Tony Lopez on Bedwell CC and the Nightshades [Text only]

Then gradually, as we got more experienced and learnt to play our instruments properly and started doing decent routines we started taking bookings locally. And the two main places at that time I suppose was the Town Hall in Stevenage Old Town where we used to play on a regular basis and then the community centres then were erected, mainly Broadhall and the Bedwell Community Centre. And we as the Nightshades used to play in the Bedwell Community Centre mostly and the Sinners used to be to the Broadhall. We had our own followings and every time we went out of town anywhere we could easily get a coachload of fans to follow us over there to scream and give us some support and that’s how very much everything started on the town.

And then obviously that graduated up to present time when the Mecca came along and as I said we got more experienced and started going all over the country, and we ended up making a few records and recordings and we probably unfortunate that we never made it at the time.

I mean the only places we could go was to the dances which were held in the factories, mainly English Electric at the time, Mentmores and De Havillands where they used to put on regular Saturday night dances. Obviously these were attended and very popular and this also gave us the chance to get the local bands there entertaining kids. And I suppose this, you know, was the beginnings of everything really. We got knowledge of crowds, the type of music to play and you know your stage presence, your professionalism if you like you know.

From the dances people used to spill down into the town centre and I think the town centre pond was just about being built then and because a few drinks and what have you people go into that fountain and have a late night splash around only to be told to go away by the local policeman at the time.