Remembering Newcastle’s club life
Newcastle in the mid to late sixties had a vibrant night life which, outside of London, was probably the best in the country for wining, dining, dancing, music and gambling. There were around a dozen night clubs with top acts appearing in the city every day of the week. It’s no wonder that London gangsters such as the Kray twins were keen to get in on the action. Those of us of a certain age will remember clubs like La Dolce Vita, Greys Club, the Cavendish and the Club A’Gogo.
But who were the men and woman who owned and ran the north east’s iconic clubs and kept us entertained throughout the sixties? If you had been in the Pink Lane area of Newcastle on a Sunday afternoon earlier this month you may well have seen some of them congregating in and around the Jazz Café.
The Jazz Cafe in Pink Lane, Newcastle
North east photographer and author, Ian Wright who now lives in Las Vegas, had the bright idea of organising a get together for the people involved in the sixties club scene. The reunion took place at the Jazz Café, hosted by Keith Crombie who was involved in the day to day running of the Club A’Gogo back in the sixties.
Some of the other people there were Wally Nash (now a business man living in the USA) who managed the Marimba for Mike Jeffery and later the Blue Note in Sunderland for Ray Grehan; Sandford Goudie who owned the La Strada clubs in Sunderland and South Shields; Trixie Sullivan who was Mike Jeffery’s secretary and personal assistant (at the time he managed Jimi Hendrix) and David Macbeth, singer and one time owner of Greys Club. Another of those in attendance was Marcus Levey, who with his three brothers ran La Dolce Vita before selling the club to the Bailey Organisation in 1965. Marcus now lives in Leeds and is a professional artist.
(left to right) Trixie Sullivan, Ian Wright and David Macbeth
(left to right) Wally Nash, Marcus Levey and Keith Crombie
Germaine Stanger (left), yours truly and Sandford Goudie (right)
There were one or two musicians there including Dougie Vickers who was the drummer in the Invaders, one of the first non-jazz bands to play regularly at the Club A’Gogo from around 1963. Also present was jazz singer Germaine Stanger wife of the late Nigel Stanger. Nigel, along with Chas Chandler was responsible for planning and building the Newcastle Arena (now the Metro Radio Arena). Nigel was also an excellent saxophonist who along with Germaine performed with the Newcastle Big Band. Yours truly got an invite because the Ready Steady Gone site was the catalyst that helped Ian Wright to get in touch with some of the guests. Having said that, I did play regularly as a resident musician at three of the Bailey clubs (including La Dolce Vita) during 1966.
Invaders drummer Dougie Vickers jamming with the Jazz Cafe’s house band
Rumour had it that the ex-Club A’Gogo bouncer Dave Finlay and his brother Tommy were going to put in appearance. In the event they failed to show up, probably much to the relief of the host Keith Crombie. I did overhear a conversation in which one of the guests asked the other if he had been present at the Gogo on the night that Dave Finlay knocked out Keith Crombie’s teeth!
Some of the guests hadn’t seen each other for decades so there was a lot of catching up to do. Amongst those talked about were two men who were heavily involved in the north east club scene in the sixties – Mike Jeffery and Ray Grehan. Mike Jeffery, owner of the Club A’Gogo and manager of the Animals and Jimi Hendrix was killed in a plane crash in 1973. Ray Grehan, who owned various night clubs including the Blue Note in Sunderland and the Crescendo Club at Whitley Bay, passed away about eight years ago. Without the contribution of these two men the club and music scene of the north east would have been considerably different.
The reunion was a great success so full marks to Ian Wright for coming up with the idea and organising the event.
Some good people who were pioneers back then and desrve a lot of credit for making Newcastle (a millon miles from London)a firm favourite with some great artists in the 60’s from all over the UK and abroad wanting to play this region.
Wish I had been a fly on the wall..
Comment by Glyn Sadler — May 31, 2011 @ 1:56 pm
Oh how I wish I could’ve been there! My social life started at the Cellar Club in South Shields, moved on to the GoGo whilst it was at its height, back to the Cellar (renamed the New Cellar and then the Chelsea Cat), with a few detours along the way via the Latino, Dolce Vita, Grey’s Club, Change Is and finally Julie’s. But the Gogo was the best of them all – I remember seeing Chris Farlowe, Brian Auger’s Trinity, Spencer Davis Group, The Family, Zoot Money, Geno Washington, Georgie Fame, Otis Redding. Oh I could go on all day. Sharing the ladies toilets with the staff from the bus company in the same building. Getting your hand stamped if you wanted to get into The Jazz Lounge (I was always too young and had to make do with The Young Set, which I reckon had a better atmosphere anyway!). The time of the Club A’GoGo was probably the best for live music in the city. Absolutely loved it. Keep up the good work, Roger!
Comment by Ronnie — July 2, 2011 @ 2:13 pm
What a tremendous website with loads of nostalgic detail of the early music scene in North East.
Saw a lot of these bands at the Rex Hotel in Whitley Bay.It was mobbed when Love Affair on.!!!
They also used to play to a younger audience at the “Hop” in Whitley Bay.(Sect, Juncos, Harlem Shuffle etc)
Also in Whitley Bay was an out of the way venue near the Ice Rink at Whitley Bay boys club on a Friday night.
Saw Alan Bown Set, Downtown Faction and a group from Teeside(?Rivers Invitation)there.
Also seem to remember a free concert at Leazes Park with a lot of local bands…may have been 1967-68?
Happy days indeed!!!
Comment by Gerry Leteve — July 17, 2011 @ 1:37 pm
The Whitley Bay boys club venue was called Zone 22.
Comment by Gerry Leteve — July 17, 2011 @ 1:38 pm
What a very comprehensive and informative site – and great to see some of the places that meant quite a lot to me in my younger days. A friend in music (Colin Bradley who played in a Teesside band called The Road Runners with Paul Rodgers and Micky Moody in the 60s) was kind enough to send me a link.
Nice to see the Dolce vita, too. I was there in the 60s with Joe Brown & The Bruvvers.
Oh happy days!
Comment by Stan Laundon — August 31, 2011 @ 9:38 pm
YO QUIEROSUBIR UN CLUB DE GOGO
Comment by lauraandrea alba macias — September 10, 2011 @ 1:10 am
Great memories of the 60s, I met my wife in the club agogo in 1966 and we are stll together, when I remember some of the groups , and artists that I saw live in the clubs back then its just amazing , great days ,Im on face book if anyone remembers me . Bob Redhead
Comment by bob redhead — October 14, 2011 @ 2:10 pm
Just stumbled across this, I am the son of David Finlay please put all your stories from the hay days so I can get some sort of history to pass on to my kids as my mother jackie and davey split up when I was a baby and I only have his reputation to talk of and don’t know if what I am told is true.
Comment by Michael finlay — December 12, 2011 @ 8:51 pm
Great article, as with Michael(the previous poster)I have a family connection to these times. I’m the daughter of Ken Maddison who had a resident trio in various local clubs in the ’60s – the Pickwick in Whitley Bay, La Strada in South Shields, and the Bailey’s clubs in Newcastle, I remember him being at La Dolce Vita, and (I think) the Latino.Sadly he’s not around any more to ask, but I remember as a child hearing some of the names you mention here. Sounds as if those were the days alright!
Comment by Jane Maddison — January 24, 2012 @ 2:48 pm
FABULOUS SITE MY HUSBAND DENNIS BRAZIL REMEMBERS THESE CLUBS WHEN WORKING IN NEWCASTLE YEARS LATER BEFORE WE WERE MARRIED I REMEMBER FROM WORKING IN NEWCASTLE WITH A FRIEND LOVED NEWCASTLE AND THE CLUBS ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE WE ARE IN LEEDS
Comment by NADINE BRAZIL — January 24, 2012 @ 8:07 pm
it was Alfie wright who owned the Crescendo Club at Whitley Bay. not Ray Grehan.trus me I open’ed it
Alfie.
Comment by tony — January 29, 2012 @ 3:03 am
Great site and yes the Club Agogo was a Great Venue.I met my wife there in October 63 and we married in June 66.We are still together.Neville McKittrick the Invaders Singer was a colleague of mine at British Paints.Last I heard of him he had his own Paint Company in Canada.I would love to make contact again.
I regularly caught last bus from Sunderland (where my Wife lived) to Worsick Street but missed last bus to Fenham so went to Jazz Lounge at Club Agogo until 01.30hrs and hada a few beers and watched some great acts.I then caught the All Night Entertainment bus from the Central Station at 02.00hrs with a Bun Burger in my hand from Bowers.
Comment by Peter Parker — February 4, 2012 @ 3:33 pm