This little known music venue, situated on the Middlesex bank of the River Thames, a few miles west of Hampton Court Palace, put on some fascinating shows from the early to late 1960s. Judging by the few gigs I’ve managed to find below, the club operated from at least early 1965 to mid-1968, possibly longer. The hotel was demolished in 1971.
Alan Wherry, who played with The Richard Henry Sensation (later Richard Henry & The Zig Zag Band) remembers that his group started out playing this venue in the summer of 1966, and continued on and off until October. The band’s guitarist David O’List then left and soon after formed The Attack.
Wherry describes the Crawdaddy’s Casino Ballroom Hotel as a fabulous place: “It had been built by Fred Karno, a famous West End impresario. It looked like a Mississippi riverboat and it bankrupted Mr Karno. The guy who booked us there paid us poorly. His bouncers, a team of seriously hard men, got double what we got and it was his idea to call us the Zig Zag Band. He wanted us to wear white suits with a big black zig zag on them, which he would supply. He wanted us to swing our saxes and do fancy dance steps a la Hank Marvin and The Shadows.”
The most notable acts that I’ve found who played the venue were Chris Farlowe, The Shotgun Express (with Rod Stewart, Mick Fleetwood and Peter Bardens; Peter Green had left before their September 1966 gig) and Pink Floyd.
Melody Maker occasionally listed groups in its gig section but I would love to hear from anyone who can add shows and memories of the venue below.
GIG LISTING:
12 February 1965 – Mike Dee & The Prophets with Roger and Caroline (annual press ball) (Don Martin’s gig diary)
30 July 1966 – Richard Henry & The Zig Zag Band (Melody Maker)
13 August 1966 – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Melody Maker)
10 September 1966 – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Melody Maker)
24 September 1966 – The Shotgun Express (Melody Maker)
25 September 1966 – Richard Henry & The Zig Zag Band (Melody Maker)
16 October 1966 – Richard Henry & The Zig Zag Band (Melody Maker)
26 March 1967 – The New Jump Band (Bob Hodges’ gig diary)
7 April 1967 – The Maroons (Melody Maker)
8 April 1967 – The System Soul Band with Ivan St Clair (Melody Maker)
9 April 1967 – The Flies (Melody Maker)
15 April 1967 – The Leaders featuring Norma Fay and introducing Delroy Williams (Melody Maker)
16 April 1967 – The System Soul Band with Ivan St Clair (Melody Maker)
2 December 1967 – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set (Melody Maker)
9 December 1967 – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Melody Maker)
16 December 1967 – The Shevelles (Melody Maker)
16 March 1968 – Pink Floyd (Melody Maker)
Interesting guitarist David Gilmour later bought the Astoria on Taggs Island and converted it into a floating studio
Went to Taggs just once. Cant remember who l saw. Thanks for thinking of me.
Don
Hi Nick
I was aware of the ‘Crawdaddy’, but never played there, despite it being quite local.
Thanks for getting in-touch.
Cheers
Dave
Never went there myself but have noted these 2 from MM –
Melody Maker – 30/03/67 – Savoy Brown Blues Band
Melody Maker – 23/03/68 – The Nice
Interesting that the Crawdaddy name was resurrected don’t know if Gomelsky was still involved.
In Nov. 68 they also put on shows at the Richmond Athletic Ground under the Crawdaddy name –
22/11/68 – Pink Floyd
29/11/68 – Led Zeppelin (formerly Yarbirds)
both from same ad in MM
Hi Nick, if you google John Warner at the cellar club you will get the information that you want. I was the last DJ there back in the late 60’s
Keith Guster from Fleur De Lys very kindly shared his diary and his band played here with The Downliners Sect on 29 May 1966
Saw The Nice in 68, one of their first bookings on return from USA backing P P Arnold, Half the audience left demanding there money back because they were not an RnB group!
A great gig which opened my mind and heart to a whole new world of music.
Also saw Pink Floyd with Sid, wonderful light show (remember the oil projectors).
Fairport Convention also played here in 68.
It was one of those gigs where the band said they hadn’t played in a church before (the audience all sat on the floor) the ballroom was like a church very high ceiling with an entrance at a high level and stairs coming down to the stage level.
Taggs Island & The Crawdaddy are not the same place – the latter was at Eel Pie Island, a short distance away. People often confuse the two – Taggs had a large dome ceilinged ballroom – I dj’d there for Undertakers, Georgie Fame, Fleetwood Mac & Honeybus – there might have been more, it was a long time ago. The place burnt down shortly after I left in 1967. Promoter was Leo someone or other, we had a disagreement (I was not alone?) which proved awkward later on when Hugh O’donnell (Cellar Club, Kingston) sat us at the same table at Hatchetts (London) which he ran after Kingston closed – I’ve had easier nights out !
Correction – Downliners Sect, not ‘Undertakers’!