Marquee Club's 50th anniversary

[Rufus]

Never saw any bands at this iconic club. Just wondering if any PE's did & have any memories to share?

Iconic London landmark celebrates anniversary with Ten Years after and Medicine Head
On December 1, Ten Years After and Medicine Head’s John Fiddler play at Floridita on London's Wardour Street, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Marquee Club's move to the address. They'll be joined by Carol Decker of T'Pau and Cutting Crew's Nick van Eede and Gareth Moulton.

The Marquee was first opened on April 19th 1958 at 165 Oxford Street, and over the following years played host to the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson, Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, the Rolling Stones, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds and The Animals.

On March 13th 1964 the venue relocated around the corner to its most famous home at 90 Wardour Street, and over the next 24 years hosted shows by Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Cream, Pink Floyd, Manfred Mann, The Who, The Nice, Yes, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Genesis, Moody Blues, AC/DC, Genesis, Thin Lizzy, The Clash, The Jam, The Cure, The Damned, The Sex Pistols, ZZ Top, Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses. The final show on the premises, before the club moved to Charing Cross Road, was on July 18, 1988, and featured Joe Satriani.

On December 1, the anniversary of the move to Wardour Street will be celebrated with sets by Ten Years After (who had a residency at the club), Medicine Head's John Fiddler — whose (And the) Pictures In The Sky hit was recorded at the Marquee's studios — plus other veterans who played the venue: Carol "China in Your Hand" Decker, plus van Eede and Moulton, who wrote the US number one (I Just) Died in your Arms.

[JKL2000]

Certainly listened to some good concerts recorded there, but never been.

Sort of tangential, but was the name of the Hammersmith Odeon changed at some point, or does it no longer exist?

[Rufus]

Certainly listened to some good concerts recorded there, but never been.

Sort of tangential, but was the name of the Hammersmith Odeon changed at some point, or does it no longer exist?

^^^yeah, it's now called the Apollo!

[Jeremy Bender]

Only went to the Marquee once, at the Wardour Street location, to see Twelfth Night with Geoff Mann in July, 1983. To be honest, I thought it was an awful venue, it was boiling hot inside, it had a funky smell that I couldn't pinpoint and it was way too loud for such a small venue. Twelfth Night were incredible, Geoff Mann especially.

BTW, the famous Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, home to many a great concert, is now a Pentecostal church.

[JKL2000]

^^^yeah, it's now called the Apollo!

That's what I thought, but I really wasn't sure it was the same venue. Damn, why change the name?

[Paulrus]

Only went to the Marquee once, at the Wardour Street location, to see Twelfth Night with Geoff Mann in July, 1983. To be honest, I thought it was an awful venue, it was boiling hot inside, it had a funky smell that I couldn't pinpoint and it was way too loud for such a small venue. Twelfth Night were incredible, Geoff Mann especially.

Yeah, I've heard others report that it wasn't a great venue per se, but that bands always put on great shows there. I think the stink was from the fact that SO many sweaty bands and audients had filled that room over so many years. It was probably in the friggin' paint.

This is an opportune moment to repost that neat interview with Peter Banks (RIP) about his experiences there.

[SteveSly]

Only went to the Marquee once, at the Wardour Street location, to see Twelfth Night with Geoff Mann in July, 1983. To be honest, I thought it was an awful venue, it was boiling hot inside, it had a funky smell that I couldn't pinpoint and it was way too loud for such a small venue. .

I think that may be true of a lot of legendary club type venues. The Metro in Chicago is another example. Many many famous people have played there over the years, but the place is kind of a dump. I saw Goblin there last year. The show was fantastic, but the venue was jam packed, hot and sweaty. I have been to much worse places, but the place was not exactly what I was expecting considering it's legendary status.

We had a club here in Kalamazoo called "Club Soda" that had many bands who went on to be huge play back in the day. The club is gone now, but has it's own Facebook page dedicated to "memories" from there. Some people really put it up on a pedestal and look at it through kind of rose colored glasses, but in reality it was a very typical dingy rock n roll club that happened to book some really great acts.

[everyday]

Only went to the Marquee once, at the Wardour Street location, to see Twelfth Night with Geoff Mann in July, 1983. To be honest, I thought it was an awful venue, it was boiling hot inside, it had a funky smell that I couldn't pinpoint and it was way too loud for such a small venue. Twelfth Night were incredible, Geoff Mann especially.

I was there too. Also saw Pendragon more than once, plus Deacon Blue. I remember the floor being dreadfully sticky.

[adap2it]

Never saw any bands at this iconic club. Just wondering if any PE's did & have any memories to share?

Iconic London landmark celebrates anniversary with Ten Years after and Medicine Head
On December 1, Ten Years After and Medicine Head’s John Fiddler play at Floridita on London's Wardour Street, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Marquee Club's move to the address. They'll be joined by Carol Decker of T'Pau and Cutting Crew's Nick van Eede and Gareth Moulton.

The Marquee was first opened on April 19th 1958 at 165 Oxford Street, and over the following years played host to the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson, Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, the Rolling Stones, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds and The Animals.

On March 13th 1964 the venue relocated around the corner to its most famous home at 90 Wardour Street, and over the next 24 years hosted shows by Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Cream, Pink Floyd, Manfred Mann, The Who, The Nice, Yes, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Genesis, Moody Blues, AC/DC, Genesis, Thin Lizzy, The Clash, The Jam, The Cure, The Damned, The Sex Pistols, ZZ Top, Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses. The final show on the premises, before the club moved to Charing Cross Road, was on July 18, 1988, and featured Joe Satriani.

On December 1, the anniversary of the move to Wardour Street will be celebrated with sets by Ten Years After (who had a residency at the club), Medicine Head's John Fiddler — whose (And the) Pictures In The Sky hit was recorded at the Marquee's studios — plus other veterans who played the venue: Carol "China in Your Hand" Decker, plus van Eede and Moulton, who wrote the US number one (I Just) Died in your Arms.

Yes, I was at the original location on Oxford St. Saw Alexis Korner, John Mayall, the great Cyril Davies and many more. Got to hang out with Long John Baldry & Rod Stewart...

[mogrooves]

For the year I lived in London, roughly '73-'74, The Marquee was the last stop of the day, pretty much every day. For musicians, it's where you needed to be. Saw a lot of acts that never made it to the States--and Magma otherwise stands out in my memory--but we were there mostly to "network," to use a current term. A great year in my life, not the least for my time at what seemed like the center of the rock world. Good times....

[Trace]

Yes the Marquee was (to be brutally honest) a hovel. Literally a black hole, with an odd set-up inside, but it had a really good atmosphere, and everybody played there. I never saw Marillion there, but I did see most of the other prog bands of the time. It was also the only place I saw Eloy, and Wishbone Ash at another anniversary year (1983?) were awesome (although I did black out, possibly due to the heat - fire limits on attendance were flexible on some nights). I was a member for 3 years while at college in London, and it's the one venue that really does hold my affections (despite it's shortcomings).

[JJ88]

Yes, I was at the original location on Oxford St. Saw Alexis Korner, John Mayall, the great Cyril Davies and many more. Got to hang out with Long John Baldry & Rod Stewart...

Some film of Long John Baldry and Rod Stewart at the Marquee club has recently surfaced...it was in a documentary filmed about Rod in the mid 60s. Yes, the mid 60s...before he was famous! Parts of it were shown in a recent documentary on Rod's career.

There's also a few snippets of The Small Faces doing some R&B numbers in the mid 60s, some colour film of The Nice doing 'Azrial'...

[Rufus]

Didn't Jon Anderson work there collecting glasses or was that some other club???

[Dedatolo]

I went to see Nine Below Zero in 1980 in Wardour Street, July 16th and...they recorded their first album "Live at the Marquee" that same evening (and the day after) ! For the 30th anniversary reissue they published my recollection in the liner notes :-)

[Supersonic Scientist]

Yes the Marquee was (to be brutally honest) a hovel. Literally a black hole, with an odd set-up inside, but it had a really good atmosphere, and everybody played there....

The same could be said for The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ (to which I grew up less than 2 miles from) Legendary because of its association with Bruce Springsteen and EVERYBODY played there. (My bands several times back-in-the-day) but the place has the worst stage set-up with relation to the geometry of the room and it sounds AWFUL in there. BUT....you can't beat the vibe of the place...especially in the Summer.

[Toothyspook]

I visited the Marquee a few times. The one in Wardour St. The first time was in the mid 70's. Bronx Cheer, a rock/folk band were playing. Went back again early 80's. The place would have the odd special night where a band with a made up name would play. Cant remember the name of the band but members of Iron Maiden were involved. My third visit was arter the club had moved to Charring X Road ?. Anyway, it was to see a band called River City People.

As venues both versions of the Marquee I visited along with Dingwalls, Ronnie Scotts club, the Half Moon Putney and even Mothers in Erdington were nothing special really.

[Paulrus]

Didn't Jon Anderson work there collecting glasses or was that some other club???

That was at La Chasse.