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Birmingham Odeon

Bob Dylan complained that the stage was dirty, that was all the rubish that we threw at him before we walked out! See #4.
 
jukebox said:
My last visit was early '70s - Sasha Distel, Ted Rodgers, Stefan Grapelli and one song from a little known Olivia Newton John!
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It would have to be earlier than that for ONJ to be little known. She was a regular on the Cliff Richard show on TV and that ended in 71.
 
Last time I saw a band at the Odeon they had fences cutting off the area in front of the stage and were throwing out anyone who left their seat.
 
wam said:
Last time I saw a band at the Odeon they had fences cutting off the area in front of the stage and were throwing out anyone who left their seat.
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Do you remember the gig you saw? I worked at the Odeon and there were no fences infront of the stage after 1977 when the stage was extended.

for more great info and photos on the Odeon and it's shows , join my Facebook page Birmingham Odeon Memorial
https://www.facebook.com/groups/odeon.birmingham/

regards, Dale
 
The last time I went to the Odeon must have been in the 70's to see The Big "O" there were no fences in place then. We went to the matinee performance because we wanted to go out afterwards. Consequently the theatre wasn't anywhere near full so Roy called us down to the front of the house so we could enjoy the show better.
 
I remember seeing Santana there, and Colosseum, and John Mclaughlin`s Mahavishnu orchestra, all in the seventies. Last band I saw there was the Undertones, which was probably early eighties.
Happy daze....
 
DaleM said:
Do you remember the gig you saw? I worked at the Odeon and there were no fences infront of the stage after 1977 when the stage was extended.

for more great info and photos on the Odeon and it's shows , join my Facebook page Birmingham Odeon Memorial
https://www.facebook.com/groups/odeon.birmingham/

regards, Dale
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This was the early 80s just before they stopped doing concerts and the band was the Cramps. They'd gone on without support so they probably expected a long set but they lasted less than an hour. Could have been the lack of reaction from the crowd who were all fixed to their seats because the bouncers were chucking out anyone that stood up.
I'd been too a lot of shows at the Odeon before that and they'd never had fences or bouncers quite that aggressive.
 
I saw the film 'Scott of the Antarctic' at the Odeon a year before this photo was taken.
I think they only showed films back then, 'groups' hadn't been invented !
Image8_New_St_1951~0.jpg
 
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I used to tune the piano at The Odeon in the early to mid eighties and consequently got to see quite a few bands.

I loved the place, especially when some band like Gillan or Whitesnake were giving it some.
 
Hi Carolina: Here's a photo of the C & A Store in New Street and also the one in Corporation Street as I remember them.
images


images
 
It was a sad day when we could no longer see rock concerts at the Odeon. In the late 70s/early eighties I was lucky to see Sabbath, ACDC, Scorpions, Motorhead, Rush, Def Leppard, Go West (in fact it felt like I saw a concert every week in those days). I also remember watching Pink Floyd's Wall at the Odeon. The cinema was packed - the only time I have seen "standing room only" for a film.

I saw Iron Maiden (before they became famous) in a pub on Hill Street (can't remember if it was the Golden Eagle or Golden Arrow). Another favourite was watching Magnum at the Mercat Cross.

The building of the NEC took a little of the excitement away for me. I always enjoyed the intimacy of the Odeon and smaller pub venues. That said I've seen some amazing concerts there.
 
Can only remember going to a couple of concerts at the Odeon. Louis Armstrong and Nana Mouskouri, both would have been in 1960's
 
first time i saw tom jones was at the odeon 69/70...queued for hours in the snow to get tickets..ever since then i have had to go to the nec to see him...chebalina it was the golden eagle pub on hill st...there should be a thread for it..

lyn
 
I had a mate who, as a policeman, had to help smuggle the Beatles out of the Odeon after a concert. The Beatles were at the height of their popularity at the time and there was no way that they could be brought through the front door and onto New Street.

Behind the Odeon was a narrow passageway and the Beatles were brought out that way and through a bar that led into the road down towards the old Queen's Hotel. My mate was assigned to one of them but to this day can't recall which one! They were then bundled into the back of a police van.
 
Post 39 also shown C&A adjacent to The Odeon. That area of the city, in my time - as a youngster - always seemed to be very, very busy. That might have been because some cross city bus services (29 and 29A for instance_ and some out of town Midland Red buses stopped there.
 
Well what was I doing in my mis-spent youth because I have no memory of live concerts at the Odeon though I saw many films there. A mate and I were spending a few hours painting the town red and popped in to have a bit of a rest during the afternoon (maybe the pubs were still closed 2.30pm till 6.00?).The film was " The Vikings" and when the longships came up the fiords my mate Terry and I would join in with the bloke who grabbed the rams horn and gave the welcome home blasts. After a few warnings we were asked to leave (under escort!).
The Arden hotel next door was where I was a member of The Cobbers Club where we learnt about our opportunities whilst waiting to be Ten Pound Poems in Australia 1961.
In my defense I did the Jazz Concerts at the Town Hall.
Cheers Tim
 
Never went into the Odeon, cinemas were not a high priority it seems in my family. However an aunt from The Potteries once took me and my cousin (her daughter) to the Gaumont to see (I believe) Robin Hood. I also remember a friend's father taking us to the Rialto in Hall Green to see The Wizard of Oz. Incidentally we travelled there in a large Wolseley car - similar to those used by the police at that time.
 
Hi RR, Was going to say you didn't miss much but maybe you did as it was a cut above the others, thick red carpet and there was an Usher there (can't recall his name, maybe Ron), good looking bloke my one girlfriend had the hot for him. Must admit he looked like a movie star in waiting, wonder what he looks like now?
Cheers
 
I went to a midnight matinee at the Odeon in the 1960's - I think it was Casino Royale - spoof James Bond film. I also remember going to see the Stones.
 
Can anyone recall a couple of dates for me? I am trying to determine the dates of 2 concerts at The Odeon. First Ella Fitzgerald and second, Count Basie.
I know The Count was in 1963 as it was just before I set sail for Aus in September. I actually went back stage and met the Count and most of his fellow musicians.
Got all their autographs (which I still have). Then believe it or not, repeated the exercise some time later in Sydney. Yes, he remembered me.
As to Ella, that too may have been 1963 or possibly '62.
Any help gratefully received.

OldBrummie
 
Pete, sorry I can't help with your questions, I missed the Ella concert, a fact that was always a cause for regret. I do remember your farewell do at the Royal Oak, Hockley Heath.
 
Lady Penelope said:
I went to a midnight matinee at the Odeon in the 1960's - I think it was Casino Royale - spoof James Bond film. I also remember going to see the Stones.
Click to expand...

Lady P

It wouldn't have been Casino Royale in 1960, the first Bond film Dr No didn't come out until 1962 and Casino Royale came out in 1967. I know that the Odeon was doing all night screenings in the early 70's because I went to several of those. Could it have been then?
 
OldBrummie,

According to Setlist.fm, the Ella concert was on 14th April 1965. Nothing listed earlier.

EDIT: But someone is currently trying to sell an autographed Ella photograph from a 1963 concert in Birmingham for £197, but no exact date.

Maurice
 
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