Portsmouth Music Scene


The Birdcage

Before the Birdcage


court1x

The Court Ballroom, and Court School of Ballroom Dancing occupied the building during the 1950's and into 1960.

1953

January 9th Courtenay Castle brings the Court School of Dancing to Portsmouth at the Cumberland Rooms, Eastney Road.

1954

February 12th The Court Ballroom celebrate their first year birthday.

1957

April 8th By popular demand, rock'n'roll comes to the Court Ballroom.

1960

The Court Dancing School in Eastney began featuring live rock & roll groups on Saturday nights, opening with the Hot Rods in mid-August and later the Renegades.

1961

Local rock gigs included Saturday nights at the Court Dancing School with the Renegades who then departed for the Continent, the “mostest” Teenbeats and the Phantoms.

1962

The Court ran sessions for teenagers every Sunday evening.

1965

The Birdcage at Kimbells Osborne Road had been given notice to quit but Tony Harris of London’s Flamingo Club had contacts who found them premises in Cumberland Buildings, Eastney at the former Court School of Dancing.

court2x
court4-6-1952newsx court7-1-1953newsx

t4-6-1952 - 7-1-1953

court8-1-1953newsx court18-2-1953newsx

8-1-1953 - 18-2-1953

court27-2-1953bewsx court10-4-1953newsx

27-2-1953 - 10-4-1953


cage1xx

1965

cage2 birdcage

Strictly speaking there were two Birdcage venues as well as two separate clubs in the Eastney Road location. The building, just south of the Bransbury Park junction was originally the Court School of Dancing which, in the late 1950s, ran rock & roll nights with local groups like the Cadillacs and the Renegades.
The first Birdcage Club opened its doors in late February 1965 at Kimbells Ballroom, Osborne Road, Southsea. It reflected the mid-60s shift from blues/r&b to soul and dance music and was opened by Rikki Farr, son of champion boxer Tommy and brother of singer Gary whose band the T-Bones were the first act. Rikki was helped by locals, including Robin Beste, Bob Beard, Mick Baxter, Dave Morgan. DJ Pete Brady played all the latest soul records to Pompey's growing mod audience.
The club had one famous night ‘away' at the Savoy in July 1965 starring the Who and local favourites the Crow. A month later it moved to its own premises at Eastney by which time regular favourites included Jimmy James & the Vagabonds, the Action, Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds and Rod Stewart - generally with his Steam Packet mates Long John Baldry, Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger. Occasionally Pompey groups like the St Louis Checks, Klimaks, Simon Dupree and Wrong Direction would play there while visiting Americans included Wilson Pickett, Ike & Tina Turner, Major Lance, Ben E King and Inez & Charlie Fox.
In 1966 the club introduced all-night sessions, then closed during June for a re-vamp. When it re-opened the music was not always based on American soul/Tamla as groups like the Hollies, the Small Faces, the Move and the In-Crowd (also known as Tomorrow)
appeared alongside a new DJ ‘Mad King' Jerry. There were still some fine nights - notably the visit of Little Richard in November 1966 when Teddy Boys and Mods co-existed peacefully, enthralled by his performance.
As 1966 turned to ‘67 record nights often featured ska, while bands like Cream and Pink Floyd brought the new sounds of what would be the Summer of Love to the ‘Cage. Tastes changed, hair grew and the soul/amphetamine world of the Birdcage and Pompey mods was replaced gradually by the new psychedelia. Regular Birdcage visitors the Paramounts went to number one under their new name Procul Harum but the club did not survive the transition and closed in August 1967.
In December, the Birdcage reopened as the Brave New World and through 1968 it offered a variety of new rock, folk, jazz and pop acts. The following year it became the Pack nightclub. There were few punters, there was a fire, and the legendary venue finally closed forty years ago. For a brief period in the mid-1960s it was magical but nothing remains of the club - except the memories.
Dave Allen.



Jimmy James and Vagabonds on stage at the Birdcage

birdcage vagabonds

the birdcage entrance

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rikkif


From the NEWS Supplement "Portsmoputh in the 60's June 1993
Birdcage
To many people who grew up in Portsmouth in the sixties, the words Birdcage Club will stir memories of one of the best venues on the south coast for music and dance.
It was on the corner of Eastney Road and Bransbury Road, squeezed between a garage and a block of flats. Two of the most popular groups ever to play there were Jimmy James and the Vagabonds and the Alan Brown Set, When they played at London famous Wardour Street club The Marquee, a coachload of enthusiastic fans travelled to London from Portsmouth and their banner with Birdcage written on it was captured for posterity in a photograph that went on the album London Swings at the Marquee Club.
What are now corner flats, were once the Cumberland Tavern, or 'Charlies Hurdle's,' named after a popular landlord of the time, and was a meeting place for those going next door to the club. Of the groups who played at the `Cage', many were later to achieve international fame. Pink Floyd, The Move, Ike and Tina Turner The Small Faces, The Who, John Myall. Rod Stewart (Rod the Mod), Fleetwood Mac, Graham Bond Organization, the Walker brothers and the Yardbirds are just a few.
Just up the road from the Cage on the corner of Essex Road, and now gone, was the tiny triangular shaped Milton police station. A well-worn path led to its doors made by those who, after being invited to step into a shop doorway to be searched by Messrs Russell and Hopkins of the drug squad, were found to have been in possession of illegal substances.


LIST OF APPEARANCES - All at 5/-d admission unless stated

Thursday 25 February 1965 Birdcage Club open @ Kimbells Ballroom, Southsea : The T-Bones
Thursday 4 March 1965Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds
Thursday 11 March 1965 Ronnie Jones & the Nightimers
Thursday 18 March 1965 Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds
Thursday 25 March 1965 Champion Jack Dupree plus The Sheffields
Thursday 1 April 1965 Goldie & the Gingerbreads
Thursday 8 April 1965 Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds plus Brian Auger Trinity
Thursday 15 April 1965 T-Bones
Thursday 22 April 1965 The Paramounts
Thursday 29 April 1965 Zoot Money & his Big Roll Band
Thursday 6 May 1965 The Paramounts
Thursday 20 May 1965 The Paramounts
Thursday 27 May 1965 Brian Auger Trinity, Soul Sisters?
(Were the Soul Sisters also on the bill? Rod Stewart performed across Southsea Common at Clarence Pier on the same evening (with the Soul Agents) and then walked across to Kimbells to ‘jam’ with the Brian Auger Trinity, in anticipation of the Steam Packet.)
Thursday 3 June 1965 T-Bones
Thursday 10 June 1965 Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds
Thursday 17 June 1965 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
17-6-1965vags (The first Birdcage gig by the club’s most regular band, followed by the first Saturday night)
Saturday 19 June 1965 Moody Blues
Thursday 24 June 1965 Rod Stewart plus Gary Farr plus Brian Auger Trinity (Steampacket form)
(Embryonic version of the Steampacket, pre Long John Baldry and Julie Driscoll)
Saturday 26 June 1965 Ronnie Jones & the Blue Jays
Thursday 1 July 1965 Jimmy James 81 the Vagabonds
Saturday 3 July 1965 The Untamed
(What follows are four consecutive days, marketed as a ‘Festival Week’, three days at Kimbells and the fourth, Sunday, the Who at the Savoy Ballroom).
Thursday 8 July 1965 Shevells
Friday 9 July 1965 Ronnie Jones & the Blue Jays
Saturday 10 July 1965 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Sunday 11 July 1965 Birdcage @ The Savoy, Southsea : The Who plus The Crow 1965x.jpg
Thursday 15 July 1965 The Action
(The first Birdcage gig by the second most regular band there)
Friday 16 July 1965 Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds
Saturday 17 July 1965 The Yardbirds (failed to appear)
Thursday 22 July 1965 Charlie & Inez Foxx plus The Ram Jam Band, Zoot Money Band?
(Adverts for this gig advertised the Ram Jam Band as support and the Foxx’s backing group but most memories of the night suggest it was Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band)
Friday 23 July 1965 T-Bones
Saturday 24 July 1965 Moody Blues
Thursday 29 July 1965 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Friday 30 July 1965 Ronnie Jones & the Blue Jays
Saturday 31 July 1965 Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds
Thursday 5 August 1965 Sugar Pie Desanto plus Shevelles
Friday 6 August 1965 Herbie Goins and Nightimers
Saturday 7 August 1965 Alex Harvey Soul Band
Thursday 12 August 1965 Jimmy James and the Vagabonds
Friday 13 August 1965 The In Crowd
Satuirday 14 August 1965 Ronnie Jones and the Blue Jays
Thursday 19 August 1965 The Action
Friday 20 August 1965 Jimmy James and the Vagabonds
(This gig was booked and advertised, but cancelled as Kimbells was unavailable)
Saturday 21 August 1965 T-Bones
The T-Bones who opened the Birdcage Club at the Kimbells venue, also played the final Birdcage gig in that location. On 26 August 1965, the Birdcage Club opened at the Eastney location, formerly the Court School of Dancing
Thursday 26 August 1965 Birdcage Club open @ Eastney Steam Packet plus Long John Baldry plus The Action plus Brian Auger Trinity
Friday 27 August 1965 Jimmy James and the Vagabonds
Saturday 28 August 1965 Ronnie Jones & the Blue Jays
Sunday 29 August 1965 Roadrunners 3/-d
(Local group who became Simon Dupree & Big Sound, then Gentle Giant)
Thursday 2 September 1965 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Friday 3 September 1965 Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers plus St Louis Checks
(St Louis Checks, local group and Melody Maker Finalists in 1966)
Saturday 4 September 1965 The In-Crowd
Sunday 5 September 1965 Tony Cotton's Big Boss Band 4/-d
Thursday 9 September 1965 T-Bones
Friday 10 September 1965 Shevelles 4/-d
Saturday 11 September 1965 The Jimmy Brown Sound
Sunday 12 September 1965 Herbie Goins & the Nightimers
Thursday 16 September 1965 Goldie & the Gingerbreads plus The Action 6/-d
Friday 17 September 1965 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Saturday 18 September 1965 Georgie Fame & the Blueflames 6/-d
Sunday 19 September 1965 St Louis Checks 3/-d
Thursday 23 September 1965 Lou Johnson
Friday 24 September 1965 Mike Cotton Sound
Saturday 25 September 1965 Moody Blues plus St Louis Checks 6/-d
Sunday 26 September 1965 The Jimmy Brown Sound 4/-
Thursday 30 September 1965 T-Bones
Friday 1 October 1965 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Saturday 2 October 1965 The Jimmy Brown Sound, Bo Diddley (failed to attend) plus St Louis Checks birdcage-bo-poster2
Phil Freeman has found a list which gives Bo Diddley at the Flamingo that night – although the Flamingo might well have been an all-nighter.

Anyway the evidence suggests that Bo Diddley never arrived but Geoff, who is another one of those thorough ‘diarists’, tells me:-

“YES HE DEFINITELY DID COME… I WAS RIGHT NEAR THE FRONT.. IT WAS A HOT HOT NIGHT . IT WAS CROWDED. THEY LOOKED LIKE THE BLACK MAFIA SQUEEZING ON TO A VERY FULL STAGE , HIS ‘MOLLS’ WORE BRIGHT RED LIPSTICK AND FURS!! SOON DROPPED WHEN THEY GOT INTO THEIR BACKING SINGER STRIDE. AND BO, ,,…. THE FIRST TIME I’D SEEN A GUITAR BODY THAT WAS A RECTANGLE ( MAROON IN COLOUR AS I RECALL)…HE WAS LIKE A GOD ON STAGE, IN FULL CONTROL.

THEY ARRIVED LATE, MUCH ANTICIPATION BEFORE HAND,, WOULD THEY COME, WOULDN’T THEY… THE KIT WAS ALL SET ON STAGE FROM EARLY ON…… AND THEN THEY CAME AND THEY WERE AMAZING…. AND EVERYONE WENT CRAZY…. YES THEY DEFINITELY CAME!”
(Bo Diddley was advertised but certainly appeared that evening at Soho’s Flamingo Club although at least one regular attendee claims to have seen Bo Diddley in Eastney). diddley

Sunday 3 October 1965 John Williams 3/-d
(Williams and his brother were briefly members of the Crow – see 11 July)
Thursday 7 October 1965 Shevells
Friday 8 October 1965 Herbie Goins & the Nightimers
Saturday 9 October 1965 John Mayall's Bluesbreakers 5/-d
Sunday 10 October 1965 John Williams & his band
Thursday 14 October 1965 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Friday 15 October 1965 The Action
Saturday 16 October 1965 The Steam Packet
Sunday 17 October 1965 Mark Leeman Five
Thursday 21 October 1965 Official opening of The Birdcage Club @ Eastney Jimmy James & the Vagabonds plus The Action plus
Johnny B Great & the Quotations - (Walker Brothers failed to show) 10/-d
Thursday 21 October was the official opening night of The Birdcage Club, Eastney (10/-) with Jimmy James & the Vagabonds plus the Action plus Johnny B Great & the Quotations, MC Jimmy Saville. The Walker Brothers were advertised but failed to show. The evening was reported, with photographs, in a full-page piece in ‘Record Mirror’.
Friday 22 October 1965 diskotek
(The first advertised records night with no live act)
Saturday 23 October 1965 Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds
Sunday 24 October 1965 Herbie Goins & the Nightimers
Thursday 28 October 1965 Ben E King with The Jimmy Brown Sound
Friday 29 October 1965 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Saturday 30 October 1965 David Bowie & the The Lower Third
Sunday 31 October 1965 Diskotek
Thursday 4 November 1965 Zoot Money & his Big Roll Band
Friday 5 November 1965 Herbie Goins & the Nightimers or Shevelles
Saturday 6 November 1965 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Sunday 7 November 1965 discotheque
Thursday 11 November 1965 Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds
Friday 12 November 1965 The Loose Ends
Saturday 13 November 1965 Herbie Goins & the Nightimers,
Sunday 14 November 1965 Ready Steady Go! (TV) + St Louis Checks
Thursday 18 November 1965 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Friday 19 November 1965 Shakedown Sound
Saturday 20 November 1965 The Action
Sunday 21 November 1965 Ready Steady Go! (TV) + St Louis Checks*
Tuesday 23 November 1965 Wilson Pickett
(backed by? Was Steve Cropper there?)
Thursday 25 November 1965 Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds
Friday 26 November 1965 Peter B's Looners
Saturday 27 November 1965 The Summer Set
Sunday 28 November 1965 Ready Steady GO (TV) St Louis Checks
Thursday 2 December 1965 Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band
Friday 3 December 1965 Alan Walker Group
Saturday 4 December 1965 V.I.P's
Sunday 5 December 1965 Ready Steady Go! (TV) + Simon Dupree Big Sound
Tuesday 7 December 1965 Major Lance
(backed by?)
Thursday 9 December 1965 Herbie Goins & the Nightimers
Friday 10 December 1965 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Saturday 11 December 1965 Alan Price
Sunday 12 December 1965 Ready Steady Go! (TV) afternoon only (Sunday 12 December, advertised as closed for re-decoration, Ready Steady Go! (TV) afternoon only)
Thursday 16 December 1965 The Stormsville Shakers
Friday 17 December 1965 The Action
Saturday 18 December 1965 The Who who18-12-65
Sunday 19 December 1965 The Night People
Thursday 23 December 1965 The Clique
Friday 24 December 1965 Loose Ends
Monday 27 December 1965 The Clayton Squares
Thursday 30 December 1965 Shevelles
Friday 31 December 1965 The Action
Saturday 1 January 1966 Herbie Goins & the Nightimers
Sunday 2 January 1966 records
Tuesday 4 January 1966 The Paramounts
Friday 7 January 1966 V. I. P's
Saturday 8 January 1966 The Action
Sunday 9 January 1966 The Alan Bown Set
Tuesday 11 January 1966 Ronnie Jones & the Blue Jays
Friday 14 January 1966 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Saturday 15 January 1966 The In-Crowd
Sunday 16 January 1966 Reords
Tuesday 18 January 1966 The Birds
Friday 21 January 1966 James Royal & the Hawks
Saturday 22 January 1966 Alan Price and Ricky Vallence, Southern TV film @ The Birdcage
(Southern TV filmed this for a 30 minute documentary. Ricky Valance who recorded “Tell Laura I Love Her” His name was not on the original list circulated. The film may no longer exist)
Sunday 23 January 1966 discotheque
Tuesday 25 January 1966 records
Thursday 27 January 1966 The Drifters plus Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Friday 28 January 1966 records
Saturday 29 January 1966 The Spencer Davis Group plus The Motovations
Sunday 30 January 1966 discotheque
Tuesday 1 February 1966 Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band
Thursday 3 February 1966 The Action
Friday 4 February 1966 records
Saturday 5 February 1966 Herbie Goins & the Nightimers
Sunday 6 February 1966 The Beatstalkers
Tuesday 8 February 1966 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Thursday 10 February 1966 Inez & Charlie Foxx
(backed by?)
Friday 11 February 1966 records
Saturday 12 February 1966 The Small Faces
Sunday 13 February 1966 records(afternoon)
Thursday 17 February 1966 The In-Crowd
Friday 18 February 1966 The Action
Saturday 19 February 1966 The Paramounts
Sunday 20 February 1966 records
Thursday 24 February 1966 records
Friday 25 February 1966 The Soul Agents
Saturday 26 February 1966 Alan Price
Sunday 27 February 1966 records
Thursday 3 March 1966records
Friday 4 March 1966 Summer Set
Saturday 5 March 1966 The Cat
Sunday 6 March 1966 The Green Onions
Friday 11 March 1966 Shevelles
Saturday 12 March 1966 The Who who12mar66
Friday 18 March 1966 The Nocturnal
Saturday 19 March 1966 The In-Crowd
Friday 25 March 1966 Summer Set
Saturday 26 March 1966 Alan Price
Friday 1 April 1966The Soul Agents
Saturday 2 April 1966 Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band
Friday 8 April 1966 V.I.P's
Saturday 9 April 1966 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds + the Bryan Hug Fraternity* + 3rd Dimension* (all-nighter) 7/6d
Sunday 10 April 1966 John L Watson
Monday 11 April 1966 Alan Bown Set
Friday 15 April 1966 The Cat
Saturday 16 April 1966 Georgie Fame & the Blueflames
Sunday 17 April 1966 Arthur Alexander plus The Jimmy Brown Sound
Friday 22 April 1966 The Paramounts
Saturday 23 April 1966 Graham Bond plus The Clique (allnighter)
Thursday 28 April 1966 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Friday 29 April 1966 James Royal Set
Saturday 30 April 1966 Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers
Sunday 1 May 1966 records
Thursday 5th May 1966 Dee Dee Warwick (USA)
Friday 6 May 1966 The In-Crowd
Saturday 7 May 1966 Gary Farr & the T-Bones plus The Deep Feeling (allnighter)
Saturday 14 May 1966 Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds (allnighter)
Saturday 21 May 1966 Summer Set (allnighter)
Saturday 28 May 1966 The Action (allnighter)
Club to close for re-vamp. Re-open July 2
The original DJ Pete ‘Brady’ Boardman was frequently replaced by ‘Mad King’ Jerry – see 4 February 1967. The club closed then for five weeks, for a re-vamp and moved for two weeks, back to Kimbells
Saturday 4 May The In Crowd 6/-
Friday 10 May The Listen
Saturday 2 July 1966 Club re-opened after re-vamp : The Action plus Mad King Jerry (DJ)
Saturday 2 July 1966The Acton 7/6d
Thursday 7 July 1966 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Friday 8 July 1966 records - King Jerry
Saturday 9 July 1966 Summer Set
Sunday 10 July 1966 records - King Jerry
Wednesday 13 July 1966 records - King Jerry
Thursday 14 July 1966 The In-Crowd
Friday 15 July 1966 King Jerry
Saturday 16 July 1966 The Move
Sunday 17 July 1966 American disc night
Thursday 21 July 1966 records - King Jerry
Friday 22 July 1966 The Move
Saturday 23 July 1966 The Habits
Sunday 24 July 1966Records
Tuesday 26 July 1966 The Small Faces
Wednesday 27 July 1966 Records
Thursday 28 July 1966 Radio London Show ‘Big L’ Show, Earl Richmond
Friday 29 July 1966 records - King Jerry
Saturday 30 July 1966 Lovin Kind
Sunday 31 July 1966 King Jerry
Tuesday 2 August 1966 The Move plus Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Thursday 4 August 1966 Radio Caroline Show Tom Lodge
Friday 5 August 1966 King Jerry
Saturday 6 August 1966 Alan Bown Set
Thursday 11 August 1966 Wynder K Frogg
Friday 12 August 1966 King Jerry
Saturday 13 August 1966 The Move
Sunday 14 August 1966Radio London
Thursday 18 August 1966Kinks
Saturday 20 August 1966 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Sunday 21 August 1966 King Jerry
Thursday 25 August 1966 The Hollies
Friday 26 August 1966 King Jerry
Saturday 27 August 1966 The Jimmy Brown Sound
Sunday 28 August 1966 King Jerry
Thursday 1 September 1966 Graham Bond Organisation
Friday 2 September 1966 The Action
Saturday 3 September 1966 The In-Crowd
Sunday 4 September 1966 King Jerry
Thursday 8 September 1966 King Jerry
Friday 9 September 1966 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Saturday 10 September 1966 Washington DC's
(They replaced the Stormville Shakers who were booked but unable to appear)
Sunday 11 September 1966 King Jerry
Thursday 15 September 1966 The Gass
Friday 16 September 1966 V. I. P's, or The Move or records
Saturday 17 September 1966 The Sands
Wednesday 21 September 1966 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Thursday 22 September 1966 King Jerry
Friday 23 September 1966 The Move
Saturday 24 September 1966 Alan Bown Set
Sunday 25 September 1966 Birdcage closed - coach trip to Marquee for recording session - JJ & the Vagabonds/Alan Bown
(Resulted in the live Pye LP with Jimmy James & the Vagabonds and the Alan Bown Set)
Thursday 29 September 1966 The Shovels
Friday 30 September 1966 The Move
Saturday 1 October 1966 Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds
Sunday 2 October 1966Records
Tuesday 4 October 1966 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Thursday 6 October 1966 American disc night
Friday 7 October 1966 The Move
Saturday 8 October 1966 Herbie Goins & the Nightimers 6/-d
Sunday 9 October 1966 9-10-1966cream Cream,
Cream did take to the stage, however the band stopped playing part the way through the first song and did not return.... Rikki Farr came out and announced that they couldn't play because of illness, but he never said which band member was ill.
Thursday 13 October 1966 American disc night
Friday 14 October 1966 The Move
Saturday 15 October 1966 Errol Dixon & the Honeydrippers
Sunday 16 October 1966 Ike & Tina Turner Show (afternoon), Amboy Dukes, St Louis Checks (evening)
Friday 21 October 1966 The Action plus The Move action-bcage.jpg
Saturday 22 October 1966 Alan Bown Set
Thursday 27 October 1966 Herbie Goins & the Nightimers
One of the club’s founders, Robin Beste left in early December 1967
Friday 28 October 1966 The Move
Saturday 29 October 1966 Jimmy Brown Sound
Tuesday 1 November 1966 Graham Bond + Simon Dupree & Big Sound* 6/- Art School Dance
Wednesday 2 November 1966 The Sands
Friday 4 November 1966 Merseys
Saturday 5 November 1966 James Royal
Wednesday 9 November 1966 Embers West plus The Soul Machine 5-11-1966news
Friday 11 November 1966 The Birds
Saturday 12 November 1966 Gary Farr & the T-Bones
Wednesday 16 November 1966 John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
art-woods-cage
Friday 18 November 1966 Artwoods
Saturday 19 November 1966 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Sunday 20 November 1966 records
Friday 25 November 1966 Little Richard plus Johnny B Great & the Quotations plus Amboy Dukes 12/6d richard25-22-1966
Saturday 26 November 1966 Zoot Money & the Big Roll Band
Sunday 27 November 1966 Surf 'n' Soul disc show
Friday 2 December 1966 Ronnie Jones & the Blue Jays
Saturday 3 December 1966 Cream plus The In-Crowd plus The Wrong Direction (al/nighter) 10/-d
(Wrong Direction were a local group)
Sunday 4 December 1966 Soul Sounds
Friday 9 December 1966 The Shevells
Saturday 10 December 1966 The Action
(This was their last Birdcage appearance as a five-piece)
Sunday 11 December 1966 Gerba Soul Disc Show
Friday 16 December 1966 The John L Watson Show 5/-
Saturday 17 December 1966 Alan Bown Set and the Big Band
Sunday 18 December 1966 Gerba Soul Show
Friday 23 December 1966 Wishful Thinking
Saturday 24 December 1966 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Monday 26 December 1966 The Gass
Friday 30 December 1966 records
Saturday 31 December 1966 Graham Bond plus The In-Crowd plus The Wrong Direction
Friday 6 January 1967 Freak Out
Saturday 7 January 1967 Art Woods
Sunday 8 January 1967 Prince Bustup - ska
These ska sessions with different names were probably records only. Were there also blubeat/ska record sessions downstairs on Wednesday evenings?
Friday 12 January 1967 Eric Burdon & The Animals
Friday 13 January 1967 The Real Thing
Saturday 14 January 1967 The In-Crowd
Sunday 15 January 1967 Prince Bustup - ska
Thursday 19 January 1967 Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band
Friday 20 January 1967 Prince Bustup - ska
Saturday 21 January 1967 Pink Floyd
Sunday 22 January 1967 Skatterbrain - ska
Thursday 26 January 1967 Inez & Charlie Foxx
Friday 27 January 1967 Let's Eskape - ska
Saturday 28 January 1967 The Syn
Sunday 29 January 1967 Helterskelter- ska
Friday 3 February 1967 Little Skalin' - ska
Saturday 4 February 1967 The Who plus Jimmy Brown Sound
(This was the final night for DJ Pete ‘Brady’ Boardman) who4-2-1967 who-feb-4th-birdcage
Sunday 5 February 1967 Skalarkin' - ska
Friday 10 February 1967 disc show
Saturday 11 February 1967 Joey Young and the Tonicks
Sunday 12 February 1967 disc show
Friday 17 February 1967 American Disc Nite
Saturday 18 February 1967 The In-Crowd
Sunday 19 February 1967 American Disc Nite
Friday 24 February 1967 disc nite
Saturday 25 February 1967 The Knack or John’s Children
Sunday 26 February 1967 disc nite
Friday 3 March 1967 disc nite
Saturday 4 March 1967 Boz & the Boz Band
Sunday 5 March 1967 disc nite
Friday 10 March 1967 new DJ nite
Saturday 11 March 1967 Hamilton Movement
They were booked but did not show
Sunday 12 March 1967 record nite
Friday 17 March 1967 record nite
Saturday 18 March 1967 Eyes Of Blue
They were booked but did not show
Sunday 19 March 1967 record nite
Wednesday 22 March 1967 The Drifters (? See below)
Thursday 23 March 1967 records
Friday 24 March 1967 Amboy Dukes
Saturday 25 March 1967 Chris Farlowe plus The Academy (allnighter)
(The Academy were a local group) farloweacademy.jpg
Sunday 26 March 1967 The Q Set
Wednesday 29 March 1967 The Drifters
Wednesday 29 March The Drifters (?) It is unlikely that the Drifters played consecutive Wednesdays – and perhaps they played neither. If they did, backed by?)
Friday 31 March 1967 records
Saturday 1 April 1967 Pink Floyd 7/6d
1-4-1967 floyd birdcage
Sunday 2 April 1967 records
Friday 7 April 1967 records
Saturday 8 April 1967 Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band 12/6d 8-4-67geno
Sunday 9 April 1967 records
Saturday 15 April 1967 The Move plus The Academy 15-4-1967move
Friday 21 April 1967 Big `L Night - Radio London DJ Tony Blackburn
Saturday 22 April 1967 The Soul Sisters backed by Trend and Bazaare
Sunday 23 April 1967 Cream, Eric Clapton - Guitar / Vocals, Jack Bruce - Bass / Vocals, Ginger Baker - Drums,
but did it happen? there is doubt.
Saturday 29 April 1967 The In Crowd 6/-d or Family
Micky Harvey was the new manager of the Birdcage Club which on Saturday 6 May also took over managing Bognor’s Shoreline Club with Herbie Goins & Nightimers and In-Crowd
Saturday 6 May 1967Herbie Goins & the Nightimers, + the In Crowd + the Satin Dolls 7/6 All-Nighter
Friday 12 May 1967 Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames 7/6d
Saturday 13 May 1967 The Joyce Bond Show
Saturday 20 May 1967 Prince Busters All Stars
Saurday 27 May 1967 Amen Corner 4/-d
(From Friday 2 June the Club was renamed ‘The New Birdcage’)
Friday 2 June 1967 The `New' Birdcage Club - Rick'n'beckers
Saturday 3 June 1967 Alan Bown Set
Saturday 10 June 1967 The Denny Laine String Band
(They were booked but didn't show – see 29 July) laine1
but they didn't show, no,
however they did show up on July 27th 1967.
Friday 16 June 1967 Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band
Saturday 17 June 1967 The Herd
Sunday 18 June 1967 discotheque
Friday 23 June 1967 discotheque
Saturday 24 June 1967 The Action
Sunday 25 June 1967 discotheque
1 July 1967 Tomorrow
Saturday 7 July 1967 Pink Flod (E.M.I. press launch)
Saturday 8 July 1967 John Mayall booked and arrived but Herbie Goins played
(John Mayall was booked, advertised and arrived, but did not play)
Saturday 15 July 1967 Procol Harum (allnighter)(Did they show?) plus Graham Bond
(Procul Harum were booked and advertised but almost certainly did not appear) birdcage15-7-67
Saturday 22 July 1967 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds 22-7-67james
Saturday 29 July 1967 Denny Laine & his Electric String Band 5/-d 29-7-67laine
Saturday 5 August 1967 Jimmy James & the Vagabonds
Saturday 12 August 1967 Joyce Bond Show
Saturday 19 August 1967 Aynsley Dunbar Blues Band
Saturday 26 August 1967 Birdcage club closes Joyce Bond Show
(After this night, the Birdcage Club closed)
Saturday 16 December 1967 Brave New World opens Ronnie Jones plus The Q Set plus Errol Bruce Soul Show
Sunday 17 December 1967 The Harlem Speakeasy

cage1
bcage-ads-e-news
birdcage-milton-reviewxx.jpg
birdcage-milton-reviewxxx.jpg
noise
birdcage-page.jpg

From Nigel Grundy's book


The Brave New World continued into 1968 then became "The Pack" night club.

Rikki Farr returned to promoting at Kimbells Southsea, progressive acts on Saturdays and Bristish blues on Sundays. He also promoted larger concerts on the South Paraed Pier, eg Country Joe and the Fish, Traffic and Family. He promoted anmd MC'd the three Isle Of Wight festivals 1968/1969/1970 with Firery Creations.
DJ Brady (Pete Boardman) leaves the Birdcage in Feb 1967.


bnwcxxThe Brave New World DJ Brady (Pete Boardman) leaves the Birdcage in Feb 1967.
Eastney’s Brave New World opened on Saturday 16 December 1967.

Harlem Soul Band became a six-piece, re-named Harlem Speakeasy with a short residency at the Brave New World starting on Christmas Eve. 1967.
the New Year 1968 was exciting as the Who came to the Brave New World.
1968
Coconut Mushroom appeared at the Brave New World where “jazz & folk look like folding”
The Brave New World presented American soul act James & Bobby Purify, PP Arnold and Patti LaBelle & her Blue Bells.
Glass Menagerie and cult singer Terry Reid appeared at the Brave New World as DJ Erroll Bruce departed.

9th jan 1968xxx Saturday 16 December 1967 with Ronnie Jones
16/12/67 Ronnie Jones (USA)
17/12/67 Harlem Speakeasy
23/12/67 The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas
26/12/67 The Washington DC's
28/12/67 The Nice
31/12/67 Jimmy James and the Vagabonds

1968
6/1/68 The Gass
9/1/68 The Who
13/1/68 The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
16/1/68 Love Affair
20/1/68 Eire Apparent
23/1/68 Eric Burdon and the Animals
27/1/68 Moody Blues
30/1/68 Long John Baldry
3/2 /68 Amboy Dukes
6/2/68 Herd
10/2/68 Skip Bifferty
17/2/68 Shevells
24/2/68 Ten Years After
27/2/68 Traffic
2//3/68 Fantastics replaced by Mike Cotton and Lucas
March 9-16-23-30 NIL
1/4/68 Tubby Hayes Quartet
brave-new-world-ad2 4/4/68 Pete Brady Record Show
5/4/68 Errol Bruce Show
6/4/68 Lace
7/4/68 Singing Postman Alan Smethurst
8/4/68 Humphrey Lyttleton play Elkie Brooks
10/4/68 Rikki Farr's Off Night
11/4/68 Family
12/4/68 Error Bruce
13/4/68 The Alan Bown
14/4/68 Couriers Folk Group
15/4/68 Alan Haven
17/4/68 Rikki Farr's Monster Mash Up
19/4/68 Disco
20/4/68 Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger plus Blossom Toes plus Gary Farr
21/4/68 Diz Disley and Derek Sargent
22/4/68 Chris McGregor's Sextet (Jazz)
24/4/68 Crazy World of Arthur Brown
25/4/68 Family
26/4/68 The B F B Show
27/4/68 Spooky Tooth
28/4/68 Malcolm Price (Folk)
29/4/68 Dakota Saton
1/5/68 Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger
2/5/68 Show Stoppers
3/5/68 E B Show (Errol Bruce)?
4/5/68 Kenny Bernard and Cats Pyjamas (USA)
5/5/68 Pat Nelson and guests (Folk)
8/5/68 Honeybus
9/5/68 Family
10/5/68 Disco
11/5/68 Root'n'Jenny Jackson
12/5/68 Jon Isherwood (Folk)
14/5/68 John Peel, Blossom Toes, Gary Farr
16-17/5/68 Disco
18/5/68 Count Miller and the Counts
24/5/68 Disco
25/5/68 The Fantasties
30/5/68 James & Bobby Purify
31/5/68 Disco
1/6/68 Diane Ferrez and the Ferrez Wheel

Coconut Mushroom
PP Arnold and Patti LaBelle & her Blue Bells.
Glass Menagerie and cult singer Terry Reid appeared at the Brave New World

2/9/68 Fantastics
6/9/68 free disco
7/9/68 Jimmy Thomas
12/9/68 disco
13/9/68 disco
20/9/68 disco
21/9/68 The Taste
On the local music scene, the Brave New World finally closed in late September 1968.

The Birdcage Club closed in the summer of 1967, after Aynsley Dunbar’s Blues Band appeared on Saturday 19 August and the soulful Joyce Bond Show on Saturday 26 August 1967. The Eastney club would re-open as the Brave New World in December but its time as a major Portsmouth venue was pretty much over.
Rikki Farr opened the new club on Saturday 16 December 1967 with Ronnie Jones and forthcoming attractions were said to include Hendrix, Cream, Nice and Vagabonds – some of which was wishful thinking. Harlem Soul Band became a six-piece, re-named Harlem Speakeasy with a short residency at the Brave New World starting on Christmas Eve. The club also presented the Mike Cotton Sound and had Erroll Bruce as regular DJ. They ended 1967 with the Nice and on New Year’s Eve, the Vagabonds, while the New Year was exciting as the Who came to the Brave New World.
Unlike the Birdcage, the Brave New World opened a licensed bar but their application for a late licence was rejected. They took an increasing eclectic musical approach, featuring the Amboy Dukes, the Herd and future Woodstock stars Ten Years After. They invited Jon Isherwood to run Sunday folk nights and he presented the Singing Postman, blues singers Jo Ann Kelly and Cliff Aungier and bluegrass man Malcolm Price. The club also offered jazz acts like Dakota Staton, Stan Tracey and Tubby Hayes and booked more soulful performers like Jimmy James, the Carl Douglas Stampede and Chris Farlowe.
Former Birdcage DJ ‘Brady’ (Pete Boardman) brought his records show back to Eastney and Humphrey Lyttleton appeared there with Elkie Brooks, while John Peel compered Blossom Toes and Gary Farr, and other acts included Family, who visited regularly, Spooky Tooth, Glass Menagerie, Terry Reid, Dave Kelly, Julie Driscoll & Brian Auger. In mid-summer 1968, the club presented American soul acts James & Bobby Purify, PP Arnold and Patti LaBelle & her Blue Bells.
After Harlem Speakeasy, local bands who played there included Lace and Coconut Mushroom. However, the jazz and folk nights did not last long, DJ Erroll Bruce departed and the Brave New World closed in late September 1968 after less than a year. Most Birdcage regulars transferred their allegiance to Rikki Farr’s Saturday and Sunday nights at Kimbell’s in Osborne Road. The Eastney venue became a mainstream nightclub, renamed the Pack – but it did not survive for long.

abown

13th April 1968

family

24th April 1968

jones

16th December 1967

The Pack

Robin Oxland General Manager
Monday and Tuesday Jon Isherwood.

The Pack, formerly Birdcage/Brave New World, was now advertising cabaret with the Tim Lane Show, the 4 Debs, and drag act Lana.

1968
Nov 6-9 Alan Clive (impressionist) and Maragaet Parker (vocalist) plus The Mike Negal Trio
Nov 13-16 David Berglas "International Man of Mystery", the world's leading mentalists.
plus The Mike Negal Trio
Nov ? plus The Mike Negal Trio
Dec 9-14 Kim Cordell from "Stars and Garters" plus The Mike Negal Trio
Dec 16-21 Al Saxon (vocalist) plus The Mike Negal Trio
Dec 23-28 Dodie West (vocalist) and George Meaton plus The Mike Negal Trio
New Years Eve Anne Shelton (vocalist) plus the Skiffle Skwod plus plus The Mike Negal Trio

January 1969
8-11 Maxine Day plus The Mike Negal Trio
15-18 Davey Clinton plus The Mike Negal Trio
22-25 Zodias plus The Mike Negal Trio
29-1Feb Anne Amery plus The Mike Negal Trio
February 1969
5-8 Maureen and Michael (singing duo) plus The Mike Negal Trio
11-15 Dennis Lowe (drag) plus The Mike Negal Trio
19/20 Mike Felix (of the Magil Five) plus The Mike Negal Trio
26/1March 1969 David and Nina Burns
8 March Manuela
10 Start of the Search for a star contest.
19/22 Lenny Peters(England's Ray Charles)
April 1969
21/26 Dennis Lowe (drag) plus The Mike Negal Trio
30/3 May 1969 Lynn Holand
& Finals Search for a star contest,;-
Satin Sound, Dave Hart Combo, San Cella Sound, Tony Beckett, Don Parker, Geoff Davis.
14/17 Neville Taylor
21/24 Marian Angel
28/31 Sosnio Hernandez
June 1969
4/7 Norma Leon.

18/10/1969 The Tim Lane Show with Jeannie Patou
25/10/1969 The Tim Lane Show with Jeannie Patou
29/10/1969 Pop Group contest semi-final
pack 1-11-1969
5/11/1969 Toni Stevens
13/11/1969 Pie eating contest plus Borden and Moran (magic in drag)
20/11/1969 The Tim Lane Show with Jeannie Patou
27/11/1969 Beauty Contest plus The Tim Lane Show with Jeannie Patou
8-13/12/1969 Lee Sutton (drag)
18/12/1969 The New Madisons
22-26/12/1969 The Tim Lane Show with Jeannie Patou plus Johnny Borg and Paula L'amour
more to follow


The Birdcage in Eastney Road, origianlly as the Court Ballroom opened in 1953.
It was also known as The Brave New World, and later as The Pack is now demolished. In its place is Joseph Court.
The owner George Langton has kindly fixed a sign to the wall
birdcage location
p1050364
p1050371
plaque


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