What was the most memorable concert you went to at the City Hall?
among mine are Beatles supporting Roy Orbison. Everly Brothers, my very first concert. Sitting on the stage for Billy J. Kramer and the fabulous, fantastic Walker Brothers.

In the 70s, I saw some great shows at the City Hall... Slade (supported by Status Quo and George Thorogood) Sensational Alex Harvey Band (brilliant) Focus, Steve Hillage, Mahavishnu Orchestra. Wish there'd have been little portable video recorders in them days.

I saw Pulp there before Common People came out and they were magnificent - My Dad saw Jimmy Hendrix there when he was a kid though, so guess that pips a night with Jarvis!

Billy Fury, Del Shannon, Chubby Checker, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, The Animals, Nashville Teens, The Four Seasons (twice), Evely brothers, The Shadows (twice), Moody Blues (twice), Neil Sedaka.

Most memorable concerts I saw, Bill Hayley, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran. The Everly Brothers. Slim Whitman. Johnie Dankworth. Cleo Lane Many years ago.

Saw Queen there just before Bohemian Rhapsody came out, top gig.

Roxy Music/Bryan Ferry ,several times always great
T Rex
Devo
Blondie , supporting Television
Elvis Costello
Sparks
Kraftwerk, I think it was the City Hall
Leo Sayer ( not my choice but he wern't that bad, at the time)
dragged along to by my brother, Free
Elton John
The Who

Saw the Queen gig,must have been 73ish,they'd just released Killer Queen.
Wishbone Ash and Sabbath and not forgetting Rory Gallagher,top times.

The Nice, Led Zeppelin , Black Sabbath , Deep Purple , Wishbone Ash, Canned Heat ,Traffic, Curved Air, E.L.P, Black Oak Arkansas, Van Der Graaf Generator, Pink Fairies,Mott the Hoople, Rory Gallagher, Jethro Tull, Focus, Status Quo,Thin Lizzy, Moody Blues, Grounghogs, Alex Harvey,Ten Years After, Genesis, Fairport Convention, Man, Stone the Crows, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai,..The list goes on and on.. great times !!!

how many of you remember six five special on tv? I saw pete murray, don lang and josephine douglas at the city hall. I was a great jazz fan in the 60's and saw all the big names of the time. kenny Ball chris Barber, aker bilk etc. great times! Sorry about the typing I am nursing a broken shoulder, it is not easy typing one hand one finger! If you were anyone of numerous people whocame to my aid in Graves park on jan first thank you all so much! I have had surgery on my shoulder and am now doing well.

I remember all the jazz concerts of the 1950's, Humph. Barber, Ball, Welsh, Mick Mulligan with George Melly, Colyer, Sunshine, Donegan etc. Also the big bands, Dankworth, Parnell, Squadronaires, Heath, Mackintosh. I saw George Lewis on his first tour, with Colyer, Jack Teagarden, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, Big Bill Broonzy and many more. I also, on a higher note, went to a couple of Halle concerts, with the school.

Mike

I also, on a higher note, went to a couple of Halle concerts, with the school.Mike
I enjoyed those Halle concerts in the 50s, we were also taken to the City Hall to see the Vienna Boys Choir.

Hi, glad to see this thread provide so many memories.
I never saw Billy Fury so I am jealous for that.Saw Brenda Lee.
I also saw Dave Clark 5 and Hollies, both of whom stayed at the Rutland Hotel near where I used to live, got their autographs and Alan Clarke stepped on my foot and left the imprint of his shoe, didn't clean it for weeks.
also saw Frank Ifield and bunked of school the next day to get his autograph, he stayed at the Grand Hotel. did you queue at the stage door for autographs?
nearer to modern days wonderful concert by Thunder..

sorry Blasterbates never did the hi brow music.

hi hetty sorry about your shoulder hope it heals soon. loved 6 5 special can still remember the song - ish

hi hetty sorry about your shoulder hope it heals soon. loved 6 5 special can still remember the song - ish

hiya going back to the fifties i only went to the city hall once apart from the halle orchestra with the school a few years earlier we went to see frankie laine, we were on the stage that was two and six (12.5p) our normal place was the empire, saw cliff richards, tommy steele,eddie calvert, lita rosa,dickie valentine,david whitfield, michael holliday,
shirley bassey,frankie vaughan. and earlier still harry seacombe.; all a bob a time( 5p)

Sammy Hagar stands out for me. Saw Queen there and Rory Gallagher, he was bloated and ill with liver disease at the time but as brilliant as ever.

The most memorable was probably Motorhead.......my ears bled for a week. :hihi:

Most memorable concerts I saw, Bill Hayley, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran. The Everly Brothers. Slim Whitman. Johnie Dankworth. Cleo Lane Many years ago.

totally green with envy Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran

I remember some great concerts, Dave Brubeck, Stan Kenton, Bill Broonzy, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, Count Basie, Sydney Bechet, Boy on a Dolphin and many others.

I still have the programmes stuffed away somewhere with some autographs.

I remember going to see Frankie Laine when he nearly stepped off the edge of the stage which was a broken fronted stage and an easy thing to do when in the spotlights.

It seems he had very poor eyesight and once he took his spectacles off to go on the stage he just could not see.

Does anyone else remember him, it was a good show, real value for money at the time.

Sadly there aren't many artistes now to fill their boots unless you take a mortgage out to see them.

Happy Days! PopT

I saw many groups in the early 60s, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Rocking Berries, Freddy and the Dreamers, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Everly Brothers, also Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Chubby Checker, Roy Orbison, Gene Vincent (i sat on the stage and shared the spotlight with Gene Vincent - he was just wearing socks - no shoes) and many more. I did the whole stage door for autographs thing as the groups arrived in their big bus/van. Great memories!

I remember all the jazz concerts of the 1950's, Humph. Barber, Ball, Welsh, Mick Mulligan with George Melly, Colyer, Sunshine, Donegan etc. Also the big bands, Dankworth, Parnell, Squadronaires, Heath, Mackintosh. I saw George Lewis on his first tour, with Colyer, Jack Teagarden, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, Big Bill Broonzy and many more. I also, on a higher note, went to a couple of Halle concerts, with the school.

Mike

I'm with you, Puffin. I saw many of those great bands too, including the legendary George Lewis - although I thought he played on tour in Rotherham(?). But, my all time favorite was Chris Barber's Jazz Band featuring Ottillie Patterson and the Lonnie Donnegan Skiffle Group - late 50s. Their concerts played to packed houses. The seating at the back of the stage was full. The band played with their backs to those spectators then turned around to face them in the last number. Brilliant. :thumbsup:

I remember seeing the Stones coming up St mary's Gate in the van!! They were to do gig st the City Hall!! Those were the days!!!!!

I'm with you, Puffin. I saw many of those great bands too, including the legendary George Lewis - although I thought he played on tour in Rotherham(?). But, my all time favorite was Chris Barber's Jazz Band featuring Ottillie Patterson and the Lonnie Donnegan Skiffle Group - late 50s. Their concerts played to packed houses. The seating at the back of the stage was full. The band played with their backs to those spectators then turned around to face them in the last number. Brilliant. :thumbsup:

Remember all the great bands mentioned. Plus Eddie Condon, Count Basie,
Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong in 1962,still have the program. Used to sit on the stage all I could afford at the time. But you were really close up to the bands.
Took my future wife there on our first date. She was not too impressed having to sit on the stage though. Had to shell out to sit facing the artists on
our future visits.

metallica on the and justice for all tour, was chucked out about 3 times for stagediving Oo

I saw Roy Orbison, The Beatles, The Crickets, The Beach Boys - amazing, Dusty Springfield - the first concert I went too was to see Cliff Richard who was staying with a (very) distant relative in Nether Edge

I remember all the jazz concerts of the 1950's, Humph. Barber, Ball, Welsh, Mick Mulligan with George Melly, Colyer, Sunshine, Donegan etc. Also the big bands, Dankworth, Parnell, Squadronaires, Heath, Mackintosh. I saw George Lewis on his first tour, with Colyer, Jack Teagarden, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, Big Bill Broonzy and many more. I also, on a higher note, went to a couple of Halle concerts, with the school.

MikeMy local Jazz band shared a gig at the Roman Ridge Hotel Doncaster with the Monty Sunshine Band; they were a great bunch of guys.

Saw T Rex in about 71, first live concert I went to. Saw Genesis when they were still a support band (supporting Lindisfarne on that tour) around 72. We sometimes used to sneak in at the end of concerts after the pubs shut, they would often leave some doors open and unattended, and we'd sit on the stairs between seats on the upper balcony if there were none free. Saw the back end of Leonard Cohen and Dr Hook concerts that way.

My memorable concert was Alice Cooper back in 1986, it was my first one :D

the first concert i saw at the city hall was slade supported by the alex harvey band. absolutely brilliant! in the late 70's early 80's,two friends of mine worked there so even if a concert was sold out i'd still get in. i'd buy them a pint after for letting me in.

Most memorable was the relatively recent Richard Hawley epic in 2006, closely followed by Ian Dury and the Blockheads in 1978 at the height of his/their popularity.

First concert I ever went to was Elton John before he was a megastar. My friends brother took us and Elton was fabulous , then the friends brother and his girlfriend took us in a pub after the gig even though we were under age and bought us a drink, swearing us to secrecy from his mum:hihi: My most memorable concert though was Roxy Music when I was 18 when a whole load of us went and we took up a whole row. The concert was fantastic but the thing I remember most was that it was the first time my friends had met the now Mr G and I was a bit nervous hoping they would like him. So h turned up in the full white tuxedo and red rose get up a'la Bryan Ferry , God I thought he looked gorgeous :heyhey: they liked him ,but he felt like a pillock when bryan came on wearing a goucho outfit:hihi: He wasnt alone though cos there must have been hundreds of guys wearing the tuxedo look that night.

Wow people have seen some good stuff there!

People I can remember seeing at the City hall
A-ha! My friend and I jumped up and down so much we broke the seats!
Then Jericho. Not quite stood the test of time. Mark threw himself in the crowd which was probably not the right thing to do to a crowd of 14 year olds.
Robert Palmer - fabulous!
Level 42 - a couple of times - great fun!
Spandau Ballet - my friend cried on me and got mascara on my top
Everything but the girl - this was pre electro days and they were great!
The Style council - i was in complete awe at this one.
Last Shadow Puppets - better than all the Arctic monkeys gigs i've been to.
Beautiful south. Great gig - was a bit of a curveball as they'd always done the arena and went back there the following year.
Squeeze - great!


I've also seen comedy artists several times and other shows as well. Think it's a good venue for comedy but not so great for music.

Spandau Ballet
Depeche mode
OMD

must check out all my programmes, I'm sure there were others :)

Interesting list of decades here, anyway i went to most of my concerts there in 1972-74 and saw Slade (backed by Alex Harvey), Sweet, Wizzard, David Bowie, Mud backed by Sweet Sensation), The Hollies...The Hollies recorded there live album there in 1974 and Hot Chocolate was cancelled because they only sold 8 tickets.

The Searchers, Helen Shapiro, Billy J Kramer, Freddie and the Dreamers, Cilla and Little Richard - I also saw Billy Fury at the Cinema opposite the City Hall - he had a broken or sprained arm and I am sure the Stones were a support group. Unfortunately its a bit of a blur after all these years

My first City Hall visit was late sixties as a teenager - memorable nights were Hendrix - Stevie Wonder - Booker T - Four Tops - Pentangle -Martha and Vandellas.

You can keep your arena .


Cheers

Chris

Almost forgot - coming more up to date - Beautiful South about 3 or 4 yrs ago
- brilliant night.

Cheers

Chris

1968, Memorial Hall. Tyrannosaurus Rex as a 2 piece acoustic duo comprising Marc Bolan with original percussionist Steve Peregrine Took (later replaced by Mickey Finn).

The show was introduced by the great John Peel and on the same bill was another band he used to champion, The Liverpool Scene. They were a music, poetry and comedy outfit featuring Adrian Henri and Andy Roberts plus others.

Although I saw dozens of shows at the Oval Hall, this was the only concert I ever saw at the much smaller Memorial Hall located at the rear of the City Hall.

Only concert I have attended at Memorial Hall was about 6yrs ago - Allison Moorer - American Country singer - great voice. Great venue for a smaller audience.

Chris

My first concert was Deep Purple in 1971.

Sammy Hagar (Standing Hampton Tour),so much better before he went ino VH, Saxon, Gillan (boy did he wail), Ozzy, Motley Crue, Ratt, Monkees, Mammoth, Mr Big, Thunder, Robert Plant x2, Jethro Tull x2, Whitesnake (past their best), Bad Company x2 (just how awesome is Paul Rodgers???1), Deep Purple, Dave Lee Roth (good - but better with VH at Donnington 84) and Tangerine Dream (Back of my head is on the album cover - honest). Probably more but need to sneak in attic to dig out old programmes. I'm sure Saxon were only £3 or thereabouts. Thats just your booking fee these days!