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The Astoria (Union Street, Oldham)

The Astoria Ballroom was in King Street, Oldham, Lancashire and opened in 1908.

 

Saw numerous groups here, such as The Big Three, Freddie Starr and the Delmonts. My biggest thrill was seeing Trevor Morais who if I'm not mistaken had been voted the worlds top dummer, at the time, do a half hour drum Solo.

Dave Hancock

I was DJ there on Thursday & Sunday nights (Thursday was non-alcohol) in 1966 & 1967 after Gary Laine left for the Talk Of The Town.  This makes me lucky enough to have seen and met some big names there such as:

Dave Dee & Co. - Small Faces - Robb Storme Group - Manfred Mann (with Paul Jones) - Paul & Barry Ryan - The Creation - Paddy Klaus & Gibson - The Equals - Foundations - Procol Harum - Spencer Davis Group - The Kinks - Sandie Shaw - Walker Bros. - Alan Price Set - Crispian St. Peters - Zoot Money - The Fortunes - The Yardbirds - Wayne Fontana - St. Louis Union - Gene PItney - Cryin' Shames - Chris Andrews - The Searchers - Billy J Kramer - Lou Christie - David Garrick - Georgie Fame - Edwin Starr

Philip Hart - 7/7/12 

Tony Prince was at the Astoria in Oldham on Tuesday 12th Feb he told the story of how he was there on the same night 50 years ago when The Beatles played. It was a good night with a local group called The THREETLES who did a good Beatles set.

Hope to have another look at your site, not been on for a while. My computer is a bit up the wall sometimes, like now, it will be up the wall one of these days!
Cheers,

Phil Hindley - 21/2/13

Its just over fifty years ago The Beatles appeared at the Astoria. Tony Prince, a contributor to Manchesterbeat introduced them. The Astoria went through a few changes - also known as Baileys, Romeo and Juliets, Frogies and the last I heard it was a pool hall.

Jim Whatmough - 17/3/13

In 1962Tony Prince (b. Thomas Whitehead, Tuesday, May 9, 1944, Oldham, Lancashire, England) became a club DJ here.Prince was the only son of a scrap metal worker and attended Oldham Art School, Rochdale Road, Oldham.He had made his first public appearance at 14 in a Butlins Talent Contest where he won second prize for his singing. He worked as a jockey, TV salesmen and toolmaker before becoming in 1959 lead singer in local groupThe Jasons. He later became the lead vocalist in his own group The Tony Prince Combowho was formed in 1964.

John T. Warburg. 16 October 2022

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Comments

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Luba
6 years ago
I saw the Beatles and Jimmy Hendrix there. 
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Steven Dale
6 years ago
The unknown group are The Beatles!
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Len Firewood
4 years ago
I can't believe that Jimmy Hendrix actually played there and I missed it!! I knew about the Beatles playing there but I had NO intention of going there for the simple reason I knew I would have about zero chance of actually hearing them play because of the highly competitive screaming contests by all the girls!! 
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Richard Atherton
4 years ago
Yep, I saw Jimi Hendrix there, it was a Sunday night, January 1967. He did a set of probably 30-40 minutes. Hey Joe, Purple Haze, all his guitar tricks, picking the strings of his guitar with his teeth, playing it behind his head. There were no more than about 150-200 people there. I stood on the dance floor about 20 feet from him. I was 17 at the time and to be honest I didn’t really appreciate him until much later. Shame he died only 3 years or so later, what would he have achieved? Still recognised as the greatest ever guitarist… 
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Jennifer McFie
4 years ago
I saw Tom Jones at the Astoria and remember him singing ‘it’s not unusual’ ? and also dated Gary Laine for a while too?
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