You mentioned Bill Colwill there was a Bill C. who used to be always at the Mayfair maybe to do with the music and he was in my shop every lunch time with a Colin Topping and a guy called Brian. you? Greg Burmans speakers were legendary but were a bastard to transport and set up. Anyway, I hope your life is going well Trevor. Great site.Keep it up, Paul x. Mighty Joe Young was the band of our choice.many musicians stood in with them, Nigel Stanger being one of them, Ronny McLean on tromboneEric Burdon often sang or shouted there and Allan Price raised the roof with his piano and electric organ if I remember rightly. Spent my late teens / early twenties in Newcastle 66 77 Worked in theatre but then at Change Is from 69 onwards till it turned into Bloomers, but have fond memories of all the venues listed here as well as Change Is. John and I are celebrating our 39th wedding anniversary today and so have been looking back to when we first met in two very special nightclubs in newcastle (long gone but never forgotten) mainly Change Is (later known as Bloomers) and our very favourite place Scamps. 1. What an era! Like George I have been looking for pics for years. Also played at Ray Grehans Cub in Roker Avenue Sunderland with Little Eva and the Fortunes. Most public houses have been swept away by what we are told is progress, but the communities that once lived in those areas often still remember the days when men would come out of the shipyards and offices to pop in for a pint. The Greg Burman Sound was resident at the Quay Club and I will never forget Greg showing me the proper way to play James Browns I Feel Good top bloke. LA DOLCE VITA CRAZY NIGHTS!!! My dad, George McGuinness, was the pianist at the Mayfair in the 60s. What a very comprehensive and informative site and great to see some of the places that meant quite a lot to me in my younger days. The Downbeat was another of Mike Jefferys clubs. To Anna (156) yes I remember The Kontors. Rumour had it that the ex-Club AGogo bouncer Dave Findlay and his brother Tommy were going to put in appearance. I dont suppose you have any photographs or memorabilia of any of the clubs you worked in I have memberships cards and entrance tickets but no photos! My mate and I were upstairs buying hot dogs and I got ours and put plenty of Tomato sauce and Mustard on both and went to move away from the counter when a guy in a light tan suede cowboy Jacket backed into me covering his suede tassels in sauce. We all gave up the Go-Go after Sloopys opened at about 1967, Then it was Change Is which changed to Bloomers where I met my wife Joan, and by that time everyone had moved on and got married, I got married in 1976 aged 27 and now still Happily married with 3 kids and 3 grandchildren . Can you believe I used to have to buy a friend a drink just to get her to dance to something I loved probably JamesBrown or Family or something great! Really interesting reading. Im the daughter of Ken Maddison who had a resident trio in various local clubs in the 60s the Pickwick in Whitley Bay, La Strada in South Shields, and the Baileys clubs in Newcastle, I remember him being at La Dolce Vita, and (I think) the Latino.Sadly hes not around any more to ask, but I remember as a child hearing some of the names you mention here. It opened in 1959 and ran for around 6 years. Then late 1962 we changed to mods and started going to the Go-Go, and also the West End boys club. We actually had our engagement party (Nov 1974 I think) upstairs in Bloomers or Change Is not sure when name changed. Real name "Northumberland Arms". Wow, this is very interesting information, Im Mark Ward Im the son of Chuck & Kathy Ward, along with Mike Jeffries they founded the Marimba in High Bridge and were true sultans of the Jazz and Latin America music scene in Newcastle, I have always been searching for information and any photographs of the Marimba, on searching I have always been a bit let down that my father has never had any mention for the part they played in this cool and underground scene, when everybody else was bopping. According to her they had sex on the floor there. :)Alas, me and my friends said theyd never be famous with a name like that!!!!! As I am on a roll heres another one, local group from the Felling, started off as a skiffle group and went on the play many venues Ritson Hunters Silver Six, they had a female vocalist Ann Castlehow I think she was called which was unusual at the time, think they played the Oxford a few times, not sure of that tho, they eventually spawned the Decca Rhythm Group with Jimmy Laine. Save this search; Map View; List your business for Free! my info is that Bob Monkhouse did indeed have an input in Change Is..formerly the Picadilly club the resident band that opened the Picadilly in the mid sixties was After the gig was finished Joe was going home and this band of youngsters were sitting in the arcade, one of them said Joe, lend us 10 bob to get some chips, were skint and starving so Joe took pity and obliged, that band turned out to be the Faces and the kid he loaned the 10 bob to was Rod Stewart, Joe was always moaning he never got his 10 bob back. He played a vital role in its history and the history of Newcastles night life in the 60s. View listing packages . The builders had only erected the wall a few days earlier HAPPY DAYS !!! & Mel Torme At The Cresendo L/Palso also opened a casino upstairs had chemmy games until the early hours later sold it to Ray Grehan.mussoes used to Gig all night in the club into the early hours. What a night!!!!!!! I used to go to the Club A Gogo in 1967/1968 as a 15 year old and saw many great bands; Hendrix, John Mayall, Cream, Family and loads of others. Does anyone remember Joe and Pat McBeth,fab dancers, Does anyone know of any Italian restaurant where someone called Frank Calzini or Franco Calzini worked in 1967 it was in Pink Lane. Also loved the Gogo. Roger, thanks for a great website, it continues to bring back memories some good, some bad and some unprintable. One of my haunts was the Jazz Club at the bottom of Pilgrim Street which was a seedy little place during the day but came alive with light and music at night. Also played at Muscle In as I was friendly with the owner Walter McCrae. He told me about his time as a photographer at Newcastle Night Clubs in the 1960s. Saw Ralph Brough our lead singer some years ago, we were running the Peterlee half marathon, theres a change. Ahhh the memories of such magical days Thanks, Great memories, and thanks to everyone for sharing them. He was with his daughter who is also a sInger. Thanks But I am sure that they also got a lot of bands from London. Other acts that appeared at the Majestic Ballroom in the sixties include; The Moody Blues, The Kinks, The Spencer Davis Group, The Hollies, Van Morrison and the Small Faces. Does anyone remember the Kontors band; Alan price, Chas Chandler, Bernie Maguian, Gordon Cleghorn, Nick Brandon, Chunky Bourne, Barry Preston? to commemorate these experiences I have recently cut a CD called Cats Nite Out on which I have included the R & R music we used then.I went on the sing throughout my life as a solo artiste, called Ray Donne for a period and then back to my real name. it was Alfie wright who owned the Crescendo Club at Whitley Bay, not Ray Grehan, trust me I opened it Detroit sounds the hinge the outfit perfumed garden well me for one as I was in ALL of them our biggest claim to fame was backing the opportunity knocks star the muscle man at the middle club, byker. Buy Tickets . Required fields are marked *. The Haymarket pub was our haunt and thats where we got to know everyone and Ill try and remember all we used meet up with. I briefly played guitar with the George Ricco Band, rotating between Wetherals, La Dolce Vita and the Cavendish, 1965/66, The resident band at the Crescendo was the Del 5, the singer was Billy Wilson from Gateshead, there was 2 sax players one was Peter Parkinson from South Shields but Im sorry the other name eludes me. FABULOUS SITE MY HUSBAND DENNIS BRAZIL REMEMBERS THESE CLUBS WHEN WORKING IN NEWCASTLE YEARS LATER BEFORE WE WERE MARRIED I REMEMBER FROM WORKING IN NEWCASTLE WITH A FRIEND LOVED NEWCASTLE AND THE CLUBS ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE WE ARE IN LEEDS. I will never forget you were working at the theatre royal and u let me see the stage set for Alice in wonderland and let me have a go on the big swing in the stage. Does anyone have a list of bands appearing at the Ballroom in the University Union in the 1960s, Eclection, Family, Jethro Tull, Graham Bond, Taste, Pink Floyd , Alex Harvey for starters. The club was situated on the ground floor and in the basement of an old building on the Side, almost opposite the Crown Posada public house. We got on talking about old Sunderland and thats how I found out who he was. We drove all night and met some great Geordie at the match and who then took us to the Cavendish where we saw from memory Gerry and the pacemakers. Yes I was a big fan of The Kon-Tors, the forerunners of The Animals. Most of the lads my age in 1972 aspired to have their hair like the lovely Marc Bolan. Best wishes, Trevor. Venues were St.Georges Drill Hall by Northumberland Rd. I have googled and tried Face book but without any success. Tom spent a lot of his time at The Dolce Vita when the club had super stag nights on Mondays and Crazy nights on Thursdays, Hi. The building that housed the Marimba no longer exists. Any info would be really appreciated. 30 left on 9 February 2013. My father was Carl Hersman who played keyboards. I lived there from when it opened in late1973 or early 1974. Pete Wallis. blog 28 mentions thelate Mike Carr.. been on wikepedia and seems he still walks among us.. thankfully. Hi Dave Coates enjoyed reading your post I dont live in Newcastle but had lots of contacts, friends and customers from my Disque records days in town. old nightclubs in south shields. Geoff Wonfor became famous as a music video producer. The Marimba was open for just over a year before being gutted by fire. Can you believe we dont have a single photo of this momentous occasion? 1 of 10 The Neptune Inn, South Shields Pubs, by Eileen Burnett, published by Amberley 2 of 10 The Tyne Dock Hotel, South Shields, 1938. June Viner, Sorry should have said Frank Pickering and Mickey Pemberton. Student Union do,s were good and remember Sect and Elcorts playing at a couple of them. Julie Macsorley had been cooking a chicken at her home near South Shields when her carbon monoxide (CO) alarm alerted her to the danger. June I knew John Harker ( he was a freind of my brother Gordon) and I do know Ray Huntley I will have to pass on your compliments. Tommy Oxley worked as a part-time Court Usher then. Cheers Great site look forward to any info. A bit like the place in Dirty Dancing. I went there quite a few times in the late 60s. Just stumbled across your website. I read all the stuff about The Maj and Rue And the Rockets, does anyone remember the resident DJ, a young girl (said to be the youngest professional DJ around. But who were the men and woman who owned and ran the north easts iconic clubs and kept us entertained throughout the sixties? He said, Dance with me and started doing what he called The Pickett. I was a regular there in the 60s maybe 63-64-65ish By Sam Johnson 24th Nov 2021, 4:55am - 2 min read. Her stage name was Julie Johnson. Had a great time in the 60s. Bounce Back 2 the Old Skool . Change Is was financed by comedian, Bob Monkhouse who teamed up with Newcastle entrepreneur Ronnie Markham in an attempt to open a club that would offer something different to the many other clubs in the city at that time. There used to be a competition in the Panama dip in Whitley Bay in the summer which usually featured the same three groups which were the Wildcats, the Sixteen Strings & the invaders. Lorraine, its lovely to hear how much you enjoyed going to Bloomers and glad the memories made you smile! Fantastic read! Would love to get hold of Jane Maddison, Kens daughter. Hello, this has been a great read. A former nurse said she feels "lucky to . Ownership changed hands around 1966 and eventually the Gogo closed its doors two years later after the Bailey Organisation opened a disconightspot called Sloopys above the La Dolce Vita.