supplied by Jim Miller
Jim Miller… Just found a photo of the 70’s for Sloopys Disco – Coventry Street London W1 nr Piccadilly Circus (for those who are interested). Sloopy’s Disco is next to the Wimpy Bar – taken around 1973 – the film ‘Fritz The Cat’ is also a bit of a giveaway.
Alan Esdaile… don’t think i ever went to Sloopy’s but remember using this Wimpy Bar many times.
Sundowners Discotheque – Eastbourne. Light Fantastic, Centre Page and Marmalade April 1976. Remember seeing lots of bands here, always a great night.
Chris Coleman… spent a lot of my misspent youth in there lol
Jane Hartley… Nipped over there after the pubs chucked out and got in before they closed the doors!
Virginia Davis… Forgot about Sundowners. Used to go a lot
Leigh Wieland-Boys… Saw lots of bands there & also, across the road at Kings Country Club – although that was more ‘cabaret’ style artists & comedians. The Barron Knights, Tony Bennett, Mike Reid, Freddie Starr to name but a few!
Charlie Ball… Sweet sensation !…. Used to love the Sundowners, Good fun
Alan Esdaile… Sad Sweet Dreamer Charlie. I think I saw them. I remember seeing Mud and The Real Thing at The Sundowners.
Leigh Wieland-Boys… Yes! Saw them too Charlie! Did we go together?! Lol ️xx Great times! Oh to be young again, eh, Mr B?! ️xx
Paul Austin… Reflections of my life by Marmalade… One of my favourite songs of all time!
Mark Gilham… I played opposite there at Kings Country Club in a cabaret band when I was a 17 year old student!
Jane Dorsett… saw lots of bands at sundowners, had my 18th birthday at kings country club, at will be 40 years ago tomorrow. were has all the years gone, love to do it all again.
Colin Bell… Did some djing there and first saw The Drifters at Kings C.C. over the road, when Johnny Moore was the lead singer, a really lovely guy with a great voice. Im sure Andre did some djing there too?
Or has my memory gone wonky…!
Supplied by Colin Fox
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
Ricky Adelaide… Yes I played Ramsgate
Pete Millington… Remember those sessions well – SPYKE = Chris Sayer (Guitar+Vocals), Peter Millington (Bass+Vocals), Ian Williams (Guitar+Vocals) Terry Chedzoy (Drums+Vocals)
MUSCLE POWER – Aquarius 14th Oct 1972, Steve Maxted and a number of strip shows around this time. Interesting comment at the bottom of the ad… Contrary to recent rumours the Aquarius is not due for demolition. Anyone know anymore about this?
Jim Breeds… Nope.I know nothing about it. But was that about the time when they were threatened with closure because of noise complaints and didn’t they have to re-sound proof it? Am I making that up? Something rings a bell, so to speak.
Andre Martin… Your right about the noise, the locals and the council were often involved becasue the venue was never fitted out for such a level of noise.
Chris Coleman… remember going to these.
Jim Breeds… Didn’t they have to fit new baffles internally? They were described as shaped like egg boxes I think.
Peter Millington… I played there with Suspect in late 1972 and the decibel meter caused havoc. It shut us off whilst tuning-up! After turning it off we managed to complete the show at a reasonable volume and certainly not loud though. Eventually the place was shut down and after a massive re-furb it became Saturdays. I’m guessing it became Saturdays in 1974/5.
supplied by Hugh Beeching
Martin Richter…. saturdays
Clare Bennett… I remember dancing a lot in Scalliwags
Jules Stretton… Hastings seafront my parents used to party there ! X
John Storer… Definitely Saturdays …. we had our joint Stag & Hen night there in August 79
Yvonne Cleland… Reminds me of Bonitas or Aquarius…
Margaret Fletcher… Not Saturday
Rilka Brignall… Looks like saturdays to me
Peter Millington… Could that be Chris Glazier spinning plastic – Scalliwags perhaps?
Kevin Burchett… its definitly not scalliwags its saturdays
Alan Esdaile… Thinking now this could be Aquarius which was what Saturday’s was called previously in the 70’s.
Kevin Burchett… Its Saturdays because of the lights no one had lights like that in Hastings then or now
Phil Gill… Could be the one at the back of Wellington Square that’s now a curry house. It was always too loud for meaningful conversation, so I just used to listen to the music. If you listen carefully, you can spot the little disco funk references Steve and I worked into some of the Stallion songs. It’s very subtle, but it’s there. We were very cheeky. Well, two that spring to mind…listen to the bass and drums on Arsony in the UK, which is basically sped up disco funk followed by a 50s doo wop chorus. And on the live version of Cobra, we referenced Oops Upside Your Head.
Alan Esdaile… Was the club in Wellington Square called Courtneys?
Supplied by…. Leigh Wieland-Boys via Kevin Burchett
Kevin Burchett… heres another pic from the opposition Saturdays lol.its a promo pic from the 1975 opening. with the lovely Leigh Wieland-Boys
Peter Millington… I recognise the waitress – anyone know her name?
Leigh Wieland-Boys….It’s me Peter! Lx
Pete Millington… Really sad as I was over 21 AND played with SPYKE at the over 21 nights. Depression coming on LOL
Leigh Wieland-Boys… I was too young for the over 21 night, I confess I was only 16 when I went to the Aquarius
supplied by Colin Bell
Mick O’Dowd… Here’s my membership for The Taboo. It was opened by 2 of the most disgraced people in pop. Johnathan King & DJ Chris Denning who popped up in the news again this week. Not a very good start to the Club and it didn’t survive very long. My only memory on that fateful day was that you went down these stairs to the Club and they were lined with mirrors with flashing coloured bulbs and after about half hour people were complaining that it made them feel ill and they were turned off!
supplied by Mick O’Dowd
supplied by Sarah Harvey
Sarah Harvey… Ah…Jonathan King…. now there’s a name you don’t hear nowadays…. this from July 1969.
Alan Esdaile… Remember the mirrors with the flashing lights Mick. When I took over from Colin, I think some of the bulbs were taken out, as were over powering.
John Storer… Having looked at Colin Bell’s photograph, I now see where the Gallagher brothers got their image from 🙂
