLE'S BALLROOM with David Swain's band, THE CRUZONICS along side an equally wacked instrumental band they all put together calledTHE HALLUCINATIONS.

MARSH CRABBITTS & His CLAPFOLD PLATUNE was ultimately a loose collaboration of friends and family, as most of Laurence's bands tended to be.  They tried desperately to write something significant in the realm of neo-contemporary classical music (indeed a contradiction in terms) with psychedelic improvisation over top.  They took pride in blindly writing everything out in manuscript, including their "hallucinatory artwork" -- to provide insight, motivation, and direction.  Although purely instrumental at it's initial inception, MARSH CRABBITTS & His CLAPFOLD PLATUNE eventually saw lyrics enter the arena near the end of it's hay day, in the summer of 1973.