Artists and Groups that appeared at the Redhill Market Hall
     
Introduction
This is a subject that keeps cropping up but until now has never been properly resolved. Just who appeared at the Market Hall and when? Individual artists, Pop Groups, Jazz Bands, they all seem to have performed there but there is no known record, sketchy or comprehensive, of their appearances. Christine Nunweek, who belongs to an old Redhill family, has a list of some of the acts, plus dates, and it was felt that if a webpage was created others might be able to contribute and the list would grow. So, if you have posters from those far off days of your youth or any other material that could add to the information here, or just your memorie, please
contact author.

East Surrey Operatic Society
There are, of course, several organisations that have also used the Market Hall for their performances. The East Surrey Operatic Society is one of them and as their performance list and history is already available on their website
www.esos.org.uk, there is no point in reproducing it here. Go to PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS - PHOTOS on their site for a list, or click on the 1907-2007 panel at the top of the home page for their history. It's a colourful and interesting website so browse some of the other pages too.

Jazz Club
See lower down on this page
(It seems that the Jazz Club preceded the Teenbeat Rock Club, which probably sprang from its demise)
   
     
Teenbeat Rock Club
YEAR DATE GROUP SOURCE
1963 Sat 18th January The Searchers Surrey Mirror (research Christine Nunweek)
  Sat 15th June Gene Vincent & Sounds Incorporated Christine Nunweek
  Sat 31st Aug Sounds Inc. Surrey Mirror (research Christine Nunweek)
  Sept 7th Johnny Kidd and the Pirates Flyer reproduced below
  Sept 14th Russ Sainty Flyer reproduced below
  Sept 21st Frank Kelly and the Hunters Flyer reproduced below
  Sept 28th Mel Turner Flyer reproduced below
  Oct 5th Lord Such and the Savages Flyer reproduced below
1964 Sat March 7th Freddie and The Dreamers Surrey Mirror (research Christine Nunweek)
  June  20th  The Interns Surrey Mirror (research Christine Nunweek)
  July  4th The Redcaps Surrey Mirror (research Christine Nunweek)
  Sat15th August Gene Vincent & The Shouts   Christine Nunweek
  Sept 12th  The Hollies Surrey Mirror (research Christine Nunweek)
. October 3rd Dave Berry and The Cruisers  Surrey Mirror (research Christine Nunweek)
1965 Sat 21st August Donovan Christine Nunweek
  Sat 28th August Charles Dickens and the Habits Christine Nunweek
  Sat 4th September The Zombies Christine Nunweek
  Sat 11th September The Sons of Fred Christine Nunweek
  Sat18th September The T Bones Christine Nunweek
1966 Sat 1st January The Clayton Squares Christine Nunweek
  Sat 15th January The Small Faces Christine Nunweek
  Sat 29th January Uglys Christine Nunweek
  Sat 19th February Gary Farr and the T Bones Christine Nunweek
  Sat 26th Feb The Nashville Teens Christine Nunweek
  Sat 5th March A Band of Angels Christine Nunweek
  Sat 12th March The Mojos Christine Nunweek
  Sat 26th March The Downliners Sect Christine Nunweek
  Sat 9th April  The Riot Squad Christine Nunweek
  Sat 39th April Crying Shames www.marmalade-skies.co.uk/apr66.htm
  Sat 28th May The Sorrows Christine Nunweek
  Sat 4th June The 4 Inches, the Flashbakks (Redhill Group) The Dark Ages Christine Nunweek
  Sat 11th June The Bow Street Runners Christine Nunweek
  10th July         Heinz Sally Pashby
  17th July      The Merseybeats Sally Pashby
  24th July    Unit 4 + 2 Sally Pashby
  30th July  Goldie and the Gingerbreads Sally Pashby
  7th August     The Who Sally Pashby
  14th August    The In Crowd Sally Pashby
  21st August   Donovan Sally Pashby
  Sat 3rd  Sept    Garry Farr and the T Bones Christine Nunweek
  Sat 10th Sept The Fortunes Christine Nunweek
   Sat 17th Sept The Nashville Teens Christine Nunweek
  Sat 24th Sept The Creation Christine Nunweek
  Sat 17th Dec   Wynder K. Frogg Christine Nunweek
1965/6   Them with Van Morrison Steve Coussins
1965/6   The Yardbirds with Eric Clapton. Steve Coussins
1968 3rd March Stormsville Shakers www.stormsvilleshakers.com/history
       
Items shown in blue - year probable but not not certain (see email below from Sally Pashby)
       
Teenbeat Rock Club Flyers for 1966
January 1966 Feb-March 1966 May-June 1966 September 1966
(Note the change of spelling of Club to Klub)    
Teenbeat membership card The Flashbakks
       
       
  A flyer for 1963 is reproduced below. Note the price increases announced at the bottom.  
       
   
TEENBEAT ROCK CLUB
MARKET HALL            REDHILL
SAT
SEPT 7th
JOHNNY KIDD
AND THE
PIRATES
(I’LL NEVER GET OVER YOU)
   
SAT
SEPT 14th
RUSS SAINTY
AND THE
NU-NOTES
   
SAT
SEPT 21st
FRANK KELLY
AND THE
HUNTERS
(I SAW LINDA YESTERDAY)
   
SAT
SEPT 28th
MEL TURNER
AND THE
MOHICANS
   
SAT
OCT 5THt
SCREAMIN'
LORD SUCH
AND THE
SAVAGES
   
  7.45 -11 p.m.
JIVE AND LISTEN
  MEMBERS 5/-
GUESTS 6/-
 
     
  PLEASE NOTE - Owing to further increases in our overheads especially Band fees (many of which have risen 200-300 per cent in the last few months) we we have had to make a small increase of 6d in the price of admission, we hope for your forebearance.  
         
   
   
The Who at the Market Hall
Steve Coussins from Monmouth used to live in Redhill and took the above photos when he went to see The Who at the Market Hall. They show Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Kohn Entwistle and the late Keith Moon on drums. If the group appeared there only once then the date was 7th of August, probably 1966, as shown on the list of performers further up this page. The group had hits with 'I can't explain' (1965; 'My Generation' (1965); 'Substitute' (1966) and 'I'm a Boy' (1966). (Photos courtesy Steve Coussins).
These photos and additional information about The Who originally appeared in a Surrey Mirror 'Yesteryear' article on November 26th 2009
   
Steve also wrote: - 'Other acts that don’t appear on your (website) list that I can definitely remember seeing at the Market Hall are Them with Van Morrison and the Yardbirds with Eric Clapton. Prob in 1965/1966'. Those groups now added to the list. Many thanks to Steve.
   
Also from Christine Nunweek     I know for certain that Manfred Mann and The Searchers both  played at the Market Hall but don't remember the dates; it was probably early 1965, as The Manfreds sang their " new" song  Do Wah Diddy Diddy.

Note: - Do Wah Diddy Diddy was in the charts in August 64 so must have been around that time.

More from Christine Nunweek
August 2007
    I went to The Surrey Mirror Archives yesterday and found the following groups to add to the list.
Sounds Inc - August 31st 1963.     The Seachers - January 18th 1964.     Freddie and The Dreamers - March 7th 1964. The Interns - June  20th   1964.     The Redcaps - July  4th 1964       The Hollies - Sept 12th  1964. Dave Berry and The Cruisers - October 3rd  1964.
The advertising is very  random,  it seems as if they relied on the fliers they gave out weekly rather than the local press. 
(Thanks Christine; these acts added to the list above - AJM)
And this received from Geoff Lawrence, December 2007     I went just about every week and as well as those already listed on your site I saw all these acts at the Market Hall but don't know the exact dates. There were: Hunters 1963 - Gene Vincent 1963 - Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages 1963 - Twinkle 1963 - Eagles (Bristol not California) 1964 - Tommy Quickly 1964 - Searchers 1964 - Undertakers 1964.
I also played there a few times with my band, The Sabres. We were then signed up by the promoter - a guy called Banister - to play at his other venues in Tunbridge Wells (supporting the Mersybeats) and Gravesend (supporting the Four Pennies).
Other local bands I think appeared at the Market Hall around 63/64 were: Paramounts - Alphabeats - R+B etc/Blueberries - Flashbakks.
Good memories.
Geoff
Thank a lot, Geoff, this is just what we are looking for.
Email from Robert Streeter, January 2008. The listings of the performers at the Market Hall does not include the Kinks and this must be an error - I saw the Kinks at the Market Hall and I am sure they came twice  - they were the loudest band I believe I ever heard - they had huge black vox amplifying equipment........ Tom Jones also made an appearance at the Market Hall - his voice was so powerful he hardly needed a microphone - I remember it very well..... but I do not know the dates...  
Tom Jones performed at the Market Hall about 6 weeks before his first smash hit ' It's Not Unusual' became number one in the pop charts !
Thanks, Robert, the more information the better.
From Chris Fountain,
March 2008

    Your website is a source of instant nostalgia for me. I saw most of the acts listed and I'm sure that I also saw The Tornados - after they recorded 'Telstar', Tommy Bruce - who sang 'pennies from heaven' and stopped his performance to chastise the audience for throwing pennies at him and one of the most underrated bands of the 60's Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. Happy days!    
The information keeps coming - thanks Chris.

From Brian Brockie, who played at the Teen Beat Club in the 1960s
July 2008
    Hi - great to see your website and particularly the  references to the  Market Hall. In the 60's I played here (and at Reigate Town Hall). Sad to say  I can't quite remember which was which! But I am just completing a book - written mainly for my own amusement - featuring the 400 or so venues that I played in my pro and semi pro musical career - and wondered if you had a photo of the building that I could include. Thanks...... and thanks for the memories - I played suport to several of the bands shown in the listing - specifically Nashville Teens/ Clayton Squares and the Riot Squad  - (who had David Bowie with them for a short time)! By the way - the guy that used to book  (some of ) the bands here was a cigar-smoking  chappie named Steve Duman. Oh I forgot to say that at that time my band was called Beathoven's 5th ( note the spelling)! 
Brian Brockie
Picture sent - great to hear from Brian
From Christine Minter (nee Bryant)   The first time I went to the Market Hall was to see Joe Brown and the Bruvvers, I think it was November1962, when It Only Took a Minute was at No 1 in the charts.  In fact, quite a few groups had high chart placings when they came to Redhill.  I don't know who the organiser was but he was really astute in his bookings.   I can remember how annoyed we all were when it was 'Sorry No Session'.   They used to serve orange squash at the back of the hall but it was considered quite grown up to get a pass out and go over the traffic lights to Fortes for a frothy coffee.   After a few months record sessions become quite popular and at one of these I first heard Love Me Do by the Beatles.   I will try and think back for a few more anecdotes and get back to you.
Thanks for the memories, Christine. If you have any more I'll certainly include them here. ('Sorry, No Session' appears on some of the posters shown above)
Valerie Ford, France I am sure I saw the Temperance Seven at Market Hall - round about 1960/62. Sorry cant give you any more info than that (after all I am now 66 so memory not so good as it was!!) - April 2009
Many thanks, Valerie.
Sally Pashby,
Australia
           Very interested to come across your web site-- I have memories of those far off days too!!!!
   Also I have autographed fliers-- not too sure of the years but maybe 1966????
   10th July       Heinz
   17th July       The Merseybeats
   24th July       Unit 4 + 2
   30th July       Goldie and the Gingerbreads
   7th August     The Who
   14th August    The In Crowd
    21st August   Donovan
 ............    Also I have  piece from the Surrey Mirror about Wayne Fontana who was "sufficiently recovered from his nervous breakdown to appear with his group" !!! Apparently Wayne was just 20 at the time and they were off to tour the US two weeks later.
   I well remember poor Donovan's appearance--- the hall was almost empty and he tried valiantly to sing  but was eventually booed off the stage by some very determined "Rockers"--- folk music was obviously not to their taste-- it was rather sad really and is the only thing that really sticks in my memory of those long ago days!!!!!!
   Except of course the "frothy coffees" at Fortes!!!!
   I am living in Australia and have not been back to Redhill for 30 years or more--- I doubt I would recognise the place now!!!

Great stuff, Sally. Thanks very much. Dates added to table of events above but in blue as year not definite. AJM

Peter Markwick       Hi – looking at your great web site – I live in British Columbia, after leaving England in 1968 – I remember a couple of bands but not the dates, but it was around 63-65 – Jet Harris and the Jet Blacks (He was the bass for the Shadows) Also the Spotnicks from Sweden – I was there when Donovan got booed off the stage – I left that night on my 500 BSA!
Keep up the good work,

Thanks, Peter, the list of acts is growing nicely.

Mick Card, who played at the Market Hall, March 2010       In the early 60s I was a member of a local band - Unit Six - which appeared regularly at the Market Hall. On some occasions it was just us but often we appeared in support of visiting acts. I can't supply any exact dates unfortunately but we supported both Dave Sutch and Nero and the Gladiators in 1963. We also appeared with the Fleerekkers, a favourite act of ours as they had a similar line-up, which included a couple of saxes. Unfortunately, I don't know the date  of that gig.
  Sorry I can't offer more info but I remember those days and the Market Hall in particular with great affection.

Lovely to hear from you, Mick. Thanks for that wonderful information.


If you saw an act, or maybe more than one, at the Redhill Market Hall, even if you can't remember the date, please contact author so that this list can be made to grow into a proper record of those years of all our youths.
If you have information regarding other organisations that performed at the Market Hall please also
contact author
 
THE JAZZ CLUB
Email from Peter Worth July 2008
This is the first time I have looked at the site, not too good really as a born and bred Redhill'ite, (30 Emlyn Road 1943). There is a brief ref. to jazz at Market Hall but little else (about jazz there). In the late '50's ? there was a regular event on a Thursday evening that was known as the Jazz Club. I remember going there with many of my friends, all the top names performed over quite a few years, Acker Bilk, Terry Lightfoot, Chris Barber, Alan Elsdon, Kenny Ball etc. Can other readers remember more names?
Ian Van Ryne of Barrow-upon-Soar Leicestershire came to the rescue with information about the jazz club. In April 2009 he sent the letter and poster reproduced below. He was a regular member of the jazz club and says that the letter shows how jazz was on the way out in 1962/3.
_______________________________________________________________

R E D H I L L ..... J A Z Z ..... C L U B
M A R K E T , H A LL ............................. R E D H I L L
______________________________________________________________

 

Dear Member,

.................. The Redhill Jazz Club has been in existence for two years and, as you know, presents the best-known jazzbands in the country. As you can see in the enclosed programme, Chris Barber and Ken Colyer are both booked for December and early in 1963 we will be visited by Terry Lightfoot, Kenny Ball and Mr, Acker Bilk.

.................Until a few weeks ago we had an average attendance of 450 to 500 every Thursday night. For some unnacountable reason, the attendance in the last few weeks has only averaged 250 to 300. Our membership is approximately 3,500 and we hope that the majority will agree that Redhill needs a thriving jazz club. There is no immediate intention of closing the jazz club (we have already contracted for top jazz bands to appear until May 1963) but we do need a bigger attendance to make ends meet.

.................If you believe that Redhill needs its jazz club please try and attend more often.

Many bands think that Redhill is the best jazz club in the country. - it's up to you to keep it that way.

Yours sincerley,

................STEVE DURMAN (Secretary)

 
The letter is undated but seems to have been written towards the end of 1962. The Jazz Club must have started late in 1960 and possibly did not last through 1963, giving it a life of about three years. If you have more information about the club or any of the jazz bands that appeared there please contact author
 
This is a page on Alan Moore's website www.redhill-reigate-history.co.uk
9th July 2011