Welcome to another posting of a series of gig listings for 1960s bands. None of these lists is exhaustive and my idea is to add to them in the comments section below over time. They are here for future researchers to draw on. I have also added a few interesting bits of information and will add images in time.
I’d like to encourage band members to get in touch to share memories, or for anyone to send corrections/clarifications to my email: Warchive@aol.com
Equally important, if you attended any of the gigs below or played in the support band, please do leave your memories below in the comments section for future historians to use. If you know of any missing gigs, please add them too, if possible, with the sources.
Colin Blunstone – lead vocals
Rod Argent – keyboards/vocals
Paul Atkinson – lead guitar
Chris White – bass/vocals
Hugh Grundy – drums
1964
3 January 1964 – Faulkner Hall, St Albans, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
24 January 1964 – Market Hall, St Albans, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
25 January 1964 – Ballito, St Albans, Herts with The Niteshades and The Planets (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
1 February 1964 – Ballito, St Albans, Herts with Cadillac & The Playboys and The Whispers (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
15 February 1964 – Sphere Social Club, St Albans, Herts with The Nitehawks Dance Orchestra (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
21 February 1964 – Faulkner Hall, St Albans, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
28 February 1964 – 03 Beat Club, Ovaltine Ballroom, King’s Langley, Hertfordshire with Johnny & The Gliders (Berkhamsted Gazette)
29 February 1964 – Coronation Hall, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey with The Cheynes (Surrey Comet)
26 March 1964 – Market Hall, St Albans, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
17 April 1964 – Faulkner Hall, St Albans, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
21 April 1964 – New Greens Youth Club, St Albans, Herts with The Didds (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
17 May 1964 – Ballito, St Albans, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
24 May 1964 – Watford Town Hall, Watford, Herts with Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, Diane & The Londoners, The Shifters, The League of Gentlemen and The Ancient Britons (Harrow Weekly Post/Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
29 May 1964 – Market Hall, St Albans, Herts with The Stormbreakers (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
30 May 1964 – Ballito, St Albans, Herts with Shane & The Shane Gang (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
5 June 1964 – Market Hall, St Albans, Herts with The Beachcombers (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
26 June 1964 – Market Hall, St Albans, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
3 July 1964 – Market Hall, St Albans, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
There’s a great article in the Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser in its 17 July 1964 issue page 2
2 August 1964 – Willows, London Colney, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
2 September 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts with The Hangmen (Hertfordshire Express)
4 September 1964 – Hillside Ballroom, Hereford (Gloucester Citizen)
5 September 1964 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex with The Orbits (Evening Argus)
9 September 1964 – Farnborough Town Hall, Farnborough, Hampshire (Aldershot News)
13 September 1964 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
2 October 1964 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Escorts and James King & The Farinas (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
3 October 1964 – Public Hall, Heacham, Norfolk with The Bruntones (Lynn News)
5 October 1964 – Bath Pavilion, Bath (Western Scene)
6 October 1964 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
7 October 1964 – Bristol Corn Exchange, Bristol (Western Scene)
21 October 1964 – Colchester Odeon, Colchester, Essex with The Searchers, Dionne Warwick and The Isley Brothers (Essex Chronicle)
22 October 1964 – Luton Odeon, Luton, Bedfordshire with The Searchers, Dionne Warwick and The Isley Brothers (Luton News)
28 October 1964 – Gloucester ABC, Gloucester with The Searchers, Dione Warwick, The Isley Brothers, Alan Elsdon & His Band, Tony Sheverton and Syd & Eddie (Gloucester Citizen)
3 November 1964 – ABC Regal Cambridge, Cambridge with The Searchers, Dionne Warwick, The Isley Brothers, Tony Sheverton, Syd & Eddie and Alan Elsdon & His Band (Cambridge News)
15 November 1964 – Theatre Royal, Norwich, Norfolk with The Searchers, Dionne Warwick and The Isley Brothers (Eastern Evening News)
18 November 1964 – Fairfield Hall, Croydon, London with The Searchers, Dionne Warwick, The Isley Brothers, Alan Elsdon & The Voodoos, Tony Sheverton and Syd and Eddie (Chris Broom book: Rockin’ and Around Croydon)
21 November 1964 – Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne with Dionne Warwick, The Searchers and The Isley Brothers (Newcastle Evening Echo)
18 December 1964 – Maple Ballroom, Northampton, Northamptonshire with The Berkeley Squares (Northampton Chronicle and Echo)
19 December 1964 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire (Steve Chapples research: www.lankybeat.com)
1965
17 January 1965 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey (Camberley News, Bagshot Observer/Aldershot News)
23 January 1965 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Dolphins (East Kent Times & Mail)
6 February 1965 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Johnny B Great & The Quotations and Mal Ryder & The Spirits (Lincolnshire Standard)
24 February 1965 – Bristol Corn Exchange, Bristol (Western Scene)
25 February 1965 – Pier Pavilion, Worthing, West Sussex (Worthing Herald)
28 February 1965 – The Downs, Hassocks, West Sussex with The Shades (Evening Argus/Mid Sussex Times)
1 March 1965 – Bath Pavilion, Bath (Western Scene)
2 April 1965 – Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham with The Searchers, Dusty Springfield & The Echoes, Tony Jackson & The Vibrations and Heinz with The Wild Boys (Birmingham Evening Mail)
4 April 1965 – Colston Hall, Bristol with The Searchers, Bobby Vee, Dusty Springfield & The Echoes, Heinz & The Wild Boys and Tony Jackson & The Vibrations (Gloucester Citizen)
6 April 1965 – St Joseph’s Hall, Basingstoke, Hampshire with Men Friday (Hampshire & Berkshire Gazette)
8 April 1965 – Salisbury City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire with Dusty Springfield and The Echoes, The Searchers, Bobby Vee and others (Frogg Moody and Richard Nash’s book Hold Tight!)
15 April 1965 – Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands with The Couriers (Birmingham Evening Mail)
15 April 1965 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
19 April 1965 – Top Spot, Ross-on-Wye, Gloucestershire with The Solents (Gloucester Citizen)
8 May 1965 – Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, Texas with Dee Dee Sharp, Jewel Akins and The Shangri-Las (San Antonio Express) Thanks to Andrew Crews for sharing
1 September 1965 – Bristol Corn Exchange, Bristol (Western Scene)
2 September 1965 – Manor Lounge, Stockport, Greater Manchester (Stockport County Express)
18 September 1965 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex with The Mojos, Eden Kane, Group Survival and The Hounds (Sussex Evening Express)
25 September 1965 – Gig in Bridlington (Beat Instrumental)
26 September 1965 – Sunshine Floor, Tavern Club, Dereham, Norfolk (North Norfolk News)
Late September 1965 – De Montfort Hall, Leicester with PJ Proby, The Sorrows, Elkie Brooks, The Boz People, The Matadors and Bobby Pattinson (Leicester Mercury)
1 October 1965 – Gig in King’s Lynn, Norfolk (Beat Instrumental)
2 October 1965 – Fly to the US for an American tour (Beat Instrumental)
16 October 1965 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire with The Trendmen (Evening Tribune)
20 October 1965 – Gig in Stourbridge (Beat Instrumental)
23 October 1965 – Gig in Redhill, Surrey (Beat Instrumental)
28 October 1965 – Pier Pavilion, Worthing, West Sussex (Worthing Gazette)
11 November 1965 – Glen Ballroom, Llanelly, south Wales with Tom Jones & The Squires and The Eyes of Blue (South Wales Evening Post)
20 November 1965 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Micky Jupp and The Orioles (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
9 December 1965 – Corn Exchange, Maidstone, Kent with Garry Marcus & The Centurians (Kent Messenger)
19 December 1965 – Warrington Sunday Club, Warrington, Cheshire with The Klubs (Warrington Guardian)
1966
3 January 1966 – Drill Hall, Dumfries, Scotland (Dumfries & Galloway Standard)
16 January 1966 – Whitehall, East Grinstead, West Sussex (Boyfriend magazine)
21 January 1966 – Westend Club, Coalville, Leicester with The Ray King Soul Pact (Leicester Mercury)
11 February 1966 – Cricketer’s Inn, Southend, Essex with The Orioles (Southend Standard)
19 February 1966 – Dreamland, Margate, Kent with The Tribe (East Kent Times)
25 February 1966 – Miners Hall, Cinderford, Gloucestershire with The Factotums (Gloucester Citizen)
26 February 1966 – Birmingham School of Advanced Technology, Birmingham (Boyfriend magazine)
8 April 1966 – Corn Exchange, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire (Trend & Boyfriend)
9 April 1966 – Loughborough Town Hall, Loughborough, Leicestershire (Trend & Boyfriend)
11 April 1966 – Melton Mowbray Corn Exchange, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire with The Squares (Grantham Journal)
15 April 1966 – Casino Club, Westhoughton, Greater Manchester with The Big Three (Bolton Evening News)
16 April 1966 – St George’s Ballroom, Hinckley, Leicestershire (Trend & Boyfriend)
30 May 1966 – Corn Exchange, Colcesther, Essex with Tommy Bishop & The Richochets and The Gatemouth (Essex County Standard)
10 June 1966 – Leeds University, Leeds, West Yorkshire (Fabulous 208)
11 June 1966 – St Mary’s College, Twickenham, London (Fabulous 208)
16 June 1966 – Birmingham University, Birmingham (Fabulous 208)
17 June 1966 – Sussex University, Brighton, Sussex (Fabulous 208)
18 June 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with support (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
2 July 1966 – Birmingham University, Birmingham (Fabulous 208)
7 July 1966 – Locarno, Bristol (Fabulous 208)
7 July 1966 – Byron, Greenford, west London with 10 Boots (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
8 July 1966 – Southampton University, Southampton, Hampshire (Fabulous 208)
9 July 1966 – Fort Gardens, Gravesend, Kent (Fabulous 208)
14 July 1966 – Byron, Greenford, west London with Someone Else (Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette)
20 July 1966 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall (Fabulous 208)
21 July 1966 – Princess Pavilion, Falmouth, Cornwall with The Misfits (West Briton & Royal Cornwall Gazette)
22 July 1966 – Winter Gardens, Penzance, Cornwall (Fabulous 208)
23 July 1966 – Budleigh Beat Centre, Budleigh, Devon with The New Law & Focus (Express & Echo)
24 July 1966 – Bridge Hotel, Looe, Cornwall (Fabulous 208)
6 August 1966 – Leas Cliff Hotel, Folkestone, Kent (Fabulous 208)
13 August 1966 – Luton Boys Club, Luton, Bedfordshire (Luton News)
17 August 1966 – Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with Endevers Ltd (Berkhamsted Gazette & Tring and District News)
19 August 1966 – The 7 Club, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury, Shropshire (Express & Star)
20 August 1966 – Victoria Cross Gallery, Wantage, Berkshire with John Brown’s Bodies (needs source)
15 October 1966 – Faculty of Technology, Manchester with Bread (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle)
3 November 1966 – RAF Kenley, Kenley, Surrey (Fabulous 208)
29 November 1966 – Mayfair Ballroom, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Fabulous 208)
2 December 1966 – Oxford University, Oxford (Fabulous 208)
3 December 1966 – Technical College, Bangor, Wales (Fabulous 208)
7 December 1966 – Stonehouse Church Hall, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen)
9 December 1966 – Top Spot, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with The Insect (Gloucester Citizen)
14 December 1966 – Student Union, RCAT, Manchester with Unit 4 Plus 2 and The Crestas (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle)
16 December 1966 – Civic Hall, Consett, County Durham (Fabulous 208)
17 December 1966 – New Century Hall, Manchester with The Signs and The Times (Manchester Evening News and Chronicle)
19 December 1966 – Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
23 December 1966 – Lewes Town Hall, Lewes, East Sussex with Hedgehoppers Anonymous and The Teen Team (Sussex Evening Express)
31 December 1966 – Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham with The Searchers, Locomotive and Longstack Humphries (Birmingham Evening Mail)
1967
7 January 1967 – Leicester College, Leicester, Leicestershire (Fabulous 208)
8 January 1967 – Brandon Wheatsheaf, Brandon, Norfolk with The Bohemians (North Norfolk News/Thetford Times)
27 January 1967 – Civic and Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, West Midlands with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band, The ‘N’ Betweens, The Savoy Jazz band and Ken Ingram’s Jazz band (Express & Star)
3 February 1967 – Southlands College, Wimbledon Common, Wimbledon, southwest London (Fabulous 208)
9 February 1967 – Pembroke Club, Chatham, Kent (Fabulous 208)
17 February 1967 – Queen’s Rink, West Hartlepool, County Durham (Fabulous 208)
18 February 1967 – Sheffield University, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Fabulous 208)
March 1967 – Araneta Coliseum, Manila, Philippines (Melody Maker)
10 March 1967 – Queen’s College, Oxford with The Move (Cherwell)
25 March 1967 – Elm Hotel, Southend, Essex with Sounds Around (Southend Standard) Needs confirmation
19 April 1967 – Students’ Union, Aberdeen, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
21 April 1967 – Victoria Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
22 April 1967 – Carioca Club, Auchinleck, Scotland (Fabulous 208)
12 May 1967 – Northampton Hall, Northampton, Northamptonshire (Fabulous 208)
26 May 1967 – Avon Club, Whitehaven, Cumbria (Fabulous 208)
27 May 1967 – Lincoln College, Oxford (Fabulous 208)
10 June 1967 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Jaguars (West Briton & Royal Cornish Gazette)
30 June 1967 – Highbury Technical College, Cosham, Hampshire (Fabulous 208)
12 July 1967 – De Valance Ballroom, Tenby, Wales (Fabulous 208)
15 July 1967 – Hinckley Football Ground, Hinckley, Leicestershire with The Kinks and Whispering Jack Smith (Fabulous 208)
22 July 1967 – Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, Kent (Folkestone & Hythe Gazette)
30 September 1967 – West Midlands Training College, Walsall, West Midlands (Fabulous 208)
7 October 1967 – City of Leeds Training College, Leeds, West Yorkshire (Fabulous 208)
9 October 1967 – Top Rank, Cardiff, Wales with The Searchers, Lucas with The Mike Cotton Sound and Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (South Wales Echo)
21 October 1967 – University of Aston, Birmingham (Fabulous 208)
1 December 1967 – Carnatic Hall, Liverpool (Fabulous 208)
2 December 1967 – Faculty of Tech, Manchester (Fabulous 208)
3 December 1967 – Embassy Rooms, Sale, Greater Manchester (Fabulous 208)
8 December 1967 – Braintree Institute, Braintree, Essex with The Lloyde and Ministry of Sound (Essex Chronicle)
9 December 1967 – Teachers’ Training College, Bingley, West Yorkshire (Fabulous 208)
11 December 1967 – Didsbury College of Education, Manchester (Fabulous 208)
20 December 1967 – Denbeigh Tech College, Wrexham, Wales (Fabulous 208)
23 December 1967 – Hastings Pier, Hastings, East Sussex (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website) Needs confirmation
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I remember seeing the Zombies at St Albans College of F.E. In 1963 or 1964
In the 1960’s my husband played guitar in a local band, called the Tartan Tremors, changing their name to the Vybes that same year.
There’s an advert on here, saying that the Zombies played locally in the Drill Hall on January 3rd 1966. My husband says that his Band where the support that night. He recalls partying with the Zombies afterwards in the County Hotel where they were staying overnight.
Unfortunately the advert doesn’t mention the Tartan Tremors or the Vybes so we can only take my husbands word on this..
The Vybes backed many chart Bands in the 1960’s
My son Simon Holland is currently doing a podcast with Hugh Grundy who along with Mike Conners in Menorca are performing locally on the island of Menorca where they all reside as The Geckos
I have met Hugh a number of times and he comes across as a very nice guy.
If you have an interest in the Zombies band do have a listen to the podcast on Podbean where there are currently 5 episodes charting the early and later Zombies.
Further to my previous comments about The Zombies, I saw the band et least 4 times once at the Farnborough town hall once at the Farnborough Technical College once at the Agincourt in Camberley and finally at the London palladium for the Odyssey and Oracle final tour where my wife and I also went to the aftershow party.
The Zombies opened for Roy Orbison in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada (the old Winnipeg Concert Hall/ Auditorium) in the early 60’s shortly after Pretty Woman came out.
Date: Fall of ’66 maybe.
Anyone have a memory of this gig. We were newly weds and that concert cemented my love for RO and his music. And, it so happens I’ve grown to appreciate the talent and music of the Zombies, as well.
I can be reached at bgt.ben@gmail.com if anyone has info.
Your help will be greatly appreciated.
Bruce….. Nanaimo, BC Canada
My Band The Portraits backed you at Stonehouse in 1966 Dec
Waht a great night, as you let us use your gear, so kind.
I played in The Crestas as support band for the Zombies at the Raven Club RAF Waddington UK in late 1965 or early 1966. The Zombies were awesome! Co-Pilot suggests Wed 29th November 1965?