Mirage (British band)

Mirage were a progressive rock band in the 1990s.
History
Although generally attributed to Andy Ward and Peter Bardens, the concept of the progressive rock band Mirage was originally formulated by a stalwart fan named Roy Clay while at a Camel performance in 1992.
Camel was formed in 1971 by Andrew Latimer (guitar), Andy Ward (drums), Doug Ferguson (bass) and Peter Bardens (keyboards). By 1977, Ferguson had left; in 1978 Bardens quit to rejoin Van Morrison; and in July 1981 Andy Ward succumbed to drug and alcohol abuse, and attempted suicide. Unable to overcome his addictions, he quit the band in 1983 and left Latimer to fulfill the band’s contractual obligations to the record company as the sole survivor of Camel.
In 1986, Camel went on hiatus. Two years later, Latimer relocated to the USA and set up his own production and recording company, Camel Productions. By 1991, Camel were again building momentum. Roy Clay attended their 17 September ‘92 performance at the Town & Country in London, and saw Andy Ward in the audience. Clay introduced himself as a renowned band manager and convinced Ward he could reunite the original members of Camel and set up recording contracts and sell-out tours. Ward agreed to the proposals.
During 1993 Clay devised his plan to reunite Camel. He contacted Latimer but having set up his own company, Latimer was doing well managing Camel himself. Given Camel’s past history with managers it’s likely Latimer had no interest in handing the reins of his company over to someone he had never heard of and who had no previous management experience, so he quickly declined.
Clay’s next approach was Bardens. Clay’s brother-in-law, Steve Adams, had done some session work for Bardens so he used that connection to pitch his plan to Bardens whose solo career was on the downturn. The idea of reuniting, with the promise of record contracts and world tours, appealed to him.
With half of the original line-up in agreement, Clay contacted Doug Ferguson. He declined to participate. He then asked Richard Sinclair, who had replaced Ferguson in Camel from 1977 to 1978, but he also declined. He used the name Camel to promote Mirage, advertising Mirage as the ‘real’ Camel, claiming Latimer was no longer touring. The use of the Camel name was considered a copyright violation and he was forced to stop using it to promote Mirage. Clay’s plan was for a 30-date tour schedule but booking was difficult and Clay only secured five Pye Hastings fought for the money he was owed, but wasn’t successful. He vented his anger by writing a song about Roy Clay’s defrauding Mirage as manager and titled it “Liar” which he recorded on the Battle of Hastings album. Clay is referenced in the line “Someone has to pay for this feat of clay”.
A live double album, Mirage Live 14.12.94, was released in 1995 (mainly including old Camel and Caravan numbers and several post-Camel pieces by Bardens), but the band members saw no money from sales.
Reformation
In 1996 Bardens and Adams briefly re-launched the band in the U.S. as 'Pete Bardens' Mirage' with Desha Dunnahoe (bass, keyboards, flute, vocals) and Nick D'Virgilio (drums). This lineup recorded a piece for a Genesis tribute album, Supper's Ready (Magna Carta Records). Clay managed this iteration of Mirage as well. The band toured a handful of shows in late 1995 and early 1996, but with a new drummer, Dave Cohen (who had previously worked with Richard Sinclair). The band's set mixed Camel numbers and material from Bardens' solo career. Another live double album, Pete Bardens Mirage Live in Germany, was recorded during the short tour. It was also known as Speed of Light - Live, released by a different label in 1997. Plans for a studio album never materialized. Bardens fired Clay and returned to the U.S. to perform a few one-off shows in early 1997 after which everything dissolved. Bardens nor Mirage ever toured again.
His last performance was September 18, 2001 at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California, sponsored by MusiCares to financially aid Bardens who was terminally ill with cancer. Sadly, Bardens died from lung cancer in 2002.
Legal Problems
In 1998, two years after the demise of Mirage, Roy Clay launched a website called Pete Bardens Earthrise, tying in to Camel and Bardens’ name, to sell merchandise. For several years, he offered bogus product to defraud thousands of fans. Clay never shipped anything, leaving them empty-handed.
In 2006 Clay took on the role of manager for the band Nektar with similar false promises to that of Mirage (recording contracts, sell-out world tours, etc.). But after several months of the band paying Clay’s expenses but receiving no contracts, no sell-out tours and no wages, Nektar became suspicious and demanded Clay produce the recording contract that he’d claimed was under negotiation. After several more months of delaying tactics, Clay produced a signed contract with EMI. It was completely fraudulent. Clay created it on his own computer and forged the signatures. In 2007 Nektar fired Clay and filed a legal complaint for fraud against him.
During that time it was revealed that Clay had also defrauded a private investor of nearly £170,000. In April of 2011 at Sheffield Crown Court, Clay was convicted of fraud, forgery, lies and deception to extract money. He was jailed for 2 years and 11 months. Clay made no restitution to any of his victims.
Discography
Mirage
Mirage - Live 14.12.94 (1995): 2-disc CD, recorded live in 1994 at the Manchester Apollo Theatre in Manchester, UK.
Pete Bardens’ Mirage
Mirage - Live Germany 1996 (1996): Recorded live at the Star Club in Oberhausen, Germany. Album also released under the name “Speed of Light - Live”.

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