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NIGHT OWL, CHELTENHAM, Saturday 8th August 2009
Many, many moons ago, there was a time known as the 1960’s.
I was 612 years old and all I could listen to was the late, great John Peel - raise your glasses please - on Radio 1 (really shouldn’t) and my chances of seeing rock on the box was limited, but for it’s time sooooooo enjoyable to watch whilst the parents huffed and puffed in utter disgust in the corner.
Why they just couldn’t watch the TV like their dutiful son, I have no idea. Haaaaaaaaaaargh!!! Sorry Ma.K! X
It was the time that saw the hallucinogenic drug LSD declared illegal in the USA, boooooooo, the first British credit card is launched - curse you Barclays, CURSE YOU - March 4th, 1966 John Lennon tells the US of dekA that the Beatles are more popular than Jesus Christ. In response, Beatles records are burnt in ridiculous amounts in the US Bible belt, booooooooo, hissssssss, eeeeeeediots, do you know how much they’d be worth now, haaaaaaargh.
England won the World Cup - happy, happy, joy, joy - the US spacecraft Lunar Orbiter 1 enters the Moon's orbit and transmits pictures of the dark side. Roger Waters is taking notes. On the 29th August 1966 The Beatles give their last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California, booooooo, hiiissssssssss. Why not the UK you bastards, and Walt Disney dies just in time for Xmas.
But also of equal importance, on the High Street in Cheltenham, a new club opened above Burton's called Blue Moon (today’s Night Owl), which had an uncanny ability to attract bands on their way to the international stardom and became the premiere circuit venue for live rock in the Gloucestershire area.
On August 11th, 1965 The Who headlined supported by The Silence, who just happened to have Dale Griffin and Pete Watts, later of Mott The Hoople in their ranks. Lord Griffin remembers playing Keith Moon's Ludwig kit and that one of The Silence blew up an amp that belonged to The Who and quite remarkably he recounts that Pete Watts sat on the neck of Pete Townsend's guitar and broke it, foooook me. I’m amazed they’re still alive!
November 19th, 1966, Cream played and on February 11th, 1967, Jimi Hendrix took to the stage!
The shot of Jimi below was taken by Mike Shiel (please check him out at www.westernfrontphotography.com) who I spoke to and he told me that he went with his mate Mark Kidel, who was the editor of an Oxford student magazine called 'Isis".
Mike told me that it was the first time that he had heard of Hendrix, and said, “At this early stage he was playing small gigs at local clubs. That night he was understandably unhappy having been paid just £30 for the night, covering him, his band, and the journey to and from London (£10 was the average weekly wage in those days).
He was sitting in a filthy cramped backstage storeroom and I remember sitting in the sink to take the photograph because that was the only space left.”
And that my friend IS REAL rock history!!
In the early '80s the club changed management and the new owners turned in to The Night Owl, a dedicated bikers and rock venue. Then it became Mistys, but that didn't mean it changed genre. It was still very much a rock club.
In 1996 it turned into The Attic which is when Stu Phillips got involved, a man who had worked with Deep Purple, Metallica, Franz Ferdinand, Simple Minds, Iron Maiden and Zakk Wylde to name a few.
The club still focused on rock music, with up and coming bands playing live, such as Stereophonics and Feeder.
Which brings us up to date, almost, crikey. Recently, Trevor Thorn persuaded Stu that it would be a good idea to reopen and provided the means to make this happen and the two are now working together on a bunch of projects as well as The Night Owl. It is fair to say that without Trevor and his soon to be Wife Zoe, the place would not be open....!
The stage is rebuilt. Both bars are extended. A state of the art Martin Audio sound system plus lights are installed. The walls in the entrance, which were a blank canvas were handed over to local artists. Says Stu;
"The plan is that whoever can submit a suggestion to us, and once it has been approved by us, they can have their go at decorating the wall.”
I’m working on some rough sketches myself! Haaaaaaargh!!!!
Stu explains, "Up until the early days of the 90s, bands had plenty of places to choose from. New bands could test the waters, find out if their music worked for the masses. Record companies had scouts out looking for new talent all the time. I know as I was a guitar player in various bands back then. At the same time known smaller bands hardly have any places where they can play. That is what we are creating here."
The Night Owl caters for all genres of rock. Anything from classic rock to punk, goth, trash etc. Anyone from the age of 18 is more than welcome.
AND the cream on the cherry is that The Night Owl has a full license that allows it to stay open until 6am on weekends, SCREEEEEEEEEEAM!!!HAPPY! HAPPY! JOY! JOY!
August 8th, 2009 The Night Owl re-opened and proudly I was asked to DJ the first night, which was a FOOOOOOOOOOKIN’ AWESOME NIGHT!!!
My thanks to Lolly, Ma.K, Stu, Nathalie, Trevor, Mark (brilliant DJ set, sir) the bar staff, security and ESPECIALLY EVERYONE WHO TURNED UP ON THE NIGHT!
YOU ROCKED HARD! YOU ROCKED HEAVY!! YOU ROCKED ANIMAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!
See you again on September 5th.
Click here for the archive
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