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Birmingham Town Hall

Usd to put strange and unconnected acts on the same bill, if i remember right they had T Rex on the same bill as Ravi Shankar once.

This would have been around 73. Wonder what all those screaming 12 year old girlss mad of that.
 
Took a friend there recently, who was in a wheelchair.The access was good and the staff were very helpfull.Not a bad coffee bar either.
 
I was involved in the restoration (on the electrical side ) although it cost a lot of money there were many top quality tradesmen working on all aspects of the project. Dek
 
Ethan, there where some great Saturday all nighters during the 60's where Spencer Davis where on stage most of the night. The place was packed every time I went, not sure they served any alcohol I think it was all pop drinks. Great times I wounder if there are any photos of the time inside?
Thanks for the info Ethan.
They hold Monday concerts free of charge now, and it seems very popular, if only the Moody Blues & Spencer Davis where on Free!!
 
I have been critical of the Town Hall as a building...to me it was just there. Not enough of a building and yet too much for the space. I suppose an out of place Parthenon not that I have ever seen that building in the flesh. Anyway, seeing these pictures here; some that would not have been possible before because of buildings in the way...I quite like the appearance. A few trees along side improves the experience don't you think. Opening up the west side area and cleaning the stonework has improved it no end.
 
Hi Ann
I too remember going to the all night jazz sessions. They started at 10 pm and finished about 6.30. We used to go in a crowd and always part through the night had a little sleep upstairs. Cant emember who we ever saw but when they finished used to go to one of the crowds houses for breakfast then home to bed. Happy days eh!
 
scanny said:
Hi Ann
I too remember going to the all night jazz sessions. They started at 10 pm and finished about 6.30. We used to go in a crowd and always part through the night had a little sleep upstairs. Cant emember who we ever saw but when they finished used to go to one of the crowds houses for breakfast then home to bed. Happy days eh!
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I saw George Lewis and his band, Ken Collyer and George Melly at all-night jazz concerts at the Town Hall. Brilliant!
 
i can remember the groups namesbut we used to get in for free with a group who played at the at the fire bird george huxley used to play clarenet with them
 
Just an update for col h re Birmingham Town Hall gig on 15th February 1969 which featured Tyrannosaurus Rex (Marc Bolan & Steve Peregrine Took), Vytas Serelis giving a sitar recital,the DJ John Peel reading poetry and none other than David Bowie when he was a mime artist. This was when Bolan was a young cross-legged on the floor, acoustic guitar playing, singer/song writer supported by Peregrine Took on bongos.... and you could hear every note without fear of screaming girls as Bolan was still relatively unknown. A great gig it was too. Hope that helps..... Kindest regards, Fairport
 
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I saw many acts there one that sticks in my mind was Sonny Terry and Brownie Magee they were brill


Mau-reece
 
View attachment 54113

Hi Mossy.... I think the concert you refer to was the amazing "American Folk, Blues & Gospel Caravan" tour which performed at Brum Town Hall on Saturday, 2nd May 1964 featuring Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee as well as the legendary Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davies, Cousin Joe Pleasants & Otis Span.... what a line-up that was???

I envy you being there as it was one the platforms for the ensuing British blues band revival for the likes of John Mayall & his Bluesbreakers and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. Quite a landmark tour. The attached concert poster for this very gig appeared on Ebay fairly recently which I thought may be of interest to you. Hope it helps. Kindest regards, Fairport

ps. If anyone has any questions re Birmingham gigs from the 60's & 70's I've built up quite a reference list that may be of help. Most relate to Brum Town Hall concerts, but other venues are included such as the Carlton Club, Mothers, the Odeon, Brum University, Henrys, Belfry and many others. Happy days!
 
Thanks for that Fairport here are some more acts i seen at the Town Hall Long John Baldry and the Steam Packet

The Beach boys
The Pretty Things
Chris Farlowe and The Thunder birds i think Spencer Davis was on that one i cant think of any more at the moment this wines going to my head are you anything to do with Fairport Convention

Mau-reece
 
If you've got any dates for the above gigs I'd be very interested.

I know The Beach Boys toured in December 1968, supported by the excellent band Eclection, Barry Ryan and I believe Sharon Tandy if that rings any bells? Eclection soon split, morphing in to Sandy Denny's Fotheringay and eventually a revamped Fairport Convention.

The first reference I've got for Spencer Davies at Brum Town Hall is from 28th February 1964 when they appeared at "The First British Rhythm & Blues Festival" which included The Yardbirds & The Spencer Davies Rhythm & Blues Quartet. Much earlier than I expected for the Yardbirds.

Well, in answer to your question, as Fairport Convention have been the one band I've never lost a passion for since the 60's it seemed fitting to use the name. Even my house is called Fairport!

ttfn

Fairport
 
Among the many groups that appeared at the Town Hall was the Wolverhampton band "Slade" who in 1978 made what i think must have been a repeat booking.

i mention this since on one of the group's fansites is a marvellous photo of the Town Hall, taken somthing like 20 years earlier, when one could drive all around the building as it was then.

The link is www.slade40years.cms4people.de/slade-archiv.2007.html

Unfortunately the technical status of the website doesn't allow individual linkings, but it appears that the photograph originates from the Birmingham Mail newspaper on THAT website (dated 3 October 2007) if that will make it any easier to people to recover.
 
I SAW SLADE ON STAGE AT BHAM TOWN HALL .IN 70s..THEY WERE ON WITH STATUS QUO......WHAT A SHOW THAT WAS ....ALSO SAW GENE VINCENT ...THE EQUALS AND LITTLE RICHARD.......TO NAME A FEW ....
 
Comment on TV a couple of weeks ago by Ozzy Osbourne. "Forty years in the business and I'm still playing Birmingham Town Hall!"
 
Slade definitely played at Brum Town Hall on the 19th November 1972, supported by Thin Lizzy and Suzie Quatro.... approaching the height of the glamrock era I guess?

I was sent a great photo of the Town Hall taken in the 60's which I've attached. Happy days.

Regards,

Fairport

View attachment 54232
 
did anybody see the mothers of invention/frank zappa. (1968-69). and 1973,pictures and sound recording. would be nice. look forward to your comments.
 
John Welch was the brother of Edward Welch who was a parter of Joseph Aloysius Hansom.

Born 1810,Overton, Flintshire; came to the Island in 1830 as assistant to his brother Edward Welch who was partner of Joseph Aloysius Hansom. It was this later partnership, after many successes in North Wales and Northern England who were invited to design King Williams College; shortly afterwards however this partnership was bankrupted by problems during the building of Birmingham Town Hall. Although John was probably involved, he escaped bankruptcy.
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They probably made a mistake on that stone - did they mean to put Edward Welch not John?
 
I also sang in the school's choir two years in the 50's, the second year was an all Scottish concert, songs and the poem Night Mail by W H Auden .
I saw the Shadows there sometime in the 60's
 
As a youngster I always liked the look of the cities Town Hall, it was, after all, the most impressive building in the city in my view. In my early teens, during the early '50's, I used to attend concerts, when I was able to, given by the CBSO. Bill Haley and pop groups were yet to surface. :D

I often walked through the Anglican Cathedral churchyard but I guess there were more exciting things to be seen than small monuments. Recollections are of trying not to step on pigeons; besides my mind probably was still thinking about the models - aeroplanes and trains - that I had just looked at in Cherry Street.

Outside the scope of the Forum, but well worth a mention, was the other venue I used to visit when opportunity arose namely The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (as it was then called) at Stratford-upon-Avon.
 
There's quite a few memorials in that churchyard - too many to capture.

Notable ones:

Boer War Memorial obelisk


Boer War Obelisk Memorial - Birmingham by ell brown, on Flickr

Statue of Charles Gore


St Philip's Cathedral - statue of Charles Gore - the first Bishop of Birmingham - Birmingham by ell brown, on Flickr

Obelisk memorial of Thomas Unett


Obelisk at St Philip's in memory of Thomas Unett by ell brown, on Flickr

Outside - Angel Drinking Fountain - originally from Christ Church (moved after it was demolished in 1899)


The Angel Drinking Fountain by ell brown, on Flickr
 
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