The Dickens Set – Notts Music Archive

Nottingham circa Dec 1965 / August 1966

**The Dickens Set (forerunners to Embers West) in 1965 at the Sherwood Rooms, Nottingham**

With line up changes along the way, they were originally “Watt the Dickens” and became “The Dickens Set” in December 1965 then “Embers West” on 23rd August 1966 and then “Robert Hirst and The Big Taste” in January 1967.

By the time they became Embers West the line up was:
Robert “Spence” Hirst: Vocals
Dave Maslen: Bass
Simon Stokes: Drums
Alan Mottershaw: Guitar
Alan Upton: Organ
John Imerson: Tenor Sax
Irv Mills (Irv Pension maybe): Sax

Some gigs
18.12.65. Sat – Union Club, Trent Bridge
24.12.65. Fri – Beachcomber Club with The Tribe
26.12.65. Sun – Beachcomber Club with Hipster (All Nighter)

05.01.66. Wed – Beachcomber Club
07.01.66. Fri – Dancing Slipper
14.01.66. Fri – Tech College with Long Jon Baldry & the Steampacket
15.01.66. Sat – Brit Club with The Mansfields
21.01.66. Fri – Beachcomber Club
22.01.66. Sat – Beachcomber Club with Tony Knight’s Chessmen (All Nighter)
29.01.66. Sat – Strutt Arms, Milford, Derbyshire

04.02.66. Fri – Dancing Slipper with Changing Times
23.02.66. Wed – Kings Hall, Derby with Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers (took the place of The Who)
26.02.66. Sat – Rainbow Rooms, Co-op, Broad Street with The Children

05.03.66. Sat – Stamford Hotel
18.03.66. Fri – Rialto, Derby
19.03.66. Sat – Cromford
26.03.66. Sat – Rainbow Rooms, Co-op, Broad Street with Beat Pedlars with Sue who replaced Nicky James Movement (Lincoln) I think.
31.03.66. Thu – Cocked Hat, Aspley

01.04.66. Fri – Brit Club
02.04.66. Sat – Ellis-Guildford School, Basford
07.04.66. Thu – Crystal Ballroom, Newcastle-Under-Lyme
14.04.66. Thu – Crystal Ballroom, Newcastle-Under-Lyme
16.04.66. Sat – Mansfield Blues
17.04.66. Sun – Greyhound Hotel, Cromford
22.04.66. Fri – Le Discotheque, Grimsby
23.04.66. Sat – Stamford Hotel
25.04.66. Mon – Sherwood Rooms with Crispian St. Peters
29.04.66. Fri – Beachcomber Club
30.04.66. Sat – Starlight Room, Gliderdrome, Boston with Pinkerton,s Assorted Colours, Mood Indigo, Triads, Ferry Boys

04.05.66. Wed – Brit Club
06.05.66. Fri – Rialto, Derby
08.05.66. Sun – Wheel Hotel, Derby
12.05.66. Thu – Cocked Hat, Aspley
13.05.66. Fri – Brit Club
21.05.66. Sat – Meadows Fairground, Derby with Godfrey’s Grit and Soul Band and Mr. Soulful
22.05.66. Sun – Brit Club
30.05.66. Mon – Fifty-Nine, Beeston

01.06.66. Wed – Beachcomber Club
03.06.66. Fri – Le Discotheque, Grimsby
04.06.66. Sat – Le Discotheque, Grimsby
11.06.66. Sat – Roundabout Route, Stapleford (B-BQE)
23.06.66. Thu – Locarno, Derby
29.06.66. Wed – Beachcomber Club
30.06.66. Thu – Granville Club, Long Eaton with Don’s Gear

02.07.66. Sat – Greasley Castle Farm, Moorgreen, Notts with The Children
06.07.66. Wed – Sherwood Rooms with Blues and Roots, Mercia Jazz Band, Al Benet and his band
09.07.66. Sat – Cromford
09.07.66. Sat – Beachcomber Club. Billed as Robert Hirst and The Dickens Set with Cliff Bennett with his Rebel Rousers (All Nighter)
13.07.66. Wed – Beachcomber Club. Billed as Robert Hirst and The Dickens Set
20.07.66. Wed – Beachcomber Club with Rufus Thomas and the Rockhouse Band
21.07.66. Thu – Granville Club, Long Eaton with Don’s Gear
23.07.66. Sat – Stamford Hotel
28.07.66. Thu – Granville Club, Long Eaton

03.08.66. Wed – Beachcomber Club
06.08.66. Sat – Le Discotheque, Grimsby
07.08.66. Sun – Calypso Club, Byard Lane, Nottm
10.08.66. Wed – Beachcomber Club
17.08.66. Wed – Sherwood Rooms with The Hollies
20.08.66. Sat – Mick’s Flamenco, Folkstone
23.08.66. Tue – Sherwood Rooms with The Who. Billed as Embers West