GIG VENUE, NOTTINGHAM.
As I place I used to frequent a lot, associated with the punk and new wave scene, it has a great part to play in the late seventies music scene in Nottingham. Big shots from Britain and further afield played there but also the local bands who were finding their feet in this new era. It wasn’t a punk club per se, it had been around since 1973, and local heroes Gaffa had played there in late 1975 but it undoubtedly had its heyday from late ’77 onwards. That was when Dave Nettleham, who had been promoting punk and new wave groups at Katies in Beeston, struck a deal with Peter Groves in his search for a city centre venue.
There is a facebook group which gives a great account of those heady days.
History – 1973
The Sandpiper club was opened by Peter Groves on Friday 9th November, 1973. It was a regular late night club billed as a “Restaurant and Nightspot”. It was another addition to Nottingham’s nightlife which had “Scamps”, “Tiffany’s (formerly Intercon), the Ad Lib Club, the Palais and many more. The rock and gig scene was served by The Boat, The Imperial, The University, Moor Farm Inn and any where else they could bag a gig.
The usual diet of a “Ladies night”, “Disco”, “Party Bookings” and “Live entertainment” was on offer along with restaurant and bars. The first house DJ was Alex who was described as “that mad hard to understand Scottish DJ”.
In the first two months at the end of 1973 the new Sandpiper club had live entertainment to entice customers in and the first groups to play were very much in the cabaret style, sometimes playing three nights, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The opening act were Slack Alice, a good choice, who were the exception, in that they were a pub rock, bar room boogie band with the energetic lead singer Alice Spring at the helm sounding similar to Suzi Quatro and I imagine they were good opening nights. A little more on Slack Alice later.
First bands.
The ads don’t quite seem to tally with the dates of Limelight and Western Union but these were the first six acts who played the Sandpiper unless one had to pull out and was replaced by the other. I’m not quite sure.
SLACK ALICE – Friday Nov 9th, Saturday Nov 10th
FAMILY AFFAIR – Thursday Nov 15th, Friday Nov 16, Saturday Nov 17th
LIMELIGHT – Thursday Nov 22nd, Friday Nov 23rd, Saturday Nov 24th
WESTERN UNION – Thursday Nov 29th, Friday Nov 30th, Saturday Dec 1st
CARL’S FABLES – Thursday Dec 6th, Friday Dec 7th, Saturday Dec 8th
FRESH AIRE – Thursday Dec 13th, Friday Dec 14th, Saturday Dec 15th
Monday Dec 31st – New Years Eve Party
Family Affair were an up and coming cabaret act. Mansfield/Nottingham band Limelight were still a cabaret act at this time but would evolve into a heavy rock band by the end of the seventies. Western Union were a country and western act from Liverpool led by Mike Kinney. Carls Fables were a well known and well liked Nottingham group led by Carl Abrams who had had a popular act on the club circuit since the mid sixties. Fresh Aire were a three piece harmony group who would appear on TV.
1974
March
In 1974 the DJ at the Sandpiper club was Kevin “Funky Bunk” Johnson.
August
HOUNDOGS
In August there was a Rock & Roll Revival Show with Nottingham group “Houndogs” who were around for a couple of years between 1973 and 1975. In the early to mid seventies a British rock and roll revival took place, mainly low key but manifested itself chart wise with acts like Alvin Stardust and Shakin’ Stevens. Another rock and roll revival group doing the rounds was “The Earthquakes” (from Derby). The Nottingham group were not the same as the 60’s Nottingham group also called The Hound Dogs.
Sept
December
1975
In October of 1975 Chris Burke’s Jazz Band played some late night spots at the Sandpiper which was still billed as a cabaret club. Nottingham had a long and rich tradition of jazz groups and even by the mid seventies they were still ploughing their trade wherever they could.
Also working for Peter groves at the Sandpiper was D. Nehra as they advertised for business. In the newspaper cutting below, in a strange coincidence, is a gig at the “New Unity Club” in Beeston featuring ever present Nottingham bluesman Colin Staples with his mid seventies group “Staple Diet”. The new Unity Club had previously been the “Manchester Unity” (an Oddfellows society) and would become “Katies” in 1977, that would have a direct link to the Sandpiper club at a later date. More on that story later as they say.
GAFFA
On Thursday November 6th a gig at the Sandpiper featured Nottingham group “Gaffa” and I would say that this was the first down to earth rock gig at the establishment. Gaffa who were formed in 1971 were local favourites throughout the seventies and straddled the era’s of rock, punk and new wave with their no nonsense songs with Nottingham slang and observations. While not being a punk band per se they later garnered admiration from Some Chicken (Nottingham’s first punk group) and trailblazed the difficult terrain of the lack of suitable venues for young Nottingham groups not content with the clubland circuit and safe covers bands. In a bold piece of advertising Gaffa were described as “The group who could do for Trentside what the Beatles did for Merseyside”.
Although Gaffa may have provided a genuine rock gig at the Sandpiper it was, nevertheless, still a cabaret club and the resident group at the end of 1975 was “Crystal Clear”.
1976
1977
July
November
The launch of the new wave club.
Dave Nettleham had been promoting punk and new wave bands at Katies in Beeston during 1977 but was actively looking for a city centre location for his gigs. He persuaded Peter Groves that live gigs would be a boon to his club and as a business man willing to try something new he said yes. The gig on the 10th November 1977, The Buzzcocks, originally billed at Katies was to become the first at the new Sandpiper venue.
List of punk/new wave gigs at the Sandpiper.
(Lets see if we can get a complete list of all the gigs that happened. I went to lots but my mind is probably just as fuzzy as yours so fingers crossed).
10.11.77. Thursday – The Buzzcocks, The Lurkers
Much more later …..