Booking a band in 1969.....

[Maesknoll Red]

........ the cost of booking some pretty big names in 1969 is akin to what a ticket would cost to see them today!
 

 

[Lanterne Rouge]

£125 for Deep Purple! I guess they were just starting out.

[Med/MadHatter]

Pink Floyd AND Deep Purple for the same price as The Tremeloes!

[Med/MadHatter]

Memories of Bristol's New Mecca Centre 1960s

Bristol's Mecca Centre, Frogmore Street

A night out in Bristol has a lot going for it, but some might argue the city's nightlife isn't what it once was.

Who can remember the Locarno ballroom? Bristol's premiere 1960s dance venue in the new Bristol Centre with its famous illuminated ceiling and revolving stage.

My memories of the Locarno were mostly good ones, saw the legendary Hawkwind play live with Stacia, the bands strange naked dancer!. I also saw The Yardbirds in 1966, The Who in 1966, The Hollies in 1966, The Troggs in 1966, Jimi Hendrix in 1967, David Bowie in 1972, Tears for Fears in 1982, and The Clash in 1983.

I remember back in the late 1960s the strict dress code you had to wear a tie and jacket and no jeans or trainers were a allowed, the place on a Saturday night was mostly packed with young people from Wales who came to Bristol in coaches for a night out.

Part of the the ABC Entertainment Center on Frogmore St with the Cinema, Ice Skating Rink and other nightclub Raquels.

The Locarno did more gigs than act as a club. In the early days the security was done by Teddy Boys from the ice rink, morons in Crombies who hated the punks that started to play there.

This venue in Frogmore Street went through many different names. In the late sixties it was home to the Electric Village prog night, which brought Jimi Hendrix to town in 1967. In 1972, you could have seen David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars supported by Thin Lizzy. The Studio/Locarno subsequently played host to the likes of The Clash, Spirit (supported by The Police!), Elvis Costello, Joy Division, Iggy Pop, U2, Kraftwerk, Iron Maiden, Faith No More, Living Color and Ozzy Osbourne. Today, it's been converted into student flats.

Heartbeat Club Raquels, New Mecca Centre, Frogmore St

I think Raquel's was the first place to have lasers, back when seeing a single red beam slice through some smoke was pretty exciting. They would only switch them on for a short time though and instead of dancing townies would sit down to watch while they jiggled the beam a bit and Be Amazed.

Sandra Mccolgan used to work at Raquels in the New Bristol Centre.

Bristol . . . entertainments capital of the South West, and one of the entertainments attractions of Europe. That was the talk of the town when Mecca moved into Bristol, splashed out a fortune and began building the New Entertainments Centre in Frogmore Street, towering over the ancient Hatchet Inn and the Georgian and Regency streets nearby.

The New Entertainments Centre wasn't just big, it was enormous and it was what 60s leisure and fun-time were all about, Mecca promised. Here, slap bang in the middle of Bristol, the company was creating the largest entertainment centre in the whole of Europe. A dozen licensed bars, an ice rink, bowling lanes, a casino, cinema, a night club, a grand cinema, asumptuous ballroom and, naturally, a multi-storey car park to accommodate all those Zephyr Zodiacs, Anglias, Westminsters, Minis, Victors and Imps etc which would come pouring into town bringing the 5,000 or so customers who would flock to the centre every day.

London might have its famous West End. Bristol had its Frogmore Street palace of fun and the opening night of the biggest attraction of all, the Locarno Ballroom, on May 19th was the Night To Crown All First Nights, the Bristol Evening Post proudly announced. Sparkling lights, plastic palm trees in shadily-lit bars, a revolving stage, dolly birds in fishnet tights and grass skirts . . . this was glamour a la mid-60s and Bristol loved it.

Everyone wanted to be there'on Night One but the guest list was limited. It was, the Post reported the next day: "... a date to remember last night for 800 Bristol and West Country VIPs who saw the splendour of Mecca's new Locarno ballroom.

"At the New Bristol Centre were the mayors, the business chiefs and the top socialites of the city and neighbouring counties. "Mecca, having spent £2 million on building, spared no expense in making the opening of the ballroom one of the gayest nights of the year. "There was a gift of a commemorative Churchill crown for every guest, including the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, Aid. and Mrs Tom Martin. "Aid. Wally Jenkins, chairman of the Public Works and Planning Committee, gave the ballroom Bristol's blessing in declaring the premises well and truly launched.

"When Mecca selected Bristol for their centre, they did not just do it with a pin, he said. "They knew that Bristol deserved and appreciated the best. Mecca had shown a swashbuckling and adventurous enterprise in providing it and Bristol would support it. "To tell the guests last night all they wanted to know about Mecca, there were half a dozen hostesses, including winners of the West Country heat of the Miss Great Britain contest—in plumes, fishnet tights and bikinis. "There were girls in grass skirts who brought on the pineapple confection for the buffet supper. "There was Sidney Jones and his Orchestra playing conventional ballroom music and Wilf Ray and his Orchestra— including an ex-member of the Cadillacs, one of the West's top beat groups—playing superbly competent swing.

"There was glitter and glow of myriad lights. "There was an atmosphere of rich opulent intimacy warming the place in a way not to be expected in a ballroom capable of holding more than 2,000 people. "Guests were served drinks in the South Seas climate of the Bali Hai bar, in the swish Le Club bar and by check-waist- coated, bowler hatted barmen in the Victorian bar".

That was just for starters. In mid- November the Lord Mayor was there to open the magnificent £100,000 ABC Cinema at the centre. A week later Miss World, a beautiful Indian medical student, Reita Faria, came to town to open the Craywood Club, the new casino. Bristol—Sixties entertainment capital of the West.

Bristol Ice Rink in Frogmore Street opened in 1966. Originally owned by Mecca they added an ice hockey arena in 1981. It is now part of the John Nike Leisuresport’s facilities offering skating lessons, junior ice hockey and ice karting.

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

A friend of mine at Aberystwyth booked Queen in 1974 for £500.  He booked months in advance and in the interim Queen became one of the top bands around, but they still honoured the gig and for the original fee.

[BS2 Red]

£450 in 1969 is £7,462.66 today, adjusted for inflation.

The Small Faces were earning VERY good money!

[Guest]

15 hours ago, Med/MadHatter said:

Memories of Bristol's New Mecca Centre 1960s

Bristol's Mecca Centre, Frogmore Street

A night out in Bristol has a lot going for it, but some might argue the city's nightlife isn't what it once was.

Who can remember the Locarno ballroom? Bristol's premiere 1960s dance venue in the new Bristol Centre with its famous illuminated ceiling and revolving stage.

My memories of the Locarno were mostly good ones, saw the legendary Hawkwind play live with Stacia, the bands strange naked dancer!. I also saw The Yardbirds in 1966, The Who in 1966, The Hollies in 1966, The Troggs in 1966, Jimi Hendrix in 1967, David Bowie in 1972, Tears for Fears in 1982, and The Clash in 1983.

I remember back in the late 1960s the strict dress code you had to wear a tie and jacket and no jeans or trainers were a allowed, the place on a Saturday night was mostly packed with young people from Wales who came to Bristol in coaches for a night out.

Part of the the ABC Entertainment Center on Frogmore St with the Cinema, Ice Skating Rink and other nightclub Raquels.

The Locarno did more gigs than act as a club. In the early days the security was done by Teddy Boys from the ice rink, morons in Crombies who hated the punks that started to play there.

This venue in Frogmore Street went through many different names. In the late sixties it was home to the Electric Village prog night, which brought Jimi Hendrix to town in 1967. In 1972, you could have seen David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars supported by Thin Lizzy. The Studio/Locarno subsequently played host to the likes of The Clash, Spirit (supported by The Police!), Elvis Costello, Joy Division, Iggy Pop, U2, Kraftwerk, Iron Maiden, Faith No More, Living Color and Ozzy Osbourne. Today, it's been converted into student flats.

Heartbeat Club Raquels, New Mecca Centre, Frogmore St

I think Raquel's was the first place to have lasers, back when seeing a single red beam slice through some smoke was pretty exciting. They would only switch them on for a short time though and instead of dancing townies would sit down to watch while they jiggled the beam a bit and Be Amazed.

Sandra Mccolgan used to work at Raquels in the New Bristol Centre.

Bristol . . . entertainments capital of the South West, and one of the entertainments attractions of Europe. That was the talk of the town when Mecca moved into Bristol, splashed out a fortune and began building the New Entertainments Centre in Frogmore Street, towering over the ancient Hatchet Inn and the Georgian and Regency streets nearby.

The New Entertainments Centre wasn't just big, it was enormous and it was what 60s leisure and fun-time were all about, Mecca promised. Here, slap bang in the middle of Bristol, the company was creating the largest entertainment centre in the whole of Europe. A dozen licensed bars, an ice rink, bowling lanes, a casino, cinema, a night club, a grand cinema, asumptuous ballroom and, naturally, a multi-storey car park to accommodate all those Zephyr Zodiacs, Anglias, Westminsters, Minis, Victors and Imps etc which would come pouring into town bringing the 5,000 or so customers who would flock to the centre every day.

London might have its famous West End. Bristol had its Frogmore Street palace of fun and the opening night of the biggest attraction of all, the Locarno Ballroom, on May 19th was the Night To Crown All First Nights, the Bristol Evening Post proudly announced. Sparkling lights, plastic palm trees in shadily-lit bars, a revolving stage, dolly birds in fishnet tights and grass skirts . . . this was glamour a la mid-60s and Bristol loved it.

Everyone wanted to be there'on Night One but the guest list was limited. It was, the Post reported the next day: "... a date to remember last night for 800 Bristol and West Country VIPs who saw the splendour of Mecca's new Locarno ballroom.

"At the New Bristol Centre were the mayors, the business chiefs and the top socialites of the city and neighbouring counties. "Mecca, having spent £2 million on building, spared no expense in making the opening of the ballroom one of the gayest nights of the year. "There was a gift of a commemorative Churchill crown for every guest, including the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, Aid. and Mrs Tom Martin. "Aid. Wally Jenkins, chairman of the Public Works and Planning Committee, gave the ballroom Bristol's blessing in declaring the premises well and truly launched.

"When Mecca selected Bristol for their centre, they did not just do it with a pin, he said. "They knew that Bristol deserved and appreciated the best. Mecca had shown a swashbuckling and adventurous enterprise in providing it and Bristol would support it. "To tell the guests last night all they wanted to know about Mecca, there were half a dozen hostesses, including winners of the West Country heat of the Miss Great Britain contest—in plumes, fishnet tights and bikinis. "There were girls in grass skirts who brought on the pineapple confection for the buffet supper. "There was Sidney Jones and his Orchestra playing conventional ballroom music and Wilf Ray and his Orchestra— including an ex-member of the Cadillacs, one of the West's top beat groups—playing superbly competent swing.

"There was glitter and glow of myriad lights. "There was an atmosphere of rich opulent intimacy warming the place in a way not to be expected in a ballroom capable of holding more than 2,000 people. "Guests were served drinks in the South Seas climate of the Bali Hai bar, in the swish Le Club bar and by check-waist- coated, bowler hatted barmen in the Victorian bar".

That was just for starters. In mid- November the Lord Mayor was there to open the magnificent £100,000 ABC Cinema at the centre. A week later Miss World, a beautiful Indian medical student, Reita Faria, came to town to open the Craywood Club, the new casino. Bristol—Sixties entertainment capital of the West.

Bristol Ice Rink in Frogmore Street opened in 1966. Originally owned by Mecca they added an ice hockey arena in 1981. It is now part of the John Nike Leisuresport’s facilities offering skating lessons, junior ice hockey and ice karting.

I think I was probably one of the last people in the ice rink that’s for sure!  Remember wandering upstairs and finding remains of a nightclub interior above it. By now they’d knocked half the place down.

Also recall going to the ABC to see Wayne’s World 2 which can’t of long before the cinema closed.. 

[BS2 Red]

4 hours ago, TomF said:

I think I was probably one of the last people in the ice rink that’s for sure!  Remember wandering upstairs and finding remains of a nightclub interior above it. By now they’d knocked half the place down.

Also recall going to the ABC to see Wayne’s World 2 which can’t of long before the cinema closed.. 

I remember watching Vampire in Brooklyn there, Wikipedia tells me that was 1995.