Bands seen in Leicester

[tigerburnie]

There's a thread on the unoffy about the Beatles and it started me thinking about Bands seen in Leicester.
I can't remember all the gigs but here's a few places,at one time we had as many clubs as London seemed to have.
Demontfort Hall:- saw the Stones here when "It's all over now" was the new single,think Unit4 plus2 were the backing band. Favourite gig here was the American folk blues and gospel tour that used to come on the first sunday in November,saw some legends there.
Il Rondo:- on Silver street,friday nights were blues night,saw Howling Wolf,Champion Jack Dupree and many others plus rock bands like King Crimson.
Lancaster Hall:- over the fire station, saw Leicesters own Family when they were still the Farinas here,plus Legay,Mozzletoff,Moth,Pesky Gee and a few more local bands.
Casino:- top of London road,saw John Mayalls bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton amongst others.
The Pit:- in New Bond street.saw John Lee Hooker here with the Groundhogs as his backing band,saw the Mystics and the Parchmen who were local bands too.
Leicester Uni:- saw lots of top bands here including the Kinks and the Faces and the Who memorably had a punch up with the local Hells Angels one Saturday night.
Granby Halls:- was where I saw Jimi Hendrix play the college rag ball.
Top Rank Suite:- I had long hair so the only time I saw a band in here was the Rag Ball when Joe Cocker,Spirit,Bonzo Dog Doodah Band and Mott the Hoople played.
Palais:- on Humberstone gate had a few soul bands,think I saw Percy Sledge play here,there was a Rag Ball here too,can't remember the Acts
Odean Cinema:- Queen street cinema had a few concerts,remember seeing Geno Washington and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band here.
County Arms:- Blaby,lots of local bands but remember John Lee Hooker and the Swinging Bluejeans amongst others.
Loughboro' Uni was another good concert venue,touring American bands like Poco played here.
The Nite Owl:- on Newark street,lots of bands on beginning of their careers were here in the mid '60's The Steam Packet with Long John Baldry,Rod Stewart and Julie Driscoll were among regular visitors.
The were more like the Burlesque,Latin Quarter,House of Happiness plus pubs that had live bands on,but the memories a bit hazy here.....Man!!

[CJ]

oh my goodness - opened up memories.
De Mont was wonderful. Saw the Beatles - yeah, yeah, yeah!

and the Dave Clark Five, the Searchers, Freddie and the Dreamers, Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, the Applejacks. some others, I'm sure. Will check my autograph book.

remember the Farinas at the Il Rondo. and when they became Family they played at Leeds Uni when I was there.

Also saw Wings on their first ever gig - again at Leeds Uni. They only knew about five songs but played them over and over as we (the students) left and went to lectures. Amazing. Rumour had it that they rocked up one day and the media got a whiff of it so they went away and then turned up again the next day.

and the Stones. And the Who Live at Leeds University Union, still one of the greatest live albums ever.

It was all quite normal then - wish I had taken more notice of it all.

[Rizzo]

Not really old enough for the Beatles myself but...

Asia at De Montfort Hall (supporting Paul Rodgers!) Great night, got some autographs.
Darts at De Montfort hall - Den Hegarty climbing up onto the balcony.
The Temptations, The Four Tops and several other Motown bands at Bailey's nightclub near the clock tower (and yes I was under age to be in there.)

Even now it irks me that Bon Jovi played in Leicester (De Mont again I believe) in 1983 and I didn't know about them then...

[Kinoulton]

Well my stomping ground was Nottingham, but I went to De Montfort to see Yes.

[Hull Fan]

Not really old enough for the Beatles myself but...

Asia at De Montfort Hall (supporting Paul Rodgers!) Great night, got some autographs.
Darts at De Montfort hall - Den Hegarty climbing up onto the balcony.
The Temptations, The Four Tops and several other Motown bands at Bailey's nightclub near the clock tower (and yes I was under age to be in there.)

Even now it irks me that Bon Jovi played in Leicester (De Mont again I believe) in 1983 and I didn't know about them then...

Bon Jovi were backing Kiss up, it was a cracking night!
(Especially as i was only about 13 years old, wouldn't let either of my children of gone, respect to my Mum & Dad)

[tigerburnie]

Well my stomping ground was Nottingham, but I went to De Montfort to see Yes.

I used to go to the Boat Club at the back of the Forest ground and saw Buddy Rich in the concert hall(can't remember what it was called).

[Kinoulton]

There were some epic nights in the Boat Club at the back of the Forest Ground. Rory Gallagher, Black Sabbath. Packed in like sardines and suffering immense heat. There days the fire inspectors would go nuts.

The only decent "big" venue in Nottingham used to be the Albert Hall but they banned rock after the singer from Uriah Heap stood on the grand piano.

[fleabane]

Saw Chicken Shack at the Albert Hall, Stan Webb on a red 335, and Christine Perfect on Piano. Hendrix, Nice, Tremeloes and Pink Floyd (sans SB) on one bill at the Theatre Royal.

Dylan at De Montfort, just days after the 'Judas' concert. Must say, I much preferred the electric stuff, especially "Like a Rolling Stone".

[RWA]

The Filberts (Diesel Park West) in the Royal Mail and the Charlotte.....Rocking Ronnie and the bendy Ruperts...anyone remember them ?

[tigerburnie]

I caught a few bands in the Charlotte and the Half time orange too, did you see the article in the mockery last week about Legay and mentioned a few other old Leicester bands(funny no-ones mentioned Showaddywaddy yet!!)

[William]

Hi Tigerburnie,
Responding to your memory of seeing John Lee Hooker at The Pit. You mention The Groundhogs as backing group. Do you remember a group who might have played as support on that night called The Ten Foot High Things? The line up of that band (who only played 2 or 3 times I think) would have included David Parkinson on drums and Steph Raynor on guitar. Ring any bells?

[Latecomer]

I recall seeing REM at De Montfort Hall late 80's and Deacon Blue in the Charlotte 1987. Ah, the memories.

[Northeast Tiger]

I saw Rod Stewart and supporting him Liverpool Express at Granby Halls
Be Bop Deluxe at Leicester Uni and Dr Feelgood at Demont.

[MJB]

I saw Kim Wilde, Meat Loaf, Saxon and The Scorpions at DeMont. I also heard Leicester Poly host (and sometimes saw - I was one of the bar staff in my student days) Aswad, Propaganda, Bad Manners, Eighth Wonder, Big Sound Authority, and Peter Shelley (of Buzzcocks fame, not 'Love Me Love My Dog') though I stayed well clear of 'The Arena' (upstairs at LP) when Sigue Sigue Sputnik were on stage - they were so bad they couldn't even mime properly, apparently!

[tigerburnie]

Hi Tigerburnie,
Responding to your memory of seeing John Lee Hooker at The Pit. You mention The Groundhogs as backing group. Do you remember a group who might have played as support on that night called The Ten Foot High Things? The line up of that band (who only played 2 or 3 times I think) would have included David Parkinson on drums and Steph Raynor on guitar. Ring any bells?

Wow, now you're asking, "The Ten Foot High Things" doesn't ring any bells. I was involved with a few bands in my time, ended up as a sound engineer/roadie and spent a few years in London doing it as a pro job(sort of).Was this gig in 1964/5 period, memory not quite as good as it might be.