Jocked there a few times...little room open early doors then the big hall later, why didn;t this place take off???

What year are you talking about, cos we used to go in the early 90s and the nighters there were fantastic, still regard them as one of my favourite nighters. Always busy, great atmosphere, unless of course im looking at them through rose tinted specs but i loved it up there.

What year are you talking about, cos we used to go in the early 90s and the nighters there were fantastic, still regard them as one of my favourite nighters. Always busy, great atmosphere, unless of course im looking at them through rose tinted specs but i loved it up there.

Too right! one of the most under-rated niters ever, IMHO, with the likes of Fortnum & Spencer, Roger Banks, Mark Bicknell etc. Will always remember it for the top quality sounds played there. One of my all-time fave niters

Jocked there a few times...little room open early doors then the big hall later, why didn;t this place take off???

I'm sure Mark Bicknall can provide a definative history.

I can clearly remember you Paul spinning the Underdogs "loves gone bad" V.I.P and Odds and Ends "Let me try" Today. Both met with indifference, which annoyed me at the time as I really rated them both for different reasons, although Odds and Ends went on to be a crossover classic.

Always enjoyed it there, the music was great. I can't really say why it did'nt take off. The scene was a lot smaller back then, not sure there would have ever been the numbers to sustain such a big venue. That said it was always pretty busy.

The venue had a far reaching reputation as a dance venue, of the ballroom kind. My uncle Freddie used to drive up from Highbury, North London, mid week for the dancing. Must be in the blood.

The place has now fallen into the control of the British Legion, great!

Regards Alan

PS can anyone remember Barbara Acklin and Ruby Andrews on live?

There were about three seperate promoters who had a go with The Concorde Suite, we had it for about two years 1991/92 and for the time it was a well attended allnighter when you consider that the scene was far from what it is today in terms of the amount of gigs on offer and the number of people around at that time, the promotion at that time was a three way thing with myself, Peter Hollander and Dennis Billingham, i secured the venue after Mark Robertson finished with it and i think Guy Hennigan was also involved with it prior to us possibly partners with Mark Robertson?

As Trevski stated it was a superb venue and i feel possibly a little ahead of it's time, the music policy was bang on with the likes of Butch, Roger Banks, Gary Spencer,myself and many top guests, we even featured one live gig there when we brought the late Barbara Acklin over from America but the less said about that one the better...lol

I consider the Concorde Suite to be one of the best venues/dance halls in the area, we had steady well attended monthly Allnighters there and it was a pleasure to do it, the bombshell came when the local council desided in their wisdom and to save money by selling a couple of it's venues and sadly The Royal British Legion purshased the building and the rest is history.

Guy and myself went back there about three years ago to try and get a gig going there again but the commitee were basically not having any of it, it's hardly changed inside and we thought we might just strike lucky but it was'nt to be, still sometimes it's best not to try and rake over old coles but it would have been nice.

I often go past the venue and always smile as we had some top nights there, hard to believe its 15 years ago now.

We relocated to Hyde Town Hall but it never happened there, mainly due to the scene being on it's arse then allnighter wise but we had a go with one or two ok nights but by this time Dennis lost interest leaving Pete Hollander and myself to give Hyde our best shot, at this time i took on The North Cheshire Soul night in Stockport which ran for ten years again monthly, Pete got involved with Barry Holland as i did on the very first Winsford Allnighter but Barry and myself were and are good mates but we had different ideas on things so Pete and Barry stuck with Winsford and i stuck with The North Cheshire and another good period for us all promotion wise....so there you havre it a brief history of the The Concorde Suite...gone but it seems not forgotton.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

I'm sure Mark Bicknall can provide a definative history.

I can clearly remember you Paul spinning the Underdogs "loves gone bad" V.I.P and Odds and Ends "Let me try" Today. Both met with indifference, which annoyed me at the time as I really rated them both for different reasons, although Odds and Ends went on to be a crossover classic.

Always enjoyed it there, the music was great. I can't really say why it did'nt take off. The scene was a lot smaller back then, not sure there would have ever been the numbers to sustain such a big venue. That said it was always pretty busy.

The venue had a far reaching reputation as a dance venue, of the ballroom kind. My uncle Freddie used to drive up from Highbury, North London, mid week for the dancing. Must be in the blood.

The place has now fallen into the control of the British Legion, great!

Regards Alan

PS can anyone remember Barbara Acklin and Ruby Andrews on live?

Without doubt one of the best niters ever for me,quality quality music,nights like this saved me and my mates from dropping out of the scene,we did not want the same old wigan oldies that were played everywhere,this place played real deal soul tunes for us..I had some mates into the regular Northern stuff and then they came here,they changed overnight....Like Alan says,great to hear sounds like Odds and Ends getting a play,dj who could try different stuff and not be told by the promoter to keep the floor busy at all times ..We wanted to walk all the way back to Manchester city center afterwards and just keepm the night going....Yes Ruby Andrews live,not a long show as i remember ..

regards

steve

I went to all of them!

One of my favourites too....

Remember when Butch left his DJ box at home -so he p[layed from his sales box and still had the floor full

Made some brilliant friends there too

There were about three seperate promoters who had a go with The Concorde Suite, we had it for about two years 1991/92 and for the time it was a well attended allnighter when you consider that the scene was far from what it is today in terms of the amount of gigs on offer and the number of people around at that time, the promotion at that time was a three way thing with myself, Peter Hollander and Dennis Billingham, i secured the venue after Mark Robertson finished with it and i think Guy Hennigan was also involved with it prior to us possibly partners with Mark Robertson?

As Trevski stated it was a superb venue and i feel possibly a little ahead of it's time, the music policy was bang on with the likes of Butch, Roger Banks, Gary Spencer,myself and many top guests, we even featured one live gig there when we brought the late Barbara Acklin over from America but the less said about that one the better...lol

I consider the Concorde Suite to be one of the best venues/dance halls in the area, we had steady well attended monthly Allnighters there and it was a pleasure to do it, the bombshell came when the local council desided in their wisdom and to save money by selling a couple of it's venues and sadly The Royal British Legion purshased the building and the rest is history.

Guy and myself went back there about three years ago to try and get a gig going there again but the commitee were basically not having any of it, it's hardly changed inside and we thought we might just strike lucky but it was'nt to be, still sometimes it's best not to try and rake over old coles but it would have been nice.

I often go past the venue and always smile as we had some top nights there, hard to believe its 15 years ago now.

We relocated to Hyde Town Hall but it never happened there, mainly due to the scene being on it's arse then allnighter wise but we had a go with one or two ok nights but by this time Dennis lost interest leaving Pete Hollander and myself to give Hyde our best shot, at this time i took on The North Cheshire Soul night in Stockport which ran for ten years again monthly, Pete got involved with Barry Holland as i did on the very first Winsford Allnighter but Barry and myself were and are good mates but we had different ideas on things so Pete and Barry stuck with Winsford and i stuck with The North Cheshire and another good period for us all promotion wise....so there you havre it a brief history of the The Concorde Suite...gone but it seems not forgotton.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

superb venue, great music policy with great djs (yourself included Mark ). I remember it when Mark Robertson had it - he also run the Riverside club in hyde around the same time - he gave me my debut spot in there.

the Concord Suite had everything, great floor, plenty of seating etc. Always surprised why no-one ever tried to run another nighter there but now seeing Marks comments it seems its down to the old timewarp brigade at the British Legion!!

Grant

we even featured one live gig there when we brought the late Barbara Acklin over from America but the less said about that one the better...lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

not great quality Mark but a few photos to remind you of the live acts Ruby Andrews was on stage too don't forget, she was terrible, didn't know or kept forgettin' the words

Jocked there a few times...little room open early doors then the big hall later, why didn;t this place take off???

na it was fuckin brilliant in there, the night barbara acklin played, it was announced over the mike that ruby andrews was coming on, brilliant...then over the the mike came..would the owner of ford orion g634 ghs go to the front door as its just been tanned...not so brilliant,

great memories of this place

not great quality Mark but a few photos to remind you of the live acts Ruby Andrews was on stage too don't forget, she was terrible, didn't know or kept forgettin' the words

chalky, i swear you must have been standing next to me that night, excactly as i remember, myself and tef next to the two baldy geezers.

I've got some photos of this night somewhere too....

will try and find them and scan them in!

I've got some photos of this night somewhere too....

will try and find them and scan them in!

kirsty get the photos of that weekender up,,..and i thought you were coming up last night

chalky, i swear you must have been standing next to me that night, excactly as i remember, myself and tef next to the two baldy geezers.

wasn't far away by the looks of things Lenny

Yes... had some top nights there for sure...

I remember Pete Lawson putting an 'OUT OF ORDER' sign on the door of the lift... can still see Rob the Stick struggling down the stairs with his/her boxes

Yes... had some top nights there for sure...

I remember Pete Lawson putting an 'OUT OF ORDER' sign on the door of the lift... can still see Rob the Stick struggling down the stairs with his/her boxes

kirsty get the photos of that weekender up,,..and i thought you were coming up last night

oh I remember that weekend well

will try and get up and see you scoundrels again soon or you could always come down for Piercebridge in a few weeks time (come on you know it'll be a laugh)

Yes... had some top nights there for sure...

I remember Pete Lawson putting an 'OUT OF ORDER' sign on the door of the lift... can still see Rob the Stick struggling down the stairs with his/her boxes

Must have been around the same time that the infamous story of someone who kept slyly taking the said 'stick' and cutting a few cm off the end, so he didn't notice it was gradualy getting shorter!

some great nites there. like mark says hyde town hall was never the same .remeber leaveing hyde on a sunny sunday morning got in my car full of sweating bodys with my windscreen steamed up could'nt see a thing but thought it will clear in a minute and set of anyway and drove straight into the traffic lights on the cross roads.ha ha what a dick .still happy days

Droylsden was and always will be my favourite nighter. We got lost everytime we went - an hour to get to Manchester then another 2 to find the place

Was definitely ahead of itself with the music - Gary Spencer/Carl Fortnum/Butch - absolutely superb stuff. Made many good friends there and met the love of my life too (only I obviously wasn't his ).

Superb venue, brilliant atmosphere - miss those nights so much - no other venue has ever come close to it IMO

Yep, great allniter. Enjoyed everything about the place and at the time a head of its self and was the best. Went to hyde a few times but as mark says didnt really take off. Was it really 17 years ago!!!!!!!!!! Jesus, don't time fly when you have fun

I went to all of them!

One of my favourites too....

Remember when Butch left his DJ box at home -so he p[layed from his sales box and still had the floor full

Kirsty

I remember that too!!

Mandy

We always used to get lost even though we had an A-Z .

Had some great times there and at Hyde allnighters.

I know let's have a revival...lol only joking best to enjoy the memories instead of reliving them.....lol never gonna happen but as a one off would be nice.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

I know let's have a revival...lol only joking best to enjoy the memories instead of reliving them.....lol never gonna happen but as a one off would be nice.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Would be great Mark but only if it was at the same venue - those revival nights are never quite as good at different venues

Would be great Mark but only if it was at the same venue - those revival nights are never quite as good at different venues

I'm with you on that one Mandy, that's the main reason i did not attend that Stafford reunion in Stoke???? like i said Guy and myself did go down to 'The Concorde' a couple of years ago and sat infront of The Royal British Legion Commitee but they were really not interested in having us back so looks like the venue will have to be remembered fondly i'm glad to see here, oh you can imagine what Jacqui said when i mentioned we do another gig....lol to rude to repeat here Mandy...lol

Mark Bicknell.

Must have been around the same time that the infamous story of someone who kept slyly taking the said 'stick' and cutting a few cm off the end, so he didn't notice it was gradualy getting shorter!

Remember it well, when he got to the 100 club, the stick was about a foot shorter than it had originally started out.

just been talking to someone who said there is a northen soul/motown night on the 2nd of march at the concorde suite ,any one shed any light on this?....

Great nighter, once rode over from Barnsley up and over Woodhead pass in dense fog on a black Rally 200 with 6 volt lighting, had to keep mi foot slightly on the brake pedal so we could be seen by other travellers of the night, a scary experience but it was such a good night it was worth the death wish and the ride home (when it was clear) in summer was breath taking! miss mi little Vespa now.

Oh yes! Droylesden, Hyde Town Hall and Bury. The holy trinity! The early 90's equivalent of The Wheel, Torch and Casino!!!! :-). Loved all three of these venues. I was late teens early twenties at the time. These venues have made me what I am today (whatever that is??!!!). Not that many on the scene at the time, so it always felt like a close family atmosphere.

I've got some photos from Droylesden somewhere featuring Mandy, Kirsty and many others. Used to love the city scape on the walls there. Reminded me of the 'old town' record label.

Not particularly into 'revival' niters but would definatley go to a one off do.

Edited January 20, 201312 yr by Ferrett

One of my favourite venues too... Had some of the best nights ever there. Perfect venue and DJ line up to boot with people who became life long friends..

Didn't someone have to put a chair up on stage as Barbara Acklin had to sit down all through the performance??

Remember the 'Space Invader' machine at the top of the stairs which Curly from Middlesborough was always on lol

....

Edited February 24, 201312 yr by Mrs M

This was where it all started for me, 1970, Tuesday night kids' discos. 'Progressed' (LOL!) to Birdcage, Moon, Druffies......................

I can remember actually doing what is claimed you do when you are punched hard on the head by surprise - seeing stars. I did literally see them.

It took me a foo weeks to get even.

It was never quite Prestbury, wasn't Droylsden, but it did produce some of NS'S finest.

Loved that niter DJ,d there quite a few times had a good laugh when Clarence threw Pete Lawson 20 metres thro the air after a little altercation god you cant buy memories like that so funny Pete said that was out of order I only told him to move his fu--ing sales box up I said no Pete you said hey you ----- twa- move that fu--in box out of the way Oh ya Pete said then started laughin and then apologised to Clarence ..what a laugh