From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Saturday 8th November):
Birth
1944. Bonnie Bramlett (Delaney And Bonnie) born Bonnie Lynn O’Farrell in Acton, Illinois.
On Tour
1969. The Rolling Stones set a new world record for the highest grossing one-night stand in pop history. Tonight’s two shows at the Inglewood Forum in Los Angeles raised $260,000 of which the band receives $ 108,000 (£ 71,000). The first of the evening’s two performances was two hours late in starting due to the over-run of an ice-hockey match. The 7 o’clock show started at 9 p.m. and the 10 o’clock show began at 1 a.m. The Stones didn’t leave the arena until 5 a.m.
In Custody
1988. Ranking Dread (real name Errol Codling) is escorted by police to Heathrow airport outside London and deported from the U.K. The expulsion is officially as a result of immigration offences but he is returning to Jamaica to face questioning over the death of a policeman. Codling was arrested earlier this year after a raid on an illegal drinking club when he was found in possession of drugs but no action was taken by the Crown Prosecution Service. The singer, who had a UK Top 10 hit in 1980 with “Fatty Bum Bum”, is reported to have been on Scotland Yard’s list of most wanted Yaries for some time. The Yardies, a Mafia-style organisation, are said to be heavily involved in drugs and prostitution in London.
In Court
1968. At the Court Of Session in Edinburgh, The Small Faces are ordered to pay £ 2,000 in damages for breach of contract. Lord Thompson, presiding, granted a decree in absence to promoter Albert Bonici of Elgin. Bonici claimed the group breached a contract to appear in Aberdeen, Nairn, Montrose and Perth during August of last year. None of the Small Faces were in court and they were not represented by counsel. No defences were lodged against the action.
On Television
1974. The Midnight Special (NBC, U.S.A.) 90. Guests: Golden Earring; Little Anthony and the Imperials; Orphan. Here are Golden Earring with “Radar Love”. The camp introduction by Little Richard is quite amusing.
Death
1968. Blues singer and bottleneck guitarist James “Kokomo” Arnold dies in Chicago, Illinois aged 67.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 2nd November):
Birth
1941. Bruce Welch (The Shadows) born Bruce Cripps in Bognor Regis, Sussex.
On The Street
2003. P. Diddy spent today pounding the pavement and riased $ 2 million for New York children’s AIDS charities. The rapper entered the New York marathon under his real name of Sean Combs. He completed the 26 mile course in 4 hours 14 minutes and 54 seconds and came home in 11,359th place.
In Court
1998. Sarah McLachlan appears for the first day of a three week trial at court in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is being sued by Darryl Neudorf, recording engineer on her first album, “Touch” who claims he provided parts of the songs “Vox”, “Streaming”, “Sad Clown” and “Strange World” without credit or payment. Neudorf, ex-drummer with Canadian rockers, 54-40 is playing tough. He’s scheduled witnesses from October Game a band McLachlan was in as a teenager who will testify that she has since claimed credits for songs that were written by other members of that band. Despite fans gathering for the event, proceedings are being held in closed court with no public access.
In Hospital
1998. Ska pioneer Roland Alphonso (The Skatalites) collapses onstage during a gig at the Key Club in West Hollywood. He is rushed to Cedars Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles. Despite being kept in hospital for tests and treatment, he will slip into a coma on November 17th and die on November 20th.
1996. Bluesman William “W.C.” Clarke dies in a Fresno hospital after surgery for a bleeding ulcer. He had collapsed yesterday in his hotel room shower hours before he was due onstage for a club date in the city.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 28th October):
Birth
1941. Hank B. Marvin (The Shadows) born Brian Rankin in Newcastle, Northumberland.
On Tour
1990. Six people are arrested and a number of fans injured when a riot breaks out after The High call a halt to their gig at Newcastle University. Singer John Matthews left the stage after almost collapsing during the second song. The rest of the band played a 15 minute instrumental version of “Bombay Mix” but Matthews wasn’t well enough to return and the crowd decided to make their own entertainment.
In Custody
1965. Eric Burdon (The Animals) is arrested by police at his Chelsea home for failing to appear in court to answer a summons elleging that he did not pay import duty on a camera. He is bailed to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on November 1st.
In Business
1997. David Bowie is named Britain’s richest rock star with a fortune of $ 917 million according to “Business Age”. A $ 55 million Wall Street bond issue secured on the star’s back catalogue helped push Bowie past Paul McCartney for the first time.
On Television
1972. Beat Club (WDR, West Germany) 81: Ike & Tina Turner, Everly Brothers, Grease Band, Byrds, Mick Abrahams, Manassas, Heads Hands & Feet, James Taylor, Three Dog Night. Here are Manassas with “Hide It So Deep”
Death
1991. R&B vocalist Billy Wright (“The Prince Of Blues”) dies from a pulmonary embolism in Atlanta, Georgia aged 73.
Babble
First of all, I have to point out that the Newcastle connection in three of today’s entries was totally unintentional. If you noticed it, I’m sorry, there are no prizes!
Having done a slightly longer rant than normal in babble I pressed the publish button about 20 minutes ago and lost everything. I have taken the added precaution of saving this one a couple of times.
As if I haven’t got enough blogs, I am seriously considering another. This time concentrating on memorabilia; both my own and other interesting items I come across. Partly, it’s as a result of listing some new additions to Rockmine’s main site and still not finding them on the search engines. Whether this was down to the spiders giving up on me while I was having a major sulk and not posting remains to be seen. Anyway, those days are behind me and I’m full of positive thinking now!
One thing I am surprised by is the lack of interest in the Fillmore blog. I know I’ve only got one year up but it’s one of the most famous venues in the world with an array of astonishing bands. maybe that’s also down to the spiders.
To try and get a handle on what is happening with the spiders, I’m going to do another of my blatant plugs. If you don’t want to see it, look away now.
Here are three of the most interesting items for sale on Rockmine just now:
Kate Bush – Cathy.Privately published in 1986 by Kate’s brother John Carder Bush. This really is a beautiful book and almost impossible to find. Back in 2001, Future Publishing, the magazine group were keen to buy me and the archive. It even got to the point of me being flown down to meet the board and have a formal offer made but the day of the meeting their share price fell 25% and it never happened. I digress, as usual. Mick Wall, who was then editor of Classic Rock had come to see the archive. When he was browsing through it, he saw this book and was very keen that the magazine reprint some of it. Unfortunately, that never happened. It’s a pity as many fans will never get the chance to see these wonderful shots.
George Harrison – Konnichiwa. The rarest Beatle related book EVER made? George Harrison commissioned 30 to give as personal gifts on a concert tour of Japan.
Derek Taylor – Fifty Years Adrift. Probably the best Beatles-related book ever written. 23 years after it was published, normal copies of this are extremely hard to find and always very expensive. This is not part of the limited edition and is neither numbered nor signed. A real rarity!
For more on the collectable rock books available for sale on Rockmine, click here.
Finally, on the subject of collectable books, I’ll be adding a true gem to Rockmine in the next day or so. A copy of Pink Floyd’s “Shine On” signed on the title page in three different pens by David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday, 7th October):
Birth
1943. Dino Valenti (Quicksilver Messenger Service) born in New York.
On Tour
1969. 2,000 East German Rolling Stones fans clash with police near the Berlin Wall. The fans gathered expecting to see The Stones play a concert on top of a building at the western-most section of the Wall but there was no performance. 200 police chase the fans into the centre of the city where they clash with some of the 250,000 members of the Free German Youth organisation who had gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the communist state. More than 50 of the fans are detained in custody by police.
In Court
1975. The U.S. Court Of Appeals overturns the Immigration Departments deportation order on John Lennon. This opens the way for him to apply for resident status.
In Hospital
1995. Simon Gilbert (Suede) is knocked unconscious when he and a friend are attacked by 12 queer-bashers after leaving a pub in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Both men are taken to Warwick Hospital where they are treated before being discharged. The un-named friend has six stiches for a head wound and later returns to the hospital suffering from concussion.
On Television
1970. The Johnny Cash Show (ABC, U.S.A.) Johnny with George Lindsey & June Carter, The Statler Brothers, The Carter Family. Here are Johnny and Joni Mitchell dueting on “Girl From The North County”.
Death
1966. Overton Amos Lemons, better known as R+B singer Smiley Lewis, dies of cancer in New Orleans.
Babble
Well, here I am once again in the north. I was told yesterday that the memorabilia exhibition couldn’t go ahead and yet everyone seems to want it to be staged. Just how and when are the two big questions. I’m going to give it until tomorrow and then I’ll have to make the decision to consign it to the fantasy world within the wardrobe and just imagine I’ve staged the show or get it sorted once and for all.
I was offered a date in November but that’s meant to tie in with a book launch that should have been held on June 21st. The book, on growing up in Liverpool in the sixties, was seemingly available back in May so I’m not sure why a launch is being held six months on. My biggest worry is that the launch is meant to be run by Waterstone’s local branch but the company’s web site has no information regarding ANY events in Elgin or Inverness in either October or November. I have found one book that fits the description but it was launched at the Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre back in April. Its author, Nicholas Murray is giving a poetry reading on October 13th in Venice. Maybe it’s just me but I can’t then see what he’d be doing in Elgin. Obviously it may not be him and as there’s nothing on the Elgin venue’s website mentioning anything that fits the bill.
I hope from this you’ll get some sense of my frustration. I know I’m dealing with a theatre but it surely doesn’t need to involve suspending all disbelief. I found a fascinating description of the concept here. The world of Narnia really has been moved to Moray. I just hope that I can find my way back out of the wardrobe. Despite the frustration, I’m going to give it one last shot. If I can’t get an agreement to use the venue we’d agreed on (which I’ve decided not to name because it will just give them free publicity) from Thursday to Saturday or another space to stage it, then I give up.
Strangely, the link to my Two Red Shoes Ballroom blog from the Northern Scot is proving nowhere near as successful as flyers were in Nairn back in August. 1,400 flyers and a dozen A4 posters pulled in 180 people a day and all this one’s getting is 55! Before I leave here, I think I’ll get flyers into the local library and other places. Then I’ll just forget these eerily unreal place.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday, 2nd October):
Birth
1949. Richard Hell (Voidoids/Dim Stars) born Richard Myers in Lexington, Kentucky.
On Stage
1998. Michael Stipe, Patti Smith and composer Philip Glass stage a one-off performance in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan. The event, seen by a crowd of 4,000, honoured the memory of poet Allen Ginsberg and raised funds for Jewel Heart, the Tibetan Buddhist organization.
In Custody
1967. Narcotics agents raid the Grateful Dead’s communal house in San Francisco, arresting eleven people including Bob Weir and Pigpen. They then had to let everyone go as no-one had thought to get a warrant before smashing the front door in!
In Court
2000. The inspiration for Paul Anka’s 1970’s hit, “Having My Baby” filed for separation from the singer. Anne Anka’s petition cited irreconcilable differences for the decision to leave the man she married in 1963.
Paul Bloch, a spokesman for Paul Anka said the couple are slitting on amicable terms and remain the best of friends. He said the couple would be together for Thanksgiving with their five daughters.
On Television
1978. Disco (ZDF, West Germany) Boomtown Rats; Andrea Jurgens; Clout; Klaus Zufall; Melanie; Suzi Quatro; Peter Orloff and Smokie, seen here with “Mexican Girl”
Death
1990. Blues saxophonist Evelyn Young dies in Memphis’ Methodist Hospital from heart failure.
Babble
It’s been an odd couple of weeks. The blog, as you’ll has seen, hasn’t been up. This is mainly due to problems that I’m not going to go into. Suffice it to say that I think these are now over.
I’ve used some of that time to concentrate on another blog, this time for the Two Red Shoes Ballroom in Elgin. I’m in Elgin as I type this although I’m starting to feel that it’s rather like Narnia (as someone else described it). I’m hoping to complete my research on the bands that played there today but I’m almost wondering why.
Although I’ve never finished my Ballerina Ballroom blog, it had (and still seems to have) a buzz about it that is sadly missing with Elgin’s venue. The local Nairn blog, the “Gurn From Nurn” described my Ballerina blog as an “exciting project” but there seems to be none of that here. There seems to be a real apathy about the concept. Maybe as an archivist and compulsive list maker, I assumed that others would share my interest but by and large that doesn’t seem to have happened.
It was pointed out to me that with my Nairn blog I had undertaken a fairly impressive but very cheap publicity campaign that saw flyers distributed around the town and posters put in most of the shops. While that was done at the time of the “Ballerina ballroom Cinema Of Dreams Festival” and the Highland Games, it still brought people flocking to the site.
Maybe with Elgin, the struggle is that there are no other things happening, that the audience is much larger and more sophisticated and the financial woes of the country have given people something more important to think about that the history of one of Scotland’s old ballrooms.
I suppose only time will tell how wrong I got this.
One other thing, I am in part here to decide on whether or not to stage my memorabilia exhibition. The last agreed date for it was next week but there seems to be no response to my press releases and my desire to do it seems to fade with the last warmth of summer. Part of me refuses to give up on an idea that was great but what is the point of flogging a dead horse?
Who knows, things may improve before the end of the day.
1997. Master P is number one in the U.S. album chart with “Ghetto D”, so it’s no surprise that his show at the Doraville International Ballroom in Atlanta will be popular. Unfortunately 12,000 people manage to squeeze into the club which only holds 5,000. The police get a report of overcrowding and head down for a look. First, they try to evacuate the building. Then they spot some fans trying to get in through a side door and hit them with pepper sprays. Police plan number 2: clear half the fans and run two shows. Master P agrees. The first gig starts. The support act finishes its set and just before the rapper hits the stage, a fight breaks out. A shot is heard and Master P cancels the show instantly. The fans, left with nothing else to do trash the stage and P.A. before heading outside to clash with police. Only five arrests are made but thousands of dollars worth of damage is caused to the venue.
In Court
2002. Sean “P. Diddy” Combs is ordered to pay $ 2.45 million to a limo driver who alleges he was injured by the rapper’s bodyguards during a concert in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1995. Judge William Z. Wood, presiding, ordered the payment after Combs failed to answer the lawsuit brought by driver Cedric Bobby Lemon within 30 days as laid down in state law.
Records of the Civil Superior Court for Forsyth County, North Carolina show that Combs refused to accept a summons from a County deputy when the rap star appeared in concert in Greensboro Coliseum on June 21. In a brief statement to the media a spokesperson for Combs later announced they would be seeking to dismiss the judgment.
In Hospital
1966. French pop star, Johnny Halliday, is taken to hospital after suffering an overdose of sleeping pills. The 23 year old singer was visited later in the day by his estranged wife, singer Sylvie Vartan. She was described as looking stunned by those who saw her leave after a short while
On Television
1993. Late Show With David Letterman (CBS, U.S.A.) David Sanborn becomes the first musician to sit in with The CBS Orchestra. Musical guest: Robert Plant with “29 Palms” plus brief interview. 6m 40s.
Death
2005. Blues guitarist and singer Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown dies of cancer in Vinton, Louisiana, U.S.A.
Babble
The never ending saga continues and I’m heading back up to Elgin with hopes of putting this exhibition to rest or on display this month. As ever, publicity is being left to the last minute but that may be no bad thing. Who can tell how it will go ahead, if it does! It would have been great to try and link in with Bootstock the intimate little rock festival being held just a short distance along the coast this weekend but no-one ever thinks of these things.
The only good thing (if there is one) is it gives me a chance to get all the listings for The Two Red Shoes Ballroom. I should have them by now but lost three whole years when I left the papers in the footwell of the car. they got soaked, either by a leak or rainwater, and when I went to get them the ink had all run. There’s a moral in there somewhere.
My plan is simple: to put a Two Red Shoes blog up with complete listings of everyone who played, YouTube clips of the major bands, adverts, photos and cuttings. It’s what I’ve done with The Ballerina Ballroom in Nairn, the sister venue also run by promoter Albert Bonici. While the new blog does exist at the moment, I’m not going to link to it until all the years are online. I think it will have far more impact and certainly get local publicity if it’s complete.
Talking of The Ballerina, I put an advert in the Nairnshire Telegraph which came out yesterday but as yet have had no response. I was looking for paper items and photographs relating to the bands that played there. I know that when the ballroom was being painted prior to the “Cinema Of Dreams” festival someone walked in and told John Byrne they’d found a Syd Barrett autograph they’d obtained in 1967. Why don’t people like that contact me?
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 9th September):
Birth
1941. Russell Hardy (Kilburn And The High Roads) born in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
On Stage
2003. Dizzee Rascal wins this year’s Mercury Music prize for his album, “Boy In da Corner”. The teenager was up against stiff opposition from Athlete’s “Vehicles And Animals”, Coldplay’s “Rush Of Blood To The Head”, Radiohead’s “Hail To The Thief” and The Darkness’s “Permission To Land” amongst others.
In Court
1980. Cher is fined $ 180 for singing too loudly. Nevada State officials find that her performance, at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas on July 3rd, reached 115 decibels. This broke the state’s maximum limit of 90 decibels. Strangely, the complaint wasn’t brought by officials or disgruntled fans but by the American Musicians Union, which wants noise levels reduced to protect the hearing of its members.
In Hospital
1997. Bluesman Junior Wells slips into a coma in a Chicago hospital. He had been undergoing treatment for lymphoma but suffered a heart attack four days ago.
On Television
1997. The Rosie O’Donnell Show (Syndicated, U.S.A.) Guests include The Bee Gees performing “This Is Where I came In”. 4m 32s.
Death
1979. Two members of a pop group playing a residency at Pontin’s Holiday Camp in Brixham, Devon, die whilst swimming at Newquay, Cornwall. Terry Hughes (22) and Michael Lemon (21) were seen by two girls as they waded in into choppy seas. After the men had disappeared, the girls ran for help but their bodies were later washed ashore.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Wednesday 3rd September):
Birth
1982. Dennis Wilson’s girlfriend Shawn Love (illegitimate daughter of his cousin Mike Love) gives birth to his son, Gage.
Not In Space
2002. A spokesman for the Russian Space Agency today announced that Lance Bass, singer with ‘N Sync, has been asked to leave the Star City cosmonaut complex outside Moscow where he has been training for a trip to the international space station. Despite at least one extension to the deadline for receipt of sponsorship money, the $ 20 million, payable in advance, had still not been received. Had the trip gone as planned, Bass would, at 23 years old, have been the youngest person ever in space and only the third paying passenger on a Russian flight to the space station.
In Custody
1999. Nikki Sixx is arrested after a Motley Crue show in Raleigh, North Carolina and charged on four counts – felony riot plus misdemeanour offences of assault, disorderly conduct and inciting a riot. All the charges relate to a concert in Greensboro in October 1997 when Sixx and Tommy Lee hurled racist abuse at a security guard and encouraged the crowd to attack him. Lee was not arrested as he didn’t play at tonight’s show. Unless he turns himself in, Sheriff B.J. Barnes has said he will post Lee on a national wanted list. If that happens, the drummer could be arrested anywhere in the U.S. and forcibly returned to Greensboro. Sixx is released early the following morning after posting a $ 7,500 bond.
If the criminal charges weren’t enough, both Crue members have a civil trial to look forward to in November.
In Court
1970. In a list of petitions published at the Divorce Court in London today, it’s revealed that both Marianne Faithfull (23) and her husband, John Dunbar (26), have filed for divorce. The couple, who married in 1965, have been separated for the past 18 months. Marianne has simply filed for divorce but in a cross plea, Dunbar has named Mick Jagger. The cases are due to be heard in October.
On Television
1979. Rockpalast (WDR, West Germany) Martin Kolbe and Ralf Illenberger performing the “Ball In Play” from their first album, “Waves” (WDR Studio-L Köln). 6m 12s.
Death
1970. Al “Blind Owl” Wilson (Canned Heat) is found dead in Bob Hite’s back garden having consumed a bottle of pills.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 31st August):
Birth
1947. Pete Gage (Vinegar Joe) born.
On Tour
1991. Guns N’ Roses and support band Skid Row play London’s Wembley Stadium. Both bands were allowed to play after receiving written instructions banning them from swearing or leaving the stage at any time during their performances. At one point, Skid Row read out their letter from Brent Council instructing them not to perform the song, “Get The Fuck Out”. This prompts the crowd to chant the title repeatedly before the band do play it. Not to be outdone, Axl Rose lambasts the media for their reaction to the band and their poster campaign – “Guns N’ Fucking Roses, Wembley Fucking Stadium, Sold Fucking Out”. Brent council later say the bands would never have been allowed to play had they not given written undertakings to abide by their instructions. While the council refuse to say if they will now ban both groups, they do admit it will have an effect on license applications.
In Court
1989. Shane McGowan appears at Marylebone Magistrates Court charged with possession of cannabis. He pleads guilty and is fined £ 150. The court is told that the offence came to light when he was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.
On The Radio
1990. The Cure try launching their own pirate radio station, Cure 94.8. Broadcasting to the London area. The station runs into a mass of technical problems, eventually starting more than three hours late with Robert Smith at the microphone. They soon give up after discovering that their signal is being swamped by BBC Radio 2 and shelve plans for any future broadcasts.
On Television
1990. The Word (Channel 4, U.K.) Guests include LL Cool J and Deee-lite. Musical guests: MC Tunes and 808 State; Movement 98 featuring Carol Thompson. Here’s MC Tunes vs 808 State with “Tune Splits The Atom”. 4m 50s.
Death
1947. Bluesman Son Bonds dies in Dyersburg, Tennessee from an accidental gunshot wound.
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 28th August):
Birth
1943. Honey Lantree (The Honeycombs) born Ann Lantree in Hayes, Middlesex.
On Stage
1999. During Blur’s set at the Reading Festival tonight, Damon Albarn gets into a confessional mood and tells the audience (and the rest of the world) that he took ecstacy on “Top Of The Pops”. According to the singer, he and another, un-named, member of the band were given the drug by someone from their record label prior to the show in the early 1990’s. He does go on to say it was “a bit crap” to have taken the drug but the tabloid press just concentrate on the confession.
In Court
1978. Rick Wright (Pink Floyd) and his children’s tutor, Professor Michael Smith file lawsuits against the Chief Of Police on the Greek island of Lindos claiming ill-treatment. Wright and his family have been staying in a villa owned by Pink Floyd to which police were called following complaints from neighbours about noise. When they arrived an argument started and Michael Smith was arrested. Wright and his wife, Julia, went to the police station to establish why Smith was being held. There, they claim they were threatened with a revolver. The keyboard player also received bruised eyes and cut lips having been beaten about the face. The Chief Of Police has been recalled to Rhodes awaiting the outcome of an internal investigation.
In Hospital
1985. Mick Jagger’s girlfiend Jerry Hall gives birth to a son, James Leroy Augustine Jagger at New York’s Lennox Hill Hospital.
On Television
1982. Rockpalast (WDR, West Germany) Frankie Miller & Band; TheEric Burdon Band; Bap; David Lindley’s El Rayo X; Rory Gallagher (Loreley, St. Goarshausen). Here’s David Lindley with his wonderful “Mercury Blues”. 4m 58s.
Death
2006. Drummer “Pip” (Philip) Pyle dies in Paris, France. He worked with Hatfield And The North, Robert Wyatt, National Health, Chicken Shack, Gong, The Paul Jones Group, The Hugh Hopper Band and many more.
Babble
Well, the week has been a bit of a disaster. Since Saturday, I haven’t been able to get this or my Ballerina Ballroom Blog online. Every day I’ve requested new passwords, I’ve reset my machine and been totally stumped by the fact that I couldn’t get in.
Somehow, I sussed it today. I’ve no idea how or why but Safari (the web browser I use) was set to “Private Browsing”. The moment I took that off, I got straight back in to my account. About time!
Anyway, I’d like to say the week’s been packed with excitement but there’s not much to report. I decided to go back to the garage sale and put some stuff on ebay. Most of it is cheap and cheerful but I did get carried away and put a copy of Derek Taylor’s “Fifty Years Adrift” up as an auction item. It was one of Genesis Publications’ first rock music limited edition books back in 1985. 2,000 hand-made, leather bound, gilt edged books packed with bits of memorabilia and the insight of one of rock’s true insiders. It’s even edited and annotated by George Harrison. No wonder that the edition sold out extremely quickly. Anyone who invested £ 185 in buying it twenty-three years ago is now looking at something valued up to £ 5,000! All 2,000 copies of the limited edition were signed by Derek and George but mine is rather unusual. It carries the disclaimer that it is neither signed nor numbered and is a review copy and therefore not part of the limited edition. Presumably, as one of only a few review copies, it’s even rarer! Time will tell.
The on-off-and-on-again state of the memorabilia exhibition is still up in the air although there are moves afoot. Anyway, I got bored hanging around and decided to get on with Rockmine’s sales section. I’m not sure if I want to call it a mall or a gallery but that will no doubt work itself out. The first new page up is as yet very small but definitely of interest. It’s “Handbills and Flyers” and it’s already got several real gems on it. There are three Marquee Club handbills. Each features a festival on the front and Marquee listings for a month on the reverse. There’s one for the Sunbury Festival with August 1968, Plumpton Festival with August 1969 but the real oddity is for Stockley Festival with July 1969. Stockley, near West Drayton was the original site for 1969’s 9th National Jazz, Blues & Popular Music Festival which went on to take place at Plumpton. I know how difficult it is to change venues for a small gig, changing the site for a complete festival must have been a nightmare.
One other item on the page is a handbill for Pink Floyd at Liverpool Empire Theatre on 15th February 1970. It may be missing its corners but this really is a cracker! I suppose I better get back to it. There’s more to get online – including a handbill for Bob Dylan at the Isle Of Wight Festival in 1969.
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