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 STUART SPAN

Stuart Hobday – lead vocals

Nigel Langham – lead guitar

Roger McCabe – bass

Ashley Potter – keyboards

Gary Murphy – drums

Hobday and McCabe had worked together in The Mighty Atoms which morphed into The Extremes during 1965 and later included Langham and Potter. They changed name to The Mike Stuart Span in mid-1965 when Mike Clayton took over their management.

Before the turn of the year, the group add four horn players; two trumpet players and two saxophone players. These include trumpet player Gary Parsley and sax player Dave Plumb.

14 November 1965 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Sussex Evening Express)

21 November 1965 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with Robb Storme & The Whispers (Mid Sussex Times)

26 December 1965 – Mexican Hat, Worthing, West Sussex with The Beat Merchants (Worthing Gazette) This seems unlikely unless it is a different date

26 December 1965 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Jaguars (Cornish Guardian)

1966

Over the first two months of 1966, two of the horn players dropped out. Jon Poulter also took over from Ashley Potter.

1 January 1966 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

2 January 1966 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset (eight-piece band) (Dorset Evening Echo)

26 February 1966 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Soul Society (eight-piece band) (West Briton & The Royal Gazette)

5 March 1966 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

26 March 1966 – Gala Ballroom, Norwich, Norfolk (Eastern Evening News)

2 April 1966 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Vigilantes (West Briton & The Royal Gazette)

Around this time Nigel Langham tragically dies in a fall and is not replaced

24 April 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London with The Herd (website: http://www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/rollcall/rollcall/)

27 April 1966 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Other Five (West Briton & The Royal Cornwall Gazette)

8 May 1966 – Tiffany’s, Shaftsbury Avenue, central London (Melody Maker)

10 May 1966 – Hare & Hounds, Brighton, Sussex with Champion Jack Dupree (Melody Maker)

13 May 1966 – Southfield College, Wimbledon, southwest London (Melody Maker)

14 May 1966 – College of Technology, Brighton, Sussex (Melody Maker)

15 May 1966 – Downs Hotel, Hassocks, West Sussex with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Melody Maker/Mid Sussex Times)

19 May 1966 – Pilgrim, Hayward’s Heath, West Sussex (Melody Maker/Mid Sussex Times)

20 May 1966 – The Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website)

29 May 1966 – Bure Club, Mudeford, Dorset (Poster from John Treais)

12 June 1966 – Ultra Club, Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with The Birds (Mid Sussex Times)

23 June 1966 – Pilgrim, Hayward’s Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

9 July 1966 – Club La Bamba, Tunbridge Wells, Kent (Kent and Sussex Courier)

16 July 1966 – Jimmy’s Restaurant, Brighton, Sussex (Evening Argus)

28 July 1966 – Pilgrim, Hayward’s Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

30 July 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)

31 July 1966 – Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe, Dorset with The Law (Bournemouth Evening Echo)

6 August 1966 – Club LaBamba, Tunbridge Wells, Kent (Kent and Sussex Courier)

12 August 1966 – The Parlour, North End, Portsmouth, Hampshire (Portsmouth News) Billed as Mike Stuart Band

19 August 1966 – Hotel Metropole, Brighton, Sussex with Paul & Barry Ryan, Weston Gavin, Graham Bond Organisation, Robbe Storme & The Whispers and The Mercats (Evening Argus)

20 August 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)

27 August 1966 – Club LaBamba, Tunbridge Wells, Kent (Kent and Sussex Courier)

4 September 1966 – Ultra Club, Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with The Birds with Parker’s Mood (Mid Sussex Times)

16 September 1966 – The Parlour, North End, Portsmouth, Hampshire (Portsmouth News)

17 September 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)

24 September 1966 – Winter Gardens, Banbury, Oxfordshire (Brackley Advertiser)

26-27 September 1966 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

29-30 September 1966 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

2 October 1966 – Le Metro, Birmingham, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)

4 October 1966 – Waggon & Horses, Wall Heath, West Midlands (Express & Star)

5 October 1966 – 3 Men in a Boat, Walsall, West Midlands (Express & Star)

6 October 1966 – Cleveland Arms, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Express & Star)

8 October 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)

15 October 1966 – La Bamba, Tunbridge Wells, Kent (Melody Maker)

22 October 1966 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Argonauts (Aldershot News/Camberley News)

29 October 1966 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

13 November 1966 – Casino, Leicester with The Morons and The Chaesers (Leicester Mercury)

17 November 1966 – New Cliff Hall, Rotherham, West Yorkshire with St Louis Union and Soul Object (The Star) Billed as Mike Stuart Five so possibly another band entirely

19 November 1966 – Lewes Town Hall, Lewes, East Sussex with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (Sussex Evening Express)

25 November 1966 – Fiesta Hall, Andover, Hampshire (Andover Advertiser)

26 November 1966 – 2 ‘B’s Club, Ashford, Kent with support (Kentish Express) Billed as The Stuart Span

4 December 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London with The Stalkers (website: http://www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/rollcall/rollcall/)

10 December 1966 – Winter Gardens, Banbury, Oxfordshire with The Seychelles (Brackley Advertiser)

11 December 1966 – Stoke Hole, Stoke Hotel, Guildford, Surrey (Surrey Advertiser)

20 December 1966 – Kodak Hall, Harrow, northwest London with The Right Attitude (Harrow Observer)

23 December 1966 – Parlour, Portsmouth, Hampshire with Camel Train (Portsmouth News)

24 December 1966 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

31 December 1966 – Worthing Pavilion, Worthing, West Sussex with Ray Affleck & His Band (Worthing Gazette)

1967

1 January 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London with Savoy Brown Blues Band (website: http://www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/rollcall/rollcall/)

5 January 1967 – Klooks Kleek, Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker)

7 January 1967 – Atlanta Ballroom, Woking, Surrey (Aldershot News)

12 January 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Artwoods (Melody Maker)

13 January 1967 – Bluesette Club, Bridge Street, Leatherhead, Surrey (Caterham Weekly Press/Melody Maker)

14 January 1967 – Unknown venue, Enfield, north London (Melody Maker)

15 January 1967 – Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe, Dorset with Courtelles (Bournemouth Evening Echo)

18 January 1967 – Gravesend R ‘n’ B club, Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend, Kent (PACE magazine)

20 January 1967 – Unknown venue, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Melody Maker) Possibly Club Continental

21 January 1967 – Unknown venue, Chichester, West Sussex (Melody Maker)

22 January 1967 – Unknown venue, Southampton, Hampshire (Melody Maker)

25 January 1967 – Unknown venue, Brighton, Sussex (Melody Maker)

4 February 1967 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)

12 February 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail/Express & Star)

19 February 1967 – Dereham Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk with Alex Wilson Set (North Norfolk News)

4 March 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

10 March 1967 – West End, Rushden, Northamptonshire with Sonny’s Snap, Crackle and Pop (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)

11 March 1967 – Kodak Hall, Harrow, northwest London with Ziggy Turner Combo (Harrow Observer)

16 March 1967 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with One In a Million (Aldershot News)

19 March 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London with Black Cat Bones (website: http://www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/rollcall/rollcall/)

26 March 1967 – Bluesette Club, Bridge Street, Leatherhead, Surrey (Caterham Weekly Press)

27 March 1967 – Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

1 April 1967 – Steering Wheel Club, Dorchester, Dorset (Western Gazette)

8 April 1967 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)

14 April 1967 – Brighton Arts Festival, Brighton, Sussex with Paul Jones, The Move, Geno Washington, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and others (Melody Maker)

16 April 1967 – Beau Brummel Club, Alvaston Hall Hotel, Nantwich, Cheshire, Nantwich, Cheshire with Phil Ryan & The Scorpions (Nantwich Chronicle)

21 April 1967 – Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks (Melody Maker)

23 April 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham, West Midlands (Express & Star)

24 April 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Warrington Guardian)

29 April 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

7 May 1967 – The Bridge, Wooden Bridge Hotel, Guildford, Surrey with The Switch (Surrey Advertiser)

12 May 1967 – West End, Rushden, Northamptonshire with Clockwork Orange (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)

14 May 1967 – Indigo Vat, Portsmouth, Hampshire (Portsmouth News)

18 May 1967 – Le Trap, Brighton, Sussex (Melody Maker)

21 May 1967 – Beachcomber Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

21 May 1967 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

25 May 1967 – Le Trap, Brighton, Sussex (Melody Maker)

26 May 1967 – Loughborough Town Hall, Loughborough with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Leicester Mercury) Billed as Mike Stuart Band (may not be same group)

29 May 1967 – Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

4 June 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)

5 June 1967 – Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Penthouse Suite (Express & Star)

11 June 1967 – George Inn, Wilby, Northamptonshire (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)

16 June 1967 – Klue J Klub, Saracens Head Hotel, Chelmsford, Essex with The Skatalites (Essex Chronicle)

21 June 1967 – Beat Cruise, Southsea Pier, Hampshire, Harbour Station, Hampshire and Ryde Pier, Isle of Wight with The Shevelles (Portsmouth News)

23 June 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Herd (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)

24 June 1967 – Lion Hotel, Warrington, Cheshire with The Undertakers and The Shades (Warrington Guardian)

25 June 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Warrington Guardian)

29 June 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Omega Plus and Fraternity (Melody Maker)

Around this time Gary Parsley and Dave Plumb depart. Jon Poulter stays on but is gone by end of July

1-7 July 1967 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

8 July 1967 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall (Cornish Guardian) The advert says for one week

13 July 1967 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Fortunes and The Jaguars (West Briton & Royal Cornish Gazette)

15 July 1967 – Steering Wheel, Dorchester, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo)

15 July 1967 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo)

18 July 1967 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire (Southern Echo)

28 July 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

5 August 1967 – Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

6 August 1967 – Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe, Dorset with Charles Drayton Kind (Bournemouth Evening Echo)

In mid-August Melody Maker announces that Brian Bennett has joined on guitar from Tony’s Defenders and the band has reduced to a four-piece

15 August 1967 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire (Southern Evening Echo)

19 August 1967 – Liphook Youth Club, Village Hall, Liphook, Hampshire with The Outer Limits (Petersfield Post)

23 August 1967 – Big Beat Cruise, Solent, South Parade Pier, Portsmouth Harbour and Ryde Pier Head with The Creation (Portsmouth News)

26 August 1967 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with The Embers (Surrey Advertiser)

27 August 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)

28 August 1967 – Mercers Arms, Coventry, West Midlands with The Chicaines (Coventry Evening Telegraph)

2 September 1967 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire with Herbie Goins & The Nighttimers (Nuneaton Evening Tribune)

3 September 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

4 September 1967 – Mercers Arms, Coventry, West Midlands (Coventry Evening Telegraph)

14 September 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)

16 September 1967 – Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

16 September 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Ferris Wheel and The Workshop (Melody Maker)

21 September 1967 – Ritz, Skewen, Wales with The Syn (Port Talbot Guardian)

23 September 1967 – Swan, Yardley with The Peanuts (Birmingham Evening Mail)

13-27 October 1967 – Belgian Tour (Melody Maker)

4 November 1967 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, west London (Melody Maker)

11 November 1967 – Tin Hat, Kettering, Northamptonshire with The Dream (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)

12 November 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, central London (Disc & Music Echo) Debut appearance at venue

18 November 1967 – Steering Wheel, Dorchester, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo)

3 December 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)

9 December 1967 – Petersfield Town Hall, Petersfield, Hampshire with Aaron’s Beard (Petersfield Post)

11 December 1967 – Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Key (Express & Star)

12 December 1967 – Waggon & Horses, Wall Heath, West Midlands (Express & Star)

23-24 December 1967 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

30 December 1967 – Walton Playhouse, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

1968

6 January 1968 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Down at the Boat book)

13 January 1968 – Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex with The Camp (Hastings & St Leonards Observer)

21 January 1968 – 76 Club, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire (Burton Daily Mail) Billed as The Span

4 February 1968 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)

8 February 1968 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Penny Peeps (Melody Maker)

10 February 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Troggs (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)

15 February 1968 – Pilgrim, Hayward’s Heath, West Sussex (Mid Sussex Times)

17 February 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Memphis Gents (Crawley Advertiser)

10 March 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Troggs (East Kent Times)

11 March 1968 – Rendevous Club, Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent (East Kent Times)

15 March 1968 – Burton Leander Social Club, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire (Burton Daily Mail)

30 March 1968 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with The Black Out (Surrey Advertiser)

According to Melody Maker, The Mike Stuart Span made their third tour of the Netherlands from 23-30 April 1968. Their LP was due to be released on 29 March

6 April 1968 – Windsor Ballroom, Redcar with The Skyliners (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

9 April 1968 – Top Rank, Reading, Berkshire (Melody Maker)

18 April 1968 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)

24 April 1968 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)

4 May 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

According to Melody Maker, the band undertook an Icelandic tour from 8-16 May 1968. Record Mirror confirmed these dates and added gigs were in the capital, Reykjavik.

According to Record Mirror, they then arrived in Belgium on 17 May for five days and then played cabaret in Copenhagen, Denmark from 23-27 May.

15 May 1968 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo) Unlikely if Iceland gigs happened

2 June 1968 – Le Metro Club, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)

8 June 1968 – The Cobweb, St Leonards, East Sussex with The Mushroom (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website)

16 June 1968 – Cosmo, Carlisle, Cumbria with Max Colliers Rhythm Aces (need to confirm)

21 June 1968 – Brighton Dome, Brighton, Sussex with Scott Walker and The Herd (NME)

22 June 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)

29 June 1968 – Windsor Ballroom, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Chelfont Line (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

2 July 1968 – Rag 68!, Bournemouth Colleges Rag Appeal 1968, Bournemouth Pavilion, Bournemouth, Dorset with Tim Rose and The Nice (Bournemouth Evening Echo)

4 July 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The House of Lords (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live) Billed as The Span

8-10 July 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

12 July 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)

14 July 1968 – Hotel Leofric, Coventry, West Midlands (Coventry Evening Teleraph)

25 July 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Beatstalkers (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)

27 July 1968 – The Stage Club, Oxford (Oxford Mail)

2 August 1968 – Metropole, Exhibition Hall, Brighton, Sussex with Simon Dupree & The Big Sound, Marmalade, The Tremeloes, The Nice and Spooky Tooth (Melody Maker)

3 August 1968 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Express & Star)

11 August 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)

16 August 1968 – Bracknell Boys Club, Bracknell, Berkshire (Bracknell News)

18 August 1968 – Birdcage, Harlow, Essex (Fabulous 208)

22 August 1968 – Liberal Club, Yeovil, Somerset (Fabulous 208)

23 August 1968 – Solvent Cruise, Portsmouth, Hampshire (Fabulous 208)

27 September 1968 – Capitol Theatre, Horsham, West Sussex with Marmalade (Fabulous 208/New Musical Express)

29 September 1968 – Bird Cage, Harlow, Essex (Fabulous 208)

5 October 1968 – Windsor Ballroom, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Skyliners (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette)

10 October 1968 – The Cobweb, St Leonards, East Sussex (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website)

17 October 1968 – The Cobweb, St Leonards, East Sussex (Fabulous 208)

18 October 1968 – Memorial Hall, Farnham, Surrey (Fabulous 208)

19 October 1968 – Stage Club, Oxford (Fabulous 208/Oxford Mail) Billed as The Span

20 October 1968 – Woodenbridge, Guildford, Surrey (Fabulous 208) Listed but unlikely with gig below

20 October 1968 – Plymouth Top Rank, Plymouth, Devon (Western Evening Mail)

24 October 1968 – The Cobweb, St Leonards, East Sussex (Fabulous 208/Hastings & St Leonards Observer)

25 October 1968 – Clinton Club, Seaford, East Sussex (Fabulous 208)

26 October 1968 – Tofts, Folkestone, Kent (Fabulous 208)

16 November 1968 – University College, London, Gower Street, central London with Proteus (Melody Maker)

24 December 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Torquay Times)

 Around this time, they changed name to Leviathan

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