tonyland

I remember seeing Rod Stewart at the Esquire Club in the early sixty's, he came with a dynamic London band called "Jimmy Powell and the Five Dimensions", incidently the white Jauguar belonged to Jimmy Powell. Never heard of him again. Jimmy Powell was really awesome on stage.

Also saw The Everly Brothers Show, who were the top of the bill. When they came on the whole Gaumont cinema crowd errupted with "We want the Stones", the Everly Brothers tried to play but where drowned out, in the end they had to bring the Stones on stage to back them with their numbers. Great show, long live The Stones.

The 4th of March is my birthday and on that day in 1958 I was walking past the the Grand Hotel, it was raining, and three guys came out of the revolving doors of the hotel, one of the guys with big black frame glasses said to me, "Hey big fella which way is it to the City Hall", I said to him just turn right by Wilson Pecks music shop, keep on up the street until you come to all the steps and thats it. The guy in the glasses simply said "Hey fella thanks a lot". As I crossed the road to the Town Hall, I thought my god that was Buddy Holly. I went to his concert that night and was absolutely blown away, the sound from his Fender Stratocaster was awesome, especially when he played "Peggy Sue". As you say it was a great pity he was taken away so young, but testimy to his rare talent, his music has never really died. Tony Land (ex Club 60 partner) now living in Brisbane, Australia.

Scott William Combo, now theres a name from the past, Dave Hawley played with Scott for a while, but for some reason they just couldn't get their act together, and unfortunately a very promising group sunk slowly into oblivion. Jimmy Crawford (Ron Lindsay) whatever happed to him, he made a recording of the Ray Charles hit "Busted" down at the old Club 60 on Shalesmoor, and was I thought destined for stardom, but he seemed to fade away. Does anyone out there know what happened to William Scott. Tony Land ex Club 60 owner.

Does anyone remember the snooker hall under the Abbeydale Cinema, which I thought in those days was the ultimate. 15 years old, thinking you were 18, and smoking a packet of Woodbines. Yugh !!.

I remember the El Mambo and La Favorita's, but the really cool place in the mid 60's was the Roman Room just opposite the Grand Hotel, down from Wilson Pecks music store. The Roman Room used to open untill 1.00am, and I often missed my last bus home trying to impress the latest lady. The atmosphere was really cool for the time, and I remember thinking that it was the best place in town. When you think back Sheffield was a pretty groovy place for the time, we had jazz clubs, really good dance halls (Locarno and the City Hall), good rock pubs, loads of trendy coffe bars, and heaps of budding musical talent. I reckon anyone who lived through the 60's really lived in evolving times, certainly as far as music was concerned. Tony Land - [email protected]

I'm suprised no-one remembers the Fleur Delyse pub (I think thats how you spell it) at Dore and Totley, who had Joe Cocker and the Grease Band as their resident Thursday night group. I'm sure the people who lived around there would have been really peed off with the amount of cars parked on every conceiveable space, as for the pub it was navel to navel, once you got in it was very hard to get out, Joe Cocker certainly had the pulling power in those early days. Tony Land - [email protected]

Back in the mid 60's there were two tailors of reknown in Sheffield beside Barney Goodmans, one was Kearney's he was behind the Hyperdrome Cinema, the other was Bill Mackley who I believe was an ex Barney Goodman cutter who went into business on his own, he was down in West Bar. I seem to recall. in those days a tailor made suit with three fittings would cost you around twenty five pounds, which was a pincely sum, but the ends results were stunning and well worth the money. I had one suit made by Kearney, and two suits and overcoat made by Bill Mackley, and I have never had anything to match them since, they were both tailors of distinction. Tony Land - [email protected]