Ticket supplied by Nick Webb, Photo of Marc Bolan (T Rex) from a 1973 ABC Television In Concert performance.
Chris Meachen…..Ah, T.Rex… The only time I ever saw the bouncers scared, as a tide of pubescent girls flooded through the gates, sweeping them aside in the crush to get to the front of the stage. One of them even got his arm pushed through the glass of the main doors, & any attempt to check tickets was futile
Glenn Caroline Piper….I first saw T-Rex in 1971 at Brighton Dome. Mickey Finn was there and Bolan did some acoustic numbers from Tyrannosaurus Rex days. My first live gig
Pete Zinc-alloy… by the time marc played hastings mickey finn and bill legend had left the band.my mates in the support group played a set equal to marc’s band
Phil Thornton… I remember this well, John Wilde (our frontman) was interviewed for ‘Sounds’ by Julie Birchell who thought he was Marc !!! – we got to meet him and Gloria backstage, lovely people. rip Marc.
Alan Esdaile… Still looking for a poster for this gig and photos, anyone?
Karen Sweatman… I love T Rex, but was only five years old
John Wilde… This was a great gig for us (Stallion) and a good evening for everyone. I was deeply offended when Marc told me to “fuck off out of my dressing room”.
Terry Pack…. I was at this one. Stallion were excellent. T Rex were disappointing: the drummer in particular was very loud and seemed to have no technique at all. Marc Bolan looked unwell, I thought.
Phil Thornton… didn’t remember that part of the evening John Alexander Wilde all things considered I think you came out on top !!
Kevin Burchett… I was there but don’t remember a thing probaly very drunk lol
Jane Hartley… Not just me then Kevin!
Jenny Tyler… I was there, lol. X
Janine Anne Hemsley… Great evening that was .
Mick O’Dowd…. I worked on this as compere and found Marc Bolan a big egotist. He refused to meet a rep from a children’s charity who’d arranged it with his management. He only wanted a couple of autographs but Marc totally ignored him and the bloke left empty handed. That said it was a great show and Marc was a true showman rising from the stage on a black cut-out star with lights on it playing guitar! That’s rock’n’roll!
Clifford Rose… I wish I still had my ticket.
Chris Meachen… Watched much of Bolan’s act from stage right, whilst helping move teeny fans who’d been overcome by the crush against the stage, or with over-excitement to a safer area at the side.. It was one of the few occasions I’d ever seen the bouncers worried by anything.. Personally, I found Bolan far too much a victim of his own hype, rather than the impish star-fairy we’d all expected him to be. Maybe that’s what that level of success can do to people, but I regret that I didn’t find him at all likeable…
Phil Thornton… sounds like I was lucky to get a better impression than most ! – anyway we had a great gig and watching T Rex was an experience !! ( I was out front braving the teenyboppers !!)
John Wilde… I had been a huge fan from his early days as Tyranosaurus Rex. I bought the single Deborah and was enamoured with his celtic pixie bard poetry and his little voice. He believed the Glam rock hype and enjoyed the lime light. I loved him. I’m kinda glad we didn’t get to see him get fat and grotesque. I still play his albums and forgive him for thinking I was more attractive than him.
Paul Sleet… £1.25 to get in! Wages were 30-40 quid a week back then, so it was a pittance compared to today’s ticket prices
Peter Fairless… Average wage in 1975 was £44 pw. £1.25 is about 3% of that. Average UK wage in 2015 is around £510 pw. 3% of that would be £15-ish.
Colin Bell… Though not at this gig personally, but having read the comments of everyone I feel compelled to add that Bolan was one of the biggest ego maniacs I ever met. In 1968 John Peel was doing an all niter on the Pier (Andre’s 21st Birthday) I was there and John gave me a box of records and we formed a long friendship he was very generous with his time to me and was a huge help in my career. John championed Bolan by playing his Tyransaurus Rex records on his show when no others did. When Bolan morphed into T Rex and became huge he wouldn’t even return Johns phonecalls and in Johns own words ‘broke his heart’. Never forget who put you there is my feeling and Bolan did, enough said I think.
Nick Webb… I have a ticket for this too 🙂
Jeanette Jones… People can be really good at what they do & still complete arses, Mick! Sad to learn it included Marc Bolan, but that’s life. Never included you John, glad you’re still alive;-)
Joe bowieaddick….I was there, took 3 photos of Marc that night, which can all be found on various social network sites, and caught his face towel which he threw my direction, front row left. Thoughts from the night…First time I heard “Soul of my Suit” was at this gig, long before release. He also sang “Have you ever seen anyone do the David Bowie boogie, during Zip Gun boogie. Remember getting crushed at the front row, but I don’t remember “smashed glass incident”. All Bolan fanatics are probably aware that he was having problems during this period in his career. Maybe explains the weight gain, and personality shift. .?
Hopefully Joe will be able to send the images soon. Don’t suppose you took any of Stallion?
Janet Rennie… Oh why didn’t I know about it then . Gutted
Tony Court-holmes… missed it
Chris Meachen… I was there.. The tidal wave of teenybopper girls just swept the bouncers before them, frustrating any attempt by them to check tickets, & causing the elbow of one of them to be pushed through one of the inner door’s glass panels. I think this was the only time I ever witnessed the security staff afraid, as their usual tactics couldn’t be used on little girls..
Said tide of young females then glued itself to the front of the stage & wouldn’t be budged. When Bolan came on, the crush was serious enough to require some of the fans who were in danger of losing consciousness to be dragged up onto the stage & put in a recovery area which was established behind the speakers stage right. As soon as most of them got their breath back they immediately rejoined the fray.. Backstage afterwards, I was somewhat dismayed to realise that Bolan seemed to have fallen for his own hype, & was a bit of a disappointment..
Jennie Tocock… I was there too – wasn’t impressed with Bolan. His ego had got the better of him by then. Stallion were great, though!!!
by the time marc played hastings mickey finn and bill legend had left the band.my mates in the support group played a set equal to marc’s band
I was there, took 3 photos of Marc that night, which can all be found on various social network sites, and caught his face towel which he threw my direction, front row left.
Thoughts from the night…First time I heard “Soul of my Suit” was at this gig, long before release.
He also sang “Have you ever seen anyone do the David Bowie boogie, during Zip Gun
boogie.
Remember getting crushed at the front row, but I don’t remember “smashed glass incident”
All Bolan fanatics are probably aware that he was having problems during this period in his career. Maybe explains the weight gain, and personality shift. .?