Welcome to another posting in 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 and, where possible, I have added the sources used, whether they are newspapers or websites. 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.
THE MAZE:
The following are billed as MI5. They started using the name The Maze in November 1966 but occasionally used the MI5 for a month or so.
1966
12 May 1966 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Tybern Ashes (Aldershot News)
Image may be subject to copyright
The 22 July 1966 edition of the Windsor, Slough and Eton Express, page 5 (see above) has a good story and picture on the band
27 July 1966 – Ricky Tick, Windsor, Berkshire (Windsor, Slough and Eton Express)
30 July 1966 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Ultimate (Julie Fielder book: What Flo Said Next)
31 July 1966 – Britannia Theatre, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk with Dave Berry, Geneve, Oscar, Wolf and Griff and The Stuart Taylor Trio (Yarmouth Mercury)
13 August 1966 – St Clement’s Hall, Southend, Essex with The Avengers and The Spooks (Southend Standard)
19 August 1966 – Cricketers Inn, Southend, Essex with support (Southend Standard)
21 August 1966 – Britannia Theatre, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk with Freddie & The Dreamers Oscar, Geneve, The Versions and The Stuart Taylor Trio (Yarmouth Mercury)
8 September 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Move (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
10 September 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle) Billed as MI5
12 September 1966 – Elm Hotel, Southend, Essex (Southend Standard)
14 September 1966 – Elm Hotel, Southend, Essex (Southend Standard)
3 October 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Artwoods (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
5 October 1966 – Reading University, Reading, Berkshire (Fabulous 208) Billed as MI5
14 November 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Alan Bown Set (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
Image may be subject to copyright
18 November 1966 – Wy-Key Club, Burnham Lane, Slough, Berkshire (billed as The Maze, formerly MI5) (Windsor, Slough and Eton Express)
Image may be subject to copyright
19 November 1966 – The Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website/Hastings and St Leonard Observer) Billed as MI5
26 November 1966 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Ultimate (Julie Fielder book: What Flo Said Next)
22 December 1966 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire (Southern Evening Echo)
1967
7 January 1967 – Lion Hotel, Warrington (Warrington Guardian)
Image may be subject to copyright
The band went and played in Milan, Italy in January for three months, according to the Windsor, Slough & Eton Express (see above). This includes rehearsing at the Piccolo Theatre with the opening night on 15 February.
20-21 May 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, London (Melody Maker)
29 May 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, London with The Moody Blues (Melody Maker)
3 June 1967 – Lion Hotel, Warrington with Technique and In-Time (Warrington Guardian)
4 June 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington (Warrington Guardian)
15 June 1967 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Sneakers (Aldershot News)
Image may be subject to copyright
23 June 1967 – Club Rado, Belfast, Northern Ireland (City Week)
1 July 1967 – Floral Hall, Gorleston, Norfolk with The Soul Doubt (Yarmouth Mercury)
8 July 1967 – Floral Hall, Gorleston, Norfolk with Deep Purple (Eastern Evening News)
14 July 1967 – Chateau Impney, Droitwich, Worcestershire with Delroys Good Good Band (Worcester Evening News)
15 July 1967 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Y Division (Julie Fielder book: What Flo Said Next)
20 July 1967 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Shame (Aldershot News)
Image may be subject to copyright
22 July 1967 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
23 July 1967 – Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe with The Freebooters (Bournemouth Evening Echo)
Welcome to another posting in 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 and, where possible, I have added the sources used, whether they are newspapers or websites. 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.
Image may be subject to copyright
THE ACTION:
1965
17 April 1965 – Goldhawk Social Club, Shepherd’s Bush, London (poster) Billed as The Boys
5 June 1965 – Ticky Rick and Rang-A-Tang Club, Carnival Hall, Basingstoke, Hampshire (Hampshire & Berkshire Gazette) Billed as The Boys
6 June 1965 – Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with The Morons (Lynn News/North Norfolk News)
Image may be subject to copyright
11 July 1965 – Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with The Rockin’ Roosters (Lynn News/North Norfolk News)
15 July 1965 – Birdcage, Kimbells Ballroom, Southsea, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
17 July 1965 – Bolton Palais, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
24 July 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, London, SW15 with Peter Fenton & The Tasty Mob (NME)
19 August 1965 – Birdcage, Kimbells Ballroom, Southsea, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
21 August 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, London, SW15 with Sonny Childe & The Cool School (NME)
26 August 1965 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire with Steampacket, Long John Baldry and Brian Auger Trinity (Dave Allen research)
27 August 1965 – Goldhawk Social Club, Shepherd’s Bush, London with The Birds (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary)
3 September 1965 – The Cavern, Liverpool with The Masterminds and Fritz, Mike and Mo (Phil Thompson’s Story of the Cavern book)
4 September 1965 – Beachcomber, Bolton, Greater Manchester (Bolton Evening News)
3 October 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, London (Melody Maker)
15 October 1965 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
21 October 1965 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds and Johnny B Great & The Quotations (Dave Allen research)
23 October 1965 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Cheaters (Julie Fielder book: What Flo Said Next)
Image may be subject to copyright
23 October 1965 – Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage, Herts with The Living Legends (Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire Express)
24 October 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, London (Melody Maker)
31 October 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, London (Melody Maker)
5 November 1965 – The Cavern, Liverpool with Earl Preston’s Realms (Phil Thompson’s Story of the Cavern book)
7 November 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, London (Melody Maker)
20 November 1965 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
Image may be subject to copyright
27 November 1965 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen)
28 November 1965 – Sunshine Floor, Tavern, Dereham, Norfolk with Ian and Danny Eves & Sound Reformed (Eastern Evening News/North Norfolk News)
5 December 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Who (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live) Billed as The Boys
14 December 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Mark Leeman Five (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
17 December 1965 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
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18 December 1965 – Harpenden Public Hall, Harpenden, Herts with The Spectrum (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
24 December 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Roscoe Brown Combo (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
27 December 1965 – Goldhawk Social Club, Shepherd’s Bush, London (Melody Maker)
30 December 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
31 December 1965 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
1966
1 January 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
2 January 1966 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Down at the Boat book)
4 January 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
8 January 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
11 January 1966 – Bristol Corn Exchange, Bristol (Western Scene)
18 January 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
Image may be subject to copyright
21 January 1966 – Carousel Club, 1 Camp Road, Farnborough, Hampshire with The Soul Pushers (Aldershot News/Camberley News) David Else also has the band playing at the Ricky Tick at Staines Town Hall, Middlesex on this day which is feasible
Image may be subject to copyright
22 January 1966 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen)
21 April 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire (Disc & Music Echo)
25 April 1966 – Bridgwater Town Hall, Bridgwater, Somerset (Disc & Music Echo)
26 April 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Clayton Squares (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
29 April 1966 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London (Melody Maker)
30 April 1966 – Union, Manchester University, Manchester with The Lonely Ones (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
1 May 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Beat Instrumental)
4 May 1966 – Stourbridge Town Hall, Stourbridge, Worcestershire (Beat Instrumental)
5 May 1966 – Kidderminster Town Hall, Kidderminster, Worcestershire (Beat Instrumental)
6 May 1966 – Bluesville, Manor House, north London (Beat Instrumental)
8 May 1966 – Downs Hotel, Hassocks, West Sussex (Beat Instrumental)
13 May 1966 – Ricky Tick, Staines Town Hall, Staines, Middlesex (Disc & Music Echo)
14 May 1966 – Cadillac, Brighton, Sussex (Disc & Music Echo)
15 May 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (The Star)
16 May 1966 – Chatham Town Hall, Chatham, Kent (Beat Instrumental)
17 May 1966 – Corn Exchange, Bristol (Beat Instrumental)
19 May 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Herd (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
20 May 1966 – Zambesi, Hounslow, west London (Melody Maker)
21 May 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Beat Instrumental)
23 May 1966 – Bluesville, Ipswich, Suffolk (Beat Instrumental)
24 May 1966 – Links, Borehamwood, Herts (Beat Instrumental)
25 May 1966 – Tower Ballroom, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (Beat Instrumental)
26 May 1966 – Starlight, Crawley, West Sussex with The Powerhouse Six (Caterham Weekly Press)
27 May 1966 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, London (South East London Mercury) Beat Instrumental has Acton Town Hall on this date but it’s possible they played both
28 May 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
9 June 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (South East London Mercury)
12 June 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Beat Instrumental)
Image may be subject to copyright
13 June 1966 – Queen’s Ballroom, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Express & Star)
14 June 1966 – Grand Black Daffodil, Odeon Ballroom, Chesterfield, Derbyshire (The Star)
16 June 1966 – Bath Pavilion, Bath (Fabulous 208)
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17 June 1966 – Ready Steady Go Club, Market Hall, St Albans, Herts (Welwyn Advertiser)
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18 June 1966 – Uxbridge Blues Festival, Hillingdon Borough Show Ground, Hillingdon, west London with Manfred Mann, The Alan Walker Group and the Steampacket (Middlesex Chronicle)
19 June 1966 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Fabulous 208)
22 June 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, London (South East London Mercury)
24 June 1966 – Durham University, Durham (Fabulous 208)
25 June 1966 – Leeds University, Leeds, West Yorkshire (Fabulous 208)
28 June 1966 – Corn Exchange, Bristol (Fabulous 208)
30 June 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Alan Bown Set (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
1 July 1966 – Iron Curtain Club, St Mary’s Cray, southeast London (Fabulous 208)
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2 July 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
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4 July 1966 – Atlanta Ballroom, Woking, Surrey (Aldershot News/Camberley News) Says Straight from the Marquee in the advert
9 July 1966 – Ricky Tick, Windsor, Berkshire (Fabulous 208)
10 July 1966 – Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent (Fabulous 208)
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10 July 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex with Dion Five (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)
12 July 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Creation (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
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14 July 1966 – Assembly Room, Worthing, West Sussex (Evening Argus/Worthing Herald)
15 July 1966 – Chislehurst Caves, Chislehurst, London (Fabulous 208)
16 July 1966 – Trade Union Hall, Watford, Herts (Fabulous 208)
17 July 1966 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Fabulous 208)
18 July 1966 – Shoreline Club, Bognor Regis, West Sussex (Fabulous 208)
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23 July 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Paul & Barry Ryan, James Royal Set, Rob Storme & The Whispers and The Ferry Boys (Lincolnshire Standard)
26 July 1966 – Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Fabulous 208)
29 July 1966 – Chislehurst Caves, Chislehurst, London (Fabulous 208)
30 July 1966 – Refectory Fields, Blackheath, London (Fabulous 208)
6 August 1966 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen)
23 February 1967 – Salisbury City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire with Systems Go (Frogg Moody and Richard Nash’s book Hold Tight!/Western Gazette)
Image may be subject to copyright
25 February 1967 – Dacorum College, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with The New Conchords (Berkhamstead Gazette, Tring & District News)
28 February 1967 – Ritz, Bournemouth, Dorset with The Bossmen (Bournemouth Evening Echo)
1 March 1967 – Bromel Club, Downham, London (South East London Mercury)
4 March 1967 – Dunelm House, Durham, County Durham (Fabulous 208)
11 March 1967 – University of London, Malet Street, London (Fabulous 208)
16 March 1967 – New Locarno Ballroom, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (The Star)
19 March 1967 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Down at the Boat book)
22 March 1967 – College of Art, Hornsey, London (Fabulous 208)
25 March 1967 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen)
27 March 1967 – Nite Owl, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
1 April 1967 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The Cortinas (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
3 April 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Brom, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
4 April 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Stalkers (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
7 April 1967 – Rugby Town Hall, Rugby, Warwickshire with The Moodoos (Coventry Evening Telegraph/Leicester Mercury)
Image may be subject to copyright
8 April 1967 – Lewes FC Beat Rave, Lewes Town Hall, Lewes, East Sussex with TD Backus and The Powerhouse and The Teen Team (Sussex Express)
14 April 1967 – Civic Hall, Wulfun Halls, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Vogues, Cyril Stapleton & His Band and Reg Bradley & His Band (Express and Star)
Image may be subject to copyright
6 May 1967 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire (Fabulous 208)
19 May 1967 – Memorial Hall, Barry, Wales (Fabulous 208)
20 May 1967 – University of Tech, Loughborough, Leicestershire (Fabulous 208)
25 May 1967 – Garden Club, London (Fabulous 208) This might be in Covent Garden
26 May 1967 – Il Rondo Ballroom, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
27 May 1967 – Hertford Balls, Oxford with Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Swinging Blue Jeans, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Hamilton & The Movement (Cherwell)
3 June 1967 – Victoria Cross Gallery, Wantage, Oxfordshire (Wiltshire Gazette)
13 June 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Prime Apples (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
16 June 1967 – Town Hall, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Fabulous 208)
21 June 1967 – Adam & Eve, Southampton, Hampshire (Southern Evening Echo)
24 June 1967 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
Image may be subject to copyright
1 July 1967 – Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon with Package Deal and Sixth Sense (Torquay Times)
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8 July 1967 – Royal Lido Ballroom, Prestatyn, Wales with The Raynes (website: www.45worlds.com/live)
15 July 1967 – Floral Hall, Gorleston, Norfolk with St Willie Cool School (North Norfolk News)
23 July 1967 – Starlite, Greenford, London with The Syn (Melody Maker)
Image may be subject to copyright
1 August 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with Timebox (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
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5 August 1967 – Town Hall, Clacton, Essex with The Mojos and First Movement (Essex County Standard)
7 August 1967 – Park Hall Hotel, Goldthorn Park, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Del Roy Good Good Band and Dual Purpose (Express & Star)
8 August 1967 – Holywell Community Centre, West Watford, Hertfordshire with Gene & The Cossacks (West Herts & Watford Observer)
Image may be subject to copyright
10 August 1967 – Cleveland Technical College, James Finegan Hall, Eston, Teesside with The Clockwork Orange and The Real McCoy (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
13 August 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
19 August 1967 – South Bank Jazz Club, Grimsby, Humberside (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
27 August 1967 – Rowley Rag, Whiteheath, West Midlands with The Acoustics (Express & Star)
9 September 1967 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Mail)
18 May 1968 – St Joseph’s Hall, Archway, London with Mabel Greer’s Toyshop (Melody Maker)
24 May 1968 – METC Student’s Union, College Refectory, Essex with The Clear Blue Cloud (Essex Chronicle)
Image may be subject to copyright
3 June 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Fantastics (West Briton & The Royal Cornwall Gazette)
15 June 1968 – St Mary’s College of Education, Twickenham, London (Fabulous 208)
22 June 1968 – Hastings Pier, Hastings, East Sussex (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website)
4 September 1968 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (Melody Maker)
Image may be subject to copyright
13 September 1968 – The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London with The Small Faces, Barclay James Harvest, Love Sculpture, Bakerloo Blues Band, Skin, Pete Drummond (Melody Maker)
29 November 1968 – East London Tech, London (Time Out)
30 November 1968 – Imperial College, London (Time Out)
Image may be subject to copyright
13 December 1968 – Fishmongers Hall, Wood Green, London with Sundae Times (Melody Maker)
Welcome to the first 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 and, where possible, I have added the sources used, whether they are newspapers or websites. 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.
Formed in late 1959, Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds comprises the following line-up by spring 1963:
5 April 1964 – Savoy Rooms, Catford, southeast London (Kentish Mercury)
12 April 1964 – Ricky Tick, Olympia Ballroom, Reading, Berkshire (Bucks Free Press)
18 April 1964 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, Tony Holland & The Pack-A-Beats and The Renegades (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
19 April 1964 – Blue Moon, Hayes, Middlesex with The Impacts (Dorothy Bullock list)
21 April 1964 – Fender Club, Kenton, Middlesex with Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
22 April 1964 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Geoff Williams research: Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek book)
30 April 1964 – Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, Essex with Dean Austen & The Dominators (Essex Chronicle)
15 May 1964 – Pussycat Club, Bruce Grove Ballroom, N17, London with The Zephyrs (Tottenham Weekly Herald)
25 May 1964 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, London (Geoff Williams research: Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek book)
David Greenslade joined on keyboards around June and Albert Lee took over from Bobby Taylor on lead guitar.
9 June 1964 – Jumbo Club, King George’s Hall, Esher, Surrey with Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Melody Maker)
18 June 1964 – Civic Hall, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Luton News)
14 October 1965 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, London (Geoff Williams research: Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek book)
23 October 1965 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
24 October 1965 – Ricky Tick, Plaza Ballroom, Guildford, Surrey (Ricky Tick website: https://www.rickytick.com/)
2 November 1965 – Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage, Herts with Colin Wilkie and Shirley Hart (Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire Express)
5 November 1965 – Redcar Jazz Club, Coatham Hotel, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Artwoods, Tony Knight’s Chessmen and The Crawdaddies (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book/Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
11 November 1965 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
12 November 1965 – Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham with The Spencer Davis Group, The King Bees and The Cock O Hoops (Birmingham Evening Mail)
14 November 1965 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
15 November 1965 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Tottenham Weekly Herald)
19 November 1965 – Armco Sports & Social Club, Letchworth, Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts with The Various Others (Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire Express) Colin Jamies, bass player with The Various Others, got in touch to say his group was called The Various Others
21 November 1965 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Down at the Boat book)
6 December 1965 – Star Hotel, Croydon, south London (Chris Broom book: Rockin’ and Around Croydon)
8 December 1965 – Farnborough Town Hall, Farnborough, Hampshire (Aldershot News)
12 December 1965 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with John L Kingdon’s Humperdinks (Mid Sussex Times)
24 December 1965 – Manor House (most likely north London) (Beat Instrumental)
25 December 1965 – Cavern Club, Manchester (Beat Instrumental)
26 December 1965 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire with Jimmy Cliff, Ayshea, Pete Hodges and The New Generation and The Tribe (Evening Sentinel)
27 December 1965 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with The Javelins (East Kent Times)
28 December 1965 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
29 December 1965 – Starlight Ballroom, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (Beat Instrumental)
31 December 1965 – Starlight Ballroom, Greenford, west London (Beat Instrumental)
1966
Bruce Waddell took over from Ricky Charman on bass in January
1 January 1966 – King Edward School, Southampton, Hants (Beat Instrumental)
2 January 1966 – Stonecross Hall, Harlow, Herts (Beat Instrumental)
5 January 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (Melody Maker)
7 January 1966 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Beat Instrumental)
8 January 1966 – Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, Essex (Beat Instrumental)
9 January 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (The Star)
12 January 1966 – Orford Cellar, Norwich (Eastern Evening News)
14 January 1966 – Exeter University, Exeter, Devon (Beat Instrumental)
15 January 1966 – Flamingo, Soho, Wardour Street, central London (Beat Instrumental)
16 January 1966 – Blue Moon, Hayes, west London (Beat Instrumental)
18 January 1966 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, west London (Beat Instrumental)
20 January 1966 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Beat Instrumental)
21 January 1966 – Rialto Club, Derby (Beat Instrumental)
22 January 1966 – Chelsea College, Chelsea, southwest London (Beat Instrumental)
23 January 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
25 January 1966 – College of Advanced Technology, Birmingham (Beat Instrumental)
27 January 1966 – BRC Club, Stafford (Boyfriend magazine)
28 January 1966 – Leeds University, Leeds, West Yorkshire (Beat Instrumental)
29 January 1966 – Big Beat Club, the Ballroom, Two Puddings Hotel, Hackney, north London (Beat Instrumental) Boyfriend magazine also has In Crowd, Hackney as second gig on this night
31 January 1966 – Star Hotel, Croydon, south London (Beat Instrumental)
2 February 1966 – Farnborough Town Hall, Farnborough, Hampshire (Aldershot News)
3 February 1966 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen)
3 February 1966 – Star Hotel, Croydon, London (Chris Broom book: Rockin’ and Around Croydon) Beat Instrumental has this on 31 January and says the band play Blue Moon in Cheltenham today
4 February 1966 – Iron Curtain Club, Sidcup, Kent (Beat Instrumental)
5 February 1966 – Big Beat Club, Stratford (possibly London) (Beat Instrumental)
6 February 1966 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Down at the Boat book)
10 February 1966 – Blue Triangle Club, Ealing, west London (Beat Instrumental)
11 February 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Beat Instrumental)
12 February 1966 – Reading University, Reading, Berkshire (Beat Instrumental)
13 February 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, London (Melody Maker)
14 February 1966 – Manor House, Ipswich, Suffolk (Beat Instrumental)
15 February 1966 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Beat Instrumental)
18 February 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Boyfriend magazine)
19 February 1966 – Marcam Hall, March, Cambridgeshire (Beat Instrumental) Advertised as Markham Hall so just needs confirmation/Boyfriend magazine has the band at Leascliff Hall, Folkestone on this date
23 February 1966 – Orford Cellar, Norwich (Eastern Evening News)
25 February 1966 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Beat Instrumental)
26 February 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Beat Instrumental)
27 February 1966 – Cosmo Club, Carlisle, Cumbria (Beat Instrumental)
28 February 1966 – Top Rank, Queen’s Ballroom, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Beat Instrumental)
1 March 1966 – Top Rank, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Beat Instrumental)
2 March 1966 – Rag Week ’66, College of Advanced Technology, Great Hall, Gosta Green, West Midlands with Acker Bilk (Birmingham Evening Mail)
15 March 1966 – Civic Hall, Grays, Essex (Beat Instrumental)
17 March 1966 – Locarno Ballroom, Burnley, Lancashire (Beat Instrumental)
18 March 1966 – Durham University, Durham (Beat Instrumental)
19 March 1966 – Burton’s, Uxbridge, west London (Beat Instrumental)
20 March 1966 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Beat Instrumental)
21 March 1966 – Majestic Ballroom, Reading, Berkshire (Beat Instrumental)
23 March 1966 – Swansea University, Swansea, Wales (Beat Instrumental)
24 March 1966 – Brighton University, Brighton, Sussex (Beat Instrumental)
27 March 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
Dave Quincy and Gerry Temple both left around about now reduced the band to a quintet.
6 April 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, London (Melody Maker)
11 April 1966 – Redcar Jazz Club, Coatham Hotel, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Artwoods, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds and The Rockhouse Band (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book/Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
14 April 1966 – West Bromwich Baths, West Bromwich, West Midlands (Trend & Boyfriend)
15 April 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Trend & Boyfriend)
24 April 1966 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent (Chatham, Rochester and Gillingham News)
During May, Dave Greenslade briefly left to join Julian Covey & The Machine as they support John Lee Hooker on a UK tour but returned to The Thunderbirds soon after.
1 May 1966 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, London (South East London Mercury)
Photo: John Treais
7 May 1966 – RAE Assembly Hall, Farnborough, Hampshire with Five Proud Walkers (Aldershot News)
8 May 1966 – Dereham Tavern, Dereham, Norfolk with Ian and Danny Eves with Sounds Reformed (Eastern Evening News)
14 May 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
15 May 1966 – Downs Hotel, Hassocks, West Sussex with Mike Stuart Span (Mid Sussex Times)
17 May 1966 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, London (Geoff Williams research: Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek book)
18 May 1966 – Orford Cellar, Norwich (Eastern Evening News)
20 May 1966 – Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with The Cherokees (Berkhamsted Gazette & Tring and District News)
22 May 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (South East London Mercury)
25 May 1966 – Top Rank Ballroom, Cardiff, Wales (Beat Instrumental)
27 May 1966 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, west London (Melody Maker)
28 May 1966 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London with The Stormsville Shakers (Melody Maker)
29 May 1966 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Beat Instrumental)
30 May 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire with John McCoy’s Crawdaddies (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
31 May 1966 – Corn Exchange, Bristol (Disc & Music Echo)
1 June 1966 – Farnborough Town Hall, Farnborough, Hampshire (Aldershot News/Camberley News)
3 June 1966 – Bruce Grove Ballroom (Beat Instrumental)
4 June 1966 – Co-op Hall, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire and Beachcomber, Nottingham (Beat Instrumental)
5 June 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Beat Instrumental)
6 June 1966 – Atlanta Ballroom, Woking, Surrey (Aldershot News)
9 June 1966 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire (Beat Instrumental)
10 June 1966 – Mr McCoys, Middlesbrough (Beat Instrumental)
11 June 1966 – Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage, Hertfordshire with Saracens (website: http://www.coda-uk.co.uk/60’s_music_scene.htm) This is missing from Beat Instrumental/Trend and Boyfriend has Drill Hall, Stamford Links on this date. However, Hertfordshire Express does
Thanks to Colin Fox for the photo
13 June 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex with 4-Bidden (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)
15 June 1966 – Top Rank Ballroom, Doncaster, South Yorkshire (Beat Instrumental)
16 June 1966 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Beat Instrumental)
17 June 1966 – Keeble College, Oxford (Beat Instrumental)
18 June 1966 – Toft’s, Folkestone, Kent (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
19 June 1966 – Sunshine Ballroom, East Dereham, Norfolk (Beat Instrumental)
20 June 1966 – Christ College, Oxford (Beat Instrumental)
23 June 1966 – Hastings College 1066 Rag Appeal Dances, Pier Ballroom, Hastings, East Sussex with The In Crowd (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website/Beat Instrumental/Hastings and St Leonards Observer)
24 June 1966 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Beat Instrumental)
25 June 1966 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The Wreckers (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
25 June 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Beat Instrumental)
26 June 1966 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London (Fabulous 208)
27 June 1966 – Manor House, St Matthew’s Baths, Ipswich, Suffolk (Fabulous 208)
30 June 1966 – Ritz Ballroom, Skewen, South Wales (Fabulous 208)
1 July 1966 – Gaiety Ballroom, Grimsby (Beat Instrumental)
2 July 1966 – Spa Ballroom, Bridlington (Beat Instrumental)
3 July 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
4 July 1966 – Top Rank, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Beat Instrumental)
6 July 1966 – Orchid Ballroom, Purley, London (Chris Broom book: Rockin’ and Around Croydon) Beat Instrumental has Bromley Court Hotel on this date which is still possible
11 July 1966 – Top Rank Ballroom, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
13 July 1966 – Top Rank Ballroom, Doncaster, South Yorkshire (Fabulous 208)
14 July 1966 – Mayfair Ballroom, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Beat Instrumental)
16 July 1966 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with Billy Storm & The Original Falcons (Cambridgeshire Times)
17 July 1966 – Beachcomber Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
19 July 1966 – Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon with Raynors’ Secrets and The Travellers (Herald Express)
23 July 1966 – Blue Lagoon, Kimbells, Southsea, Hampshire (Portsmouth News)
24 July 1966 – Starlite, Greenford, northwest London with The En-Devers Ltd (Melody Maker)
29 July 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Fabulous 208)
The South East London Mercury’s 29 July 1966 edition, page 1, has a good band story and picture. The line up is Chris Farlowe, Albert Lee, Bruce Waddell, Ian Hague and Dave Greenslade
30 July 1966 – New Cornish Riviera Lido, St Austell, Cornwall (West Briton & Royal Cornwall Gazette)
31 July 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (South East London Mercury)
2 August 1966 – Locarno Ballroom, Bristol (Evening Post)
4 August 1966 – Locarno Ballroom, Bristol (Evening Post)
6 August 1966 – Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire (Fabulous 208)
9 August 1966 – Ram Jam, Brixton, London (Melody Maker)
11 August 1966 – Ricky Tick, Harpenden Public Hall, Harpenden, Hertfordshire (Poster)
12 August 1966 – The Gaff, North Bar, Banbury, Oxfordshire (Fabulous 208)
13 August 1966 – Drill Hall, Grantham, Lincolnshire with The Delcounts and Breed (Grantham Journal)
18 August 1966 – Bedford Corn Exchange, Bedford (Bigglewade Chronicle)
23 August 1966 – Kinema, Dunfermline, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
25 August 1966 – Palais, Dundee, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
26 August 1966 – City Hall, Perth, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
27 August 1966 – Market Assembly Hall, Carlisle, Cumbria with The Atoms and The Conquests (Cumberland News)
28 August 1966 – Redcar Jazz Club, Coatham Hotel, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Skyliners (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book/Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
29 August 1966 – Grays Club, Grays Court, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Fabulous 208/Beat Instrumental)
31 August 1966 – Mr Magoos, Edinburgh, Scotland (Beat Instrumental)
1 September 1966 – Mr Magoos, Edinburgh, Scotland (Beat Instrumental)
3 September 1966 – King Mojo Club, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Beat Instrumental)
4 September 1966 – Olympia Ballroom, Cromer, Norfolk (Beat Instrumental)
8 September 1966 – Assembly Hall, Worthing, West Sussex (Worthing Herald)
9 September 1966 – Beat Festival, Scunthorpe United Football Ground, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, The Troggs, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, The Ram Jam Band, The Creation, The Mindbenders and The Fenmen (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
10 September 1966 – Casino Ballroom, Taggs Island, Hampton Court, Middlesex (Fabulous 208)
16 September 1966 – Corn Exchange, Newbury, Berkshire (Fabulous 208)
17 September 1966 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Otis Redding & his American Band, The Gates of Eden, The Rising Sons and The Ferryboys (Lincolnshire Standard)
18 September 1966 – The New Scene, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
18 September 1966 – Beachcomber, Nottingham with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Nottingham Evening Post)
22 September 1966 – Salisbury City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire with The Impacts (Frogg Moody and Richard Nash’s book Hold Tight!)
23 September 1966 – Top Spot, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with Mike Starr & The Citizens (Gloucester Citizen)
24 September 1966 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London (Beat Instrumental)
29 September 1966 – New Yorker Discotheque, Swindon, Wiltshire with The Soul Men (Swindon Evening Advertiser)
30 September 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Good Time Band (Melody Maker)
1 October 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
1 October 1966 – Paris Olympia, Paris, France with The Alan Price Set (Disc & Music Echo) Clashes with Birdcage gig above so may not have happened
2 October 1966 – Dereham Tavern, Dereham, Norfolk with Eyes of Blond (Eastern Evening News) Fabulous 208 refers to this venue as The Sunshine Floor
7 October 1966 – Marine Ballroom, Morecambe, Lancashire (Fabulous 208)
8 October 1966 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire with The Invasion (Fabulous 208/Evening Sentinel)
8 October 1966 – King’s Hall, Stoke, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
14 October 1966 – Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Rogues (Fabulous 208/Evening Star)
15 October 1966 – Floral Hall, Southport, Lancashire (Fabulous 208)
In mid October, the band joined The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Georgie Fame, Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, Eric Burdon & The New Animals and The Eyes of Blue for a package tour (see details in comments)
15-21 January 1967 – Garrick, Leigh, Greater Manchester (St Helens Newspaper/Fabulous 208)
22-23 January 1967 – Club Latino, South Shields, Tyne & Wear (Fabulous 208)
22-23 January 1967 – Dolce Vita, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Fabulous 208)
3 February 1967 – Leicester University, Leicester, Leicestershire (Fabulous 208)
4 February 1967 – University Park, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (Fabulous 208)
10 February 1967 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London (Fabulous 208)
10 February 1967 – Battersea College, Battersea, south London (Fabulous 208)
11 February 1967 – Queen Mary’s College, Mile End, east London (Fabulous 208)
13 February 1967 – Liverpool University, Liverpool with The Searchers (Fabulous 208)
18 February 1967 – Town Hall, Morley, West Yorkshire (Fabulous 208)
19 February 1967 – Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Bluecaps (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book)
24 February 1967 – Durham University, Durham with Alan Price Set (Fabulous 208)
3 March 1967 – Clouds, Derby, Derbyshire (Fabulous 208)
4 March 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Edwin Starr and The Cool Combination, Root and Jenny Jackson & The Hightimers and Ray Bones (Fabulous 208 and Lincolnshire Standard)
4 March 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
7 March 1967 – St Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, Norfolk with Sensational Anglians (Eastern Evening News)
9 March 1967 – Locarno Ballroom, Coventry, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
10 March 1967 – Public Baths, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire with The Alan Price Set (The Star)
10 March 1967 – Nottingham Tech College, Nottingham with Robert Hirst & The Big Taste, Our Young and The In Crowd (Nottingham Evening Post)
11 March 1967 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with The Nite People (East Kent Times & Mail)
15 March 1967 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with The Question (Cambridge News)
18 March 1967 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London (Melody Maker)
20 March 1967 – Star Hotel, Croydon, south London (Fabulous 208)
23 March 1967 – The Cavern, Liverpool with The Fix and The Klubs (Fabulous 208/Phil Thompson’s Story of the Cavern book)
25 March 1967 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire with The Academy (Dave Allen research)
27 March 1967 – Barnsley Civic Hall, Barnsley, South Yorkshire with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, The Tiles Big Band, The Pityful and Moss’s Mixtures (Barnsley Chronicle & South Yorkshire News/Melody Maker)
27 March 1967 – Northwich Memorial Hall, Northwich, Cheshire (Crewe Chronicle)
31 March 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex (Crawley Advertiser)
5 April 1967 – St Michael’s Youth Centre, Sydenham, southeast London with Citations (Fabulous 208)
8 April 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with Lunar-2 Honey Band (Melody Maker)
9 April 1967 – Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, central London (Fabulous 208)
14 April 1967 – Il Rondo, Leicester, Leicestershire (Fabulous 208)
15 April 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands (Express and Star)
18 April 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Wynder K Frog (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
20 April 1967 – Town Hall, Loughborough, Leicestershire (Fabulous 208)
21 April 1967 – Gondola Club, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire (Fabulous 208)
22 April 1967 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire (Nuneaton Evening Tribune)
24 April 1967 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
30 April 1967 – Starlite, Greenford, northwest London with Shinn (Melody Maker)
In early May, Dave Greenslade left to join Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band. Ian Hague departed about the same time to join PP Arnold & The Nice. Carl Palmer took his place on drums.
5 May 1967 – Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham (Fabulous 208)
7 May 1967 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London (Melody Maker)
12 May 1967 – Central Pier, Morecambe, Lancashire (Fabulous 208)
13 May 1967 – Nottingham University, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (Fabulous 208)
20 May 1967 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with The Motown Trinity (Cambridgeshire Times)
20 May 1967 – Night Owl, Leicester with Pesky Gee (Fabulous 208/Leicester Mercury)
21 May 1967 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham (Fabulous 208)
23 May 1967 – Swansea College, Swansea, Wales (Fabulous 208)
26 May 1967 – Town Hall, Loughborough, Leicestershire with Mike Stuart Band (Fabulous 208/Leicester Mercury)
27 May 1967 – The Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands with The Protection Racket (Birmingham Evening Mail)
10 June 1967 – Supreme Eastern Esplanade, Ramsgate, Kent with Len Marshall Show (East Kent Times & Mail)
11 June 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
13 June 1967 – Caius College, Oxford, Cambridge with Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Fabulous 208) Disc & Music Echo has 14 June
17 June 1967 – Toft’s, Folkestone, Kent (Fabulous 208/Melody Maker)
18 June 1967 – Brands Hatch Radio London Motor Racing and Pop Festival, Brands Hatch, Kent with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich and Episode Six (Sutton & Cheam Advertiser)
23 June 1967 – Benn Memorial Hall, Rugby, Warwickshire (Fabulous 208)
24 June 1967 – Hull University, Hull (Disc & Music Echo)
25 June 1967 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
30 June 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Syrian Blues and All Night Workers (Melody Maker)
7 July 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Chanters (Melody Maker)
9 July 1967 – Pavilion, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (Fabulous 208)
11 July 1967 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Geoff Williams research: Decca Studios and Klooks Kleek book)
23 September 1967 – Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset (Fabulous 208)
24 September 1967 – Hotel Leofric, Coventry, West Midlands with Legay (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
30 September 1967 – Bracknell Sports Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire with The Ziggy Turner Mob (Windsor, Slough and Eton Express/Bracknell News)
5 October 1967 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Fabulous 208)
6 October 1967 – Queens Rink Ballroom, Hartlepool, County Durham with The Sect and The Tony King Sound (Hartlepool Mail)
7 October 1967 – Reading University, Reading, Berkshire (Fabulous 208)
8 October 1967 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, northwest London (Fabulous 208)
14 October 1967 – Southampton University, Southampton, Hampshire (Fabulous 208) 15 October 1967 – Beau Brummel Club, Alvaston Hall Hotel, Nantwich, Cheshire with Phil Ryan & The Scorpions (Crewe Chronicle)
21 October 1967 – At the Union, Manchester with The Waterboard (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle)
22 October 1967 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
23 October 1967 – Staffordshire Yeoman, Stafford (Stafford Newsletter)
28 October 1967 – Sheffield University, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Fabulous 208)
29 October 1967 – Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Skyliners (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book)
17 November 1967 – Salford University, Salford, Greater Manchester (Fabulous 208)
18 November 1967 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with The Dual Purpose (East Kent Times & Mail)
22 November 1967 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
25 November 1967 – St James’ Spectacular, Chesterfield, Derbyshire with The Shape of The Rain (Derbyshire Times)
30 November 1967 – Queen’s Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
During December Pete Solley joined on keyboards.
1 December 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex (Fabulous 208)
7 December 1967 – Marimba, Middlesbrough (Disc & Music Echo)
8 December 1967 – Crown & Cushion, Perry Barr, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
16 December 1967 – Westminster Technical College, Westminster, central London with Hamilton’s Blues Messengers (Melody Maker)
21 December 1967 – Central Hall, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (The Star)
23 December 1967 – Leyton Baths, Leyton, east London (Disc & Music Echo)
23 December 1967 – Lotus Ballroom, Forest Gate, east London (Newham & Stratford Express)
31 December 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
31 December 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Old Hill, Bearwood, West Midlands (Express & Star)
1968
5 January 1968 – Chateau Impney, Droitwich, Worcestershire (Fabulous 208)
6 January 1968 – Southend gig (but not sure of venue) with support (Southend Standard)
7 January 1968 – Tudor Club, Mercers Arms, Coventry, West Midlands (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
8 January 1968 – Park Hall Hotel, Goldthorn Park, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Finders Keepers and Barmy Barry Show (Express & Star)
12 January 1968 – Leicester College of Education (Scraptoft), Leicester with Deuce Coupe and Pandoras Box (Fabulous 208/Leicester Mercury)
13 January 1968 – Alex’s Disco, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Frogg Moody and Richard Nash’s book Hold Tight!)
14 January 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex (Crawley Advertiser)
28 January 1968 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
30 January 1968 – Cheltenham Spa Lounge and Ballroom, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen)
2 February 1968 – Queen’s Hall, Leeds, West Yorkshire with Chuck Berry, The Herd, The Move, Edwin Starr, Brian Auger Trinity, Julie Driscoll, Sammy Small, The Union Blues Rave Band, Th Accent (Yorkshire Evening Post)
19 February 1968 – Mercers Arms, Coventry, West Midlands (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
25 February 1968 – Swan, Yardley, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
29 February 1968 – Zodiac Club, Eden Park Hotel, Beckenham, southeast London (Melody Maker)
3 March 1968 – Redcar Jazz Club, Coatham Hotel, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Friendly Apple (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book/Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)
7 March 1968 – City of Coventry Confederation of Colleges, Locarno Ballroom, Coventry, West Midlands with The Spencer Davis Group, St Louis Union and Piccadilly Line (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
8 March 1968 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
16 March 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The New England Mood (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
16 March 1968 – Glastonbury Town Hall, Glastonbury with Generation (Somerset County Gazette)
23 March 1968 – Glastonbury Town Hall, Glastonbury, Somerset with Generation (Western Gazette)
29 March 1968 – Crown and Cushion, Perry Barr, West Midlands with The Vogues (Birmingham Evening Mail)
31 March 1968 – 76 Club, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire (Burton Daily Mail)
1 April 1968 – Mercers Arms, Coventry, West Midlands with The Soul Express (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
12 April 1968 – Club Rado, Belfast, Northern Ireland with The Shades of Blue (City Week)
13 April 1968 – Club Rado, Belfast, Northern Ireland with Taste (City Week)
20 April 1968 – Winter Gardens, Banbury, Oxfordshire with Wages of Sin (Brackley Advertiser)
21 April 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
27 April 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with Le Gaye (East Kent Times)
28 April 1968 – Hotel Leofric, Coventry, West Midlands (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
6 May 1968 – Queen Mary Ballroom, Dudley Zoo, West Midlands with Sound Syndicate (Express & Star)
8 May 1968 – Top Rank Suite, Leicester with Simon Peters (Leicester Mercury)
11 May 1968 – Kesteven College, Grantham, Lincolnshire with The Cortinas (Paul Griggs book)
According to Paul Griggs, Albert Lee did not appear at the above gig and he recommended his friend Alan Shacklock as a replacement when Lee left soon after.
17 May 1968 – Mistrale Club, Beckenham Junction, southeast London with The Purple Dream (Coulsdon & Purley Advertiser)
Shacklock auditioned at a pub in Islington around this time, by which point bass player Bruce Wadell had departed and Solley played the bass pedals on his Hammond.
24 May 1968 – Victoria & Bull, Dartford, Kent (Fabulous 208)
25 May 1968 – College of Technology, Slough, Berkshire (Fabulous 208)
1 June 1968 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with Granny’s Attic (Cambridgeshire Times)
9 June 1968 – Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Keith Herd Group (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book)
Around this time Pete Solley left to join Los Bravos and Peter Robinson took over on keyboards. Bruce Waddell also returned to play bass.
14 June 1968 – Club Rado, Belfast, Northern Ireland (City Week)
In mid July, Carl Palmer left to join The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Palmer recommended his friend John Bonham, who has been working with Tim Rose.
Bonham has already been approached to form a new band that will become Led Zeppelin but will perform with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds until late August.
20 July 1968 – Condor Club, Arbroath, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
27 July 1968 – Alex’s Disco, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Frogg Moody and Richard Nash’s book Hold Tight!)
1 August 1968 – Fishmonger’s Arms, Wood Green, north London (Melody Maker)
2 August 1968 – Mistrale Club, Beckenham, southeast London (Fabulous 208)
3 August 1968 – Seagull Ballroom, Ryde, Isle of Wight (Fabulous 208)
8 August 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Candy Choir (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
10 August 1968 – The Factory, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)
16 August 1968 – Boat House, Kew, west London (Thames Valley Times)
17 August 1968 – The Factory, Birmingham (Fabulous 208)
John Bonham left at the end of August to join The New Yardbirds who soon change name to Led Zeppelin.
Colin Davy, who has been playing with Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, took his place.
31 August 1968 – Elms Court, Botley, Oxford (Fabulous 208)
2 September 1968 – Bank Holiday, Bluesology Festival, Chateau Impney, Droitwich, Worcestershire with Fleetwood Mac, The Move, The Freddy Mack Show and Family (Melody Maker)
2 September 1968 – Billing Aquadrome, Northamptonshire with Joe Cocker and Soul Committee (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)
13 September 1968 – Victoria Cross, Wantage, Berkshire (Fabulous 208)
13 September 1968 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire with The Curiosity Shoppe (Warrington Guardian)
14 September 1968 – Drill Hall, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire with Donell Jackson and Broadway Crowd (Grantham Journal)
18 September 1968 – YMCA, Tunbridge Wells, Kent (Fabulous 208)
21 September 1968 – Drill Hall, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire with Donnell Jackson and The Broadway Crowd (Grantham Journal/Leicester Mercury)
22 September 1968 – Tudor Club, Mercer’s Arms, Coventry, West Midlands (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
2 October 1968 – Bag O’Nails, Kingley Street, Soho, central London (Fabulous 208)
3 October 1968 – Broken Wheel, Macclesfield (Fabulous 208)
4 October 1968 – Goldsmith College, New Cross Gate, London (Fabulous 208)
13 October 1968 – Union Rowing Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
18 October 1968 – Chelsea College, Chelsea, London (Fabulous 208)
19 October 1968 – Bangor University, Bangor, Wales (Fabulous 208)
1 November 1968 – Brunel University, Uxbridge, London (Melody Maker)
3 November 1968 – Bridge Place Country Club, Bridge near Canterbury, Kent (Kent Herald)
13-14 December 1968 – Scene Two, Scarborough, North Yorkshire (Scarborough Evening News)
19 December 1968 – Shipley Club, Watton, Norfolk (Fabulous 208)
22 December 1968 – Bird Cage, Harlow, Essex (Fabulous 208)
28 December 1968 – Malvern Winter Gardens, Malvern, Worcestershire with The Basin Street Jump Band (Malvern Gazette)
1969
17 January 1969 – Teachers Training College, Edgbaston, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
18 January 1969 – St Mary’s Technical College, Twickenham, west London (Fabulous 208)
19 January 1969 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Fabulous 208)
23 January 1969 – Alex’s Disco, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Frogg Moody and Richard Nash’s book Hold Tight!)
1 February 1969 – Hatfield College, Hatfield, Herts (Fabulous 208)
7 February 1969 – The Factory, Birmingham (Fabulous 208)
8 February 1969 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with Dream Police (Folkestone & Hythe District Herald)
14 February 1969 – Leeds University, Leeds, West Yorkshire (Fabulous 208)
16 February 1969 – Carousel Club, Piccadilly, central London (Fabulous 208)
1 March 1969 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
9 March 1969 – 76 Club, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire (website: http://www.76club.org.uk/gigs.html) This may be Farlowe’s final gig with The Thunderbirds – Melody Maker notes 9 March was the last one.
When the band split, Alan Shacklock went on to play with Babe Ruth. The rest of the band recorded as The Hill.
Many thanks to Alan Shacklock for his help in clarifying the band’s final lineups.
The Tierdrops, back row left to right: Rick Shelton and Wendell Peterson; front row: Joey Wilbur, George Browning, and Steve Hill
The Tierdrops performing at the Pine Grove in Portsmouth, NHSteve Hill sent in the cool photos and news clippings about the Tierdrops, a fellow band to the Devil’s Own, and one of several groups from Portsmouth, New Hampshire in the mid-60s. Steve gives info on the band:
The Tierdrops were a Portsmouth top 40 rock band. We were the house band for the EM club at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and frequently played at the Pine Grove Pavillion as well as the PAL club in Lewiston, ME and the PAL club in Rockland, ME.
Joey Wilbur – lead singer Rick Shelton – lead guitar George “Spike” Browning – organ Steve Hill – bass guitar Wendell “Pete” Peterson – drummer
“Spike” Browning managed the Devil’s Own and us. Joey played guitar with the Devil’s Own and later became our lead singer and Spike wanted to play so he came to us and became our organist. We did not record a record. Spike did record us on many occasions with his Akai reel to reel, however, the tapes are lost.
We had tried out to become a “surf” band along with bands such as the Rockin’ Ramrods, the Pilgrims, the Techniques, and several others and were accepted, however, I was drafted before we had our first gig as a surf band.
Thank you for keeping the bands of that era alive.
Steve Hill
Awesome lineup: Tierdrops, Devil’s Own, & the Cobras!
The Alan Franklin Explosion have received some attention from collectors of private underground albums, but this 45 is worth discussing. Both “Piece of My Heart” and “Bye Bye Baby” were taken from Alan Franklin’s second LP, the one that has his b&w photo and both “The Alan Franklin Explosion” and “The Blues Climax” on the front cover, on the Horne label, J.C. 888-L.
Franklin was from Tampa, Florida, but recorded at Bee Jay Recording Studio in Orlando. The musicians were:
Alan Franklin – lead vocals, rhythm guitar Chris Russel – lead guitar Buzzy Meekins – bass Dave Dix – drums
Apparently this was not an actual band but consisted of some teenage musicians invited to play with Alan in the studio. David Dix would go on to join the Outlaws.
“Piece of My Heart” is a wild, weird come-on. “Bye Bye Baby” more conventional blues-based rock. The label was Horne, with a release # J.C. 888-4. These two songs were included on the first side of the album, Alan Franklin Explosion – The Blues Climax cut in 1969 and 1970. Alan Franklin produced and Bill Vermillion engineered. Alan Franklin wrote all the songs, published by Penetraion Sound Publishing Company.
The notes on the back cover of the LP are worth quoting in full for their hype:
This is a wild savage approach to hard rock blues combining vicious jungle rock rhythm with very tight and lightening fast rhythm and lead progressions with a base that goes right inside of you. The vocals are wild and insane yet loving and caressing. The sound that these four cats put out is so fantastic that you won’t be able to turn it off. This is a new sound, a sound as wild and free as the Climax itself. For the Climax is made up of four rebellious wild fanatical musicians who literally go insane on stage, causing riots at every performance. People are going all the way with the Blues Climax. If you like hard rock music then you will love the Blues Climax.
– Albert Freeman ~ Penetration Publishing Company
The LP was chosen as Album of the Week in a small ad featuring “Brite Star’s Pick Hits”, run by a Nashville promotion company that was probably paid for the endorsement.
Alan Franklin’s first LP was called simply Blues Climax, recorded about 1968. The musicians are only Alan Franklin on guitar and vocals and Ray Vaughn on drums. It was released with red Horne labels, J.C. 333-7. Three of songs on this first would appear on the second LP in somewhat more polished versions. This earlier version of “Piece of My Heart” is so amazingly raw and crude, with great Bo Diddley type rhythm guitar playing:
His next LP seems to be titled Alan Roy Franklin released sometime in the 1970s. I haven’t heard any of it, nor his 1980 LP, Come Home Baby, credited to The Alan Franklin Explosion. This last one has a cover that has to be seen to be believed: Alan reclines on a bed, long-haired and shirtless, a jug of wine, copy of High Times, some cash and what looks to be a bong next to him on the red velour sheet.
Unfortunately I cannot recommend a google search for “Alan Roy Franklin”. I can only hope this is not the same Alan Franklin as turns up in the results.
The Statics are an obscure band from the St. Louis, Missouri area. In the spring of 1968 they cut their only single. “Again and Again” veers from a slow start to a hurried pace and back again, with some very gloomy organ playing and frantic drumming.
The Library of Congress catalog shows it was copyrighted in April, 1968 as simply “Again”, featuring words by Lanny McCormick and music by Bob Gleitze, who seems to have signed my copy of the 45.
The designated A-side was “I Can’t Hold It Back”, a sedate ballad also written by McCormick and Gleitze, but this side suffers from a constant high-pitched sound throughout the song.
Produced by Albert Gleitze, and with a credit to Leeander Productions at 2335 Weaton in the Hanley Hills section of St. Louis, a little north of Washington University. Seems to be the only release on the JB Leeander label.
The band had one further copyright for a song called “You Didn’t Believe Me”, again by McCormick and Gleitze, and submitted by Mark Schieferle in November 1968.
The Original Sinners formed at Yale University in New Haven. Robert Brentson Smith wrote “You’ll Never Know (What Love Is All About)”, which borrows the opening riff of the Stones’ “Empty Heart” for an archetypal garage single, with put-down lyrics, good harmony vocals, harp and a guitar break.
Brent Smith and Stew Metz wrote the stomping, bluesy “(Any Time You Need Me) I’ll Be Home”, freshened like the flip by good harmonies and balance in rhythm & lead guitar.
Both songs were copyrighted in April of 1966 with Cowardly Lion Music BMI. Produced by Bass & Reiser, it was released in May, 1966 on Discotech DTR-1001 (stamped Columbia custom pressing code ZTSP 122156/7 – 1A).
There’s no link between this Discotech label and the Ohio label that had cool releases by the Nomads and others.
The Bristols have a 45 well-known among soul collectors, “(Go Away) With a Girl Like Her” / “Where Am I Going”. Cash Box gave it a positive review in August, 1967.
According to a youtube comment from band member Dale Monette:
The black label was the first issue of the recording. After Audio Dynamics re-released it on the white label. It was engineered by Don Carmody who owned the studio, and Dick Booth who was a great guy and helped us get airplay on WHYN is Springfield MA and other stations around the western New England area in the summer of 1967. It rose to number 11 on the WHYN top 40. It stayed on the chart 8 weeks.
The band was from Worcester, Massachusetts, and included Dave Rivers on vocals and Dale Monette on drums. Judging from song writing credits on their first 45, other members may have been Gabrenas and Strom.
Much more obscure is their second single, also on Audio Dynamics. “Cross Your Heart” has some of the soulfulness of their first single, but I like the slow dreamy quality of the flip, “I Need Only You”. Both sides lack the commercial production of the “(Go Away) With a Girl Like Her” / “Where Am I Going”.
Like their first single, there’s a credit to Dick Booth for arrangment and production, but no song writing credits, only the Audyn Music BMI publishing.
The Audio Dynamics discography is a jumble of different codes, making an exact release chronology difficult. Some releases have numbers ending three digits beginning with 6: the Pentagons is 671, the first Bristols 45 672, and the second Bristols single has 673 on one side and 674 on the other. The Chain Reaction single has 682 in the code.
The Nomads were from the Toledo and Sylvania, Ohio area.
Members were:
John Radabaugh – lead vocals Carter Rae – lead guitar Jerry NcNutt – bass Jim Smith – drums
They released their only single in June, 1967, it was actually recorded at Motown Studios in Detroit.
“I Need Your Love” is stellar 12-string harmony rock, with an interesting middle section. It was written by Carter Rae and John Radabaugh and published by B-W Music, Inc. BMI.
“Willow Wind” is a Kingston Trio cover; the Nomads version is a favorite of some teen doo-wop fans.
The Nomads opened for the Byrds. Johnny Paris of Johnny and the Hurricanes used to sit in with them sometimes. Chip Davis, later of Mannheim Steamroller, was a drummer with the Nomads for a time.
The band broke up when members entered college.
Gary Rhamy produced the 45. Discotech was his label and also released the Last Exit’s “It’s The Same The Whole World Over” and the Sands ov Tyme.
Credited as a WilMat-Rhamy Production, his partners were Willis Parker and engineer Bob Matthews.
Gary Rhamy became chief engineer of United Audio in Youngstown, which he renamed Peppermint Productions Recording Studio in the early ’70s.
The Bacchantes were a studio creation of producer Carsten “Kit” Haaland. Kit Haaland ran the Bacchanalia label and production company in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with enough of a presence to get a listing in the Billboard Buyer’s Guide for five years running from 1968-1972, once with Tom McBryde and DanTaylor listed as Vice Presidents.
Beginning in 1967, Haaland registered a number of songs with the Library of Congress copyright office, including such intriguing titles as “Sun Machine Goddess”, “Bad Dream”, “Focus Your Love Lamp Baby”, “Get Off Your Rock” and “I Want You, Big Man”. I’d like to see the lyrics for these as Haaland seems to have had some message he was trying to deliver.
This single also appears to be from 1967. “Child of the Morning Sun (Bacchanalia #9)” was one of the first songs Haaland copyrighted. The production is upbeat baroque-psychedelic with female vocals. “I’m Leaving You (Bacchanalia #3)” has complicated shifts in tempo and melody.
A second single has “I’m Leaving You (Bacchanalia #3)” done in a soul style with a different arrangement and vocalists. This exists on a white label with blue print, No. G-1219. The A-side has a vocal version credited to the Bacchantes, the flip is an instrumental track credited to Daddy Bacchus Basic.
As far as I can tell, these were the only releases on the Bacchanalia label.
If music was a dead-end for Haaland, he received much more attention for his next venture as an expert on UFO sightings. A 1975 profile in the Kingsport Times-News states “Dr. Kit Haaland is a physicist in the Oak Ridge National Laboratories, currently working on a study of how the nation might survive a hypothetical nuclear war. In his spare time, he directs a group of about 40 scientists who are establishing a tracking network for aerial phenomena [UFOs].”
I believe Carsten Haaland passed away in December 2010.
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
18 March 1967 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London (Melody Maker)
15 October 1967 – Beau Brummel Club, Alvaston Hall Hotel, Nantwich, Cheshire with Phil Ryan & The Scorpions (Crewe Chronicle)
