Over the years the Recreation Centre, Farnborough, commonly referred to as Farnborough Rec, hosted the likes of Donald Byrd & The Blackbyrds / Fatback Band, George McCrae, KC & The Sunshine Band, Average White Band, Budgie (c’81) and Free.
Pallantine, Johnny Odd-Sox, and White as White (and Twice as Dirty) were booked and performed at a ‘Triple Band Spectacular’ put on by The Hard Rock Club on 8 March ’75 at Farnborough Rec. Five months later, two of those bands were back on 8 August ’75, along with Wooden Lion, Palantir and Narziss for a five-hour long gig to raise funds to perform at Windsor Free Festival Benefit from 28 August that year for nine days. On 23 October ’76, Alvin Stardust was supported by Paper Lace. The next year, on 4 June ’77, Caravan visited the venue. The following week, on 11 June, to mark the Silver Jubilee, there was a one-day “Rock ‘N Roll” concert featuring Screaming Lord Sutch, Shakin Stevens and The Sunsets, Flying Saucers, Rock Island Line, Thunderbird and others. On 6 October ’79, Camel played at the venue. The band had been booked to play at the Technical College, Farnborough months earlier, but had cancelled at the very last minute. Having been burnt once, the college’s Social Secretary did not want to book the band again. As a result, Cris Savill, unable to find anyone else to take it on, booked the band himself and went down to the Recreation Centre and put down the deposit. Camel’s agency charged him £1500 for the band to play, which Savill recalls as being half what Thin Lizzy charged at the time. The band lived up to expectation and reportedly performed “ICE”, from “I Can See Your House from Here”, live for the very first time – If only the venues acoustics could have done the performance justice. Tim Naylor worked on the stage crew that night and remembers the head roadie telling the crew to “Move this…but watch out…it’s heavy…”; and amazingly being right every time.
Jacques Ada and Michelle Haumont supported Ralph McTell on 26 April ’80. Some of the above-mentioned acts may have appeared at the Burlesque Club, which was held in the upstairs bar. American funk / disco group, BT Express certainly did on 22 October ’80. That same year Controls appeared int the venue’s function room. The Freer Music Talent Competition was held at the Rec in ’81; a competition that local band Vixen entered and made it to the final. Shakatak and Crosswinds were ‘live on stage’ on 28 November ’81, for the “Soul Party” with Capital Radio’s Greg Edwards and CBS Record’s first disco promotions manager Owen Washington DJ’ing. Also in late ’81 Beating Hearts debuted in the venue’s Function Suite. In ’83 the venue’s management put on a weekly Saturday night disco with a live band on the indoor bowls green. As part of this weekly events Controls played a six-week residency in the summer of that year – which was reportedly a “truly horrible experience” for the band. In ’83 or ’84, local band, Last Chance to Dance supported Dave Dee, Dozy BM&T and The Tremeloes at the venue.
The Crypt’s ‘Psychedelic Stoned Out Of Our Heads Tour’ came to Farnborough on 18 October ’86 and featured The Magic Mushroom Band with support from Ozric Tentacles, Phoney American Accent, and local band Steel Bill & The Buffalos. The next month, local radio station County Sound presented Lindisfarne’s Christmas Show on 22 November ’86. Here & Now were supported by Blyth Power, Blue Aeroplanes, and Military Surplus RDF on 16 May ’87. Just over six months later, in January ’88, Agent Orange held a charity gig at the venue.
The Technical College, Farnborough booked Farnborough Rec on 12 December ’92 to host Mega City Four for a hometown gig, although the adverts for the event called the venue Farnborough Leisure Centre. Later Farnborough Rec developed a reputation for hosting Fusion Raves.
On 31 March 2021 Farnborough’s Recreation Centre officially closed and will be demolished.
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