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Whisky A Go Go

Hi all. I enjoyed another ‘Whiskey’ reunion again today. It was a decent turnout despite the weather, and good to see some of the old faces. I hadn’t seen Micky Johnson for over 45 years, but there was other newcomers there too. Looking forward to the summer reunion now.
 
Hi All. I would like to thank all of you who made it to the reunion yesterday, it was good to see you again. It was my last time at organising it, but the Whiskey/Mod/Townie reunion continues again in December with someone else doing the organising. See you in December.
 
Lost in Moseley said:
Hi All. I would like to thank all of you who made it to the reunion yesterday, it was good to see you again. It was my last time at organising it, but the Whiskey/Mod/Townie reunion continues again in December with someone else doing the organising. See you in December.
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My first time seeing Ronnie W (Whiskey) in 59yrs!!! Thank you "Lost in Moseley" for keeping the event running thus far and I'm sure the new captain will keep the ship sailing.
 
Hi,

I’m knew to this site and just wondering if the reunion in December is still taking place? If it is, can someone let me know details please. It’s on behalf of my mom, she would have been known as Ann/Annie Day then. Thank you in advance. Kerrie.
 
Hi Friends. A friend has just reported to me that he had received an email purporting to come from Bobby Summers and soliciting a ‘favour’.
For those of you that do not know, Bobby Summers passed away over 4 years ago, so clearly a dodgy email. So if you receive something of a similar nature, don’t open it, don’t respond and delete it straight away.

J
 
Lost in Moseley, I had that self same experience this morning asking me to obtain £200 in Apple Gift Tokens after entertaining them to the point of telling me what they wanted they didn't get anything folks
 
Lost in Moseley said:
Hi Friends. A friend has just reported to me that he had received an email purporting to come from Bobby Summers and soliciting a ‘favour’.
For those of you that do not know, Bobby Summers passed away over 4 years ago, so clearly a dodgy email. So if you receive something of a similar nature, don’t open it, don’t respond and delete it straight away.

J
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Thank you for letting us know. I haven't been "hit" but will be extra vigilant.
 
bobsummers said:
Old faces of the 60's Now at Whisky Reunion 2007

Photo 1, Terry Hales, (Cheesy ) Jimmy Cheasby, (Popeye) Dave Ladbrooke
Photo 2, Mushy (John morriaty), Tony Bamford , Eddie Smith .
Photo 3 Roger Bloomfield, Chrissie wolsey, Pete Dodd,Kenny Frazier, ?, Paddy Gill.
Photo 4 Madeliyn Heyfield & Bugsie (John Jarvis)
photo 5 Terry Scott, Freddie Sheppard & ?
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How do I view these pictures, please? Sean
 
Sean T said:
How do I view these pictures, please? Sean
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sorry you cant view them..photos posted before 2010 were all lost when the forum was hacked...a lot of been reposted by the original posters but sadly bob summers who posted the ones you wanted to see passed away 4 years ago

lyn
 
Jilly R said:
My first time seeing Ronnie W (Whiskey) in 59yrs!!! Thank you "Lost in Moseley" for keeping the event running thus far and I'm sure the new captain will keep the ship sailing.
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Hiya, I would be very grateful if you would pass on my message to whoever takes over the 'Whiskey' organiser beat. I would love to attend. I live in Kent now and would greatly appreciate a heads up for the next in 2024. All the best to those I shared the best days of any life with. Sean
 
Hi Sean. The next reunion will most likely be just before next Xmas. I'll make a note to contact you when a date has been decided on.
 
Kerriemac72 said:
Hi, We had a fantastic time, it was lovely for my mom to reminisce. Everyone was really lovely and welcoming and we both look forward to the next one at Christmas. X
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It was lovely chatting to you both. It was also a particularly good day, with new faces and lots of different conversations. Look forward to catching up with you again.
 
bobsummers said:
The 60's in Brum were the best for live Mod bands, specially at The Whiskey a Go Go above Chetwyns on the corner of John Bright Street and Hill Street. The whiskey was unique in the fact that not only did the local bands King Bee's, Modonaires, Jugs O'Henry, Moody Blues, Denny Lane, Spencer Davis play there, but also people from the states. "Motown" & "R&B" greats like Sonny Boy Williamson & Ike and Tina Turner sang there. All nighters on Fridays till 8am Saturday mornings and again on Saturday nights till Sunday morning. The owners Chris & Steve Healey were two great guys who were there to welcome us all every night the Whiskey was open. They both wore natty striped jackets as I remember. The original Manager and I recall also the DJ some night's was Ronnie Whicheler, a great guy with thick red hair, a real "dude".
I have been told that Steve still has a book that records all the bands and singers of that time that they booked up, such as The Faces, Long John Baldry & The Steam Packet, and Gary Farr and The Knockouts. I remember Georgie Fame playing virtually all night. They couldn't get him off the small stage until he collapsed with exhaustion, or lack of stimulation's.
Great Brummie characters of the time also frequented The Whiskey; King of the Midland Mods Sean Mahoney (rip), Billy Sutton, Billy & Dodger Thompson (rip), Colin Mythan (rip), Noel Barnes, Chris and Gary Burgess, Jock Ellis, Duffy, Bugsy, Chris Wolsey, Mushy Moriearty, Kenny Frazer, Rob Marsh, Popeye, Dicky Martin, Jonnie Brain, Bobby Summers, Henry O'Neil, Eddy The Jew, Jonnie Hutton, Percy McIver, Tony Baker, Jim Cheesby, Kenny Bull, Dorian Walford. Black H (rip) and Spencer, who were both 60's & 70's local Brummie DJ's with Caribbean and soul backgrounds learnt their trade at the Whisky.
The place buzzed for three years until it changed hands and became the Marquee in 1968. And the chicks that went there were out of this world. One group were called "The Magnificent Ten" which included Esther, Cherrie, Lela, Betty Smart, Pat Smith, The O'Brian Sisters, Linda Walton, Shirley & Oriel Teeger, Viv, Sue Jelly,Heather and Dott. Other male groups of people were nick named "The Martini Set", "The T-set" and the "Coca Cola Boy's". It was cult and leading edge for urban 60's live Motown & blues band music, dance styles and fashions emanated from the "Whisky".
They used to pack in nearly 250 townies and mods onto both floors in those days with no fire escapes only a small front door with narrow wooden steps up to the 1st and 2nd floor's. Live bands on the 1st floor and DJ's on the top floor. Many dudes where "knocked back" at the door if you weren't part of the crowd, as they could not get everybody in the gaff.
People would fall asleep on the wooden floor after they tired from dancing at about 5pm, but the bands and DJ's played on till about 8am. the following morning. Money and stuff all over the floor, came out of peoples pockets, it was like an "Aladdin's Den"
Do you remember that the phrase 'Nice One' which spread all over the country came from the Whiskey? There was a west Indian guy of about 40 (seemed really old then) who used to come up and dance on his own. After each record he would shout 'Nice One' which was soon picked up and used by all. Can't remember his name.
After we crashed out again in the mornings at the KD (Kardoma) coffee bar in New Street, we went on to the West End Dance Hall Saturday afternoon dance. We then had the energy to go to the "All Nighters" at the Town Hall. Spencer Davis with Steve Winwood were classic, along with the other Blues bands of the time. The Whiskey attracted people from all over the midlands, including Coventry and London scene, to dance and hear live music of the era, that was very ahead of pop culture in England at that time! If the Town Hall gigs weren't on, we used to go to "The Twisted Wheel" in Manchester that also played Motown & Blues".
In the summer of 1966 & 1967 you would find most of the guy's and girls of the Brum scene in Margate our favorite haunt on Bank Holidays, the centre of Birmingham used to be empty. it was a mad exodus by scooters, cars, thrumming and by train, jumped of coarse! We used to get of the train too Watford, where the local geezer Phil Manall used to offer us shelter and food after he took us to the local clubs and the "Milk Bar" in Watford High St. Sometimes we would go to the "East End" where another cockney dude Barry Lane looked after us in transit to Margate. Barry Lane also came up to Birmingham and came with us to Jersey in 1968, we made him an honoree Brummie.
In 1968 after the Whisky days ended we mostly took of and all worked the season in Jersey, well that's another story for another day.​


Other live Mod band venues we frequented where the "Lafayette" and "The Connaught Suite" in Wolverhampton with Brian & Judy Franklin, the local leader Aggie and his mates.
The Matrix Club, Fortythievs & The Leofric hotel, in Coventry were other great venues where we mixed with the Cov crowd of Terry Green, Terry Shone, Tony Rieley, Paul Gardiner, Paddy McGurk, Guy Marshall ,Freddy McFarland, Rodney Joyce, Jim Snow, Ernie Clark, Wally Parker (rip), Frank Guin, Owen Ferry, Ernie Sower, Tilley /graham Rutherford, Con McGrogan, Dave & Mickey Snape, Brian Fanning (rip) and many more that also joined us at the Whisky agogo and in 1968 in Jersey.

We had a Whiskey reunion in 2007 at Solihull Arden Tennis Club. Organized by Chris & Viv Wolsey and Bobby Summers, 150 original people including the Whiskey owner Steve Healey attended.
The reunion was DJ'ed by the refreshingly knowledgeable Mike Hollis of "Smooth Radio", 40 years after the Whiskey a Go Go closed in 1967. Nobody was knocked back at this gig though!! People came from as far away as Norway, France and all over the U.K. to meet each other again for the first time in all those years. It was a great nostalgic and emotional night . We intend to do it again in 10 years, God willing!!

photo 1 The whisky above Chetwyns
photo 2 Steve Healey one of the 2 original owners & Jonnie Hutton still surfing at the Mumbles South Wales aged 60.
photo 3 Whisky team on the way to the Twisted Wheel Manchester, Top Bobby Summers, Eddy the Jew Smith, Popeye Dave Ladbrook, Jonnie Hutton. Bottom Dickey Martin, Black H (RIP), Jonnie Brain, & Billy Thompson
photo 4 1966 Batterseapark Pat Clarke, Maggie O'Brien, Oriel Teager, Cherry, Christine O'Brien, Glenys and Pauline Lawrence
photo 5 On tour in Jersey 1968; ?, Popeye, Barry Lane, ?, Bobby Summers, Jonnie Brain, Kenny Bull.​
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Great pity print is hard to read
 
Nick. If you are in Chrome, then right click and scroll down to Reader mode and click and a version in plain print comes up as a side panel
 
Jilly R said:
Hi Sean. The next reunion will most likely be just before next Xmas. I'll make a note to contact you when a date has been decided on.
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Thank you so much. Any idea where it might be held? I ask only so that I can find a hotel near as I'll be coming up from Kent. Again many thanks. Sean
 
Lost in Moseley, that’s fantastic! I love reading this thread. What great memories you must have of those times.
Thanks so much for the posting these photos !
 
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I've just come across a great book called Brum Rocked On by Laurie Hornsby. It's been mentioned on the Forum before, but for those who missed it - like me -it's a great read about the 60s music scene in Brum. Photos of Chetwyns, the West End etc and the origins of the bands. A great read especially for those there at the time.
 
carolina said:
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What a lovely picture and a good one. It's been too many pints since to recall the faces. I was always stuck around Brum what with the bands I used to play in and that turned full pro in the early 70s so much less a regular social life. I simply lost touch, seeing people from time to time. I remember running into Tony Bamford in a pub by New St Station and I hadn't seen him in ages. However 'the Mod thing' never really left me and I still wear the sort of clothes we did then, whistles (and flutes) and polka dotted scarves, button-downs, slip-on shoes and Levi's. As was said in the film Quadrophenia it was 'a way of life' and in the chords of 'I can't Explain' it is '64 again for that 3 minutes they move the air.
 
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