6,500 At One Allnighter

[Billywhizz]

6,500 soulies at one allnighter,at leeds,what sort of place was it,did anyone go,ive was told this quite a while ago is this true can anyone put any light on it this,seems very unbelieveable.

Cheers douting billy

[shute]

wasn't this in an airfield plane shelter in the early 70s, maybe 72 ?

Major Lance was on the bill............... or was this something else...... not at the Torch this one

[Guest Bearsoul]

Carl Willingham was tellng me about this I don't remember details but it was Leeds..if he reads this perhaps he can post details but sure someone will remember!!!

[Paul R]

Leeds Queens hall 1974. Can't remember the actual date, but the Eurovision song contest was the same night!!!!!

It was feckin' awful apart from Major Lance, JJ Barnes, Mel & Tim, and The Hearts of Soul?????.

The Funky Sisters were billed, but didn't turn up. There was no dance floor. just concrete. The sound system was abysmal. the gear was crap! By 5 am the condensation was dripping from the glass roof covering you with yellow crap.

So you were covered with concrete dust at the bottom & tar/nicotine at the top.

could have been awsome. It wasn't.

Paul

Edited April 8, 2007 by Paul r

[Guest Bearsoul]

Carl Willingham was tellng me about this I don't remember details but it was Leeds..if he reads this perhaps he can post details but sure someone will remember!!!

iIT WAS 'QUEENS HALL' LEEDS 1974 7000 IS THE CLAIM FOR ATTENDANCE

[Guest Bearsoul]

Leeds Queens hall 1974. Can't remember the actual date, but the Eurovision song contest was the same night!!!!!

It was feckin' awful apart form Major Lance, JJ Barnes, Mel & Tim, and The Hearts of Soul?????.

The Funky Sisters were billed, but didn't turn up. There was no dance floor. just concrete. The sound system was abysmal. the gear was crap! By 5 am the condensation was dripping from the glass roof covering you with yellow crap.

So you were covered with concrete dust at the bottom & tar/nicotine at the top.

could have been awsome. It wasn't.

Paul

KNEW SOMEONE WOULD KNOW

[shute]

I knew I'd be wrong, because I wasn't right....................eh !

[Guest Trevski]

Leeds Queens hall 1974. Can't remember the actual date, but the Eurovision song contest was the same night!!!!!

It was feckin' awful apart from Major Lance, JJ Barnes, Mel & Tim, and The Hearts of Soul?????.

The Funky Sisters were billed, but didn't turn up. There was no dance floor. just concrete. The sound system was abysmal. the gear was crap! By 5 am the condensation was dripping from the glass roof covering you with yellow crap.

So you were covered with concrete dust at the bottom & tar/nicotine at the top.

could have been awsome. It wasn't.

Paul

True. Got ticket the week before from Jumbo's in Leeds. International soul club do, I believe, and yes, it was shite!

[Guest Trevski]

wasn't this in an airfield plane shelter in the early 70s, maybe 72 ?

Major Lance was on the bill............... or was this something else...... not at the Torch this one

NOt quite, but the title "Queens Hall' is somewhat misleading and lending a grandeur to what was, essentialy the old bus/tram garages, just under the railway arches down from the station.

Edited April 8, 2007 by Trevski

[Paul R]

Just nipped up to find the advertised promises. Coupled with the "All our Yesterdays" Thread about being 16, my sister bought me the tickets for this for my 16th birthday.

I believe Chris Burton, Who organised this did a couple more, featuring The Detroit Emeralds, and Maybe Jr Walker, and shipped in portable dance floors, etc, but the chance had gone.

Paul

[Guest]

Blimey! I bet the atmosphere will all those people in attendance was something to remember though, regardless of all the bits you didn't like?

[Guest nubes]

Blimey! I bet the atmosphere will all those people in attendance was something to remember though, regardless of all the bits you didn't like?

Not really Karen...from the write up at the time...which i can remember....there seem to be an awful lot of disappointed folk....Delxx

[Paul R]

Blimey! I bet the atmosphere will all those people in attendance was something to remember though, regardless of all the bits you didn't like?

Not really it was surreal. Just totally crap from what I remember. A lot of people left & went to Wigan at about midnight. I remember being in the crowd dancing & clapping to the Major & JJ, that was good,. But the whole night was strange. better gear may have helped though .

Generally it was better being at the casino.

Paul

[Mark B]

Agree with all others on this i attended and it was crap the place was too big for any atmosphere and the facilty's were attrocious just a huge old tram/bus depot.

mark

[Sean Hampsey]

6,500 soulies at one allnighter,at leeds,what sort of place was it,did anyone go,ive was told this quite a while ago is this true can anyone put any light on it this,seems very unbelieveable.

Cheers douting billy

Spooky this.

Was only thinking about this gig a couple of days ago.

It was a humongous event, publicised for months beforehand by Chris Burton and the ISC.

Still got the flyer somewhere (and I reckon a cassette or two which is what got me thinking about it) a third A4 advertising all the latest OOTP Bootlegs.

Lots of dissapointed people as I remember but was still great to see Mel & Tim in Yorkshire!

Not sure you'd get those numbers nowadays!

Sean

[Guest]

Leeds Queens hall 1974. Can't remember the actual date, but the Eurovision song contest was the same night!!!!!

It was feckin' awful apart from Major Lance, JJ Barnes, Mel & Tim, and The Hearts of Soul?????.

The Funky Sisters were billed, but didn't turn up. There was no dance floor. just concrete. The sound system was abysmal. the gear was crap! By 5 am the condensation was dripping from the glass roof covering you with yellow crap.

So you were covered with concrete dust at the bottom & tar/nicotine at the top.

could have been awsome. It wasn't.

Paul

As I stated in a thread when this came up several months ago , the best way to describe the event was .....

" The Dunkirk Of The Amphetamine Generation "

The whole thing was a debacle from start to finish .

I am not proud in the least to say that I was there ......

Malc Burton

Edited April 8, 2007 by Malc Burton

[Guest]

Did anyone get any photos of the night?

[Jim G]

I have stillgot my A1 size poster I niked off the wall at the event (must be rare and worth 1,000S!). As others have said it was a dump. Major LAnce was the highlight and the portabel dacne floors were a joke. Still it was another piece of northern history!

[Ste]

Leeds Queens hall 1974. Can't remember the actual date, but the Eurovision song contest was the same night!!!!!

It was feckin' awful apart from Major Lance, JJ Barnes, Mel & Tim, and The Hearts of Soul?????.

The Funky Sisters were billed, but didn't turn up. There was no dance floor. just concrete. The sound system was abysmal. the gear was crap! By 5 am the condensation was dripping from the glass roof covering you with yellow crap.

So you were covered with concrete dust at the bottom & tar/nicotine at the top.

could have been awsome. It wasn't.

Paul

................................

My first niter, two busloads from Mansfield made the trip, organised by Phil kingswood from Syd Booths.

Mel and Tim were best artists on the night for me.

place was crap, too big for any real atmosphere, still went to second one though!

steve

[Guest]

Did anyone get any photos of the night?

Not as such , but I have got an old Blues & Soul , ( published after it happened in April 1974 ) which has photos of it , and unfortunately , they give the impression that the event was better than it was ......

I will dig it out tonight , scan it , and post it up .

Malc Burton

[Skegsoul]

i remember queuing up at the front of the old ticket office in a mass of folks to buy a handfull of o.f.t.p boots, and being asked at least 4 times by older dodgy looking blokes if i had any "dope man", must have looked like a hippy or something.at the time it seemed all very exciting,and although yes it was looking back crap it added fuel to something that has been with me all my life.so for that i'm grateful to the INTERNATIONAL SOUL CLUB.

[Paul R]

When you think that this was pre Footsie & Wickams Ovation, it was still a pretty much underground scene, so 6-7,000 punters turning up was pretty good. What a pity it was so sh*it. But I agree, Mel & Tim were pretty good.

Paul

[Mak]

I believe Chris Burton, Who organised this did a couple more, featuring The Detroit Emeralds, and Maybe Jr Walker, and shipped in portable dance floors, etc, but the chance had gone.

Paul

[Guest lifeandsoul]

Exciters were on too, it was dreadful (the event that is!)- the one good thing that sticks in my mind, and ironically it was a 'slowie', and that was Mel & Tim doing starting all over again.

Edited April 10, 2007 by lifeandsoul

[Blake H]

The Queens Hall was the major concert venue in Leeds at the time but many bands wouldn't play there because the steelwork in the roof (which was only just higher than a double decker bus) made the acoustics atrocious. I remember seeing the great Jnr Walker at the second one an he wouldn't do an encore and was booed, it turned out this was his third gig that night/morning and the poor guy was exhausted. Mixed memories but mostly bad I think there is a review in Black Music, I'll try and find it.

Blake

[Dayo]

Wish I'd been able to blag a lift to Wigan. It was such a highly anticiptated night, but one of the most awful nights I can remember. On par with the re-opening of the VaVa all nighter around 74. Searling was not there and I was one of about 10 other people who had showed. God knows who was the jock, but he had the latest pressings and nothing else. I wonder if anyone else remembers that little period?

[Guest]

Wish I'd been able to blag a lift to Wigan. It was such a highly anticiptated night, but one of the most awful nights I can remember. On par with the re-opening of the VaVa all nighter around 74. Searling was not there and I was one of about 10 other people who had showed. God knows who was the jock, but he had the latest pressings and nothing else. I wonder if anyone else remembers that little period?

Reference my post earlier today regarding photos of the ISC QH debacle ; see below. Taken as stated , from Blues & Soul ( issue # 132 , dated April 23rd - May 6th , 1974 ) , and make the event out better than it was ..... My apologies that they have transferred as shown : top photo is the Exciters , the bottom one is of the crowd .

The figure stated of 6,500 / 7,000 attending the night is debatable : What may have caused these figures to be bandied about , is that the capacity of / for The Queens Hall was quoted at the time by Chris Burton , as " having room for 7,000 " ......

I am attempting to gain confirmation of the attendance , so will hopefully post asap ....

Malc Burton

Edited April 10, 2007 by Malc Burton

[Billywhizz]

Reference my post earlier today regarding photos of the ISC QH debacle ; see below. Taken as stated , from Blues & Soul ( issue # 132 , dated April 23rd - May 6th , 1974 ) , and make the event out better than it was ..... My apologies that they have transferred as shown : top photo is the Exciters , the bottom one is of the crowd .

The figure stated of 6,500 / 7,000 attending the night is debatable : What may have caused these figures to be bandied about , is that the capacity of / for The Queens Hall was quoted at the time by Chris Burton , as " having room for 7,000 " ......

I am attempting to gain confirmation of the attendance , so will hopefully post asap ....

Malc Burton

looking at that crowd no dancefloor,that would blow my mind away no room to dance,i solute u to all the soulies who went.

Billy

[Guest]

looking at that crowd no dancefloor,that would blow my mind away no room to dance,i solute u to all the soulies who went.

Billy

Going back to the actual ' event ' that was the first QH , here are my recollections regarding it .....

The floor of the QH - obviously concrete - was not condusive to dancing , and just walking about coated your shoes and your trousers in a thick grey dust ; It was akin to the early days of / at The Wheel all over again ......

Trying to make out the records being played from the sound system , with what sound there was , being lost in the iron girders and glass roof ..... not surprising , as the QH was the old Leeds Transport bus terminus , and - not a lot of people know this - was the biggest indoor venue outside of London ; the biggest being the ( then ) Empire Pool .....

Watching the continual exodus of people leaving in the first few hours , and very nearly joing them .....

Smiling at the boys and girls of the drug squad , trying to pose as soulies ...... and failing .

Thanking god for The Exciters going down a storm from the first chords of " Tell Him " , giving us at last , something for our money ....

Singing every word along with The Exciters when they played " Doo Wah Diddy Diddy " .....

Listening to , gazing in amazement , and wandering what the hell were The Hearts Of Soul doing on the bill ......

As I have said before ..... The Queens Hall was " The Dunkirk of the anphetamine generation "

Malc Burton

Edited April 10, 2007 by Malc Burton

[Guest]

Wow... that photo! Thanks for posting.

[Guest Black Gold of the Sun]

Reference my post earlier today regarding photos of the ISC QH debacle ; see below. Taken as stated , from Blues & Soul ( issue # 132 , dated April 23rd - May 6th , 1974 ) , and make the event out better than it was ..... My apologies that they have transferred as shown : top photo is the Exciters , the bottom one is of the crowd .

The figure stated of 6,500 / 7,000 attending the night is debatable : What may have caused these figures to be bandied about , is that the capacity of / for The Queens Hall was quoted at the time by Chris Burton , as " having room for 7,000 " ......

I am attempting to gain confirmation of the attendance , so will hopefully post asap ....

Malc Burton

Got to agree Malc no way was there 7000 there.Apart from around the stage there was acres of empty space with isolated groups of people sort of camped around.If you went to the bog it was a Capain Oates scenario"I,m goin out now and may not be back for some time"

[Guest]

Got to agree Malc no way was there 7000 there.Apart from around the stage there was acres of empty space with isolated groups of people sort of camped around.If you went to the bog it was a Capain Oates scenario"I,m goin out now and may not be back for some time"

The picture I posted ( taken from B&S a couple of weeks after the event ) showing the crowd , was taken from the stage ( by B&S columnist Frank Elson ) , making it looking like the place was full to capacity .....

Malc Burton

Edited April 11, 2007 by Malc Burton

[Paul R]

I also remember people sitting around piles of holdalls, looking like bonfires about to be lit. It was a long night.

Paul

[spot]

Yes it was Leeds with almost 7000 (claimed) attending & it was held in a kind of LOCOMOTIVE SHED it was absolutely bloody enormous, also freezing cold & there was no dance floor as such just temporary ones & the original floor which was part concrete & I seem to recall areas of rubberised material, which made it almost impossible to dance & I seem to remember going home filthy because of the muck & shite everywhere.Yes I was one of the fools who attended. :fool:

The line up of acts was excellent but the acoustics in the cavenous place were terrible, so you couldn`t hear the acts or Dj spot very well . It seemed a great idea at the time & was a valiant effort (even if naive on reflection) but I`m afraid it was total & utter shite, worse soul do I`ve ever been to & I heard the guys who promoted it lost big time. It was to be the " Be all & end all" of Northern Soul, well it very nearly was the "End all".

Never will it happen again,Take care & be safe,

Spot.

Edited April 11, 2007 by spot

[Guest mel brat]

Brilliant answer Malc and absolutely right! the best thing that night was the Hearts of souls singers tits!

More squad than soullies for sure and as previously said midnight exodus to Wigan,mostly people who came by coach had to stay though :angry:

Steve

Yes, I was there as well (unfortunately!) You've forgotten the long queues for the toilets the cafe bar swimming in spilt tea and coffee (or was that Wigan?), the stall selling nothing but crappy ISC bootlegs, the gloomy lighting etc. J.J. Barnes did his thing (at about 4am!), Mel & Tim were good, but largely wasted on a crowd who only knew them for "Backfield In Motion" and "Free For All", Major Lance was Major Lance etc. etc. I bought an original Bob Relf from Francis T. for £3 then accidently left it on the back windowsill of my mates car the next morning... The whole 'event' was reported by Tony Cummings in Black Music magazine.

It WAS pretty dreadful, though I notice yet again that EVERY night appears to be "awful" for some people if they couldn't get suitably 'blocked' - I can't help wondering if they ever once had a good time without their precious little pills, or if they'd ever admit it to their mates if they had.

[SteveM]

Yes, I was there as well (unfortunately!) You've forgotten the long queues for the toilets the cafe bar swimming in spilt tea and coffee (or was that Wigan?), the stall selling nothing but crappy ISC bootlegs, the gloomy lighting etc. J.J. Barnes did his thing (at about 4am!), Mel & Tim were good, but largely wasted on a crowd who only knew them for "Backfield In Motion" and "Free For All", Major Lance was Major Lance etc. etc. I bought an original Bob Relf from Francis T. for £3 then accidently left it on the back windowsill of my mates car the next morning... The whole 'event' was reported by Tony Cummings in Black Music magazine.

Weren't Hearts of Soul referred to as a "poor mans Dawn" in that article ?

[Guest mel brat]

Weren't Hearts of Soul referred to as a "poor mans Dawn" in that article ?

Yes, I think someone was quoted as saying that! (However, we had yet to hear the equally appalling RAIN)

It's also rather ironic that the two backing singers with Tony Orlando in the REAL Dawn group, were formerly with the Debonaires and recorded for Golden World Records! Perhaps actually booking Dawn to appear at Leeds Queen's hall would have had more street cred in the long run!

Edited April 11, 2007 by mel brat