• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Mother's Club Carlton Club Ballroom Erdington

jennyann

Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Hi Jude:

The dance hall above Hilton's the furniture shop next but one to the Milk Bar in the High Street and opposite St. Barnabas Church(Erdington Parish)was called the Carlton Ballroom. I went there a lot and have loads of memories of the place.
The Carlton Ballroom eventually became "Mothers" the very famous club that hosted many of the famous bands. There is a book written about "Mother's" and the history of how those famous bands came to play there.

I know there were bands that played at the "Queen's Head" Six Ways Erdington, a place that was demolished just weeks ago after standing in
an awful state for years.

Here's the Wikipedia description of "Mothers" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers

Blows you away when you think all these bands played there. When it was the Carlton Ballroom it just had a DJ....no room for a band.
 
Carlton

I must beg to differ with you when you say there were no bands at the Carlton as I went there quite a lot before it was Mother's and saw a lot of bands including my mates band The Exception with Roger Hill,Dave Pegg and Alan 'Bugsy' Eastwood.I remember when it changed to Mothers and saw everybody there including John Mayall,Deep Purple,Pentangle,Savoy Brown,Rory Gallagher and many others.
 
Mothers

Jennyann,your Hi Jude,I like it.When that record came out I was working in the Crown pub in Nursery Road in Hockley and we had just had a jukebox in and having the key I must have played it,free,of course,every day for about three months.You could imagine what the customers used to call me but I won't go into that as it was a bit risque.
 
Hi Bob: Sorry I didn't explain myself very clearly re the bands at the Carlton. I went very early on in 1957 and I remember only DJ's. They were at the High Street end of the Ballroom. I expect they had lots of bands later before it changed it's name to "Mother's" just as you say. I'm not sure how many people they were licensed to have attend their events in the early days of the Carlton. One thing I do remember were some of the fights...people used to stand on chairs when the scraps were on...mostly fellows coming in late from the pub across the road.
 
Does Anyone Recall A Club Called Mothers. As Far As I Know It Was On The Erdington High Street Opposite The Church. I Have Been Informed That The Group T Rex Used To Play There. Any Pics Would Be Great.
 
Carton Club

I went every Friday night to the Carlton club...Cat.....................................................................danced my feet of
 
thanks for that catkin. will tell my other half. he used to go there many moons ago.
 
Mothers

I was a regular in the late 60s and early 70s. Fantastic place for live progressive music. It was in Erdington High Street above a furniture shop. A few years ago a big 'reunion' meeting was held in Erdington Library on an anniversary of its opening. Birmingham Public Libraries also published an excellent booklet about it which I have but would take me a long time to dig out.

The promoters had superb contacts. They would for instance get top American groups down there on a Sunday night having played the Royal Albert Hall the night before.

Eventually it closed down and moved to the Belfry. It was never the same again.
 
Thanks for the link Jennyann the names that played at Mothers reminded me I must have been there more than I thought!:smile2:
 
Hi Alan.

As you say, a fantastic place for progressive music. The highlight of my numerous visits to Mother's was seeing John Mayall's Bluebreakers. Having said that, the old tale about the 1960's was that "if you remember them, you weren't there!"

I remember seeing The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown at Mother's, and his flaming head-dress set the ceiling alight!

I've got a question for you, Alan: do you happen to know if Derek And The Dominoes ever played Mother's? I have this vague memory that they did...but all my memories of those days are vague...

Cheers,

Big Gee
 
I went to Mothers a few times. I saw/heard the Edgar Broughton Band and Keith Hartly. The last time I went I saw the Who. Their PA was the loudest ever. You had to face them so that the sound passed evenly, if you turned side ways the sound hurt. Half way through their set it was so hot they stopped for a breather, everyone spilled out onto the pavement to chill out in the cool evening air before going back in for the finale.
The following morning there was blood on my pillow.:blush:
 
I never saw The Who at Mothers, but I saw them at Birmingham University and at Midnight City in Brum. The effect was much the same. I remember going to see Cream at the University and I got there early. My girl and I were right at the front of the stage, and the roadie who was assembling the Marshall stacks asked us if we'd be all right with the noise. Well, what would you say when you were 21? Two hours later I was stone deaf. But so what? 42 years later I still have my hearing and I can say, hand on heart, that one of my most cherished memories is that I stood within about six feet of Clapton in his absolute prime.

The absolutely loudest band I ever heard was the Jimi Hendrix Experience at Brighton, also around 1967. That really did hurt....

These days I prefer nice, quiet blues....that I play myself.

Big Gee
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mothers

I have found my Bham Libraries booklet of 1997. I also saw John Mayall et al there. Arthur Brown - Sunday 23.3.69. Derek and Doms never played.

Edgar Broughton were regulars.

I also saw Chicken Shack, Fleetwoood Mac, Colosseum,Al Stewart, Yes and Pink Floyd. Tom Paxton held at the Town Hall by Mothers May 1970.
 
Carlton/Mothers

Hi,

I went to the Carlton a few times in 1964 and remember having to wait in a long queue at the side of the furniture shop below before being allowed up the steps for ages on end. I know that we saw P.J.Proby there.

I was living in Four Oaks then and went to school in Sutton, a lot of the girls from Riland Bedford school used to go there.

Does anyone know anything of Pamela Howard from Walmley who went there with her friend Valerie Clayton? I have been trying to find her for years as Valerie emigrated to Australia in 1964 but is due to come back here for a visit fairly soon.
 
I used to go to The Carlton, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday afternoons was spent there too while The Moody Blues 5 jammed. They later dropped the 5. I lived on "The Village" above a shoe shop so The Carlton was my second home. I saw John Mayall and his bluesbreakers there along with a host of others. God if those walls could talk. Anyone remeber Barmy Barry?
 
Back
Top