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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

  • Thread starter Thread starter mazbeth
  • Start date Start date
Old Boy said:
Sandra,

I think you are confusing the Cedar Club with the Cresta Club which was in Lode Lane, Solihull. It used to have some top acts. I saw the wonderful Tommy Cooper there.

Old Boy
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We loved going to The Cresta and we saw Tommy Cooper, Dave Allan, Gene Pitney, Freddy Star, David Whitfield........and others I can't remember.:)
 
My husband used to work for the Fewtrells, he did the sound, mainly at Abigails.
My main hang out was the 'dolce vita'. Never went to Snobs, don't know why (the name perhaps?)
What was the name of the night club at The Swan, Yardley? I went there a couple of times.
 
G G Jean said:
I agree. Steve used to live in a road off the top of Dyas. Won't come to mind at the moment. Maybe in the morning. Where did you live in Brum in those days Anne?. I was born in Holte road. Bye. Jean.
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Did you know the Harrisons, they were in Holte Road, can't recall the house number. It's been knocked down, now.
 
What about Bogarts !! I loved it there with the Rockers upstairs, never understood why they closed it I never saw any trouble there. I must admit I started going when I was about 16 (1975) but people were not so hot on under age drinking back then and it was a fantastic place. I must admit I did smell some unusual gigarettes occasionaly but most of the rockers looked so rough no one ever caused any trouble.

Remember being taken home by a girl on the back of a Kawasaki 400, think her name was Kim we were a couple for a short while.

Sad when they closed old Bogarts, although I must admit I never ever went downstairs into the Beir Keller (apologise for spelling)

John
 
anna60 said:
Yes, I remember the Plaza, and I recently sold this bit of paper I had had in an old diary for 40 years for £300 to a stones collector!:):)

Can't upload it, but it shows "The much requested EAGLES GROUP from London" THE ROLLING STONES playing at the Handsworth Plaza on Friday 13th. September. We don't know the year, though.
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My husband used to play at the Chesterfield Club
 
I used to go to the Carlton on Erdington High street. That was the time Spencer Davis played there. You had to go up some steep stairs. The fire escape as well I think. That wasn't the mothers club was it Bill?. Jean.
 
Yes Jean,
I used to go when it was The Carlton.

I worked at The Dolce Vita, when it first opened. The first few acts were Bob Monkhouse, I didn't like him much on t.v., but he was wonderful live, The Flower Pot Men, and Dave Allen, who was brilliant.

The Cavendish opened at The Swan as the sister club.

Ann
 
I did enjoy it there as it was small and intimate [friendly]. Ann I remember somebody by the name of Hilary working at the Dolci Vita think her last name was Thomas?.
 
I backed Bob Monkhouse several times in cabaret in the early 1960s, Ann. Same as you, I didn't care much for him on TV, but he was a very nice man and sharp as a razor blade. One night he was booked to do a 20 minute spot and went on for over an hour, ad libbing like mad and the audience loved him! :)

Maurice :cool:
 
Jean, I thought it was great at The Carlton too. And they had nights for different music as well. I saw Annie Ross there. I can't remember everyone at The Dolce Vita. I was friends with Patti Sutton, her mother in law was the flower lady, mother of Billy.

Maurice,

You found him the same then. In the week I watched him, he always came on to 'Luck be a Lady Tonight', but after that he never did the same show twice. I was up in the top bar (quiet), and he came up to my bar every night, so I always served him. As you say, on stage, sharp as a razor. And he was always nice to me.

Ann
 
not sure if this was a pub or a club but mom and dad used to go to the castaway,s it had a gallion outside of the front . they seemed to really like this place and went there quite a lot was in town sowhere did they have live music and did any one famous also go there. harley.
 
Hi Harley,

Just go back a couple of pages to page 72 post 712 for a photo of The Castaways.

Ann
 
Re: anybody remember this group

Hi patty is this the same band that appeared on the brumbeat album on dail records ?, ifso any chance of getting details of the line up, ie names instruments played, i'm in the process of writing a book, and this information would be very useful, many thanks chris
 
patty said:
hi theriff, can you tell me what you are refering too please???which number post
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hi patty, the crescendos, you mentioned roger who live over the road, if you need more info on the book i'm writing, go to the brumbeat site & onto the bullshead bob blog for june, there is an article about the book & photo, cheers chris
 
barbrarellas in oozle street just of broard street was a great place saw ac dc , cars and sex pistols there. there was a all night cafe near by. many a great night spent in that place in the 70s. also rum runner broad street was another good club.
 
Hi Riff,

I tried to find the post for the original question but it eludes me. I can fill in a lot of the information for you as my sister is married to the rythmn guitarist Trevor Greaves. At the time of the record the group consisted of Roger Francis ( lead ), Trevor (Rythmn), Colin Cooper (Lead Vocals) John Turton ( Drums) and Dennis (Bass) I can't remember his surname at the moment, they were managed at the time by Roger's dad Gordon Francis

They had one or two changes in line up after Colin and Dennis left to form a duo. After a short while Dennis stopped playing and Colin Cooper became Colin Dennis the black country comedian. Roger, Trevor and John carried on with people like Gordon Andrews and Janet Anne, Norman Haines, Pete Allen, Tony Quinn. I played the last 2 gigs with them as the Crescendos at the Birmid and The Lyndon around 1967.

Roger, Trevor and John then went on to perform as a trio called Triangle and eventually finished as Malt Hops and Barley more than 20 years later.

I will be with Trevor this weekend so if there is anything else you need let me know.

Regards
George
 
Hi everyone, I've just come across this thread and it's brilliant! I was born in Brum in the early 50s and went clubbing mostly in the late 60s. I also used to go to Mother's in Erdington High Street - my mum used to run the Army and Navy Stores a few doors away. I had to add a couple of years to my age to get in at the time. Also went to the Rum Runner, Top Rank, Rebeccas and the Metro club - still have my membership card for that one! My favourite haunt by far was the Crown and Cushion in Perry Barr on a Saturday night - haven't been through all the posts yet so I don't know if it has already been mentioned. Most memorable act was The Crazy World of Arthur Brown with his headdress on fire, perilously close to the curtains! Can you imagine that being allowed today??!
 
1960. Second City Jazzclub in Digbeth. Somewhere near the bus station I think.
Saw Chris Barber there for the first time, have followed him ever since.
Traditional jazz of course!
 
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enJaxZQw5vM"]YouTube - Chris Barber's Jazz Band. Petite Fleur[/ame]

Here you are Boy i to am a fan

Mossy
 
Thanks Mossy, listening to it while I write this. Can't remember the clarinetists name but great track.
Did you knoe Pat Halcocks has retired, don't know who playing the trumpet now do you?
 
my first experiences in the 80's were the powerhouse, pagoda park, edwards and images - forgot where images was now but i think it was by centenary square. powerhouse was past its prime by the time i started going.

Does anyone remember boy george being part of the bham club scene for a while??? my cousin remembers him and a guy called martin degville being around the old oasis market, holy city zoo and barbarellas back in the 70's. where was barbarellas?
 
Boy Pete Rudeforth plays trumpet now,but here is some of Pats Mossy

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cQj-H6AFN8"]YouTube - Some Of These Days: A Tribute to Pat Halcox[/ame]
 
Mossy thank you so much for Petite Fleur. That was and still is my all time favourite. Listening to it reminds me of my youthful days when the future looked so good.
 
I used to go to the Second City Jazz Club in Digbeth too in about 1960. Was there another jazz club nearby as I remember going to another one but cant think of the name. I also used to go to the jazz club on sunday nights at the West End Dance Hall. Saw all the big jazz bands there.
 
Mossy, Thank you so much for putting Petite Fluer on, I have just played it a couple of times and it evokes so many memories of jazz clubs in Brum in the early 60's
WendyP
 
Wendy I too went there round about 1964 ish. I remember that dance if you could call it a dance. Anyone any photo's of the actual venue please. Jean.
 
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