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)
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)
18 November 1966 – Wy-Key Club, Burnham Lane, Slough, Berkshire (billed as The Maze, formerly MI5) (Windsor, Slough and Eton Express)
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)
The group became The Maze at this point
18 December 1966 – Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset with The Forbidden Fruit (website: https://bournemouthbeatboom.wordpress.com/)
22 December 1966 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire (Southern Evening Echo)
1967
7 January 1967 – Lion Hotel, Warrington (Warrington Guardian)
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)
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)
22 July 1967 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
23 July 1967 – Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe with The Freebooters (Bournemouth Evening Echo)
28 July 1967 – Beaconsfield Youth Club, Beaconsfield, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
29 July 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The Moody Blues (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
3 August 1967 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Shame (Aldershot News)
5 August 1967 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
12 August 1967 – Lion Hotel, Warrington with Zekes and Do-Does (Warrington Guardian)
13 August 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington (Warrington Guardian)
14 August 1967 – Cambridge Discotheque, Camberley, Surrey (Aldershot News)
20 August 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, London with The Art Movement and The Army (Melody Maker)
26 August 1967 – Cottingham Civic Hall, Hull, Humbershire with The ABC and One In a Million (Hull Daily Mail)
2 September 1967 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks (website: http://aylesburymusictown.co.uk/)
3 September 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, London (Melody Maker)
17 September 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, London (Melody Maker)
21 September 1967 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with support (Aldershot News)
24 September 1967 – Cesar’s Club, Bedford, Bedfordshire (Ampthill News & Flintwick Record)
2 October 1967 – Penny Farthing Club, Southend, Essex (Essex Chronicle/Southend Standard)
7 October 1967 – Caesar’s Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire (Birmingham Evening Mail/Stratford upon Avon Herald) Billed as The Maize
13 October 1967 – Chateau Impney, Droitwich, Worcestershire with Union Blues (Worcester Evening News)
14 October 1967 – Salisbury City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire with Bob Deane (Frogg Moody and Richard Nash’s book Hold Tight!)
28 October 1967 – Penthouse, Birmingham with Winston G (Express & Star)
10 November 1967 – Blaises, London (Melody Maker)
12 November 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington (Warrington Guardian)
3 December 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, London with Taylor Mayde (Melody Maker)
15 December 1967 – Fiesta Hall, Andover, Hampshire (Andover Advertiser)
19 December 1967 – 67 Club, Bracknell, Berkshire (Bracknell News)
21 December 1967 – Cambridge Discotheque, Camberley, Surrey (Aldershot News)
30 December 1967 – Papa’s, Landsdowne, Dorset (Bournemouth Echo)
1968
6 January 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)
11 January 1968 – Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge Discotheque, Camberley, Surrey (Camberley News & Bagshot Observer)
18 January 1968 – Cambridge Discotheque, Camberley, Surrey (Camberley News & Bagshot Observer/Aldershot News)
20 January 1968 – Royal Lido Ballroom, Prestatyn, Wales with The Missing Links (website: www.45worlds.com/live)
3 February 1968 – Lion Hotel, Warrington with Peeps (Warrington Guardian)
17 February 1968 – Sperry Canteen, Sperry, Berkshire with Old Nick’s Train Set (Bracknell News)
22 February 1968 – Cambridge Discotheque, Camberley, Surrey (Aldershot News)
23 February 1968 – Quarry Club, Upper Gornal, West Midlands (Express & Star)
2 March 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
7 March 1968 – Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge Discotheque, Camberley, Surrey (Camberley News & Bagshot Observer/Aldershot News)
8 March 1968 – Bracknell Boys Club, Bracknell, Berkshire (Bracknell News)
9 March 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)
Rod Evans and Ian Paice left in March to join Deep Purple so not sure if they played on next gig
30 March 1968 – Lion Hotel, Warrington with Almost Blues (Warrington Guardian)
27 April 1968 – Weymouth Pavilion Ballroom, Weymouth, Dorset with The Dictators (Dorset Evening Echo/Western Gazette)
5 May 1968 – The Raven, Stechford, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
10 May 1968 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo)
12 September 1968 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham with The Big Stax Show and Little Baby May (Down at the Boat book)
30 November 1968 – Royal Lido Ballroom, Prestatyn, Wales with American Blues Busters and The Hand (website: www.45worlds.com/live)
Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author.
Hi my name is John kozor I’m originally from Chesterfield in th uk but have lived in Australia from age 15 I love your garage band posts and look forward to every one, have you ever considered doing one about Sydney in the era 1965 to1970 I’m particularly interested in finding out about a popular club band known as the Sandmen, unfortunately I keep coming up with deed ends hope you can help regards John.
Some more on the Maze. Assuming it’s all the same group?
16 July 1966 – Lion Hotel, Warrington, Cheshire with The 5AM Event and The Rigg (Warrington Guardian)
18 July 1966 – Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with Champion Jack Dupree, Five Proud Walkers, Wall City Jazzmen and The Deacons (Chester Chronicle)
29 October 1966 – Lion Hotel, Warrington, Cheshire with The Squares and The Colts (Warrington Guardian)
3 December 1966 – Lion Hotel, Warrington, Cheshire with The Nutons and The Colts (Warrington Guardian)
31 December 1966 – Lion Hotel, Warrington, Cheshire with The Mistake and The Others (Warrington Guardian)
3 April 1968 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with The Move (Welwyn and Hatfield Advertiser)
These new ones were billed as MI5
26 February 1966 – Sperry Canteen, Bracknell, Berkshire (Bracknell News)
23 April 1966 – Sperry Canteen, Bracknell, Berkshire (Bracknell News)
27 September 1966 – Kodak Hall, Harrow, London The Ziggy Turner Combo (Harrow Observer)
25 October 1966 – Kodak Hall, Harrow, London with The Beachcombers (Harrow Observer)
15 November 1966 – Kodak Hall, Harrow, London with The Trespassers (Harrow Observer)
The next ones were billed as The Maze after the name change
13 December 1966 – Kodak Hall, Harrow, London with St Louis Union (Harrow Observer)
8 November 1967 – De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex with Clockwork Oranges (Hastings Observer)
14 December 1967 – Crystal Ballroom, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire with Lee (Evening Sentinel)
14 January 1968 – Cosmopolitan, Carlisle, Cumbria with Lemon Line (Cumberland News)
26 January 1968 – Coventry Technical College Union, Coventry, West Midlands with Granny’s Intentions (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
Hi Nick,
I have found references to a ‘The Maze’ up north in the 1960s, so…. we may have some problems with some of these dates below. Do you mean – as written in your update 13 june 19 that these gigs were billed as ‘the Maze’? In that case it’s not ‘our’ band as they didn’t change their name until late 1966?
They played in Milan, Italy for about 3 months early 67 (Feb/Mar/April?), followed by 3 weeks at the Star Club in Hamburg.
Hi i saw Maze in a gig at Caterham Youth Centre in Surrey not sure when, i remember Ian and Rod were in the band, this i guess wa somewhen i 1966, i also remember Ian doing a solo, and how good he was then, i myself was a drummer, and also played that venue quite a few times. Ian played a four piece Ludwig black oyster pearl kit,
The next time i saw them was as Deep Purple on the David Frost show, performing Hush, and was astounded but not surprised that they had made it, happy memories.