Imperial Ballroom

[Guest kevnewry]

Does anybody remember the all niters held here round 1980. Remember some great nites and then they stopped very suddenly.... cant think why

anybody got any memories from this Kev

[Stillsoulin]

hi,

i went to a few of these,although i thought they were late seventies, or was the venue resurected, also didnt Clive Jones have something to do with those nights,cant remember much of what was played there, but seem to remember Top Secret and Crying over you by the Newbeats getting plays. (christ knows why i can remember that!!!!!)

rob h.

[Guest kevnewry]

You could be right about late 70's memory aint what it was . Newbeats was def played, lots of real stompers too, this venue took us away from Wigan for a while.

Thought i was the only one who remembered this place lol........ KTF..Kev

[Pete S]

I went to one of these, it was in 79 - train from Wton to Birmingham then a terrible time getting to the bus station with numerous punks and skinheads giving us serious problems, bus to Redditch, terrible allnighter playing crap music, that was the last nighter I ever went to in that era apart from the final Wigan.

[Jerry Hipkiss]

I went to one of these, it was in 79 - train from Wton to Birmingham then a terrible time getting to the bus station with numerous punks and skinheads giving us serious problems, bus to Redditch, terrible allnighter playing crap music, that was the last nighter I ever went to in that era apart from the final Wigan.

Must admit I never rated it much either...hazy memories of antiquated turntables, the place seemed like an old Nissen hut, but definitely remember buying Garnett Mimms "Looking for you" from Neil Rushton there. Funny how selective the memory can be!

Hippo.

Edited January 30, 2007 by Jerry Hipkiss

[Pete S]

Must admit I never rated it much either...hazy memories of antiquated turntables, the place seemed like an old Nissen hut, but definitely remember buying Garnett Mimms "Looking for you" from Neil Rushton there. Funny how selective the memory can be!

Hippo.

Yeah it was like a hut, long thin place, like a womens institute meeting place! There was a room right at the back for dossing in.

[Guest kevnewry]

I went to one of these, it was in 79 - train from Wton to Birmingham then a terrible time getting to the bus station with numerous punks and skinheads giving us serious problems, bus to Redditch, terrible allnighter playing crap music, that was the last nighter I ever went to in that era apart from the final Wigan.

Memory can definatley be selective wasnt much of a place, but cant remember the music being crap!!!! Kev

[Pete S]

Memory can definatley be selective wasnt much of a place, but cant remember the music being crap!!!! Kev

Music was crap everywhere at that time until Searlings fantastic newies hit the scene.

[Guest kevnewry]

Music was crap everywhere at that time until Searlings fantastic newies hit the scene.

Unfortunatley some of us didnt handle most of the newies at the time very well.

Glad we mellow with age..

[harpo1]

Oh yes remember them well....got some great stories as well

Firstly the night me and Mac caughtthe last Midland Hed from Brum got there it was snowing like hell....anyway we walked down the drive and it was all shut up and deserted we went up to the dairy at the top and thought shit wrong night and no bus ti;; sun 10 am

Afteer what seemed like weeks a few caes started to arrive so back down we went...to find they had let all those there in to the place out the snow!!! but when they all hadto come out and pay the Tipton lads tried to hide in the rafters and chaos ensued

And you must all remember the night Macs glass eye came out of thr sockett while he was spinning...we went to tell Kingy who didnt believe us until Mac opend the lids to reveal an empty eye sockett...there was an announcement and lights went on followed almost at once by a scream when a bird found it next to her bag

Another bnight black H tried to climb in the gents window and somebody nicked his shoe

The last night was after some flood if i remember and the parque' floor and warped and lifted making it like erying to dance in fuckin clogs..and that was that if i remember correctly

Good times when we were all young and mad for it...where as now were just mad and up....AND LOVING IT

[Guest SIMONF]

Remeber this one.In the foolishness of youth four of us from Gloucester desided to go. We had a lift sorted as far as Worcester thought Redditch aint far we'll thumb it. f***kin hell walked half the way.Getting well fed up we flagged a car down on some traffic lights on the A38 bloke begrugdigly gave us a lift into middle of Redditch ended up in some shopping arcade, no one about to ask the way to the imperial, anyway after an hour met some soulies who knew were they were going,another long walk remeber the venue was on a housing estate.Always remeber going in it was going full steam, packed out, belting out jerry fuller.

Simon

[Guest kevnewry]

Remeber this one.In the foolishness of youth four of us from Gloucester desided to go. We had a lift sorted as far as Worcester thought Redditch aint far we'll thumb it. f***kin hell walked half the way.Getting well fed up we flagged a car down on some traffic lights on the A38 bloke begrugdigly gave us a lift into middle of Redditch ended up in some shopping arcade, no one about to ask the way to the imperial, anyway after an hour met some soulies who knew were they were going,another long walk remeber the venue was on a housing estate.Always remeber going in it was going full steam, packed out, belting out jerry fuller.

Simon

A long walk indeed, and if i remember it right the shortcut was thru that shopin centre, always enjoyed Redditch for some strange reason Kev

[Guest martyn]

Only went to this nighter twice.

The second time was to show my mates how grim it could be.On the plus side,it was the only nighter I have heard anyone have the guts to play Strange-The Wolf Man,& then tell the floor they are cnuts for not dancing.Later that night the same record filled the floor.Fair play that man..........Bollocks to the tit who sold me those funny farm blues,it may have clouded my judgement .........