Coventry Hippodrome / Apollo / Theatre

That's right. The Beatles played the Matrix Hall on 17 November 1962, then returned for this show in February 1963. What a line-up! Helen Shapiro presumably topped the bill on the basis of two UK No.1s. Danny Williams had had one, and the Beatles didn't have a No.1 until From Me To You a few weeks later. The subsequent appearance at the Coventry Theatre was a year to the day after the Matrix, 17th November 1963. They never played Coventry again. www.beatlesbible.com

I was a lucky kid and got tickets to both the Helen Shapiro and the Kinks shows. I was besotted with Helen Shapiro, who was a terrific looking girl and just about my age , and I was not at all impressed with the "support act" - the Beatles. At the time, I thought the Kinks beat them hands down . Helen Shapiro's still doing shows, and a friend went along only to find that she's become a bit of a serious Bible basher in her old age! Good job I didn't hang around too long at the Stage Door afterwards, eh!

The last time I went into the Hippodrome or Theatre as it was more commonly known in its later years was March 3rd 1985 for the 'King' concert - King being the local band who had suddenly made it through into the Top 10 when 7" singles were still valid and the digital era of CD's was only just beginning. I do recall the queue to get in standing as far back as the Old Grammar school in Hales Street. Does anyone know the actual date it closed?

Yes, but what a voice she has !

Yes, it was the 6th June 1985. Barbara Dickson was the performer. Shame really - King, being a local band, would've been a more appropriate last act. They weren't around for very long though, were they? A colleague of mine at GPT (formerly GEC) was the father of the keyboard player in King, who went on to work with Kevin Rowland of Dexy's Midnight Runners (another piece of useless information!)

Funny you should mention that Rob - Mick Roberts the keyboard player is very distantly related. Something to do with a non-blood uncle's cousin's son. No they weren't around long - a short 'high' though Paul King went on to host MTV. I do remember some hysteria around spray-painted Dr Martens boots for a while. As mentioned the queue went around the Grammar school to get in going into Bishop Street.

Ah! How well I remember The Rolling Stones concert in March 1971. I queued all night for a ticket and managed to get a ticket for Row A of the stalls for the first concert. In those days they did a 6-00pm and 8-30pm performance. I stood by the stage door with a mate to listen to the second concert and lo and behold the door opened as I leaned against it! After scrambling through some costumes we found ourselves standing next to Bill Wyman on stage. Mick Jagger glanced round as he became aware of us on stage but he could see we were only two starstruck 15 year-olds and duly carried on with the concert. It was one of those 'one-off' occasions that could never be repeated due to the strict security that is now in evidence at all major concerts. It is however a marvellous memory to have and I can remember it as clearly as if it happened yesterday - a sign of getting old I guess!!

Welcome to the forum Beesman Fantastic story, thank you so much for sharing it - it also brings back many memories for me of the great shows (no "concerts" in those days!) that we used to see there

I went to see lots of shows at the Hippodrome, I saw Shirley Bassey, Tommy Steele as Hans Anderson, and Elkie Brooks, I also went to see Cliff Richard in the 60s. I have some very fond memories of that place. I think the Kaye Sisters were there in the 60s too. I remember as a child going to the pantos there also, I went up on stage once and got a 'Buttons' doll as prize. O those were the days

I well remember the Cliff Richard concert, the whole of the stage backdrop was a giant jukebox. We sat bang in the middle of the upper balcony looking down and I was expecting my son at the time and he was kicking away either to the beat or whatever. Great times Happyhippie The Pantomimes were excellent too - Mike and Bernie Winters were hilarious too driving in their simulated car.

Numerous shots of varying artists at Cov Theatre here. I've already emailed the owner. You cannot enlarge any but are available for purchase. Really gives you a sense of the how big a venue it was though. AC/DC and Numan! There's also some others like Generation X (Billy Idol) at the Lanch.

What a wonderful example of Art Deco, why oh why was it demolished?

Because the city is run by barbarians and vandals who have engaged in 70 years of civic rape and ended up with exactly what they were told they would end up with: a fourth rate city. Before it was demolished, I wrote a letter to the Telegraph commenting that it would end up as an empty space with nothing in it, and no doubt in a few years time there'd be a small plaque marking the site of the 'former Coventry Theatre.' There are enough empty spaces with nothing in them in Coventry, unused expanses of paving that, for most of the year, are drenched with rained and littered with sodden takeaway wrappers and cartons. Of course, nowadays Coventry is the only major town in the UK without a city centre music venue, and 'millennium place' is an absolutely ghastly place - they have even torn up the 'clock' - that is mainly windswept and dreary, and is a poorly defined space anyway. Why is it that every other city and large town in the UK has a venue, yet Coventry doesn't. I know these venues cost money to run, but they can generate income if they're run by people who know what they are doing, and can also attract people to the city centre and attract more businesses (if you've actually got 'streets').

Don't beat about the bush, say what you really mean Oh, you did Spot on, too Happy New Year