Known gigs are listed below - if you might have been there, send an Email with any memories!
1968
1 November Ringwood Youth Club
2 November Hazelbury Bryan Village Hall
15 November Wimborne Youth Club
16 November Tarrant Rawston Village Hall
22 November Stourpaine Village Hall
25 November Oakdale Youth Club, Poole
5 December Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe [with Pink Floyd, Status Quo]
6 December Ferndown Youth Club
13 December Wimborne Youth Club
18 December Wimborne Secondary Modern School
28 December Chard Guildhall [with Cavaliers]
1969
3 January Ferndown Youth Club
4 January Sidmouth Pavilion [with Rainbow Folly]
10 January Ringwood Cinema
16 January Bovington Army Camp
18 January Verwood Village Hall
25 January Weymouth Pavilion support Noel and the Fireballs
30 January Bournemouth College Biafran Appeal Concert
31 January Dorchester Wheel
1 March Chard
8 March Wimborne Legion
15 March Wool
28 March Verwood
5 April Blandford Railway Hotel
12 April Wimborne Legion
16 April Weymouth Beat Contest
20 April Audition Globetrotters Poole
20 April The Hole Blues Club
25 April The Ritz, Bournemouth
30 April Weymouth Beat Contest Final
2 May The Ritz
11 May The Hole, Crown Hotel
16 May Wimborne Grammar School
25 May Magnet Bowl, Poole
30 May The Ritz (with Howlin' Wolf & John Dummer Band)
1 June The Hole, Crown Hotel
8 June The Hole, Crown Hotel
23 June Bournemouth Pier
24 June The Ritz
25 June The Ritz
2 July Swingin' Clink, Boscombe
5 July The Showboat (from Poole Quay)
20 July Swingin' Clink, Boscombe
23 July Bournemouth Pier
2 August The Showboat (from Poole Quay)
19 August The Pavilion, Bournemouth
22 August Pavilion, Weymouth
23 August The Showboat (from Poole Quay)
1 September Keeside Disco, Weymouth
2 September Bournemouth Pavilion
5 September The Ritz (with Liverpool Scene)
6 September The Showboat (from Poole Quay)
7 September Bournemouth Pavilion
12 September The Ritz (with Clouds)
19 September The Ritz (with Hard Meat)
26 September The Ritz (with Village)
3 October The Ritz (with Third Ear Band)
10 October The Ritz (with Pete Brown and Piblokto)
17 October The Ritz (with Gypsy)
25 October Railway Tavern Blandford
31 October The Ritz (with Juniors Eyes)
1 November Weymouth Pavilion
7 November The Ritz (with Strawbs)
13 November The Ritz (with Image)
14 November The Ritz (with Julians Treatment)
15 November The Ritz
15 November Top Rank
16 November Bournemouth Pavilion (with Slade)
21 November The Ritz (with Edgar Broughton Band)
22 November Westward Ho! Sandpiper Club
1970 If you can recall the dates of the missing gigs, please Email me!
13 January Klooks Kleek supporting Roy Harper
30 January The Ritz (with Estas Tom Cat)
27 February North-West Kent Colledge of Technology, Dartford (support band: Puckles Blend)
28 February Staines Town Hall (with Spirit of John Morgan)
8 March Lyceum, Strand (with Caparius, Spencer Davis, Sam Apple Pie)
24 April East Berks College, Windsor
9 July Cat and Fiddle, New Forest
Roy recalls some 1970 gigs but no dates:
London:
- The Marquee,
- The Revolution,
- The Temple under Ronnie Scotts,
- The Lyceum Melody Makercontest.
Universities:
- Coventry supporting FleetwoodMac,
- Darlington,
- Bournemouth support Status Quo and Pink Floyd
Festivals:
- In May we played at a festival near Lille in France.
- In October we went to Switzerland.The Atlantis Club in Basle and also St. Gallen
1971
1 January Blandford Railway
6 January Royal Albert Hall (with Pentangle)
9 January Yeovil Supported by Hogwart Leech
19 January Switzerland St. Gallen and Berne Ba Ba Lu Club
12 February Blandford School
13 February Sidmouth
19 February Bridport
20 February Coombe Martin
5 March Weymouth Wheel
6 March Blandford School
13 March Weymouth Wheel
30 March Devon College
10 April Temple Support Patto
11 April Maggies Club Yeovil
?? April Ferndown Youth Club
17 April Ferndown Youth Club (Juniors)
29 April Radio Solent
20 May Bryanston School
21 May Gosport
28 May Southampton Tech
29 May Swanage Youth Club
30 May Lymington Social Club
25 June Gillingham
28 June Chelsea Village Bournemouth
29 June Chelsea Village Bournemouth
30 June Chelsea Village Bournemouth
2 July Southampton
21 July Weymouth Grammar School
Showing posts with label dorset. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dorset. Show all posts
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
1969 and more changes...
The year turned with Jethro Tull's influence creeping in, but with a noticeable leaning towards Peter Green and John Mayall.
Maybe the band found it suited their abilities and talents, and it was still unusual for female vocals especially on the blues numbers.
Chris and Roy wrote songs together - these were bluesy and what was becoming known as "progressive rock", and Steve chipped in with a few ditties, some folky-bluesy and others perhaps a bit Byrd-y.
A momentous spring night in Weymouth saw the band reach third place in the annual "Beat Contest" (yep, up-to-date or what!). The set included four titles of very different styles - "Ethel" a complicated but tuneful number, co-written with a chum from Art College called Mike Horseman, and which featured Jane on harmonium (caused a stir that did!). Next came "Rosebud May", an Edge song in Sebastian-style, but loosely based on a Ray Davies song (!). This was followed by a song I can't remember but I'm sure someone will let me know, and the band turned up the volume to close with an up-beat version of the Cream's "Cat's Squirrel".
The official details "concerning Groups competing in Heat No. 3 on Wednesday 16 April 1969" rather formally described Room as:
C. K. Williams - Lead Guitar
R. Putt - Bass Guitar
S. Edge - Lead Guitar
P. Redfern - Drums
Miss J. Kevern - Vocalist
The Leader of the Group was named as Miss J. Kevern
And the "Details of Career - as supplied by Group" went as follows:
"98% of our work is our own. We spend three nights a week arranging and sort our work to practise at local dances. Our work is based on originality and quality of sound. Anything new is always of interest. We arrange on the grounds of 'progressive blues' and 'life music'. Having a girl singer induces more into blues numbers."
The band continued to play locally at a wide variety of venues - pubs, clubs, village halls, and larger venues such as the Pavilion at Bournemouth, where they supported groups like Slade (who were skinheads then) - and began to sense that they had the makings of bigger things...
A lucky break got a supporting role at the Ritz in Bournemouth which was the place to be if you were seriously into music, man. All but the biggest bands played the Ritz.
The Room, now simply "Room", settled into a regular Friday night gig at the Ritz and the musical weaving continued. Bands such as Nice, Junior's Eyes, Van der Graf Generator, had an influence, and one night, the dressing room was blessed with the presence of the great bluesman Howlin' Wolf, who jammed with the band.
Now the time had come to go pro...Pete decided not to, and left to manage a record shop in Bournemouth, and was replaced by Bob Jenkins, a drummer from Bournemouth, who had a penchant for short snappy drum breaks, unlike Pete who just made one hell of a noise (and very good he was too!).
A manager was recruited, one Harry Goldblatt of Bournemouth. Harry was one of the old breed in the music business, almost harking back to the big band days, but he did have contacts. Also, a Transit was acquired - yes, at last, the status symbol had arrived!
On the road again, all over the country, gaining experience, and writing more and more songs and tunes. The band's musical abilities also developed, but the range of musical styles gradually diminished as a more unique sound began to emerge.
The chance to take part in the annual Melody Maker Contest (with a possible record deal for the winner) could not be missed, and the band duly got a place in the final at the Lyceum in the new year.
Above: Steve in 1969
Maybe the band found it suited their abilities and talents, and it was still unusual for female vocals especially on the blues numbers.
Chris and Roy wrote songs together - these were bluesy and what was becoming known as "progressive rock", and Steve chipped in with a few ditties, some folky-bluesy and others perhaps a bit Byrd-y.
A momentous spring night in Weymouth saw the band reach third place in the annual "Beat Contest" (yep, up-to-date or what!). The set included four titles of very different styles - "Ethel" a complicated but tuneful number, co-written with a chum from Art College called Mike Horseman, and which featured Jane on harmonium (caused a stir that did!). Next came "Rosebud May", an Edge song in Sebastian-style, but loosely based on a Ray Davies song (!). This was followed by a song I can't remember but I'm sure someone will let me know, and the band turned up the volume to close with an up-beat version of the Cream's "Cat's Squirrel".
The official details "concerning Groups competing in Heat No. 3 on Wednesday 16 April 1969" rather formally described Room as:
C. K. Williams - Lead Guitar
R. Putt - Bass Guitar
S. Edge - Lead Guitar
P. Redfern - Drums
Miss J. Kevern - Vocalist
The Leader of the Group was named as Miss J. Kevern
And the "Details of Career - as supplied by Group" went as follows:
"98% of our work is our own. We spend three nights a week arranging and sort our work to practise at local dances. Our work is based on originality and quality of sound. Anything new is always of interest. We arrange on the grounds of 'progressive blues' and 'life music'. Having a girl singer induces more into blues numbers."
The band continued to play locally at a wide variety of venues - pubs, clubs, village halls, and larger venues such as the Pavilion at Bournemouth, where they supported groups like Slade (who were skinheads then) - and began to sense that they had the makings of bigger things...
A lucky break got a supporting role at the Ritz in Bournemouth which was the place to be if you were seriously into music, man. All but the biggest bands played the Ritz.
The Room, now simply "Room", settled into a regular Friday night gig at the Ritz and the musical weaving continued. Bands such as Nice, Junior's Eyes, Van der Graf Generator, had an influence, and one night, the dressing room was blessed with the presence of the great bluesman Howlin' Wolf, who jammed with the band.
Now the time had come to go pro...Pete decided not to, and left to manage a record shop in Bournemouth, and was replaced by Bob Jenkins, a drummer from Bournemouth, who had a penchant for short snappy drum breaks, unlike Pete who just made one hell of a noise (and very good he was too!).
A manager was recruited, one Harry Goldblatt of Bournemouth. Harry was one of the old breed in the music business, almost harking back to the big band days, but he did have contacts. Also, a Transit was acquired - yes, at last, the status symbol had arrived!
On the road again, all over the country, gaining experience, and writing more and more songs and tunes. The band's musical abilities also developed, but the range of musical styles gradually diminished as a more unique sound began to emerge.
The chance to take part in the annual Melody Maker Contest (with a possible record deal for the winner) could not be missed, and the band duly got a place in the final at the Lyceum in the new year.
Above: Steve in 1969
1968 and all that...
The band came together in August 1968 when two Blandford lads, Chris Williams and Roy Putt, thought it a good idea to have some fun playing their kind of music. Chris was already an accomplished guitarist and had recently moved to Dorset from up North, and Roy took up the bass guitar. The drummer was another local chap called Pete Redfearn. In the early days, a lad called Roger took lead vocals and odd dancing during Chris's longish guitar solos.
They took the name "The Room" after a poem by somebody. Previously they were "One Way"...
Roy was an art student (yep, unusual eh?) studying graphic design at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and quickly turned his considerable artistic talent to publicity material. One very early small handbill might be recalled even today as it depicted a gruesome head with the upper part hollowed out and filled with the slogan "Room to Let". It is a sign of the times that anyone wishing to contact the band had to telephone a Mr Williams during the day (who would have been at his work as a civil servant) - no calling people by their first name in those days!
Pete worked at a record shop in Poole and had easy access to all the best material of the day.
The band did all the usual commercial stuff like "Midnight Hour" (people at the dances insisted) but also did a lot of their own songs.
An aspiring guitarist, called Scott, from Bournemouth-way joined and added depth to the sound. Also, Chris's girl friend, Jane Kevern, was also known to have joined in the odd chorus.
The band were now making quite an impact locally especially with the head-bangers that were starting to appear. The lad from Bournemouth left and was replaced on October 27 1968 by Steve Edge, a local guitarist, and also studying graphics at Bournemouth.
Gigs became more frequent and widespread. One was at the Royal Ballrooms also had Pink Floyd and Status Quo on the bill...
The music was influenced by the changes in line-up. Roger the vocalist left to be replaced permanently by Jane. Believe it or not, a girl vocalist was unusual in the late sixties especially in a local band.
Still playing all the standards, but deeply into West Coast type music, the band's music changed subtly with leanings towards folk-rock and especially blues. The band also tried their hand at classical tunes a la Dave Edmonds ("In the Hall of the Mountain King" seems to stick in the mind)
The "musical direction" was, in truth, in turmoil, but it all added to the moulding of the later, more unique sound of Room.
Above: (l-r) Jane, Steve and Chris at Wimborne in 1968
Above: Steve at Wimborne in 1968
They took the name "The Room" after a poem by somebody. Previously they were "One Way"...
Roy was an art student (yep, unusual eh?) studying graphic design at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and quickly turned his considerable artistic talent to publicity material. One very early small handbill might be recalled even today as it depicted a gruesome head with the upper part hollowed out and filled with the slogan "Room to Let". It is a sign of the times that anyone wishing to contact the band had to telephone a Mr Williams during the day (who would have been at his work as a civil servant) - no calling people by their first name in those days!
Pete worked at a record shop in Poole and had easy access to all the best material of the day.
The band did all the usual commercial stuff like "Midnight Hour" (people at the dances insisted) but also did a lot of their own songs.
An aspiring guitarist, called Scott, from Bournemouth-way joined and added depth to the sound. Also, Chris's girl friend, Jane Kevern, was also known to have joined in the odd chorus.
The band were now making quite an impact locally especially with the head-bangers that were starting to appear. The lad from Bournemouth left and was replaced on October 27 1968 by Steve Edge, a local guitarist, and also studying graphics at Bournemouth.
Gigs became more frequent and widespread. One was at the Royal Ballrooms also had Pink Floyd and Status Quo on the bill...
The music was influenced by the changes in line-up. Roger the vocalist left to be replaced permanently by Jane. Believe it or not, a girl vocalist was unusual in the late sixties especially in a local band.
Still playing all the standards, but deeply into West Coast type music, the band's music changed subtly with leanings towards folk-rock and especially blues. The band also tried their hand at classical tunes a la Dave Edmonds ("In the Hall of the Mountain King" seems to stick in the mind)
The "musical direction" was, in truth, in turmoil, but it all added to the moulding of the later, more unique sound of Room.
Above: (l-r) Jane, Steve and Chris at Wimborne in 1968
Above: (l-r) Pete and Roy at Wimborne in 1968
Above: Steve at Wimborne in 1968
Above: Roger at Wimborne in 1968
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
