The Winter Gardens

The newly constructed brick built Winter Gardens shortly after opening on 4^th November 1937

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.

Above and Below: The original glass Crystal Palace and Winter Gardens built in 1875

The Interior of the Crystal Palace and Winter Gardens planted with shrubs and flowers

The Crystal Palace and Winter Gardens circa 1893 with the stage set for the concert orchestra

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 4^th 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.

The Winter Gardens in 1938, built specifically for the Bournemouth Indoor Bowling Club

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 18^th 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.

Construction workers begin to lay the brick foundations for the stage circa 1947

The pristine, completed auditorium before the opening night on 18^th October 1947

The Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra with conductor Rudolf Schwarz on the opening night

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.    

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  The Beatles Winter Gardens

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  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 18^th November 1963, pre-empting their Ed Sullivan Show debut on Sunday February 9^th 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.

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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.

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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.   

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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.

David Gilmour and Dave Mason of Pink Floyd performing at the Winter Gardens 22^nd January 1972

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.    

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  Paul McCartney, Winter Gardens 1973

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  David Bowie backstage, Winter Gardens 1973

On the 15^th 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.      

Freddie Mercury and Brian May of Queen, performing at the Winter Gardens 23^rd November 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.   

Fans of AFC Bournemouth pack the Winter Gardens in 1997 to raise cash for the ailing club

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.

Above and Below: The crumbling Winter Gardens shortly before demolition in May 2006

The original ticket office, the last remnant of the Winter Gardens still standing

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

1962

5^th February: Bobby Vee + Tony Orlando + Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry + The Springfields + Suzy Cope + Jimmy Crawford + The Ravens + Compere Billy Burdon

10^th March: Helen Shapiro + The Four Jay + The Brook Bothers + Red Price Band + The Dale Sisters + Colin Day + Compere Dave Allen

28^th April: Gary “US” Bonds + Johnny Burnette + The Fabulous Flee-Rekkers + The Four Kestrels + Rolly Daniels + Gene McDaniels + The Condors + Danny Rivers + Compere Mark Wynter

26^th September: Del Shannon + Dion + Joe Brown and the Bruvvers + Buzz Clifford + The Allisons + Peppi + The New York Twisters + Wallace and Duval + Suzy Cope

2^nd 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

13^th October: The Shadows + Chas McDevitt and Shirley Douglas + The Dale Sisters + The Trebletones + The Belltones + Compere Dave Allen

7^th October: Phil Everly + Frank Ifield + Ketty Lester + Dean Rogers + Terry Young Five + Vernon Girls + Compere Norman Collier

10^th November: Bobby Vee + The Crickets + Ronnie Carroll + Russ Sainty and the Nu-Notes + Frank Kelly and the Hunters + Johnny De Little + Compere Frank Berry

1^st 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

9^th February: Brain Hyland + Little Eva + The Brook Brothers + The Chariots + Johnny Temple + Rhythm and Blues Quintet Plus One + Compere Dave Reid

16^th 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

 30^th March: Brenda Lee + Mike Berry and the Outlaws + Tony Sheridan + The Bachelors + Steve Perry + Sounds Incorporated + Compere Bob Bain 

20^th April: Del Shannon + Johnny Tillotson + The Springfields + Kenny Lynch + Peppi + The Eagles + Jerry Stevens + Rey Anton + Compere Ray Bennett

11^th May: Jerry Lee Lewis + Gene Vincent + Heinz and the Outlaws + Andy Cavell and the Saints + Mickie Most + Dev Douglas + Brad Newman + Compere Chris Carlsen

18^th 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

4^th August: Billy Fury + The Tornados + Bert Weedon + Jackie Trent + The Hollies + Eric Delaney and his Easy Beat Band 

11^th August: Jet Harris and Tony Meehan + The Springfields + Mark Wynter + Jan and Kelly + The Hollies + Eric Delaney and his Easy Beat Band

13^th 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 

20^th 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

9^th November: Billy Fury + Joe Brown and His Bruvvers + Karl Denver Trio + The Tornadoes + Marty Wilde + Daryl Quist + Dickie Pride + The Ramblers + Compere Larry Burns 

16^th November: The Beatles + Brook Brothers + Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers + Vernon Girls + The Kestrels + The Rhythm and Blues Quartet + Compere Frank Berry

23^rd November: Duane Eddy + The Shirelles + Gene Vincent + Carter Lewis and the Southerners + Mickie Most + The Flintstones + The Roof Raisers + Compere Ray Cameron

7^th December: Bobby Rydell + Helen Shapiro + The Chants + The Harlems + The Spotnicks + The Trebletones + The Merseybeats + Compere Alan Field 

1964

15^th February: Gerry and the Pacemakers + Ben E King + The Fourmost + Tommy Quickly + The Dennisons + Sounds Incorporated + Compere Jimmy Tarbuck

22^nd 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 

29^th 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

21^st March: Bobby Vee + The Searchers + The Diamonds + Dusty Springfield + Big Dee Irwin + The Echoes + Suzy Cope + Alan Davison + Compere Tony Marsh

25^th April: Dave Clark Five + The Hollies + The Kinks + The Mojos + Mark Wynter + The Trebletones + The Mojos + Compere Frank Berry

3^rd 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 

11^th 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

16^th 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

3^rd October: Manfred Mann + Bill Haley and the Comets + The Nashville Teens + Rockin’ Berries + Untamed Four + Bobby Patrick Big Six + Compere Bob Bain

31^st October: The Isley Brothers + The Zombies + The Searchers + Dionne Warwick + Alan Elsdon and the Voodoos + Tony Sheveton + Comperes Syd and Eddie

7^th November: Gene Vincent + Lulu and the Luvvers + The Applejacks + Millie + The Honeycombs + Daryl Quist + The Puppets + The Beat Merchants + The Shouts + Compere Freddie Earl 

15^th November: The Animals + Carl Perkins + Tommy Tucker + Elkie Brooks + The Nashville Teens + The Quotations + The Plebs + Compere Ray Cameron 

28^th November: Gene Pitney + Gerry and the Pacemakers + The Kinks + Marianne Faithfull + Mike Cotton Sound + Bobby Shafto and the Roofraisers + Compere Bryan Burdon

1965

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20^th February: Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

27^th February: Adam Faith and the Roulettes + Sandie Shaw + The Baron Knights + The Paramounts + Patrick Kerr + Compere Freddie Earl

27^th 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 

15^th May: The Yardbirds + The Kinks + Goldie and the Gingerbreads + The Riot Squad + Val McKenna + Jeff and Jon + Mickey Finn + Compere Bob Bain

 23^rd May: Donovan + New Faces + The Pretty Things + Unit 4 Plus 2 + John L. Watson and the Hummelflugs + Compere Chris Carlson

2^nd October: Peter, Paul and Mary

9^th October: P. J. Proby + The Walker Brothers + The Zombies + Elkie Brooks + Boz and the Boz People + The Matadors + Compere Denny Piercy 

23^rd 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 

6^th November: Gene Pitney + The Rockin’ Berries + Peter and Gordon + Lulu and the Luvvers + The Quiet Five + Mike Cotton Sound + Comperes Syd & Eddie

21^st November: Herman’s Hermits + Wayne Fontana + The Fortunes + Billy Fury and the Gamblers + The Country Gents + Little Frankie + Compere Ray Cameron

1966

2^nd April: The Seekers + The Honeycombs + Carrie MacDonald with the Marge Lewis Pattern + Compere Dave Allen

30^th April: Roy Orbison + The Walker Brothers + Lulu and the Luvvers + The Marionettes + Kim D and the Del Five + Quotations + Compere Ray Cameron 

7^th 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

12^th September: The Shadows + Eric Delaney and his Band + Derek Dene + Compere George Martin 

 28^th 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

12^th November: The Walker Brothers + The Troggs + Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich + The Montanas + The Quotations + Clodagh Rogers + Compere Don Crockett 

1967

17^th March: Gene Pitney + The Troggs + David Garrick + Normie Rowe and the Playboys + The Loot + The Vision + Sounds Incorporated + Compere Bryan Burdon

29^th April: Engelbert Humperdink + The Walker Brothers + Cat Stevens + The Jimi Hendrix Experience + The Californians + The Quotations + Compere Nick Jones

9^th May: Jesse Fuller + Champion Jack Dupree + Alexis Korner and Long John Baldry 

27^th August: The Shadows + Honky Von Tonk + The O’Connor Sisters + Four Kinsman + Eric Delaney Band 

15^th November: The Jimi Hendrix Experience + The Move + Pink Floyd + The Nice + Amen Corner + Eire Apparent + The Outer Limits + Compere Pete Drummond 

1968

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20^th April: Gene Pitney + Don Partridge + Status Quo + Amen Corner + Simon Dupree and the Big Sound

27^th April: The Kinks + The Herd + Gary Walker and the Rain + The Tremeloes + Ola and the Janglers + The Life and Soul

25^th May: Julie Felix

3^rd June: The Seekers + Russ Conway

23^rd November: Pentangle

1969

28^th February Renaissance

1^st March: Marian Montgomery + Humphrey Littleton and his Band

15^th March: Englebert Humperdink + Mary Hopkin

27^th March: Nana Mouskouri

19^th April: Herman’s Hermits + The Love Affair + Dave Berry and the Sponge + The Parking Lot + Compere Johnnie Walker

13^th August: The Bachelors

22^nd November: John Mayall

30^th November: Duke Ellington

1970

24^th January: Canned Heat + Renaissance

6^th February: The Nice

12^th April: Gene Pitney + Badfinger + Johnny Hackett + Satisfaction + Clodagh Rodgers

18^th April: The Flock + The Spirit of John Morgan

2^nd May: Taj Mahal + Rare Bird

13^th May: Johnny Cash

16^th May: John Mayall + Duster Bennett

17^th May: Roy Orbison + Karen Young + Arrival + The Art Movement + Compere Jimmy Marshall

23^rd May: Tom Paxton

5^th June: The Keef Hartley Big Band

7^th October: Derek and the Dominos + Bret Marvin and The Thunderbolts

30^th 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

20^th October: Emerson Lake and Palmer + Spontaneous Combustion

4^th November: Ginger Baker’s Air Force

15^th November: Tony Williams Lifetime with Jack Bruce, John McLaughlin and Larry Young

21^st November: Family

27^th November: Tyrannosaurus Rex

12^th December: The Beach Boys + The Flame

1971

30^th January: Julie Felix with Danny Thompson

31^st January: The Faces + Steamhammer + Eclection

5^th February: Alexis Korner + Duster Bennett + Karakorum

6^th February: Stevie Wonder + Martha Reeves and the Vandellas

7^th February: Deep Purple + Hardin York

13^th February: Van Der Graff Generator + Genesis + Lindisfarne

26^th February: Pentangle

2^nd March: Free + Amazing Blondel

5^th March: Jethro Tull + Steeleye Span

10^th March: Yes + Johnathon Swift

19^th March: Tom Paxton

27^th March: Fairport Convention

30^th March: The Incredible String Band

4^th April: Georgie Fame and Alan Price + Zoot Money

6^th April: Emerson, Lake and Palmer

16^th April: Mott the Hoople

17^th April: Mungo Jerry + Comus

20^th April: Electric Light Orchestra

21^st April: Caravan + Barclay James Harvest + Gringo

 23^rd April: The Soft Machine

9^th May: T Rex

21^st May: Cat Stevens+ Tir Na Nog

26^th May: The Faces + Atomic Rooster

2^nd June: King Crimson + Roger Ruskin Spear and his Giant Kinetic Wardrobe

29^th September: Deep Purple + Bullet

15^th October: King Crimson

23^rd October: Curved Air + Bunkers

27^th October: Steeleye Span + Al Stewart + Andy Roberts

30^th October: The Four Tops + Esther Marrow

3^rd November: Argent + Climax Chicago Blues Band + Duffy Power

6^th November: The Pedlars + Pendulum

10^th November: Memphis Slim

12^th November: Little Richard + Winston Goovy

13^th November: Tom Paxton

20^th November: The Supremes + Labi Siffre

26^th November: Elton John

1^st December: Family + America

1972

22^nd January: Pink Floyd

28^th January: Lindisfarne

29^th January: The Stevie Wonder Revue

11^th February: Black Sabbath + Wild Turkey

20^th February: Wishbone Ash + Glencoe

26^th February: The Incredible String Band

10^th March: Jethro Tull + Tir Na Nog

17^th March: Rory Gallagher + Byzantium

28^th March: Labi Siffre + The Flirtations

5^th April: John Mayall + Matching Mole

12^th April: The Temptations + Carla Thomas + Jimmy Helms

29^th April: Curved Air + Gary Moore Band + Nick Pickett

5^th May: The Strawbs + Quiver

16^th May: Kris Kristofferson + Rita Coolidge

21^st May: Marvin, Welch and Farrar

23^rd May: Electric Light Orchestra + Colin Blunstone + F.F.Z.

26^th May: Uriah Heep + Mike Maran

2^nd June: Lindisfarne + Capability Brown

3^rd June: Donovan

4^th June: Roy Orbison

13^th October: Genesis + Rab Noakes

28^th October: The Four Tops + Thelma Houston

4^th November: Gladys Knight and the Pips + Desmond Dekker and the Aces + Carol Woods

8^th November: Slade + Thin Lizzy + Susi Quatro

10^th November: Emerson, Lake and Palmer

12^th November: Gilbert O’Sullivan

14^th November: Focus + Warlock

15^th November: Argent + Bronco

25^th November: Wishbone Ash

26^th November: King Crimson

8^th December: Groundhogs + Stray + Gentle Giant

10^th December: Family + Linda Lewis  

1973

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12^th January: Uriah Heep + Maldoon

7^th February: Rory Gallagher + Greenslade

24^th February: Deep Purple + Nazareth

6^th March: The Strawbs

17^th March: Elton John + Longdancer

24^th March: King Crimson + Claire Hamill

30^th March: Petula Clark

13^th April: Roxy Music + Sharks

28^th April: Curved Air + Nick Pickett

 29^th April: Glen Campbell

5^th May: Fats Domino

9^th May: Ralph McTell + Hunter Muskett

11^th May: Barclay James Harvest + Bridget St John

15^th May: Paul McCartney and Wings + Brinsley Schwarz

23^rd May: Nana Mouskouri and the Athenians

25^th May: David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars

26^th May: Gilbert Sullivan

31^st May: Cilla Black

5^th October: Cliff Richard

12^th October: Genesis + Ron Geesin

19^th October: Lindisfarne + Capability Brown

23^rd October: Daryll Way’s Wolf + Hemlock + Principal Edwards Magic Theatre

6^th November: Roxy Music + Leo Sayer

7^th November: The Groundhogs + Jonesy

10^th November: Uriah Heep + The Heavy Metal Kids

13^th November: Tom Paxton

16^th & 17^th November: Yes

21^st November: Rory Gallagher + Strider

30^th November: Mott the Hoople + Queen

9^th December: Lindisfarne + Capability Brown

1974

11^th January: George Melly and his Feetwarmers

19^th January: Hawkwind + Andy Dunkley + Lens Liquid Lights

26^th February: The Carpenters

3^rd March: Wizzard

23^rd March: Glen Campbell

27^th March: Mott The Hoople + Judi Pulver

29^th March: Gentle Giant + String Driven Thing

20^th April: Jose Feliciano

22^nd April: Alvin Stardust

23^rd April: Slade + Beckett

24^th April: Mick Ronson Band

26^th April: Sweet + Jook

8^th May: The Strawbs + Colin Scott & Friends

10^th May: Status Quo + Montrose

17^th May: John Renbourn + Jacqui McShee

19^th May: Deep Purple + Elf

29^th May: Steeleye Span + Gryphon

31^st May: Black Sabbath + Black Oak Arkansas

1^st June: The Hollies + James Griffin

19^th August: Man

8^th October: Uriah Heep + Peter Frampton

10^th October: Status Quo

13^th & 14^th October: Roxy Music + Jess Roden Band

20^th October: Suzie Quatro + Cozy Powell

21^st October: Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

25^th October: Mud

5^th November: Humble Pie + McGuiness Flint

13^th November: Queen + Hustler

15^th November: The Bay City Rollers

18^th November: David Essex + Merlin

22^nd November: Argent

26^th November: Mott the Hoople + Sparks

1^st December: Lynyrd Synyrd + Golden Earring

6^th December: The Faces + Strider

9^th December: Supertramp + Chris De Burgh

11^th December: Hot Chocolate

13^th December: Uriah Heep

16^th December: Bad Company + Duster Bennett

18^th December: Showaddywaddy

1975

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11^th January: Hawkwind

2^nd March: The Spinners

16^th March: Steve Hartley and Cockney Rebel + Sailor

17^th March: Ralph McTell + Terry and Gay Woods

22^nd March: 10CC + Fancy

28^th March: Oscar Peterson

1^st April: Demis Rousso

18^th April: Slade + Bunny

2^nd May: Planet Gong + Global Village Trucking Company

17^th May: The Bay City Rollers

23^rd May: Mud

27^th May: The Glitter Band

2^nd June: Donovan

7^th September: Kraftwerk + AJ Webber

29^th September: Budgie

1^st October: Leo Sayer

2^nd October: Dianne Solomon

3^rd October: Melanie

29^th October: Ella Fitzgerald + Count Basie and his Orchestra

8^th November: Cliff Richard

19^th November: Supertramp + Joan Armatrading + The Movies

23^rd November: Queen + Mr Big

26^th November: Justin Hayward & John Lodge Blue Jays + AJ Webber

1976

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20^th February: T Rex

8^th March: Thin Lizzy + Graham Parker and the Rumour

9^th March: The Kinks + Splinter

12^th March: Hawkwind

17^th March: Procol Harum

29^th March: Focus + Charlie

30^th March: Camel + Hazzard and Barnes

3^rd April: Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons + R & J Stone

6^th April: Johnny Mathis

13^th April: Leo Sayer

14^th April: Diana Ross

12^th May: The Supremes

15^th May: Chuck Berry

21^st May: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

2^nd June: Average White Band + Kokomo

5^th October: Marvin Gaye

8^th October: Hot Chocolate

10^th October: The Four Tops

11^th October: Mott the Hoople + Lone Star

20^th October: Sutherland Brothers and Quiver + Moon

27^th October: Barclay James Harvest + Easy Street

29^th October: Sailor + Smith and D’Abo

2^nd November: Curved Air

8^th November: Santana + Journey

12^th November: The Jess Roden Band

2^nd December: Roxy Music

3^rd December: Steeleye Span

12^th December: Hawkwind

1977

21^st January: Daryl Hall and John Oates

2^nd February: Bryan Ferry

7^th February: John Miles

12^th February: Chris De Burgh + Phillip Goodhand Tait

13^th February: Rory Gallagher

14^th February: Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band

16^th February: Be Bop De Luxe + The Doctors of Madness

16^th March: Can

29^th March: Graham Parker and The Rumour + Southside Johnny and the Ashbury Jukes

30^th March: Roy Orbison

10^th April: Frankie Miller’s Full House

20^th April: John Cale

29^th April: Carl Perkins

2^nd May: Slade

13^th May: The Shadows

17^th October: Joan Armatrading

19^th October: Dr Feelgood + Mink DeVille

7^th November: Supertramp + Chris De Burg

8^th November: Showaddywaddy

9^th November: The Clash + Richard Hell and the Voidoids + The Lous

30^th November: Thin Lizzy

1978

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21^st March: Tom Robinson Band

22^nd March: John Mellencamp

12^th April: Hot Chocolate

22^nd April: Showaddywaddy

23^rd April: Carl Perkins + Bo Diddley + Matchbox

2^nd May: Fairport Convention

15^th May: Ian Dury and The Blockheads + Whirlwind + Matumbi

16^th May: Darts + The Late Show

22^nd May: Dave Brubeck

25^th May: Johnathon Richman

26^th May: Elkie Brooks

30^th May: Bonnie Tyler

31^st May: Maddy Prior + Andy Desmond

3^rd June: Blue Oyster Cult + Japan

1^st October: The Shadows

6^th October: Smokie

16^th October: Bernie Flint

17^th October: Squeeze

18^th October: Dr Feelgood

30^th October: Wishbone Ash

6^th November: Whitesnake + Magnum

7^th November: Buzzcocks + Subway Sect

15^th November: Judas Priest

18^th November: Showaddywaddy

5^th December: Fairport Convention

8^th December: Motorhead

1979

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10^th January: Rory Gallagher

2^nd February: Osibisa

13^th February: Chris De Burgh

3^rd March: The Three Degrees

9^th March: Uriah Heep + Bram Tchaikovsky

10^th March: Bill Haley and the Comets + Freddie Cannon

7^th April: Thin Lizzy + The Vipers

27^th April: John Miles

20^th May: Squeeze

2^nd & 3^rd October: Hot Chocolate

4^th October: Manhattan Transfer

5^th October: Chic

12^th October: Sky

17^th October: Elkie Brooks

18^th October: Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames

26^th October: The Undertones + Ten Pole Tudor

29^th October: Darts

2^nd November: The Buzzcocks + Joy Division

5^th November: The Skids + Fingerprintz

21^st November: Lone Star

23^rd November: Gallagher and Lyle + Judy Tzuke

25^th November: The Enid

8^th December: Motorhead + Thunderhead

10^th December: Showaddywaddy

12^th December: Richard Digance

16^th December: Leo Sayer