This historically important Birmingham group is best known for featuring future Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and bass player Dave Pegg, who went onto Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull among others.
The Way of Life #1 (June 1966-September 1966)
Reg Jones – lead vocals, harmonica Chris Jones – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, vocals Mick ‘Sprike’ Hopkins – lead guitar, vocals Tony Clarkson – bass, vocals John Bonham – drums, vocals
Singer Reg Jones had started out as front man with local outfit, The Counts while his younger sibling Chris played guitar with The Chantelles in the early 1960s. Reg Jones later joined his brother in The Chantelles.
In 1963, Chris Jones joined future The Way of Life member Danny King’s band, Danny King & The Jesters, which also featured bass player Chris ‘Ace’ Kefford, who went on to The Move and drummer Barry Smith (aka Barry St John), who joined The Way of Life in 1968.
In 1965, the Jones siblings reunited in The Chucks. However, after nearly 18 months together, The Chucks split up after returning from West Germany in April 1966.
The siblings next decided to form a new band. They had already asked lead guitarist Mick ‘Sprike’ Hopkins and bass player Tony Clarkson to join.
Hopkins was something of a local legend, having previously worked with Gerry Levene & The Avengers (with Roy Wood and Graeme Edge), The Diplomats and The Nicky James Movement among others.
Clarkson also had an impressive, local pedigree; he’d worked with Guitars Incorporated, The Wild Cherries and The Nicky James Movement (where he met Hopkins). He’d also briefly played with drummer Bugsy Eastwood in a short-lived outfit called The Hooties that became The Exception in late 1966.
One Sunday (either 12 or 19 June but the latter is more likely), the quartet auditioned about 20 drummers at the Club Cedar where the new outfit had a gig that night.
John Bonham, who’d worked with Clarkson and Hopkins in The Nicky James Movement, turned up and landed the job.
Nicky James Movement with Tony Clarkson (left), John Bonham (second left) and Mick Hopkins (right)
Bonham had worked with a number of West Midlands bands during the early-mid 1960s, including Terry Webb & The Spiders, The Blue Star Trio, The Senators and Steve Brett & The Mavericks before signing up with The Nicky James Movement in late 1965 (where he met Clarkson and Hopkins). Bonham then briefly gigged with Pat Wayne & The Beachcombers before turning up at the Club Cedar for the audition.
The Way of Life was augmented for its first few gigs by Nicky James on second lead vocals but he did not stay long.
Notable gigs
19 June 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham, West Midlands (debut)
21 June 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands
24 June 1966 – Sydenham Pub, Sydenham, West Midlands
25 June 1966 – Hereford Lounge, Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands
1 July 1966 – Hereford Lounge, Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands
8 July 1966 – Hereford Lounge, Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands
9 July 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands with The Falling Leaves
14 July 1966 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands
15 July 1966 – Sydenham Pub, Sydenham, West Midlands
16 July 1966 – Hereford Lounge, Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands
23 July 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands with The Times
28 July 1966 – Bel Air Club, Castle Bromwich, West Midlands
29 July 1966 – Sydenham, West Midlands
30 July 1966 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands
2 August 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands
5 August 1966 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands with Little People
12 August 1966 – Hereford Lounge, Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands
20 August 1966 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands with Long Stack Humphries
22 August 1966 – Hereford Lounge, Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands
10 September 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands with The Outer Limits
17 September 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands with The Uglys
21 September 1966 – Mackadown, Kitts Green, West Midlands with The Modernairs
23 September 1966 – Bolero Club, Wednesbury, West Midlands
24 September 1966 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands
The Way of Life #2 (September 1966-January 1967)
Reg Jones – lead vocals, harmonica Chris Jones – lead guitar Mick ‘Sprike’ Hopkins – lead guitar, vocals Tony Clarkson – bass, vocals Malc Poole – drums
John Bonham was sacked for playing too loudly and his friend Malc Poole, who’d worked with the Jones brothers in The Chucks from January-April 1966, took his place behind the drum kit. Poole has also played with The Incas and The Seed during 1966.
In December 1966, The Way of Life signed with the Rik Gunnell Agency and recorded some tracks in London.
However, the following month John Bonham convinced the Jones brothers to re-employ him.
Poole subsequently joined The Hush (who shared the bill with The Way of Life at Tiles in London in mid-February 1967). Later, in 1968, the drummer replaced Cozy Powell in Youngblood.
The drummer moved down to London in 1969 and worked with a succession of outfits, including Warhorse and The Foundations. He later played with Rick Wakeman but died on 21 May 2015.
Notable gigs
30 September 1966 – Bell Hotel, Northfield, West Midlands (Poole’s debut)
Photo from Leicester Mercury
4 November 1966 – County Arms, Blaby, Leicestershire with The Justin Brothers
5 November 1966 – Mews, Moseley, West Midlands with Locomotive
25 November 1966 – Midnight City, Digbeth, West Midlands with Elkie Brooks and The End
27 November 1966 – Ship & Rainbow, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with New Station Road
2 December 1966 – Mad House, Friendship Hall, Erdington, West Midlands
3 December 1966 – Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with The Times
4 December 1966 – The County Arms, Blaby, Leicestershire
9 December 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands
10 December 1966 – Hereford Lounge, Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands
11 December 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands
Mid December 1966 – the band opened a new club in Liege, Belgium (most likely the New Inn Club)
24 December 1966 – Bolero, Wednesbury, West Midlands with Thernays Fugitives
31 December 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Quiet Five
4 January 1967 – Hereford Lounge, Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands
5 January 1967 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands
7 January 1967 – Winter Gardens, Banbury, Warwickshire with The Methods
9 January 1967 – The Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands with The Lemon Line
11 January 1967 – Heartbeat, Birmingham, West Midlands (possibly Mac Poole’s final gig)
There is a good article on The Way of Life in the Bedworth & Foleshill News, 13/1/1967, page 2
Bedworth & Foleshill News
The Way of Life #3 (January-February 1967)
Reg Jones – lead vocals, harmonica Chris Jones – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, vocals Mick ‘Sprike’ Hopkins – lead guitar, vocals Tony Clarkson – bass, vocals John Bonham – drums, vocals
Tony Clarkson’s younger brother had gone to school with Birmingham-born, Canadian-raised siblings, Ed and Brian Pilling, who had returned to the West Midlands from Toronto to form a group. Introduced to Clarkson, the trio decided to put together The Wages of Sin and lined up gigs in West Germany.
Clarkson enticed Mick Hopkins away from The Way of Life. John Bonham was also invited but decided to stay with the Jones brothers.
Mick Hopkins (left) and Tony Clarkson (second left) with The Wages of Sin, February 1967.
The Wages of Sin would become Yellow Rainbow and then Zeus, becoming Cat Stevens’s backing band. Clarkson would subsequently play with The World of Oz among others, while Hopkins would play with The Lemon Tree, Copperfield, The Idle Race, Fludd and Quartz among others.
Notable gigs
12 January 1967 – London gig (according to Birmingham Evening Mail)
13 January 1967 – Penthouse, Birmingham, West Midlands
16 January 1967 – Caravelle Club, Observation Lounge, Birmingham Airport, Birmingham, West Midlands
20 January 1967 – Royal Oak, Hockley Heath, West Midlands
21 January 1967 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands
21 January 1967 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands with The Nobles
26 January 1967 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands
28 January 1967 – Penthouse, Birmingham, West Midlands with The Eight Feet 4
28 January 1967 – Ship & Rainbow, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Confederates
29 January 1967 – Gotham City, Birmingham, West Midlands
30 January 1967 – Heartbeat, Birmingham, West Midlands
31 January 1967 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands
4 February 1967 – Le Carnaby Club, Leicester, Leicestershire
The Way of Life #4 (February-September 1967)
Reg Jones – lead vocals, harmonica Chris Jones – lead guitar Danny King – bass, lead vocals John Bonham – drums, vocals
Chris Jones assumed the lead guitar role and Danny King was brought in on bass and second lead vocals.
Danny King was a respected singer on the local scene and had led a succession of groups since the early 1960s starting with Danny King & The Dukes. After fronting Danny King & The Royals and Danny King & The Jesters (with Chris Jones), he formed Danny King & The Mayfair Set. During 1966, King left to sing with Locomotive.
Shortly after joining The Way of Life, the quartet traveled down to London and played the Bag O’Nails in Soho.
During the summer of 1967, The Way of Life, added Bugsy Eastwood from The Exception as a second drummer, but he did not stay long.
Notable gigs
18 February 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street central London with The Hush and The Question
25 February 1967 – The White Bicycle, Maple Ballroom, Northampton with Premier Slam Band
11 March 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Quiet Five and The Essex Five
13 March 1967 – The Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands with Manchester’s Playboys (billed as The New Way of Life)
17 March 1967 – Graven Hill Theatre, Bicester with The Methods
25 March 1967 – The Mews, Moseley, West Midlands
5 April 1967 – Mackadown, Kitts Green, West Midlands with The Exception (billed as The New Way of Life with Danny King)
8 April 1967 – Ettingham Park Hotel, Alderminster, Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
The Express & Star advertised a gig with Idle Race, Sight and Sound and Chicago Hush, which related to Monday 17/4/67
25 April 1967 – Watersplash Night Club, Walsall Wood, West Midlands
20 May 1967 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands
21 May 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Bearwood, West Midlands with The Gravy Train and The Fugitives
16 June 1967 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands
17 June 1967 – Handsworth Plaza, Handsworth, West Midlands with The Kinks
19 June 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Bearwood, West Midlands
21 June 1967 – Hen & Chickens, Langley, West Midlands with The ‘N’ Betweens and Priority
5 July 1967 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
22 July 1967 – Sydenham Discotheque Club, Small Heath, West Midlands
31 July 1967 – Holly Bush, Quinton, West Midlands
1 August 1967 – Bolero Club, Wednesbury, West Midlands
4 August 1967 – Ringway Club, Birmingham
4 August 1967 – Old Crown & Cushion, Perry Barr, West Midlands
5 August 1967 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands
7 August 1967 – Queen’s Beat Club, Erdington, West Midlands
18 August 1967 – Caesar’s Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire with The Idle Race
19 August 1967 – Penthouse, Birmingham with Finders Keepers
21 August 1967 – Holly Bush, Quinton, West Midlands
26 August 1967 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands
30 August 1967 – Tyburn House, Erdington, West Midlands
2 September 1967 – Ringway Club, Birmingham
2 September 1967 – Queen’s Beat Club, Erdington, West Midlands
3 September 1967 – Frank Freeman Dancing Club, Kidderminster, Worcestershire with Small Change
5 September 1967 – Bolero Club, Wednesbury, West Midlands
9 September 1967 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands
The Way of Life #5 (September-October 1967)
Reg Jones – lead vocals, harmonica Chris Jones – lead guitar Dave Pegg – bass, vocals John Bonham – drums, vocals (replaced briefly by Phil Brittle)
After Danny King left, Dave Pegg came in from The Exception, a band that had shared the stage with The Way of Life at least once earlier in the year.
Pegg had an impressive pedigree, having previously worked with The Trespassers, Dave & The Emeralds, The Crawdaddies and Roy Everett & The Blueshounds before backing Jimmy Cliff for a few months from November 1965-February 1966.
He then hooked up with The Uglys in mid-February 1966 before joining The Exception later that year.
Laurie Hornsby’s book Brum Rocked On!, notes that the new line up rehearsed at the Warstock pub.
Dave Pegg’s diary notes that the line-up’s first gig took place at the Swadley Youth Club. The bass player recalls that he played about 20 gigs with Bonham before the drummer left.
According Harry Barber’s book on The Band of Joy, drummer Phil Brittle took over briefly before leaving to join the fourth line up of The Band of Joy in late September. He only stayed a very short while however, before John Bonham took his place and met his future Led Zeppelin colleague, Robert Plant.
Notable gigs
15 September 1967 – Swadley Youth Club, Swadley, West Midlands (Dave Pegg’s debut)
17 September 1967 – Crown & Cushion, Perry Barr, West Midlands
18 September 1967 – Holly Bush, Quinton, West Midlands
23 September 1967 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands
24 September 1967 – Ritz Ballroom, King’s Heath, West Midlands
25 September 1967 – Queen’s Beat Club, Erdington, West Midlands
28 September 1967 – Cofton Country Club, Rednal, West Midlands with The Rest
29 September 1967 – Bolero Club, Wednesbury, West Midlands
1 October 1967 – The Belfry, Wishaw, near Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands with The Light
5 October 1967 – Ringway, Birmingham
8 October 1967 – Ritz Ballroom, King’s Heath, West Midlands
9 October 1967 – Holly Bush, Quinton, West Midlands
14 October 1967 – Queen’s Beat Club, Erdington, West Midlands
16 October 1967 – Holly Bush, Quinton, West Midlands
18 October 1967 – BRS, Charles Russell Square, Erdington, West Midlands with Jo Jo Cook & The Rackets
21 October 1967 – Caesar’s Place, Mulberry Tree, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
23 October 1967 – Queen’s Head, Erdington, West Midlands (Dave Pegg’s final gig)
The Way of Life #6 (October 1967-circa January 1968)
Reg Jones – lead vocals, harmonica Chris Jones – lead guitar Jon Fox – lead guitar, vocals Danny King – bass, vocals John Panteney – (Pank) drums
Dave Pegg left in late October 1967 to join The Ian Campbell Folk Group and later found fame with Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull.
The Jones siblings brought back Danny King to replace Dave Pegg on bass and recruited Jon Fox on second lead guitar and vocals.
Fox had started out with his own outfit, Jon Fox & The Hunters in the early 1960s. He subsequently became a member of Johnny Neal & The Starliners before forming The Varsity Rag in 1967.
The Way of Life also found a new drummer, John Panteney, who had worked with The Chantelles (after the Jones siblings had moved on) in the mid-1960s. He then played with several other local acts before agreeing to join The Way of Life.
However, it was yet another short-lived version. By early 1968, Fox had moved on to form Cathedral while Panteney joined Paradox with future Magnum singer Bob Catley.
Notable gigs
28 October 1967 – The Woolpack, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Crew
7 November 1967 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
21 November 1967 – Bolero, Wednesbury, West Midlands
27 November 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Bearwood, West Midlands with Lynda and The Blend
1 December 1967 – Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands
2 December 1967 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands
11 December 1967 – Holly Bush, Quinton, West Midlands
16 December 1967 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands with The Fading Colours
21 December 1967 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands with The Idle Race and The Fading Colours
4 January 1968 – Birdland, The Raven, Castle Bromwich, West Midlands with The Idle Race (Birmingham Evening Mail)
6 January 1968 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
12 January 1968 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
19 January 1968 – Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
28 January 1968 – Bolero, Wednesbury, West Midlands
29 January 1968 – Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
The Way of Life #7 (January-November 1968)
Reg Jones – lead vocals, harmonica Chris Jones – lead guitar Danny King – bass, lead vocals Barry Smith – drums
The Jones brothers rebuilt the group by bringing in drummer Barry Smith, who’d worked with them previously in The Chucks during 1965.
Smith had started out with former The Way of Life bass player/singer Danny King in his early 1960s band, Danny King & The Royals. Later on, he worked with Danny Burns & The Phantoms.
The final incarnation recorded some material for Polydor Records before splitting up in late 1968.
The Jones brothers continued to play live on the local scene. Reg Jones died in 2004 and Chris Jones passed away in March 2014.
Notable gigs
1 February 1968 – Queen’s Beat Club, Erdington, West Midlands with Danny King and The Jones Boys (Birmingham Evening Mail)
3 February 1968 – Casino, Leicester
3 February 1968 – Industrial Club, Norwich, Norfolk
17 February 1968 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands with Traffic (Birmingham Evening Mail)
23 February 1968 – Chesterfield Club, Castle Bromwich, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
24 February 1968 – Staffs Volunteer, Bushbury, Wolverhampton, West Midlands
2 March 1968 – Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands
3 March 1968 – Queen’s Beat Club, Erdington, West Midlands
9 March 1968 – Crown and Cushion, Perry Barr, West Midlands with Capital Systems
17 March 1968 – Crown & Cushion, Birmingham with The Peeps
21 March 1968 – Queen’s Beat Club, Erdington, West Midlands
23 March 1968 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands
25 March 1968 – Holly Bush, Quinton, West Midlands
27 March 1968 – Chesterfield Club, Castle Bromwich, West Midlands
31 March 1968 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands
1 April 1968 – Bulls Head, Yardley, West Midlands
9 April 1968 – Chalet Country Club, Rednal, West Midlands with Fanny Flickers
13 April 1968 – Willenhall Baths Assembly Hall, Willenhall, West Midlands with Lovin’ Kind
18 April 1968 – Station Inn, Selly Oak, West Midlands
Sources: most of the West Midlands gigs were sourced from the Birmingham Evening Mail, which is an amazing resource for music journalists. Other magazine/newspaper sources included Melody Maker, Eastern Evening News, Express & Star, Coventry Evening Telegraph, Banbury Guardian, Stratford upon Avon Herald and Leicester Mercury.
Thanks to Dave Pegg and Mac Poole (who both shared dates from their diaries), Mick Hopkins, Tony Clarkson, Jon Fox, Harry Barber, Laurie Hornsby and John R Woodhouse, who runs the Brumbeat website.
Mick Bonham’s book John Bonham: The Powerhouse behind Led Zeppelin was another great resource.
Huge thanks to Jason Barnard who originally posted this article on the Strange Brew website. This is a significantly updated version.
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.
ROBERT PLANT & THE BAND OF JOY:
Robert Plant – lead vocals
Chris Brown – keyboards/vocals
Vernon Pereira – lead guitar/vocals
Lyndon Laney – bass
Pete Robinson – drums
14 April 1967 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
15 April 1967 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
21 April 1967 – Morgue, Bearwood, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail) Not in Barber’s book
24 April 1967 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
26 April 1967 – Casa Fiesta Disco, Crown, Stourport, Worcestershire (John Combe book) Not in Barber’s book
3 May 1967 – Cedar Club, Birmingham with Denny Laine’s Electric String Band (Birmingham Evening Mail) Not in Barber’s book
6 May 1967 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
10 May 1967 – Cedar Club, Birmingham with Denny Laine’s Electric String Band (Birmingham Evening Mail)
15 May 1967 – Cedar Club, Birmingham, West Midlands (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
16 May 1967 – Frank Freeman’s, Kidderminster, Worcestershire with Jimmy Cliff & The Shakedown Sound (Kidderminster Times & Stourport News)
19 May 1967 – Frank Freeman’s, Kidderminster, Worcestershire with Jimmy Cliff & The Shakedown Sound (John Combe book) Not in Barber’s book
19 May 1967 – Bolero, Wednesbury, West Midlands (Express & Star) Not in Barber’s book
Image may be subject to copyright
20 May 1967 – Co-op Hall, Worcester, Worcestershire (Worcester Evening News) Not in Barber’s book
22 May 1967 – Broadway Club, Dudley Zoo, West Midlands with The Omen (Express & Star)
27 May 1967 – Hen and Chickens, Langley, West Midlands (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
Image may be subject to copyright
31 May 1967 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with full supporting group (Birmingham Evening Mail) Not in Barber’s book
31 May 1967 – Bilston Town Hall, Bilston, West Midlands (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
5 June 1967 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with The Warren Davis Monday Band and Edwin Starr (Birmingham Evening Mail) Not in Barber’s book
10 June 1967 – Bilston Town Hall, Bilston, West Midlands with Shooting Stars (Express & Star)
18 June 1967 – Frank Freeman’s, Kidderminster, Worcestershire with Whisky Mac (Kidderminster Times & Stourport News)
Image may be subject to copyright
22 June 1967 – Black Horse, Kidderminster, Worcestershire (Kidderminster & Stourport News)
25 June 1967 – Ship & Rainbow, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Track (Express & Star) Not in Barber’s book
3 July 1967 – Broadway Club, Dudley Zoo, West Midlands (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
4 July 1967 – Malvern Hippie Festival, Malvern, Worcestershire (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
Image may be subject to copyright
14 July 1967 – Higham Ferres New WMC, Higham, Northamptonshire (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)
16 July 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham, West Midlands (Express & Star)
Image may be subject to copyright
18 July 1967 – Chalet Country Club, Rednal, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail) Not in Barber’s book
22 July 1967 – Malvern Winter Gardens, Malvern, Worcestershire with Derek Bruce & His Show Band (Worcester Evening News) Not in Barber’s book
23 July 1967 – Ship & Rainbow, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Shooting Stars (Express & Star)
Image may be subject to copyright
24 July 1967 – Mercers Arms, Coventry, West Midlands (Coventry Evening Telegraph)
26 July 1967 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail) Not in Barber’s book
Image may be subject to copyright
28 July 1967 – The County Arms, Blaby, Leicestershire (Leicester Mercury)
29 July 1967 – Black Horse, Northfield, Birmingham (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
30 July 1967 – Gig in Coventry (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy) Final gig by the first version according to Barber.
Pereira, Brown and Robinson formed a rival, second version while Plant put together another line-up together with members from Wolverhampton band, Paper. On 1 October, Pereira’s version had to change name to The Good Egg (Harry Barber)
Robert Plant – lead vocals
John Elston – lead guitar
Dave Evans – rhythm guitar
Pete Bowen – bass
Steve Taylor – drums
Image may be subject to copyright
5 August 1967 – Hen & Chickens, Langley, West Midlands with The UK Bonds (Birmingham Evening Mail) Not in Barber’s book
6 August 1967 – Tudor Club, Craven Arms, Coventry, West Midlands (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
12 August 1967 – Clouds, Derby, Derbyshire (Derby Evening Telegraph) Not in Barber’s book
Thanks to Jake Beatson for the photo and confirmation
14 August 1967 – Town Hall, Pitlochry, Scotland with The Rite Tyme (Fabulous 208/Concert advert)
15 August 1967 – Palace Ballroom, Aberdeen, Scotland with The Rite Tyme (Aberdeen Evening Express)
16 August 1967 – Douglas Ballroom, Aberdeen, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
17 August 1967 – Caledonian Hotel, Inverness, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
18 August 1967 – Victoria Hall, Dunblane, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
Image may be subject to copyright
19 August 1967 – Ritz Club, Skewen, Wales with The Clockwork Motion and John Smith Committee (Port Talbot Guardian/South Wales Evening Post)
Image may be subject to copyright
19 August 1967 – Empire Ballroom, Neath, Wales with Barnaby’s Vision (Port Talbot Guardian/South Wales Evening Post)
24 August 1967 – Palais De Danse, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (Fabulous 208
25 August 1967 – Severn Club, Shrewsbury, Shropshire (Fabulous 208)
25 August 1967 – Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with The Montanas, The Staffords and Maddening Crowd (Express & Star)
26 August 1967 – Town Hall, Oxford, Oxfordshire (Fabulous 208)
27 August 1967 – Ritz Ballroom, King’s Heath, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
27 August 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
28 August 1967 – Golden Torch, Tunstall, Staffordshire (Fabulous 208)
Image may be subject to copyright
28 August 1967 – Cofton Club, Rednal, West Midlands with Pesky G and Group Therapy (Birmingham Evening Mail/Redditch Indicator) Not in Barber’s book
30 August 1967 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Fabulous 208)
1 September 1967 – Cofton Country Club, Cofton, West Midlands with Virus (Birmingham Evening Mail/Redditch Indicator)
Image may be subject to copyright
2 September 1967 – Penthouse, Birmingham with Delroy Good-Good Band (Birmingham Evening Mail) Not in Barber’s book
Record Mirror from 2 September 1967, page 10 has a picture and story on the band
Photo: Record Mirror. Image may be subject to copyright
3 September 1967 – Cavalier Club, Warwick, Warwickshire (Fabulous 208)
4 September 1967 – Queen’s Ballroom, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Express & Star)
7 September 1967 – Ritz Ballroom, Hereford, Herefordshire (Fabulous 208)
8 September 1967 – Yeoman Club, Stafford, Staffordshire (Fabulous 208)
9 September 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire (Fabulous 208)
10 September 1967 – Olympia Ballroom, Cromer, Norfolk (Fabulous 208)
Image may be subject to copyright
10 September 1967 – Swan, Yardley, West Midlands with The Flowers (Birmingham Evening Mail) Not in Barber’s book
19 September 1967 – Empire Ballroom, Neath, Wales (Fabulous 208)
20 September 1967 – Cofton Country Club, Rednal, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
21 September 1967 – Ringway Club, Birmingham (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
22 September 1967 – Town Hall, Kendal, Cumbria (Fabulous 208)
23 September 1967 – Majestic Ballroom, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Fabulous 208)
25 September 1967 – Magpie Club, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Fabulous 208)
30 September 1967 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Fabulous 208)
1 October 1967 – Country Club, Warmingham, Cheshire (Fabulous 208)
2 October 1967 – Magpie Club, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Fabulous 208)
3 October 1967 – Jazz Cellar, South Shields, Tyne & Wear (Fabulous 208)
4 October 1967 – Ice Rink, Ayr, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
5 October 1967 – Naval Base, Arbroath, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
6 October 1967 – Victoria Hall, Selkirk, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
7 October 1967 – Miners’ Welfare Institute, Kirconnel, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
8 October 1967 – Kinema Ballroom, Dunfermline, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
9 October 1967 – Burma Ballroom, Kirkcaldy, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
11 October 1967 – Mr Magoos, Edinburgh, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
13 October 1967 – Queen’s Hall, Barnstaple, Devon (Fabulous 208)
14 October 1967 – Penthouse Club, Birmingham with Ray King Soul Band and Haig and Al Capone (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
14 October 1967 – Bent-Jade Club, Birmingham (Fabulous 208)
15 October 1967 – Crofton Club, Rednal, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
Image may be subject to copyrightImage may be subject to copyright
The Birmingham Evening Mail from 18 October 1967, page 3 has a story and picture on Robert Plant
19 October 1967 – Penthouse Club, Birmingham with Haig and Al Capone (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
Image may be subject to copyright
21 October 1967 – Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire (Fabulous 208)
22 October 1967 – Penthouse Club, Birmingham (Fabulous 208)
22 October 1967 – Cofton Club, Rednal, West Midlands with Candy Stripes (Redditch Indicator) Barber says the group then embarked on a Scottish tour
In early November 1967, Fabulous 208 says Robert Plant offered his group’s services free of charge to the Chinese Charge D’Affairs
Robert Plant – lead vocals
Kevyn Gammond – lead guitar/vocals
Paul Lockey – bass/vocals
Chris Brown – keyboards
Paul Brittle – drums (soon replaced by John Bonham ex-Way ofLife)
3 November 1967 – Winter Gardens, Penzance, Cornwall with The Atlantic Rollers (Fabulous 208/West Briton & Royal Cornish Gazette)
Image may be subject to copyright
4 November 1967 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Atlantic Rollers (Cornish Guardian) Not in Barber’s book
5 November 1967 – Tabernacle, Stockport, Greater Manchester (Fabulous 208)
19 November 1967 – Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, North Yorkshire with The Cresters (Dennis Weller, Chris Scott Wilson and Graham Lowe’s book) Not in Barber’s book
20 November 1967 – Broadway Club, Dudley Zoo, West Midlands with The Good Egg (Express & Star) Not in Barber’s book
23 November 1967 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, West Midlands with Felice Taylor and The League of Gentlemen (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy/Birmingham Evening Mail)
23 November 1967 – Penthouse Club, Birmingham with Felice Taylor and The League of Gentlemen (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy/Birmingham Evening Mail)
Image may be subject to copyright
24 November 1967 – BSA Ballroom, Small Health, Birmingham with John Street (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy/Birmingham Evening Mail)
Photo from David Rigg
26 November 1967 – Cosmo, Carlisle, Cumbria with Amber World (Cumberland News)
3 December 1967 – Kinema Ballroom, Dunfermline, Scotland (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
6 December 1967 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo) Not in Barber’s book
Image may be subject to copyright
8 December 1967 – Steering Wheel, Dorchester, Dorset with The Question Marks (Dorset Evening Echo) Not in Barber’s book
Image may be subject to copyright
9 December 1967 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express) Not in Barber’s book
12 December 1967 – Ritz Ballroom, Bournemouth, Dorset (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
14 December 1967 – Technical College, Kidderminster, Worcestershire (Fabulous 208)
15 December 1967 – Technical College, Basingstoke, Hampshire (Fabulous 208)
16 December 1967 – Southampton College of Art, Southampton, Hampshire (Fabulous 208)
19 December 1967 – Sibyllas, Swallow Street, London (Fabulous 208) Not in Barber’s book
21 December 1967 – Blue Horizon Club, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
22 December 1967 – St Michael’s Hall, Oxford (Fabulous 208)
23 December 1967 – Penthouse, Birmingham with The Troggs (Birmingham Evening Mail) Not in Barber’s book
23 December 1967 – Ritz, Birmingham (Fabulous 208)
Image may be subject to copyright
24 December 1967 – Cofton Club, Rednal, West Midlands with Nu-2-U (Redditch Indicator) Barber’s book says this was 23 December
24 December 1967 – Penthouse, Birmingham (Fabulous 208)
26 December 1967 – Frank Freeman’s, Kidderminster, Worcestershire (John Combe book) Not in Barber’s book
30 December 1967 – Time and Place Club, Manchester (Fabulous 208)
31 December 1967 – Mercer’s Arms, Coventry, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
1968
1 January 1968 – Corn Exchange, Bristol (Fabulous 208)
5-6 January 1968 – Purple Fez Club, Plymouth, Devon (Fabulous 208) Not in Barber’s book
Image may be subject to copyright
6 January 1968 – Newtongrange Insitute, Newtongrange, Scotland with Pang Projection (South Midlothian Advertiser)
7 January 1968 – Warmingham Country Club, Warmingham, Cheshire (Fabulous 208) Not in Barber’s book
20 January 1968 – Middle Earth, Covent Garden, London (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
26 January 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
26 January 1968 – Middle Earth, Covent Garden, London with Fairport Convention, Pegasus and The Flute Girl (Melody Maker)
27 January 1968 – Majestic, Wellington, Somerset (Fabulous 208) Not in Barber’s book
28 January 1968 – Fresco’s Club, Birmingham (Fabulous 208)
29 January 1968 – Broadway Club, Dudley Zoo, West Midlands with Jo Jo Cooke & The Racket (Express & Star) Not in Barber’s book
2 February 1968 – Westfield Tech College, West Ham, London (Fabulous 208)
3 February 1968 – Paddington Tech College, Paddington, London (Fabulous 208)
8 February 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, London with Edwin Starr (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live) Barber’s book says they played Speakeasy on this day but unlikely
11 February 1968 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Down at the Boat book)
30 March 1968 – Ewell College, Ewell, Surrey with Herbie Goins & The Nightimers (Melody Maker) Not in Barber’s book
Image may be subject to copyright
5 April 1968 – Bolero, Wednesbury, West Midlands (Express & Star) Not in Barber’s book
12 April 1968 – Mothers, Erdington, West Midlands with Erskene T Sound Specials (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
12 April 1968 – Back Room Shanty, Erdington, West Midlands (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
Image may be subject to copyright
19 April 1968 – Impsella Club, Chateau Impney, Droitwich, Worcestershire (Birmingham Evening Mail) Not in Barber’s book
Image may be subject to copyright
5 May 1968 – South Bank, Grimsby (Grimsby Evening Telegraph) Not in Barber’s book
17 May 1968 – Bolero, Wednesbury, West Midlands (Express & Star)
25 May 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The Raid (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday) Not in Barber’s book
28 May 1968 – RAF Sleaford, Lincolnshire (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
29 May 1968 – Acorn Hotel, Erdington, West Midlands with Maddening Crowd (Birmingham Evening Mail) Not in Barber’s book
30 May 1968 – Quay Club, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Harry Barber’s book, The Band of Joy)
Robert Plant – lead vocals
John Hill – lead guitar
Mick Strode – bass/vocals
John Bonham – drums
According to Harry Barber’s book, this line-up did a last Scottish tour around early June and then Bonham left to join Tim Rose. A final line-up came together and may be responsible for the gig below (or it could be Plant and Bonham’s version)
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)
9 May 1964 – Double ‘D’ Club, Hackney, north London (Hackney Gazette)
15 May 1964 – Pussycat Club, Bruce Grove Ballroom, N17, London with The Zephyrs (Hackney Gazette/Tottenham Weekly Herald) Opening night
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)
13 May 1966 – Benn Memorial Hall, Rugby, Warwickshire with Makin Sound and The Good Times (Rugby Advertiser)
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)
17 February 1967 – Rag Ball, Top Rank Suite, Swansea, south Wales with The Alan Price Set, Wayne Fontana, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and The Jug & Bottle Set (South Wales Evening Post)
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)
22 June 1967 – Ritz Club, Skewen, south Wales with The Powerstop Big Band and The King Bees (South Wales Evening Post)
23 June 1967 – Benn Memorial Hall, Rugby, Warwickshire with The Pesky Gee and The Legay (Rugby Advertiser)
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.
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)
