ABC, Aldershot

Aldershot’s ABC Cinema opened, as The Ritz, on 13th May 1937. The original cinema chain was taken over by Associated British Cinemas (ABC) in October 1937. For the organ buffs, it originally had a Wurlitzer 3Manual/7Ranks organ with illuminated console and grand piano installed, which was opened by organist Harold Ramsay. In February ’61 it was renamed ABC. Like Aldershot’s Empire Cinema next door, it staged variety shows as well as movies and in the mid-1960’s staged many of the package tours / shows starring Gene Pitney, Cilla Black, Billy Fury, Shirley Bassey, Englebert Humperdink, Freddie and the Dreamers, etc.

The 16 March ’65 saw Del Shannon scheduled to co-headline with Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, but Fontana fell ill (exhaustion) six days earlier in Salisbury. The Mindbenders would have gone on alone but were replaced by Zephyrs who joined Herman’s Hermits, Just Four Men, Paul Dean, The Soul Savages, Jerry Stevens, The Dollies, Dodie West – who’d joined the tour on 6 March in Dundee -, and Shannon, for both shows in Aldershot that day. The Shangri-Las had pulled out of the entire 21 day tour at the last minute, because Mary Weiss was ill, and were replaced by The Dollies. Two months later, on 5 May ’65, the ABC Cinema hosted The Kinks, along with The Rockin’ Berries, Goldie and The Gingerbreads, Jeff and Jon, The Mickey Finn, The Riot Squad, and Val McKenna. This tour was initially headlined by The Kinks and The Yardbirds, but the later left the tour before the Aldershot date to fulfill prior bookings in Scotland. The Kinks were only to last a few more days after Aldershot, to be replaced by The Walker Brothers, as an onstage fight in Cardiff between Dave Davies and Mick Avory sent Davies to hospital.

The night, 15 October ’66, The Hollies, Paul & Barry Ryan, Peter Jay & The New Jaywalkers, Nashville Teens, Robb Storme & the Whispers, and Paul Jones played the ABC; the Small Faces reportedly got into a bit of a tiff backstage over top billing and didn’t play – but they’d return in ’67.

On 7 April ’67, Roy Orbison headlined, backed by The Candy Men – that was on another of these package tours, that also featured P.P. Arnold, the Settlers, Sonny Childe and T.N.T., Small Faces, and the Searchers. By ’67 the allure of the package show was waning and the 6:15 PM show was opened by Arnold to a half full, but enthusiastic, auditorium. On the 27th of the same month Cat Stevens, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Californians and The Quotations supported The Walker Brothers, performing two shows at ABC. During his performance of “I’m Going Get Me A Gun”, Stevens was photographed pointing a revolver at the audience.

It was not only international stars that took to the ABC stage either. We know that local band, The Skeleton Skiffle Group appeared at the venue when it was still called The Ritz. There was also a strong chance that if you drank in the Airborne or another pub near the ABC you would bump into any one of the performers.

The ABC was closed on 28th May ’77 for conversion into a 3-screen cinema and a bingo club – It was never to host a gig again. ABC 1,2,3 opened 6th October 1977. In ’86 it was taken over by the Cannon Group and sold again to Cineven to became the Odeon before closing on 10th July 2003.

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