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.
Mike Berry – lead vocals
Billy Kuy – lead guitar
Colin Giffin – rhythm guitar
Dave Brown – bass
Don Groom – drums
1963
13 April 1963 – Coronation Hall, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey with The Avengers and The Corvettes (Surrey Comet)
28 April 1963 – Essoldo, Brighton, West Sussex with John Leyton, Mike Sarne, Jet Harris and Tony Meehan, Billie Davis, Duffy Power, Grazina, Billy Boyle, Don Spencer, The X-L Five and Dick Ford (Evening Argus)
16 June 1963 – Blue Moon, Hayes, Middlesex (Uxbridge Post)
7 September 1963 – Fairfield Hall, Croydon, Surrey with The Beatles and Pat Dane & The Quiet Five (Chris Broom book: Rockin’ and Around Croydon)
2 October 1963 – Bristol Corn Exchange, Bristol (Western Scene)
11 October 1963 – Farnborough Youth Council, Farnborough, Hampshire with Phil Ryan & The Stormsville Shakers (Aldershot News)
22 October 1963 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with The Lonely Ones (Surrey Advertiser)
21 November 1963 – Majestic Ballroom, Luton, Bedfordshire (Luton News)
22 November 1963 – Winchester Lido, Winchester, Hampshire with The Strangers (Hampshire & Berkshire Gazette)
14 December 1963 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with Steve Crane & The Champions (website: http://peterboroughimages.co.uk/music/?p=8130)
1964
11 January 1964 – Public Hall, Heacham, Norfolk with Vicky Lee & The LA Hucklebugs (Lynn News)
18 January 1964 – Colchester Odeon, Colchester, Essex with The Rolling Stones, John Leyton, Mike Sarne, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Don Spencer, Billy Boyle, Billie Davis & The Leroys and Jet Harris (Essex Chronicle)
1 February 1964 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex with The Sabres (Evening Argus)
8 February 1964 – Granada, Edmonton, Middlesex with The Rolling Stones, John Leyton, Jet Harris, Mike Sarne, Billie Davis & The Leroys and Don Spencer (Tottenham Weekly Herald)
14 March 1964 – Palace Dance Hall, Pier Hill, Southend, Essex with The Confederates (Southend Standard & Essex Weekly Advertiser)
15 March 1964 – Plaza Ballroom, Newbury, Berkshire with Ricky & His Gamblers (Newbury Weekly News)
21 March 1964 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with Johnny Carr & The Cadillacs (website: http://aylesburymusictown.co.uk/)
28 March 1964 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Mike Sheridan & The Nightriders, Rel Jason & The Blue Stars and Johnny Kaye & The Cossacks (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
17 April 1964 – Continental Dancing Club, Edmonton, Middlesex (Tottenham Weekly Herald)
25 April 1964 – Luton Odeon, Luton, Bedfordshire with The Rolling Stones, Mike Sarne, Heinz, Jet Harris and Billie Davis & The Leroys (Luton News)
10 May 1964 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with Johnny Anger & His Wild Ones (Aldershot News)
16 May 1964 – Regal, Edmonton, Middlesex with The Rolling Stones, Peter & Gordon, Heinz, Jet Harris and Billie Davis & The Leroys (Tottenham Weekly Herald)
23 May 1964 – Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Walthamstow, London with two supporting groups (Leyton and Leytonstone Guardian/Walthamstow Guardian)
24 July 1964 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex with The Pitmen (Evening Argus)
15 August 1964 – Top Spot, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire (Gloucester Citizen)
23 August 1964 – Hippodrome, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk with The Migil Five, The Redcaps and The Matadors (Eastern Evening News)
1 September 1964 – Theatre Royal, King’s Lynn, Norfolk with The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Mersey Monsters, The Band of Angels, The Cockneys and Danny Eves & The Strollers (Eastern Evening News/Lynn News)
8 September 1964 – Colchester Odeon, Colchester, Essex with The Rolling Stones, The Mojos, Simon Scott & The Le Roys and Inez and Charlie Foxx (Essex Chronicle/Essex County Standard)
10 September 1964 – Odeon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire with The Rolling Stones, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Simon Scott & The Le Roys and The Mojos (Gloucester Citizen)
3 October 1964 – Royal Edmonton, Edmonton, Middlesex with The Rolling Stones, The Mojos, Simon Scott & The Leroys and Inez and Charlie Foxx (Leyton and Leytonstone Guardian/Walthamstow Guardian)
8 October 1964 – Lewisham Odeon, Lewisham, southeast London with The Rolling Stones, The Mojos, Charlie & Inez Foxx and Simon Scott & The Leroys (South East London Mercury)
10 October 1964 – Southend Odeon, Southend, Essex with The Rolling Stones, The Mojos, Charlie & Inez Foxx and Simon Scott & The Leroys (Southend Standard and Essex Weekly Advertiser)
24 October 1964 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The Blobs (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
3 November 1964 – Guildhall, Plymouth, Devon with The Merseybeats, The Harlequins and The Hunters (Herald Express)
7 November 1964 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Faires (Lincolnshire Standard)
13 November 1964 – Drill Castle, Castle Cary, Somerset (Western Gazette)
14 November 1964 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton, Northamptonshire with The Ravens (Northampton Chronicle & Echo)
14 December 1964 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with J Crow Combo and The Diamonds (Surrey Advertiser)
27 December 1964 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex (Evening Argus/Mid Sussex Times)
1965
16 January 1965 – Stockport Town Hall, Stockport, Greater Manchester with Bern Elliott & The Klan and The Falcons (Stockport County Times)
30 January 1965 – Harpenden Public Hall, Harpenden, Herts with The Prowlers (Luton News)
13 February 1965 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham (website: https://dungeonmods.wordpress.com/)
The band split in spring 1965 and Giffin and Brown formed The End
22 May 1965 – Public Hall, Heacham, Norfolk with The Devil’s Coachmen (Lynn News) Billed as Mike Berry & His New Group, The Outsiders
I found the following dates which were possibly with a new version (perhaps The Outsiders renamed as The Innocents)
27 November 1965 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire with Heinz & The Wild Ones and Johnny Dee Esq (Evening Tribune)
1966
5 February 1966 – Lion Hotel, Warrington, Cheshire with The Silhouttes and The Movements (Warrington Guardian)
12 February 1966 – Victoria Cross Gallery, Wantage, Oxfordshire (North Berks Herald)
5 March 1966 – Town Hall, Louth, Lincolnshire with The Moonspinners (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
11 March 1966 – Disc Club, Salford, Greater Manchester (Lancashire Evening Post)
4 June 1966 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with The Style (Julie Fielder book: What Flo Said Next)
18 June 1966 – North Runcton Sports Club, North Runcton, Norfolk with The Charades (Lynn News)
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29 May 1966 – Winter Gardens, Morecambe
supporting The Who; Phillip Tait & the Stormsville Shakers; She Trinity; “the fabulous new” The Merseys with their Fruit Eating Bears and “introducing” Oscar (Paul Nicholas)
This site has some early ones:
https://bournemouthbeatboom.wordpress.com/
29 March 1964 – Bure Club, Mudeford, Dorset with The Dominators
2 August 1964 – Gaumont Theatre, Bournemouth, Dorset with The Beatles, The Kinks, Adrienne Poste, The Hearts and Tony Marsh
Hello,I,m Billy Kuy,lead guitarist with Mike Berry and the Innocents and I played at all the Venues highlighted here.This as a time of some unforgettable innovations and unrepeatable enthusiasm from some hundreds of young lads who,up to then had never picked up an instrument of any sort.I had worked for about three years with Joe Meek as lead gtr with the Outlaws and that was innovation for you. Wonderfol times.BK.
Hi Billy
Were you still with the band in 1966 for those dates? I know that Colin and Dave left much earlier (probably spring 1965) so do you remember who replaced them?
thanks
Here is a bit of info on Mike Berry and the Innocents.
MIKE BERRY AND THE INNOCENTS (FEB 1963 – AUG 1965)
Mike Berry lead vocals
William John ‘Billy’ Kuy Jnr or Roger Brown lead guitar
Colin Giffin rhythm guitar
Don Groom drums
Mike Berry and the Innocents formed in February 1963 with a line-up of Mike Berry on lead vocals (b. Michael Hubert Bourne, September 24, 1942, Northampton, Northamptonshire, England), Billy Kuy on lead guitar (b. William John Kuy Jnr, December 12, 1940) or Roger Brown on lead guitar (b. January 27, 1944, Woking, Surrey, England), Colin Giffin on sax, rhythm guitar (b. Colin Richard Giffin, September 21, 1943, Edmonton, North West London, England), David Brown on bass (b. David John Leonard Brown, July 2, 1943, Carshalton, Surrey, England) and Don Groom on drums (b. Donald Groom, November 10, 1939, Walthamstow, East London, England).
Friday, March 1, 1963: The Birch Park Palace, Anson Road, Rusholme, Manchester 14, Lancashire, England
Also on the bill: The Country Gentlemen.
Advertised in The Manchester Evening News as Birch Park Palace Anson Road Rusholme. RUS 2655. Friday, March 1 : Mike Berry Jiving 7 30 to 10 45 ” The Country Gentlemen ” Admission only 5/-.
Saturday, May 15, 1963: Saturday Club
Saturday, June 20, 1964: The Ballroom, Hastings Pier, Hastings, West Sussex, England
Also on the bill: Chris Star Orbits.
Advertised as Ballroom Tonight Mike Berry and The Innocents and Chris Star Orbits At Door 6/-. 8-11.45 p.m.
John Warburg got in touch to add more info here:
I have Roger Brown on lead guitar and not Billy Kuy (b. William John Kuy Jnr, 12 December 1940).
MIKE BERRY AND THE INNOCENTS
Mike Berry lead vocals (b. Michael Hubert Bourne, 24 September 1942, Northampton, Northamptonshire)
Roger Brown lead guitar (b. 27 January 1944, Woking, Surrey)
Colin Richard Giffin rhythm guitar, sax (b. Colin Richard Giffin, 21 September 1943, The North Middlesex Hospital, Silver Street, Edmonton, North London)
David Brown bass (b. David John Leonard Brown, 2 July 1943, Carshalton, Surrey)
Don Groom drums (b. Donald Groom, 10 November 1939, Walthamstow, East London)
Formed in February 1963.
Berry under his real name of Mick Bourne had been in The Rebels (from 1958), then as Kenny Lord in Kenny Lord and the Statesmen (1959 – 1960) and finally in Mike Berry and the Outlaws (from Dec 1960).
6 ft David Brown went to Brooklands Technical School to study science. He had been in an early line-up of The Nashville Teens (1960 – 1962). Brown had also been in a young combo called The Plect-Tones who included Mike Pinder on piano (b. Michael Thomas Pinder, 27 December 1941, Erdington, Birmingham, Warwickshire) (who was later in The Moody Blues). They also backed singer Jackie Lynton (b. John Bertram Lynton, 27 February 1940, Shepperton, Middlesex).
5ft 6½ ins Roger Brown went to Guildford Technical School, Guildford to study building and surveying. He turned professional in Early 1962 when he joined Bobby Angelo and the Tuxedos who included Bobby Angelo on lead vocals (b. Robert Hemmings, 24 July 1941, Ham, Surrey).
5ft 6 ins Giffin, the youngest member of the group was educated at Woking Grammar School, Station Road, Woking where he got three O’Levels. He turned professional in Early 1962 when he joined Bobby Angelo and the Tuxedos, I think to replace their original lead guitarist Pete Cresswell (b. Peter Cresswell, February 1944, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey).
6 ft 2ins Groom, the oldest member of the group went to South West Essex Technical School to study drawing. He had been in Mike Berry and the Outlaws (from Sept 1961) and as Roger Groome had been in Bobby Angelo and the Tuxedos (in 1963).
The band split in Spring 1965 and Giffin and Brown formed The End.