CLEETHORPES WINTER GARDENS
The End Of An Era - A Personal View By Steve Jackson(as published in the Grimsby Telegraph Special Winter Gardens supplement 14th Feb 2007)
The end of an era is an often over used phrase, but I’d use it to describe the forthcoming closure and demolition of the Cleethorpes Winter Gardens. Live music and the Winter Gardens go together like fish n’ chips and often did as you made your way home along the sea front after a gig!
I saw my first professional rock band at the Winter Gardens circa 1971 when I went along with a friend to see prog rockers “Audience” an upcoming band who incredibly did this for a living! Unusually, they were fronted by an acoustic guitarist and in what developed into a reoccurring condition following most concerts I attended, I went out and bought one of their albums at the weekend (on vinyl), something of a collectors item today.
From here on in I was hooked. Each week I was a regular purchaser of the New Musical Express, Melody Maker and Sounds as I plotted which albums to buy and what bands were heading this way. The Winter Gardens was on the live touring circuit, the division’s one and two to the premier league. The venue attracted groups on the rise and a few who were heading in the other direction too!
The building even had its own smell; I reckon the meals cooked over the years had permeated the woodwork, mix that with the beer being served and the place had its own distinct aroma. There was also the sight of the man at the helm, Jimmy Jackson, resplendent and straight faced in his tuxedo, looking a little incongruous amongst the hairy denim and psychedelic hoards.
The bar staff were also legendary, very difficult to get a smile out of some of them and I suspect they probably thought they’d been transported to “Dante’s Inferno” for the evening. The youthful enthusiasm, loud music and drink helped us but I imagine not them, as they went about an evenings work. There really was very little trouble over the years until the onset of punk rock brought some tension to the venue.
As for the live music, everyone who was a regular will have their own special memories and favourite gigs. That first gig with “Audience” holds special memories from choosing how best to look cool (I wore an orange Jimi Hendrix t-shirt) to walking the 40 minutes or so from my house in Lestrange Street, Cleethorpes to the venue.
I saw some great live bands, The Sex Pistols, Clash and the Heartbreakers all in one night. Paul Rodgers fronting his short lived trio “Peace”, Uriah Heep, Ronnie Lane’s Slim Chance with the sixth Rolling Stone, Ian Stewart on keyboards, Foxtrot era Genesis with Peter Gabriel wearing a giant fox’s head and full length red dress, Van De Graf Generator, Gardens favourites Stray and their exploding dustbins, The Edgar Broughton Band, Man, Racing Cars, The Boys, The Damned, the brilliant Deaf School who never reached their potential, The Flamin’ Groovies from San Francisco, Generation X, Amazing Blondel, The Kursall Flyers, Steve Gibbons Band, The Stranglers, Chris Spedding (with the late Grimsby musician and former T.Rex man Steve Currie on bass guitar) the list goes on and on.
Then there are those concerts, I could only wish I’d been there for. Queen, Atomic Rooster and Free, even psychedelic American West Coast band Country Joe And The Fish, post Woodstock. Dr Hook and the Medicine Show and AC/DC are a couple more on the hit list I wished I’d attended.
The Grimsby Live Aid Concert in 1985 is something I particularly remember, having had a hand in putting it together. Where else could it have been staged other than the Winter Gardens? Reformed versions of the cream of the local crop, The Rumble Band and the Brothers Band were just two of the classic Grimsby bands that got together for the event, plus others too numerous to mention, I even trod the boards myself!
An honourable mention also to Stephen Stanley, the governor at Solid Entertainments. Stan the man has gone where other promoters fear to tread. Ten out of ten for putting on Dexy’s Midnight Runners at the Gardens on the very evening they appeared on Top Of The Pops
performing their No 1 hit single, Geno. It doesn’t get much better then that, for the audience and the promoter and the venue! Stephen and I are both the same age and share an affinity for that Winter Gardens era.
Alas, it will soon be no more, time has moved on but the memories remain and I’ve written numerous Telegraph articles over the years publicising upcoming gigs. Many of the performers are gone forever but personally speaking, I’d like to see a blue plaque or some commemorative mural or large rock on a plinth, that lists the pick of the bunch, that played (in best wrestling commentary voice)…. the once mighty Cleethorpes Winter Gardens!
Ends
I saw my first professional rock band at the Winter Gardens circa 1971 when I went along with a friend to see prog rockers “Audience” an upcoming band who incredibly did this for a living! Unusually, they were fronted by an acoustic guitarist and in what developed into a reoccurring condition following most concerts I attended, I went out and bought one of their albums at the weekend (on vinyl), something of a collectors item today.
From here on in I was hooked. Each week I was a regular purchaser of the New Musical Express, Melody Maker and Sounds as I plotted which albums to buy and what bands were heading this way. The Winter Gardens was on the live touring circuit, the division’s one and two to the premier league. The venue attracted groups on the rise and a few who were heading in the other direction too!
The building even had its own smell; I reckon the meals cooked over the years had permeated the woodwork, mix that with the beer being served and the place had its own distinct aroma. There was also the sight of the man at the helm, Jimmy Jackson, resplendent and straight faced in his tuxedo, looking a little incongruous amongst the hairy denim and psychedelic hoards.
The bar staff were also legendary, very difficult to get a smile out of some of them and I suspect they probably thought they’d been transported to “Dante’s Inferno” for the evening. The youthful enthusiasm, loud music and drink helped us but I imagine not them, as they went about an evenings work. There really was very little trouble over the years until the onset of punk rock brought some tension to the venue.
As for the live music, everyone who was a regular will have their own special memories and favourite gigs. That first gig with “Audience” holds special memories from choosing how best to look cool (I wore an orange Jimi Hendrix t-shirt) to walking the 40 minutes or so from my house in Lestrange Street, Cleethorpes to the venue.
I saw some great live bands, The Sex Pistols, Clash and the Heartbreakers all in one night. Paul Rodgers fronting his short lived trio “Peace”, Uriah Heep, Ronnie Lane’s Slim Chance with the sixth Rolling Stone, Ian Stewart on keyboards, Foxtrot era Genesis with Peter Gabriel wearing a giant fox’s head and full length red dress, Van De Graf Generator, Gardens favourites Stray and their exploding dustbins, The Edgar Broughton Band, Man, Racing Cars, The Boys, The Damned, the brilliant Deaf School who never reached their potential, The Flamin’ Groovies from San Francisco, Generation X, Amazing Blondel, The Kursall Flyers, Steve Gibbons Band, The Stranglers, Chris Spedding (with the late Grimsby musician and former T.Rex man Steve Currie on bass guitar) the list goes on and on.
Then there are those concerts, I could only wish I’d been there for. Queen, Atomic Rooster and Free, even psychedelic American West Coast band Country Joe And The Fish, post Woodstock. Dr Hook and the Medicine Show and AC/DC are a couple more on the hit list I wished I’d attended.
The Grimsby Live Aid Concert in 1985 is something I particularly remember, having had a hand in putting it together. Where else could it have been staged other than the Winter Gardens? Reformed versions of the cream of the local crop, The Rumble Band and the Brothers Band were just two of the classic Grimsby bands that got together for the event, plus others too numerous to mention, I even trod the boards myself!
An honourable mention also to Stephen Stanley, the governor at Solid Entertainments. Stan the man has gone where other promoters fear to tread. Ten out of ten for putting on Dexy’s Midnight Runners at the Gardens on the very evening they appeared on Top Of The Pops
Alas, it will soon be no more, time has moved on but the memories remain and I’ve written numerous Telegraph articles over the years publicising upcoming gigs. Many of the performers are gone forever but personally speaking, I’d like to see a blue plaque or some commemorative mural or large rock on a plinth, that lists the pick of the bunch, that played (in best wrestling commentary voice)…. the once mighty Cleethorpes Winter Gardens!
Ends
posted by steve at 7:17 AM
2 Comments:
great post! brought back loads of memories for me too! does anyone know of a list of gigs at the Gardens??
Great review! I was the DJ (Ken RJ the DJ Christie) with Ram Disco at the Winter Gardens on Sunday nights (1971 - 1973), the resident band, Messiah, on stage and our gear on tables (forming a temporary stage) to the left of the stage, as you look from the entrance.
I can't remember much about the band, except Noel Skelton (ex The Rumble Band) on guitar and, I think, a guy called Chris on vocals. They were VERY good, I enjoyed their performances immensely.
Unfortunately, the Gardens management decided to replace the band in late 1971 and started a series of "Double Discos" with Modeque from Boston on stage, featuring DJ Ricky Dunham (a fantastic DJ and very close friend at the time), and us (Ram Disco) on the tables. Every Sunday and Monday nights, we packed out the "Gardens" for almost 3 years.
We (Ram Disco) also supported some great bands (and some not so great) like, Suzi Quatro, Budgie, Queen, Groundhogs, Genesis and a special memory of Uriah Heap, they were great, but what a nightmare - we had set up our gear on the temporary stage (tables) in the afternoon, and when we returned in the evening to start the show, the Band had set up their massive PA speaker stacks in a semi circle on both sides of the stage, one side directly in front of our gear. We had to quickly dismantle everything, relocate the tables and rebuild the equipment, prior to starting the show...Phew!!
After my 5 year stint with Ram Disco (1971 - 1975), I started my own disco, Bon Accord, in 1975 and would occasionally play at private parties at the "Gardens" upstairs function room.
I'm soooo sorry to hear of the demise of the Winter Gardens. It holds great memories for me.
Ken Christie
kennchristie1@gmail.com
Post a Comment
<< Home