Formed by brothers Paul and Nigel Griggs, The Cortinas went through various line-ups before changing name to Octopus in November 1968.
The Cortinas’ select gigs:
22 February 1964 – Cavendish Hall, Hatfield, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
22 March 1964 – The Hilltop, Hatfield, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
18 June 1964 – Breaks Youth Club, Hatfield, Hertfordshire with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
27 June 1964 – ‘Beat Competition’, Westminster Lodge, St Albans, Hertfordshire with The Trekkas and The King Bees (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
19 July 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts with Johnny Milton & The Condors (Hertfordshire Express)
22 August 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts with Mark Douglas & The Prowlers (Hertfordshire Express)
11 October 1964 – The Hilltop, Hatfield, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
19 December 1964 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Hertfordshire with Steve Marriot’s Moments (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician) Hertforshire Express lists this as The Stormsville Shakers
1965
30 January 1965 – The Hop, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
1 February 1965 – The Hop, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
12-13 February 1965 – Battersea College, London with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
29 March 1965 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Hertfordshire with Screaming Lord Sutch (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
12 April 1965 – The Hop, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
2 May 1965 – Melody Maker Beat Competition Heat, Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
15 May 1965 – Porchester Hall, Bayswater, west London with Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
12 June 1965 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Hertfordshire with The Five Sons of Adam (Hertfordshire Express)
15 August 1965 – Melody Maker Beat Competition Final, Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, south west London with St Louis Union, The Tudors, The Carolines and others (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
28 August 1965 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The Paramounts (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
25 September 1965 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Dave Curtiss & The Tremors (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
6 November 1965 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Force Five (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
1966
29 January 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Chris Andrews and The Roscoe Brown Combination (website: www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/)
12 March 1966 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
18 April 1966 – Barn Cellar, St Albans, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
30 May 1966 – Victoria Ballroom, Cambridge with Desmonde Mode (Cambridge News)
11-12 June 1966 – Supreme Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
13 June 1966 – Supreme Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent with The Alan Price Set (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
21 June 1966 – Sandridge Youth Club, near St Albans, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
22 July 1966 – Bees Club, Brentford FC, west London (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
23 October 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Billy Fury and The Gamblers (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
2 November 1966 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire with Cream (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
17 December 1966 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Billy Fury & The Gamblers (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
24 December 1966 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire with The Creepers (http://www.coda-uk.co.uk/60’s_music_scene.htm)
1967
21 January 1967 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The Easybeats (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
14 February 1967 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire with Creepers (see website above)
1 April 1967 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The Action (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
19 April 1967 – Stevenage Mecca, Locarno, Stevenage, Hertfordshire (http://www.coda-uk.co.uk/60’s_music_scene.htm)
16 May 1967 – Sandridge Youth Club, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
13 June 1967 – Sandridge Youth Club, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
24 July 1967 – Stevenage Mecca, Locarno, Stevenage, Hertfordshire with The Move (see website above)
18 August 1967 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
8 September 1967 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire (see website above)
29 September 1967 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire (see website above)
20 October 1967 – Square One, Cricketers Inn, Westcliff, Essex with Zoot Money & Dantalion’s Chariot (Southend Standard)
23 October 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
27 October 1967 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire (see website above)
4 November 1967 – St Birinus Youth Club, St Birinus School, Didcot, Oxfordshire with The Crawdadds (Didcot Advertiser)
11 November 1967 – Nags Head, Motown Club, Wollaston, Northamptonshire (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)
24 November 1967 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire (see website above)
10 December 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker) The band’s debut at the club
15 December 1967 – Andromeda, Colchester, Essex (Essex County Standard)
22 December 1967 – Old West End, Rushden, Northamptonshire (Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph)
23 December 1967 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire (see website above)
26 December 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
31 December 1967 – Breaks Youth Club, Hatfield, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
1968
21 January 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
24 January 1968 – Pink Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Alan Clark Soul Show and Canal St Philarmonic (Melody Maker)
4 February 1968 – Breaks Youth Club, Hatfield, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
13 February 1968 – Sandridge Youth Club, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
14 February 1968 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire with Herbal Remedy (Welwyn Times)
15 February 1968 – Penny Farthing, Leicester (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
16 February 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton north London (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician) This was their club debut
24 February 1968 – Blue Ball Hotel, Risley, Derby (Derby Evening Telegraph)
2 March 1968 – Sandridge Youth Club, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
12 March 1968 – Sandridge Youth Club, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
21 March 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
22 March 1968 – St Albans Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with The Nashville Teens and West Coast Consortium (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician/Welwyn and Hatfield Advertiser) Debut at the venue
23 March 1968 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with The Rocky Rivers Record Show (http://aylesburymusictown.co.uk/)
28 March 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
7 April 1968 – Chesterfield Club, Castle Bromwich, West Midlands (Express & Star)
13 April 1968 – Luton Boys Club, Luton, Bedfordshire with The Links (Luton News)
15 April 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with King George and Co (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
16 April 1968 – Sandridge Youth Club, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
18 April 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
20 April 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Timebox (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
23 April 1968 – Penny Farthing, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
26 April 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
27 April 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Tony Bishop’s Rock and Soul and Fanny Flicker’s Show (Lincolnshire Standard)
28 April 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
7 May 1968 – Sandridge Youth Club, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
11 May 1968 – Gig in Grantham, Lincolnshire with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
12 May 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
23 May 1968 – Penny Farthing, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
24 May 1968 – Sherwood Room, Nottingham (Derby Evening Telegraph)
26 May 1968 – Blue Ball Hotel, Risley, Derby (Derby Evening Telegraph)
31 May 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
2 June 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
7 June 1968 – Bracknell Sports Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire with O’Hara’s Playboys, The Barrier, The Crawdads and Freehold (Melody Maker)
8 June 1968 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with O’Hara’s Playboys, The Barrier, The Crawdads and Freehold (Melody Maker)
9 June 1968 – Gig in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire with O’Hara’s Playboys, The Barrier, The Crawdads and Freehold (Melody Maker)
10 June 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Nite People (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
12 June 1968 – King’s Lynn College, King’s Lynn, Norfolk with O’Hara’s Playboys, The Barrier, The Crawdads and Freehold (Melody Maker)
14 June 1968 – Bracknell Sports Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire with O’Hara’s Playboys, The Barrier, The Crawdads and Freehold (Melody Maker)
15 June 1968 – Sandridge Youth Club, Herts (Welwyn & Hatfield Advertiser)
15 June 1968 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with O’Hara’s Playboys, The Barrier, The Crawdads and Freehold (Melody Maker)
16 June 1968 – Bedford Checkpoint, Bedford, Bedfordshire with O’Hara’s Playboys, The Barrier, The Crawdads and Freehold (Melody Maker)
17 June 1968 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with O’Hara’s Playboys, The Barrier, The Crawdads and Freehold (Melody Maker)
18 June 1968 – Gig in Wellingborough, Northants with O’Hara’s Playboys, The Barrier, The Crawdads and Freehold (Melody Maker)
23 June 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
30 June 1968 – Playboy Club, Park Lane, central London (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
10 July 1968 – Rampton Psychiatric Hospital, Nottinghamshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
12 July 1968 – 76 Club, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire (http://www.76club.org.uk/gigs.html)
13 July 1968 – Starlight Room, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Paberback Edition (Nottingham Evening Post)
23 July 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Paul Griggs’ diary)
24 July 1968 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, west London (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician) This was a 1am show so the band arrived on 23 July
29 July 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
10 August 1968 – White Tiles, Swindon, Wiltshire (Swindon Evening Advertiser)
11 August 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
12 August 1968 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, Kent with The Delroy Williams Show (East Kent Times & Mail)
18 August 1968 – Cat-Balou, Grantham, Lincolnshire (Grantham Journal)
19 August 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Nite People (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
24 August 1968 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
24 August 1968 – The Barn Ballroom, Little Bardfield Hall, Little Bardfield, Essex (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
2 September 1968 – Ford Cortina Day, Mallory Park, Race Track, Leicester (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
6 September 1968 – Woodhall Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire with Herbal Remedy (http://www.coda-uk.co.uk/60’s_music_scene.htm)
7 September 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Spice (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
8 September 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
13 September 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton,north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
16 September 1968 – Dunstable Civic Hall, Dunstable, Bedforshire with Sly & The Family Stone (who didn’t turn up) (Luton News)
27 September 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
6 October 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
12 October 1968 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
25 October 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
6 November 1968 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with Status Quo and Nerve (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician/Welwyn and Hatfield Advertiser)
9 November 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Dream Police (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
10 November 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
15 November 1968 – Nottingham University, Nottingham with Marmalade and The Nashville Teens (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
23 November 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
Octopus’ select gigs:
21 November 1968 – Baldock Workingmen’s Club, Baldock, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician) Debut as Octopus
30 November 1968 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Dream Police (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
18 December 1968 – Gig in Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
20 December 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
21 December 1968 – RAF Benson, Oxfordshire with Plastic Penny (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
29 December 1968 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
31 December 1968 – Gig in Dunstable, Bedfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
1969
1 January 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Yes (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
4-5 January 1969 – Stella Ballroom, Mount Merion, Republic of Ireland (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
18 January 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Spice (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
8 February 1969 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
12 February 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Yes (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
15 February 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Spice (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
16 February 1969 – Adelphi, Slough, Berkshire (Windsor, Slough & Eton Express)
6-7 April 1969 (check) – Stella Ballroom, Mount Merion, Republic of Ireland (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
12 April 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Procession (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
4 May 1969 – Tiffany’s, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
8 June 1969 – Tiffany’s, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
28 June 1969 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Procession (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
20 July 1969 – Shire Green Working Men’s Club, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
21 July 1969 – Black Swan, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
19 August 1969 – Lyceum, Strand, central London (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
29 August 1969 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with Desmond Dekker (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician) This was the band’s final gig at this venue
14 September 1969 – Tiffany’s, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
27 November 1969 – Baldock Working Men’s Club, Baldock, Hertfordshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
24 December 1969 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Paul Griggs’ diary)
31 December 1969 – Mansfield Palais, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (Paul Griggs’ book: Diary of a Musician)
1970
31 May 1970 – Tiffany’s, central London (Paul Griggs’ diary)