Tag Archives: John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

Categories: England

Blue Moon, Cheltenham gigs July 1965-May 1967

December 31, 2022 Nick Warburton 3 Comments

The entry below should be credited to David Jackson, Chris Stanbury, Mike Williams and Richard Goddard who own the copyright on the following.

The story of the Blue Moon Club, Cheltenham began lunchtime on the 25th December 1964 as the then twenty-year-old John Norman and his elder brother Eddie were eating their Christmas Day lunch in the Headstone Hotel in West London. For some time under the guidance of Eddie the pair had been running regular live music events in and around Middlesex, including The Fender Club, Kenton; The Memorial Hall, Harrow Weald; The Railway Hotel, North Harrow; The New Georgian Club, Cowley and the original Blue Moon Club in Hayes. In what would soon turned out to be a stroke of good luck for all concerned like-minded jazz musician and local music promotions rival Bill Reid was also in the restaurant that Christmas Day and overhearing Eddie and John’s conversation he made his way to their table saying to the brothers that he had often had similar thoughts of expansion.

Bill was well known to John and Eddie for his jazz-orientated promotions with fellow jazz enthusiast and business partner Jack Fallon. At the South Harrow Jazz Club, they would book such names as Jerry Lee Lewis, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Bill said he would be interested in their new venture suggesting they join forces and follow up the advertisement with a trip out ‘West’ to check out the premises in Cheltenham’s High Street.

The club opened on the 17th July 1965 and closed its doors finally on 17th May 1967 and was probably one of best of a small band of regional Mod clubs outside of London

The Action appeared nine times, followed by Gary Farr & The T-Bones who appeared eight times lead the way for visiting bands from outside the local area; local group The Alan Walker Band, managed by the club owners appeared nine times. The club will be well remembered for appearances of Jimi Hendrix and Cream

The artists and performance dates were sourced via original club members and club management flyers along with advertisements placed in The Gloucestershire Echo and The Citizen newspapers held at the local Archive Offices in Cheltenham and Gloucester, John Norman Stephen Reid, son of the late co-owner Bill Reid and fellow Blue Moon book researchers David Jackson, Chris Stanbury, Mike Williams and myself Richard Goddard.

1965

17 July 1965 – The Bo Street Runners (Grand opening night)

18 July 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett/discotheque

21 July 1965 – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds

22 July 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett/discotheque

23 July 1965 – Ups ‘N’ Downs

24 July 1965 – Ray Martin Combo (aka Ray Martin Group)

25 July 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett/discotheque

28 July 1965 – The Chessmen featuring Tony Knight

29 July 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett/discotheque

30 July 1965 – Alan Walker’s Roadhogs (says first appearance at the Blue Moon)

31 July 1965 – The London Crowd (says from the West’s End’s Marquee and Flamingo)

1 August 1965 – Dave Whittling (top London folk singer) plus discotheque

4 August 1965 – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

5 August 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett/discotheque

6 August 1965 – Sons of Fred

7 August 1965 – The Artwoods (says that sensational recording group from RSG)

8 August 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett/discotheque

11 August 1965 – The Who (says Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere!!!)

13 August 1965 – Mickey Finn & The Blue Men

14 August 1965 – John Lee & The Groundhogs

15 August 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett/discotheque

18 August 1965 – The Ram Jam Band featuring Geno Washington

19 August 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett/discotheque

20 August 1965 – The Strats (says the newest sound to follow “Them” from Ireland

21 August 1965 – The Bo Street Runners (says by fantastic demand –the return of)

22 August 1965 – Discotheque

25 August 1965 – Steam Packet featuring Long John Baldry, Brian Auger, Rod Stewart & Julie Driscoll

26 August 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett/discotheque

27 August 1965 – The Tyrants (says top group from the West)

28 August 1965 – The Shevelles

29 August 1965 – Discotheque

30 August 1965 – Discotheque

31 August 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett/discotheque & dance auditions

1 September 1965 –T-Bones (says great London sound of the)

2 September 1965 – Discotheque

3 September 1965 – John Lee & The Groundhogs (says fantastic demand, the return of)

4 September 1965 – Davy Jones & The Lower Third (says by request)

5 September 1965 – Discotheque

8 September 1965 – The Graham Bond Organisation

9 September 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett /discotheque

10 September 1965 – The London Crowd (says from the West End those sensational)

11 September 1965 – The “0-0” Soul Show featuring Alex Harvey & Jimmy Cliff

12 September 1965 – Discotheque

15 September 1965 – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (says by fantastic demand)

16 September 1965 – Discotheque

17 September 1965 – Ram Jam Band featuring Geno Washington (says by fantastic demand the return of)

18 September 1965 – Boz & The Boz People (says sensational new sound)

19 September 1965 – Discotheque (says best record selection anywhere!)

22 September 1965 – Lou Johnson plus Sonny & The Cool School (says direct from the States)

23 September 1965 – Discotheque

24 September 1965 – Ronnie Jones & The Nightimers (says from London’s West End)

25 September 1965 – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (says by fantastic demand the return of)

26 September 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett /discotheque

27 September 1965 – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (says reckoned the absolute tops. Don’t dare miss this!)

30 September 1965 – Discotheque

1 October 1965 – Discotheque

2 October 1965 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (says sensational London group)

3 October 1965 – Discotheque

6 October 1965 – The Shevelles (says the fabulous and unique sound of)

7 October 1965 – Discotheque

8 October 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett /discotheque

9 October 1965 – John Lee & The Groundhogs (says fantastic demand, the return of)

10 October 1965 – Discotheque

13 October 1965 – The Mike Cotton Sound (says sensational must be heard)

14 October 1965 – Discotheque

15 October 1965 – Discotheque

16 October 1965 – The Chessmen (says fantastic demand, the return of London’s top group)

17 October 1965 – Discotheque

20 October 1965 – Steam Packet featuring Long John Baldry, Brian Auger, Rod Stewart & Julie Driscoll

21 October 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett /discotheque

22 October 1965 – Discotheque

23 October 1965 – The Silence (says from London’s Flamingo & West End)

24 October 1965 – Discotheque

27 October 1965 – The Small Faces (says “Whatcha Gonna Do About It”) plus The Advocates

28 October 1965 – DJ Dave Bennett /discotheque

29 October 1965 – Discotheque

30 October 1965 – The Hellions (says west country’s top recording stars the sensational)

31 October 1965 – Discotheque

3 November 1965 – Zoot Money (says by fantastic demand the return of)

4 November 1965 – Discotheque

5 November 1965 – Discotheque

6 November 1965 – Blues Hounds (says Spencer Davis is raving about the sensational)

7 November 1965 – The Alan Walker Group

10 November 1965 – The Graham Bond Organisation (says by fantastic demand)

11 November 1965 – Discotheque

12 November 1965 – Discotheque

13 November 1965 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (says by fantastic demand the return of)

14 November 1965 – The Alan Walker Group

17 November 1965 – The Alan Walker Group (Alan Price advertised but did not play)

20 November 1965 – The Alan Bown Set (says Gent’s please note, Ties to be worn (Saturdays only)

21 November 1965 – The Alan Walker Group

24 November 1965 – Advertised -From USA – ‘In the Midnight Hour” Wilson Pickett, did not appear.

26 November 1965 – The Alan Walker Group

27 November 1965 – The Action (says TV’s Disc-A-Go-Go tonight choosing 100 dancers for next Wednesday’s show.

28 November 1965 – Discotheque

2 December 1965 – Hedgehoppers Anonymous + The Alan Walker Group

3 December 1965 – Discotheque (Featuring Dave Bennett as your DJ)

4 December 1965 – Steam Packet: – Long John Baldry, Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll and Rod ‘The Mod’ Stewart

5 December 1965 – The Alan Walker Group

9 December 1965 – The Spencer Davis Group plus The Hellions

10 December 1965 – The Alan Walker Group (says only 14 more days)

11 December 1965 – The Downliners Sect (says, Sensational Recording and R & B Group …The Exciting)

12 December 1965 – Discotheque (Extra shilling charged on admission to go towards Children’s Party)

16 December 1965 – The Action (says, By overwhelming demand, the return of the…)

17 December 1965 – The Alan Walker Group (says, Only 7 more days)

18 December 1965 – The Hellions plus The Advocates

19 December 1965 – The Alan Walker Group (says, Getting Warmer)

23 December 1965 – Discotheque (says, Pre warm up for tomorrow)

24 December 1965 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Christmas Party)

26 December 1965 – The Alan Walker Group plus The Advocates (says Boxing Day Bonanza)

27 December 1965 – Discotheque

30 December 1965 – Discotheque

31 December 1965 – John Lee and The Groundhogs (New Years Eve Party)

1966

1 January 1965 – Gary Farr and The T-Bones (says, Start the New Year at the Moon)

2 January 1965 – Discotheque (says, Back to normal!! Whew, what a week!!!)

6 January 1965 – The Birds (says, Sensational London Group)

7 January 1965 – Discotheque (DJ Dave Bennett, in the cage)

8 January 1965 – The Shakedown Sounds (says, Birmingham and London top group, by demand the)

9 January 1965 – Discotheque

12 January 1966 – Fontella Bass plus Quiet Five (says, one sensational night only! “Rescue Me” From the USA)

13 January 1966 – The Alan Walker Group

14 January 1966 – Discotheque (DJ Dave Bennett)

15 January 1966 – The Fairies (says, sensational London Group – R S G -Thank Your Lucky Stars)

16 January 1966 – The Advocates

20 January 1966 – The Pretty Things (says, You may hate them, you may love them)

21 January 1966 – Discotheque

22 January 1966 – The Action (says, the group you’ve all been waiting for)

23 January 1966 – Discotheque

27 January 1966 – Lee Dorsey plus The Advocates (says, The Sensational ” Ride Your Pony” Man)

28 January 1966 – Discotheque

29 January 1966 – James Royal and The Hawks (says, the up and coming London group)

30 January 1966 – Discotheque

3 February 1966 – Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds (says, the one and only)

4 February 1966 – Discotheque

5 February 1966 – The Carnaby (says, the street and band the whole country is talking about)

6 February 1966 – Discotheque

10 February 1966 – Doris Troy (says, “What Gonna Do About It” “Heartaches”)

11 February 1966 – Discotheque

12 February 1966 – Jimmy Brown Sound (says, the only Band that could back Ben. E. King on his last tour)

13 February 1966 – Discotheque

17 February 1966 – Zoot Money and his Big Roll Band (says, The Showman himself)

18 February 1966 – Discotheque

19 February 1966 – The Alan Bown Set

20 February 1966 – Discotheque

24 February 1966 – John Lee’s Groundhogs (says, Moon’s most favourite group)

25 February 1966 – Discotheque

26 February 1966 – The Advocates

27 February 1966 – Discotheque

3 March 1966 – Jimmy Cliffs Dynamic All Soul Show, Pete Hodges New Generation featuring Ayesha.

4 March 1966 – Discotheque

5 March 1966 – The Statesides (says, top London group with a big line-up)

6 March 1966 – Discotheque

7 March 1966 – The Advocates (Yardbirds advertised, did not play)

10 March 1966 – Steam Packet: – Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, Julie Driscoll, and Brian Auger Trinity.

11 March 1966 – Discotheque

12 March 1966 – Mickey Finn (says, by overwhelming demand – the sensational)

13 March 1966 – Discotheque

16 March 1966 – Discotheque

17 March 1966 – The Birds (says, by request, the return of the dynamic)

18 March 1966 – Discotheque

19 March 1966 – John Lee’s Groundhogs

20 March 1966 – Discotheque

23 March 1966 – Discotheque

25 March 1966 – Discotheque

26 March 1966 – The Rosco Brown Combo (says, big London line-up… from London’s Marquee)

27 March 1966 – Discotheque

30 March 1966 – Discotheque (says, your first drink on the house)

1 April 1966 – Discotheque

2 April 1966 – Steam Packet: – Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, Julie Driscoll, and Brian Auger Trinity

3 April 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett – in the Cage.

6 April 1966 – Discotheque

8 April 1966 – Discotheque

9 April 1966 – The Action (says, Sensational London Group)

10 April 1966 – Discotheque

11 April 1966 – The Alan Walker Group (says, After a long absence — from London’s Marquee & Flamingo)

13 April 1966 – Discotheque

15 April 1966 – Discotheque

16 April 1966 – The Crowd

17 April 1966 – Discotheque

20 April 1966 – Discotheque

22 April 1966 – Discotheque (the weekend starts here)

23 April 1966 – The Alan Bown Set (says, by demand, the sensational.)

24 April 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett – in the Cage

27 April 1966 – Discotheque

29 April 1966 – Discotheque

30 April 1966 – Gary Farr and the T-Bones (says, sensational London Group)

1 May 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett – in the Cage.

4 May 1966 – Discotheque

6 May 1966 – Discotheque

7 May 1966 – The Action (says, by overwhelming demand)

8 May 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett – in the Cage.

11 May 1966 – Discotheque

13 May 1966 – Discotheque

14 May 1 966 – The Good Goods (formerly known as The Advocates)

15 May 1966 – Discotheque

18 May 1966 – Discotheque

20 May 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett

21 May 1966 – The Shotgun Express: – Rod Stewart, Beryl Marsden, Peter B’s Looners, (great new steam packet)

22 May 1966 – Discotheque

25 May 1966 – Discotheque

27 May 1966 – Discotheque (the weekend starts here)

28 May 1966 – The Deep Feeling (formerly The Hellions)

30 May 1966 – The Buzz

1 June 1966 – Discotheque

2 June 1966 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (says, back by popular demand)

3 June 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett

4 June 1966 – The Jimmy Brown Sound

5 June 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett

8 June 1966 – Discotheque

10 June 1966 – Discotheque

11 June 1966 – The Shevelles (says, from London’s Flamingo, the exciting)

12 June 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett

15 June 1966 – Earl Richmond (says, Radio London’s DJ)

17 June 1966 – Discotheque

18 June 1966 – The Falling Leaves (says, Oxfords top group)

19 June 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett

22 June 1966 – Discotheque

24 June 1966 – Discotheque (the weekend starts here)

25 June 1966 – Jimmy James and The Vagabonds (says, by absolutely overwhelming demand)

26 June 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett

29 June 1966 – Discotheque

1 July 1966 – Discotheque

2 July 1966 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (says, don’t miss this)

3 July 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett – in the Cage

6 July 1966 – Discotheque

8 July 1966 – Discotheque

9 July 1966 – David Bowie and The Buzz

10 July 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett – in the Cage

13 July 1966 – Discotheque

15 July 1966 – Discotheque

16 July 1966 – The Alan Bown Set plus The Bo Street Runners (says, first birthday party night)

17 July 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett – in the Cage

20 July 1966 – Discotheque

22 July 1966 – Discotheque

23 July 1966 – The Good Goods

24 July 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett – in the Cage

27 July 1966 – Discotheque

29 July 1966 – Discotheque

30 July 1966 – James Royal and The Hawks (afternoon opening for staff and members to watch World Cup)

3 August 1966 – Discotheque

5 August 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett – in the Cage

6 August 1966 – The Action

7 August 1966 – Discotheque

10 August 1966 – Discotheque

12 August 1966 – Discotheque

13 August 1966 – Cream (says, don’t dare miss this)

14 August 1966 – Discotheque

15 August 1966 – Gary Farr and The T-Bones (says, back again by demand)

17 August 1966 – Discotheque

19 August 1966 – Discotheque

20 August 1966 – Keith Powell and Billie Davis plus top band.

21 August 1966 – DJ Dave Bennett – in the Cage

24 August 1966 – Discotheque

26 August 1966 – Discotheque

27 August 1966 – Gary Farr and The T- Bones (says, back again by demand, the fantastic sound of)

28 August 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

31 August 1966 – Discotheque

2 September 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

3 September 1966 – The Koobas (say’s, Latest Recording “Sweet Music)

4 September 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

7 September 1966 – Discotheque

9 September 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

10 September 1966 – The Graham Bond Organisation

11 September 1966 – Discotheque

14 September 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

16 September 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

17 September 1966 –The Shevelles

18 September 1966 – Discotheque

21 September 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

23 September 1966 – DJ Frankie & Rocky

24 September 1966 – The Action (says, don’t be late for this one, free admission with advert)

25 September 1966 – Discotheque

28 September 1966 – Discotheque

30 September 1966 – DJ Frankie & Rocky

1 October 1966 – Gary Farr and The T-Bones

2 October 1966 – Discotheque

5 October 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

7 October 1966 – Discotheque

8 October 1966 – Dace Anthony’s Mood (says, from London’s Marquee. the big sound of) This is Dave Anthony’s Moods

9 October 1966 – Discotheque

12 October 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

13 October 1966 – Discotheque

15 October 1966 – The Falling Leaves (says, knockout group, currently playing at Tiles

16 October 1966 – Discotheque

19 October 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

21 October 1966 – Discotheque

22 October 1966 – Alvin Robinson (‘Something You Got” “Searching “ and Down Home Girl”)

23 October 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

26 October 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

28 October 1966 – Discotheque

29 October 1966 – Ray King Soul Band featuring James Royal (says, from Tiles the big sound of)

30 October 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

2 November 1966 – Discotheque

4 November 1966 – Discotheque

5 November 1966 – The Artwoods (says, the awaited return of London’s)

6 November 1966 – Discotheque

9 November 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

11 November 1966 – Discotheque

12 November 1966 – Nepenthe and the Subterraneans (says, from America, the way-out sounds of)

13 November 1966 – Discotheque

18 November 1966 – Lee Dorsey plus supporting show (support band the Good Goods)

19 November 1966 – Cream (says, England’s top group)

20 November 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

26 November 1966 – Discotheque

27 November 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

29 November 1966 – The Alan Bown Set (says, the sensational)

1 December 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

2 December 1966 – Discotheque

3 December 1966 – The Koobas

4 December 1966 – Discotheque

7 December 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

9 December 1966 – Discotheque

10 December 1966 – Zoot Money and his Big Roll (says, that Raving Looner)

11 December 1966 – Discotheque

14 December 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

16 December 1966 – Discotheque

17 December 1966 – The Move (says, the Psychedelic Phenomena)

18 December 1966 – Surprise band

21 December 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

23 December 1966 –Surprise Band

24 December 1966 – Gary Farr and the T-Bones (Christmas Eve Party)

26 December 1966 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

28 December 1966 – Discotheque

30 December 1966 – Discotheque (says, warm up for tomorrows rave)

31 December 1966 – Long John Baldry Show Ft Alan Walker & Stuart Brown & Bluesology

1967

1 January 1967 – Discotheque (says, phew its all over, back to normal, back to work tomorrow)

5 January 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

6 January 1967 – Discotheque (says, the weekend starts here)

7 January 1967 – Brian Auger Trinity Ft Julie Discoll

8 January 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

11 January 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

13 January 1967 – Discotheque

14 January 1967 – The Alan Bown (says, the awaited return of London’s)

15 January 1967 – The Good Goods

18 January 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

20 January 1967 – Discotheque

21 January 1967 – The Frame (from Birmingham, recorded “Doctor” “ I can’t go on” RCA Records)

22 January 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

23 January 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

27 January 1967 – Discotheque & Go Go Competition

28 January 1967 – Gary Farr and The T-Bones (says, after Christmas Eves fantastic rave)

29 January 1967 – Discotheque

1 February 1967 – Discotheque

3 February 1967 – Discotheque (says, phew its all over, back to normal, back to work tomorrow)

4 February 1967 – Long John Baldry Show Ft Alan Walker & Stuart Brown & Bluesology

5 February 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky and the Moon Go Go Girls

8 February 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

10 February 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

11 February 1967 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience

12 February 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

15 February 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

17 February 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky (Says, the weekend starts here)

18 February 1967 – The Action (says, back again by demand. The fantastic sound of)

19 February 1967 – Discotheque

22 February 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

24 February 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky (says, the weekend starts here)

25 February 1967 – Alan Bown (says, by demand, the return)

26 February 1967 – Discotheque

1 March 1967 – Geno Washington (says, one night only, on stage in person)

3 March 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

4 March 1967 – Sack’O’Woe

5 March 1967 – Discotheque and Go Go competition)

8 March 1967 – Lee Dorsey (says, by fantastic demand, the return of)

10 March 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

11 March 1967 – The Chessmen (says, London’s sensational)

12 March 1967 – Miss Go Go final discotheque.

15 March 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

17 March 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky (Says, the weekend starts here)

18 March 1967 – Brian Auger Trinity Ft Julie Discoll

19 March 1967 – Discotheque

22 March 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

24 March 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

25 March 1967 – The Action (says, by fantastic demand)

26 March 1967 – Discotheque

27 March 1967 – Easter Egg Rave Discotheque

29 March 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

31 March 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky (says, the weekend starts here)

1 April 1967 – P.P.Arnold and The Mike Cotton Sound Ft Lucas (says, April fools rave)

2 April 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

5 April 1967 – Discotheque

7 April 1967 – Discotheque

8 April 1967 – John L Watson and The Webb (says, Americas….)

9 April 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

12 April 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

14 April 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Rocky

15 April 1967 – The Chessmen Ft Owen Gray (says, by fantastic demand – return of)

16 April 1967 – Top DJ’s (DJ’s from other clubs owned the Moon owners)

19 April 1967 – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds

21 April 1967 – DJ’s Frankie & Mad Jim (Jim Donovan, from the1600 club in Hereford)

22 April 1967 – Long John Baldry Show Ft Alan Walker & Stuart Brown & Bluesology

23 April 1967 – Top DJ’s

26 April 1967 – The Drifters (believed to be The Invitations)

28 April 1967 –Top DJ’s

29 April 1967 – The Soul Sisters (says, from America … The Dynamic Exciting.)

30 April 1967 – Discotheque

3 May 1967 – Discotheque

5 May 1967 – Discotheque

6 May 1967 – Cliff Bennett (an unannounced appearance)

7 May 1967 – Top DJ’s (Mad Jim, Tony Lott & Frankie used over the final club dates)

10 May 1967 – Discotheque

12 May 1967 – Discotheque

10 May 1967 – Discotheque

13 May 1967 – The Dual (the last band to play at the club)

14 May 1967 – The last Sunday discotheque at the Moon

17 May 1967 – Blue Moon Closed.

Categories: England

The Tin Hat, Kettering: 1967-1969 gigs

February 17, 2021 Nick Warburton 10 Comments

Thanks to Dave Clemo for providing the contents of this entry, including the extensive gig list at the end

This is the story of The Tin Hat, Kettering’s legendary music venue. Between 1967 and 1969 many of the UK’s finest bands performed there.

This account is taken from Back Street Genius by Dave Clemo, with Roger Kinsey and Mavis Tompkins.

The book is the first of two books about legendary recording studio owner/engineer Derek Tompkins.

The roll call of musicians and producers who had their first studio experience at Derek’s Shield and Beck Studios include Queen bass player John Deacon; Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden; and world famous record producers of the calibre of Max Norman, Trevor Horn and David Foster.

Copies of Back Street Genius can be ordered from Waterstones and Rough Trade. It is also available as an eBook.

The Tin Hat was a corrugated iron clad steel framed building that had originally been opened in 1900 as the Athletic Club. It was nestled in the shadow of the town’s football ground. The facilities were almost non-existent and eventually the decision was taken to open a new club along the road.

The new building had a large car park and the rear doors opened onto the stage which made loading in very easy for the groups that performed there. It opened for business in April 1967 and the old hut was consigned to history.

A few weeks later Derek Tompkins’ brother Brian reopened The Tin Hat as a music venue. He removed the old central bar and built a stage at one end. It proved to be very popular from the outset, so much so that both Derek and his wife Mavis came in most Saturday nights to help behind the bar.

The opening night was June 10^th, 1967. The club opened on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with a live band (or two) on a Saturday night and discos on the other nights. This fitted in well with The Works, the other regular music venue in Wellington Street. Their live music nights were on Sunday and Monday nights.

Very few photos of the venue exist. The smell of the interior must have been a heady mixture of tobacco smoke and warm beer, and no doubt the floor would have been pretty sticky by the end of the evening.

The disco nights featured Brian (Tompkins Sound) and Mavis’ brother Alan (Allan D). They used Derek Tompkins’ hand built Shield disco gear and it wasn’t long before they were performing at other well-known venues like the Nag’s Head at Wollaston or the George at Wilby.

Mavis Tompkins wrote: “Brian used to book some of the most famous soul and Motown bands of the time. Most of the Tompkins family got involved, from Brian’s wife (another Mavis), on the door, to his older kids on the cloakroom and glass collecting duties.

Derek and I would help behind the bar with serving drinks and glass washing, which involved dunking empty beer glasses into an ice-cold sink full of murky water as fast as we were able.

Our tasks included sweeping the filthy debris and beer-soaked floors and toilets afterwards. Mavis, Brian’s wife, had to be a pretty tough cookie, dealing with clashes from mods and rockers etc., and was famous for knocking out one belligerent customer who ended up in hospital!”

Derek later wrote: “It was always full to capacity every Saturday night, supposedly with around 200-300 punters, but it was more like 600! Brian booked a host of big stars: including Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.”

Fake bands

In the mid sixties the Roy Tempest Organisation was one of the UK’s biggest music promoters and agents. The Canadians (featuring a very young David Foster on keyboards) signed with them in late 1966 and went to work backing visiting US acts like Chuck Berry.

However, there was another side to the agency. They regularly brought in unknown US acts and passed them off as Motown groups. The groups were tribute acts, sometimes but not always containing an original band member.

Tempest got around the law by subtly changing their names, calling them ‘The Fabulous Temptations’ or the ‘Original Drifters’.

Bill Pinkney was an original member of The Drifters dating back to 1953 and sang bass on many of their hit records. He and the group toured the UK three times in 1966.

Pinkney was back in the UK in 1967, this time accompanied by three singers who had never been Drifters at all. They were the unknown US band The Invitations. This was the line-up that played the Tin Hat on Friday September 29th.

The music press was soon up in arms. A reporter from Disc took it up with Tempest who argued that the promoters knew only too well they are not getting the real group. He claimed it was OK because he knew of five sets of Drifters touring the US at that time.

Tempest supplied several more acts for the Tin Hat in 1967/8, including ‘The Fabulous Temptations’ on September 15^th, 1967 (actually the Fantastics who had recently changed their name from The Velours).

James & Bobby Purify appeared on February 3^rd, 1968. It’s quite possible that the February 17th appearance by Edwin Starr was yet another tribute act. Tempest also had a Mary Wells and a Fontella Bass act. They were the same singer.

My co-author Roger Kinsey remembers going to The Gaiety in Ramsey to see The Isley Brothers in February 1968. Were they the genuine article? Nobody knew what the genuine band looked like, and that was good enough for Tempest.

Motown eventually took legal action against him when they discovered that The Fantastics were being passed off as The Temptations and the resulting court case ended with Tempest’s bankruptcy.

Between 1967 and 1969 the Tin Hat was an important part of Kettering’s entertainment and night life. Every weekend the venue was packed to the rafters with people out to enjoy a good time. The acts that Brian booked covered almost every genre from Blues and Prog to Soul and Pop, and even jazz for a few weeks during the summer of 1967. The club was usually open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with live bands on Saturdays. Some of the descriptions of the groups make interesting reading half a century later.

People travelled to the venue from Rothwell, Desborough and Corby and from Christmas 1967 the club laid on late buses to get everyone home. The management of the club changed hands early in 1969 and an era was at an end. The venue continued for a few more years but mainly concentrated on Soul/Motown.

I looked through every back issue of the Kettering Evening Telegraph between 1962 and 1969 while researching Back Street Genius and photographed every advert for the Tin Hat.

Here is the complete list of shows

1967

Saturday, June 10^th Horatio Soul & the Square Deals Show plus, Yvonne the limbo dancer and the Q Men (opening night)

Sunday, June 11^th (Fontana recording artists) The Night People plus The Trax

Friday, June 16th (from Coventry) Inside Out

Saturday, June 17^th (from the USA) Winston G backed by The Set plus The Ironsides

Sunday, June 18^th(Top surfing performers) Deuce Coupe

Friday, June 23^rdDimples plus Updown Round Sound (from Oxford)

Saturday, June 24^th(Surfing harmony group) The Symbols plus, The Swamp

Sunday, June 25^thGravy Train (from Birmingham) plus Disco

Friday, July 1^stDisco

Saturday, July 2^ndSean Buckley Big Set plus Stumbling and Falling plus Rio Moody Dancers

Sunday, July 3^rd(Radio TV and Recording stars) The Peeps

Friday, July 7^thDisco

Saturday, July 8^th(Coloured Colourful CBS Recorders) The Gass

Sunday, July 9^thDisco

Fri day, July 14^thDisco

Saturday, July 15^thJoyce Bond (Do the Teasy) Band Show

Sunday, July 16^thJazz Disco

Saturday, July 22^nd(From London) Shell Shock Tamla Show

Friday, July 28^thDisco

Saturday, July 29^thWynder K Frog & his Frogmen plus, The Plastic Dreamboat light show

Saturday, August 5^thThe C.A.T. plus U.S.A. Flattop

Saturday, August 12^thThe Syn plus The Friction

Friday, August 18^thAllan D Disco (Alan Dobson is Mavis’ brother)

Saturday, August 19^thP P Arnold with her Nice. A few weeks later they had split from her. Organist Keith Emerson later became a global superstar with Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Sunday, August 20^thDisco

Friday, August 25^thDisco

Saturday, August 26^thThe Reg James Explosion plus Crash Landing

Sunday, August 27^thDisco

Friday, September 1^stAllan D Disco

Saturday, September 2nd Ebony Keys with the Hip Hooray Band (Cat Stevens’ former backing group), plus The Unit Six

Saturday, September 9^thJohn Mayall’s Blues Breakers with support from Pesky Gee

Friday, September 15^thThe ‘Fabulous’ Temptations (this was The Fantastics) plus The Invaders

Saturday, September 16^thRoot & Jenny Jackson with the Hightimers, plus Purple Barrier

Friday, September Sep 22^ndDeuce Coupe

Saturday, September 23^rdDisco

Friday, September 29^thThe Original Drifters (one of Roy Tempest’s fakes)

Saturday, September 30^thFreddie Mac and the Mac Sound, plus The Survivors

Saturday, October 7^thNite People plus Stumblin ‘n Falling Blues Band

Sunday, October 8^thSpencers Washboard Kings

Saturday, October 14^thDisco

Sunday, October 15^thMax Collie’s Rhythm Aces

Saturday, October 21^stRiot Squad plus the Triads

Sunday, October 22^ndBill Nile’s Delta Jazzband

Friday, October 27^thImage (Kettering’s 1st and Only Light Show Scene)

Saturday, October 28^thThe Gass supported by The Traxx

Friday, November 3^rdDisco

Saturday, November 4^th(From Detroit) Max Baer and the Chicago Setback support by Friction

Friday, November 10^thAllan D Disco

Saturday, November 11^thMike Stuart Span supported by The Dream plus Rio Moody Style Dancers

Sunday, November 12^thAllan D Disco

Friday, November 17^thAllan D Disco

Saturday, November 18^thRob Storme and the Whispers

Saturday, November 25^thFamily with support from You Know Who

Saturday, December 2^ndSugar Simone and the Programme & Mo Brown and Hellions People

Sunday, December 3^rdAllan Dee Disco

Saturday, December 9^thPinkertons Assorted Colours plus The Heretics

Sunday, December 10^thAllan D Disco

Saturday, December 16^thP P Arnold with the TNT, plus The Crew

Sunday, December 17^thAllan D Disco

Saturday, December 23^rdShevelles plus the Kobalts

Sunday, December 24^thLaverne West and the Fabulous Rangers Showband

Tuesday, December 26^thSwinging Q Men & the Spectre Powerhouse

Saturday, December 30^thKing Ozzie, Earl Green, Honey Darling and the Coloured Raisings Show

Sunday, December 31^stSweethearts & the Adlib Group

1968

Saturday, January 6^thPeter Green and Fleetwood Mac plus John James and the Swamp Band (from Northampton)

Saturday, January 13^th Amboy Dukes plus Surrealist Adventure

Saturday, January 20^th Triads plus the Ironsides

Saturday, January 27^th Milton James and the Harlem Knock-out, plus Sweethearts

Saturday, February 3^rd James & Bobby Purify plus Surrealist Adventure plus Rio Moody Dancers (Another Tempest fake?)

Saturday, February 10^th Bobby Johnson and the Atoms plus Vfranie

Saturday, February 17^th Edwin Starr plus Motiv (Another fake?)

Saturday, February 24^th Equals plus Magic Roundabout

Saturday, March 2^nd Guy Hamilton Sound plus Sweet Heart

Saturday, March 9^th Jimmy Cliff with Wynder K Frog, plus The Heretics

Saturday, March 16^th Pesky Gee! plus The Trade

Saturday, March 23^rd Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation

Saturday, March 30^th Chicken Shack with Christine Perfect

Saturday, April 6^th La Pelle Nero plus Howling Robin and his Cool Cats Girls a go go

Sunday, April 7^th The Symbols

Saturday, April 13^th Riot Squad plus Blue Magnum

Saturday, April 20^th Herbie Goins and the Nightimers, plus Howling Robin and his Cool Cats

Saturday, April 27^th Showstoppers plus Rupert’s Rick N Beckers (NO SHOW)

Saturday, May 4^th Nepenthe with backing group, plus The Trax

Saturday, May 11^th Hal C Blake plus Adlib plus Owlin Robin

Saturday, May 18^th Savoy Brown Blues Band plus The Friction

Saturday, May 25^th Skip Bifferty plus disco

Saturday, June 1^st Chantells plus Wild ‘n Silk Band, Sue Spencer, Kirk St James. Stage 2 Simon K and the Meantimes

Saturday, June 8^th Family

Saturday, June 15^th The Taste plus Soul Bucket Show

Saturday, June 22^nd Honeybus plus Art (from Leicester with John Deacon on bass)

Saturday, June 29^th Four Kents plus Submarines

Saturday, July 6^th Freddie Fingers Lee plus Bubblegum

Saturday, July 13^th Simon K & the Meantimers plus Trax

Saturday, July 20^th Dr K’s Big Blues Band, plus Rupert’s Rick ‘n Beckers

Saturday, July 27^th Pesky Gee! plus disco

Saturday, August 3^rd Jethro Tull

Saturday, August 10^th Vanity Fair plus disco

Saturday, August 17^th Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation

Saturday, August 24^th Freddie Mac & Mac Sound

Saturday, August 31^st Lloyd Alexander Real Estate plus Donnell Jackson & Broadway Crowd

Saturday, September 7^th The Taste plus the CAT Roadshow with US Flattop

Saturday, September 14^th Lucas and the Mike Cotton Sound

Saturday, September 21^st Billy Davis plus Bubblegum

Saturday, September 28^th Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, plus The Krisis

Saturday, October 5^th Cuby and The Blizzards (from Holland), plus Simon K and the Meantimers

Saturday, October 12^th Fearns Brass Foundry

Saturday, October 19^th Foundations plus The Market

Saturday, October 26^th Fantastics (USA) plus The Trax (They had previously played the Tin Hat as the Fabulous Temptations)

Saturday, November 2^nd Fleetwood Mac, Duster Bennett, plus Chris Shakespears Globe Show

Saturday, November 9^th Oscar Toney Junior plus Apex Big Roll Band

Saturday, November 16^th Flirtations plus Chris Bartley & group

Saturday, November 23^rd Black Cat Bones plus Bubblegum

Saturday, November 20^th The Taste plus Sonny Burke Show

Saturday, December 7^th JJ Jackson backed by Kippington Lodge

Saturday, December 14^th The CAT Roadshow feat US Flattop

Saturday, December 21^st Wynder K Frog

Tuesday, December 24^th New Formula

Saturday, December 28^th Ferris Wheel? (no separate advert)

Tuesday, December 31^st Bubblegum

1969

Saturday, January 4^th Simon K & The Meantimers

Saturday, January 11^th Radio1’s Mike Raven plus Hal C. Blake

Saturday, January 18^th Ray Williams and his Grenades

Saturday, January 25^th Sasparella

Saturday, February 1^st Plastic Penny

Saturday, February 8^th Paul Williams Set (Formerly the Alan Price Set)

Saturday, February 15^th 20th Century Show

From February 22^nd The adverts suggest that the venue had changed hands. The adverts have KAWMC printed on them. Had the club been taken over by the Kettering Athletic Working Mens Club? Within a few weeks the adverts had moved from the main entertainments page to the ‘Around the clubs’ page.

Saturday, February 22^nd(KAWMC) The Decoys & Disco

Saturday, March 1^st(KAWMC) Simon K & Meantimers

Saturday, March 8^thClosed for redecorating. Re-open April 5th

Saturday, April 5^th Soul Express plus The Ketas

Saturday, April 12^th Noel & The Fireballs plus Shelley Tane

Saturday, April 19^th Ruby James & Sound Trekkers

Saturday, April 26^th Freddie Noaks & The Rudies, plus Herbal Remedy

Wednesday, April 30^th Disco every Wednesday

Saturday, May 3^rd Status Quo

Saturday, May 10^th Killing Floor

Saturday, May 17^th The Ebonies

Friday, May 23^rd Sand

Saturday, May 24^th Jerome Arnold Band

Saturday, May 31^st Scorpions

June Mondays TTT Disco

Friday, June 6^th Disco

Saturday, June 7^th Mandrakes

Saturday, June 14^th Wellington Kitch

Saturday, June 21^st Moth

Friday, June 27^th Theodore Green

Saturday, June 28^th The Variations

July Fridays TTT Disco

Saturday, July 5^th Monday Morning Glory Band

Saturday, July 12^th Simon K & Meantimers

Saturday, July 19^th Ace Kefford Stand (former Move bass player)

Saturday, July 26^th The Axe with Rodger Bloom

Saturday, August 2^ndNo Advert in paper

Saturday, August 9^th Cherry Blossom Clinic

Saturday, August 16^th Sand

Saturday, August 23^rd Ptarmigen

Saturday, August 30^th Killing Floor

Saturday, September 6^thClouds

Saturday, September 13^th Lions of Juda (from Israel)

Saturday, September 20^th Herd (after Peter Frampton had left them)

Saturday, September 27^th Pink Cheeks

Saturday, October 4^th Epics

Saturday, October 11^th Moth

Saturday, October 18^th Max Romeo

Saturday, October 25^th Orange Bicycle

Saturday, November 1^stJ J Jackson

Saturday, November 8^th Solid State Stereo Disco

Saturday, November 15^th Shirelles

Saturday, November 22^nd Freddie Mac

Saturday, November 29^th No advert in paper

Saturday, December 6^th No advert in paper

Saturday, December 13^th Diary

Saturday, December 20^th Disco

Wednesday, December 24^th Moth

Friday, December 26^th Smoke

Wednesday, December 31^st Barabus & Sand

Categories: England, Surrey

Bluesette Club, Leatherhead, Surrey

April 4, 2020 Nick Warburton 5 Comments

The Artwoods and John’s Children, December 1966. Photo: Caterham Weekly Post

Originally called the Chuck Wagon and located in a corrugated iron hut at 22a Bridge Street in Leatherhead, Surrey, this notable music venue was renamed the Bluesette Club around March 1966. John’s Children, the group that once included Marc Bolan, owned the club at one point and performed regularly, initially under the name The Silence.

I’ve started to compile a list of gigs, which are taken from the Caterham Weekly Press unless otherwise noted. There are significant gaps in the listings, so I’d welcome any additions, corrections and memories, including when the venue operated as the Chuck Wagon. Judging by the listings below, shows took place on Fridays and Sundays unless otherwise noted.

1966

25 February 1966 – Tony Jackson & The Vibrations (Boyfriend magazine)

1 April 1966 – Too Many Kooks (Poster from John Treais)

3 April 1966 – Sons of Fred (Poster from John Treais)

8 April 1966 – Paddy, Klaus & Gibson (Poster from John Treais)

10 April 1966 – The Ends (aka The End) (Poster from John Treais)

15 April 1966 – The A-Jaes (Poster from John Treais)

17 April 1966 – The (Five) Proud Walkers (Poster from John Treais)

22 April 1966 – Eddie’s Crowd (Poster from John Treais)

24 April 1966 – The Paramounts (Poster from John Treais)

29 April 1966 – The Silence (Poster from John Treais)

Bookings for May included The Herd, Tony Rivers & The Castaways, Gary Farr & The T-Bones and The Fenmen (see above)

29 May 1966 – Gary Farr & The T-Bones (Poster from John Treais)

3 June 1966 – The Silence (Poster from John Treais)

5 June 1966 – The Herd (Poster from John Treais)

10 June 1966 – The Five Proud Walkers (Contract from Colin Forster)

12 June 1966 – The Rockhouse Band (Poster from John Treais)

17 June 1966 – Paddy, Klaus & Gibson (Poster from John Treais)

19 June 1966 – Gary Farr & The T-Bones (Poster from John Treais)

24 June 1966 – Eddie’s Crowd (Poster from John Treais)

26 June 1966 – Sons of Fred (Poster from John Treais)

3 July – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers featuring Eric Clapton

8 July – Eddie’s Crowd (formerly The Five Aces)

10 July – The Silence

15 July – The Hounds

17 July – The Fadin’ Colours

22 July – The Fadin’ Colours

24 July – The Silence (just back from Nice, France)

29 July – The Worrying Kind

31 July – The Tea-Set

There is no listing for 5 and 7 August

12 August – Heinz & The Wildboys

14 August – The Five Proud Walkers (also confirmed by the Crawley Advertiser)

There is no listing for 19 August and after this but at some point around this time, the club closed and only re-opened in November

20 November – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (paper says club has reopened)

No listing for 25 November

27 November – John’s Children (ex-The Silence)

2 December – The Mojos

4 December – The Iveys

9 December – The Tea-Set

11 December – The Fading Colours

16 December – The Fourmost

19 December – The Bunch

23 December – The Artwoods

24 December – John’s Children (switch from Sunday to Saturday)

30 December – Fading Colours

1967

1 January – Graham Bond Organisation (back to Sundays)

6 January – The Iveys

8 January – Winston’s Fumbs

13 January – Mike Stuart Span

15 January – The Bunch

20 January – The Fading Colours

22 January – The Fleur De Lys

27 January – The Creation

29 January – John’s Children

3 February – Richard Henry & The Timebox

5 February – The Bunch

10 February – The Iveys

12 February – The Fenmen

17 February – Winston’s Fumbs

19 February – Savoy Brown

24 February – Cat Stevens

26 February – Tony Rivers & The Castaways

3 March – The (Five) Proud Walkers

5 March – Derek Savage Foundation

10 March – John’s Children with The A-Jaes

12 March – Graham Bond Organisation

17 March – Worrying Kind

19 March – Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

24 March – One In A Million

26 March – Mike Stuart Span

31 March – Heart and Souls

2 April – Tony Rivers & The Castaways

7 April – Rosco Brown Combo

9 April – The Night People (aka The Nite People)

14 April – The Tribe

16 April – The Fleur De Lys

21 April – Derek Savage Foundation

23 April – Ray King Soul Band

26 April – John’s Children (Wednesday)

28 April – The Click

30 April – The Bunch

3 May – John’s Children (Wednesday)

No more listings in the paper but the club continued as gigs below confirm

18 June – The Iveys (Tom Brennan’s Iveys’ research)

10 September – The Iveys (Tom Brennan’s Iveys’ research)

17 December – The Iveys and John’s Children (Tom Brennan’s Iveys’ research)

Categories: England, Surrey

Pantiles, Bagshot, Surrey

November 11, 2017 Nick Warburton 5 Comments

According to Christopher Hjort’s excellent Strange Brew book, promoters Philip Hayward and John Mansfield opened the old inn Pantiles as a bar and music venue in July 1967 after they gave up their chain of Ricky Tick clubs.

However, Record Mirror says that it was the Cromwellian’s former managers Philip Hayward and Bob Anthony who opened Pantiles and it looks like PP Arnold & The Nice were possibly the first booking.

It is very difficult to find gigs for this venue, so would appreciate any more confirmed shows in the comments below.

1967

20 July – PP Arnold & The Nice (Record Mirror)

11 August – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Christopher Hjort’s book Strange Brew)

2 September – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

22 September – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

3 November – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

28 November – Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac (Christopher Hjort’s book Strange Brew)

8 December – Tuesday’s Children (Melody Maker/Bob Hodges’ gig diary) Fabulous 208 lists The Alan Price Set

19 December – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

26 December – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

29 December – Warren Davis Monday Band (Del Paramor’s gig diary)

1968

19 January – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

20 January – Long John Baldry & Bluesology (Melody Maker)

28 January – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

1 February – Film African Queen (Melody Maker)

2 February – Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)

3 February – Jimmy McGriff & His Quartet (Melody Maker)

4 February – Wee Willie Harris (Melody Maker)

8 February – Film Darling (Melody Maker)

9 February – The New Formula (Melody Maker)

10 February – Unnamed band plus records (Melody Maker)

11 February – Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)

13 February – The Pyramids (Melody Maker)

14 February – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Melody Maker)

16 February – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

22 February – Films (Melody Maker)

23 February – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)

24 February – The All Night Workers (Melody Maker)

Guitarist Brian Mansell says The All Night Workers played regularly at this venue, perhaps as many as 20 times during his time with the band from October 1967 to late 1969. They also played here extensively with later line-ups in 1970-1971.

25 February – The Web (Melody Maker)

27 February – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)

1 March – Circus (Stormsville Shakers’ website)

3 March – Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)

5 March – Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac (Windsor & Eton Express)

12 March – Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)

19 March – Dr K’s (Blues Band) (Melody Maker)

29 March – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

5 April – Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)

6 April – The Pyramids (Melody Maker)

7 April – Timebox (Melody Maker)

9 April – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Melody Maker)

12 April – Circus (Melody Maker)

13 April – The Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)

14 April – My Dear Watson (Melody Maker)

15 April – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)

19 April – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

4 May – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

24 May – Circus (Stormsville Shakers’ website)

31 May – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (Melody Maker)

1 June – The Dave Davani Five (Windsor & Eton Express)

2 June – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)

3 June – Bill Haley & The Comets (Melody Maker/New Musical Express)

9 June – The New Formula (Surrey Advertiser)

12 June – Ronnie Scott Quartet (Surrey Advertiser)

15 June – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

23 June – Timebox (Fabulous 208)

29 June – Toast (needs confirmation) (Melody Maker)

9 July – Ray King Soul Band (Melody Maker)

12 July – The Chicago Setback (Surrey Advertiser)

The Stormsville Shakers website has Circus on 12 July.

13 July – The Shevelles (Surrey Advertiser)

14 July – The New Formula (Surrey Advertiser)

16 July – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Surrey Advertiser)

19 July – Ferris Wheel (Surrey Advertiser)

24 July – Harold McNaire Quartet (Surrey Advertiser)

26 July – The Shevelles (Surrey Advertiser)

27 July – Toast (Surrey Advertiser)

28 July – Glass Menagerie (Surrey Advertiser)

30 July – Sellophanes (Surrey Advertiser)

4 August – The Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker) Surrey Advertiser has Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band

20 August – The Dave Davani Five (Melody Maker)

27 August – Junior’s Eyes and Traffic (Melody Maker)

30 August – Circus (Stormsville Shakers’ website)

10 September – Ben E King (New Musical Express)

15 September – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

20 September – Selofane (Fabulous 208)

27 September – The Flies (Surrey Advertiser)

28 September – The Gass (Surrey Advertiser)

29 September – Timebox (Surrey Advertiser)

1 October – Soul Bucket (Surrey Advertiser)

2 October – Chris Barber & His Jazz Band (Surrey Advertiser)

4 October – The Shevelles (Surrey Advertiser)

5 October – Old Nick’s Train Set (Surrey Advertiser)

6 October – Tony Gregory & The Counts (Surrey Advertiser)

20 October – Toast (Melody Maker)

8 November – Happy Magazine (Surrey Advertiser)

9 November – Tuesday’s Children (Surrey Advertiser) Keyboard player Bob Hodges has the band at Rush Green College in Romford this night, so must have been another band that played this evening

10 November – Ferris Wheel (Surrey Advertiser)

12 November – The Web (Surrey Advertiser)

13 November – Alex Walsh (Surrey Advertiser)

19 November – Alexis Korner (Surrey Advertiser)

20 November – Tubby Hayes (Surrey Advertiser)

3 December – Georgie Fame (Surrey Advertiser)

14 December – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

21 December – The Gods (Surrey Advertiser)

22 December – Cliff Bennett (Surrey Advertiser)

24 December – Paul Williams Set (Surrey Advertiser)

26 December – Circus (Surrey Advertiser)

28 December – The Shevelles (Surrey Advertiser)

1969

25 January – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

31 January – Paul Williams Set (Fabulous 208)

9 February – Toast (Melody Maker)

21 February – The Pattern (Melody Maker)

22 February – Ruby James (Melody Maker)

23 February – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (Melody Maker)

27 February – Film The Rebel

8 March – Old Nick’s Train Set (Surrey Advertiser)

9 March – Timebox (Surrey Advertiser)

14 March – Wishful Thinking (Surrey Advertiser)

29 March – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

22 May – The Train (Windsor, Slough & Eton Express)

23 May – Ferris Wheel (Windsor, Slough & Eton Express)

24 May – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

25 May – The Playground (Windsor, Slough & Eton Express)

26 May – Cliff Bennett & His Band (Windsor, Slough & Eton Express)

6 June – Bunkers Brain (Melody Maker)

7 June – Katch 22 (Melody Maker)

8 June – Brian Auger Trinity (Melody Maker)

17 June – Fleetwood Mac (Surrey Advertiser/Christopher Hjort’s book Strange Brew)

21 June – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

1 August – Sir Percy Quintet (Melody Maker)

31 August – Spirit of John Morgan (Time Out)

1 September – Cliff Bennett (Time Out)

17 October – Trifle (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

18 October – My Dear Watson (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

19 October – Ferris Wheel (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

24 October – New Formula (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

25 October – Boston Crabs (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

26 October – Zoot Money (Time Out)

28 October – Graham Bond Initiation (Melody Maker)

31 October – Timebox (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

1 November – Old Nick’s Train Set (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

2 November – Jimmy McGriff (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

7 November – Ray King Soul Band (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

8 November – Heatwave (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

9 November – Sir Percy Quintette (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

14 November – Katch 22 (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

16 November – Spirit of John Morgan (Time Out)

1970

Keyboard player Ronnie Clayden says that The Kool played this venue twice, either in 1969 or 1970.

2 March – Maynard Ferguson (Melody Maker)

16 March – Maynard Ferguson (Melody Maker)

27 April – Maynard Ferguson (Surrey Advertiser)

4 May – Maynard Ferguson (Surrey Advertiser)

8 September – Manfred Mann Chapter 3 (Marmalade Skies website)

14 November – Calum Bryce (Ted Hare’s gig diary)

Drummer Geoff Coxon confirms that the gigs listed for Calum Bryce above and below, which were listed in manager Ted Hare’s diary without being attributed to a band, were definitely Calum Bryce.

26 December – Calum Bryce (Ted Hare’s gig diary)

1971

30 January – Calum Bryce (Ted Hare’s gig diary)

31 May – Calum Bryce (Ted Hare’s gig diary)

4 July – Calum Bryce (Ted Hare’s gig diary)

24 September – Calum Bryce (Ted Hare’s gig diary)

19 November – Jo Jo Gunne (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

20 November – The Fortunes (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

26 November – Mother Tucker’s Rubber Duck (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

27 November – The Staple Singers (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

3 December – Crew (Martin H Samuel’s clippings)

4 December – Freddie Mac (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

10 December – Gonzalez (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

11 December – Black Velvet (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

18 December – Tony Morgan’s Muscle Power (Martin H Samuel’s poster)

Categories: England, London

The Bag O’ Nails, Kingly Street, Soho, central London

November 28, 2014 Nick Warburton 8 Comments

The Bag O’ Nails was rarely advertised in the music papers so it’s been difficult to find confirmed gigs. The list below is a start but I’d welcome any additions/corrections plus any posters of advertised gigs and photos of bands who appeared there (all credited accordingly).

1966

Opened in 1965, co-owners John Gunnell and Laurie Leslie launched the Bag O’ Nails as an upmarket, members-only, late night club during November 1966. Tony Knight’s Chessmen played on the opening night.

Colin Richardson, who joined the Rik Gunnell Agency in September 1966 and remained until December 1967, says his main job was to book Rik Gunnell Agency bands and in terms of the Bag O’ Nails, his role was probably to fill the ‘open’ dates with lesser known bands while the ‘name’ artists were booked by John or his brother Rik.

Colin says that, like the Cromwellian, Sibylla’s and the Speakeasy, the Bag O’ Nails had an extended licence to serve alcohol which required that food had to be made available to customers.

Like these other exclusive late night clubs, the Bag O’ Nails differed from rock venues like the Marquee and 100 Club in that punters generally didn’t go to see the band playing; the music was almost incidental. It was more a place to ‘hang out’ and to mix with media and music biz people and maybe spy the occasional rock star or celeb.

Colin states that when he took over bookings at the Bag O’ Nails, he usually put on a different band every night, though occasionally there could be runs of two or more nights. As noted above, the idea was to give the lesser known bands exposure to the influential audiences that frequented the club.

Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede’s manager Ken Baxter (who is no longer with us) kept a note of bookings and Douglas’ group had a residency at the club from 21 November to 4 December 1966. During this time, Jimi Hendrix sat in with the band once (possibly 25 November but see comments section at the very end).

The Jimi Hendrix Experience played its showcase gig on 25 November and many music celebrities attended the event, including Terry Reid, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and members of The Rolling Stones.

Drummer Tony Richard remembers that his band The Fetish Crowd played at the Bag O’ Nails (either in late 1966 or early 1967).

Keyboard player Tony O’Malley says that his band Malcolm Magaron & The Blueshealers played at the club during late 1966 and early 1967 before the backing musicians left Magaron to work with American singer Ronnie Jones and were billed as The Q-Set.

Steve Ellis’ website notes that the original Love Affair played at the Bag O’ Nails (either in late 1966 or early 1967).

21 November (Monday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

22 November (Tuesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

23 November (Wednesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

24 November (Thursday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

25 November (Friday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

Melody Maker reports that The Jimi Hendrix Experience played on 25 November, which would have been a showcase gig. It’s possible that he stayed on to sit in with Carl Douglas’ band later that evening (Colin Richardson’s website)

26 November (Saturday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

27 November (Sunday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

28 November (Monday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

29 November (Tuesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

30 November (Wednesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

The Stage’s 1 December issue reports that Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede have a ten-day stand but don’t say when it started.

1 December (Thursday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

2 December (Friday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

3 December (Saturday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

4 December (Sunday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

19 December (Monday) – Julian Covey & The Machine (needs confirmation)

Julian Covey & The Machine had a residency here which, judging by the January gig below, appeared to be on a Monday evening.

26 December (Monday) – Julian Covey & The Machine (needs confirmation)

According to Stage magazine, Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays, Tony Knight’s Chessmen and The Brian Auger Trinity played over the Christmas period.

1967

Singer James Royal says that his band The James Royal Set played at the Bag O’ Nails. This would have been 1967 and/or 1968.

Drummer Chris Hunt notes that his group The Good Time Losers played at the venue in 1967. The most likely period would have been February/March.

Drummer Dino Coccia says that he played with a Jamaican band called The Healers who worked at the Bag O’ Nails regularly throughout 1967 until June 1968 when they left for Beirut, Lebanon for a residency there.

1 January (Sunday) – The Peddlers (Glenn Martin’s recollections, needs confirmation)

Drummer Glenn Martin says that when his group Hedgehoppers Anonymous split in early-mid January, he worked with singer Kenny Bernard at the Bag O’ Nails, taking over from The Peddlers, who had a residency here (most likely on Sundays). Bernard’s group played its first show at the Bag O’ Nails on Martin’s birthday (Sunday, 22 January). However, The Peddlers decided to continue their residency and returned the following week and Bernard’s group split with Martin reforming Hedgehoppers Anonymous.

2 January (Monday) – Julian Covey & The Machine (Fabulous 208)

8 January (Sunday) – The Peddlers (needs confirmation – see 1 January)

9 January (Monday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

10 January (Tuesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

11 January (Wednesday) – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Fabulous 208)

15 January (Sunday) – The Peddlers (needs confirmation – see 1 January)

22 January (Sunday) – Kenny Bernard (Glenn Martin’s recollections – see 1 January)

29 January (Sunday) – The Peddlers (needs confirmation – see 1 January)

1 February (Wednesday) – Maxine Brown & The Q-Set (Fabulous 208 and Disc & Music Echo)

2 February (Thursday) – Maxine Brown & The Q-Set (Fabulous 208)

The Q-Set linked up with American singer Ronnie Jones in mid-March 1967 after he split with The Blue Jays and they played regularly at the Bag O’ Nails (see later).

7 February (Tuesday) – The Shotgun Express (Fabulous 208)

Phil Sawyer, the band’s lead guitarist, will join The Spencer Davis Group in April 1967.

8 February (Wednesday) – The Shotgun Express (Fabulous 208)

9 February (Thursday) – The Shotgun Express (Fabulous 208)

10 February (Friday) – The Shotgun Express (Fabulous 208)

According to Disc & Music Echo, the music magazine held its party at the Bag O’ Nails either on Sunday, 12 February or Sunday, 19 February and PJ Proby, Pete Townshend from The Who and Eric Clapton from Cream attended.

22 February (Wednesday) – Maxine Daniels (Fabulous 208)

25 February (Saturday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

Birmingham band, The Way of Life, featuring future Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham played at the Bag O’ Nails around late February 1967.

1 March (Wednesday) – The Real McCoy (Fabulous 208)

2 March (Thursday) – The Real McCoy (Fabulous 208)

3 March (Friday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

4 March (Saturday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

5 March (Sunday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

6 March (Monday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

7 March (Tuesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

8 March (Wednesday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

9 March (Thursday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

10 March (Friday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

11 March (Saturday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

12 March (Sunday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

Colin Richardson, who booked some of the artists that performed at the Bag O’ Nails, remembers Otis Redding dropping in on 22 March (website: https://colinrichardson of any significance, bujazz.typepad.com/blog/2020/07/otis-reddinggentle-giant.html)

17 April (Monday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

18 April (Tuesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

Disc & Music Echo’s 6 May issue reports that Georgie Fame, The Drifters, Zoot Money and Carl Douglas joined Ronnie Jones (& The Q-Set) for a jam session in the week starting 24 April. Tom Jones and Paul McCartney attended.

27 April (Thursday) – Prince Buster & The Bees (Fabulous 208 and Disc & Music Echo)

According to the Berkhamsted Gazette & Tring District News, Errol Daniel & JJ Sound played at the Bag O’ Nails in early May 1967.

4 May (Thursday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

8 May (Monday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

According to Disc & Music Echo’s 27 May issue, Ronnie Jones (& The Q-Set) played at the Bag O’ Nails in the week starting 15 May and Sandie Shaw, Chris Andrews and The Moody Blues were among the guests.

The same issue (27 May) notes that Georgie Fame, Dick Gregory, Mary Wells and Maxine Brown were recent bookings at the Bag O’ Nails.

15 May (Monday) – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Beatles Bible book)

Disc & Music Echo lists Georgie Fame at the venue on 15 May.

30 May (Tuesday) – Diane Ferraz & The Checkmates (Fabulous 208)

31 May (Wednesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

1 June (Thursday) – Diane Ferraz & The Checkmates (Fabulous 208)

3 June (Saturday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

4 June (Sunday) – Diane Ferraz & The Checkmates (Fabulous 208)

5 June (Monday) – The Shevelles (Fabulous 208)

6 June (Tuesday) – The Shevelles (Fabulous 208)

7 June (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

Fabulous 208 says that The Shevelles played on 7 June.

8 June (Thursday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

11 June (Sunday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

12 June (Monday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

13 June (Tuesday) – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set (Fabulous 208)

14 June (Wednesday) – Diane Ferraz & The New Checkmates (Fabulous 208)

15 June (Thursday) – Diane Ferraz & The New Checkmates (Fabulous 208)

Melody Maker says that The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas played on 15 June.

16 June (Friday) – Felders Orioles (Fabulous 208)

Drummer John Halsey will join Timebox in August 1967

17 June (Saturday) – Vince Edwards (Del Paramor’s gig diary)

18 June (Sunday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

19 June (Monday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

20 June (Tuesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

21 June (Wednesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

22 June (Thursday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

23 June (Friday) – Amen Corner (Fabulous 208)

30 June (Friday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

1 July (Saturday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

5 July (Wednesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

6 July (Thursday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

9 July (Sunday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

11 July (Tuesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

17 July (Monday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

18 July (Tuesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

20 July (Thursday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

23 July (Sunday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

24 July (Monday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

31 July (Monday) – Eric Burdon & The New Animals (Disc & Music Echo)

1 August (Tuesday) – Ferris Wheel (Fabulous 208)

This group were formerly called Diane Ferraz & The (New) Checkmates. Colin Richardson, who booked some of the artists that appeared at the Bag O’ Nails, says that he suggested Ferris Wheel as a loose pun on Diane’s surname after they had told him they wanted to change their current name as they felt it sounded dated.

6 August (Sunday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

According to the Reading Evening Post, 12 August, Kenny Bernard (possibly fronting Cats Pyjamas) plays around this time.

13 August (Sunday) – Ferris Wheel (Fabulous 208)

22 August (Tuesday) – The Fleur De Lys (Keith Guster’s gig diary)

28 August (Monday) – Ferris Wheel (Fabulous 208)

31 August (Thursday) – Ferris Wheel (Fabulous 208)

2 September (Saturday) – Chicken Shack (Melody Maker)

Chicken Shack featured future Fleetwood Mac singer/pianist Christine Perfect (aka McVie).

3 September (Sunday) – Chicken Shack (Melody Maker)

8 September (Friday) – Chicken Shack (Melody Maker)

9 September (Saturday) – Chicken Shack (Melody Maker)

11 September (Monday) – Moon’s Train (Malcolm Penn’s gig diary – thanks to Peter Gosling for sharing)

14 September (Thursday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Fabulous 208)

Future Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor was with the band at this point.

18 September (Monday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Melody Maker)

19 September (Tuesday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Fabulous 208)

20 September (Wednesday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Fabulous 208)

21 September (Thursday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Fabulous 208)

22 September (Friday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Fabulous 208)

23 September (Saturday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Fabulous 208)

24 September (Sunday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Fabulous 208)

25 September (Monday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

Fabulous 208 has Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames on 25 September.

6 October (Friday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

12 October (Thursday) – Wynder K Frog (Fabulous 208)

16 October (Monday) – Ferris Wheel (Fabulous 208)

17 October (Tuesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

21 October (Saturday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

22 October (Sunday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

24 October (Tuesday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

30 October (Monday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

2 November (Thursday) – Ferris Wheel (Fabulous 208)

6 November (Monday) – Ben E King (Disc & Music Echo)

16 November (Thursday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

19 November (Sunday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

22 November (Wednesday) – Ferris Wheel (Fabulous 208)

28 November – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

Fabulous 208 has Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band on 28 November. John Warburg says JJ Jackson performed on this date.

30 November (Thursday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

6 December (Wednesday) – Long John Baldry (and Bluesology) (Disc & Music Echo)

Pianist Reg Dwight (aka Elton John) was most likely still with Bluesology at this point.

8 December (Friday) – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s gig diary)

16 December (Saturday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

Colin Richardson, who worked at for the Gunnell Agency booking artists, says he came up with the Cats Pyjamas name. Most of the band had previously worked as The Loose Ends but when their two singers Alan Marshall and Bob Saker left during the summer and the musicians were linked with new singer Kenny Bernard, they decided they wanted a new name.

23 December (Saturday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

27 December (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

29 December (Friday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

30 December (Saturday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

1968

Guitarist Paul Brett says that he played at the Bag O’ Nails, which would have been with Tintern Abbey and/or later bands.

Sax player Geoff Glover says that The All Night Workers played at the Bag O’ Nails regularly, which would have been between 1968-1971.

2 January (Tuesday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

4 January (Thursday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

9 January (Tuesday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

10 January (Wednesday) – The Web (Melody Maker)

11 January (Thursday) – The Shevelles (Fabulous 208)

12 January (Friday) – Garnet Mimms (needs confirmation)

Some acts this month mirrored the bookings at the Cromwellian.

15 January (Monday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

17 January (Wednesday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)

18 January (Thursday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)

19 January (Friday) – The New Formula (Melody Maker)

21 January (Sunday) – Jimmy McGriff (Melody Maker)

23 January (Tuesday) – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)

24 January (Wednesday) – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)

29 January (Monday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

Fabulous 208 lists Edwin Starr for 29 January.

1 February (Thursday) – John L Watson & The Web (needs confirmation)

Some acts this month mirrored the bookings at the Cromwellian.

5 February (Monday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

9 February (Friday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

10 February (Saturday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

19 February (Monday) – Robert Parker (New Musical Express)

20 February (Tuesday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

According to Melbourne music magazine, Go-Set, Australian band The Groop played the Bag O’ Nails between early March and mid-April.

2 March (Saturday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

7 March (Thursday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

11 March (Monday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

12 March (Tuesday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

Melody Maker reports that Fleetwood Mac, Zoot Money and Cliff Bennett were due to play at the Bag O’ Nails around this time.

20 March (Wednesday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

25 March (Monday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

26 March (Tuesday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

27 March (Wednesday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

9 April (Tuesday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

14 April (Sunday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

15 April (Monday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

22 April (Monday) – JJ Jackson (Melody Maker)

9 May (Thursday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

10 May (Friday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

13 May (Monday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

20 May (Monday) – Edwin Starr & The State Express (Melody Maker)

21 May (Tuesday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

22 May (Wednesday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

It is possible that JJ Jackson may also have played on 22 May.

30 May (Thursday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

31 May (Friday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

4 July (Thursday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

6 July (Saturday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

26 July (Friday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

28 July (Sunday) – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

2 August (Friday) – The Penny Peep Show (needs confirmation that it happened but advertised)

The Penny Peep Show’s guitarist Martin Barre joined Jethro Tull in December 1968.

8 August (Thursday) – Happy Magazine (Fabulous 208)

11 August (Sunday) – Selofane (Fabulous 208)

12 August (Monday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

18 August (Sunday) – Selofane (Fabulous 208)

20 August (Tuesday) – Selofane (Fabulous 208)

25 August (Sunday) – Selofane (Fabulous 208)

30 August (Friday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

31 August (Saturday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

2 September (Monday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

According to the Stroud News, Gass played at the Bag O’ Nails just before 14 September.

20 September (Friday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

21 September (Saturday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

25 September (Wednesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

29 September (Sunday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

2 October (Wednesday) – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Fabulous 208)

3 October (Thursday) – Ferris Wheel (Fabulous 208 and Time Out)

4 October (Friday) – Cats Pyjamas and Selofane (Colin Pullen’s gig diary, Fabulous 208 and Time Out)

5 October (Saturday) – Cats Pyjamas and Selofane (Colin Pullen’s gig diary, Fabulous 208 and Time Out)

6 October (Sunday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

9 October (Wednesday) – Cliff Bennett (Fabulous 208)

16 October (Wednesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

20 October (Sunday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

24 October (Thursday) – Cliff Bennett and Circus (Melody Maker and website: http://www.stormsvilleshakers.com/bandhistory.html)

25 October (Friday) – Cats Pyjamas (Colin Pullen’s gig diary)

27 October (Sunday) – Tuesday’s Children (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)

4 November (Monday) – Toast (Melody Maker)

10 December (Tuesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

17 December (Tuesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

1969

Guitarist and violinist Mike Piggott says that Gass played at the Bag O’ Nails during 1969-1970.

Topper Clay from The New York Public Library notes that his group played this venue.

7 January (Tuesday) – Cliff Bennet (Fabulous 208)

8 January (Wednesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

15 January (Wednesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

20 January (Monday) – Junior Walker & The All Stars (Melody Maker and New Musical Express)

22 January (Wednesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)

28 January (Tuesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

4 February (Tuesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

10 February (Monday) – Toast (Melody Maker)

21 February (Friday) – My Dear Watson and Ben E King (Melody Maker)

New Musical Express reports that Ben E King was backed by The Chris Shakespeare Globe Show for the February UK tour.

22 February (Saturday) – My Dear Watson (Melody Maker)

6 March (Thursday) – Freddy King (Melody Maker)

7 March (Friday) – My Dear Watson (Fabulous 208)

8 March (Saturday) – My Dear Watson (Fabulous 208)

13 March (Thursday) – Toast (Melody Maker)

14 March (Friday) – My Dear Watson (Fabulous 208)

7 April (Monday) – Girl Talk (Melody Maker)

5 May (Monday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

14 May (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

2 July (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

9 July (Wednesday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

17 July (Thursday) – Jimmy Ruffin with Sweet Blindness (Time Out)

10 August (Sunday) – James & Bobby Purify (Time Out)

15 August (Friday) – Glass Menagerie (Time Out)

18 August (Monday) – Cliff Bennett (Time Out)

19 August (Tuesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Time Out)

20 August (Wednesday) – Ferris Wheel (Time Out)

Guitarist Terry Edmunds, who played with Ferris Wheel and had previously worked with Tony Knight’s Chessmen when they opened the Bag O’ Nails in late 1966, says that it was quite a period with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Tom Jones, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney attending. He also recalls American singers like Diana Ross and Wilson Pickett getting on stage with Ferris Wheel. Edmunds adds that La Valbonne across the street from the Bag O’ Nails was a place to popular nightspot.

25 August (Monday) – Cliff Bennett (Time Out)

26 August (Tuesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Time Out)

27 August (Wednesday) – Ferris Wheel (Time Out)

22 September (Monday) – Prince Buster (Time Out)

Melody Maker lists The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas on 22 September.

28 October (Tuesday) – Howlin Wolf and Junco Partners (Melody Maker)

19 November (Wednesday) – Inez & Charlie Foxx (John Warburg research)

20 November (Thursday) – Bo Diddley (Melody Maker)

1 December (Monday) – The Ronnetts (John Warburg research)

8 December (Monday) – The Upsetters (John Warburg research)

18 December (Thursday) – Black Apple (Time Out)

19 December (Friday) – Lucas & The Soul Band (Time Out)

21 December (Sunday) – Ferris Wheel (Time Out)

24 December (Wednesday) – Ferris Wheel (Time Out)

26 December (Friday) – The Rebel Rousers (Time Out)

27 December (Saturday) – The Eyes of Blue (Time Out)

30 December (Tuesday) – The Pavement (Time Out)

31 December (Wednesday) – The Web (Time Out)

1970

Guitarist Keith Kendall confirmed that The All Night Workers played at the Bag O’ Nails this year when he was a member.

1 January (Thursday) – The Rebel Rousers (Time Out)

5 January (Monday) – The Perishers (Time Out)

7 January (Wednesday) – Timebox (Time Out)

26 January (Monday) – Lucas & The Soul Sounds (Melody Maker)

5 March (Thursday) – Slade (Don Powell’s website: http://www.donpowellofficial.com/dons-gigs-1963—1970.html)

24 October (Saturday) – Calum Bryce (Ted Hare gig diary)

Ted Hare’s diary doesn’t list the artist’s name on his books but drummer Geoff Coxon confirmed that this was for Calum Bryce. This is true of the other listings below.

6 November (Friday) – Calum Bryce (Ted Hare gig diary)

7 November (Saturday) – Calum Bryce (Ted Hare gig diary)

1971

14 January (Thursday) – Calum Bryce (Ted Hare gig diary)

Categories: England, London

Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, London

November 19, 2014 Nick Warburton 88 Comments

The Black Prince Hotel in Bexley, southeast London was a popular live music venue during the 1960s. I’ve started to compile a list of artists that performed there and would welcome any additions and corrections as well as any memories of the pub. This is an incomplete listing

1964

12 April – The Graham Bond Organisation (Bruno Ceriotti’s research)

17 May – The Graham Bond Organisation (Bruno Ceriotti’s research)

31 May – The Pretty Things (Record Mirror and Beat Monthly)

21 June – The Graham Bond Organisation (Bruno Ceriotti’s research)

5 July – The Pretty Things (Record Mirror and Beat Monthly)

23 August – The Downliners Sect (Beat Monthly)

12 September – The Graham Bond Organisation (Bruno Ceriotti’s research)

18 October – The Graham Bond Organisation (Bruno Ceriotti’s research)

29 October – The Graham Bond Organisation (Bruno Ceriotti’s research)

6 December – The Downliners Sect (Beat Monthly)

1965

All of the listings below for 1965 are from Melody Maker unless otherwise stated. Judging by the gigs below, rock bands performed on Sundays.

I have not included the other artists, including jazz players, who performed on Monday evenings.

Peter Hicks, who was a member of The Down & Outs, has a newspaper clipping of his band in the scrapbook section of his website which notes that the band opened for The Animals, The Mark Leeman Five and The Moody Blues at this venue (most likely 1965).

3 January – The Graham Bond Organisation

10 January – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

17 January – Tony Knight’s Chessmen

24 January – The Downliners Sect

31 January – The Spencer Davis Group

7 February – The Moody Blues

14 February – The Animals

21 February – The Graham Bond Organisation with The Epitaph Soul Band (confirmed by article in Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times)

28 February – Buddy Guy with Rod Stewart and The Soul Agents (with Rod Stewart)

7 March – The Mark Leeman Five

14 March – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds

21 March – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

28 March – The Downliners Sect

4 April – The Moody Blues

The Just Blues appeared on one occasion when The Moody Blues played here (see John Farrier’s comment below)

11 April – Long John Baldry

18 April – Alex Harvey Soul Band

25 April – The Graham Bond Organisation

2 May – The Five Dimensions and The Loose Ends

9 May – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

16 May – (Jimmy James &) The Vagabonds

23 May – Memphis Slim and Alex Harvey Soul Band

30 May – The Mark Leeman Five

6 June – Jack Dupree with The Mike Cotton Sound

13 June – The Graham Bond Organisation

20 June – The Artwoods

19 June – Jazz & Blues Festival with Dutch Swing College, Solomon Burke, Zoot Money, Unit 4 Plus 2, The Spencer Davis Group, The Downliners Sect, Alan Elsdon Jazzband, Brian Green New-O-Stompers, Epitaph Soul Band and The Loose Ends (Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times)

Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times, 25 June 1965, page 12

27 June – The Five Dimensions

4 July – Long John Baldry and Rod Stewart

11 July – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays

18 July – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

25 July – The Spencer Davis Group and The Epitaphs Soul Band

The Epitaphs Soul Band featured Mick Fletcher on keyboards who went on to The New Generation (briefly Jimmy Cliff’s backing band), The Hamilton Movement (1966-1967) and The Amboy Dukes (1969-1970).

Earlier in their career, guitarist Del Grace was a member. He went on to The Big Wheel before joining Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede.

Andy Clark also played sax with them in late 1965 before switching to organ and joining The Big Wheel in spring 1966. He later played with The Fenmen (aka Kindness), Sam Gopal, VAMP and Clark-Hutchinson among others.

1 August – (Gary Farr &) The T-Bones

8 August – Alex Harvey Soul Band

15 August – The Graham Bond Organisation

22 August – The Blond Bombshell (from the US)

29 August – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

5 September – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays

12 September – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

19 September – Steampacket

26 September – The Graham Bond Organisation

3 October – (Jimmy James &) The Vagabonds

10 October – Alex Harvey Soul Band

17 October – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames

24 October – The Spencer Davis Group

31 October – T-Bone Walker

7 November – Steampacket

14 November – The Graham Bond Organisation

21 November – The Shevelles

28 November – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays

5 December – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

12 December – missing

19 December – missing

26 December – missing

1966

All of the listings below for 1966 are from South East London Mercury unless otherwise stated. Judging by the gigs below, rock bands performed on Sundays.

I have not included the other artists, including jazz players, who performed on Monday evenings.

2 January – missing

9 January – The Alan Price Set (Beat Instrumental)

16 January – missing

23 January – missing

30 January – The Spencer Davis Group

6 February – Alex Harvey’s Soul Band

13 February – The Graham Bond Organisation

The Big Wheel Soul Band opened for Graham Bond’s group at some point

20 February – missing

27 February – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

6 March – The Action

13 March – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds

20 March – Melody Maker notes “Great blues singer from the US” (could this be John Lee Hooker?)

27 March – Steampacket

3 April – missing

10 April – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

17 April – Geno Washington’s Ram Jam Band

24 April – The Moody Blues

1 May – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds

8 May – Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound

15 May – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames

22 May – missing

29 May – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

5 June – The Downliners Sect

12 June – Steampacket

19 June – The Shotgun Express

26 June – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Record Mirror)

3 July – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and Eric Silk’s Stompers

10 July – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

17 July – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

24 July – The Alan Price Set (Fabulous 208 and Record Mirror)

30 July – The Graham Bond Organisation

7 August – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Fabulous 208)

14 August – Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound

21 August – The Shotgun Express

28 August – missing

4 September – The Moody Blues

11 September – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers

18 September – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

25 September – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers

2 October – The Shevelles

9 October – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

16 October – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band

23 October – The Mike Cotton Sound

30 October – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers

6 November – missing

13 November – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays

20 November – The Downliners Sect

27 November – Guy Darrell

4 December – missing

11 December – Brian Auger Trinity (Fabulous 208)

18 December – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

Fabulous 208 has Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band on 18 December

24 December – Mike Cotton Sound with support

1967

Phil Mackie, who very kindly provided gigs for 1967 and 1968, recalls that Sunday was R&B night and Monday was mainstream jazz.

I have listed the sources next to the entries. There are indications from some of the dates below that rock gigs occasionally happened on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well.

1 January – The Shevelles (Fabulous 208)

8 January – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Fabulous 208 and Melody Maker)

15 January – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays (Melody Maker)

22 January – The Graham Bond Organisation (Melody Maker)

29 January – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)

5 February – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Melody Maker)

12 February – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

19 February – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Melody Maker)

26 February – Long John Baldry with Bluesology (Melody Maker)

5 March – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Melody Maker)

12 March – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)

14 March – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s diary – this was a Tuesday)

19 March – Cliff Bennett’s Rebel Rousers (Melody Maker)

26 March – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays (Melody Maker)

2 April – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)

9 April – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Melody Maker)

16 April – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

23 April – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Fabulous 208 and Melody Maker)

25 April – Jimmy Cliff & The Shakedown Sound (Melody Maker – this was a Tuesday)

30 April – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Melody Maker)

7 May – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Melody Maker)

14 May – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set (Melody Maker)

21 May – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)

28 May – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Melody Maker)

30 May – The Nite People (Barry Curtis’s diary – this was a Tuesday)

4 June – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Fabulous 208 and Phil Mackie’s diary) South East London Mercury has The Coloured Raisins

11 June – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208 and Phil Mackie’s diary)

18 June – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Phil Mackie’s diary)

25 June – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

2 July – The Coloured Raisins with Honey Darling and Earl Green (Phil Mackie’s diary)

9 July – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

16 July – The Gass (Phil Mackie’s diary)

23 July – Mike Cotton with Lucas (Phil Mackie’s diary)

30 July – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Phil Mackie’s diary)

6 August – Long John Baldry Show (aka Bluesology) (Phil Mackie’s diary)

13 August – The Shevelles (Phil Mackie’s diary)

20 August – The Peddlers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

27 August – The Gass (Phil Mackie’s diary)

3 September – The Amboy Dukes (Phil Mackie’s diary)

10 September – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

17 September – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Phil Mackie’s diary)

24 September – Freddie Mack Show (Phil Mackie’s diary)

1 October – The Shevelles (Phil Mackie’s diary)

8 October – The Amboy Dukes (Phil Mackie’s diary)

15 October – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set (Phil Mackie’s diary)

22 October – Ben E King (Phil Mackie’s diary)

29 October – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

4 November – The Peddlers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

7 November – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (Ken Baxter’s diary – this was a Tuesday)

12 November – Dantalion’s Chariot (Phil Mackie’s diary)

19 November – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

26 November – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Phil Mackie’s diary)

3 December – The Amboy Dukes (Phil Mackie’s diary)

10 December – The Gass (Phil Mackie’s diary)

17 December – Peter’s Green Fleetwood Mac (Phil Mackie’s diary)

24 December – The Shevelles and Terry Lightfoot Band (Phil Mackie’s diary)

31 December – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set and Alan Elsdon’s Band (Phil Mackie’s diary)

1968

Phil Mackie, who very kindly provided gigs for 1967 and 1968, recalls that Sunday was R&B night and Monday was mainstream jazz. I have listed the sources next to the entries.

7 January – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

14 January – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set (Phil Mackie’s diary)

21 January – The Freddie Mack Sound (Phil Mackie’s diary)

28 January – Jimmy McGriff Quartet (Phil Mackie’s diary)

4 February – The Cliff Bennett Show (Phil Mackie’s diary)

11 February – The Savoy Brown Blues Band (Phil Mackie’s diary)

18 February – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

25 February – Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound (Phil Mackie’s diary)

3 March – The Peddlers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

10 March – The Amboy Dukes (Phil Mackie’s diary)

17 March – Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac (Phil Mackie’s diary)

24 March – The Shevelles (Phil Mackie’s diary)

31 March – The Impressions (Phil Mackie’s diary)

7 April – The Jeff Beck Group featuring Rod Stewart (Phil Mackie’s diary)

14 April – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

15 April – The Piccadilly Six (Swiss band) (Melody Maker – this was a Monday)

21 April – The Showstoppers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

28 April – The Cliff Bennett Band

5 May – Spooky Tooth (Phil Mackie’s diary)

9 May – The Counts (Melody Maker – this was a Thursday)

12 May – The Shevelles (Phil Mackie’s diary)

16 May – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Phil Mackie’s diary – this was a Thursday)

19 May – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

23 May – The Rebel Rousers (Phil Mackie’s diary – this was a Thursday)

26 May – The Peddlers (Phil Mackie’s diary)

30 May – The Shevelles (Phil Mackie’s diary – this was a Thursday)

2 June – Lucas with The Mike Cotton Sound (Phil Mackie’s diary)

9 June – Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll (Phil Mackie’s diary)

16 June – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers with The Satin Dolls (Phil Mackie’s diary)

23 June – Spooky Tooth (Melody Maker)

30 June – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Melody Maker)

7 July – Diane Ferraz & The Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)

14 July – Joe Cocker (Melody Maker)

21 July – Tony Gregory & The Counts (Melody Maker)

28 July – Traffic (Melody Maker)

4 August – Spooky Tooth (Melody Maker)

11 August – The Fantastics (Melody Maker)

18 August – The Rebel Rousers (Melody Maker)

25 August – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)

1 September – Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)

8 September – The Joyce Bond Revue (Melody Maker)

15 September – Ten Years After (Melody Maker)

22 September – Timebox (Melody Maker)

29 September – The Drifters (Melody Maker)

6 October – The Fantastics (Melody Maker)

12 October – Spooky Tooth (Melody Maker – this is a Saturday)

20 October – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

27 October – Joe Cocker (Melody Maker and New Musical Express)

3 November – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)

10 November – Inez and Charlie Foxx (Melody Maker)

17 November – Paul Williams Set (Melody Maker)

24 November – Ferris Wheel and Nepenthe (Melody Maker)

1 December – Garnet Mimms with Village Green (Melody Maker)

2 December – Jimmy Witherspoon (Melody Maker – this was a Monday)

8 December – Bandwagon (Melody Maker and New Musical Express)

10 December – Simon K & The Meantimers and Olaf Grumps Kneed (Melody Maker/South East London Mercury – this was a Tuesday)

15 December – Timebox (Melody Maker)

22 December – The Fantastics (Melody Maker)

28 December – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)

1969

Judging by the gigs below, rock bands continued to play on Sundays with occasional gigs on other days of the week.

5 January – Paul Williams Set (Melody Maker)

12 January – Root and Jenny Jackson (Melody Maker)

19 January – The Peddlers (Melody Maker)

26 January – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208 and Melody Maker)

2 February – Spooky Tooth (Melody Maker)

South East London Mercury has The Nice not Spooky Tooth

9 February – Happy Magazine (Melody Maker)

16 February – The Fantastics (Fabulous 208)

Melody Maker has Timebox for the 16 February gig as does South East London Mercury

23 February – Freddie King and Steamhammer (Melody Maker)

Martin Coller got in touch and noted that The Nice were billed to play on 23 February according to Martyn Hanson’s book “Hang on To Dream: The Story of The Nice”.

2 March – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker)

9 March – Interstate Road Show (Melody Maker)

16 March – The Symbols (Melody Maker)

23 March – The Fantastics (Melody Maker)

30 March – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

2 April – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker – this was a Wednesday)

6 April – Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)

13 April – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)

20 April – Timebox (Melody Maker)

27 April – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker)

4 May – The Symbols (Melody Maker)

11 May – Toast (Melody Maker)

18 May – Howlin’ Wolf (Melody Maker)

25 May – The Riot Squad (Melody Maker)

1 June – No listing in Melody Maker

8 June – The Peddlers (Melody Maker)

15 June – John Lee Hooker with The John Dummer Blues Band (Melody Maker)

22 June – Consortium (Melody Maker)

29 June – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Melody Maker)

6 July – Timebox (Melody Maker)

13 July – The Platters (Melody Maker)

20 July – The Joyce Bond Show (Melody Maker)

27 July – The Symbols (Melody Maker)

3 August – The Brian Auger Trinity (Time Out)

10 August – Trapeze (Melody Maker)

17 August – The Globe Show (Melody Maker)

24 August – The Coloured Raisins (Melody Maker)

31 August – Timebox (Melody Maker)

7 September – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker)

14 September – The Cliff Bennett Show (Melody Maker)

21 September – Linda Lewis and Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)

28 September – The Dave Amboy Big Band (Melody Maker)

5 October – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (Melody Maker)

12 October – Zoot Money (Melody Maker)

19 October – The Greatest Show on Earth (Melody Maker)

25 October – The Brian Auger Trinity (Melody Maker)

2 November – Marv Johnson (Melody Maker)

9 November – Timebox (Melody Maker)

16 November – Freddie King (Melody Maker)

23 November – No entry in Melody Maker

30 November – The Coloured Raisins (Melody Maker)

7 December – The Dave Amboy Band (aka The Amboy Dukes) (Melody Maker and Keith Guster’s diary)

According to Keith Guster, this was the reformed version featuring Keith Guster and Tago Byers from The Fleur De Lys and former Hamilton Movement keyboard player Mick Fletcher.

14 December – Ferris Wheel (Melody Maker)

16 December – The Amboy Dukes (Keith Guster’s diary)

21 December – The Peddlers (Melody Maker)

28 December – Simon K & The Meantimers (Melody Maker)

1970

8 February – The Amboy Dukes (Keith Guster’s diary)

27 September – Black Widow and Amazing Grace (Poster from Roy Saxby)

4 October – Steamhammer (Poster from Roy Saxby)

11 October – Caravan (Poster from Roy Saxby)

18 October – Chicken Shack (Poster from Roy Saxby)

25 October – The Greatest Show on Earth (Poster from Roy Saxby)

1 November – Blodwyn Pig (Poster from Roy Saxby)

6 December – The Faces featuring Rod Stewart with Daniels Band (Poster from Roy Saxby)

13 December – Steamhammer (Poster from Roy Saxby)

20 December – Toe Fat with Albuquerque-Riccoti (Poster from Roy Saxby)

24 December – The Greatest Show on Earth with Tony Simon’s Progressive Show (Poster from Roy Saxby)

27 December – Argent (Poster from Roy Saxby)

31 December – Patto (Poster from Roy Saxby)

Categories: England, London

The Boathouse, Kew, west London

March 12, 2014 Nick Warburton 46 Comments

According to Don Craine of The Downliners Sect fame (who played there as the original Downliners in 1962 and as The Downliners Sect in 1963), the Boathouse at Kew was run by the Jones brothers and was considered to be one of the best southwest/west London gigs, along with Hounslow Baths, the Capital R Feltham, and Southall Community Centre.

Craine adds that the club had two stages. He remembers that at one gig, The Mark Leeman Five played on the other stage when The Downliners Sect were there.

Kew Boathouse was rarely advertised in the music papers so it’s been difficult to find gigs. The list below is a start but I’d welcome any additions and corrections plus any photos of the venue and posters of advertised gigs as well as band photos (all credited accordingly).

1961

11 February 1961 (Saturday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

25 March 1961 (Saturday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

22 December 1961 (Friday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

1962

11 June 1962 (Monday) – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (Brian Mansell’s gig diary)

Photo: Peter Wright. Peter’s father designing a poster for the venue – see comments section below.

1963

Rhythm guitarist Keith Gardiner says that his band Jeff Curtis & The Flames played at Kew Boathouse in 1963 on a bill headed by Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers.

John Plumer, who played with The John Dee Combo, says that they played regularly at the club on Friday nights when he was doing his ‘A’ levels.

As well as Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, he also remembers Pat Cresswell & The Crescents playing here whose guitarist was future Hot Chocolate member Harvey Hinsley.

The Packabeats, 1963. Photo from Malcolm Lenny.

Malcolm Lenny says that Tony Holland & The Packabeats played here in the early days.

30 November 1963 (Saturday) – The Tridents (Paul Lucas’ gig diary)

1964

14 February 1964 (Friday) – The Tridents (Lindsay Bex’s gig diary)

18 April 1964 (Saturday) – The Tridents (Paul Lucas’ gig diary)

Jeff Beck didn’t join on lead guitar until early September 1964.

10 October 1964 (Saturday) – The Tridents (Paul Lucas’ gig diary)

Jeff Beck was the band’s lead guitarist now.

1966

25 August 1966 (Thursday) – Episode Six (Brian Long’s research)

1967

There are lots of gaps in this year and I would welcome any additions, clarifications and corrections.

According to Gray Newell, The Locomotion played at the venue during 1967-1968.

24 January 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

31 January 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

8 February 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

9 February 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

13 February 1967 (Monday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

14 February 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

15 February 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

16 February 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

20 February 1967 (Monday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

21 February 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

22 February 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

23 February 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

27 February 1967 (Monday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

28 February 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

Dave Martin Group gig list. Thanks to Geoff Chinnery

1 March 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

2 March 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

6 March 1967 (Monday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

7 March 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

8 March 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

9 March 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

13 March 1967 (Monday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

14 March 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

15 March 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

16 March 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

21 March 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

22 March 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

23 March 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

27 March 1967 (Monday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

28 March 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

29 March 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

30 March 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

3 April 1967 (Monday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

4 April 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

5 April 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

6 April 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

Jack’s Union. Left to right: Paul Gardner, Terry Sullivan and Dave Mann. Photo: Paul Gardner

8 May 1967 (Monday) – Jack’s Union (Melody Maker)

9 May 1967 (Tuesday) – Jack’s Union (Melody Maker)

10 May 1967 (Wednesday) – Jack’s Union (Melody Maker)

11 May 1967 (Thursday) – Jack’s Union (Melody Maker)

Guitarist Paul Gardner got in touch (see comments below). This power trio, based on The Who, morphed out of The Select and would later changed name to Rainbow Reflection. Later, Gardner and drummer Terry Sullivan formed Dry Ice. Gardner later recorded with Pluto while Sullivan joined Renaissance.

19 May 1967 (Friday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

29 May 1967 (Monday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

30 May 1967 (Tuesday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

31 May 1967 (Wednesday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

1 June 1967 (Thursday) – Marshal Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

5 June 1967 (Monday) – The Patch (Hounslow Post)

6 June 1967 (Tuesday) – The Patch (Hounslow Post)

7 June 1967 (Wednesday) – The Patch (Hounslow Post)

8 June 1967 (Thursday) – The Patch (Hounslow Post)

12 June 1967 (Monday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

13 June 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

14 June 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

15 June 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

19 June 1967 (Monday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

20 June 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

21 June 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

22 June 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

26 June 1967 (Monday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

27 June 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

28 June 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

29 June 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

3 July 1967 (Monday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

4 July 1967 (Tuesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

5 July 1967 (Wednesday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

6 July 1967 (Thursday) – The Dave Martin Group (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

10 July 1967 (Monday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

11 July 1967 (Tuesday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

12 July 1967 (Wednesday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

13 July 1967 (Thursday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

17 July 1967 (Monday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

18 July 1967 (Tuesday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

19 July 1967 (Wednesday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

20 July 1967 (Thursday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

24 July 1967 (Monday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

25 July 1967 (Tuesday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

26 July 1967 (Wednesday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

27 July 1967 (Thursday) – Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

14 August 1967 (Monday) – Atmosphere (Hounslow Post)

15 August 1967 (Tuesday) – Atmosphere (Hounslow Post)

16 August 1967 (Wednesday) – Atmosphere (Hounslow Post)

17 August 1967 (Thursday) – Atmosphere (Hounslow Post)

21 August 1967 (Monday) – Atmosphere (Hounslow Post)

22 August 1967 (Tuesday) – Atmosphere (Hounslow Post)

23 August 1967 (Wednesday) – Atmosphere (Hounslow Post)

24 August 1967 (Thursday) – Atmosphere (Hounslow Post)

28 August 1967 (Monday) – Atmosphere (Hounslow Post)

29 August 1967 (Tuesday) – Atmosphere (Hounslow Post)

30 August 1967 (Wednesday) – Atmosphere (Hounslow Post)

31 August 1967 (Thursday)– Marshall Scott Etc (Hounslow Post)

4 September 1967 (Monday) – Impulse (Hounslow Post)

5 September 1967 (Tuesday) – Impulse (Hounslow Post)

6 September 1967 (Wednesday) – Impulse (Hounslow Post)

18 September 1967 (Monday) – Milton’s Fingers (Hounslow Post)

19 September 1967 (Tuesday) – Milton’s Fingers (Hounslow Post)

20 September 1967 (Wednesday) – Milton’s Fingers (Hounslow Post)

Future Genesis drummer John Mayhew played with Milton’s Fingers in 1968-1969.

Thanks to Mick Grant for providing the image

25 September 1967 (Monday) – Respect (Hounslow Post)

26 September 1967 (Tuesday) – Respect (Hounslow Post)

27 September 1967 (Wednesday) – Respect (Hounslow Post)

28 September 1967 (Thursday) – Respect (Hounslow Post)

Respect at the Boathouse. Photo: Mick Grant

2 October 1967 (Monday) – Impulse (Hounslow Post)

3 October 1967 (Tuesday) – Impulse (Hounslow Post)

4 October 1967 (Wednesday) – Impulse (Hounslow Post)

5 October 1967 (Thursday) – Impulse (Hounslow Post)

9 October 1967 (Monday) – Milton’s Fingers (Hounslow Post)

10 October 1967 (Tuesday) – Milton’s Fingers (Hounslow Post)

11 October 1967 (Wednesday) – Milton’s Fingers (Hounslow Post)

12 October 1967 (Thursday) – Milton’s Fingers (Hounslow Post)

16 October 1967 (Monday) – Milton’s Fingers (Hounslow Post)

17 October 1967 (Tuesday) – Milton’s Fingers (Hounslow Post)

18 October 1967 (Wednesday) – Milton’s Fingers (Hounslow Post)

24 November 1967 (Friday) – The Washington DCs (Hammersmith & Shepherd’s Bush Gazette)

27 November 1967 (Monday) – The Washington DCs and The Motives (Thames Valley Times and Hounslow Edition of Middlesex Chronicle)

4 December 1967 (Monday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

5 December 1967 (Tuesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

6 December 1967 (Wednesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

7 December 1967 (Thursday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

8 December 1967 (Friday) – The Hummingbirds (Thames Valley Times and Hounslow Edition of Middlesex Chronicle)

31 December 1967 (Sunday) – The Arrows (Thames Valley Times)

Alan Box of Locomotion at the Kew Boathouse. Thanks to Gray Newell for photo.

1968

The Thames Valley Times reports that the club puts on gigs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Considering that some groups had residencies from Monday-Thursday, it looks like there may have been live music every night of the week. There are lots of gaps for 1968. I would welcome any additions, clarifications and corrections.

Ray Brown who played with The Kool until December 1967 and then formed Champagne remembers both groups appearing on the same bill during 1968.

According to the Crawdaddy Blues Band website, the band Sudden Change played at Kew Boathouse during 1967-1968.

1 January 1968 (Monday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

2 January 1968 (Tuesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

3 January 1968 (Wednesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

4 January 1968 (Thursday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

2 February 1968 (Friday) – The Frinton Bassett Blues Band (Poster from Gray Newell)

3 February 1968 (Saturday) – Sudden Change (Poster from Gray Newell)

4 February 1968 (Sunday) – Rosemarys E Motion (Poster from Gray Newell)

9 February 1968 (Friday) – The New Frinton Bassett Blues Band (Hounslow Post) Poster has Evolution on this date

10 February 1968 (Saturday) – The King Cossaks (Poster from Gray Newell)

11 February 1968 (Sunday) – Rosemarys E Motion (Poster from Gray Newell)

The Hounslow Post says that the group Fire played recently.

12 February 1968 (Monday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

13 February 1968 (Tuesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

14 February 1968 (Wednesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

15 February 1968 (Thursday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

16 February 1968 (Friday) – The Frinton Bassett Blues Band (Poster from Gray Newell)

17 February 1968 (Saturday) – The Bluesville Band (Poster from Gray Newell)

18 February 1968 (Sunday) – Rosemarys E Motion (Poster from Gray Newell)

23 February 1968 (Friday) – Katch 22 and The Arrows (Thames Valley Times)

24 February 1968 (Saturday) – Locomotion (Poster from Gray Newell)

25 February 1968 (Sunday) – Rosemarys E Motion (Poster from Gray Newell)

15 March 1968 (Friday) – Time & Motion (Thames Valley Times)

25 March 1968 (Monday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

26 March 1968 (Tuesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

27 March 1968 (Wednesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

28 March 1968 (Thursday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

29 March 1968 (Friday) – The Astronauts (Thames Valley Times)

12 April 1968 (Friday) – Carnival Special (Thames Valley Times)

14 April 1968 (Sunday) – Bob Wallis (Thames Valley Times)

Thames Valley Times notes that jazz started this Sunday

21 April 1968 (Sunday) – Alan Elsdon (Thames Valley Times)

28 April 1968 (Sunday) – Terry Lightfoot (Thames Valley Times)

29 April 1968 (Monday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

30 April 1968 (Tuesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

1 May 1968 (Wednesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

2 May 1968 (Thursday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

21 June 1968 (Friday) – One group plays (Thames Valley Times)

22 June 1968 (Saturday) – Two groups play (Thames Valley Times)

24 June 1968 (Monday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

25 June 1968 (Tuesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

26 June 1968 (Wednesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

27 June 1968 (Thursday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

Magic Roundabout gig list. Thanks to Geoff Chinnery

30 June 1968 (Sunday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Christopher Hjort’s book Strange Brew)

12 July 1968 (Friday) – Episode Six (Thames Valley Times)

19 July 1968 (Friday) – Appearance (Thames Valley Times)

21 July 1968 (Sunday) – The Equals (Thames Valley Times)

26 July 1968 (Friday) – The Coloured Raisins (Thames Valley Times)

29 July 1968 (Monday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

30 July 1968 (Tuesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

31 July 1968 (Wednesday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

1 August 1968 (Thursday) – The Magic Roundabout (Geoff Chinnery’s gig list – thanks to Roger Flavell for sharing)

16 August 1968 (Friday) – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Thames Valley Times, Fabulous 208 and Melody Maker)

25 August 1968 (Friday) – The Joyce Bond Revue (Melody Maker)

13 September 1968 (Friday) – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Melody Maker and Thames Valley Times)

14 September 1968 (Saturday) – Two groups play (Thames Valley Times)

15 September 1968 (Sunday) – The Foundations ((Thames Valley Times)

22 September 1968 (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & His Band (Thames Valley Times)

27 September 1968 (Friday) – The Skatalites (Thames Valley Times)

28 September 1968 (Saturday) – Two groups play (Thames Valley Times)

29 September 1968 (Sunday) – The Coloured Raisins (Thames Valley Times)

2 October 1968 (Wednesday) – Ferris Wheel (Fabulous 208)

8 October 1968 (Tuesday) – The Pretty Things (Time Out)

11 October 1968 (Friday) – The Move (Melody Maker and Thames Valley Times)

20 October 1968 (Sunday) – Fleetwood Mac (Christopher Hjort’s book Strange Brew)

25 October 1968 (Friday) – Pink Floyd (Melody Maker and Thames Valley Times)

8 November 1968 (Friday) – The Pretty Things (Thames Valley Times)

22 November 1968 (Friday) – The Coloured Raisins (Thames Valley Times)

13 December 1968 (Friday) – Trifle (Thames Valley Times)

27 December 1968 (Friday) – The Jon James Swamp (Thames Valley Times)

1969

Martin Samuel, the drummer with Heatwave, says that the band’s debut performance was a four-night stand at Kew Boathouse in 1969 for which they were paid a total of £40.

Categories: England, London, Putney, Surrey

The Pontiac Club, Zeeta House, Upper Richmond Road, Putney

March 8, 2014 Nick Warburton 25 Comments

Together with St Mary’s Hall, also in Putney, the Pontiac Club was a popular venue in southwest London in the early-mid 1960s.

Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds were resident band there at one point as were The Action, formerly The Boys and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.

The club was located at 200 Upper Richmond Road, Putney, near the main railway station.

I have started a gig list below and would welcome any additions as well as memories in the comments below. If you have any memorabilia, including posters for the club, I would be happy to include them with a credit.

1963

28 December 1963 (Saturday) – Manfred Mann and Mark Leeman Five (Greg Russo’s research)

1965

Initially billed as the New Pontiac Club

27 May 1965 (Thursday) – Donovan with full supporting groups (Kingston & Malden Borough News)

28 May 1965 (Friday) – Alex Harvey Soul Band with support (Melody Maker/Kingston & Malden Borough News)

29 May 1965 (Saturday) – The Peddlers with support (Melody Maker/Kingston & Malden Borough News)

30 May 1965 (Sunday) – Rey Anton & The Peppermint Men with support (Melody Maker/Kingston & Malden Borough News)

2 June 1965 (Wednesday) – Alexis Korner with support (Melody Maker/Kingston & Malden Borough News)

4 June 1965 (Friday) – The Downliners Sect and The Boston Dexters (Melody Maker)

5 June 1965 (Saturday) – The Beat Merchants, The Billy Woods Combo and The Boston Dexters (Melody Maker)

6 June 1965 (Sunday) – Mike Berry & The Outsiders with support (Melody Maker)

9 June 1965 (Wednesday) – The Muleskinners with support (Melody Maker)

Future Small Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan played with The Muleskinners.

11 June 1965 (Friday) – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (New Musical Express)

16 June 1965 (Wednesday) – The Boston Dexters and The Blues Messengers (Melody Maker)

18 June 1965 (Friday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)

19 June 1965 (Saturday) – Alex Harvey’s Soul Band (Melody Maker)

20 June 1965 (Sunday) – The Hollies and Rey Anton & The Peppermint Men (Melody Maker)

25 June 1965 (Friday) – The Boston Dexters and Long John Baldry & The Hoochie Coochie Men (Melody Maker)

26 June 1965 (Saturday) – The Mark Leeman Five (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

27 June 1965 (Sunday) – Phil Ryan & The Crescents (New Musical Express/Melody Maker) Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays may also have been on the bill for this date

30 June 1965 (Wednesday) – The Artwoods and The Boston Dexters (Melody Maker/New Musical Express)

2 July 1965 (Friday) – The Mark Leeman Five and Platform 6 (Melody Maker/New Musical Express)

3 July 1965 (Saturday) – The Comanches and The Primitives (Melody Maker)

4 July 1965 (Sunday) – Gerry L Thompson & The Sidewinders (Melody Maker)

7 July 1965 (Wednesday) – The Boston Dexters (New Musical Express)

9 July 1965 (Friday) – The Beat Merchants and The Comanches (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

10 July 1965 (Saturday) – Herbie Goins & The Night-timers and Gerry L Thompson & The Sidewinders (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

11 July 1965 (Sunday) – The Boston Dexters and The Fetish Crowd (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

14 July 1965 (Wednesday) – Manfred Mann and The Boston Dexters (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

16 July 1965 (Friday) – The Checkmates and The Thoughts (New Musical Express)

17 July 1965 (Saturday) – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays and Gerry L Thompson & The Sidewinders (New Musical Express)

18 July 1965 (Sunday) – The Boston Dexters (New Musical Express)

21 July 1965 (Wednesday) – The Classmates and Group Survival (Melody Maker)

23 July 1965 (Friday) – Gerry L Thompson & The Sidewinders and The Five Proud Walkers (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

24 July 1965 (Saturday) – The Action and Peter Fenton & The Tasty Mob (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

The Action were recently billed as The Boys.

25 July 1965 (Sunday) – The Thoughts (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

28 July 1965 (Wednesday) – The Who and surf band in support (New Musical Express/Melody Maker) (see comments section below) This could have been The Summer Set

30 July 1965 (Friday) – Gerry L Thompson & The Sidewinders and The RBQ (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

31 July 1965 (Saturday) – John Lee’s Groundhogs (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

1 August (Sunday) – The Boston Dexters (New Musical Express)

4 August 1965 (Wednesday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)

John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers started a regular (two month) Wednesday night residency on this date.

6 August 1965 (Friday) – Tony Knight’s Chessmen and The Fetish Crowd (Melody Maker/New Musical Express)

7 August 1965 (Saturday) – Herbie Goins & The Night-timers and Soul Survival (Melody Maker/New Musical Express)

Later this same evening The Byrds played at the Pontiac Club. According to author Don Hughes, The Dae-b-Four were the support band.

8 August (Sunday) – The Boston Dexters (Melody Maker)

11 August 1965 (Wednesday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)

13 August 1965 (Friday) – Guy Hamilton & The Senators (Melody Maker)

14 August 1965 (Saturday) – The Primitives and The Boston Dexters (Melody Maker)

15 August 1965 (Sunday) – The Boston Dexters (Melody Maker)

18 August 1965 (Wednesday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)

20 August 1965 (Friday) – The Fenmen (New Musical Express)

21 August 1965 (Saturday) – The Action and Sonny Childe & The Cool School (New Musical Express)

22 August 1965 (Sunday) – The Truth (New Musical Express)

25 August 1965 (Wednesday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (New Musical Express)

According to Christopher Hjort’s excellent book Strange Brew, this was the last gig by The Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton who left and was replaced by a succession of fill-in guitarists before returning in November.

27 August 1965 (Friday) – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

28 August 1965 (Saturday) – Herbie Goins & The Night-timers (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

29 August 1965 (Sunday) – The Ingoes (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

The Ingoes morphed into Blossom Toes.

1 September 1965 (Wednesday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (New Musical Express/Melody Maker)

According to Christopher Hjort’s book, John Weider, who has previously played with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates among others, covered for Eric Clapton in The Bluesbreakers for this gig.

3 September 1965 (Friday) – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (New Musical Express)

4 September 1965 (Saturday) – The VIPs (New Musical Express)

The VIPs band morphed into Spooky Tooth.

5 September 1965 (Sunday) – The Action (Melody Maker)

The Action had a regular Sunday residency at this venue for a while. Some sources also note that The Objects played in support on this date.

8 September 1965 (Wednesday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)

According to Christopher Hjort’s book, John Slaughter from Chris Barber’s band covered for Eric Clapton in The Bluesbreakers for this gig.

10 September 1965 (Friday) – The Crowd (Melody Maker)

11 September 1965 (Saturday) – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers (Melody Maker)

12 September 1965 (Sunday) – The Action (Melody Maker)

15 September 1965 (Wednesday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)

According to Christopher Hjort’s book, former Jimmy Powell & The Five Dimensions guitarist Geoff Krivit covered for Eric Clapton in The Bluesbreakers for this gig.

18 September 1965 (Saturday) – Herbie Goins & The Night-timers (Melody Maker)

19 September 1965 (Sunday) – The Action (Melody Maker)

22 September 1965 (Wednesday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)

According to Christopher Hjort’s book, former Jimmy Powell & The Five Dimensions guitarist Geoff Krivit covered for Eric Clapton in The Bluesbreakers for this gig.

This is the band’s final show at the Pontiac and Hjort notes that Peter Green approached Mayall at this venue to ask if he could take over from Krivit as permanent guitarist.

24 September 1965 (Friday) – Tony Colton’s Big Boss Band (Melody Maker)

25 September 1965 (Saturday) – The Beat Merchants (Melody Maker)

26 September 1965 (Sunday) – The Action (Melody Maker)

1 October 1965 (Friday) – The Bo Street Runners (Melody Maker)

2 October 1965 (Saturday) – The VIPs (Melody Maker)

3 October 1965 (Sunday) – The Action (Melody Maker)

9 October 1965 (Saturday) – Five Proud Walkers (Info from John Treais)

10 October 1965 (Sunday) – Jimmy Witherspoon (Melody Maker)

15 October 1965 (Friday) – Them (Melody Maker)

Them was Van Morrison’s Belfast band. Around this time, former members began gigged in a rival Them.

16 October 1965 (Saturday) – The Arthur Brown Union (Info from John Treais)

17 October 1965 (Sunday) – Gary Farr & T-Bones (Melody Maker)

20 October 1965 (Wednesday) – T-Bone Walker and The Blue Jays (Melody Maker)

22 October 1965 (Friday) – Dean Ford & The Gaylords (Melody Maker)

This band morphed into Marmalade.

23 October 1965 (Saturday) – The Vectors (Melody Maker)

24 October 1965 (Sunday) – The Action (Melody Maker)

30 October 1964 (Saturday) – Victor Brox (Info from John Treais)

31 October 1965 (Sunday) – The Action (Melody Maker)

6 November 1965 (Saturday) – J C & The Machine (aka Julian Covey) (Melody Maker)

After John McVie was sacked from John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers on 3 October, he found work with Julian Covey’s band until he returned to Mayall in early January 1966.

7 November 1965 (Sunday) – The Action (Melody Maker)

9 November 1965 (Tuesday) – Wilson Pickett (Melody Maker)

17 December 1965 (Friday) – The Carnaby (Melody Maker)

18 December 1965 (Saturday) – The High Society (Melody Maker)

This group had recently been The Arthur Brown Union but when Arthur left earlier this month, singer Dave Terry (aka Elmer Gantry) took over. They soon became The Union.

19 December 1965 (Sunday) – The Crowd with Peter Fenton (Melody Maker)

24 December 1965 (Friday) – The Army (Melody Maker)

Emerging out of Hampton R&B band, The Others, this group soon changed name to Sands.

26 December 1965 (Sunday) – Herbie Goins & The Night-timers (Melody Maker)

27 December 1965 (Monday) – The Mickey Finn (Melody Maker)

1966

17 March 1966 (Thursday) – The Loose Ends and support (Melody Maker)

19 March 1966 (Saturday) – The Checkers and support (Melody Maker)

20 March 1966 (Sunday) – The In Crowd (Melody Maker)

The In Crowd morphed into Tomorrow in early 1967.

23 March 1966 (Wednesday) – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Melody Maker)

24 March 1966 (Thursday) – The Mickey Finns (Melody Maker)

26 March 1966 (Saturday) – The Basic 5 (Melody Maker)

27 March 1966 (Sunday) – The Shevells (Melody Maker)

5 May 1966 (Thursday) – The Carl Douglas Set (poster from Ken Baxter)

7 May 1966 (Saturday) – Dracken Lewis 5 (most likely Deakin Lewis) and Front Line (poster from Ken Baxter)

28 May 1966 (Saturday) – Jo Jo Gunne (Melody Maker)

4 June 1966 (Saturday) – The Drag Set (Melody Maker)

18 June 1966 (Saturday) – Jo Jo Gunne (Melody Maker)

Categories: England, London, Middlesex, Southall

Southall Community Centre, west London

March 4, 2014 Nick Warburton 32 Comments

Photo from Alan Cooper

Southall Community Centre in Southall in west London was a significant music venue in the early to mid 1960s.

During the early 1960s, many of the American rock ‘n’ roll legends like Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent played at Southall Community Centre on their UK tours. This may well have been because visiting US artists would have passed through or near to Southall after arriving at London Airport on their way to central London.

The venue was also important for west London bands and is particularly significant because future Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore played there often, especially with Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers. It was while he was gigging with this band at Southall Community Centre that he was spotted by Screaming Lord Sutch, who invited him to join his backing band, The Savages. An invitation he duly accepted.

The Johnny Rebs were the resident band at Southall Community Centre in the early 1960s.

Terry O’Connor also remembers Duggie Dee & The Strangers played here and backed Screaming Lord Sutch when The Savages weren’t available. He also remembers Peter Nelson & The Travelers appeared a few times.

Malcolm Lenny says that his band Tony Holland & The Packabeats were regulars at the venue during the early-mid 1960s (see comments section at the very end).

Tony Holland & The Packabeats who played regularly at the Southall Community Centre (thanks to Malcolm Lenny for sharing the photo)

I have made a start on a list of artists that played here and dates. I would welcome any additions and also any memories of the venue in the comments section below. If anyone has any memorabilia or photos of bands playing here, I would be happy to include them with the images credited accordingly.

1960

14 February (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

This west London band morphed out of The Rocking Versatiles (formed September 1957) and included long-standing member Jeff Sturgeon (lead guitar), who remained with the group throughout its various incarnations (and name changes) until finally splitting on 1 July 1966. The band played this venue regularly.

21 August (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

4 September (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

18 September (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

2 October (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

16 October (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

13 November (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

11 December (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

1961

Drummer Bob Danks recalls playing at Southall Community Centre with Ritchie Blackmore’s first band, The Dominators in early 1961.

8 January (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

22 January (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

19 February (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

Brian Mansell has Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers playing an audition on 19 February 1961. This was before Ritchie Blackmore joined on lead guitar, replacing Brian Sell.

According to sax player Dave Brogden who later joined The Statesmen after they had changed name to The Statesides, Southall Community Centre auditioned groups before the main bands came on to see the punter’s reactions. Usually, they would play a 30-minute set from when the doors opened.

5 March (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

18 June (Sunday) – Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers (Brian Mansell’s gig diary)

Ritchie Blackmore had joined Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers on lead guitar by now, taking over from Brian Sell.

2 July (Sunday) – Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers (Brian Mansell’s gig diary)

16 July (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

23 July (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

3 September (Sunday) – Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers (Brian Mansell’s gig diary)

1 October (Sunday) – Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers (Brian Mansell’s gig diary)

10 December (Sunday) – The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

1962

1 April (Sunday) – Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers (Brian Mansell’s gig diary)

Brian Mansell went on to join Frankie Reid & The Casuals after The Jaywalkers split.

6 May (Sunday) – Gene Vincent with Sounds Incorporated (Tony Tacon’s recollections)

Tony Tacon remembers attending the gig with his friends Nick Simper (who later joined the original Deep Purple) and Keith Roach, who later played drums in Tacon’s band Ian Gillan & The Javelins.

19 August (Sunday) – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (Brian Mansell’s gig diary)

Future Animals’ bass player Danny McCulloch was with the band at this point. Drummer Terry Mabey had already taken over from his predecessor Mitch Mitchell.

7 October (Sunday) – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Terry Franks & The Avalons (Johnny Kidd website)

1963

6 January (Sunday) – Neil Christian & The Crusaders (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

13 January (Sunday) – Neil Christian & The Crusaders (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

20 January (Sunday) – Barrie James Show (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

27 January (Sunday) – Barrie James Show and Vince Eager (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

3 February (Sunday) – Rolf Harris & The Diggeroos (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

10 February (Sunday) – Rolf Harris & The Diggeroos and Shane Fenton & The Fentones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

24 February (Sunday) – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

3 March (Sunday) – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes and Terry Young, Tony Holland & The Packabeats (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

10 March (Sunday) – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

24 March (Sunday) – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

31 March (Sunday) – Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

7 April (Sunday) – The Barron Knights (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

14 April (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

21 April (Sunday) – Roly Daniels and The Flintstones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

28 April (Sunday) – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

5 May (Sunday) – The Avalons and The Spirits (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

12 May (Sunday) – Tony Holland & The Packabeats (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

19 May (Sunday) – The Barron Knights (Beat Monthly/Harrow Observer & Gazette)

26 May (Sunday) – Russ Sainty & The Nu-Notes (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

2 June (Sunday) – Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

9 June (Sunday) – Gene Vincent (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

16 June (Sunday) – The Golli-Golli Boys (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

23 June (Sunday) – Neil Christian & The Crusaders (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

30 June (Sunday) – The Clearways and Packabeats (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

7 July (Sunday) – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes and Jean & The Statesmen (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

14 July (Sunday) – The Packabeats (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

21 July (Sunday) – The Packabeats, Linda Laine & The Sinners and The Consuls (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

28 July (Sunday) – The Dreamers and Johnny Milton & The Condors (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

4 August (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

11 August (Sunday) – The Cherokees (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

18 August (Sunday) – The Cherokees (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

1 September (Sunday) – Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

8 September (Sunday) – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Beat Monthly)

Harrow Observer & Gazette has Johnny Leyton on 8 September

15 September (Sunday) – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

22 September (Sunday) – Rockin’ Henri (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

29 September (Sunday) – The Tornados (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

6 October (Sunday) – The Big Three (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

13 October (Sunday) – Buddy Britten & The Regents (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

20 October (Sunday) – Ray Pilgrim Show (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

27 October (Sunday) – Tommy Bruce & The Bruisers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

3 November (Sunday) – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes (Beat Monthly)

10 November (Sunday) – Russ Sainty & The Nu-Notes (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

17 November (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

24 November (Sunday) – Johnny Milton & The Condors (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

1 December (Sunday) – Johnny Milton & The Condors and Jimmy Crawford (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

8 December (Sunday) – The Barron Knights (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

15 December (Sunday) – Sounds Incorporated (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

22 December (Sunday) – The Clearways and The Shades (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

29 December (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Linda Laine & The Sinners (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Photo: Ken Samuels

1964

5 January (Sunday) – Johnny Milton & The Condors (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

The Midnites 1964. Thanks to Dave Brogden for sharing.

12 January (Sunday) – The Midnites (audition) (Dave Brogden’s diary)

Harrow Observer & Gazette has Shayne Fenton & The Fentones on 12 January so Brogden’s band would have auditioned earlier in the day

19 January (Sunday) – The Merseybeats (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

26 January (Sunday) – Sounds Incorporated (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

2 February (Sunday) – Brigitte Bond & The Contrasts (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

9 February (Sunday) – Dave Curtiss & The Tremors (Beat Monthly)

16 February (Sunday) – The Barron Knights (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

23 February (Sunday) – Tony Meehan Combo (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

28 February (Friday) – The Fortytwo Big Band led by Tommy Watt (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

1 March (Sunday) – The Clearways and The original Checkmates (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

8 March (Sunday) – Grant Tracey & The Sunsets (Beat Monthly)

15 March (Sunday) – Gene Vincent (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

22 March (Sunday) – Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers (Beat Monthly)

Harrow Observer & Gazette has Pat Wayne & The Beachcombers on 22 March

28 March (Saturday) – Gene Vincent (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

Harrow Observer & Gazette has Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers on 28 March

5 April (Sunday) – The Rattles (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)

Bass player Dave Wigginton says that Jeff Curtis & The Flames supported the German band at this venue and this seems the most plausible date.

12 April (Sunday) – Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

19 April (Sunday) – Wee Willie Harris (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

26 April (Sunday) – Erkey Grant (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

3 May (Sunday) – Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers (Beat Monthly)

10 May (Sunday) – Tommy Quickly & The Remo Four (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

17 May (Sunday) – The Hollies (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

This may refer to next week’s gig (see next entry)

23 May (Sunday) – The Hollies (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

30 May (Sunday) – Dave Curtiss & The Tremors (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

7 June (Sunday) – Tony Sheveton & The Shevalls (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

14 June (Sunday) – Kingsize Taylor & The Dominos (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

21 June (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

28 June (Sunday) – Diane & The Londoners (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

5 July (Sunday) – The Barron Knights (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

12 July (Sunday) – Robbie Hood & His Merrymen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

19 July (Sunday) – The Pretty Things (Beat Monthly)

26 July (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

2 August (Sunday) – The Fairies (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

9 August (Sunday) – Jean & The Statesides and The Druids (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

This is The Statesmen, who had changed name to Jean & The Statesides in May 1964. By this point the band comprised Jean Hayles (lead vocals), Jeff Sturgeon (lead guitar), Bill Stemp (keyboards/sax), Dave Hovington (rhythm guitar), Mick Bloomfield (bass) and Ian Walker (drums)

16 August (Sunday) – Erkey Grant (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

23 August (Sunday) – The Birds (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

30 August (Sunday) – The Livewires (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

6 September (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

13 September (Sunday) – The Zombies (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

20 September (Sunday) – The Birds (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

27 September (Sunday) – Jean & The Statesides with The Naturals (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

Dave Brogden’s band The Crossfires auditioned this evening before both bands played. The Crossfires played a 30-minute set after the doors opened but didn’t land any work at the Southall Community Centre after auditioning.

4 October (Sunday) – Dave Curtiss & The Tremors (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

11 October (Sunday) – The Roulettes (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

18 October (Sunday) – The Birds (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

25 October (Sunday) – The Merseybeats (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

1 November (Sunday) – Jean & The Statesides with The Druids (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

8 November (Sunday) – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

15 November (Sunday) – The Hollies (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

22 November (Sunday) – Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

29 November (Sunday) – The Mojos (Beat Instrumental)

6 December (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Jean & The Statesides (Harrow Observer & Gazette/Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

13 December (Sunday) – Tommy Quickly (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

20 December (Sunday) – Sounds Incorporated (Beat Instrumental)

27 December (Sunday) – The Stormsville Shakers and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary and website: http://www.stormsvilleshakers.com/bandhistory.html)

1965

3 January (Sunday) – The Beat Merchants (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

17 January (Sunday) – Buddy Britten & The Regents (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

24 January (Sunday) – Linda Laine & The Sinners (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

31 January (Sunday) – The Birds (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary)

7 February (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Beat Instrumental)

14 February (Sunday) – The Yardbirds (Alan Clayson’s book, The Yardbirds: the band that launched Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page)

16 February (Tuesday) – The Artwoods (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary)

21 February (Sunday) – The Gobbledegooks (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

28 February (Sunday) – Tommy Quickly (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

7 March (Sunday) – The Birds (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary)

14 March (Sunday) – The Nashville Teens (Beat Instrumental)

21 March (Sunday) – The Animals (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

28 March (Sunday) – Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

4 April (Sunday) – Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

11 April (Sunday) – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

18 April (Sunday) – The Yardbirds (Alan Clayson’s book, The Yardbirds: the band that launched Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page)

25 April (Sunday) – The Birds and Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary and Melody Maker)

2 May (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Mike Dee & The Prophets (Don Martin’s gig diary)

Photo: Ken Samuels

9 May (Sunday) – The Hollies and Jean & The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary and Ken Samuels’ poster)

16 May (Sunday) – Manfred Mann with supporting band (Ken Samuels’ poster)

23 May (Sunday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames and Jean & The Statesides (Ken Samuels’ poster and Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

30 May (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Jean & The Statesides (Ken Samuels’ poster and Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

6 June (Sunday) – The Birds (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary)

13 June (Sunday) – The Artwoods (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary)

27 June (Sunday) – The Rockin’ Berries (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

4 July (Sunday) – The Who (Andy Neill’s research/Harrow Observer & Gazette) Beat Instrumental lists Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers on 4 July

11 July (Sunday) – Goldie & The Gingerbreads (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

18 July (Sunday) – The Nashville Teens and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

25 July (Sunday) – The Measles (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

29 July (Thursday) – The Birds (rehearsal) (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary)

1 August (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

5 August (Thursday) – Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

8 August (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

15 August (Sunday) – The Birds (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary)

22 August (Sunday) – P J Proby and The Statesides (Dave Brogden’s gig diary)

30 August (Sunday) – The Graham Bond Organisation (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

3 September (Friday) – Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders (Beat Instrumental)

5 September (Sunday) – The Downliners Sect (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

12 September (Sunday) – The Birds (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary)

19 September (Sunday) – The Pretty Things (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

26 September (Sunday) – The Bo Street Runners (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

3 October (Sunday) – Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

10 October (Sunday) – Jesse Fuller and The Artwoods (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

17 October (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Middlesex County Times and West Middlesex Gazette)

24 October (Sunday) – The Pretty Things (Beat Instrumental)

31 October (Sunday) – The Animals (Record Mirror)

7 November (Sunday) – The Downliners Sect and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

14 November (Sunday) – The Merseybeats and The Statesides (Dave Brodgden’s gig diary and Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

21 November (Sunday) – The Birds (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary)

5 December (Sunday) – Heinz and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

12 December (Sunday) – The Graham Bond Organisation (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

19 December (Sunday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Beat Instrumental)

23 December (Thursday) – The Birds (rehearsal) (Ron Wood’s 1965 diary)

1966

9 January (Sunday) – The Birds and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

16 January (Sunday) – The Graham Bond Organisation and The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary and Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)

23 January (Sunday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)

30 January (Sunday) – The Statesides and The Profile (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

The Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette has The Persuasion rather than The Profile.

6 February (Sunday) – The Birds and Bobby King & The Sabres (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette and Clive Chase’s gig diary)

13 February (Sunday) – The Who (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)

27 February (Sunday) – Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)

6 March (Sunday) – The Birds (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)

13 March (Sunday) – The Alan Walker Group (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)

20 March (Sunday) – Peter Fenton & The Crowd (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)

24 April (Sunday) – The Statesides (Jeff Sturgeon’s gig diary)

1967

16 March (Thursday) – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Fabulous 208)

26 May (Friday) – The In-Sekt Ltd (Melody Maker)

9 June (Friday) – The Insayn (Melody Maker)

23 June (Friday) – The Real Thing (Melody Maker)

Many thanks to Rolf Hannett for the Beat Monthly and Beat Instrumental dates

Categories: England, London

The Ealing Club, west London

December 18, 2010 Nick Warburton 25 Comments

Site of the Ealing Jazz Club, photo taken December, 2010 — Site of the Ealing Jazz Club, photo taken December 2010

The Ealing Jazz Club (or the Ealing Club as it was more commonly known) was one of London’s most historically important music venues during the 1960s. Situated below the ABC bakery, opposite Ealing Broadway station, in the leafy West London suburb of Ealing, the club became renowned as London’s first significant R&B venue when blues enthusiasts Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies’s band Blues Incorporated debuted in March 1962.

Nicknamed the “Moist Hoist” because of the condensation that used to drip down the walls, the club hosted many of London’s most distinguished R&B acts, and in April of that year provided the setting for the first meeting between Messrs.’ Jagger and Richard and Brian Jones, who formed the nucleus of The Rolling Stones, a club regular during 1962 and 1963.

A virtual who’s who of famous British R&B enthusiasts appeared on the club’s tiny stage over the next three years, most notably Blues Incorporated members Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (who went on to Cream among others); Eric Clapton; Graham Bond; John Mayall; Long John Baldry; Eric Burdon; and Paul Jones, Manfred Mann’s lead singer, to mention just a few names.

Another of London’s top R&B acts The Who performed their first advertised show at the club in November 1964 and played regularly there during the early part of 1965. Jeff Beck’s band The Tridents also graced the club’s stage and, according to Melody Maker, appeared regularly on the Wednesday and Friday night slots during the summer of 1964.

And let’s not forget Dick Taylor, who left an early incarnation of The Rolling Stones to form his own pioneering R&B band, The Pretty Things. Incidentally, future Rolling Stone, Ron Wood was another famous musician who frequented the club with his band, the unforgettable Birds. His brother, the late Art Wood also appeared there, playing with Blues Incorporated and fronting his own band, The Artwoods.

As an R&B hotbed, the club became a magnet for London’s music crowd, drawing in the likes of Rod Stewart; future Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell; Don Craine and the rest of The Downliners Sect; future Faces keys man Ian McLagan, who was working with Twickenham band, The Muleskinners; and future Deep Purple founder Nick Simper, whose early Sixties outfit, The Delta Five were one of the many acts to appear.

Many of the British musicians that either played at the club or witnessed the burgeoning R&B scene emerging from it, took what they had learnt and/or seen to overseas markets as part of the British invasion.

Locals, the late Frank Kennington, who later managed Motorhead, and lead guitarist Mick Liber, whose band Frankie Reid and The Casuals (with future Episode Six drummer John Kerrison among others) had played at the Ealing Club, headed Down Under and formed one of Australia’s finest R&B groups, the original Python Lee Jackson.

Singer Andy Keiller caught many of the acts, including an embryonic Rolling Stones with Carlo Little on drums and Ricky Brown on bass and was so inspired that he headed off to South Africa and subsequently formed The Upsetters in late 1965.

Keiller’s soon-to-be collaborator, Irish guitarist Louis McKelvey and his friend, drummer Malcolm Tomlinson, meanwhile, had played with Jeff Curtis & The Flames, who frequently played at the Ealing Club during its formative years.

After their brief stint together in South Africa, Andy Keiller and Louis McKelvey amazingly reunited in Canada in the late 1960s, founding the experimental band, Influence.

McKelvey subsequently returned to the UK to pick up Malcolm Tomlinson, who’d been working with a pre-Jethro Tull Martin Barre and then headed back to Toronto to form Milkwood, authors of a soon-to-be released LP, recorded with the legendary Jerry Ragovoy at the NYC’s Hit Factory in summer of 1969.

Likewise, many other not so famous musicians who played the Ealing Club went on to produce fascinating music in the burgeoning psychedelic scene. Locals Chris Jackson and Tom Newman fronted R&B band The Tomcats (who also worked as The Thoughts) and later formed one of Britain’s more interesting psych ventures, July, after a stint in Spain.

Jon Field and Tony Duhig were also members of July and had earlier worked with another Ealing Club regular – The Second Thoughts, alongside future Thunderclap Newman, drummer/vocalist Speedy Keen and Patrick Campbell Lyons, who later formed the core of another top psych act, Nirvana.

Jimmy Royal, yet another local talent, was a club regular and fronted one of the area’s most respected bands, The Hawks, which featured former Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (the recently deceased) guitarist Mick King (real name Mick Borer) and drummer Terry Mabey among others.

And let’s not forget the many obscure bands that got to play at this prestigious club – groups like The Fairlanes, The Four Sounds, Johnnie Harris and The Shades and The Fantastic Soul Messengers.

With many of these great musicians already gone, Garagehangover would like to use this space to encourage musicians, club regulars, promoters and any others with any memories, memorabilia, photos and details of live dates to share this on the site in the comment box below.

Unless otherwise stated, the following (incomplete) gigs listing is from the Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, which advertised who played at the Ealing Club in its “Coming Events” section towards the back.

The main exception is 1963 where Melody Maker was the main source for gigs unless otherwise noted.

Thanks to Paul Lucas for The Tridents’ gigs, taken from his diary.

January 1963 (only part of this month has listings)

Friday 11 – The London City Stompers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 18 – The Ken Stuart Seven

Tuesday 22 – The Colne Valley Six

Saturday 26 – The Rolling Stones

February 1963 (only part of this month has listings)

Keith Gardiner, rhythm guitar player with Jeff Curtis & The Flames, says his band played the Ealing Club a few times during the early months of 1963

Tuesday 5 – The Rolling Stones

Friday 8 – Blue Cedar Jazzmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Saturday 9 – The Rolling Stones

Friday 15 – Johnny Toogood’s Jazzband (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Saturday 16 – The Rolling Stones

Friday 22 – Colne Valley Six (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Saturday 23 – The Rolling Stones

March 1963 (only part of this month has listings)

Friday 1 – Eric Johnson’s Junction Jazz Band

Saturday 2 – The Rolling Stones

According to John Kerrison’s autobiography It Ain’t Rock ‘N’ Roll, The Rolling Stones had a regular Thursday night residency, which Kerrison’s band, Frankie Reid & The Casuals took over. Judging by the dates, it looks more likely that it was a Saturday rather than Thursday night residency.

Friday 8 – Kid Martyn’s Ragtime Band

Monday 11 – The Rockets (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Saturday 16 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Monday 18 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 22 – Thames City Jazzmen

Saturday 23 – Blues By Six (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Sunday 24 – Sonny Morris Veterans Jazz Band

Monday 25 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 29 – Bob Woolley’s Jazz Band

Saturday 30 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Sunday 31 – Micky Ashman’s Ragtime Jazz Band

April 1963 (only part of this month has listings)

Monday 1 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 5 – The Cardinal Jazzmen

Friday 12 – Keith Smith’s Climax Jazzband (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Saturday 13 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Monday 15 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Thursday 18 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Saturday 20 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Monday 22 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Thursday 25 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 26 – Bob Woolley’s Jazzmen

Saturday 27 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Sunday 28 – Mann-Hugg Blues Band (This was the first Ealing Club show by the band that became Manfred Mann)

Monday 29 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

May 1963 (only part of this month has listings)

Friday 3 – The Sidewalk Six and The Phoenix Thumpers

Sunday 5 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band

Thursday 9 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 10 – The Cardinal Jazzmen

Saturday 11 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Sunday 12 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band

Monday 13 – Rock ‘N’ Roll (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 17 – The Dauphine Street Six

Sunday 19 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band

Thursday 23 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Members at this time went on to Python Lee Jackson and Episode Six)

Friday 24 – Douggie Richford’s Jazzmen

Saturday 25 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Sunday 26 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band

Monday 27 – The Running Gate (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 31 – The Dolphin Jazz Band

June 1963 (only part of this month has listings)

Sunday 2 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band

Sunday 9 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band

Tuesday 11 – The Boys and The Henchman (Harrow Observer) (The Boys became The Action; The Henchmen evolved into The Rockin’ Eccentrics – see below)

Thursday 13 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals and Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 14 – The Cardinal Jazzmen

Saturday 15 – Graham Bond (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Sunday 16 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette has them billed as The Blues Brothers but also lists The Chinese Blues and Manhogs)

Monday 17 – The Boys and The Henchmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Thursday 20 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals and Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer)

Friday 21 – Charlie Gall’s Jazz Band

Saturday 22 – The Graham Bond Quartet

Sunday 23 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette bill them as fabulous Rolling Blues Brothers)

Monday 24 – The Henchmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 28 – Bob Wooley’s Jazz Band

Sunday 30 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band

July 1963 (only part of this month has listings)

Friday 5 – The Renegades (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Limelights)

Sunday 7 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band (This was the final gig under this name before switching to Manfred Mann)

Wednesday 10 – The Soundsmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 12 – The Limelights (this band became The Legends)

Wednesday 17 – Mike Forde & The Fortunes (Drummer Lindsay Bex joined The Tridents in January 1964 but left soon after Jeff Beck joined)

Friday 19 – The Limelights

Wednesday 24 – The International Monarchs

August 1963 (only part of this month has listings)

Friday 2 – The Limelights

Wednesday 7 – Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated

Wednesday 28 – Blues by Six

September 1963 (only part of this month has listings)

Wednesday 4 – The Graham Bond Quartet

October 1963 (only part of this month has listings)

Saturday 5 – Manfred Mann (First Ealing gig under their new name)

Wednesday 16 – The Bluenotes

November 1963 (only part of this month has listings)

Saturday 9 – Manfred Mann

Saturday 30 – Manfred Mann

December 1963 (only part of this month has listings)

Sunday 1 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers (billed as every Sunday) (Mitch Mitchell played drums at the start alongside sax player Terry Marshall, who was Jim Marshall’s son)

Sunday 8 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers

Saturday 14 – Manfred Mann

Sunday 15 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers

Saturday 21 – Manfred Mann

Sunday 22 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers

Sunday 29 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers

January 1964 (only part of this month has listings)

Saturday 4 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (billed as playing every Saturday)

Friday 10 – The Tridents (Guitarist Leslie Jones joined Four Plus One in August 1964 with former Tridents drummer Ken Lawrence; they became The In Crowd who subsequently morphed into Tomorrow)

Saturday 11 – Possibly John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (needs confirmation)

Monday 13 – The Tridents

Saturday 18 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

Monday 20 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band (billed as every Monday)

Wednesday 22 – The Tridents

Thursday 23 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Saturday 25 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

Sunday 26 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Monday 27 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band

Wednesday 29 – The Tridents

Thursday 30 – The Chessmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (aka Tony Knight’s Chessmen)

February 1964 (only part of this month has listings)

Saturday 1 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Sunday 2 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Monday 3 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band

Thursday 6 – The Chessmen

Friday 7 – The Tridents

Saturday 8 – The Soul Messengers (Melody Maker however lists John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers)

Sunday 9 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals

Monday 10 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band

Wednesday 12 – The Tridents

Wednesday 19 – The Tridents

Wednesday 26 – The Tridents

March 1964 (only part of this month has listings)

Wednesday 4 – The Tridents

Friday 6 – R&B group

Wednesday 11 – The Tridents

Friday 13 – R&B group

Wednesday 18 – The Tridents

Thursday 19 – Top West London groups (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Saturday 21 – Jimmy Williamson Trio (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Sunday 22 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Monday 23 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Wednesday 25 – The Tridents

Thursday 26 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette) (Members at this point went on to The Manchester Playboys, Influence and The Penny Peeps among others)

Friday 27 – The Tridents

Saturday 28 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)

Sunday 29 – The Soul Messengers (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)

Monday 30 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band

April 1964

Wednesday 1 – The Tridents

Thursday 2 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames

Friday 3

Saturday 4 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

Sunday 5 – The Soul Messengers

Monday 6

Tuesday 7

Wednesday 8 – The Tridents

Thursday 9 – Geoff Cortez & The Flame (This is Jeff Curtis & The Flames) (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 10 – R&B group

Saturday 11 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Sunday 12 – The Second Thoughts (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Members went on to Nirvana, Thunderclap Newman, July and Jade Warrior)

Monday 13 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band

Tuesday 14

Wednesday 15

Thursday 16 – Geoff Cortez & The Flame (sic) (this is Jeff Curtis & The Flames)

Friday 17

Saturday 18 – The Mark Leeman Five (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Members went on to The Nice, Gass and Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers among others)

Sunday 19 – The Second Thoughts

Monday 20 – The Casuals (Most likely Frankie Reid & The Casuals) (Melody Maker lists Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band on Monday, 20 April)

Tuesday 21

Wednesday 22

Thursday 23 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 24

Saturday 25 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Sunday 26 – The Second Thoughts

Monday 27 – The Casuals (Most likely Frankie Reid & The Casuals)

Tuesday 28

Wednesday 29 – The Tridents

Thursday 30 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames

May 1964

Friday 1

Saturday 2 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

Sunday 3 – The Fabulous Second Thoughts (This is The Second Thoughts)

Monday 4

Tuesday 5

Wednesday 6 – The Tridents

Thursday 7 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks)

Friday 8 – R&B group

Saturday 9 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 10 – The Second Thoughts

Monday 11 – The Soul Messengers (Mitch Mitchell left before the band became The Next 5 in the summer. After playing a gig with The Rockin’ Eccentrics in Portsmouth, he formed The Riot Squad)

Tuesday 12

Wednesday 13 – The Tridents

Thursday 14 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks)

Friday 15

Saturday 16 – The Mark Leemen’s Five (aka Mark Leemen Five)

Sunday 17 – Fabulous Second Thoughts (This is The Second Thoughts)

Monday 18 – The Hobos

Tuesday 19

Wednesday 20

Thursday 21 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks)

Friday 22

Saturday 23 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 24 – The Second Thoughts

Monday 25 – The Hobos

Tuesday 26

Wednesday 27

Thursday 28 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks

Friday 29 – The Tridents

Saturday 30 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 31 – The Second Thoughts

June 1964

Monday 1 – The Hobos

Tuesday 2

Wednesday 3 – The Tridents

Thursday 4 – Manfred Mann

Friday 5 – The Tridents

Saturday 6 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 7 – The Second Thoughts

Monday 8 – The Hobos

Tuesday 9

Wednesday 10 – The Tridents

Thursday 11 – Manfred Mann (Harrow Observer & Gazette has Frankie Reid & The Casuals)

Friday 12 – The Preachers (Terry Clark and Andy Bown went on to original line up of The Herd)

Saturday 13 – The Mark Leemen Five (This might have been The Tridents; Harrow Observer & Gazette lists the latter)

Sunday 14 – The Second Thoughts

Monday 15 – The Hobos

Tuesday 16

Wednesday 17 – The Tridents

Thursday 18 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (Members at this point went on to Python Lee Jackson and Episode Six among others)

Friday 19 – The Fairlanes

Saturday 20 – The Tridents (Harrow Observer & Gazette lists The Mark Leeman Five)

Sunday 21 – The Second Thoughts

Monday 22 – The Hobos

Tuesday 23

Wednesday 24 – The Tridents

Thursday 25 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals

Friday 26 – Gene & The Cossacks

Saturday 27– The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 28 – The Second Thoughts

Monday 29 – The Hobos

Tuesday 30

July 1964

Wednesday 1 – The Tridents

Thursday 2 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals

Friday 3 – R&B group

Saturday 4 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 5 – The Second Thoughts

Monday 6 – The Hobos

Tuesday 7

Wednesday 8

Thursday 9 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals

Friday 10 – The Tridents

Saturday 11 – Mark Lemon (sic) – (This is The Mark Leeman Five)

Sunday 12 – The Second Thoughts

Monday 13 – The Hobos

Tuesday 14

Wednesday 15 – The Tridents

Thursday 16 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals

Friday 17 – R&B

Saturday 18 – Mark Lemon (sic) – (This is The Mark Leemen Five) (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Second Thoughts)

Sunday 19 – The Second Thoughts

Monday 20 – Gerry Hart & The Heartbeats (This group became The Eyes)

Tuesday 21

Wednesday 22

Thursday 23 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals

Friday 24

Saturday 25 – The Second Thoughts (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Mark Leeman Five)

Sunday 26 – The Second Thoughts (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Macabre)

Monday 27 – The Hobos

Tuesday 28

Wednesday 29 – The Tridents

Thursday 30 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals

Friday 31 – R&B

August 1964

Saturday 1 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 2 – The Macabre (Guitarist Peter Vernon-Kell had been a very early member of The Who when they were called The Detours. He would go to become an original member of The Hamilton Movement)

Monday 3 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)

Tuesday 4

Wednesday 5 – The Tridents

Thursday 6 – R&B

Friday 7 – Group Four

Saturday 8 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)

Sunday 9 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)

Monday 10 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)

Tuesday 11

Wednesday 12 – The Tridents

Thursday 13 – R&B

Friday 14 – The Koalas

Saturday 15 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)

Sunday 16 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)

Monday 17 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)

Tuesday 18

Wednesday 19 – The Tridents (Shortly after this gig, the band’s guitarist Leslie Jones left to join Four Plus One/The In Crowd and Mike Jopp covered until Jeff Beck joined in early September)

Thursday 20 – R&B

Friday 21 – The Preachers

Saturday 22 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)

Sunday 23 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)

Monday 24 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)

Tuesday 25

Wednesday 26 – R&B

Thursday 27 – R&B

Friday 28 – R&B

Saturday 29 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)

Sunday 30 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)

Monday 31 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)

September 1964

Tuesday 1

Wednesday 2 – R&B

Thursday 3 – R&B

Friday 4 – R&B

Saturday 5 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)

Sunday 6 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)

Monday 7 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)

Tuesday 8

Wednesday 9 – R&B

Thursday 10 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (guest star Jimmy Royal) (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 11 – R&B

Saturday 12 – The Mark Leemen Five (Saturdays)

Sunday 13 – The Macabre (Sundays)

Monday 14 – The Hobos (Mondays)

Tuesday 15

Wednesday 16 – Buddy Britten & The Regents (every Wednesday)

Thursday 17 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (guest star Jimmy Royal)

Friday 18 – The Preachers

Saturday 19 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 20 – The Macabre

Monday 21 – The Hobos

Tuesday 22

Wednesday 23 – Buddy Britten & The Regents

Thursday 24 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks and Frankie Reid & The Casuals

Friday 25 – The Vincents

Saturday 26 – The Mark Leemen Five (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Sunday 27 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and The Mokes (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Monday 28 – The Macabre (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Tuesday 29

Wednesday 30 – Buddy Britten & The Regents (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

October 1964

Thursday 1 – The Next 5 (needs confirmation)

Friday 2 – The Cobwebs and The RBQ

Saturday 3 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 4 – The Hobos

Monday 5 – The Macabre

Tuesday 6

Wednesday 7 – R&B

Thursday 8 – The Next 5 (Formerly The Soul Messengers but with personnel changes)

Friday 9 – R&B

Saturday 10 – The Birds (Ronnie Wood on lead guitar)

Sunday 11 – The Hobos

Monday 12 – The Macabre

Tuesday 13

Wednesday 14 – R&B

Thursday 15 – The Next 5

Friday 16 – The Fairlanes

Saturday 17 – The Mark Leehan Five (sic) (This is The Mark Leemen Five)

Sunday 18 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

Monday 19 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 20

Wednesday 21 – R&B

Thursday 22 – The Next 5

Friday 23 – R&B

Saturday 24 – The Mark Leehan Five (sic) (This is The Mark Leemen Five)

Sunday 25 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Monday 26 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 27

Wednesday 28 – R&B

Thursday 29 – The Next 5

Friday 30 – The Miston Tuac

Saturday 31 – The Mark Leehan Five (sic) (This is The Mark Leemen Five)

November 1964

Sunday 1 – The Hobos and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Monday 2 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 3

Wednesday 4 – The Inclined

Thursday 5 – The Next 5

Friday 6

Saturday 7 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 8 – The Hobos

Monday 9 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 10

Wednesday 11

Thursday 12 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks

Friday 13

Saturday 14 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 15 – The Dee Lobs

Monday 16 – The De’ils (possibly The Devils)

Tuesday 17

Wednesday 18

Thursday 19 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks

Friday 20 – The Deacons

Saturday 21 – The High Numbers (The Who) (Documented as club debut but may not be)

Sunday 22 – The Dee Lobs

Monday 23 – The De’els (possibly The Devils)

Tuesday 24

Wednesday 25

Thursday 26 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks

Friday 27

Saturday 28 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 29 – The South West Five (This was probably before Arthur Brown joined on vocals)

Monday 30 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics

December 1964

Tuesday 1

Wednesday 2 – The Inclined

Thursday 3 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 4 – The Heart & Souls

Saturday 5 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 6 – The South West Five

Monday 7 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 8

Wednesday 9

Thursday 10 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics

Friday 11

Saturday 12 – The Limelights

Sunday 13 – The Mark Leemen Five

Monday 14 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 15

Wednesday 16 – Alexis Korner

Thursday 17 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics

Friday 18

Saturday 19 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames and The Hobos (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Limelights)

Sunday 20 – The Mark Leemen Five

Monday 21 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 22

Wednesday 23 – possibly Alexis Korner (needs confirmation)

Thursday 24 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics and The South West Five

Friday 25

Saturday 26 – The Mark Leemen Five and The Hobos

Sunday 27 – The Who

Monday 28 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 29

Wednesday 30 – Alexis Korner (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Thursday 31 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics and The South West Five

January 1965

Friday 1

Saturday 2 – The Who

Sunday 3 – The Hobos

Monday 4 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 5

Wednesday 6 – Alexis Korner

Thursday 7 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)

Friday 8 – The Heart & Souls (According to Ken Samuels, this was possibly with Flight One)

Saturday 9 – The Who

Sunday 10 – The Mark Leemen Five

Monday 11 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 12

Wednesday 13 – Alexis Korner

Thursday 14 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics

Friday 15 – Beau & The Odd Lot

Saturday 16 – The Ray Martin Group (Terry Marshall, Jim’s Marshall’s son was a member)

Sunday 17 – The Mark Leemen Five

Monday 18 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 19

Wednesday 20 – Alexis Korner

Thursday 21 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics

Friday 22 – Just Memphis

Saturday 23 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 24 – The Mark Leemen Five

Monday 25 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 26

Wednesday 27 – Alexis Korner

Thursday 28 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics

Friday 29 – The Nature Boys

Saturday 30 – The Who

Sunday 31 – The Ray Martin Group

February 1965

Monday 1 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 2

Wednesday 3

Thursday 4 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics (and Jimmy Royal & The Hawks?)

Friday 5 – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Ian Gillan on lead vocals) and The Unit 5

Saturday 6 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 7 – Group Competition – 5 Top Groups!

Monday 8 – The Dee Lobs

Tuesday 9

Wednesday 10 – Unit 5 (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Thursday 11 – The Who (Billed as “The Who London 1965” for next four Thursdays)

Friday 12 – The Miston Tuac

Saturday 13

Sunday 14 – The Mark Leemen Five

Monday 15 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics

Tuesday 16

Wednesday 17 – The Blue Ravens

Thursday 18 – The Who

Friday 19 – The Beaux Oddlot (aka Beau & The Odd Lot)

Saturday 20 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 21 – The Mark Leemen Five

Monday 22 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics

Tuesday 23

Wednesday 24 – The Blue Ravens

Thursday 25 – The Who

Friday 26 – Just Memphis

Saturday 27 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 28 – The Mark Leemen Five

March 1965

Monday 1 – The Birds

Tuesday 2

Wednesday 3 – The Blue Ravens

Thursday 4 – The Who

Friday 5 – The Nature Boys

Saturday 6 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 7 – The Ray Martin Group

Monday 8 – The Birds

Tuesday 9

Wednesday 10 – The Blue Ravens

Thursday 11 – The Birds

Friday 12 – The Blue Ravens

Saturday 13 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 14 – The Fetish Crowd

Monday 15 – The Birds

Tuesday 16

Wednesday 17 – The Who

Thursday 18 – The Birds (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Confirmed by Ron Woods’ book)

Friday 19 – The Clique

Saturday 20 – The Five Dimension (The Stormsville Shakers are also listed for this date)

Sunday 21 – The Mark Leemen Five

Monday 22 – The Just Four

Tuesday 23

Wednesday 24 – The Who

Thursday 25 – The Birds

Friday 26 – The Who and The Fetish Crowd

Saturday 27 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 28 – The Mark Leemen Five

Monday 29 – The Just Four

Tuesday 30

Wednesday 31 – The Maroons (This band may have backed Wilson Pickett on a British tour)

April 1965

Thursday 1 – The Maroons (Harrow Observer & Gazette)

Friday 2 – The Clique

Saturday 3 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 4 – The Ray Martin Group

Monday 5 – The Just Four

Tuesday 6

Wednesday 7 – The Fetish Crowd

Thursday 8 – The Maroons

Friday 9 – The Clique

Saturday 10 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 11 – The Shondells

Monday 12 – The Dee Lobs and Mike Dee & The Prophets

Tuesday 13

Wednesday 14 – The Fetish Crowd

Thursday 15 – The Maroons

Friday 16 – The Clique

Saturday 17 – The Footprints

Sunday 18 – The Ray Martin Group

Monday 19 – The Rakes

Tuesday 20

Wednesday 21 – The Fetish Crowd

Thursday 22 – The Birds

Friday 23 – The Clique

Saturday 24 – Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 25 – The Ray Martin Group

Monday 26 – The Tramps

Tuesday 27

Wednesday 28 – The Fetish Crowd

Thursday 29 – The Birds

Friday 30 – The Eccentrics

May 1965

Saturday 1 – The Mark Leemen Five

Sunday 2 – The Tribe (Guitarist Frank Torpey became the original guitarist in The Sweet; bass player Dennis Cowan joined The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band)

Monday 3 – The Tramps

Tuesday 4

Wednesday 5 – The Fetish Crowd

Thursday 6

Friday 7 – The Maroons

Saturday 8 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 9 – The Rakes

Monday 10 – The Tramps

Tuesday 11

Wednesday 12 – The Fetish Crowd

Thursday 13 – The Tribe (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Fetish Crowd)

Friday 14 – The Birds

Saturday 15 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 16 – The Rakes

Monday 17 – The Tramps

Tuesday 18

Wednesday 19 – The C C Riders

Thursday 20 – The Fetish Crowd

Friday 21 – The Eccentrics

Saturday 22 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 23 – The Tribe

Monday 24 – The Rakes

Tuesday 25

Wednesday 26 – The C C Riders

Thursday 27 – The Fetish Crowd

Friday 28 – The Birds

Saturday 29 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 30 – The Initial Four

Monday 31 – The Tribe

June 1965 (only part of this month has listings)

Tuesday 1

Wednesday 2 – The C C Riders

Thursday 3 – The Fetish Crowd

Friday 4 – The Senate IV

Saturday 5 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 6 – The Initial Four

Monday 7 – The Blues Dynasty

Tuesday 8

Wednesday 9 – The C C Riders

Thursday 10 – The Fetish Crowd

Friday 11 – The Senate IV

Saturday 12 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 13 – The Initial Four

Monday 14 – The Blues Dynasty

Tuesday 15

Wednesday 16 – The C C Riders

Thursday 17 – The Fetish Crowd

Friday 18 – The Tramps

July 1965 (only part of this month has listings)

Thursday 1 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames

Sunday 4 – Initial 4

Saturday 10 – Initial 4

Friday 16 – Rock’ n Breckers (This is The Rick ‘n’ Beckers)

Saturday 17 – Initial 4

Saturday 24 – The Mark Leemen Five

Saturday 31 – The Ray Martin Group

August 1965 (only part of this month has listings)

Friday 6 – The Mark Leemen Five

Saturday 7 – The Ray Martin Group

Friday 13 – James Royal & The Hawks

Saturday 14 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 15 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers (Sundays)

Friday 20 – James Royal & The Hawks

Saturday 21 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 22 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers

Friday 27 – Ricken Beckers (This is The Rick ‘n’ Beckers)

Saturday 28 – The Fab 5

September 1965 (only part of this month has listings)

Friday 3 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers

Friday 10 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers

Saturday 11 – The Ray Martin Group

Harrow Observer & Gazette (16 September) says live music every night except Tuesdays

Friday 17 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers

Saturday 18 – The Ray Martin Group

Harrow Observer & Gazette (23 September) says live music every night except Tuesdays

October 1965 (only part of this month has listings)

Wednesday 27 – Brian Green & His Band

Thursday 28 – R&B

Friday 29 – Cabaret Showband

Saturday 30 – The Ray Martin Group

November 1965 (only part of this month has listings)

Wednesday 3 – Brian Green & His Band

Friday 19 – Cabaret Showband

Saturday 20 – The Ray Martin Group

Sunday 21 – Jazz Blues Big Band

Wednesday 24 – Brian Green & His Jazz Band

Thursday 25 – R&B Group

December 1965 (only part of this month has listings)

Thursday 9 – The Tribe

Ruislip and Northwood Gazette (10 December) says live music six nights a week

Friday 10 – The Ray Martin Group

Saturday 11 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers

Sunday 12 – 2/3 Left Jazz Blues

Monday 13 – The Mixed Feelings

Wednesday 15 – The Midnight Blues (or possibly John Hart Quartet)

Thursday 16 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames

Friday 17 – The Ray Martin Group

Saturday 18 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers

Sunday 19 – 2/3 Left Jazz Blues

Friday 24 – The Ray Martin Group

Saturday 25 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers

Sunday 26 – 2/3 Left Jazz Blues

Friday 31 – The Ray Martin Group

Thank you to Andy Neill for some of the background information on the Ealing Club.

I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email: Warchive@aol.com

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Tag Archives: John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

Blue Moon, Cheltenham gigs July 1965-May 1967

The Tin Hat, Kettering: 1967-1969 gigs

Bluesette Club, Leatherhead, Surrey

Pantiles, Bagshot, Surrey

The Bag O’ Nails, Kingly Street, Soho, central London

Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, London

The Boathouse, Kew, west London

The Pontiac Club, Zeeta House, Upper Richmond Road, Putney

Southall Community Centre, west London

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