

Built in 1875 as a glass structure, the original Crystal Palace and Winter Gardens housed a wide variety of shrubs and floral displays interspersed with exhibition space and areas for public entertainments. The first concert to take place in the venue was performed by Dan Godfrey and his thirty strong Municipal Military Band in 1893. Two years later Godfrey was chosen to lead the new Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, at the time it was one of the few permanent, fully salaried symphony orchestras in the country, along with Manchester’s Halle Orchestra. Over the years Edward Elgar, Jean Sibelius, Hubert Parry, Vaughan Williams, Henry Wood, William Walton, Thomas Beecham and Gustav Holst all visited the town as guest conductors and in November 1913 the orchestra released its first 78rpm recording on the HMV label.




In 1929 the Municipal Orchestra moved across the lower gardens to the recently completed Pavilion, six years before the original glass Winter Garden was demolished. It was rebuilt using a steel skeleton enclosed with brick and a timber roof at a cost of £30,000, as a state-of-the art indoor bowling green, after much lobbying from the Bournemouth Indoor Bowling Club. The official opening by the current mayor, Alderman Thomas Rebbeck, occurred on 4th November 1937. Two years later, at the outbreak of the war, it was requisitioned by the Air Ministry and handed over to the Canadian Air Force who were stationed in the town.

After the hostilities had ceased, the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra expanded to sixty plus musicians however, they were unhappy with the acoustic properties of the Pavilion Theatre and having to play second fiddle to stage productions, pantomimes and variety shows. As a remedy, it was agreed that the bowling green would be converted into a concert hall, much to the consternation of the bowling club members. When the council took back control of the building in 1946 they gave the go-ahead to erect a stage and install eighteen hundred seats. A concert was arranged for the opening night on Saturday 18th October 1947 by the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra conducted by their new leader, Rudolf Schwarz. The concert was a huge success and to the relief of the gathered throng and particularly the musicians and Schwarz, the hall’s acoustic qualities were rated second to none. In 1954, the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra was renamed the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Charles Groves.




Apart from orchestral recitals, over the years the hall promoted countless shows featuring international stars such as Bob Hope, Burl Ives, Ella Fitzgerald, Paul Robeson, Count Basie, Maurice Chevalier, Perry Como, Duke Ellington, Stephane Grappelli, Victor Borge and Brenda Lee. A whole plethora of home-grown talent also appeared in concerts, variety shows and summer extravaganzas. During its lifetime the venue was utilised as a cinema, a circus, a conference hall and an arena for wrestling and boxing bouts. During the sixties, hundreds of culturally deprived school kids were bused in from the outlying suburbs for an annual concert by the BSO. After much catcalling and abuse shouted across the aisles between opposing schools, the pupils would settle down to a two-hour recital of well-known selections from say Holst’s “Planets Suite”, or possibly the rousing final movement of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”, under the watchful eye of frazzled teachers desperately trying to pinpoint who was responsible for the thunderous fart during the quiet passage.
The Beatles Winter Gardens The Beatles Winter Gardens
By the late fifties the Winter Gardens became a regular stop-off on the package tour merry-go-round. Transient stars of the short-lived skiffle craze, anaemic British rock ‘n’ roll singers and the occasional American big name, would pass through as part of protracted jaunts around the provinces. However, by the early sixties it was all change as the bills became increasingly stuffed with beat merchants riding the Beat Boom. By the time the Fab Four arrived in November 1963, ‘Beatlemania’ was at fever pitch, prompting three rival American television networks, NBC, CBS and ABC to descend on the Winter Gardens and film news items on the new phenomenon. A short snippet of the group performing “From Me to You” was the first sighting America got of the Liverpudlian foursome when it was aired on The Huntley-Brinkley Report on 18th November 1963, pre-empting their Ed Sullivan Show debut on Sunday February 9th 1964 by nearly three months. Over the next three years virtually every beat group worth its salt came to the Gardens including The Rolling Stones, The Searchers, the Dave Clarke Five, The Hollies, The Troggs, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, Manfred Mann, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Kinks, Freddie and the Dreamers and The Yardbirds, plus a surfeit of lesser one-hit wonders and no hopers.
In March 1965 a stellar Tamla Motown revue with The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas and Smokey Robinson and The Miracles came to town. Incredibly, the tour was struggling to pull in the punters with half-full theatres outside of London, particularly for the first houses. To boost ticket sales, the promoters drafted in Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames who were riding high in the charts with “Yeah Yeah”. Apparently Mary Wilson of The Supremes remembers the acts referring to the UK trek as the ‘ghost tour’, while Georgie Fame is still incredulous to this day that he was drafted in to try to save a bill stuffed with such exceptional talent.
By 1967 the age of multi-group packages was winding down, although one of the last, starring the Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Move, The Nice, Amen Corner and Pink Floyd, proved to be one of the most memorable. It wasn’t the first time Hendrix had been to Bournemouth; he had visited six months earlier low down on an incongruous bill featuring the Walker Brother, Cat Stevens and special guest Engelbert Humperdinck. When Jimi returned he was headlining on the back of four top twenty singles and a ground-breaking debut album, Are You Experienced. Hendrix pulled out all the stops in his forty-minute slot, playing with his teeth, behind his head and while lying on his back. He covered the hits “Hey Joe”, “Purple Haze” and “The Wind Cries Mary” and finished with “Wild Thing”, the song he climaxed with at the ‘Monterey Pop Festival’ five months earlier. At Monterey, he cremated his guitar buy dousing it in lighter fuel and throwing matches on it, but in Bournemouth the Swan Vestas remained firmly in his pocket.
The night John Mayall brought his new all acoustic configuration to the Gardens in 1970, the PA malfunctioned towards the end of his set. Unperturbed, Mayall, bass player Alex Dmochowski and guitarist Jon Mark improvised an instrumental using just their back line amplifiers, while Johnny Almond stood on the lip of the stage blowing into his tenor sax. The acoustics in the auditorium did the rest, captivating the audience as the notes cascaded around the hall. The same year all three members of Cream passed through within six weeks of each other in differing guises. In October Eric Clapton tried sneaking in undetected using the alias of Derek with his new band the Dominos. A month later Ginger Baker negotiated a bumpy landing with his Airforce. They were late arriving and ran into the theatre through the main entrance, clambered onto the stage and proceeded to perform an under rehearsed, shambolic mess of a set, albeit a highly entertaining shambloic mess. Finally, Jack Bruce arrived ten days later with Tony Williams Lifetime, an extraordinarily talented jazz / rock fusion super-group with John McLaughlin on guitar and Larry Williams on keyboards. The only problem being that the band bludgeoned the small audience into submission with excessive volume.

In January 1972 Pink Floyd returned to air their magnum opus Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety for only the second time, the first performance being the night before at the Portsmouth Guildhall. It was a totally different experience to the show five years previous on the Jimi Hendrix tour. Back in 1967 they were allotted seventeen minutes in which to impress the audience, choosing to air truncated versions of “Take up Thy Stethoscope and Walk” and “Interstellar Overdrive” instead of their recent hits “Arnold Layne” and “See Emily Play”. Unfortunately their guitarist Syd Barrett was in bad shape suffering from early onset schizophrenia brought on by an over indulgence in LSD and the stresses and strains of fronting a successful band. It’s believed on at least one occasion, Davy O’List of the Nice stood in for Syd as he was unfit to perform. Fast forward to 1972 and with Dave Gilmore in for Barrett, the Floyd were on top form promoting their latest album Meddle, however, the set was dominated by Dark Side of the Moon which didn’t appear on vinyl until fifteen months later.
Paul McCartney, Winter Gardens 1973 David Bowie backstage, Winter Gardens 1973
On the 15th May 1973, Paul McCartney pulled into town with his new group Wings, followed by David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars ten days later. Bowie was filmed backstage and performing to the sell-out crowd for BBC’s Nationwide. The condescending voice over by Bernard Falk, describes Bowie as a “bizarre, self-constructed freak” and his band as “Yorkshire lads with down-to-earth accents whose appearance mainly seems to be moulded to fit into the Bowie image”. I wonder what Falk would have made of Queen’s outrageously camp Freddie Mercury who appeared three times, first in support of Mott the Hoople, then twice as the main event in 1974 and 1975.

As the seventies rolled on, rock bands were well represented by Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Thin Lizzy, Status Quo, Bad Company, Humble Pie, Motorhead and Deep Purple, as was the progressive side of the spectrum with Genesis, King Crimson, Family, Focus, Yes, Jethro Tull, The Soft Machine and the acronymic ELO and ELP. On a quieter note, the gentle strumming of singer / songwriters Cat Stevens, Kris Kristofferson and Tom Paxton plus the hippy drippy Melanie, Incredible String Band and Donovan suited the delicate acoustics of the hall perfectly. The Americans kept their end up with Canned Heat, Flock, Lynyrd Skynryd, Blue Oyster Cult, Journey, Black Oak Arkansas, Montrose, The Beach Boys, Santana and Hall and Oates. In the late seventies punk and new wave bands such as The Clash, The Damned, Joy Division, The Buzzcocks and The Undertones made it to Exeter Road, although to be honest, they would have been better suited taking their rebellious thrash to the standing only Stateside Centre across the lower gardens.

The first death knell sounded for the Winter Gardens in 1979 when the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra upped sticks and moved to the neighbouring Poole Arts Centre, although there was never any suggestion of changing their name to fit the new locale. An even bigger blow was struck with the opening of the brand new Bournemouth International Centre in 1984. Overnight the Winter Gardens became redundant, as concerts were relocated a couple of hundred yards up the road to the 4,000 capacity BIC. For the next twenty years, the venue gradually fell into disrepair and was only utilised sporadically for the odd concert and famously, in 1997, as a meeting place for AFC Bournemouth supporters who rallied round the ailing football club by throwing thousands of pounds into buckets to save the club from extinction. In 2001, 25,000 people signed a petition to save the hall, and in 2002 the BSO gave a final concert at the venue to help raise much needed cash. However, after much wrangling between the Bournemouth council and pressure groups who tried to save it, the Winter Gardens and all its wonderful memories were bulldozed in May 2006 to make way for a car park.
If you have any memories you would like to share of the Winter Gardens, please use the contact box at the bottom of this page.



Package tours and Concerts at the Winter Gardens from 1962 to 1979:
1962

5th February: Bobby Vee + Tony Orlando + Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry + The Springfields + Suzy Cope + Jimmy Crawford + The Ravens + Compere Billy Burdon
10th March: Helen Shapiro + The Four Jay + The Brook Bothers + Red Price Band + The Dale Sisters + Colin Day + Compere Dave Allen
28th April: Gary “US” Bonds + Johnny Burnette + The Fabulous Flee-Rekkers + The Four Kestrels + Rolly Daniels + Gene McDaniels + The Condors + Danny Rivers + Compere Mark Wynter
26th September: Del Shannon + Dion + Joe Brown and the Bruvvers + Buzz Clifford + The Allisons + Peppi + The New York Twisters + Wallace and Duval + Suzy Cope
2nd October: Billy Fury + Marty Wilde + Karl Denver Trio + Joe Brown and the Bruvvers + Mike Sarne + Jimmy Justice + Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers + Mark Wynter + Compere Al Paige
13th October: The Shadows + Chas McDevitt and Shirley Douglas + The Dale Sisters + The Trebletones + The Belltones + Compere Dave Allen
7th October: Phil Everly + Frank Ifield + Ketty Lester + Dean Rogers + Terry Young Five + Vernon Girls + Compere Norman Collier
10th November: Bobby Vee + The Crickets + Ronnie Carroll + Russ Sainty and the Nu-Notes + Frank Kelly and the Hunters + Johnny De Little + Compere Frank Berry
1st December: Helen Shapiro + Eden Kane + Vernon Girls + The Kestrels + Red Price and His Orchestra + Rhet Stoller and the Dynamics + Arthur Worsley with Charlie Brown + Comperes Billy Burden and Bobby Dennis
1963

9th February: Brain Hyland + Little Eva + The Brook Brothers + The Chariots + Johnny Temple + Rhythm and Blues Quintet Plus One + Compere Dave Reid
16th March: Joe Brown and the Bruvvers + Susan Maughan + The Tornados + Eden Kane + Shane Fenton and the Fentones + Jess Conrad + Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers + Daryl Quist + Peter Lodge + Mike & Tony Nevitt + Rolf Harris and the Diggeroos + Compere Al Paige
30th March: Brenda Lee + Mike Berry and the Outlaws + Tony Sheridan + The Bachelors + Steve Perry + Sounds Incorporated + Compere Bob Bain
20th April: Del Shannon + Johnny Tillotson + The Springfields + Kenny Lynch + Peppi + The Eagles + Jerry Stevens + Rey Anton + Compere Ray Bennett
11th May: Jerry Lee Lewis + Gene Vincent + Heinz and the Outlaws + Andy Cavell and the Saints + Mickie Most + Dev Douglas + Brad Newman + Compere Chris Carlsen
18th May: John Leyton + Mike Sarne + Billie Davis + Jet Harris and Tony Meehan + Mike Berry and the Innocents + Duffy Power + Billy Doyle + The X-L Five + Compere Don Spencer
4th August: Billy Fury + The Tornados + Bert Weedon + Jackie Trent + The Hollies + Eric Delaney and his Easy Beat Band
11th August: Jet Harris and Tony Meehan + The Springfields + Mark Wynter + Jan and Kelly + The Hollies + Eric Delaney and his Easy Beat Band
13th October: Tommy Roe + Freddie and the Dreamers + The Searchers + Ian Crawford and the Boomerangs + Rob Charles Combo + Patrick Dane and the Quiet Five + Compere Ted King
20th October: Dee Dee Sharp + Johnny Kidd and the Pirates + Heinz and the Saints + Joe Brown and the Bruvvers + Gerry and the Pacemakers + Vince Eager + Big Three + The Caravelles
9th November: Billy Fury + Joe Brown and His Bruvvers + Karl Denver Trio + The Tornadoes + Marty Wilde + Daryl Quist + Dickie Pride + The Ramblers + Compere Larry Burns
16th November: The Beatles + Brook Brothers + Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers + Vernon Girls + The Kestrels + The Rhythm and Blues Quartet + Compere Frank Berry
23rd November: Duane Eddy + The Shirelles + Gene Vincent + Carter Lewis and the Southerners + Mickie Most + The Flintstones + The Roof Raisers + Compere Ray Cameron
7th December: Bobby Rydell + Helen Shapiro + The Chants + The Harlems + The Spotnicks + The Trebletones + The Merseybeats + Compere Alan Field
1964

15th February: Gerry and the Pacemakers + Ben E King + The Fourmost + Tommy Quickly + The Dennisons + Sounds Incorporated + Compere Jimmy Tarbuck
22nd February: John Leyton + Mike Sarne + The Rolling Stones + The Swinging Blues Jeans + Mike Berry and the Innocents + Eden Kane + Jet Harris + The LeRoys + Billie Davis + Compere Billy Boyle
29th February: Joe Brown and the Bruvvers + Manfred Mann + The Crystals + Johnny Kidd and the Pirates + Heinz and the Saints + Mike Preston + Daryl Quist + Compere Al Paige
21st March: Bobby Vee + The Searchers + The Diamonds + Dusty Springfield + Big Dee Irwin + The Echoes + Suzy Cope + Alan Davison + Compere Tony Marsh
25th April: Dave Clark Five + The Hollies + The Kinks + The Mojos + Mark Wynter + The Trebletones + The Mojos + Compere Frank Berry
3rd May: Roy Orbison + Freddie and the Dreamers + Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders + Tony Sheridan and the Bobby Patrick Six + Chris Sandford and the Coronets + Three Quarters + The Federals
11th May: The Rolling Stones + Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers + Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers + Julie Grant + Keith Powel and the Valets + Compere Roy Douglas
16th May: Chuck Berry + Carl Perkins + King Size Taylor and the Dominos + The Animals + The Swinging Blue Jeans + The Nashville Teens + The Other Two + Compere Larry Burns
3rd October: Manfred Mann + Bill Haley and the Comets + The Nashville Teens + Rockin’ Berries + Untamed Four + Bobby Patrick Big Six + Compere Bob Bain
31st October: The Isley Brothers + The Zombies + The Searchers + Dionne Warwick + Alan Elsdon and the Voodoos + Tony Sheveton + Comperes Syd and Eddie
7th November: Gene Vincent + Lulu and the Luvvers + The Applejacks + Millie + The Honeycombs + Daryl Quist + The Puppets + The Beat Merchants + The Shouts + Compere Freddie Earl
15th November: The Animals + Carl Perkins + Tommy Tucker + Elkie Brooks + The Nashville Teens + The Quotations + The Plebs + Compere Ray Cameron
28th November: Gene Pitney + Gerry and the Pacemakers + The Kinks + Marianne Faithfull + Mike Cotton Sound + Bobby Shafto and the Roofraisers + Compere Bryan Burdon
1965
20th February: Duke Ellington and his Orchestra
27th February: Adam Faith and the Roulettes + Sandie Shaw + The Baron Knights + The Paramounts + Patrick Kerr + Compere Freddie Earl
27th March: The Supremes + Stevie Wonder + Martha and The Vandellas + Smokey Robinson and The Miracles + Earl Van Dyke Six + Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames + Compere Tony Marsh
15th May: The Yardbirds + The Kinks + Goldie and the Gingerbreads + The Riot Squad + Val McKenna + Jeff and Jon + Mickey Finn + Compere Bob Bain
23rd May: Donovan + New Faces + The Pretty Things + Unit 4 Plus 2 + John L. Watson and the Hummelflugs + Compere Chris Carlson
2nd October: Peter, Paul and Mary
9th October: P. J. Proby + The Walker Brothers + The Zombies + Elkie Brooks + Boz and the Boz People + The Matadors + Compere Denny Piercy
23rd October: The Everly Brothers + Cilla Black + Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas + Lionel Blair and the Kick Dancers + Paddy, Klaus and Gibson + The Marionettes + The Alan Elsdon Band + Compere Pete Brady
6th November: Gene Pitney + The Rockin’ Berries + Peter and Gordon + Lulu and the Luvvers + The Quiet Five + Mike Cotton Sound + Comperes Syd & Eddie
21st November: Herman’s Hermits + Wayne Fontana + The Fortunes + Billy Fury and the Gamblers + The Country Gents + Little Frankie + Compere Ray Cameron
1966
2nd April: The Seekers + The Honeycombs + Carrie MacDonald with the Marge Lewis Pattern + Compere Dave Allen
30th April: Roy Orbison + The Walker Brothers + Lulu and the Luvvers + The Marionettes + Kim D and the Del Five + Quotations + Compere Ray Cameron
7th August: Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames + Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds + Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band + The Alan Price Set + Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band + The Train
12th September: The Shadows + Eric Delaney and his Band + Derek Dene + Compere George Martin
28th September: Dusty Springfield with The Echoes + The Alan Price Set + The Settlers + Episode 6 + Dave Berry + David and Johnathan + Boz and His Group + Compere Jeff Lenner
12th November: The Walker Brothers + The Troggs + Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich + The Montanas + The Quotations + Clodagh Rogers + Compere Don Crockett
1967
17th March: Gene Pitney + The Troggs + David Garrick + Normie Rowe and the Playboys + The Loot + The Vision + Sounds Incorporated + Compere Bryan Burdon
29th April: Engelbert Humperdink + The Walker Brothers + Cat Stevens + The Jimi Hendrix Experience + The Californians + The Quotations + Compere Nick Jones
9th May: Jesse Fuller + Champion Jack Dupree + Alexis Korner and Long John Baldry
27th August: The Shadows + Honky Von Tonk + The O’Connor Sisters + Four Kinsman + Eric Delaney Band
15th November: The Jimi Hendrix Experience + The Move + Pink Floyd + The Nice + Amen Corner + Eire Apparent + The Outer Limits + Compere Pete Drummond
1968
20th April: Gene Pitney + Don Partridge + Status Quo + Amen Corner + Simon Dupree and the Big Sound
27th April: The Kinks + The Herd + Gary Walker and the Rain + The Tremeloes + Ola and the Janglers + The Life and Soul
25th May: Julie Felix
3rd June: The Seekers + Russ Conway
23rd November: Pentangle
1969
28th February Renaissance
1st March: Marian Montgomery + Humphrey Littleton and his Band
15th March: Englebert Humperdink + Mary Hopkin
27th March: Nana Mouskouri
19th April: Herman’s Hermits + The Love Affair + Dave Berry and the Sponge + The Parking Lot + Compere Johnnie Walker
13th August: The Bachelors
22nd November: John Mayall
30th November: Duke Ellington
1970

24th January: Canned Heat + Renaissance
6th February: The Nice
12th April: Gene Pitney + Badfinger + Johnny Hackett + Satisfaction + Clodagh Rodgers
18th April: The Flock + The Spirit of John Morgan
2nd May: Taj Mahal + Rare Bird
13th May: Johnny Cash
16th May: John Mayall + Duster Bennett
17th May: Roy Orbison + Karen Young + Arrival + The Art Movement + Compere Jimmy Marshall
23rd May: Tom Paxton
5th June: The Keef Hartley Big Band
7th October: Derek and the Dominos + Bret Marvin and The Thunderbolts
30th October: Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee + Sister Rosetta Tharpe + Bukka White + Champion Jack Dupree + Willie Dixon’s Chicago Blues All-Stars with Shakey Horton, Lafayette Leak, Clifton James and Lee Jackson The American Folk, Blues & Gospel Festival ’70
20th October: Emerson Lake and Palmer + Spontaneous Combustion
4th November: Ginger Baker’s Air Force
15th November: Tony Williams Lifetime with Jack Bruce, John McLaughlin and Larry Young
21st November: Family
27th November: Tyrannosaurus Rex
12th December: The Beach Boys + The Flame
1971






30th January: Julie Felix with Danny Thompson
31st January: The Faces + Steamhammer + Eclection
5th February: Alexis Korner + Duster Bennett + Karakorum
6th February: Stevie Wonder + Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
7th February: Deep Purple + Hardin York
13th February: Van Der Graff Generator + Genesis + Lindisfarne
26th February: Pentangle
2nd March: Free + Amazing Blondel
5th March: Jethro Tull + Steeleye Span
10th March: Yes + Johnathon Swift
19th March: Tom Paxton
27th March: Fairport Convention
30th March: The Incredible String Band
4th April: Georgie Fame and Alan Price + Zoot Money
6th April: Emerson, Lake and Palmer
16th April: Mott the Hoople
17th April: Mungo Jerry + Comus
20th April: Electric Light Orchestra
21st April: Caravan + Barclay James Harvest + Gringo
23rd April: The Soft Machine
9th May: T Rex
21st May: Cat Stevens+ Tir Na Nog
26th May: The Faces + Atomic Rooster
2nd June: King Crimson + Roger Ruskin Spear and his Giant Kinetic Wardrobe
29th September: Deep Purple + Bullet
15th October: King Crimson
23rd October: Curved Air + Bunkers
27th October: Steeleye Span + Al Stewart + Andy Roberts
30th October: The Four Tops + Esther Marrow
3rd November: Argent + Climax Chicago Blues Band + Duffy Power
6th November: The Pedlars + Pendulum
10th November: Memphis Slim
12th November: Little Richard + Winston Goovy
13th November: Tom Paxton
20th November: The Supremes + Labi Siffre
26th November: Elton John
1st December: Family + America
1972






22nd January: Pink Floyd
28th January: Lindisfarne
29th January: The Stevie Wonder Revue
11th February: Black Sabbath + Wild Turkey
20th February: Wishbone Ash + Glencoe
26th February: The Incredible String Band
10th March: Jethro Tull + Tir Na Nog
17th March: Rory Gallagher + Byzantium
28th March: Labi Siffre + The Flirtations
5th April: John Mayall + Matching Mole
12th April: The Temptations + Carla Thomas + Jimmy Helms
29th April: Curved Air + Gary Moore Band + Nick Pickett
5th May: The Strawbs + Quiver
16th May: Kris Kristofferson + Rita Coolidge
21st May: Marvin, Welch and Farrar
23rd May: Electric Light Orchestra + Colin Blunstone + F.F.Z.
26th May: Uriah Heep + Mike Maran
2nd June: Lindisfarne + Capability Brown
3rd June: Donovan
4th June: Roy Orbison
13th October: Genesis + Rab Noakes
28th October: The Four Tops + Thelma Houston
4th November: Gladys Knight and the Pips + Desmond Dekker and the Aces + Carol Woods
8th November: Slade + Thin Lizzy + Susi Quatro
10th November: Emerson, Lake and Palmer
12th November: Gilbert O’Sullivan
14th November: Focus + Warlock
15th November: Argent + Bronco
25th November: Wishbone Ash
26th November: King Crimson
8th December: Groundhogs + Stray + Gentle Giant
10th December: Family + Linda Lewis
1973
12th January: Uriah Heep + Maldoon
7th February: Rory Gallagher + Greenslade
24th February: Deep Purple + Nazareth
6th March: The Strawbs
17th March: Elton John + Longdancer
24th March: King Crimson + Claire Hamill
30th March: Petula Clark
13th April: Roxy Music + Sharks
28th April: Curved Air + Nick Pickett
29th April: Glen Campbell
5th May: Fats Domino
9th May: Ralph McTell + Hunter Muskett
11th May: Barclay James Harvest + Bridget St John
15th May: Paul McCartney and Wings + Brinsley Schwarz
23rd May: Nana Mouskouri and the Athenians
25th May: David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars
26th May: Gilbert Sullivan
31st May: Cilla Black
5th October: Cliff Richard
12th October: Genesis + Ron Geesin
19th October: Lindisfarne + Capability Brown
23rd October: Daryll Way’s Wolf + Hemlock + Principal Edwards Magic Theatre
6th November: Roxy Music + Leo Sayer
7th November: The Groundhogs + Jonesy
10th November: Uriah Heep + The Heavy Metal Kids
13th November: Tom Paxton
16th & 17th November: Yes
21st November: Rory Gallagher + Strider
30th November: Mott the Hoople + Queen
9th December: Lindisfarne + Capability Brown
1974






11th January: George Melly and his Feetwarmers
19th January: Hawkwind + Andy Dunkley + Lens Liquid Lights
26th February: The Carpenters
3rd March: Wizzard
23rd March: Glen Campbell
27th March: Mott The Hoople + Judi Pulver
29th March: Gentle Giant + String Driven Thing
20th April: Jose Feliciano
22nd April: Alvin Stardust
23rd April: Slade + Beckett
24th April: Mick Ronson Band
26th April: Sweet + Jook
8th May: The Strawbs + Colin Scott & Friends
10th May: Status Quo + Montrose
17th May: John Renbourn + Jacqui McShee
19th May: Deep Purple + Elf
29th May: Steeleye Span + Gryphon
31st May: Black Sabbath + Black Oak Arkansas
1st June: The Hollies + James Griffin
19th August: Man
8th October: Uriah Heep + Peter Frampton
10th October: Status Quo
13th & 14th October: Roxy Music + Jess Roden Band
20th October: Suzie Quatro + Cozy Powell
21st October: Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
25th October: Mud
5th November: Humble Pie + McGuiness Flint
13th November: Queen + Hustler
15th November: The Bay City Rollers
18th November: David Essex + Merlin
22nd November: Argent
26th November: Mott the Hoople + Sparks
1st December: Lynyrd Synyrd + Golden Earring
6th December: The Faces + Strider
9th December: Supertramp + Chris De Burgh
11th December: Hot Chocolate
13th December: Uriah Heep
16th December: Bad Company + Duster Bennett
18th December: Showaddywaddy
1975
11th January: Hawkwind
2nd March: The Spinners
16th March: Steve Hartley and Cockney Rebel + Sailor
17th March: Ralph McTell + Terry and Gay Woods
22nd March: 10CC + Fancy
28th March: Oscar Peterson
1st April: Demis Rousso
18th April: Slade + Bunny
2nd May: Planet Gong + Global Village Trucking Company
17th May: The Bay City Rollers
23rd May: Mud
27th May: The Glitter Band
2nd June: Donovan
7th September: Kraftwerk + AJ Webber
29th September: Budgie
1st October: Leo Sayer
2nd October: Dianne Solomon
3rd October: Melanie
29th October: Ella Fitzgerald + Count Basie and his Orchestra
8th November: Cliff Richard
19th November: Supertramp + Joan Armatrading + The Movies
23rd November: Queen + Mr Big
26th November: Justin Hayward & John Lodge Blue Jays + AJ Webber
1976
20th February: T Rex
8th March: Thin Lizzy + Graham Parker and the Rumour
9th March: The Kinks + Splinter
12th March: Hawkwind
17th March: Procol Harum
29th March: Focus + Charlie
30th March: Camel + Hazzard and Barnes
3rd April: Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons + R & J Stone
6th April: Johnny Mathis
13th April: Leo Sayer
14th April: Diana Ross
12th May: The Supremes
15th May: Chuck Berry
21st May: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2nd June: Average White Band + Kokomo
5th October: Marvin Gaye
8th October: Hot Chocolate
10th October: The Four Tops
11th October: Mott the Hoople + Lone Star
20th October: Sutherland Brothers and Quiver + Moon
27th October: Barclay James Harvest + Easy Street
29th October: Sailor + Smith and D’Abo
2nd November: Curved Air
8th November: Santana + Journey
12th November: The Jess Roden Band
2nd December: Roxy Music
3rd December: Steeleye Span
12th December: Hawkwind
1977






21st January: Daryl Hall and John Oates
2nd February: Bryan Ferry
7th February: John Miles
12th February: Chris De Burgh + Phillip Goodhand Tait
13th February: Rory Gallagher
14th February: Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band
16th February: Be Bop De Luxe + The Doctors of Madness
16th March: Can
29th March: Graham Parker and The Rumour + Southside Johnny and the Ashbury Jukes
30th March: Roy Orbison
10th April: Frankie Miller’s Full House
20th April: John Cale
29th April: Carl Perkins
2nd May: Slade
13th May: The Shadows
17th October: Joan Armatrading
19th October: Dr Feelgood + Mink DeVille
7th November: Supertramp + Chris De Burg
8th November: Showaddywaddy
9th November: The Clash + Richard Hell and the Voidoids + The Lous
30th November: Thin Lizzy
1978
21st March: Tom Robinson Band
22nd March: John Mellencamp
12th April: Hot Chocolate
22nd April: Showaddywaddy
23rd April: Carl Perkins + Bo Diddley + Matchbox
2nd May: Fairport Convention
15th May: Ian Dury and The Blockheads + Whirlwind + Matumbi
16th May: Darts + The Late Show
22nd May: Dave Brubeck
25th May: Johnathon Richman
26th May: Elkie Brooks
30th May: Bonnie Tyler
31st May: Maddy Prior + Andy Desmond
3rd June: Blue Oyster Cult + Japan
1st October: The Shadows
6th October: Smokie
16th October: Bernie Flint
17th October: Squeeze
18th October: Dr Feelgood
30th October: Wishbone Ash
6th November: Whitesnake + Magnum
7th November: Buzzcocks + Subway Sect
15th November: Judas Priest
18th November: Showaddywaddy
5th December: Fairport Convention
8th December: Motorhead
1979
10th January: Rory Gallagher
2nd February: Osibisa
13th February: Chris De Burgh
3rd March: The Three Degrees
9th March: Uriah Heep + Bram Tchaikovsky
10th March: Bill Haley and the Comets + Freddie Cannon
7th April: Thin Lizzy + The Vipers
27th April: John Miles
20th May: Squeeze
2nd & 3rd October: Hot Chocolate
4th October: Manhattan Transfer
5th October: Chic
12th October: Sky
17th October: Elkie Brooks
18th October: Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames
26th October: The Undertones + Ten Pole Tudor
29th October: Darts
2nd November: The Buzzcocks + Joy Division
5th November: The Skids + Fingerprintz
21st November: Lone Star
23rd November: Gallagher and Lyle + Judy Tzuke
25th November: The Enid
8th December: Motorhead + Thunderhead
10th December: Showaddywaddy
12th December: Richard Digance
16th December: Leo Sayer
Good morning, I think my parents saw Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald and possibly Count Basie at the Winter Gardens, Bournemouth in 1977. Please could you confirm this event happened. Many thanks and kind regards
Jane Starmer
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Hi Janey, Going back through the records I have found Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie playing the Winter Gardens on 29th October 1975.I have found nothing on Oscar Peterson, although that doesn’t mean he didn’t play the Gardens at some point in the past. Hope this helps, John
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Oscar Peterson – Winter Gardens, Bournemouth (28.3.75): One of the true jazz giants. https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/features/snapshotsofthepast/5034849.perhaps-you-saw-some-of-the-stars-who-passed-this-way-this-week-in-history/
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Thank you Paul, I will update accordingly, John
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Hello! Really appreciate the site and the names and dates certainly bring back some memories. I believe the Undertones in October 1979 was my last gig and probably Wishbone Ash the band I saw the most at the venue. I now work with numerous musicians who played there, including Horace of Darts who is General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union!
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Glad you’re enjoying it Keith, the Winter Gardens was a special place throughout the seventies, saw loads of excellent gigs there. Shame that the Bournemouth council saw fit to tear it down. John
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