The Honeycombs fan site

This is an unofficial website about the sixties pop band The Honeycombs.

The Honeycombs Gig History

This is going to be a patchy work in progress for some time so please bear with me as I reconstruct some of the band's live appearances from the sixties.

Before The Honeycombs

The Sheratons had a residency at the Mildmay Tavern in Balls Pond Road, London N1. This gig became so popular that the landlord had to shut the doors at nine o'clock to prevent too many people getting in.
It was at one of these regular gigs in February 1964 that both the band, and songwriters Howard and Blaikley had a lucky meeting and so began the story of The Honeycombs.

Howard and Blaikley financed the band to record a 4 track acetate disc at City of London studios Whitechapel and with their increased popularity they outgrew the Mildmay and played some larger venues including the Victoria Palace Theatre with Joe Brown and Max Bygraves. Dates unknown.

Honeycombs gigs

Friday 28th August Leamington Spa (Honey's 21st birthday and party at L'Hirondelle BUSY DAY! See Record Mirror cutting linked below.)
Saturday 29^th August, 1964, Hasting Pier with support from Shelley [formerly of The Sabres) Source

Thursday 3^rd September 1964 Kidderminster
Friday 4^th September 1964 Lydney, Gloucester
Saturday 5^th September 1964 Gainsborough
Sunday 6^th September 1964 Top Ten club, Belle Vue, Manchester
Wednesday 9^th September 1964 Stourbridge Town Hall,
Thursday 10^th September 1964 Wolsey Hall, Chesunt,
Friday 11^th September 1964 Trentham Gardens, Stoke,
Saturday 12^th September 1964 Astoria Ballroom, Rawtenstall Support from Stuart Littlewood source

Sunday 13^th through Friday 18^th September 1964 Birmingham area including
Monday 14^th September 1964, Assembly Rooms, Tamworth with support from Jeff Silvas and the Four Stooges Admission: 7'/6d - Vince Baker Entertainments. Source Record Mirror 4th September 1964

Ireland

Monday 21^st September 1964, St. Francis Xavier Hall, Dublin and Landscape Club, Dublin
Tuesday 22^nd September 1964, Orchid, Donegal and Butt Hall,Ballybofey, Donegal
Wednesday 23^rd September 1964, Top Hat, Lisburn and Castle ballroom, Bambridge
Thursday 24^th September 1964, Romano's Belfast and The Royal Arms, Omagh

Scotland

source NME article dated 21^st August 1964.
Friday 25^th September 1964, Kirkaldy Raith, Fife Saturday 26^th September 1964, Auchinleck community centre, Ayrshire, Sunday 26^th September 1964, Top Ten, Dundee, Monday 28^th September 1964, Kinema Ballroom, Dunfermline with support from local regulars "The Red Hawks" source

Wednesday 30^th September 1964, Locarno Ballroom Swindon, The Honeycombs with support from Dave Dee And The Bostons Source NOTE: This is probably the gig mentioned elsewhere on this site when Dave Dee and The Bostons supported the Honeycombs at the request of Denis D'Ell. Honeycombs managers Howard and Blaikley then took them on and the band changed their name to Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick, and Titch. However there is a possible problem with this. Firstly DDDBMT say on their website that it was a Thursday gig which was their only free date in their summer season with Butlins. Secondly there is a source which places the date of the Peterborough gig below on 29^th September, in which case it is highly unlikely that they played the very next night after such a serious incident.

Early October (or possibly 29th September, see note above, source NME 18^th September "popliners") Peterborough Palais The gig at which Martin Murray was pulled off stage by overenthusiastic fans and broke his leg and arm. As a result he missed the next few weeks worth of gigs.

7^th October 1964 100 club Soho, London (first gig with Peter Pye standing in for Martin Murray

10^th October 1964 California Ballroom(Dunstable, Beds) with support from "The Stilettos" and "Tom Thumb and the Fingers" Have I the Right Night Admission 10/- source

12^th October 1964 Jubilee Hall Burton-On-Trent
13^th October 1964 Dorothy ballroom, Cambridge
Known locally as "The Dot" this venue closed in 1972.

The Big Beat Scene Tour

Promoted by George Cooper & Larry Parnes

Pictures of the souvenir programme.

• The Honeycombs
• Millie
• Lulu & The Luvvers
• The Applejacks
• Daryl Quist
• The Beat Merchants
• The Puppets
• The Shouts or The Londoners
• Freddie Earle (compere)
• With special guest from the U.S.A. Gene Vincent

October 1964 Big Beat tour

17 - Finsbury Park (Astoria) Rainbow history.
18 - Coventry (Theatre)
19 - Harrow (Granada)
20 - Doncaster (Gaumont)
21 - Newcastle (Odeon)
22 - Sheffield (Gaumont)
23 - Bradford (Gaumont)
24 - Blackpool (Opera House)
25 - Liverpool (Empire)
26 - Kingston (Granada)
27 - Southampton (Gaumont)
28 - Cardiff (Capitol)
29 - Birmingham (Odeon)
30 - Nottingham (Odeon)
31 - Rochester (Odeon)

November 1964 big beat tour

01 - Lewisham (Odeon)
02 - Bedford (Granada)
03 - Manchester (Odeon)
04 - Hanley (Gaumont)
05 - Wolverhampton (Gaumont)
06 - Cheltenham (Odeon)
07 - Bournemouth (Winter Gardens)
08 - Bristol (Colston Hall)
10 - Kettering (Granada)
11 - Romford (Odeon)
12 - Southend (Odeon)
13 - Ipswich (Gaumont)
14 - Portsmouth (Guildhall)
15 - Leicester (De Montfort Hall)
17 - Woolwich (Granada)
18 - Greenford (Granada)
19 - Slough (Adelphi)
20 - Worcester (Gaumont)
21 - Tooting (Granada)
22 - Walthamstow (Granada)

Ireland

2^nd December 1964, Enniscorthy
3^rd December 1964, Lifford
4^th December 1964, Ballymena, and Lisburn
5^th December 1964, Dún Laoghaire
Donlaoghra according to the NME article.
6^th December 1964, Newry and Dundalk
Edendelk according to the NME srticle.

England

16^th December 1964, Rialto, York, England.
Supported by Herman's Hermits and The Poets.
17^th December 1964, Cecil theatre, Hull, England.
Supported by Herman's Hermits and The Poets.
18^th December 1964, Spennymoor Rink, Derbyshire, England.

Scandinavia

27^th December 1964, First date of Scandinavian tour
source NME article dated 13^th November 1964
31^st December 1964 (NEW YEAR'S EVE) Stockholm, Sweden.

1965 dates

1^st January 1965 (NEW YEAR'S DAY) Helsinki, Finland.
2^nd January 1965 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Source NME article dated 27^th November 1964

1965 "BIG SHOW" TOUR Australia and New Zealand

Promoted by Aztec Services / Stadiums Ltd (Australia)
Kerridge Odeon Ltd (New Zealand)
HEADLINE
The Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Honeycombs, Tony Sheveton

SUPPORT ACTS: Tony Worsley & the Blue Jays (Australia), Tommy Adderley (NZ), The Merseymen (NZ)

19 January 1965 - Perth - Capitol Theatre (two shows)
21 January 1965 - Adelaide - Centennial Hall (two shows)
22, 23 January 1965 - Melbourne - Festival Hall (two shows)
26 January 1965 - Brisbane - Festival Hall (one show)
27 January 1965 - Newcastle - Century Theatre (one show)
29, 30 January 1965 - Sydney - Sydney Stadium (two shows)
4 February 1965 - Christchurch, NZ - Majestic Theatre

8^th May 1965 March Markham Hall
10^th May 1965 Bath Pavillion
11^th May 1965 Liberal Hall, Yeovil
29^th May, 1965 Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone
5^th June 1965, Town Hall, Loughborough
6^th June 1965, Starlite, Wembley
11^th June 1965, West Hartlepool Rink
Source Record Mirror 8th May 1965

Thursday 23^rd September 1965 Ritz Entertainments Club, Skewen, Wales with The Iveys, and The Eyes Of Blue source

12^th November 1965, Pontypool
13^th November 1965, Smethwick Baths and West Bromwich Adelphi
18^th November 1965, Victoria, Chesterfield
19^th November 1965, Oasis, Manchester
26^th November 1965, Allenford
27^th November 1965, Rugby
29^th November 1965, Whitchurch

Sunday 5^th December 1965, London Palladium for "The New London Palladium Show". They played That's The Way featuring Honey duetting with Denis. Viv Prince (former drummer with The Pretty Things) took over on drums.

1966

1967

18^th February 1967, The Upper Cut, Forest gate, London E7
Straight from their smash hit continental tour. First appearance on their home ground supported by the ERROL DIXON BAND the No. 1 blues band with the esoteric singer. 7.30-11.45 pm. Gentlemen 8/6d. Ladies 7/6d.
Information courtesy of Paul Moy, taken from the New Musical Express 11th February 1967. This issue also announced the death of Joe Meek.