Topaz were a vocal harmony group formed in 1969 after Robert Valentine left The Button Hole Band.
The band comprised (left to right): Ian Edlin (vocals), Roy Burchell (drums), Jan Edlin (vocals), Keith Richard (lead guitar) and Robert Valentine (bass/vocals).
The Stardusters went professional in 1963 when they changed name to Unit 4 (no relation to the Ealing band nor the better known Unit 4 Plus 2) to back HMV recording artist Ricky Bowden.
The band comprised (as shown in the above photo, left to right):
Robert Valentine (rhythm guitar)
Brian Ranger (bass)
Graham Willeard (drums)
Richard Miles (lead guitar)
In 1964, Valentine went on to form The Clockwork Oranges.
Photo: Robert ValentinePhoto: Robert ValentinePhoto: Robert ValentinePhoto: Robert Valentine
Formed by Valentine and Parish in early 1968 when The Clockwork Oranges broke up, Brian Brockie had previously played with The Honey Band. The group played at the Witchdoctor in Catford and on one occasion (most likely 17 February), they supported Marmalade.
Thanks to Robert Valentine for the photo and history
Roger Cotton (lead guitar/keyboards/vocals), Robert Valentine (rhythm guitar/vocals), John Parish (drums) and Harry Blakey (bass/vocals). Thanks to Robert for the photo.
Robert Valentine (rhythm guitar/vocals)
Roger Cotton (lead guitar/keyboards/vocals)
Harry Blakey (bass/vocals)
John Parish (drums)
The Clockwork Oranges were formed in early 1964 and were based in southeast England, playing various ballrooms, clubs and dances. When the band split up in 1967, Roger Cotton went on to join Johnny Johnson’s Bandwagon, Brothers Grimm, Peter Green’s Splinter Group, and Buddy Whittington, playing keyboards. Robert Valentine and John Parish formed The Button Hole Band. Cotton passed away in 2016 but the remaining three are still around and Valentine continues to perform.
Late 1967 gig in Hastings, East Sussex. Thanks to Robert Valentine
Many thanks to Robert for providing information about the band
Welcome to another posting of a series of gig listings for 1960s bands. None of these lists is exhaustive and my idea is to add to them in the comments section below over time. They are here for future researchers to draw on. I have also added a few interesting bits of information and will add images in time.
I’d like to encourage band members to get in touch to share memories, or for anyone to send corrections/clarifications to my email: Warchive@aol.com
Equally important, if you attended any of the gigs below or played in the support band, please do leave your memories below in the comments section for future historians to use. If you know of any missing gigs, please add them too, if possible, with the sources.
Photo may be subject to copyright. The Pretty Things, spring 1965
Formed in September 1963, The Pretty Things’ original line up comprised:
Phil May (lead vocals)
Dick Taylor (lead guitar)
Brian Pendelton (rhythm guitar)
John Stax (bass/harmonica)
Pete Kirtley (drums)
Around November 1963, Viv Andrews (aka Viv Broughton), who’d been working with David Bowie in The Hooker Brothers replaced Kirtley.
1964
3 January 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Mike Cotton Band (Rieks Korte’s research)
7 January 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Acker Bilk, Kenny Walsh & Walsh Band (Rieks Korte’s research)
9 January 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Mike Cotton Band (Rieks Korte’s research)
14 January 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Douggie Richford’s London Jazzmen (Rieks Korte’s research)
16 January 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Bob Wallis’ Storeyville Jazzmen (Rieks Korte’s research)
21 January 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Monty Sunshine’s Jazz Band (Rieks Korte’s research)
23 January 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Animals and Jimmy Powell & The Dimensions (Rieks Korte’s research)
28 January 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, Manfred Mann, Alexis Korner, Jimmy Powell, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Zoot Money, Long John Baldry & The Hoochie Coochie Men, The Animals, The Yardbirds and others (Rieks Korte’s research) Cyril Davies benefit concert
30 January 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Jimmy Powell & The Five Dimensions and The Wes Minster 5 (Rieks Korte’s research)
4 February 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Graham Bond’s R&B Quartet and The Art Wood Combo (Rieks Korte’s research)
6 February 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Alex Harvey’s Soul Band and John Lee & The Groundhogs (Rieks Korte’s research)
11 February 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London Graham Bond’s R&B Quartet and The Art Wood Combo (Rieks Korte’s research)
13 February 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Jimmy Powell & The Five Dimensions and The Wes Minster 5 (Rieks Korte’s research)
18 February 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Animals and The Wes Minster 5 (Rieks Korte’s research)
20 February 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Jimmy Powell & The Five Dimensions and John Lee & The Groundhogs (Rieks Korte’s research)
21 February 1964 – Ricky Tick, Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire (Ricky Tick website: https://www.rickytick.com/)
25 February 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Animals and The Art Wood Combo (Rieks Korte’s research)
27 February 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Jimmy Powell & The Five Dimensions and John Lee & The Groundhogs (Record Mirror)
28 February 1964 – Ricky Tick, Plaza Ballroom, Guildford, Surrey (Ricky Tick website: https://www.rickytick.com/)
3 March 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Animals and John Lee & The Groundhogs (Rieks Korte’s research)
5 March 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Alex Harvey Soul Band and The Wes Minster Five (Rieks Korte’s research)
12 March 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Graham Bond’s R&B Quartet and Gene Latter & The Cousins (Record Mirror)
17 March 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Animals and John Lee & The Groundhogs (Rieks Korte’s research)
Photo may be subject to copyright
24 March 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with John Lee and The Groundhogs (Record Mirror/Clapham News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
30 March 1964 – Starlite Club, Penge, Kent (Clapham Advertiser)
31 March 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Animals and John Lee & The Groundhogs (Record Mirror)
7 April 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Falling Leaves (Record Mirror)
Photo may be subject to copyright
13 April 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Hertfordshire (Hertfordshire Express)
14 April 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Mark Leeman Five and The Tridents (Record Mirror)
15 April 1964 – Market Hall, St Albans, Herts (Record Mirror)
19 April 1964 – Phoenix Blues Club, Staines, Middlesex (Record Mirror)
Record Mirror’s 18 April issue, page 8 has a picture of the Viv Andrews’ line up
21 April 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Art Wood Combo and The Impacts (Record Mirror)
24 April 1964 – Ricky Ticky, Star & Garter, Windsor, Berkshire (Record Mirror)
25 April 1964 – Gig in Ruislip, Middlesex (Record Mirror)
26 April 1964 – Phoenix Blues Club, Staines, Middlesex (Record Mirror)
Thanks to John Warburg for sending. Source: Record Mirror. Photo may be subject to copyright
Record Mirror reported that The Pretty Things played at the 100 Club every Tuesday from 28 April to 16 June
Towards the end of April 1964, Viv Prince took over from Viv Andrews on drums
28 April 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Art Wood Combo and The Muleskinners (Rieks Korte’s research)
29 April 1964 – Market Hall, St Albans, Herts (Record Mirror)
30 April 1964 – ABC Croydon, Croydon, Surrey with Billy Fury, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, The John Barry 7 and The Zephyrs (Chris Broom book: Rockin’ and Around Croydon)
1 May 1964 – Gig in Crawley, West Sussex (possibly Starlight Ballroom) (Record Mirror)
Record Mirror reported in its 2 May issue that Viv Prince was on drums but the picture shows Viv Andrews
26 May 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Harps (Rieks Korte’s research)
27 May 1964 – Dancing Slipper, Nottingham (Beat Monthly)
28 May 1964 – Blue Opera Club, Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, Middlesex (Leyton and Leytonstone Guardian/Walthamstow Guardian)
29 May 1964 – Mercers Arms, Coventry (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
30 May 1964 – Rivieria, St Austell, Cornwall (Beat Monthly) This seems implausible considering the geographical distance from Coventry and then to Bexley the next day
31 May 1964 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, Kent (Record Mirror)
Photo may be subject to copyright
1 June 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Hertfordshire (Hertfordshire Express)
2 June 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Art Wood Combo (Rieks Korte’s research)
3 June 1964 – Forum, Oxford (Beat Monthly)
4 June 1964 – Blue Opera Club, Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, Middlesex (Leyton and Leytonstone Guardian/Walthamstow Guardian)
5 June 1964 – Ricky Ticky, High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press/Ricky Tick website: https://www.rickytick.com/)
6 June 1964 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Johnny & The Starliners (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
8 June 1964 – Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, north London (Beat Monthly)
9 June 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Art Wood Combo (Rieks Korte’s research)
10 June 1964 – Market Hall, St Albans, Herts (Record Mirror)
Photo may be subject to copyright
11 June 1964 – Blue Opera Club, Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, Middlesex (Leyton and Leytonstone Guardian/Walthamstow Guardian)
3 July 1964 – Hoveton, Wroxham, Norfolk with Rod Harvey & The Drifting Strangers (Eastern Evening News) Beat Monthly has a gig in Wrexham, north Wales on this date
4 July 1964 – Gig in Rawtenstall (Beat Monthly)
5 July 1964 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, Kent (Record Mirror)
6 July 1964 – Gig in Harrow, Middlesex (most likely Big Beat Club) (Beat Monthly)
7 July 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Farinas (Rieks Korte’s research)
8 July 1964 – Gig in Norwich, Norfolk (Beat Instrumental)
9 July 1964 – Gig in Southsea, Hants (Beat Instrumental)
10 July 1964 – Gig in Plymouth, Devon (Beat Instrumental)
11 July 1964 – Berkeley Grill Crawdaddy Club, Coventry with The Sorrows (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
16 July 1964 – Majestic, Hanley, Staffordshire (Beat Monthly)
17 July 1964 – Winchester Lido, Winchester, Hampshire with The Missing Links (Hampshire & Berkshire Gazette)
18 July 1964 – Assembly, Manchester (Beat Monthly)
19 July 1964 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex (Beat Monthly)
20 July 1964 – Big Beat Club, Harrow, Middlesex (Beat Monthly)
21 July 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Farinas (Rieks Korte’s research)
24 July 1964 – Majestic, Crewe, Cheshire (Rieks Korte’s research)
25 July 1964 – Caribbean Club, Radcaster, Leeds, West Yorkshire (Rieks Korte’s research)
26 July 1964 – Belle Vue, Manchester (Rieks Korte’s research) Beat Monthly has the band playing at the Bromley Court Hotel in Bromley, Kent on this date
27 July 1964 – Gig in Edinburgh, Scotland (Rieks Korte’s research)
28 July 1964 – Public Hall, Wallington, Surrey (Rieks Korte’s research)
30 July 1964 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with Rockin Henri & The Hayseeds (East Kent Times & Mail)
31 July 1964 – Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire with Reg Bassett & His Orchestra and Singers (Crewe Chronicle)
31 July 1964 – Royal Hotel, Lowestoft, Suffolk (Rieks Korte’s research)
2 August 1964 – Gig in Ryde, Isle of Wight (probably Disco Blue) (Rieks Korte’s research)
3 August 1964 – Public Hall, Heacham, Norfolk (Rieks Korte’s research)
6 August 1964 – El Toro, Swiss Cottage, central London (Rieks Korte’s research)
7 August 1964 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Johnny Kaye & The Kossacks and Brent Peters & The Chessmen (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
Photo may be subject to copyright
8 August 1964 – Clacton Town Hall, Clacton, Essex with The Federals (Essex County Standard)
9 August 1964 – Gig in Manchester (Rieks Korte’s research)
11 August 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Brian Knight’s Blues by Six (Rieks Korte’s research)
12 August 1964 – Town Hall, Torquay, Devon with The Bluesounds and Mel Fear & The Fantastic Phantoms (Torbay Express and South Devon Echo)
13 August 1964 – Gig in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire (Rieks Korte’s research)
14 August 1964 – Gig in Bradford, West Yorkshire (Rieks Korte’s research)
15 August 1964 – Wilton Hall, Bletchley, Bucks (Bletchley District Gazette)
16 August 1964 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, Kent (Beat Monthly) Viv Andrews returned for a one-off gig covering for Viv Prince at this venue but it may not have been on this date
18 August 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, London with Brian Knight’s Blues by Six (Rieks Korte’s research)
19 August 1964 – Mayfair Ballroom, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Newcastle Evening Chronicle) First visit to Newcastle
21 August 1964 – Town Hall, Trowbridge, Wiltshire (Rieks Korte’s research)
22 August 1964 – Town Hall, Chippenham, Wiltshire (Rieks Korte’s research)
23 August 1964 – Cavern, Manchester (Beat Monthly)
Photo may be subject to copyright
25 August 1964 – Orford Jazz Cellar, St Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, Norfolk with The Bluebottles (with Mike Patto) (Eastern Evening News) Beat Monthly has the band playing in Southampton on this date
26 August 1964 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, Kent (Beat Monthly)
Photo may be subject to copyright
27 August 1964 – Assembly Hall, Worthing, West Sussex with The Detours (Worthing Gazette)
28 August 1964 – Winter Gardens, Morecambe, Lancashire (Beat Monthly)
Photo may be subject to copyright
29 August 1964 – Marcam Hall, March, Cambridgeshire with The Blobs (Cambridgeshire Times)
30 August 1964 – The Scene, Florida Room, Brighton, Sussex with The Beat Merchants (Evening Argus)
Photo may be subject to copyright
31 August 1964 – Public Hall, Heacham, Norfolk with The Rocking Berries, The Pickwicks, The Continentals, The Tea Time Four, The Delcounts, The Doones and Beats Limited (Lynn News)
1 September 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Brian Knight’s Blues by Six (Rieks Korte’s research)
4 September 1964 – Floral Hall, Morecambe, Lancashire (Beat Monthly) This was most likely nearby Southport
7 September 1964 – Mojo Club, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Rieks Korte’s research)
8 September 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Brian Knight’s Blues by Six (Rieks Korte’s research)
Thanks to Rolf Hannet for providing. Source: Western Scene. Photo may be subject to copyright
9 September 1964 – Corn Exchange, Bristol (Western Scene)
Photo may be subject to copyright
10 September 1964 – Guildhall, Plymouth, Devon (Cornish Guardian)
Photo may be subject to copyright
11 September 1964 – Top Ten Club, Flamingo, Redruth, Cornwall with Shaun & The Shondells (West Briton & Royal Cornwall Gazette)
Photo may be subject to copyright
12 September 1964 – Top Ten Club, New Cornish Riveria Lido, St Austell, Cornwall with Shaun & The Shondells (Cornish Guardian)
13 September 1964 – Gig in Clacton, Essex (Beat Monthly)
14 September 1964 – Bath Pavilion, Bath (Western Scene)
Photo may be subject to copyright
18 September 1964 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, Surrey with Mike Rabin & The Demons and The UKs (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
26 September 1964 – Gig in Lincoln (Beat Instrumental)
27 September 1964 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, Kent (Rieks Korte’s research)
29 September 1964 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
30 September 1964 – Gig in Leicester (Beat Instrumental)
1 October 1964 –Beat City, central London (Beat Instrumental)
2 October 1964 – Queen’s, Leeds, West Yorkshire (Beat Instrumental)
3 October 1964 – Gig in Hinckley, Leicestershire (Beat Instrumental)
Photo may be subject to copyright
5 October 1964 – Silver Blades, Streatham, southwest London with The Bo Street Runners (Clapham Advertiser)
6 October 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Blues by Six (Record Mirror)
13 October 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Blues by Six (Rieks Korte’s research)
15-19 October 1964 – Tour of Scotland (Beat Instrumental)
23 October 1964 – Gig in Milford Haven, Wales (Beat Instrumental)
27 October 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Blues by Six (Rieks Korte’s research)
29 October 1964 – Majestic Ballroom, Luton, Bedfordshire with Bracer Ball (Luton News)
30 October 1964 – Co-op Hall, Peckham, south London (Rieks Korte’s research)
Photo may be subject to copyright
31 October 1964 – Corn Exchange, Cambridge with The Freemen (Beat Instrumental/Cambridge News)
3 November 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Brian Knight’s Blues by Six (Record Mirror)
Photo may be subject to copyright
6 November 1964 – Regal, Edmonton, Middlesex with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Tottenham Weekly Herald) (cancelled)
Photo may be subject to copyright
Chuck Berry replaced P J Proby who cancelled according to Rieks Korte. However, Julien Brice Mansencal says the entire tour was subsequently cancelled as Berry couldn’t get out of existing commitments.
7 November 1964 – Granada, Slough, Berkshire with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
8 November 1964 – Hippodrome, Birmingham Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
10 November 1964 – Odeon, Leicester with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
11 November 1964 – Rialto York, North Yorkshire with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
12 November 1964 – Odeon Bolton, Bolton, Greater Manchester with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
13 November 1964 – Odeon Newcaste, Newcastle upon Tyne with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
15 November 1964 – Palace, Manchester with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
16 November 1964 – Granada, Rugby, Warwickshire with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
17 November 1964 – Gaumont, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
18 November 1964 – Odeon, Liverpool with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
6 November 1964 – Tower Ballroom, New Brighton (Beat Instrumental)
7 November 1964 – Palais, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire (Beat Instrumental)
9 November 1964 – Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, central London (Beat Instrumental)
13 November 1964 – Wimbledon Palais, southwest London (Beat Instrumental)
19 November 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Hell-Raisers (Rieks Korte’s research) Beat Instrumental lists Olympia, Reading, Berkshire on this date
20 November 1964 – Gaumont, Sheffield, South Yorkshire with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
Photo may be subject to copyright
20-21 November 1964 – Empire Pool, Wembley, Middlesex with The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, The Migil Five, The Miami Show Band, Susan Maughan, Lorne Lesley, Julia Rogers, Gene Vincent and The Hustlers (Clapham Advertiser)
21 November 1964 – Town Hall, Loughborough (Beat Instrumental)
22 November 1964 – Winter Gardens, Morecambe, Lancashire with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
Advert for concert that was cancelled. Photo may be subject to copyright
23 November 1964 – Brixton Granada, Brixton, south London with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knights, Tea Time 4, Don Spencer, The Leroys, Kim Weston and Earl Van Dyke Quartet (South East London Mercury) (cancelled)
24 November 1964 – Gauount, Bournmouth, Dorset with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
25 November 1964 – Gaumont State, Kilburn, north London with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
27 November 1964 – Odeon, Romford, Essex with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
28 November 1964 – Odeon, Lewisham, southeast London with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
29 November 1964 – Hippodrome, Brighton, Sussex with Chuck Berry, The Barron Knight’s featuring Duke D’Mond, Kim Weston with The Earl Van Dyke Quartet, Teatime Four and The Leroys (Rieks Korte’s research) (cancelled)
1 December 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Brothers Grimm (Rieks Korte’s research)
2-7 December 1964 – Tour of Scotland (Beat Instrumental)
10 December 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Westsiders (Rieks Korte’s research)
11 December 1964 – Leicester University (Beat Instrumental)
14 December 1964 – The Tower Ballroom, New Brighton with The Others (Liverpool Echo)
15 December 1964 – Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne with The Rockin’ Berries, Julie Rodgers and The Poets (Newcastle Evening Echo)
17 December 1964 – Olympia, Reading, Berkshire (Beat Instrumental)
Photo may be subject to copyright
18 December 1964 – Hillside Ballroom, Hereford with The Ups ‘N’ Downs (Gloucester Citizen)
19 December 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Westsiders (Record Mirror)
22 December 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Blues by Knight (Record Mirror)
29 December 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Blues by Knight (Record Mirror)
31 December 1964 – Northwich Memorial Hall, Northwich, Cheshire (Record Mirror)
Photo may be subject to copyright. The Pretty Things, spring 1965
1965
5 January 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Brothers Grimm (Record Mirror)
Photo may be subject to copyright
7 January 1965 – Pier Pavilion, Worthing, West Sussex with The Teenbeats (Worthing Herald/Worthing Gazette)
Photo may be subject to copyright
9 January 1965 – Drill Hall, Grantham, Lincolnshire with Woody Allen & The Challengers and Maniax (Grantham Journal)
Photo may be subject to copyright
12 January 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Brothers Grimm (Record Mirror)
Photo may be subject to copyright
16 January 1965 – Leyton Baths, Leyton, Essex (Walthamstow Guardian)
19 January 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Crescents (Record Mirror)
20 January 1965 – Bristol Corn Exchange, Bristol (Western Scene)
21 January 1965 – Bath Pavilion, Bath (Western Scene)
26 January 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London (Beat Instrumental)
27 January 1965 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
30 January 1965 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex with The Spooks (Sussex Evening Express)
31 January 1965 – Granada Woolwich, Woolwich, southeast London with The Rockin Berries, The Merseybeats and Julie Rogers (Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times)
1 February 1965 – Parr Hall, Warrington, Cheshire (Beat Instrumental)
Photo may be subject to copyright
2 February 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Loose Ends (Melody Maker)
3 February 1965 – Majestic Hull, Hull (Record Mirror) According to Beat Instrumental, the band toured Ireland from 3-7 February but this seems unlikely
5 February 1965 – Bolton Boneyard, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Record Mirror)
6 February 1965 – Manchester New Century Hall, Manchester and Manchester University, Manchester (Record Mirror)
7 February 1965 – Wembley Starlite, Wembley, west London (Record Mirror)
8 February 1965 – Newcastle Majestic, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Record Mirror)
9 February 1965 – Stamford Hall, Altrincham, Greater Manchester (Beat Instrumental)
Photo may be subject to copyright
11 February 1965 – Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset with The Beat Traders (Western Gazette)
11 February 1965 – Gig in Dunstable, Bedfordshire (may not be California Ballroom) (Beat Instrumental) This seems unlikely
13 February 1965 – Gig in Scarborough (Beat Instrumental)
19 February 1965 – Gig in Tiverley, the Mumbles, south Wales (Beat Instrumental)
Photo may be subject to copyright
22 February 1965 – Galaxy Club, Town Hall, Basingstoke, Berkshire with The Troggs (Hampshire & Berkshire Gazette) Beat Instrumental has the Baths, Eltham, Kent but this is very unlikely with these two gigs
26 February 1965 – Top Spot, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with Dean Prince & The Dukes (Gloucester Citizen)
Photo may be subject to copyright
1 March 1965 – Galaxy Club, Community Centre, Basingstoke, Hampshire with The Troggs (Hampshire & Berkshire Gazette)
2 March 1965 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
Photo may be subject to copyright
3 March 1965 – Majestic Ballroom, Newport, south Wales (South Wales Echo)
6 March 1965 – Florida Rooms, Brighton, Sussex with The Who, The-Bones and Johnny B Great (Evening Argus)
6 March 1965 – Mersey View Ballroom, Frodsham, Cheshire with The Spidermen, The Squad and Rita (Cheshire Observer/Warrington Guardian)
Photo may be subject to copyright
11 March 1965 – Haslemere Hall, Haslemere, Surrey with The James Crow Group (Farnham Herald)
Photo may be subject to copyright
18 March 1965 – Smethwick Baths, Smethwick, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
Photo may be subject to copyright
18 March 1965 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands with The Couriers (Birmingham Evening Mail)
19 March 1965 – Big Beat Nite Out, Fairfield Hall, Croydon, Surrey with The Kinks, The Animals, The Caravelles, Dodie West and Sean Buckley & The Breadcrumbs (Chris Broom book: Rockin’ and Around Croydon)
21 March 1965 – Empire Pool, Wembley, northwest London with Dave Berry & The Cruisers, The Searchers, Kenny Lynch, Elkie Brooks, The Four Pennies, Long John Baldry & The Hoochie Coochie Men, Them, Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, Tommy Quickly, The Fourmost, Lulu & The Luvvers, The Merseybeats, PJ Proby, The Zombies and Kenny Ball (Rieks Korte’s research)
Photo may be subject to copyright
22 March 1965 – Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham with The Kinks, The Animals, Screaming Lord Sutch, Sean Buckley & The Breadcrumbs and Dodie West (Birmingham Evening Mail)
2 April 1965 – Heaven & Hell, Manchester (Rieks Korte’s research)
3 April 1965 – Corn Exchnage, Cambridge (Rieks Korte’s research)
Photo may be subject to copyright
4 April 1965 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, Kent (Melody Maker)
7 April 1965 – Gig in Rochdale, Greater Manchester (Rieks Korte’s research)
8 April 1965 – Manor Lounge, Stockport, Greater Manchester with Just Four Men (Stockport County Express)
Photo may be subject to copyright
10 April 1965 – Cubiklub, St Patrick’s Hall, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire with The Motown Set (Halifax Daily Courier & Guardian)
10 April 1965 – Gig in Wigan, Greater Manchester (Rieks Korte’s research)
11 April 1965 – New Theatre, Oxford with Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, The Artwoods, The Ivy League, Elkie Brooks, Syd & George, The Chapters and The Guards (Oxford Mail) This looks like a tour so the other artists may also have been on the rest of the tour with The Pretty Things and Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders
17 April 1965 – Spalding Ballroom, Spalding, Lincolnshire with Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders (Rieks Korte’s research)
Photo may be subject to copyright
18 April 1965 – De Montfort Hall, Leicester with The Kinks and six other acts (Northampton Chronicle)
19 April 1965 – Gig in Scarborough, North Yorkshire with Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders (Rieks Korte’s research) Unlikely this took place as they were in the Netherlands
19 April 1965 – Blokker Festival, the Netherlands, broadcasted on Dutch Television (Robert Gerretsen research)
24 April 1965 – Gig in Gloucester, Gloucestershire with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, John Barry Seven, The Kestrels and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research/The Stage)
25 April 1965 – ABC Northampton, Northampton with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, John Barry Seven, The Kestrels, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research/The Stage)
27 April 1965 – ABC Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, John Barry Seven, The Kestrels and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research/The Stage)
28 April 1965 – Savoy, Exeter, Devon with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, John Barry Seven, The Kestrels and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research/The Stage)
Photo may be subject to copyright
29 April 1965 – ABC Southampton, Southampton Hampshire with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, John Barry Seven, The Kestrels and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research/The Stage/Southern Echo)
30 April 1965 – ABC Croydon, Croydon, south London with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, John Barry Seven, The Kestrels and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research/The Stage)
1 May 1965 – ABC Dover, Dover, Kent with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, John Barry Seven, The Kestrels and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research/The Stage)
2 May 1965 – ABC Harrow, Harrow, west London with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research)
4 May 1965 – ABC Hull, Hull with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research)
5 May 1965 – Gig in Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research)
6 May 1965 – ABC Carlisle, Carlisle, Cumbria with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research)
8 May 1965 – Theatre Royal, Norwich, Norfolk with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research)
9 May 1965 – Colston Hall, Bristol with Billy Fury & The Gamblers, Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes and The Zephyrs (Rieks Korte’s research)
13 May 1965 – Marquee, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester (Rieks Korte’s research)
Photo may be subject to copyright
14 May 1965 – Top Ten Club, Town Hall, Liskeard, Cornwall with The Blue Beats and People (Cornish Guardian)
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15 May 1965 – Top Ten Club, New Cornish Riveria Lido, St Austell, Cornwall with The Blue Beats and People (Cornish Guardian)
Photo may be subject to copyright
17 May 1965 – Town Hall, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen)
18 May 1965 – Majestic, Newport, Wales (Rieks Korte’s research)
19 May 1965 – Gig in Porthcawl, Wales (Rieks Korte’s research)
20 May 1965 – City Hall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire with Donovan (Rieks Korte’s research) Donovan’s drummer was Skip Alan who would replace Viv Prince in November. The 23 May date suggests there were other artists on the tour
21 May 1965 – Central Pier, Morecambe, Lancashire with Donovan (Rieks Korte’s research)
Photo may be subject to copyright
23 May 1965 – Winter Gardens, Bournemouth, Dorset with Donovan, The New Faces, Unit 4 Plus 2, John L Watson & The Hummelflugs and Chris Carlson (website: https://bournemouthbeatboom.wordpress.com/) Western Gazette just has Donovan and Unit 4 Plus 2
23 May 1965 – Guildhall, Portsmouth, Hampshire with Donovan (Rieks Korte’s research)
Photo may be subject to copyright
24 May 1965 – YOR Club, Parr Hall, Warrington, Cheshire with The Notions (Warrington Guardian)
25 May 1965 – Stamford Hall, Altrincham, Greater Manchester (Beat Instrumental)
26 May 1965 – City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Beat Instrumental)
27 May 1965 – McKilroys, Swindon, Wiltshire (Beat Instrumental)
30 May 1965 – Granaada, Brixton, south London (Beat Instrumental)
3 June 1965 – Gig in Munich, West Germany (Rieks Korte’s research)
4 June 1965 – Gig in Munich, West Germany (Rieks Korte’s research)
5 June 1965 – Gig in Hamburg, West Germany (possibly Star Club) (Rieks Korte’s research)
6 June 1965 – Gig in Hamburg, West Germany (possibly Star Club) (Rieks Korte’s research)
7 June 1965 – Gig in Hamburg, West Germany (possibly Star Club) (Rieks Korte’s research)
11 June 1965 – Ricky Tick, Guildford Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with Blues Syndicate (Ricky Tick website: https://www.rickytick.com/)
12 June 1965 – Probably gig in Stamford Hill, north London (Rieks Korte’s research)
Surrey Mirror, 18 June 1965. Photo may be subject to copyright
18 June 1965 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London (Beat Instrumental)
19 June 1965 – Drill Hall, Scunthorpe (Beat Instrumental)
20 June 1965 – HMS Daffodil, Portsmouth, Hants (Beat Instrumental)
21 June 1965 – Oxford University, Oxford (Beat Instrumental)
25 June 1965 – New Restaurant, Aere Harwell, Oxfordshire with Candy ‘N’ Cookies, Ricky & The Gamblers and The Outcrowd (Oxford Mail) Rieks Korte has the band performing at Harwell Atomic Energy Establishment on this date and looks like same venue
27 June 1965 – Embassy, Burslem (Beat Instrumental)
28 June 1965 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
3 July 1965 – Cavern, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
Photo may be subject to copyright
4 July 1965 – Margate Winter Gardens, Margate, Kent with The Nashville Teens and support (East Kent Times & Mail) Rieks Korte also has Screaming Jay Hawkins and The Clayton Squares
9 July 1965 – Embassy, Burslem (Beat Instrumental)
10 July 1965 – Town Hall, Leek (Beat Instrumental)
11-17 July 1965 – Scottish tour (Beat Instrumental)
18 July 1965 – Gig in Blackpool, Lancashire (Beat Instrumental)
23 July 1965 – 32 Club, Harlesden, north London (Hammersmith & Shepherds Bush Gazette)
24 July 1965 – Witham Public Hall, Witham, Essex with Cops ‘N’ Robbers and The Senates (Essex County Standard)
28 July 1965 – Pool Ballroom, Rhos-on-Sea, Wales with The Motown Sect and The Panzies (North Wales Weekly News)
The Daily Mirror’s 16 August edition noted that The Pretty Things flew off for their New Zealand tour on Sunday, 15 August after a farewell gig in London (the Ad-Lib Club)
19-30 August 1965 – New Zealand tour with Sandie Shaw, Eden Kane, Tommy Adderley, The Chicks and The Mike Perjanik Showband (Defecting Grey website: http://sfsorrow.fr/index.php/1965-2/)
31 August-1 September 1965 – Top 20 Club, Auckland, New Zealand with Larry’s Rebels and The Dark Ages (Defecting Grey website: http://sfsorrow.fr/index.php/1965-2/)
Photo may be subject to copyright
5 September 1965 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex with De Noyzle (Sussex Evening Express)
10 September 1965 – Lucky Stars Club, Staines, Middlesex (Staines and Egham News)
14 October 1965 – Gig in Chesterfield (Beat Instrumental)
15 October 1965 – Gig in Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Beat Instrumental)
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16 October 1965 – Astoria Ballroom, Rawtenstall, Lancashire with The Mustangs and The Saracens (Burnley Express and News)
17 October 1965 – Gig in Doncaster (Beat Instrumental)
18-19 October 1965 – Scottish dates (Beat Instrumental)
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21 October 1965 – Empire Social Club, Neath, south Wales with The Fleetwoods (South Wales Evening Post) This was cancelled when two members fell ill
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21 October 1965 – Glen Ballroom, Llanelly, south Wales with The Smokestacks and The Eyes of Blue (South Wales Evening Post) This was cancelled when two members fell ill
23 October 1965 – Gig in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire (Beat Instrumental)
24 October 1965 – Gig in Southall, west London (most likely Community Centre) (Beat Instrumental)
28 October 1965 – Zars Club, York (Beat Instrumental)
29 October 1965 – Students’ Union, Oxford University (Beat Instrumental)
Photo may be subject to copyright
30 October 1965 – Bury Palais de Danse, Bury, Greater Manchester plus two supporting groups (Bolton Evening News)
31 October 1965 – New Elizabethan, Manchester (Beat Instrumental)
1 November 1965 – Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl, Wales (Beat Instrumental)
3 November 1965 – Bruce Grove Ballroom, Tottenham, north London (Beat Instrumental)
4 November 1965 – City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Beat Instrumental)
5 November 1965 – Gig in Gravesend, Kent (Beat Instrumental)
7 November 1965 – Oasis, Manchester with The Motown Set (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
Skip Alan subbed for Viv Prince on a Scottish tour in November so this seems the most likely date when he took over unless it was the Brighton gig above
8 November 1965 – Town Hall, Iveraray, Scotland (Rieks Korte’s research)
9 November 1965 – Bobby Jones, Ayr, Scotland (Rieks Korte’s research)
12 November 1965 – Town Hall, Falkirk, Scotland (Rieks Korte’s research)
13 November 1965 – Baths Hall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Beat Instrumental)
Photo may be subject to copyright
14 November 1965 – Jungfrau, Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
Photo may be subject to copyright
20 November 1965 – Worsley Civic Hall, Walkden, Worsley, Greater Manchester with Wynder K Frog and The Fendermen (Bolton Evening News)
22 November 1965 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
23 November 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Artwoods (Melody Maker)
Beat Instrumental reports that the band starts a Welsh tour on 25 November
New Musical Express’ 26 November issue reported that Viv Prince had told the music paper that he’d been asked to leave the group. The Pretty Things were on a Scottish tour with a deputy drummer (Skip Alan)
27 November 1965 – Coronation Hall, Ramsgate, Kent (Rieks Korte’s research) East Kent Times & Mail reports that this was rescheduled
New Musical Express’ 3 December issue reported that Viv Prince had agreed to leave. Skip Alan (ex-Them) who had subbed on the recent Scottish tour, was now a permanent member and on tour with the band in Scandinavia.
Billy Harrison, formerly of Them, covered for Dick Taylor when The Pretty Things played in Scandinavia, which may have been this same tour as he flew into Copenhagen.
Photo: Cityweek. Photo may be subject to copyright
Belfast paper, Cityweek, ran an article on former Them guitarist Billy Harrison in its 9 December 1965 issue, page 17 and notes that he has joined The Pretty Things. It adds that he’s currently on tour with them in Holland.
4 December 1965 – British Legion Hall, Coleford, Somerset with David & Jonathan (Somerset Guardian/Western Scene) Six miles from Frome
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5 December 1965 – Mr Smith’s, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
11 December 1965 – Coronation Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent with The System (East Kent Times & Mail)
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14 December 1965 – Hen & Chickens, Langley, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
17 December 1965 – Farnborough Technical College, Farnborough, Hampshire with The Carnaby and The Generation (Aldershot News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
20 December 1965 – Coed Eva Community College, Cwmbran, south Wales with The Marauders and Four of a Kind (South Wales Argus)
21 December 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Artwoods (Melody Maker)
22 December 1965 – Bristol Corn Exchange, Bristol (Western Scene)
31 December 1965 – Matrix Hall, Coventry with The Fairies and The Playboys (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
1966
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1 January 1966 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire (Evening Tribune)
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3 January 1966 – Chatham Town Hall, Chatham, Kent with Blues Syndicate (Chatham, Rochester & Gillingham News)
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20 January 1966 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen)
21 January 1966 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London (Balham & Tooting News and Mercury)
Photo may be subject to copyright
22 January 1966 – Esquire Club, Sheffield, South Yorkshire with Micky Finn’s and Motown Sect (The Star)
25 January 1966 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
16 February 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)
18-19 February 1966 – Danish dates (for more information, visit Defecting Grey website: http://sfsorrow.fr/index.php/1966-2/) ThePretty Things played with The Red Squares and Them (the McAuley brothers’ rival version) on 19 February, so it’s possible that this was when Billy Harrison subbed for Dick Taylor (unless it was late 1965)
21 February 1966 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London (Melody Maker)
23 February 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
4 March 1966 – Ricky Tick, Plaza Ballroom, Newbury, Berkshire (Andover Advertiser/Ricky Tick website: https://www.rickytick.com/)
4 March 1966 – Carfax Ballroom, Oxford (North Berks Herald)
5 March 1966 – Connaught Hall, Southampton University, Southampton, Hampshire with The Confederates (Poster from John Warburg)
Photo may be subject to copyright
6 March 1966 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey with The Condors (Aldershot News/Camberley News)
9 March 1966 – Tower Ballroom, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk with The John Lofty Sounds (Yarmouth Mercury)
11 March 1966 – Regency Ballroom, Bath with Chet & The Triumphs (Western Scene)
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13 March 1966 – Pavilion Ballroom, Buxton, Derbyshire with Hickory Stix (North Cheshire Standard)
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27 March 1966 – Raven Hall, Corby Hotel, Corby, Northamptonshire with The Veldens (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)
8 April 1966 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London (Balham & Tooting News and Mercury)
12 April 1966 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with Jo Jo Gunne (Melody Maker)
16-17 April 1966 – Star Club, Hamburg, West Germany (Star Club book by Manfred Weissleder and Siegfried E Loch)
21 April 1966 – Mayfair Ballroom, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with The Junco Partners, The Jazz Board and Hilton K’s (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)
6 May 1966 – Chislehurst Caves, Chislehurst, southeast London (Melody Maker)
7 May 1966 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire (Nuneaton Evening Tribune)
Photo may be subject to copyright
13 May 1966 – Ready Steady Go Club, Market Hall, St Albans, Herts (Welwyn Advertiser)
14 May 1966 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The Prowlers (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
Photo may be subject to copyright
21 May 1966 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire with The Cryin Shames and The Saracens (Burnley Express & News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
30 May 1966 – Waterside Orchard Club, Hopwood, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
1 June 1966 – Target’s Paul Row, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
9 July 1966 – Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth, Cornwall with Little John & The Giants and Rikki and The Layabouts (West Briton & The Royal Cornwall Gazette)
10 July 1966 – Khyber Club, Taunton, Somerset with The Germs (Somerset County Gazette)
13 July 1966 – Town Hall, Stourbridge, West Midlands (Rieks Korte’s research)
14 July 1966 – Blue Lagoon, Kimbells, Southsea, Hampshire (Portsmouth News)
15 July 1966 – Town Hall, Welshpool, Wales (Rieks Korte’s research)
16 July 1966 – Haggers Cinema, Pembroke, Wales (Rieks Korte’s research)
19 July 1966 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London (Rieks Korte’s research)
2 August 1966 – Plaza Ballroom, Belfast, Northern Ireland with The Mad Lads and Just Five (Belfast Telegraph/Cityweek) The Pretty Things’ first appearance in Belfast
13 March 1968 – Middle Earth, Covent Garden, central London with The Action, Fairport Convention, Blossom Toes and The Track (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
24 March 1968 – New Regis Club, Bognor Regis, West Sussex with The Machine (Brighton Evening Argus)
Photo may be subject to copyright
28 March 1968 – Grafton Club, RAF Marham with Bobby Johnson & The Atoms (Lynn News)
11-13 April 1968 – Piper Club, Rome, Italy (Defecting Grey website: http://sfsorrow.fr/index.php/1968-2/) These may have been Twink’s debut shows with the band
Melody Maker‘s 13 April issue reported that Twink had taken over from Skip Alan on drums.
27 April 1968 – Middle Earth, Covent Garden, central London with Coconut Mushroom (Melody Maker)
11 May 1968 – Grand Pavilion, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire with The Luddy Sammes Soul Packet (Derbyshire Times/Derbyshire Evening Telegraph)
Photo may be subject to copyright
21 June 1968 – Punch Bowl, Lapworth, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
21 June 1968 – The First Holiness Kitschgarden for the Liberation of Love & Peace in Colors, Houtrusthallen, La Hague, the Netherlands (Defecting Grey website: http://sfsorrow.fr/index.php/1968-2/) Robert Gerretsen says that The Pretty Things didn’t appear in the end
22 June 1968 – Middle Earth, Covent Garden, central London with July and Juniors Eyes (Melody Maker)
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4 July 1968 – West of England College of Art, Ashton, Avon with Fairport Convention (Bristol Evening Post)
6 July 1968 – St Thomas Hall, Brentwood, Essex with Pinkerton’s Colours (Essex Chronicle)
Photo may be subject to copyright
11 July 1968 – Ravensbourne College, Bromley, southeast London with The Mojos (South East London Mercury)
27 July 1968 – The Cockpit, Hyde Park, central London (Rieks Korte’s research)
1 August 1968 – Tetbury Show Carnival Week, Marquee, Recreation Ground, Tetbury, Gloucestershire with Johnny Carr & The Cadillacs (Stroud News)
2 August 1968 – Bournemouth Pavilion, Bournemouth, Dorset with Bruce Channel and Dr Marigold’s Prescription (Bournemouth Evening Echo)
3 August 1968 – Torbay Blues and Beat Festival, Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon with Invisible Fish and Flavour (Herald Express)
23 August 1968 – Jazz Bilzen festival, Bilzen, Belgium with The Action, Tyrannosaurus Rex, The Move and Simon Dupree Big Sound (Defecting Grey website: http://sfsorrow.fr/index.php/1968-2/)
Photo: Rudolf Kaes
24 August 1968 – Middle Earth, Covent Garden, central London with Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and Terry Reid (Melody Maker/Poster from Rudolf Kaes)
7 September 1968 – Sport Hotel Spiero, Nieuwkoop, the Netherlands (Robert Gerretsen research)
11 September 1968 – Ancien Stand, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland with The Warren Davis Monday Band and The Shakins (Defecting Grey website: http://sfsorrow.fr/index.php/1968-2/)
18 September 1968 – Country Club, Belsize Park, north London (Melody Maker)
19 September 1968 – Cellar Club, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)
27 September 1968 – Van Dike, Plymouth, Devon with The Fire Brigade (Jonathan Hill’s book Van Dike: The Life & Times of a Plymouth Club 1968-1972)
8 October 1968 – Kew Boat House, Kew, west London (Time Out)
Photo may be subject to copyright
18 October 1968 – Mistrale Club, Beckenham Junction, London with T-Rex and Julian Hirsch (Coulson & Purley Advertiser/Poster)
8 November 1968 – Kew Boat House, Kew, west London (Richmond & Twickenham Times)
15 November 1968 – Fishmonger’s Arms, Wood Green, London with Downliners Sect (Melody Maker)
29 November 1968 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands (Melody Maker)
30 November 1968 – Middle Earth, Covent Garden, central London with Aurieal and The End (Melody Maker)
5 December 1968 – Somerset College of Art, Arts Ball, Country Ballroom, Taunton, Someset with Savoy Brown and Copper-Pot Band (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)
12 December 1968 – Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Waltham Forest Tech College and School of Art with The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
15 December 1968 – City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with Pink Floyd, Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, Deviants and Gordon Smith (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)
19 December 1968 – College of Technology, Maidstone, Kent (Rieks Korte’s research)
22 December 1968 – Country Club, Belsize Park, north London (Melody Maker)
27 December 1968 – Mistrale Club, Beckenham Junction, south London (Rieks Korte’s research)
29 December 1968 – Festival Flight to Lowlands II, Utrecht, the Netherlands with others (Robert Gerretsen research)
1969
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25 January 1969 – Polytechnic, Little Titchfield, central London with Taste (Melody Maker)
25 January 1969 – Middle Earth, Covent Garden, central London with The Egg, Melanie, Glass Menagerie and Dave Brock and Pete Judd (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
31 January 1969 – Fishmonger’s Arms, Wood Green, north London with Jody Grind (Melody Maker/Wood Green & Southgate Weekly Herald)
5 March 1969 – Rag Ball, Lanchester College, Coventry with Julie Driscoll and The Brian Auger Trinity, The Deviants and Blossom Toes (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
Photo may be subject to copyright
8 March 1969 – Reading University Rag, Reading, Berkshire with Pink Floyd and The Gods (Melody Maker)
15 March 1969 – Chelsea College of Science and Technology, southwest London with Barclay James Harvest and Steamhammer (Melody Maker)
16 March 1969 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, Kensington, west London (Time Out)
29 March 1969 – Paradiso, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Broadcasted by VPRO Radio (Robert Gerretsen research)
Photo may be subject to copyright
3 April 1969 – Country Club, Belsize Park, north London with Deviants (Melody Maker)
26 April 1969 – Kee Club, Bridgend, Wales (Rieks Korte’s research)
9 May 1969 – Parliament Hill Fields, north London (Rieks Korte’s research)
11 May 1969 – Country Club, Belsize Park, north London (Time Out)
23 May 1969 – Fishmongers Arms, Wood Green, north London (Time Out)
31 May 1969 – Van Dike, Plymouth, Devon with The Fire Brigade (Jonathan Hill’s book Van Dike: The Life & Times of a Plymouth Club 1968-1972)
Photo may be subject to copyright
9 June 1969 – Friars, Aylesbury, Bucks with Lol Coxhill and Willy Barrett (Melody Maker)
13 June 1969 – North west Poly, Prince of Wales Road, northwest London (Time Out)
27 June 1969 – Avery Hill College Summer Ball, Avery Hill, Eltham, southeast London with The Kinks, Spencer Washboard Kings, The Coloured Raisins and The Derek Cross Dance Band (South East London Mercury)
Photo may be subject to copyright
1 August 1969 – Lyceum, Strand, central London with Marsha Hunt & White Trash and Hard Meat (Melody Maker)
23 August 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands (Melody Maker)
30 August 1969 – Isle of Wight Pop Festival, Ryde, Isle of Wight with many others (Rieks Korte’s research)
3 October 1969 – Acton Town Hall, Acton, west London (Time Out)
4 October 1969 – Regional College, Barking, east London with Barclay James Harvest and Wild Mouth (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
18 October 1969 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with Rare Bird (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
8 November 1969 – University College, Gower Street, central London with Indo-Jazz Fusion (Melody Maker)
Many thanks to Mike Stax for passing on Rieks Korte’s incomplete gig list, which he shared with Stax in the early 2000s. Thanks to Rieks for getting in touch allowing his research. Also, thanks to Rolf Hannet in Germany for providing Beat Monthly and Beat Instrumental gigs.
Ron Paisley – guitar/vocals John Scott – bass Steve Pryor – organ Ray Beresford – drums
Formed in February 1967, The National Existence was a R&B band from southeast London who featured former Carl Douglas drummer Ray Beresford. According to the South East London Mercury they played every Saturday at the Country Club in Sidcup.
The newspaper reported that the group was still working locally in May 1968 and with the same formation (see below).
We’d be interested to hear any more about this band and can also include photos.
Source: South East London MercuryPhoto: South East London Mercury, 23 May 1968South East London Mercury, 23 May 1968
Photo Patrick Campbell-Lyons. The Second Thoughts, spring 1964 outside the Ealing Club. Left to right: Mickey Holmes, Patrick Campbell-Lyons, Vic Griffiths (on van roof), Tony Duhig and Bill Hope.
Patrick Campbell-Lyons (lead vocals)
Tony Duhig (lead guitar)
Mickey Holmes (bass)
Bill Hope (drums)
Ealing, Middlesex band, The Second Thoughts were formed around February 1963 and gave birth to a number of notable bands in the late 1960s – Thunderclap Newman, Nirvana, July and Jade Warrior.
Lead singer Patrick Campbell-Lyons (b. 13 July 1943, Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland) had been active on the local scene for several years with The Teenbeats after arriving in the area from Ireland in the summer of 1961.
Campbell-Lyons made plans to form a new group after running into lead guitarist Tony Duhig (b. 18 September 1941, Acton, Middlesex; d. 11 November 1990), drummer Bill Hope and lead guitarist turned bass player Mickey Holmes in January 1963 (see story below from manager Cyril Brown, which erroneously says 1964).
Holmes had previously been a member of The Krewsaders alongside future Fleetwood Mac bass player John McVie and Holmes’ cousin, rhythm guitarist Peter Carney, who went on to play with Geno Washington’s Ram Jam Band among others.
Named by Holmes, one of The Second Thoughts’ first gigs was opening for The Rolling Stones at their farewell gig at the Ealing Club on 2 March 1963.
Thanks to Cyril Brown, their manager
Basing themselves on The Big Three and The High Numbers (aka The Who), the trio’s blues-rock required a harmonica player and Campbell-Lyons recruited his friend from Brentford, Middlesex, Vic Griffiths, who doubled up on rhythm guitar, around Christmas 1963.
The Second Thoughts would play at the Ealing Club regularly and from spring to summer 1964 would hold down a Sunday residency before landing another house gig in central London at the Studio ’51 Club in Leicester Square.
Photo: Cyril Brown
Around July 1964, the band expanded the line up by adding Duhig’s friend, and the band’s roadie, Jon Field (b. 5 July 1940, Harrow, Middlesex) on organ and congas.
Meanwhile Holmes brought in his former band mate from The Krewsaders, drummer John “Speedy” Keen (b. 29 March 1945, Ealing, Middlesex; d. 12 March 2002) to replace Bill Hope.
Photo: Patrick Campbell-Lyons. Left to right: Speedy Keen, Vic Griffiths, Tony Duhig, Jon Field, Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Mickey Holmes.
That summer, the band played four gigs on the Isle of Wight with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds.
Not long after, The Second Thoughts went into the studios twice. On one occasion, the band recorded tracks at a studio near Denham in Buckinghamshire. The other session took place in a studio in north London. The group covered the T J Arnall’s “Cocaine” at one of the sessions.
Four tracks were cut – “Seventh Son”, “Walking”, “You Gotta Help (Help Me)” and “Looking For My Baby” at one session.
Shelved at the time, the Essex label dug out the recordings for a rare EP in 1997.
The tracks have more recently appeared on The Tomcats’ CD, Running at Shadows: The Spanish Recordings 1965-1966, which was issued on RPM in 2016.
During spring 1965, the band cut more unreleased tracks at RG Jones studio in Morden, near Wimbledon – the Wilbur Harrison classic “Let’s Get Together” and a second version of “Cocaine”.
They also started to play more widely across the Southeast. This included playing US airforce bases in Oxfordshire with Percy Sledge, John Lee Hooker and Jimmy James & The Vagabonds.
The Second Thoughts also made their first trip to Hamburg around March 1965 to perform at the Star Club where they shared the bill with Rory Storm & The Hurricanes and Duane Eddy (Ed. This might have been 1963 not 1965).
The group was performing at Beat City (or 100 Club) on Oxford Street when the musicians were approached by French singer Teddy Raye, who wanted to hire a British backing group for a month initially in Madrid.
The Frenchman, however, didn’t want Patrick Campbell-Lyons, Jon Field or Vic Griffiths for the trip.
Renamed The Gatos Salvaje (The Savage Cats), the band proved to be the main attraction rather than Raye and, buoyed by the response, the musicians made plans to return on their own that summer.
Back in England in May, the musicians brought back Jon Field and recruited singer/guitarist Tom Newman from rival Ealing band The Tomcats.
Performing their final gig at Ealing Town Hall (it’s not clear under what name), the new formation discovered that Keen did not want to return to Spain.
With Keen subsequently moving to Italy in July to join another Ealing band, The Rocking Eccentrics (replacing John Kerrison) with whom he stayed until January 1966, the group recruited drummer Chris Jackson from The Tomcats as his replacement.
Returning to Spain (and renamed Los Tomcats) in June 1965, the band played northern cities like Oviedo and also returned to Madrid but Holmes soon grew tired of living out of a suitcase and came back to the UK. Another former Tomcat, bass player Alan James stepped into his shoes.
Los Tomcats continued working in Spain for a year before returning to England in early 1967 and changing name to July. Duhig and Field would subsequently leave the band and form Jade Warrior in the late 1960s.
Remaining members, Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Vic Griffiths meanwhile formed a new version of The Second Thoughts in late March 1965.
According to the article “Return of the Second Thoughts will delight fans”, published in the Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, dated 9 April 1965, page 13, the new members were Mick Taylor (lead guitar); Chris Thomas (bass); and Keith Reynolds (drums).
The article says the band were due to embark on a US tour but this seems very unlikely. However, it does say that the group recorded six tracks at Soho’s Maximum Sound studios on Sunday, 4 April, which may or may not be the tracks listed above. It adds that these tracks will not be released in Britain but only in the US.
The article, which notes that the other original members are currently in Madrid backing Teddy Raye, notes that the new version will play at Ealing Town Hall, Cardinal Wiseman School in Greenford and Brunel College, Acton.
They were subsequently joined by a returning Mickey Holmes who took over from Chris Thomas but when the band was offered work at the Star Club in Hamburg in November, Holmes left to move into session work and Thomas returned for the German gigs.
Out in West Germany, The Second Thoughts gigged until spring 1966 before finally splitting.
Patrick Campbell-Lyons remained in Hamburg and worked with Swedish band, Lucifer & The Angels, which took him to Sweden. In Stockholm, he then joined local group, The Merrymen (who’d earlier featured Boz Scaggs) but became ill.
Photo: Mirabelle, 1 October 1966 issue
Returning to England in August 1966, he joined forces with former member Chris Thomas in the duo Hat & Tie. The pair recorded a lone single before splitting soon after and Campbell-Lyons went on to form Nirvana.
Two former members of The Second Thoughts found huge success after the band finally split – Chris Thomas became a noted producer, working with The Beatles and Pink Floyd among others, while John “Speedy” Keen formed Thunderclap Newman and scored an international hit with “Something In The Air”.
Notable gigs:
25 May 1963 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (support The Rolling Stones on their last gig at this venue)
19 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
26 April 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
3 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
10 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
17 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
24 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
31 May 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
7 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
14 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
21 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
28 June 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
5 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
10 July 1964 – Attic, Hounslow, Middlesex with Erky Grant & The Tonetts and The Tempests
11 July 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
12 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
19 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
20 July 1964 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, Middlesex with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
25 July 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
25 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (played both weekend nights)
26 July 1964 – Ealing Club, Ealing, Middlesex (Sunday residency)
29 July 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
9 August 1964 – Beat City, Oxford Street, central London with The Tomcats
15 August 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
22 August 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
22 August 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London with The Tridents
23 August 1964 – Beat City, Oxford Street, central London with The Tomcats
8 September 1964 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, Middlesex
9 September 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
12 September 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
16 September 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
16 September 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
18 September 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, west London
19 September 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
20 September 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, west London
22 September 1964 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London with Dave Davani & The D-Men with Beryl
23 September 1964 – Bedsitter Club, Holland Park, west London
3 October 1964 – YWCA Hall, Ealing, Middlesex
8 October 1964 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with The Flexmen
10 October 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Tridents
12 October 1964 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London with John Lee Hooker
16 October 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
17 October 1964 – Witchdoctor, Hastings, East Sussex with Four Plus 1
18 October 1964 – Watford Trade Hall, Watford, Hertfordshire
19 October 1964 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London
20 October 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Tridents
22 October 1964 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with The Challengers, Liverpool Lads and Bob Harvey
23 October 1964 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, Middlesex
23 October 1964 – Ealing Technical College, Ealing, Middlesex
24 October 1964 – Fratton Hall, Portsmouth, Hants
24 October 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London with The Impacts (All Nighter)
31 October 1964 – Twyford School, Acton, Middlesex
5 November 1964 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Graham Bond Organisation
19 November 1964 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with St Louis Checks, The Cromwells and Dave Oades Orchestra
22 November 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
26 November 1964 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex with Frankie Reid & The Casuals
13 December 1964 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
29 December 1964 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London with Alexis Korner
31 December 1964 – Wilton Hall, Bletchley, Bucks with The Invaders (Bletchley District Gazette)
1 January 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
2 January 1965 – Egham Literary Institute, Egham, Surrey
3 January 1965 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hants with The Leeways with Belinda
12 January 1965 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, Middlesex
22 January 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
31 January 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
11 February 1965 – Bromel Club, Bromley, Kent
26 February 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
4 March 1965 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, Middlesex (final gig before the original group split?)
24 July 1965 – Egham Hythe Social Centre, Egham, Surrey with Bern Elliott & The Klan
25 July 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
30 July 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
15 August 1965 – Studio ’51 Club, Leicester Square, central London
4 September 1965 – Egham Hythe Social Centre, Egham, Surrey with Just Five
24 September 1965 – Ealing Town Hall, Ealing, west London with Bob Grant
21 October 1965 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Southern Valley Four
5 November 1965 – King George’s Hall, Esher, Surrey with Just Five
6 November 1965 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire
Gigs taken from many sources including Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, Camberley News and Bagshot Observer,, Kingston & Malden Borough News, Record Mirror, Surrey Comet and Melody Maker. Thanks to Mickey Holmes, Tom Newman and Patrick Campbell-Lyons.
This article originally appeared on the Strange Brew website. I’ve updated it and provided more information since but would like to thank Jason Barnard for posting it on his excellent site.
I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email: Warchive@aol.com
Welcome to another posting of a series of gig listings for 1960s bands. None of these lists is exhaustive and my idea is to add to them in the comments section below over time. They are here for future researchers to draw on. I have also added a few interesting bits of information and will add images in time.
I’d like to encourage band members to get in touch to share memories, or for anyone to send corrections/clarifications to my email: Warchive@aol.com
Equally important, if you attended any of the gigs below or played in the support band, please do leave your memories below in the comments section for future historians to use. If you know of any missing gigs, please add them too, if possible, with the sources.
Photo: Mirabelle, 29 July 1967 issue. Image may be subject to copyright
The Syn evolved out of north London R&B group High Court, which featured guitarist turned lead singer Steve Nardelli and guitarist John Painter.
They changed name to The Syn in late 1965 but soon after brought in three members from rival north London R&B band The Selfs – Chris Squire (bass), Andrew Jackman (keyboards) and Martyn Adelman (drums).
By late 1965, The Syn comprised:
Steve Nardelli (lead vocals)
John Painter (lead guitar)
Chris Squire (bass/vocals)
Andrew Jackman (keyboards)
Martyn Adelman (drums)
29 March 1966 – London Cavern, Holland Park, west London (Melody Maker)
29 March 1966 – The New Casablanca Club, Finchley, north London (Melody Maker)
3 April 1966 – London Cavern, Holland Park, west London (Melody Maker)
Image may be subject to copyright
3 April 1966 – The New Casablanca Club, Finchley, north London (Melody Maker)
11 June 1966 – Thorpedene Community Hall, Thorpe Bay, Essex with The Mustangs (Southend Standard) Is this gig possible with one above?
2 July 1966 – Thorpedene Community Hall, Thorpe Bay, Essex (Southend Standard)
2 July 1966 – Witham Public Hall, House of Aden, Witham, Essex with The Cymbaline (Essex County Standard)
Icelandic drummer Gunner Jokull Hakanarsson joined at this point when Martyn Adelman left. The band went to play the Valbonne near Cannes in the south of France for three weeks during the summer.
6 August 1966 – Salisbury City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire with The Shakedown Sound (Frogg Moody and Richard Nash’s book Hold Tight!)
Image may be subject to copyright
20 August 1966 – Thorpedene Community Hall, Thorpe Bay, Essex (Southend Standard)
26 August 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Gary Farr & The T-Bones (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
27 August 1966 – Cad-Lac Club, Brighton, West Sussex (Evening Argus)
12 September 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The VIPs (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
Image may be subject to copyright
16 September 1966 – Cricketers Inn, Southend, Essex with The Attitude (Southend Standard)
21 October 1967 – Hagger’s Ballroom, Pembroke, Wales (Fabulous 208)
Image may be subject to copyright
22 October 1967 – Cat-Balou, Grantham, Lincolnshire (Grantham Journal)
28 October 1967 – Sussex University, Brighton, West Sussex (Fabulous 208)
2 November 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Quik (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
7 November 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel) Thanks to Geoffrey Mason for photo and source
10 November 1967 – Fiesta Hall, Andover, Hampshire (Andover Advertiser) The Syn were booked to play but One in a Million replaced them
16 November 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Love Affair (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
The band played a three residency at the Op Palladium in Toulon, south of France followed by a short stint at the Bilboquet in St Germain, Paris and this seems the most likely time period.
9 December 1967 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset with The Latest Soul (Bournemouth Echo)
15 December 1967 – West End, Rushden, Northamptonshire (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)
Image may be subject to copyright
24 December 1967 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire with Serendipity (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)
Image may be subject to copyright
6 January 1968 – Nags Head, Motown Club, Wollaston, Northamptonshire with Mick’s Soul Show (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)
Image may be subject to copyright
7 January 1968 – Cat-Balou, Grantham, Lincolnshire (Grantham Journal) This was the band’s final gig
22 March 1964 – The Hilltop, Hatfield, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
18 June 1964 – Breaks Youth Club, Hatfield, Hertfordshire with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
27 June 1964 – ‘Beat Competition’, Westminster Lodge, St Albans, Hertfordshire with The Trekkas and The King Bees (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
10 July 1964 – Willows, London Colney, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
19 July 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts with Johnny Milton & The Condors (Hertfordshire Express)
22 August 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts with Mark Douglas & The Prowlers (Hertfordshire Express)
11 October 1964 – The Hilltop, Hatfield, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
19 December 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Hertfordshire with Steve Marriot’s Moments (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician) Hertforshire Express lists this as The Stormsville Shakers
1965
30 January 1965 – The Hop, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
1 February 1965 – The Hop, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
12-13 February 1965 – Battersea College, London with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
Paul Crowland announced he was leaving on 11 March but stayed until replacement Cliff Franklyn had rehearsed sufficiently to take over.
29 March 1965 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Hertfordshire with Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician/Hertfordshire Express)
12 April 1965 – The Hop, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician) This was Cliff Franklyn’s debut show
2 May 1965 – Melody Maker Beat Competition Heat, Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
15 May 1965 – Porchester Hall, Bayswater, west London with Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
12 June 1965 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Hertfordshire with The Five Sons of Adam (Hertfordshire Express)
15 August 1965 – Melody Maker Beat Competition Final, Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, south west London with St Louis Union, The Tudors, The Carolines and others (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
28 August 1965 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The Paramounts (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
25 September 1965 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Dave Curtiss & The Tremors (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
12 October 1965 – New Greens Youth Club, St Albans, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
6 November 1965 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Force Five (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
1966
29 January 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Chris Andrews and The Roscoe Brown Combination (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
Cliff Franklyn announced he was leaving on 3 February 1966. Mick King took his place as rhythm guitarist.
12 March 1966 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday) This was Mick King’s debut show
18 April 1966 – Barn Cellar, St Albans, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
30 May 1966 – Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge with Desmonde Mode (Cambridge News)
11-12 June 1966 – Supreme Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
13 June 1966 – Supreme Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent with The Alan Price Set (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
21 June 1966 – Sandridge Youth Club, near St Albans, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
Roger Cook announced he was leaving but agreed to stay until replacement Dave Cooper (ex-Op Scene) was ready to take over.
22 July 1966 – Bees Club, Brentford FC, west London (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician) This was Dave Cooper’s debut show
Mick King announced he was leaving in mid-August to join The Trespassers. Paul Griggs’ friends, guitarists Alan Shacklock (from Harlem Shuffle) and Mick Taylor (ex-Juniors) agreed to fill in until a replacement was found.
23 October 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Billy Fury and The Gamblers (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
2 November 1966 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire with Cream (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
Rick Williams from The In-Sect took over on rhythm guitar, joining in late November.
17 December 1966 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Billy Fury & The Gamblers (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
14 March 1968 – Penny Farthing Club, Leicester with The Eyes of Blonde (Leicester Mercury)
21 March 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
22 March 1968 – St Albans Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with The Nashville Teens and West Coast Consortium (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician/Welwyn and Hatfield Advertiser) Debut at the venue
18 April 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
20 April 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Timebox (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
23 April 1968 – Penny Farthing, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
26 April 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
27 April 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Tony Bishop’s Rock and Soul and Fanny Flicker’s Show (Lincolnshire Standard)
28 April 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
13 July 1968 – Starlight Room, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Paberback Edition (Nottingham Evening Post)
23 July 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Paul Griggs’ diary)
24 July 1968 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, west London (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician) This was a 1am show so the band arrived on 23 July
29 July 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
10 August 1968 – White Tiles, Swindon, Wiltshire (Swindon Evening Advertiser)
11 August 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
12 August 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Delroy Williams Show (East Kent Times & Mail)
18 August 1968 – Cat-Balou, Grantham, Lincolnshire (Grantham Journal)
19 August 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Nite People (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
24 August 1968 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
24 August 1968 – The Barn Ballroom, Little Bardfield Hall, Little Bardfield, Essex (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
2 September 1968 – Ford Cortina Day, Mallory Park, Race Track, Leicester (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
7 September 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Spice (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
8 September 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
13 September 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton,north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
16 September 1968 – Dunstable Civic Hall, Dunstable, Bedforshire with Sly & The Family Stone (who didn’t turn up) (Luton News)
27 September 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
6 October 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
12 October 1968 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
25 October 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
6 November 1968 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with Status Quo and Nerve (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician/Welwyn and Hatfield Advertiser)
9 November 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Dream Police (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
10 November 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
15 November 1968 – Nottingham University, Nottingham with Marmalade and The Nashville Teens (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
23 November 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
Octopus’ select gigs:
21 November 1968 – Baldock Workingmen’s Club, Baldock, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician) Debut as Octopus
30 November 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Dream Police (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
18 December 1968 – Gig in Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
20 December 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
21 December 1968 – RAF Benson, Oxfordshire with Plastic Penny (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
29 December 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
31 December 1968 – Gig in Dunstable, Bedfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
1969
1 January 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Yes (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
4-5 January 1969 – Stella Ballroom, Mount Merion, Republic of Ireland (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
18 January 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Spice (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
8 February 1969 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
12 February 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Yes (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
15 February 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Spice (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
6-7 April 1969 (check) – Stella Ballroom, Mount Merion, Republic of Ireland (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
12 April 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Procession (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
4 May 1969 – Tiffany’s, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
Gary Whinyates announced he was leaving on 22 May but stayed until late July.
8 June 1969 – Tiffany’s, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
28 June 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Procession (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
20 July 1969 – Shire Green Working Men’s Club, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
21 July 1969 – Black Swan, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician) This was Nigel Whinyates’ final show
Brian Glascock joined on drums at this point
19 August 1969 – Lyceum, Strand, central London (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
29 August 1969 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with Desmond Dekker (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician) This was the band’s final gig at this venue
14 September 1969 – Tiffany’s, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
27 November 1969 – Baldock Working Men’s Club, Baldock, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
24 December 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
31 December 1969 – Mansfield Palais, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
1970
31 May 1970 – Tiffany’s, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
After this gig, Rick Williams and Brian Glascock both left, the latter joining Toe Fat.
In early July, John Cook from The Mixed Bag joined on keyboards and Malcolm Green came in on drums. The new line-up debuted on 17 July 1970.
Brian Glascock briefly replaced Malcolm Green in early 1971 before Tim Reeves from The Fox took over in late April. However, Octopus split in mid-January 1972.
Paul Griggs’ book (noted above) provided a wealth of information on the comings and goings and is definitely worth purchasing.
7 January 1967 – 3 Men in a Boat, Walsall, West Midlands (Express & Star)
8 January 1967 – Cleveland Arms, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Express & Star)
13 January 1967 – College of Technology Engineering Society, Huddersfield Town Hall, West Yorkshire with The Crying Shames and ‘Bo’ Kelly Legend (Huddersfield Daily Examiner)
15 January 1967 – Cleveland Court Arms, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Express & Star)
20 January 1967 – 3 Men in a Boat, Walsall, West Midlands (Express & Star)
5 February 1967 – Staffs Volunteer, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Express & Star)
6 February 1967 – Plaza Teen Club, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire with The Small Faces and The Lonely Ones (Huddersfield Daily Examiner)
7 February 1967 – Almondbury WMC, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (Huddersfield Daily Examiner)
8 February 1967 – Kingsway Theatre, Hadleigh, Essex with The Spencer Davis Group, Sounds Incorporated, The Fourmost and The James Royal Set (Essex Chronicle)
10 February 1967 – Harvest Moon, Guildford, Surrey with The Net (West Surrey Advertiser)
12 February 1967 – Cleveland Court Club, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Express & Star)
16 February 1967 – Primrose Hill WMC, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (Huddersfield Daily Examiner)
22 February 1967 – Cleveland Court Club, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Express & Star)
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials