hastings
What is your favourite song from Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons?
Alan Esdaile… Mine is probably Beggin’.
Matt Thomas… Walk Like A Man
Nadia Compagnone… Beggin. One of my favourite songs. Tremendous performers.
Chris Pook… Down The Hall is my favourite.
Mark Harris… I was playing that on YouTube just the other day, great song, reminded me of Centre Page!
Chris Pook… Know what you mean Mark. I used to enjoy playing that one.. The song that reminds me of Centre Page (well Tony Bird anyway), is Love Will Keep Us Together originally by Capt & Tennille.
Mark Harris… They were our heroes! Rennies on a Thursday night!
Alan Essex… Marlena
Leigh Wieland-Boys… You’re Ready Now.
Sandy Max… Oh what a night! Otherwise known as December ’63
Sid Saunders… Big girls don’t cry.
Andy Qunta… They have a lot I love but I think my fave is Rag Doll.
Caz Simpson… Saw him twice live and Jersey Boys twice, love him. Rag Doll sigh
Matt Thomas… Saw them mid 90’s at Congress Theatre in Eastbourne, what a fantastic show
Dave Edwards… Rag doll
Mick O’Dowd… No Surfin’ Today
Dave Nattress… So many, but special memories go to “Opus 17 don’t you worry ’bout me” from 1966 when I was 13 and one summer seems like for days and days on end round a friend’s house playing this and other notable singles 6 at a time on his parents’ stereo radiogram thing, a big bunch of us lurking and dancing around – all such innocent fun times. Great song, maybe not as well known as most
Phil Goring… For me, got to be their first hit,Sherry, when they first came to the notice of the UK.
Steve Maxted… Rag Doll, on our jukebox too
Penny Black & King Rod 1973
supplied by Sarah Harvey
Sarah Harvey… Pop Scene from December 8th, 1973. Two more bands I am not sure have been mentioned yet…. Penny Black playing at The Yorkshire Grey and ‘King Rod’ playing at The Regent Hotel (Remember seeing a few bands play live there.
Dave Nattress… The Prisoners – Andy Leaney, (RIP), Robin Heggie, (RIP), Mick Bridgeland and myself had our first gig at the Yorkshire Grey, God knows when – about 1979 and the abiding memory is of Robin’s disgust when looking around the stage pre-gig/soundcheck to plug in some amps to find the landlord’s dog had left a really big curly-whirly cumberland sausgage there. I can see Robin’s face now!! Real rock n roll moment that one. Funny the things you remember!!
Dave Weeks… The first gig I attended at the pier I think.
Andy Qunta… Both great bands! Saw them many times, & I’m pretty sure Factory was on the same bill with them more than once!
Tony Court-holmes… forgot about king rod
Headlights, Be Bop Bella, Die Laughing, Sunstroke – Carlisle – 558 Entertainments – 12th Jan to 20th Jan 1979
supplied by Mick Mepham
Mick O’Dowd… This was my first promotion at The Carlisle. I had previously promoted Headlights at The Caves and was very impressed with them. They came from London but that’s all I can remember about them. Can anybody else help out? As you can probably make out Be Bop Bella & Sunstroke were rock’n’roll acts and then there’s that other band that no one on this page has probably ever heard of. Die Laughing. Hi Mick, Lol & Tel!
Alan Esdaile… Remember Sunstroke very well. Used to be managed by Cy Whitfield in Hastings. Very surprised we have not found any photos of the band so far. This is all I got.
Mick O’Dowd… I now realise I promoted Headlights 3 times. They must have been good!
Jim Breeds… Was the audience mainly made up of transfixed rabbits? 😀
Sarah Baggaley… Hi, my dad played bass in a band called Sunstroke in the 70s. I have a pic of the band with a Hastings phone number on it so I guess it’s the same one?! Trying to find out a bit more about it as he died in 1997.
Alan Esdaile… Is Mick O’Dowd mad?
Tim Moose Bruce… I remember Before The Storm, they were very young and new to the scene but every time I saw them ( Supporting bands like Die Laughing) they improved with leaps and bounds. I recall they changed their name to Billy Whiz later on.
Hector – Aquarius 12th January 1974
Anyone remember seeing this band?
Robert Searle… I thought they did a gig at the Sundowners at Pevensey in the seventies.
The Episode – The Cobweb 11th January 1969
The Episode were previous Episode Six which included Ian Gillan and Roger Glover. 7 1/2 pence to play bingo!
Andy Qunta… Simon Dupree & The Big Sound coming up too! Kippinston (!) Lodge!
Paul Huggett… Kippington Lodge had Nick Lowe in the lineup I think.
Alan Esdaile… Yes your right Paul and involved into Brinsley Schwarz.
Chris Jolly… Sat January 18 – KIPPINSTON LODGE!
Andre Martin… Simon Dupree and The Big Sounds, Kites, excellent record used to get a lot of air time on BBC Radio London with Robbie Vincent in th 70s. Worked with Episode Six and of course the House Band = well almost Kippington Lodge when John Schofield was promoting the Happy Ballroom in 1968. Again just how many future “Names” were learning their trade on Hastings Pier or Witch Doctor/Cobweb.
Ian Williams… I worked with Dave Cottam in the ’70’s – great bass player. The band was fronted by Will Young, I believe? Roger Siggery on drums.
Shaft – Yorkshire Grey 1974
Andy Knight (drums), Jim Beadle (bass), Bob Shipway (guitar), Colin Pierce (guitar), Dave Shaw (vocal), Ross Holter (mixing).
Harry Randall… Jim use to play bass in met band in 67-68 “The Lloyd Milligan Sound” an 8 piece soul band who basically went pro to Keel but got fiddled (didn’t wait for contract)
Judith Monk… Loved the ‘Grey’ used to play bar billiards there.
Tony Court-holmes… used to be good for a fight I remember but still some good bands played there
Fiesta Coffee Bar
Andre Palfrey-martin collection.
1965
Tony Qunta….I used to love the Fiesta!
John Alexander Wilde….June 5th 1971 John and Pam wedding reception in the coffee bar. Anyone still alive that remembers this?
Pete Fisher….spent so many hours here hanging out as a teenager…sitting outside on the pavement in the summer…
Stephen Fletcher….Good memories .spent most of my teenage years there.
Andy Qunta…. remember the tea came in a glass that sat in a kind of silver/metal glass holder with a handle.Tea bag still in it, & a long spoon. Good hamburgers too! Chicago – 25 or 6 to 4 – on the juke box, as well as many more great classics!
Gary Kinch……….And tomato ketchup that came in plastic tomatoes. Unscrew the green top, quickly turn the tomato upside down, place green top on the upturned bottom, then leave……….we were really rock and roll
Geoff Peckham….Yes, I would have been with you, Andy. Bridge Over Troubled Water was the soundtrack on the jukebox. Perhaps we discussed forming a band in the Fiesta?
Bernard Jeffery…Big part of my youth, great coffee, used to get a baguette and fill it with chips and loads of ketchup, so healthy. always good music on the jukebox.
Paul Sleet….who remembers Min riding into the fiesta on his bike?
Terry Huggins….I got barred from this place on a regular basis.
Andre Martin…..Does anybody remember the guy – I think his name was Joe, who used to be on the door, downstairs on the corridor up to the club on the top floor, he used to be on ” duty” Friday and Saturday nights till the early hours of the morning, I knew him also from the college where he was a student doing A levels – often wondered what happened to him – nice guy.
Soho Jets & Factory – 1975
all cuttings supplied by Sarah Harvey
Andy Qunta… Great finds, Sarah! Thanks! Don’t remember the Soho Jets! I remember lugging all our gear down the Caves though! Lugging it down the Pier to the ballroom was a breeze compared!
Bernard Jeffery…. I remember doing caves gigs, the damp atmosphere affected the drums tuning, couldn’t keep a good sound.
Dave Nattress… Sarah, remember Samisen’s caves gigs well and for sure the damp atmosphere and the lugging. Worse was getting the gear down the steep footpath off West Hill Road, then down the steps, then the ramp to the entrance, in and down and down and down. Then getting it all out again.
Ray McVay & his Orchestra and Spyke – ITT KB Social Club White Rock Pavilion 10th Jan 1975
supplied by Pete Millington https://pet842.wixsite.com/confeds-to-jinks
Pete Millington… Audience at the ITT Dance held at the White Rock Theatre on 10th January 1975 – My sister Jane is third from right front row (is in front second from right!) I recognise several other faces but not their names – any ideas?