When was the first time you saw The Shads?

[Stratpicker]

Hi Donna
1962 at the Palace Theatre, Manchester. Frank Ifield ("I Remember You") was also on the Bill. I had been a Shads record buyer and Player since Apache and this was the first time I had seen them 'in persons'. Awesome!!
cheers
ian

[JimN]

My first exposure to The Shadows live was Tuesday 23rd April 1962, at the Liverpool Empire. It was a variety bill which also featured Jackie Trent (I don't recall a single thing about her), Frank Ifield, Daley & Wayne (a comedy double act), Chas McDevitt & Shirley Douglas and a Chinese acrobatic troupe.

Bruce was ill that week, and so confined to his room at the nearby Lord Nelson Hotel. The line-up on stage was Hank, Brian Bennett, Brian Locking (in something like his second or third live appearance with The Shadows) and the late Peter Carter of the Checkmates (and later to be one of Jet's Jetblacks) on rhythm guitar.

Numbers I recall include Midnight (they opened with that), Little B, Stand Up And Say That (with Hank on a white grand piano), Wonderful Land (there was a theatre orchestra in the pit to help with that) and FBI. They did not play Apache.

JN

[grayn]

I think it must be on TV, doing The Savage. I always liked that tune.

As a child, I went to see Summer Holiday, at the cinema. It all seemed so glamourous then. And Hank's sweet, reverb drenched guitar, captured the mood beautifully.

[StuartD]

I think it was about May 1961 at the Empire in Leeds. It was the night Tony didn't show up until they were halfway through their act!!.

Saw them again in early May 62 at the Grand Theatre in Leeds with Licorice. They did a week and I went twice. Hank and Bruce sang The Young Ones and Do You Wanna Dance. Like Jim says Hank played Piano on Stand Up and Say That, Licorice on Harmonica on Stranger on the Shore. They did Shazam, Shadoogie, Pefidia, Bo Diddley, Little B, Frightened City, Wonderful Land - which Bruce introduce saying "We'd like to thank you for where it went - wherever it went!" and FBI. They did not play Apache. I can't remember the rest. Frank Ifield and Daley and Wayne were on the bill and an Irish comedian, Harry Bailey.

[Arpeggio]

Fascinating thread. Stuart.....any idea who played drums for the first few numbers!!!!!?????

Rob

[Fenderman]

I'm only a youngster (compared to other members of this site!) and only got into the Shads towards the end (1988 i think). I tried to see them on their 1989 and 1990 tours but they had sold out!
I saw Hank live in 1994 then again in 2000, and the Shads in 2004 in Glasgow.
The 2000 Hank gig had some interesting numbers that i've never heard live such as Mustang, Find me a golden street, Twenty flight rock and the James Bond theme. He may also have played That'll be the day but i can't be too sure. A good gig all round and Hank had never sounded better, i don't think he fluffed a note all night but occasionally his guitar got lost in the noise.
I waited at the stage door for his autograph but someone came out and said he'd already left!

[asimmd]

Can't remember exactly but it was at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool

I reckon it was 1963 or 1965.

Alan

[JimTidmarsh]

The first time I saw them live was in 1969 at the Astoria, Finsbury Park, London. This was a tour with Cliff, and The Shads had Alan Hawkshaw with them (Bruce having left). The big disappointment of the evening was that Hank as ill with the 'flu & didn't appear. The Shads played just three numbers - Exodus to spotlight Alan, Nivram to spotlight John and Little B to spotlight Brian.

I saw them again at the Thank You Very Much concert at the Palladium in 1976, again in 1979 and then every year's tour up to 1990.
2004 & 2009 topped it all off.

[neil2726]

First saw them on the Cliff and Shadows Autumn Tour in 1964, at the now Regent theatre in Hanley.Still have the programme - line up was Hank Bruce Brian and John. They opened up with "In the Mood" others on the show were the Johnny Hawkins Orchestra,
Frank Berry (compare) and Fay Fisher. I seem to recall the Shads did not back Cliff at this show!

[dave robinson]

It has taken me some time to answer this one because I thought I knew, then I was stopped in my tracks because I was looking for the date in the Cliff Richard Chronicles book (which has lists of their gigs from 1958) but it isn't in there. Maybe it is one of the omissions that the authors speak of in the notes.

I do know that the line up was with Licorice and B.B. and that the current EP release was 'The Boys'. Benbo played 'Little B' and Hank played piano on 'Stand Up And Say That' as well as on 'Bachelor Boy' in Cliff's set. I vaguely remember that The Trebletones were on the bill. It was certainly the Sheffield City Hall in 1963 and matching the red Fenders' were there.
I did see them again with Cliff. a couple of times at the City Hall and once atThe Gaumont Cinema with John Rostill during the Burns era - one time when Bruce was missing and Alan Hawkshaw played piano instead. At the Gaumont Cliff did his latest single 'The Time In Between' with Hank using the DeArmond pedal. One of the later City Hall gigs saw Hank with the 'Rotosound' box, which he used for 'Slaughter On Tenth Avenue'. I do have programmes for thes if only I could remember where I 'safely stored' them.