Southall Community Centre in Southall in Middlesex was a significant music venue in the early to mid 1960s. During the early 1960s, many of the American rock ’n’ roll legends like Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent played at the venue on their UK tours. This may well have been because visiting US artists would have passed through or near to Southall after arriving at London Airport on their way to central London.
The community centre was also an important venue for West London bands and is particularly significant because future Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore played there often, especially with Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers. It was while he was gigging with this band at Southall Community Centre that he was spotted by Screaming Lord Sutch, who invited him to join his backing band, The Savages. An invitation he duly accepted.
I have made a start on a list of artists that played here and would welcome any additions and also any memories of the venue in the comments below.
18 June 1961 – Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers
2 July 1961 – Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers
3 September 1961 – Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers
1 October 1961 – Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers
1 April 1962 – Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers
19 August 1962 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
7 October 1962 – Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Terry Franks & The Avalons
13 October 1963 – Buddy Britten & The Regents
28 March 1964 – Gene Vincent
23 August 1964 – The Birds
20 September 1964 – The Birds
18 October 1964 – The Birds
15 November 1964 – The Hollies
27 December 1964 – The Stormville Shakers
17 January 1965 – Buddy Britten & The Regents
31 January 1965 – The Birds
14 February 1965 – The Yardbirds
21 February 1965 – The Gobbledegooks
21 March 1965 – The Animals
4 April 1965 – Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages
18 April 1965 – The Yardbirds
2 May 1965 – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Mike Dee & The Prophets
30 May 1965 – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
4 July 1965 – The Who
5 August 1965 – Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages
13 August 1965 – The Birds
22 August 1965 – P J Proby
19 September 1965 – The Pretty Things
17 October 1965 – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
31 October 1965 – The Animals
23 January 1966 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
25 February 1966 – Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation
The majority of gigs above were taken from the Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette. Also the Hayes Gazette was a handy resource. I would especially like to thank Brian Mansell, Don Martin and Andy Neill for some of the gigs.
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