Manager Christopher Lee passes

It is with regret that we report the passing of The Inca Babies’ first manager Christopher Lee. After a long illness he died with his family around him in his new home on the Isle of Wight.

Chris was wholly instrumental in creating any success the band enjoyed. He set up meetings with press, pluggers and agents who in the normal scheme of things would have passed us by. He arranged tours far and wide; we must have covered every square inch of the United Kingdom, playing in venues both large and small from the Electric Ballroom to an East Sterling scout hut, he knew all the best places. If we were skint he took us abroad to do a gig in Paris on Persil Vouchers. I know, he did everything a manager was supposed to do.

His planning of a tour was thorough and if things went wrong it was seldom through his lack of an eye for detail, indeed he would always put it right. Once we were about to travel to Germany by our trusty Manchester Van Hire Ford Transit Van, when while travelling down little Peter Street to gather our gear from the Boardwalk, a gust of wind pulled a couple of tons of scaffolding down on the van (Thank you Stanley Scaffolding). The van was pranged out of shape and it was impossible to get a replacement van immediately as much of the tour paperwork had the vehicle’s details within. So Chris quick as a flash got us to Manchester Airport and sent us club class to Hanover for our opening date...you see he even made us feel like rock stars. We also made the front page of the Manchester Evening News; “Inca’s escape” was the caption, with a picture of our bent vehicle...you see he even had time to find a phone (pre mobiles) and tip off the press.

Chris was also a huge influence on the band. His love of the same music as us from The Gun Club, Nick Cave, Foetus, The Cramps, Tom Waites etc meant that he was a true fan, and with patience he soon mixed our live sound. His compilation tapes on tour kept us buzzing and full of passion and excitement for the next gig and whenever there was a low moment he would pick us up with encouragement and often undeserved praise

Chris actually planned his own funeral down to the last detail. As the coffin was carried up the isle of the crematorium Rumble by Link Wray was to be played, but it was to be our version of the tune which closes our debut album Rumble. There were of course other pieces of music played at that service but even in death he paid tribute to us for being allowed to share those years as not the fifth member of the Incas, but probably the first. He was 44.