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.
THE ATTACK:
Singer Richard Shirman and bass player Gerry Henderson were working in Earl’s Court-based group, The Soul System with guitarist Bob Taylor and keyboard player Dennis Hooker.
Guitarist David O’List who was working with The Richard Henry Sensation met Henderson at a supermarket in Earl’s Court and was invited to a Soul System rehearsal around early November 1966.
After joining The Soul System, O’List says he changed the name to The Attack, composed some new songs, changed the band’s set list and landed the group a record and agency contract.
Disc & Music Echo’s 12 November issue mentions Richard Shirman and The Attack so they had changed name by this point.
16 December 1966 – Hammersmith College, Hammersmith (Melody Maker)
According to Martyn Hanson’s excellent book Hang on to a Dream: The Story of the Nice, Dennis Hooker had to leave to take his finals. Also, Bob Taylor left during this month to join The Downliners Sect.
The remaining trio recruited two musicians who had advertised in Melody Maker. Drummer Alan Whitehead had previously worked with Crispian St Peter and then The Loose Ends but left in September 1966 to work briefly with Epitaph Soul Band and The Cops ‘n’ Robbers.
Hammond organist Bob Hodges was with Walthamstow-based soul band, The New Jump Band and played his final gig with them on 16 December 1966.
Left to right: Richard Shirman, Bob Hodges, David O’List (front), Gerry Henderson and Alan Whitehead
Richard Shirman – lead vocals
David O’List – lead guitar
Bob Hodges – Hammond organ
Gerry Henderson – bass
Alan Whitehead – drums
In late December, The Attack recorded their debut single “Try It” c/w “We Don’t Know”, which was released on 27 January 1967. Whitehead, who had appeared in early promotional photos, had already secured a job with Marmalade and departed before any gigs were played.
Richard Shirman, Bob Hodges, Alan Whitehead, Gerry Henderson and David O’List
The Attack recruited a couple of drummers to fulfill live dates, starting with former Mark Leeman Five and The Habits member Brian Davison, who would reunite with David O’List in The Nice in August 1967. In the interim, he’d briefly work with Don Shinn’s band, Shinn and The Mike Cotton Sound.
7 January 1967 – Club Carnaby, Loughbourgh, Leicestershire (Bob Hodges’ diary)
14 January 1967 – Victoria Ballroom, Chesterfield, Derbyshire (Bob Hodges’ diary)
15 January 1967 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Bob Hodges’ diary) Richard Shirman’s recollections confirm Davison was on drums for this gig
16 January 1967 – Hearbeat Club, Silver Blades Ice Rink, Birmingham, West Midlands (Bob Hodges’ diary/Birmingham Evening Mail)
21 January 1967 – Alexandra Hotel, Lancaster, Lancashire (Bob Hodges’ diary)
28 January 1967 – Pink Elephant Club, Aspull, Wigan, Greater Manchester (Bob Hodges’ diary)
28 January 1967 – Room at the Top, Wigan, Greater Manchester (all nighter) (Bob Hodges’ diary)
29 January 1967 – Casino Club, Wigan, Greater Manchester (Bob Hodges’ diary)
The original band pictured for Decca’s publicity with Alan Whitehead far left
3 February 1967 – PA at Witchdoctor Club, Catford, London (for Radio London) (Bob Hodges’ diary)
4 February 1967 – PA at Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, London with Tuesday’s Children (for Radio London) (Bob Hodges’ diary/Fabulous 208)
Around this time, Peter “Barney” Barnfield joined as full-time drummer. The new line-up was responsible for the band’s second single, “Hi Ho Silver Lining” c/w “Anymore Than I Do”, issued on 3 March 1967.
10 February 1967 – Alexandra Hotel, Lancaster, Lancashire (Bob Hodges’ diary)
10 March 1967 – Iron Curtain Club, St Mary’s Cray, near Orpington, London (Bob Hodges’ diary)
16 March 1967 – Ritz Club, Skewen, south Wales with The Alan Bown Set, The Eyes of Blue and Tony Rivers & The Castaways (South Wales Evening Post/Bob Hodges’ diary)
17 March 1967 – St Benedict’s Club, Sketty, Swansea, south Wales with The King Bees (South Wales Evening Post/Bob Hodges’ diary)
Richard Shirman left after the Lyme Regis gig on 18 March and the remaining quartet carried on until the 22 April gig in the West Midlands. In the meantime, Shirman put together a new Attack line-up behind the scenes.
Bob Hodges remembers the current version took on a singer with a name like G D’Amati, who fronted the band on the next three shows
25 March 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire (Bob Hodges’ diary)
31 March 1967 – Locarno Ballroom, Sale, Greater Manchester with The Smoke (Bob Hodges’ diary/Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
1 April 1967 Melody Maker
8 April 1967 – East Ham Technical College, East Ham, London (Bob Hodges’ diary)
Bob Hodges remembers that for the final three dates, the lead singer was Pete Hodges (no relation), a singer from Birmingham who had previously worked with Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation (and possibly the final version of The Mark Leeman Five).
15 April 1967 – Nottingham College of Further Education, Clifton, Notts (Bob Hodges’ diary)
20 April 1967 – James Finnegan Hall, Redcar, North Yorkshire (Bob Hodges’ diary)
22 April 1967 – Club Ponderosa, Bearley Holiday Centre, Snitterfield (near Stratford Upon Avon), Warwickshire (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
After this final gig, the musicians were told that Richard Shirman had formed a new band under the name The Attack and that their services were no longer needed. David O’List soon formed The Nice, who became PP Arnold’s backing band after she left The Blue Jays. Bob Hodges joined Tuesday’s Children later in the year
The Attack, left to right: Chris Allen, Richard Shirman, Kenny Harold, Geoff Richardson and George Watt. Photo from Phil Smee
In April, Shirman launched a new version of The Attack as follows:
Richard Shirman – lead vocals
Geoff Richardson – lead guitar
George Watt – Hammond organ
Kenny Harold – bass
Chris Allen – drums
This formation was responsible for the band’s third single, “Created By Clive” c/w “Colour of my Mind”.
28 April 1967 – Top Spot Ballroom, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with The Sombreros (Gloucester Citizen)
6 May 1967 – Hull College of Commerce Students’ Union, Hull, Humberside (Hull Daily Mail)
2 June 1967 – Witchdoctor, Catford, London with The Trailblazers (South East London Mercury)
3 June 1967 – Floral Hall, Gorleston, Norfolk (Yarmouth Mercury)
17 June 1967 – Royal Lido, Prestatyn, Clwyd, Wales with The Raynes (Rhyl & Prestayn Gazette)
24 June 1967 – Lewes FC Beat Rave, Lewes Town Hall, Lewes, East Sussex with The Nashville Teens and The Teen Team (Sussex Express)
Within days of the band’s third single being released on 23 June 1967, second lead guitarist John DuCann joined. George Watt and Kenny Harold left that summer. Geoff Richardson left soon after and later moved to the USA to play with The British Walkers while Chris Allen also departed to join The Syn (Disc & Music Echo, 8 July, page 14).
.
By August, the group’s line-up comprised:
Richard Shirman – lead vocals
John DuCann – lead guitar
Jim Avery – bass
Plug Davies – drums
16 September 1967 – Waggon & Horses, Wall Heath, West Midlands (Express & Star)
This formation recorded The Attack’s fourth single, which was released on 12 January 1968.
Around this time, Plug Davies introduced his friend from Wales, Keith Hodge, who in turn recommended Roger Deane on bass.
Richard Shirman – lead vocals
John DuCann – lead guitar
Roger Deane – bass
Keith Hodge – drums
21 February 1968 – Speakeasy, W1, London (Fabulous 208/Mick Capewell’s Marmalade Skies)
27 February 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Move (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
11 March 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with The Nice (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
14 March 1968 – Middle Earth, Covent Garden, London with Family, Picadilly Line, Doc K’s Blues Band and Pete Brown’s Poetry (Melody Maker)
Melody Maker notes that The Attack played dates in Helsinki, Finland on 17-18 July 1968
The Attack 7 Sep 1968
Huge thanks to Bob Hodges for the use of his gig list and photos. Thanks also to David O’List for early insights. Thanks to Mike at Ugly Things and Phil Smee (for the photo of the third line-up by the River Thames).
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.
The Downliners Sect, August 1965 in Fabulous 208. Clockwise from left: Don Craine, Keith Grant, Johnny Sutton, Terry Gibson and (centre) Pip Harvey. Photo may be subject to copyright
Formed from the ashes of The Downliners, whose original members included Don Craine (real name: Mick O’Donnell), the original line-up below is from July 1963.
17 April 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
18 April 1964 – Trinity Jazz Club, Wandsworth, south London (evening) (Don Craine’s diary)
18 April 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (All Nighter) (Don Craine’s diary)
19 April 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
22 April 1964 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, Middlesex (see website above)
24 April 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
25 April 1964 – South Eastern Technical College, Dagenham, Essex (evening) (Don Craine’s diary)
25 April 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London with Them (All Nighter) (Melody Maker/Don Craine’s diary) Them was a West London group who changed name to Themselves when Van Morrison’s group arrived in London
26 April 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
28 April 1964 – Britannia Hotel, Barking, Essex (Don Craine’s diary)
29 April 1964 – Disc A Go Go, Bournemouth, Dorset (Don Craine’s diary)
Around this point, Ray Sone joined on harmonica
1 May 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
2 May 1964 – Trinity Jazz Club, Wandsworth, south London (Don Craine’s diary)
3 May 1964 – Blue Moon, Hayes, Middlesex (Don Craine’s diary)
5 May 1964 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire (Don Craine’s diary)
13 May 1964 – Northampton College, London (Don Craine’s diary)
17 May 1964 – Savoy Ballroom, Catford, southeast London (Don Craine’s diary)
19 May 1964 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire (Don Craine’s diary)
22 May 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
23 May 1964 – Club Noreik, Tottenham, north London (Don Craine’s diary)
24 May 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (afternoon) (Don Craine’s diary)
24 May 1964 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, Kent (evening) (Don Craine’s diary)
27 May 1964 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, Middlesex (see website above)
29 May 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
31 May 1964 – Blue Moon, Hayes, Middlesex (Don Craine’s diary)
2 June 1964 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
3 June 1964 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, Middlesex (see website above)
5 June 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
24 June 1964 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, Middlesex (see website above)
Photo may be subject to copyright
25 June 1964 – Lotus Ballroom, Forest Gate, east London (Don Craine’s diary) Ilford Recorder has this as the Kavern Club in the Lotus Ballroom
26 June 1964 – Alexandra Palace, north London with The Rolling Stones, Millie & The Five Embers, John Lee Hooker, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, The Barron Knights, Jimmy Powell & The Five Dimensions, Tony Colton & The Crawdaddies, Alexis Korner and others (Clapham Advertiser/Don Craine’s diary)
27 June 1964 – Trinity Jazz Club, Wandsworth, south London (Don Craine’s diary)
28 June 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
29 June 1964 – King Edward Hall, Windsor, Berkshire (Don Craine’s diary)
14 August 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, centralLondon (Don Craine’s diary)
15 August 1964 – Bure Country Club, Bure, Dorset (Don Craine’s diary)
16 August 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary) Beat Monthly also lists the band playing at the Blue Moon in Hayes on the same night but which was first?
21 August 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
1 September 1964 – Dancing Party radio show, EMI, London (Don Craine’s diary)
3 September 1964 – Lotus Ballroom, Forest Gate, east London (Don Craine’s diary)
4 September 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Monthly) This is missing from Don Craine’s dates
5 September 1964 – Rendezvous Club, Portsmouth, Hants (Don Craine’s diary) Beat Monthly has the band playing on the Attic in Hounslow on this date
6 September 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
Photo may be subject to copyright
10 September 1964 – Ipswich Corn Exchange, Ipswich, Suffolk (Essex County Standard)
11 September 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
12 September 1964 – Goldhawk Social Club, Shepherd’s Bush, west London (Don Craine’s diary)
13 September 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
Photo from Richard Goddard
17 September 1964 – Gloucester Town Hall, Gloucester, Gloucestershire with The Primitives and The Bee Jays (courtesy of Richard Goddard) Missing from Don Craine’s gig list
18 September 1964 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, southeast London (Don Craine’s diary)
25 September 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
26 September 1964 – Attic, Hounslow, Middlesex (Beat Instrumental) This is missing from Don Craine’s diary
27 September 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
30 September 1964 – St Albans Market Hall, St Albans, Herts (Don Craine’s diary)
1 October 1964 – Trowbridge Town Hall, Trowbridge, Wiltshire (Don Craine’s diary)
2 October 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
3 October 1964 – Nottingham University, Nottingham (Don Craine’s diary)
4 October 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
6 October 1964 – The Church Elms, Dagenham, Essex (Don Craine’s diary)
7 October 1964 – The Jazz Cellar, Norwich, Norfolk (Don Craine’s diary)
9 October 1964 – Co-op Hall, Peckham, south London (Don Craine’s diary)
10 October 1964 – Rendezvous Club, Portsmouth, Hants with The Challengers (Don Craine’s diary/Portsmouth News)
11 October 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
13 October 1964 – Red Lion, Leytonstone, east London (Don Craine’s diary)
16 October 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
17 October 1964 – Lainsbury Hall, Stanford, Norfolk (Don Craine’s diary) Beat Instrumental has a gig in Grantham on this date
18 October 1964 – St Michaels Hall, Camden Town, north London (Don Craine’s diary) Beat Instrumental has a gig at Studio 51 on this date and another in Putney
18 November 1964 – Unknown venue in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (Don Craine’s diary)
19 November 1964 – Granada, Aylesbury, Bucks with Manfred Mann, The Soul Sisters, The Spencer Davis Group, Wayne (Kelly) Gibson and The Dynamic Sounds, Bern Elliott & His Klan, The Mark Leeman Five, Blues by Five and Dave Kaffey (Don Craine’s diary/Bucks Advertiser)
20 November 1964 – ABC Wakefield, Wakefield, West Yorkshire (Don Craine’s diary)
13 December 1964 – Civic Hall, Crawley, West Sussex (Don Craine’s diary) Beat Instrumental has a gig at Studio 51 later this evening as well
18 December 1964 – Bromley Technicl College, Bromley, Kent (Don Craine’s diary) Beat Instrumental has a gig at Studio 51 instead on this date
19 December 1964 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham (website: https://dungeonmods.wordpress.com/) Beat Instrumental has a gig in Bishop’s Stortford instead on this date
20 December 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
21 December 1964 – Eltham Baths, Eltham, Kent (Don Craine’s diary)
24 December 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental) This is missing from Don Craine’s diary
27 December 1964 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Don Craine’s diary)
28 December 1964 – Mojo Club, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Don Craine’s diary)
30 December 1964 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, Kent (Don Craine’s diary)
31 December 1964 – George Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire (Don Craine’s diary)
1965
1 January 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
3 January 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental) According to the magazine, the band also played at Boreham Wood today, which was probably the Long John Club.
8 January 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
9 January 1965 – Market Hall, Redhill, Surrey (Beat Instrumental)
10 January 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
15 January 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
Photo may be subject to copyright
16 January 1965 – Coronation Hall, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey with The MI4 (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
17 January 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
22 January 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
23 January 1965 – Rendezvous Club, Portsmouth, Hants (Beat Instrumental)
24 January 1965 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, Kent (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
24 January 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
25 January 1965 – Crown Hotel, Morden, Surrey (Beat Instrumental)
26 January 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
30 January 1965 – Gig in Norfolk (Beat Instrumental)
27 February 1965 – Rendezvous Club, Portsmouth, Hants (Beat Instrumental)
27 February 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
2 March 1965 – Civic Hall, Grays (Beat Instrumental)
5 March 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
6 March 1965 – Ritz Dance and Social Hall, King’s Heath, West Midlands (Poster)
Photo may be subject to copyright
6 March 1965 – Brum Kavern Club, Small Heath, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
7 March 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
8 March 1965 – Bluesville, Manor House Ballroom, Ipswich, Suffolk (Essex County Standard)
Photo may be subject to copyright
11 March 1965 – Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset with Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas (Western Gazette)
14 March 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental) According to the magazine, the band also played at Boreham Wood today, which was probably the Long John Club.
19 March 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
21 March 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
26 March 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
27 March 1965 – Gig in Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Beat Instrumental)
28 March 1965 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, Kent (Melody Maker)
28 March 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
1 April 1965 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Wood Green & Southgate Weekly Herald)
2 April 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
3 April 1965 – Gig in Chelmsford, Essex (Beat Instrumental)
4 April 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental) According to Beat Instrumental, the band played in Boreham Wood earlier, which was probably the Long John Club
5 April 1965 – Bluesville, Manor House Ballroom, Ipswich, Suffolk (Essex County Standard)
2 May 1965 – Upper Park, Darlington (Beat Instrumental)
3 May 1965 – Blue Moon, Hayes, west London (Dorothy Bullock list) This is the most likely year. However Beat Instrumental has The Manor in Ipswich, Suffolk on this date
6 May 1965 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Wood Green & Southgate Weekly Herald/Walthamstow Guardian)
7 May 1965 – Manor House, Harringay, north London (Beat Instrumental)
8 May 1965 – 234 Club, Grays (Beat Instrumental)
9 May 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
10 May 1965 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
Photo may be subject to copyright
11 May 1965 – Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset with The Honeycombs and The Codiaks (Western Gazette)
14 May 1965 – Oasis, Manchester (Beat Instrumental)
15 May 1965 – Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, Essex (Essex Chronicle) Beat Instrumental notes they play at the Club Noreik in Tottenham, north London afterwards
16 May 1965 – Studio 51, Leicester Square, central London (Beat Instrumental)
16 May 1965 – Black Prince, Bexley, southeast London (Beat Instrumental)
17 May 1965 – Adelphi, West Bromwich, West Midlands (Beat Instrumental)
22 May 1965 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks with Crow (Bucks Free Press)
25 May 1965 – McKilroys, Swindon, Wiltshire (Beat Instrumental)
27 May 1965 – Pavilion, Southsea, Hants (Beat Instrumental)
28 May 1965 – Casino, Walsall, West Midlands (Beat Instrumental)
29 May 1965 – College of Arts, Brighton, Sussex (Beat Instrumental)
30 May 1965 – The Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website)
Photo may be subject to copyright
3 June 1965 – Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage, Herts with The Stalkers (Herts Express)
4 June 1965 – Pontiac, Zeeta House, Putney, southwest London with Boston Dexters (Melody Maker)
18 June 1965 – The Avenue R&B Club, Green Pond Road, east London (Leyton, Leytonstone and Waltham Forest Guardian)
19 June 1965 – 234 Club, Grays (Beat Instrumental)
Photo may be subject to copyright
19 June 1965 – Jazz & Blues Festival, Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London with The Dutch Swing College, Solomon Burke, Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band, Unit 4 Plus 2, The Spencer Davis Group, The Loose Ends, Alan Elsdon’s Jazzband, Brian Green New-O-Stompers and The Epitaph Soul Band (Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times)
21 June 1965 – Manor House, Ipswich, Suffolk (Beat Instrumental)
24 June 1965 – Gig in Salisbury, Wiltshire (Beat Instrumental)
27 October 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London (Beat Instrumental)
29 October 1965 – Red Cross Hall, Sutton, southwest London (Beat Instrumental)
30 October 1965 – Nottingham University, Nottingham (Beat Instrumental)
1 November 1965 – Gig in Bridgwater, Somerset (Beat Instrumental)
5 November 1965 – Gig in Trowbridge, Wiltshire (Beat Instrumental)
7 November 1965 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, west London (Beat Instrumental)
13 November 1965 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, west London (Beat Instrumental)
14 November 1965 – Union Rowing Club, Trent Bridge, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
18 November 1965 – Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge with Bob Kidman & Dorothy Orchestra, Fernando’s Hideaways, Roy Black & The Senators and The Xabec Four (Cambridge News)
20 November 1965 – Gig in Waltham (Beat Instrumental)
24 November 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Five Proud Walkers (Melody Maker)
27 November 1965 – Chelsea College, Chelsea, southwest London (Beat Instrumental)
1 December 1965 – Bristol Corn Exchange, Bristol (Western Scene)
4 December 1965 – Gig in Watford, Herts (Beat Instrumental)
9 December 1965 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Wood Green & Southgate Weekly Herald)
10 December 1965 – Town Hall, Colchester, Essex (Beat Instrumental)
11 December 1965 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Beat Instrumental)
16 December 1965 – Gig in Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex with The Birds (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary)
16 December 1965 – Delaware Pavilion, Boxhill, Surrey (Beat Instrumental)
Photo may be subject to copyright
31 December 1965 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire (Evening Tribune)
1966
4 January 1966 – Bristol Chinese R&B Club, Corn Exchange, Bristol (Western Scene)
11 February 1966 – Chislehurst Caves, Chislehurst, London (South East London Mercury) Opened the venue
9 July 1966 – Penthouse, Birmingham with Deep Feeling and Andy Ferris (Birmingham Evening Mail)
10 July 1966 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, London (South East London Mercury)
13 July 1966 – Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with En-Devers Ltd (Berkhamsted Gazette & Tring and District News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
17 July 1966 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
Photo may be subject to copyright
22 July 1966 – Blue Lagoon, Kimbells, Southsea, Hampshire (Portsmouth News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
25 July 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Excels (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
30 July 1966 – Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon with The Modest, The Sixth Sense and The Solitaires (Torquay Times & South Devon Advertiser/Herald Express)
Photo may be subject to copyright
5 August 1966 – Civic and Wulfrun Halls, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with MI Five, Blues Ensemble, Tony Barry & The Sounds of Three, Gerry Byrnes & The Invaders and The N’ Betweens (Express & Star)
Photo may be subject to copyright
6 August 1966 – 2 ‘B’s Club, Ashford, Kent with support (Kentish Express)
14 August 1966 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, London (Melody Maker)
28 August 1966 – Casino Ballroom, Leicester (Fabulous 208)
Around early September, future Procol Harum keyboard player Matthew Fisher joined the band for about six weeks.
16 September 1966 – Dancing Slipper, Nottingham with Our Young (Nottingham Evening Post)
31 September 1966 – Stoke Hole, Stoke Hotel, Guildford, Surrey with The Primevals (Surrey Advertiser)
5 October 1966 – Flamingo, Soho, central London with Timebox (Melody Maker)
Fisher departed mid-October to join Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers just in time for a major tour with The Hollies, The Small Faces, Paul Jones and others, which started on 15 October. He then joined Screaming Lord Sutch & The Roman Empire in December 1966.
26 October 1966 – Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage, Hertfordshire with Saracens (see website above)
Photo may be subject to copyright
29 October 1966 – The Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website/Hastings and St Leonards Observer)
Photo may be subject to copyright
9 November 1966 – Gravesend R&B Club, Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend, Kent (PACE magazine) Billed as New Downliners Sect
20 November 1966 – Witchdoctor, Catford, southeast London (South East London Mercury)
20 November 1966 – Black Prince, Bexley, southeast London (Fabulous 208/Mick Capewell’s Marmalade Skies)
Around this time Johnny Sutton and Terry Gibson left. Don Craine and Keith Grant relaunched the band with guitarist Bob Taylor from The Soul System, plus organist Barry Cooper and drummer Kevin Flanagan
9 December 1966 – Police Ballroom, Coventry, West Midlands with The Matadors (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
Photo may be subject to copyright
13 December 1966 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (Woking Herald)
17 December 1966 – Willesden College of Technology, Willesden, London with The Bo Street Runners and The Torque (Poster)
30 December 1966 – Tiger’s Head, Downham, southeast London (South East London Mercury)
31 December 1966 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinkley, Leicestershire with The Renegades and The Shellies (Leicester Mercury)
1967
The Port Talbot Guardian‘s 27 January issue has a photo of the new line up and notes that they will play at the Empire in Neath and Swansea Jazz Club the next week
19 February 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, London (Melody Maker) Billed as Don Craine’s New Downliners Sect
Photo may be subject to copyright
25 February 1967 – Civic Centre, Corby, Northamptonshire with The Good Thing (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)
27 March 1967 – White Buck Inn, Burley, Dorset (Bournemouth Evening Echo) Billed as The New Downliners Sect
15 April 1967 – The Thing-a-me-jig Club, Reading, Berkshire (Reading Evening Post)
9 June 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Nashville Teens (Melody Maker)
24 June 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede and The Ebonys (Melody Maker)
8 July 1967 – Hoffman Ballroom, Chelmsford, Essex with Lee Scott & The Roulettes (Essex Chronicle)
Photo may be subject to copyright
22 July 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Survivors and The Klubs (Melody Maker)
Photo may be subject to copyright
2 August 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Billed as Downliners Sect Show) (Melody Maker)
9 August 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Billed as Downliners Sect Show) (Melody Maker)
16 August 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Billed as Downliners Sect Show) (Melody Maker)
2 September 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Magic Lanterns, Change Place and The Big Roll Band (Melody Maker)
9 March 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with Simon Dupree & The Big Sound (East Kent Times)
10 March 1968 – Rendezvous Club, Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent (East Kent Times)
Photo may be subject to copyright
15 March 1968 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
20 April 1968 – Harlem Highway, Victoria Ballroom, Chesterfield, Derbyshire with Gemini Zent (Derbyshire Times)
Shortly after this gig, the band split for a few months. Around July, Keith Grant reformed the band bringing back Johnny Sutton on drums and retaining guitarist Bob Taylor. The final member was keyboard player Nathaniel Dumaine.
26 July 1968 – Parlour, Portsmouth, Hants (Portsmouth Evening News) Billed as Glass Cartoon
The Hounslow Post, 13 September 1968, page 14 has a story on the new line up and mentions a single in the pipeline
5 October 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Sams Brothers Band (West Briton & Royal Cornwall Gazette)
Photo may be subject to copyright
25 October 1968 – Centre 185, Egham, Surrey (Staines & Egham News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
2 November 1968 – Glastonbury Town Hall, Glastonbury, Somerset with Justin’s Timepiece (Somerset County Gazette/Western Gazette)
Photo may be subject to copyright
9 November 1968 – Alex Disco, Salisbury, Wiltshire (Salisbury Journal/Western Gazette)
15 November 1968 – Fishmonger’s Arms, Wood Green, north London with The Pretty Things (Melody Maker)
1 December 1968 – Kingston Hotel, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
Photo may be subject to copyright
13 December 1968 – Ealing Tech College, Ealing, west London with Simon Dupree & The Big Sound and Free (Melody Maker)
By the end of 1968, Keith Grant had left and was replaced by bass player Paul Martinez.
Johnny Sutton, Bob Taylor, Paul Martinez and Nat Dumaine (real name Martin Maynard, Bill Maynard’s son) were recruited by Elmer of Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera to form The Gantry Band. Martinez later joined Elmer in the formation of Stretch and played on the track “Why Did You Do It?”.
Nathaniel Dumaine, who used the stage name as a pseudonym, later changed name to Maynard Williams and became an actor, appearing in the BBC TV series “Truckers” and “Starlight Express” in the West End. He also recorded a lone solo LP for CBS called Ten Songs. Williams also became lead singer in the band Ryder, which represented the UK in the Eurovision song contest in 1986, held in Bergen, Norway.
Thanks to Don Craine for sharing his 1964 diary. Thanks also to Rolf Hannet in Germany for providing some of the Beat Instrumental dates
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