1966 photo Netherlands Nationaal Archief Ron Kroon / Anefo
Leigh Wieland-Boys…Saw him a few years ago
Carol Ann Bolton… Saw him last year.
hastings pier
Ten Years After – Hastings Pier Sat 22nd September 1973
poster supplied by Mick Mepham, ad supplied by Sarah Harvey
photos by Roger Carey
Glenn Piper…. I remember this gig; one of the early ones that I worked on .
Jim Hobbs….Yep, me too!
Here they are playing the great Slow Blues In C – venue unknown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn6fZzWrzCE
Roger Carey… 1000 plus people at the Pier concert which discouraged me from going to the front!
Sarah Harvey… Just talking to Roger last week about this gig….. he always remembers me telling him that Alvin Lee just walked past me and he was so small (height wise). I had his poster in my room for many a year and always imagined a guy towering over everyone…….but he was Ronnie Corbett height. Must have worn big platformed shoes. He looked a massive bloke on Woodstock and all the posters.
Jim Breeds… I was at this gig! I had long blond hair – it couldn’t be could it!? Probably not.
Yvonne Cleland… This was a good gig. Remember it well, and Alvin Lee came out afterwards and spoke to us.
Acker Bilk and The Paramount Jazz Band – Hastings Pier 16th March 1963.
Josie Lawson… Gosh his was some of my favourite music
Jan Warren… I learnt to play the clarinet at school for the school orchestra
Medicine Head and Factory – Hastings Pier 12th March 1976
ticket supplied by Mick Mepham, review supplied by Sarah Harvey.
Tony May… A personal appeal here for some help from you all. I am looking for pictures of the band Medicine Head which appeared in the local newspapers from their Hastings pier gigs during the 1970’s. One particular picture is said to include my friend, Simon Griffiths (otherwise known to a lot of you as Karl) who was a bouncer on the pier for a short time in the background. I do not have many pictures of Simon (only those from the Bexhill Observer of 1977) so would really appreciate any of him from any time period. If anyone here can help I would be very grateful.
Andy Qunta… Wow! 40 years to the day! I don’t really remember this gig, but I’m sure I wasn’t thinking that 40 years from now, Factory will be about to release their first album!
Steve Kinch… I don’t recall ever playing with Medicine Head… then again, I don’t remember what I had for breakfast.
Peter Fairless…. As well as the 12th March 1977 they played in September ’74, too. What a great band!
Jim Munday… Yes, but not very good at sums… 
Chris Meachen… Nice blokes, one of the very few acts that bought us a drink for dragging their gear on…
Gerry Fortsch… That was a bloody long haul to get your gear on the pier, I remember it well.
Chris Giles… Medicine Head great group …enjoyed watching them and their music brilliant …had forgotten I’d gone and seen them
Ian Dury hoax fake gig Hastings Pier 9th March 1979
Alan Esdaile…Remember this well, as had a record shop on the pier at the time. When I saw the posters on the pier boards, I wrote to Stiff Records to ask if they had some display material for this gig. A couple of days later they rang me at home and said I must be mistaken as Ian Dury is definitely not scheduled to play Hastings. The guy at Stiff said I must have got it wrong and must be someone else advertised. I told him I’m 100% right and gave him Bob Knights Pier managers number. The next day the posters had disappeared and a few days later I received a box of albums and a big bundle of posters, as a thank you. I remember the Disc Jockey and the pier box office had sold some tickets, anyone remember anything more about this?
Phil Gill… There ain’t half been some clever bastards.
Factory… Wow! Bold as brass!
Jim Breeds… Crikey. Reasons to be un-cheerful! Four quid a ticket wasn’t good to lose in those days!
Peter Fairless… We got refunded, Jim
Mick O’Dowd… This one escaped me.
Claire Venner… remember this
Peter Fairless… Yes, I bought tickets from the Pier box office. Got a refund straight away though, as soon as they knew it was a hoax. Think we gave the police a statement. Was anyone ever caught?
The Mojos plus Beat Syndicate – Hastings Pier 8th March 1969
Robert Searle… Great re-worked sound of a great single
Lloyd Johnson… IMO The Undertakers version was the best one Robert …I’ve never forgotten seeing them on The Pier one of the best groups I saw there in the early 60s….
Wild Turkey – 7th March 1973 Hastings Pier (changed from Aquarius), also 18th August 1973
Aquarius flyer supplied by Roger Carey, pier flyer supplied by Iain Cobby.
poster supplied by Mick Mepham
Aquarius or Hastings Pier 1973? One handbill and one poster, same date, two different venues, now confirmed as Hastings Pier.
Andy Qunta…. did see Wild Turkey at the Pier, but I don’t remember the date. Another great band! (Seemed to be so many then, not so much now!)
Pete Prescott….i saw them in sittingbourne around 73/74 with leo sayer and judas priest ! great band ! gary pickford hopkins was the singer, he was wonderful. He sadly died last year.he sang with ashly holt from warhorse in the rick wakeman band (i just got a warhorse cd signed by ashly for my birthday).i remember bernie marsden was in wild turkey in 73/74.glen cornick wore some pretty strange clothes.i also saw them supporting black sabbath at the albert hall in (i think ) 71.
Clive Richardson…. Wild Turkey did play the Pier and not Aquarius. Also on the August date ‘Leo Sayer band’ did not turn up.
This the other gig they did in 1973 with Leo Sayer Band & Daisy
poster supplied by Mick Mepham and cuttings supplied by Sarah Harvey
Tony Davis… Saw them at The Dome in Brighton on tour with Black Sabbath – think it was the Master of Reality Tour. They were a great band – that’s Turkey and Sabbath
Phil Thornton… Great gig !!!
Andrew Freeman… I love seeing these posters from both the nostalgia point of view and because they remind me of my son who lives in Brighton and plays with a band called Rough Hands, playing gigs all over and in Europe. I like to think one day, maybe one day they will play Hastings Pier, who knows
Glenn Piper… It was a good gig
Pete Prescott… Good times! Great band. I saw them at Sittingbourne town hall and at Chatham central hall in 73/74. I first saw them at the Albert Hall supporting Black Sabbath in 71.
The Hollies & The Strangers Five – Hastings Pier 7th March 1964
Andre Palfrey-martin collection. Ticket supplied by Pete Millington
Andre Martin….Here is something from 50 years ago – The Hollies playing the Happy Ballroom on 7th March 1964 + The Strangers Five, all for 6/-
Andy Qunta…. Would have loved to see that! Big Hollies fan, then & now!
Terry Pack….I played with Bobby Sansom’s band at The Top Rank Club in Brighton for six months in 1982/3. He was a great singer
Margaret Cullingworth… Along with friends I went to see The Hollies on Hastings Pier that night. There I met for the first time the nice young man I was destined to marry. ‘Just One Look’ is definitely on the play list for our Golden Wedding anniversary party next month as that is all it took!
Peter Millington… I was there, the sound of Eric Haydock’s Fender VI through a Fender Bassman 2×12 Piggy Back Amp was stunning, never got over that and the harmonies. The drummer for that visit was Don Rathbone who left shortly after this gig and was repalced by Bobby Elliott.
Margaret Cullingworth…My husband and I go to Hollies concerts whenever they are in our area. We went to Eastbourne and Brighton on the last tour. I was pleased to know the name of the support group, The Strangers Five. I wonder if any of them went on to find fame!
Andre Martin…. The Strangers Five, were from Southampton and appeared regularly on the Pier over the years – here is a quote from their website Sometime after that, we formed the “Five Strangers”. The band comprised of me, ‘Fred Funnel’, Brian Fisher, Roy Bridle and Bill Yaldren. We did some great gigs at that time. I remember ‘The Candlelight Club’ at Woolston, and the ‘Empire Hall’ at Totton. One of the best was the Saturday morning “Gaumont Show”. Quite a few of the local bands did the show and it was just fantastic…To be 17 years old and playing on a big, real theatre stage with an audience of several hundreds screaming for more at the end of each song did make us ‘Feel Good’. Sometimes there would be 2 groups on and sometimes they might have us, plus a guest singer, such as ‘Tex Roberg’. Well….. It was just wonderful. This group later changed their name to Wishful Thinking.
Peter Millington…Saw The Hollies twice – life was never the same after that….Yes it was 1964 although The Hollies came to Hastings Pier on 24th August 1963. Seeing them for the second time in 1964 made me appreciate just how good they were. The first time I just glazed over in amazement at the precision high harmonies. They seemed to be better than their records although live performances give you a “feel” particularly with Eric Haydock pounding out his speedy bass lines with a Fender VI through a Fender amp. There was a time in 1963/4 where all the big names were using kit that we could only see on TV or in brochures. Getting any gear locally was impossible. Eventually we (The Confederates) managed to get a full line-up of Vox gear and a shiny set of Premier drums by going up to the Vox factory and Musicland in Bexleyheath. We came back with the mother of all HP debts. Well you got to haven’t you. To quote a local musician who shall remain nameless “Well that’s showbusiness Dad”
Jon McCallion… I still print the Hollies progs every year when they are on tour. Still a good band, saw them two years ago, fantastic. They are still big in New Zealand.
Andy Qunta… Big on my iPod too!
Mick Knights… At the Crosby and Nash concert at the Albert Hall a couple of years ago, Alan Clark made a guest appearance and sang ‘Bus Stop’ to probably the loudest applause of the whole evening.
Gerry Forsch… Is this the night that the Hollies had a crash in Robertsbridge?
Lloyd Johnson… i was at this gig!..great group!…
Helena Kingshott… I remember that night x
Lloyd Johnson… fun wasn’t it!….rocks in the tree tops all night long! Rockin Robin! tweet! tweet! twiddly deeee!..
Rolling Stones being escorted off Hastings Pier 1st August 1964.
© photo credit Associated Press. Thanks to Kenneth Roberts for this and also Jim Breeds for posting.
Andre Martin… The Stones were escorted from the Pier entrance, the clock tower in effect to the Ballroom by the Police under the supervision of the late Sgt Dobson, the had previously travelled from the Police HQ near the Queens Hotel in the back of an Ambulance. Their exit was in reverse order, this was confirmed in the Post[after]action report from the Chief Constable Mr Brown on the whole of the weekends events, and is available to read at the Keep, County Records Office Falmer.
Anne Wells… they appear to be escorted by twin police officers! A few of us (girls) were allowed backstage to meet the Stones, via a friend’s father from the County Youth Service.
Alan Esdaile… Does anyone know if this came from the Richard Houghton Book – You Had To Be There?
Kevin Burchett… I was there when they arrived by ambulance we had taken my older sister there to see them with a couple of her friends we lived in netherfield at the time and we stayed for a while by the toilets before you went in the main hall and listened to them play i was only 11 at the time
Kenneth Roberts… No Alan this one is Mark Paytress -The Rolling Stones -Off The Record , outrageous opinions & unrehearsed interviews, great book.
Pete Fisher… unfortunately I was too young to be able to go to this legendary gig on the pier in my home town Hastings, on the otherwise sleepy south east coast of England…52 years ago today…
Malcolm McIntyre Kinnear… Meaning you were too young for Thursday night Twisting Time, which looking back was probably a good thing. Mind you getting in for Alex Harvey……well.
Pete Fisher… all past my bedtime, as I was only nine, but I was actually quite good at the twist..
Jill Caine… I was there.
Sarah Foreman… I have it on good authority that the policeman on the left of Mick Jagger is Jack Hopkinson. I know his son Ray Hopkinson.
Iain Cobby… My mother Joyce who sadly passed away this March was working at the Pier Bingo in the Theater that day. I was only 9 at the time so I was too young to go. I asked my mum to get their autographs for my book (I had Lenny the Lions!). Next morning I was presented with all 5 Stones signatures on the back of a bingo ticket. For many years it took pride of place on the wall of my room. Unfortunately I lost the ticket in the loft of my then home some 25 years ago. Gutted.
Kenneth Hylbak… Twin brother coppers.
Trevor Locock… So young there & still going strong today.
Rolling Stones – Hastings Pier 1st August 1964 by Andre Martin
all cuttings Andre Palfrey-martin collection, pier crowd photo Coz ‘Swoz’ Booth .
ticket for sale… https://www.tracks.co.uk/product/rs613-rolling-stones-1964-hastings-pier-ballroom-concert-ticket-stub-uk/
Dateline – August Bank Holiday 1st August 1964, and here we are all poised for another great weekend in The Happy Ballroom – headline act this weekend The Rolling Stones, making their 3rd visit to Hastings, and this was going to be a good night, as they had just had 2 weeks in the no 1 spot on the UK Charts with “It’s All Over Now “ – a number penned by Bobby & Shirley Womack and had been originally released in the US by the Valentinos. The Stones had raved about this song when they first heard this on the Murray the K Show earlier that year. For those who like FACTS – it was The Beatles, with “ A Hard Day’s Night” that had pushed The Stones off the No 1 spot the previous week. Because of the popularity the prices had risen to 10/- admission. The supporting bands were The Worrying Kind and The Sabres – both of which were well know to the patrons of the Happy Ballroom. So nothing very different than a normal Saturday night in The Happy Ballroom – but as we all know things were about to change. Because of the very recent chart success of The Stones, more than normal crowds began to arrive at the Pier, also being a Bank Holiday extra visitors, looking for a long weekend added to the interest. Because of the numbers of fans it was agreed that to get the band onto the Ballroom, different tactics should be used, and in this instance the famous disused ambulance delivery would be used. I have attached with this amongst the photos, a copy from the after-action report from the Police giving more details of this activity. Well as we all now know, this was going to be the start of a very different weekend for Hastings, and one that would be branded – Second Battle of Hastings. The night before – 31st July – Ready Steady Go would include – –The Kinks – “You Really Got Me.”
–Manfred Mann – “Do Wah Diddy Diddy.”–The Four Pennies – ” Found Out The Hard Way.”
–Kenny Lynch – “What Am I To You” (or “My Own Two Feet”). -Simon Scott – “Move It Baby.”
–Peter Lee Stirling –The Shevelles -The Leroys
This had set the musical scene for the Bank Holiday. Along the seafront at the very recently opened The Witch Doctor, was planning a weekend that would have included Saturday night – from Coventry “ The Avengers “ and Sunday “ John Lees Ground Hoggs”. Andre Martin
Clifford Rose……I’d like to have seen the Alex Harvey Soul Band. Same Alex Harvey before the rock band.
Andre Martin… The crowd photo, just prior to the Rolling Stones Appearing in the Happy Ballroom, this was part of the build up to the second Battle of Hastings as the press and TV branded the Bank Holiday Weekend.
Sue Verrall… The Sabres supporting wow !!!