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Groups We Have Seen Live

regan said:
hello big gee
as luck has it me and my two mates queued that night to see the beatles and we got in.we got drenched that night. they just recorded.. please please me....happy days........ billy regan
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Is that when they were playing at The Plaza in Rookery Road, Handsworth?

A bit off-thread, but I heard a tale told by a former pub gaffer in Newcastle who'd booked a band called The Animals, to perform a few weeks hence. In the meantime, they released 'House Of The Rising Sun', which was a massive hit as we all know (dead easy chords to the guitarists amongst us) but they honoured their gig at the pub. Unfortunately, several hundred people turned up that night to see them, and damn near wrecked the place. True or not, I like the story.

G
 
HI GEE
I Remember that night indeed i was there ;along with eric the lead singer of the animals ;
i used to go out with one of his female cousins ;

i hope to se you both soon ; best wishes alan ; astonian;
 
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Alan your memories and people you known never cease to amaze me, i love reading your posts, so when is that book that I am dying to read going to be finished and on the book shelves patty xx
 
hello big gee

yes it was. we used to look forward going to the plaza on a friday night. my two mates split two girls up who were dancing and married them two years later. happy days gee..........bye now ... billy regan
 
Hi Alan,

well, you must have been pretty young, mate, as the Animals' gig I mentioned was in 1964 and in Newcastle-upon-Tyne! I was 18 at the time, and I think I'm a few years older than your good self? Also, the song 'House Of The Rising Sun' is traditional American, probably based on an old English folk song. It has been recorded many times, one of the better-known older recordings being by Roy Acuff in 1941, and I've got it somewhere. Joan Baez also recorded it before the Animals, I think I'm correct in saying. It's a good song, but goes on a bit in my opinion! Incidentally, I saw The New Animals at Tamworth Assembly Rooms a couple of years ago. Only the original drummer remains, can't remember his name. John Somebody? Spencer Davies was on the same bill - I remember him when his band were the resident band at Birmingham University Students Union in the 1960's. And they really were happy days, at least musically.

All the best and see you soon!

Cheers,

G
 
Hi Alan
I think you will find Bob Dylan recorded it a couple of years before the Animals.
I don't think anyone is sure when it was written or who wrote it but some say it was probably written about 90 years ago.
Bill.
 
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Patty said:
Alan your memories and people you known never cease to amaze me, i love reading your posts, so when is that book that I am dying to read going to be finished and on the book shelves patty xx
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Patty I don't know whether your comment was directed at me or not, but writing a book about my life as a Brummie, might not be a bad idea. If only I live long enough to finish it. I haven't started it yet, so I better get a move on. Lol
 
House Of The Rising Sun

Here's a link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5tOpyipNJs to a Leadbelly recording of this song, made around 1945. Bill123, I've heard it said that some of the lyrics could well go back to 17th century England. It's about a brothel, actually!

A great deal of American folk and blues songs can be traced back to England, and some to France. Nothing new under the sun, as they say.

G
 
Emerson, Lake and Palmer in 1972
Here's the proof - ticket stub from the Concert - Friday November 24 1972, 2nd Performance at 9.00 P.M.
Ticket Price 85 pence!!
I am sure I have loads more if only I could find them.
ELP 1972.jpg
 
Two, lucky you to have seen ELP. Greg Lake is at the Alex in Brum on Monday 19 November but a bit of an increase in price £27.50. When I first saw Genesis they were at the Odeon, much better atmosphere than NEC.
 
I loved ELP, and glad that at least one of them is still performing. I saw them at a big cinema in Derby or Nottingham, can't remember now. £0.85 to see ELP! Wow!

G
 
Big Gee said:
I loved ELP, and glad that at least one of them is still performing. I saw them at a big cinema in Derby or Nottingham, can't remember now. £0.85 to see ELP! Wow!
It was most likely Derby Graham, because I was there that night, and then dashed back to Brum to catch last orders in the Brown Lion, cos Barry was a stickler for time. Anyway, "Astonian" should remember, as he was playing drums that night, owing to Carl Palmer spraining his wrist(Ithink!)
G
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It was most likely Derby Graham, because I was there that night, and then dashed back to Brum to catch last orders in the Brown Lion, cos Barry was a stickler for time. Anyway, "Astonian" should remember, as he was playing drums that night, owing to Carl Palmer spraining his wrist(Ithink!)
 
Astonian's been hiding his light under a bushel! I never knew he'd played for ELP! Who else did you play for, Alan?

The Brown Lion was my local for years, when Barry and Diane Pugh ran it. You're dead right, he was a real stickler for time. We used to wind him up some nights by ordering a few pints about 1/2 minute before towels-on. He really loved that.... I haven't been for years, but my wife went not long ago to see a band. She said it's been done up very well, but apparently it's closed again due to some wrangle with the brewery.

G
 
Hi all, 85 pence is not a bad price for a Concert but had the great fortune to see the Hollies at the "Night Out" for the princely sum of 2s/6d (12 and a half pence).
A friend (on this Forum) could get tickets at this knock down price. They were up in the "Gods", but this particular night someone was in our seats and when the attendant asked them to move, they refused so we got to sit right next to the stage. Great "night out" no pun intended!!
jimbo
 
Big Gee said:
Astonian's been hiding his light under a bushel! I never knew he'd played for ELP! Who else did you play for, Alan?

The Brown Lion was my local for years, when Barry and Diane Pugh ran it. You're dead right, he was a real stickler for time. We used to wind him up some nights by ordering a few pints about 1/2 minute before towels-on. He really loved that.... I haven't been for years, but my wife went not long ago to see a band. She said it's been done up very well, but apparently it's closed again due to some wrangle with the brewery.

G
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HI Graham....I remember you well in the Lion, you used to hog the end of the bar, by the trapdoor. I was a regular for years and knew all the crowd, Yorkie behind the bar, Grampas, John Edwards, John Williams, Bill, Brendan, Graham Evans, Doug, Pat, Brian Stanley(RIP) Little John(RIP) Ron and Sue, the Geordies to name but a few, and all the games of Three card and comedy darts, and the mad bar billiards table, So many drunken nights, and never a hint of trouble. I called in a few times last year, but It's a real ale pub now, and I was never a connoisseur, although It has not changed a massive amount, It is never the same again, and they always say, you should never go back to where you were once happy, so I'am told anyway. I wonder if "Astonian" ever drank there, when we did? I've got a tenner, says he knew us all!!
 
Hi Mojorisin,

Obviously I didn't know you by this name, so what's your real name? Yes, it was a proper little boozer's paradise in the old days. The 'school' I was in consisted of Grampus (RIP), Dennis, Johnny Monk, Little John, Harry The Tater (went to Oz) and Eric (a.k.a. Feet). One by one we all drifted apart. After Barry and Diane left, the place was never the same, especially as the new gaffer refused to sell draught cider, which was a favoured tipple. I could relate many tales about 'the Browners', but most of them are unfit for public consumption! The bar-billiards was addictive - the best player of the lot was Grampus, which was surprising as most nights he could hardly stand up, let alone hold a straight cue. If I remember correctly, Graham Evans ran the darts team, and Ron the Geordie was the star player. There aren't any pubs like the Brown Lion any more, or so it seems to me. Shame. Some nights we'd drift down to The White Horse Cellars, run by Jim and Mary Twigg - they had some good stuff on their juke-box, and also from time to time live music upstairs.

Nice to hear your memories!

G
 
Hi Big Gee, you wouldn't know what date that Beatles gig was would you. I've been trying to track this down as it doesn't appear on any of The Beatles lists of gigs. Did it really happen? WOuld love to have definitive conformation (either way)
Jez
 
Hi Regan, same question as I asked Big Gee, do you have a date for this gig as I cannot find it anywhere and I'm desperately trying to verify it! Any help would be much appreciated

Jez
 
Yes, despite it being mentioned nowhere on Beatles sites (and there are some amazingly detailed ones about) there are too many people who remember it taking place. Just need that date! Thanks for replying :)
 
Hmm, that's interesting as I have that date from elsewhere, but a couple of posters on this forum had it as a Friday and 29th is a Saturday, they also played Plaza Old Hill a few days later on 5th July (interestingly 29th is not listed as them playing although they played Leeds on 28th and Great Yarmouth on 30th) The plot thickens!! Thank you
 
Have you tried Birmingham Evening Mail archives as they may have something. I am not sure but did they also play in 1962?
 
All I can tell you is that was after I started work, so it would be after early January 1963. And it was raining! It definitely happened, as I met a person a couple of years ago who actually got into The Plaza to see The Beatles that night. And as I said, my now-wife was also in the queue (and didn't get in).

This is really quite strange, because I saw Cream live at Birmingham University in about 1967/8, and I can't find a reference to that gig on any website. Yet that also definitely happened, as again I know at least two other people who were there. Maybe these big-name bands didn't think very much of Brum!

G
 
Thanks Colin but it specifically the gig at the Plaza in Handsworth I'm trying to track down or evidence. Got the other Brum gigs, Plaza at Old Hill, THe Ritz, Kings Heath, Town Hall and the Hippodrome were the others that year I believe.
 
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