The small village where I lived as a teenager had a youth club...run by the local Vicar actually, who wore his hair in a comb-over and had very pink cheeks...my friend and I joined as soon as it opened...me because I fancied the Vicars son and my friend 'cos she drooled over one of the stable lads from the nearby racing stables...
As luck would have both the stable lad and the Vicars son used to come every week...just as well 'cos there weren't many lads who joined up at the beginning...
There were strict rules of course...no smoking inside and the pool cues had to be put away properly at the end of the evening...other than that we were more or less left to our own devices.
The Vicar had procured a record player from somewhere and we all brought our favourite singles along...we made tea and ate biscuits and batted our eyelashes at the boys...
Then one evening, the Vicar with the rosy cheeks and bad comb-over, asked would anyone like to go and see Billy Fury on stage...you could have probably heard the collective thunk as jaws dropped and mouths gaped open...
It was a rural area where few people had cars...there was little in the way of public transport either...so to dream of going all the way to a big town to see a real 'pop' star live on stage was something we didn't ever imagine would happen.
The evening was a huge success...the Vicars cheeks became more rosy and he gathered us all together at the end of the show and asked would we like to go and see another 'pop' star perhaps...later in the year maybe?
Unfortunately he chose Freddie and The Dreamers...with Big Dee Irwin as the second spot...but this time he'd arranged for us to wait back stage to get their autographs...never mind that we thought Freddie was a prat and we couldn't understand what Big Dee was saying when he spoke to us...we queued up happily and shook hands and asked for autographs please and came back on the 'bus clutching our bits of paper thrilled to bits.
Looking back with the 'wisdom' of years I rather think that the Vicar enjoyed those concerts just as much as we did...he was the first to ask the coach driver to stop on the way home so we could get fish and chips for supper and sang under his breath...would you like to swing on a star...de dum de... carry moonbeams home in a jar...as he scrunched up his greasy newspaper and wiped his mouth with a clean hankie.
Once I was in my late teens I was blasé about pop music...now I went to squalid smoke filled bars where the lights were dim and a Black man played the saxophone...
Did you ever go to a 'pop' concert? Who did you see play on a stage?
15 Replies
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Hi I don't think ' I went to squalid smoke filled bars where the lights were dim and a Black man played the saxophone' ha ha. Unless you count seeing a local very good rock band in London in a big dark smokey room! I was wearing my famous white pvc mini skirt and made a pass at my 'friend' Steve.....but that is another story
I have seen (mainly in London) Pink Floyd (twice), David Bowie (twice), Paul McCartney, Prince, Bruce Springstein, Daniel O'Donnell (under protest), Alvin Stardust. Gary Glitter (yuck), The Dooley brothers (again under protest), Wayne Fontana, PJ Proby, Freddie and the Dreamers and Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich. Oh and I saw Dave Berry in a music tent in a big London park...remember him? The one from the 60's who did strange things with the mike.
The only ones I want to see now are the Stones, but had better hurry as they are getting older by the minute xx
Hi I went to a lot of concerts in the past many in Bristol and the surrounding area. I remember queuing all night in the rain to get tickets to see the Rolling Stones. I have been fortunate to see The Who, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Ten Years After, Led Zeppelin to name a few. I went to the first Glastonbury Festival in September 1970 and remember seeing Tyrannosaurus Rex, later known as T. Rex. Tickets were £1. The Llandoger Trow pub in backs onto the old harbour in Bristol and there I saw Acker Bilk play Stranger on the Shore. I still like to go to concerts and I am taking the wife to see Andre Rieu in December. Regards. Andy
I was dragged along to see Cliff Richards by my much older sister and our cousin (who was besotted by him, probably still is). I couldn't stand him and it was hell. I suspect mum said they could only go if they took me along.
I was more interested in Crosby Stills & Nash, The Eagles, James Taylor.
I did take my son and his friend to see Courtney Pine play and William loved it so much he took up the saxophone that very week. Wherever he's lived since he's always started a band although he plays bass guitar and sings (wails more like).
I saw the Searchers, Dutch Swing College Band, The Tornadoes, Joe Brown and the Bruvvers. Then something happened I have no idea what or why but I would have to rush out and be sick. That put a stop to going to concerts.
A few years ago my husband dragged me along to an open air concert at Blickling Hall Park to see Cliff Richard. The first part was OK when Move it was played and other Rock songs. The second was full of things such as What car and other flops.
My heroes were the Beatles, Billy Fury and Elvis.
In the village where I lived, we had a rickety village hall called The Gannon Room. A couple called Mr and Mrs Bugg ran Old Time Dancing Classes. We girls went to those. Every so often Mr Bugg's Band would play when a dance was held and Mr Doy from Southwold Pet Shop would sing.
There was a Youth club but My Grandfather banned me from going, although I was allowed to go to their Social. They played Kiss Chase and I had my first (revolting) kiss. He stuck his tongue in my mouth..eeew...yuk.
AS I remember my first kiss too and he did exactly the same thing....I think it was the end of our romance when he asked me to marry. It was in club and I was so p......d I fell on the floor laughing my socks off x
Hi Vasari, well living in London I saw the lot, off we went done up to nines in the latest look. I did have a friend who loved billy J Kramer (he wasn't my type at all) anyway she got two tickets to see him at an Odeon somewhere, I wasn't fussed about seeing him at all but she begged me because she wanted me to do the screaming for her, she sat there completely still and sedate she was the only not screaming! Happy days. I wonder what happened to Billy J Kramer?
Nope, never been to a rock concert. But living outside London went all the time to various dives in and around Soho where 'black men played the sax...'
Oh, I nearly forgot our local dance hall band was Johnny Dankworth and
Cleo Lane, lovely memories. All the girls one side of the room and the boys
the other side amid giggles of who fancied who.. until one brave lad ( and his
mates) would come over and say "are you dancing?"
As a sixteen year old I spent a week in the isle of man with 3 friends . we were lucky enough to ge tickets from the new musical express magazine for a televised Six Five Special Show. We were allowed to wander on set and I stood next to Lita Rosa a pop singer, also performing was Lonnie Donnegan singing the song about leaving chewing gum on the bedpost over night. The Dave Clarke Five also performed. The star of the show was Billy Fury, my favourite at the time wearing a yellow jacket which looked white and glittery on TV. Thanks Vasty for stirring up so many happy memories for me.
I saw Paul Jones and Manfred Mann as well that group that sang House of the Rising Sun.
They were quite famous at the time and for some reason they had been invited to play in a local hall in front of a group of future teachers from a small training college......the singers looked most bemused, I must say
I was and still am a Black Sabbath Fan and seen them many times. The first proper concert I went to was at the old Wembley stadium to see the rock and roll Festival with a balding Bill Haley and the Comets, Little Richard, Heinz, lonne donnigon with Screaming lord such with many more that my memory fails me on?
Oh, did I ever Vashti. I was a flower child and later a rocker (don't laugh!) I went to the first Isle of wight concert and saw the great Jimmy Hendrix - never to be forgotten.
I've met quite a few as well - Cliff Richard when he first started, came to a small village near us to open a dance hall - I didn't even know who he was ! Lol.
I did panto with Lonnie Donegan (remember him?) I met the platters back stage, also the sweet, TommySteele and went to see Bill Haley at the Dominion in Tottenham Court Road. Saw the Stones at the Tabernacle, met Alan Price and Georgie Fame after a concert in Folkestone.
I worked in the media way back when and interviewed lots of stars - the most famous being Omar Sharif. Oh, those eyes! Made you feel like you could fall into them and drown! lol
Went to my local youth club every Friday night, got dumped by a lad who had the cheek to bring his new chump (sorry) girlfriend along one night before he had packed me up, it cost him the price of a taxi to take me home and I left head held high while he tried to explain to the new lass why he could not afford to buy her a soft drink as it had taken all his pocket money to pay for said taxi. I was bit cynical of the opposite sex even at the tender age of 14.
Concerts went to see the Beatles just after 'She loves you' went to number 1 and could not speak for a couple of days cos I screamed so much, saw the Rolling Stones and danced in the isles. Saw lots of other groups, joined a folk club and sung along happily until I grew up and got married. Could only be a weekend flower child as I worked in a office during the week and had to dress sensibly. Never did get to go to any music festivals though, as I became more and more allergic to the big outdoors and life.
I've been to a few mostly festivals, I saw The Monty Python team at one of my first. I saw Ian Dury play in Leeds in 1997 and one of my favourite times was seeing Peter Green when he first formed The Splinter Group and Shane MacGowan was on, it was fantastic!
I've seen The Fall in concert in Liverpool , Joan Armatrading in Llanddudno, Elvis Costello and Talking Heads, Van Morrison and many more!
Yes David Whitfield then Dickie Valantine great days David came from Hull which is where I live now and did at the time great times Rockabilly Rock abilly Rock
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