bob marley

Bob Marley & Johnny Nash – De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill – were you there?

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The De La Warr Pavilion… In 1972 Bob Marley played at the De La Warr Pavilion – were you there? As the De La Warr Pavilion prepares to mark the 50th anniversary of Bob Marley supporting Johnny Nash in Bexhill, we are keen to hear from anyone who may have been there, or knows anyone who was. Do you have an original ticket or poster? If so, we want to hear from you. Get in touch: rsvp@dlwp.com & find out more on our blog: https://www.dlwp.com/bobmarley_1972/

Diane Patricia… Perhaps someone on here has some memorabilia from this gig?

Clive Garrard… Also the great Johnny Nash as well, i loved his music

Catherine Ireland… (Stephen Colyer) this is interesting. I know you arranged all the bands , and what a brilliant line up. But I believe the De la warr charged us so many extras we didn’t make much money for the Lions 😢 I think my step father Charles Brookes was President of the Lions at that time bless him , hope you are well xxx

Stephen Colyer… I arranged this whole show. As Head of Promotion at CBS Records UK my team and I were working with Johnny Nash and having successfully charted Johnny with the Bob Marley song ‘Stir It Up’ we then achieved the Number One spot in the Charts with ‘ I Can See Clearly’. When we visited your Mum and Charles he mentioned hoping to raise some funds for a swimming pool for children with special needs and physical challenges, so I offered to do whatever I could to help. Johnny who was No.1 at that time agreed to be the headline act and he also had his band join us who included John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick and yes, Bob Marley (Johnny & Bob were both Managed by Danny Sims). Another very successful act The Equals (that included Eddie Grant) also agreed to appear on the show. I then arranged for the high profile Radio One DJ The Emperor Rosko (Mike Pasternak) to be the Compere (Dave Most – the brother of Micky Most accompanied Rosko to the show). There were many complications and hurdles to overcome that day / evening and the bands were all brilliant, but the Management at the venue on this day created a dramatic behind the scenes conclusion to what otherwise was an amazing event, obviously long remembered on this anniversary of 50 years!!! 1972 – 2022. Wow, that brought back some memories.

 

Bob Marley’s first gig in the UK 1972 was at De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill by Mike Curtis.

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Bob-Marley

live in concert in Dalymount Park on 6 July 1980. source: Eddie Mallin

cutting Bexhill Observer 8th July 1972 source: Bexhill Museum https://twitter.com/bexhillmuseum/status/601049135161171968

Mike Curtis… A bit of local music history.
1. Bob Marley and the Wailers’ first ever UK gig was at the De La Warr Pavilion.
2. Paul Simon played DLWP 30/8/1965, with Shirley Collins.
3. Paul also played at The New Inn in Sidley at around the same time.
4. Paul Robeson played at DLWP, pronouncing it to be be the best venue, acoustically, he had ever played.

Anyone lucky enough to go to any of these gigs?

Yvonne Cleland… I thought Bob Marley and the Wailers’ first ever UK gig was in Nottingham. When are you claiming they played the DLWP? Do you have any documentary or pictorial evidence please? Oh no, hang on, he toured as support for Johnny Nash first, with Wailers as backing band. Spring-Summer 1972. However, did 2 shows at Bexhill and Bexleyheath without Johnny Nash (I think). All info gratefully received plus any documentary evidence. This needs to be in Bexhill Museum archives!

Yvonne Cleland… The first ever Bob Marley gig in the UK – at the DLWP: Found out more from an old newspaper at Bexhill Museum. On the bill were:- Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Equals and Johnny Nash. It was a charity event.

John Gale… I had no idea about this, 2 Legends there.

Pete Shoesmith… I went to the concert at Bexhill, I was 16.

Kevin White… Never knew that

Andy Gunton… I’d heard about that gig many times, but that’s the first time I’ve seen that press cutting. Great stuff.

Yvonne Cleland… Andy, the museum has the cutting.

Graham Belchamber… Fabulous.

Pete Houghton… I remember going to See Bob Marley along with Johnny Nash I was 18 had a great time Got their Autographs but I have lost them over the year’s with regret

Ian Johnson… Wow I didn’t know that

Gary Lancaster… So I am from Rye and I went to school with a chap called Jamie Tiltman. Jamie, now lives in Bexhill. As it happens, the very white Tiltman family are directly related to Bob Marley. So probably without realising it, he played in his own county. He’s got Sussex roots…. And I’m not joking, you can look this up.

Leigh Wieland-Boys… I went to that concert to see Johnny Nash, didn’t know who Bob Marley was at the time, I was 16

Alan Esdaile… They did show a programme on Bob Marley a while ago, on his first visit. It showed that he played a school in London with Johnny Nash but still looks like the first proper gig here was Bexhill?

Michael Wilson… I remember watching a Paul Simon’s documentary on tv. And there was a folk concert at the De La warr in the early 1960s .He was bottom of the bill on the poster.

Jane Dorsett… Leigh, we went together, I was 15.lol.xx