Phil, Charnwood, u3a
My brother, two school friends and I formed a rock band around 1971. The photo shows my brother Lawrence before we played at his girlfriend's school around 1972. Once I was recruited to play bass guitar at a jazz and poetry evening. On the day of the gig none of the musicians had met each other. We had no music. And I had never played jazz. But we cobbled a set together in the afternoon, played in the evening, and it wasn't a disaster. Happy days!
Nick, Milton Keynes u3a
British West Hartlepool, where I spent my formative years in the 1970s, did not have a great deal going for young people but we did have incredible music. The era of fabulous variety in rock music with major releases appearing on a regular basis, the weekly music press (I was a Sounds reader) and of course our expeditions to Newcastle and further afield to see our heroes (Knebworth was the highlight of the year). John Peel, Tommy Vance and Alan Freeman's radio shows were compulsory listening (plus Radio Caroline and Radio Luxembourg when the signal was good enough!). 50+ years later with 3,000+ albums & 45s, a tidy collection of concert memorabilia and 554 gigs attended, the magic of those days has never really left me.
Dave, Ilkley u3a
I grew up in Harlow. My mother often bought top 20 singles and played them on the family Gerrard Radiogram. A 5th form school trip to Brooklands Study Centre, finished off with a dance each night, and I vied, mostly unsuccessfully, for the last dance with girls in my class - it was always "A Whiter Shade of Pale", by Procol Harum.
Soon after I got my own Radiogram in my bedroom. The first LP I bought was "To Our Children's, Childrens, Children" by the Moody Blues, a band designated as "Progressive". It was purchased from 'Startime' in 'Post-Office Walk' - it had the listening booths of the day and my friends and I spent many Saturday afternoons there before going to the bowling alley or swimming pool.
"Status Quo" played at Brays Grove School in 1971; tickets were "7-bob"; affordable with my pocket money! I spent most of the night sitting on the edge of the stage doing the 'head-dance'! Fantastic! Bands regularly played at the bandstand in Harlow Park; Hawkwind was one I saw; tickets were free!. The Technical College put on regular gigs [not free!]: I remember seeing Atomic Rooster, BJH, and Warhorse, sitting on the floor in a very smokey atmosphere. I started weekend jobs so that I had more money for gigs: these included a milk round, petrol station attendant, ticket office assistant. My bike was very precious for this. When Harlow Playhouse first opened, we felt pretty privileged to have Quo, Bowie and Bad Company there. Once we had access to a car, I regularly travelled with friends to the Rainbow Theatre to see rock and progressive rock groups : I recall Black Sabbath, Wishbone Ash, Queen, JSD Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and have kept many tickets and programmes. Tickets were £1 - £1.50ish. I feel I was very lucky to be young during the late sixties and 70's, with so much going on.
