The Regent Ballroom

[Wally Gould]

Remember it well. There would often be announcements telling us to stop jumping up and down as the people in the cinema underneath couldn't hear the film.
That floor was amazing!

Yes remember that well, especially when the Dave Clark 5 were playing 'Glad all Over'.

 

[Northstandite]

As a toddler/young infant, I went to the Regent Cinema in the late 60's/very early 70's.
Other than vague memories of the films, I remember the massive auditorium with a second tier/deck (circle).

The dance hall - many couples in their 60's and 70's, have mentioned that's where they met their future spouses.

 

[Northstandite]

 

[Wally Gould]

As a toddler/young infant, I went to the Regent Cinema in the late 60's/very early 70's.
Other than vague memories of the films, I remember the massive auditorium with a second tier/deck (circle).

The dance hall - many couples in their 60's and 70's, have mentioned that's where they met their future spouses.

Yes I remember the Regent Cinema also just round the corner in North Street there was the Essoldo Cinema.
The Regent Ballroom was 'the' place I met my other half.

 

[Northstandite]

Yes I remember the Regent Cinema also just round the corner in North Street there was the Essoldo Cinema.
The Regent Ballroom was 'the' place I met my other half.

I've been told about the sprunge wooden dance floor.
In the 50's or 60's, were the blokes coyly waiting around the edge of the dancefloor, waiting to make the move?

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

I remember that! Queued all night for tickets but can't remember where from. Anyone know?

Also saw T Rex there. Great times.

Record shop in Middle Street called ?? Sounds, it was near The Cottage. Tickets for the Stones went on sale the morning after Deep Purple had played at the Big Apple so we went direct from the gig. didn't get my full hearing back for days.
It was T Rex's first performance as a trio - Steve Curry on bass. Jesus - the rubbish you can still recall after forty years.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Record shop in Middle Street called ?? Sounds, it was near The Cottage. Tickets for the Stones went on sale the morning after Deep Purple had played at the Big Apple so we went direct from the gig. didn't get my full hearing back for days.
It was T Rex's first performance as a trio - Steve Curry on bass. Jesus - the rubbish you can still recall after forty years.

Just remembered; the shop was called Expansion Records.

 

[Binney on acid]

Yes. They were later called Tiger Moth Records, The proprietors were Mike & Pearl.

 

[Binney on acid]

I noticed a flyer on this thread for Fleetwood Mac. I'm sure they never played there. I believe that they played Jimmys in the Steine in the late 60's. I don't believe that they have played Brighton since. I saw them at The Finsbury Park Rainbow during the Rumours tour. I'm not convinced that The Pink Floyd played at the Big Apple, although I did see them at The Dome during the Dark Side Of The Moon tour.

The Big Apple proprietors Steve & Brian Mason were were people of dubious repute. They kept on promising to get Dylan. He never played there.

 

[Wally Gould]

I've been told about the sprunge wooden dance floor.
In the 50's or 60's, were the blokes coyly waiting around the edge of the dancefloor, waiting to make the move?

Yes you got it spot on! All the blokes in their 'mod gear' would shuffle round the edge then after a couple of beers would move in........then if you were lucky you could all dance together usually in a group with all the girls handbags in the middle! This was 1965, great times.

 

[Grassman]

I'm pretty damn sure that my Grandad used to do the door at The Regent - though it would have been in the 50s. By all accounts he spent most of the time in a nearby boozer.....

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

I noticed a flyer on this thread for Fleetwood Mac. I'm sure they never played there. I believe that they played Jimmys in the Steine in the late 60's. I don't believe that they have played Brighton since. I saw them at The Finsbury Park Rainbow during the Rumours tour. I'm not convinced that The Pink Floyd played at the Big Apple, although I did see them at The Dome during the Dark Side Of The Moon tour.

The Big Apple proprietors Steve & Brian Mason were were people of dubious repute. They kept on promising to get Dylan. He never played there.

Pink Floyd played at the Big Apple during the tour promoting Atom Heart Mother. Ah Jimmys - yet more memories of a mis-spent youth.

 

[Gwylan]

My mum worked at the Regent Ballroom in the early mid-60s. I remember that she got the autographs of the entire SA team when they were there for the evening (that would have been in 1965). I managed to lose the paper but there were great names on it: both the Pollocks, Barlow, Bland etc

She also got us into the cinema for free, something that's always appreciated as a child.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Does anyone remember the Regent Ballroom in Queens Road on a Thursday night around 1965? The sprung dance floor, Motown, King Jerry. Also the pub just up the road the William Tell? music - Rod Stewart - Maggie May, Redbone - Witch Queen of New Orleans..........heaven, what a great period in time.:guitar:

My mum and dad used to talk about this place. Aparently this is where they met. lol
This must have been their version of The Event that I used to attend in the 90's

 

[smiler]

I noticed a flyer on this thread for Fleetwood Mac. I'm sure they never played there. I believe that they played Jimmys in the Steine in the late 60's. I don't believe that they have played Brighton since. I saw them at The Finsbury Park Rainbow during the Rumours tour. I'm not convinced that The Pink Floyd played at the Big Apple, although I did see them at The Dome during the Dark Side Of The Moon tour.

The Big Apple proprietors Steve & Brian Mason were were people of dubious repute. They kept on promising to get Dylan. He never played there.

Fleetwood Mac played the Teachers Training College ( Falmer) with Chicken Shack not sure about the date

 

[element]

My late father used to work in the Regent complex in the late sixties/early seventies, and took me up there a couple of times while locking up for the night. It must have been the Big Apple era, as there was a larger-than-life big black fella with a massive afro who seemed to run the place. My dad also told me that during the dancehall years, if someone was being chucked out, they were offered two options. One was to go down in the lift, which was the quick off-you-go-sonny route, and option two, which was via the stairs, which meant you wanted to 'have it' with the bouncers

 

[dejavuatbtn]

I remember them having a session on a Saturday morning in the early 60s for teenagers before the Suite opened up with a similar session.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

O boy ! nostalgia rules...makes me wish that I was still in Brighton..

By the time that I was going about, it was The Big Apple...saw Atomic Rooster , but spent most Saturday/Sundays at the Cadillac Club which was down the steps to what I last saw as the Sea Life Centre..Great nights - Jimmy James , Alexis Korner, John Mayall with a young Peter Green on guitar. At the Top Rank West Street , Cream, The Kinks, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah BAnd....Also the little Starlight Rooms

One of the best gigs at Brighton Centre was Paul Simon, surprisingly upbeat, makes me wish that I was "Homeward Bound" , [sigh]

 

[Binney on acid]

Yep! The Pink Floyd played The Big Apple on Dec 11th 1970. I wasn't there.

 

[Wally Gould]

My mum and dad used to talk about this place. Aparently this is where they met. lol
This must have been their version of The Event that I used to attend in the 90's

I did laugh, I was too old to go to the Event but my Daughters told me about it!