Ticket supplied by Diane Leigh, autograph is on the back of the ticket
Robert Searle… Back left is Robert Searle on bass, Les Harding guitar,Colin Rotheroe guitar. Front is Les Pennock vocals Bernie Marchant vocals and Dave Funnel drums. Bob, Les Harding and Colin Rotheroe backing vocals. Got my trusted Fender bass in my right hand. Hated those steps at the back of Aquarius where we bought the gear up but had a great night. We also did the Cobweb before the Aquarius opened. John booked us.
Robert Searle… Saw the Sweet at the Aquarius.Ive heard bad reports of the Sweet but that night , they were brilliant.Their playing was just as good as say Deep Purple ,their vocal harmonies were fantastic. That night at the Aquarius proved how good they were.A great rocking group with great vocals.
Alan Esdaile… I was at that Sweet gig and we were packed in like sardines. They were very good.
Leigh Wieland-Boys… I was there too, remember it like it was yesterday!
Robert Searle… A real great thumping backing ,great musicians.Vocals were fantastic with Andy Scotts high vocals were unbelievable, real professionals.
Chris Giles… I saw Sweet at the Aquarius …my friends dragged me along…. I wasn’t keen to see them… I was shocked they were brilliant one of the best acts I’ve seen.
Barry French… I was knocked out by Sweet at the Aquarius, I was expecting a pop band, & if my memory serves me correct I think they opened up with a WHO medley.
Matt Thomas… Too young but got sweets autographs
Ian McGilvray… Great Band. My favourite
Ronald Burgoyne… That must be when we saw them Mac
Ian McGilvray.. I think it was Ron. Great band with excellent harmonies.
Merv Kennard… that was a good night, so was the dlwp gig last December.
Colin Fox… I wonder how many other bands played at Neros Ramsgate and Neros Southsea?
Robert Searle… Always remember the Mini Togas great days.Played both.
Ricky Adelaide… I played at Ramsgate few times..
Will Cornell… Gee this looks like a better theme restaurant idea than Hooters or the Tilted Kilt!
Dave Weeks… If this was Peggy Sues, I played there in the 80’s on a Wednesday bloody night. One room was live music in competition with the night club room.
Colin Fox… Tiberius was the casino next door.
Tony Court-holmes… worked there with Chris Gentry in the 70s when he had his road show
Stuart Moir… All those brilliant gigs, the girls with the short togas 😙and the drive home after 2am finish arriving with the milkman at 4 in the morning. I wonder if any of the girls recognise themselves in the photo it would be nice to hear from them
Colin Fox… One of the croupiers from Tiberius worked at the same place in my last job. She brought some pictures in one day. She used to go out with the owner.
Andre Martin… Back in the mid 70s I can remember Ramsgate had changed to disco on a Friday/Saturday nights and I used to work it a couple of times a month. 9.00pm – 2.00am with a couple of breaks. Good venue always packed out, but what a haul for gear in and out, at least you only did it once each way – thank the lord. Right down by the harbor so parking was easy.
Gary Swinard… Played both many times with the band named Cleopatra’s Needle
Ricky Adelaide… Yes I did a few times supporting a local entertainer Sunny Day..also Canterbury based band Frido plus Ramsgate band 3 js
Stuart Moir… Many times Centre Page played this venue, we had to carry Revie Stockdales Hammond down those steps to the left of the stage one on each corner, it was bloody heavy the door was just behind that screen, that was a fabulous gig, the agent was the guy in Tunbridge Wells can’t remember his name, we visited his office many times , we also played the Southsea Neros as well all part of the same group.
Alan Esdaile… Stuart, are you thinking of Peter Johnson Agency? If so he was a good agent and I did a few gigs through him.
Yve… Gary, Yes, I know, I was there and it was always brilliant fun. Not so much the clearing of the gear and the driving home but the lie-in on Sunday made up for it!
Dave Weeks… Yes did Ramsgate in the 80’s – think it was Peggy Sues then
Thanks to Lloyd Johnson for finding this. How Tony Powell became manager of the Witchdoctor.
Also a classic photo of ‘The Animals’ read the sign!
Andre Palfrey-Martin Collection
The Who at the Witchdoctor 4th August 1965
Mick Knights….The only face I can put a possitive ID to is still Colin Gilcrest (Mr. G) I recognise the first bloke looking mean and moody, but can’t think of a name. I’m pretty sure the girl dancing alone is Lill, but it was almost 50 years ago!!!!!
Gary Kinch….Alas, too young to see them in the 60’s although I do have a tenuous second hand link with the Witch Doctor during that period. My Dad was a Bouncer there, whether he was at this gig I don’t know without asking him. He would of hated the music though. He also worked at the Fiesta in a similar capacity during the 60’s…Anyway, one of my favourite bands and I’ve seen them a few times since. Sundowner in London, December 73 being a good ‘un. Mainly Quadrophenia (top 20 all time great albums IMO) with the odd Tommy track plus a couple of the older classics. The trip to this gig was organised by Hastings Students Union, at least one coach full of young reprobates went. Anyone else remember this outing?
Pete Fisher….saw them on the Pier, July 1969, and at the front it was so loud my vision started to blur, and I had to go out and grab some sea air, returning to stand further back. Moon threw out drumsticks at the end, and a mate from school won the scrum to get it, only because he was small and agile, and ran for his life out of the ballroom clutching his trophy, which he brought into school the next day! Only time rugby ever came in useful!
Mick O’Dowd….Thankfully most of us didn’t “Die before we get old!”
Iain Cobby… Hey Pete, I was there too in 69, July, the same evening man walked on the Moon (no pun intended).It was a Sunday Club gig, the first real gig I was allowed to go to. They were loud with an army of WEM and Marshall cabs all around the stage. They did the whole of Tommy if I recall,I then fell in love with wanting to play bass (what went wrong?) As waited for my dad to pick me up outside the entrance, Daltrey breezed past me. I cried out ” nice one Rog”…………….. he never even blinked. oh well.
Nick Prince… The Who video – wow!!
Ian Middleton… The day the Animals played, I think it was a Tuesday was the day that House of the Rising Sun topped the record charts and Eric Burdon complained during the gig that they were contracted to play there for £50 when they could have easily got £100 in London
Jackie Hersee… This is where I spent my time in the 60’s
Stephanie Blackledge… me too! Geno Washington. 1966?
Diane Leigh… Enjoyed listening
Gerry Fortsch… A great venue with some great memories apart from the dandruff highlighter as you went in.
Caz Simpson… This real took me back, thank you for posting! I remember him so well, a really lovely man. The Witchdoctor was my second home
Pete Fisher… Several sources quote 9 July 1964 as the day the Animals hit number one, but I found a list of gigs at the Witch Doctor which said this one was 12 August which was indeed a Wednesday. It also says admission was 8s/6d Mick, quite expensive as I’ve read that the price of a pint was around 2s/0d back then. BTW the BBC charts were a combination of the Record Retailer, Melody Maker, NME and other music magazine charts until 1969.
Richard Brimms… I remember it but I thought it was a Wednesday
David Edwards… And I thought Alan Price was the whinged in the band !
Mick Knights… I remember it being too expensive to go to on an apprentice’s weekly pittance!
Steve Maxted… So interesting, the Manchester man that Tony met with the American car would have been Paddy Mckiernan, a great character. I did a lot of shows for him, including at rhe Witch Doctor and Cobweb
Mark Mackenzie… Played drums for The New Breed three times in 67, great gigs
Andy Ives… That was very interesting thanks for posting. Tony used to be my neighbour
Judith Monk… Not only was I there but two of them including Eric stayed overnight at my house after the gig and I had breakfast with them!
John Warner… The second group to appear at the Witchdoctor. First one was the Nashville Teens!
Robert Valentine… Played there many times in my band The Clockwork Oranges in the sixties nice venue.
Lynda Whatley… What an interesting watch ! Remember dancing up the Witchdoctor in my youth
Nick Bloomfield… Great story from the man who was there. I didn’t get down until after this period but I know Steve Marriott played here a few times.
