Believed to be the longest running rock club in the country, the Agincourt celebrated 50 years on 16th Nov’ 2013. The club has been running every Saturday since the early 60s and has played host to the likes of The Rolling Stones, Cream, The Who, Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, and Wishbone Ash.
A ballroom in the early 1900s, During WWII it was a morgue and a Freemason’s temple at some point. By the mid to late 50’s it was a ballroom again oft’ frequented by servicemen from the local barracks, including R.A.F and American and Australian regulars, while Bob Potter ‘contracted’ musicians from local military bands to perform on a Saturday night. Kerry Rapid and the Blue Stars could be caught on stage in the late 50’s, with Shirley taking your money at the door and Gene Fowler bouncing, and Reg checking your coat in the cloakroom.
At some point in ’62, The Renegades supported The Spotnicks, from Sweden at Agincourt; and on 28 June ’62 The Bruce Channel Show came to the Camberley venue. Along with Channel the show included: Delbert McClinton, Frank Ifield, Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Dick Charlesworth & His City Gents, Beryl Bryden, Jackie Lynn, Bobby Shafto, Jay & Tommy Scott, and Bobby Brown.
On 9 February ’63, The Mark Leeman Five were supported by The Classics, with Southampton based Barrie James & The Strangers taking the stage the following night, 10 February, with Gary & Lee Brother opening. The 13 April, a Saturday in ’63, was reserved for the return of The Mark Leeman Five who were ably supported by The Mike Jones Combo. The Nite Riders and Daniel Boone and The Renegades opened for Kenny Lynch, who’d just released his top ten hit “Up on the Roof”, the next day. The Agincourt secured an extended license on Easter Monday, 15 April, with big beat by Nick Troy & The Trojans and The Saxons wrapping up the long weekend. The Konrads appeared at the venue on 6 April ’63. Back then you could ‘Rock, Twist, Jive’ Every Thursday night and the weekends were for the ‘big’ names – big names for a regional venue that is – to appear, such as Decca recording artist Allen & The Blue Diamonds, with support from The Flames; on 28 September ’63 and Parlephone recording artist Tommy Bruce and The Bruisers the following night, supported by Daniel Boone and The Renegades. On 28 February ’65, The Who took the stage and on 8 August Simon Scott and the All Nightworkers, supported by The Dynamo, electrified the audience.
Almost a year later The Who were back again on 16 January ’66. Four groups appeared at the Agincourt on 22 January ’66, a date that The (Five) Proud Walkers headlined and The Webb, The Y.V.L’s, and The Partisans filled the bill. The next night, 23 January, The Shevells opened for Pinkertons Assorted Colours, who were pushing their ’65 release, “Mirror, Mirror” up the charts at the time, which eventually reached No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart in February ’66. Talking of February, The Steam Packet were supported by Brian Auger Trinity and The Soul Agents and the next night on 13 February, The Jimmy Brown Sound supported The Merseybeats. Later that year, on 12 June, The Loving Kind were supported by local band The Condors.
On his UK tour Chuck Berry swung by Camberley on 25 February ’67. Bob Potter arranged for Berry to be supported by Kerry Rapid and The Soul Tones. Howling Laud Hope (aka Kerry Rapid) reported that on asking Berry what his set list would be, so that they didn’t do anything that he would be doing, Berry responded “you just go along and play whatever you like, I love to hear other peoples versions of my songs”. The next month – 12 March ’67 to be precise – Pink Floyd played at the Agincourt, supported by Sky (the Condors renamed) to a crowd of about 40. This was reportedly Floyd’s first gig outside London.
Wounded John Scott Cree was in attendance that night and recalls Sky playing good covers of Otis Redding and the like but blew it by playing Cliff and the Shadows’ “In the Country” mid-set. “It was a strange evening” states Cree “…a disparate crowd, of whom perhaps a dozen were from Sandhurst, the training school for army officers over the road, in their blazers and ties and with well-dressed lady friends, and danced holding hands in a big circle to some of Sky’s numbers. Pink Floyd seemed to go down less well with them, and the crowd was reduced in size by their absence in the second set.” “Pink Floyd were incredibly loud” notes Cree “Their drummer had a double bass drum kit which he played with timpani beaters. He was still inaudible. I’d thought The Who were loud, but this took the biscuit. The excitement was augmented by their light show. One extended number would feature flashing-colored lights, placed around the stage. The next would feature blobs of color exploding over the almost static, fur-coated, bespectacled Syd Barrett, shaking his bowed, fuzzy-haired head from side to side over his guitar. The lighting effect was created by two people at the back of the hall. I watched them insert slides containing what looked like splodges of oil paint into a projector, and then heat them with a Bunsen burner. They had two such projectors, which enabled them to rotate them with the stage lighting. An amazing evening which seemed in some way historic, but only recalls hearing “Candy and a Current Bun.” Cree, asked the cloakroom staff for the poster – they seemed glad it was all over – on the way out.
On 18 April ’68, shortly before Diane Ferraz left the band, The Ferris Wheel performed at the ballroom. The next month, on 17 May ’68, James and Bobby Purify kicked off their UK tour at the Agincourt. Magic Alice, Sky, Wishful Thinking, The Embers, The Late, Canterbury Tales, Chimera, and Crazy Paving played, on 1 October ’69, a benevolent concert at Samantha’s Club, as the Agincourt Ballroom, was called for a time. This was compered by Dave West and also featured the BBC Radio 1 D.J. Ray Moore.
Mervin George organized the Charity Rock Christmas ’77’ event at the Agincourt on 17 December ’77 and booked Straightshooter to headline with Eclipse and Midnight Circus in support. George was also involved with the Rock at The Agincourt event that featured local band T. T. Transmission, supported by The Vandels, on 7 January ’78. On 20 October ’79 the Jackie Lynton’s Band played Agincourt, and hinting that Rick Parfitt might join them on stage to perform the Lynton / Parfitt co-written “Ricky Rocket”, which was on the bands soon to be released EP.
Whispering Bob Harris hosted ‘Rock Comes to Camberley for Radio 210 on 10 May ’80, which featured local rockers Polaris. Euro Promotions helped maintain The Agincourt’s affinity with Sweden by bringing The E.F. Band, who were touring in support of their ‘Metal for Muthas’ LP, to the Camberley venue on 28 July ’80. The Agincourt’s Monday Rock Night continued on 6 Oct ’80 with 7-20 playing to a decent crowd. The Quotations, the local band, not the American doo-wop band from East Brooklyn, New York, played at the venue on 17 April ’81.
The Agincourt was also the venue for the very first Buzz Club, on 17th November ’85, which featured That Petrol Emotion and The Mighty Lemon Drops. The Buzz Club returned on 1 December ’85 with The Blow Monkeys, supported by co-organizer Jo Bartlett’s own Go! Service and Zaz Turned Blue. A few months later The Blow Monkeys were in the charts with ‘Digging Your Scene‘.
On the 12 May ’89, making their ‘only Southern UK appearance’, pub rock royalty in the form of Dr. Feelgood with it’s Brilleaux, Mitchell, Morris and either Russell or Mayo line-up.
The Cube promoted a number of nights at The Agincourt, notably the 6 October ’91 appearance of Thousand Yard Stare, supported by Backlash, for a pre James Tour warm up; and The Senseless Things, ten days later on 16 October, for a pre Carter Tour appearance, supported by The Revs. Local promotion company Pamblewood Promotions, who also organized the Pamblewood Balls, were very active at the venue from ’94 through ’96. They booked Credit to the Nation for 6 July ’94, and Chumbawumba, supported by Mambo Taxi, to appear at Agincourt on 11 August that year. On the 9 December ’94 The Senseless Thing, supported by Joyrider and Who Moved The Ground? rocked the venue. The next year Pamblewood secured Dodgy to appear on 22 June. Then, No Way Sis took to the stage on 4 Dec ’96. We are bound to have missed a raft of Pamblewood events at The Agincourt. Local band, Orphic Soop headlined The Agincourt for Mutley C’s Homegrown event on 19 September ’97, with Lacuna, Leith and Mindwire in support. We’ll close with Mindwire’s third newsletter, which puts them at the Agincourt, with Jetpack, Floor and Vex Red, as well as Hundred Reasons on 20 March ’98.
The venue is soon to pass 60 years as a live music venue and the last we saw it was receiving a fresh lick of paint.
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