1970
December 31, 1970
January 01 – The Lucky Charms
January 02 – My Dear Watson plus The Grey Wooly Affair
January 09 – The Royal Teens
January 16 – The Happy Ever After
January 28 – It’s A Phantasmagoria
January 30 – The T-Set
February 06 – Archemedes Principle
February 13 – Whisky Martin’s Poker Orchestra
February 20 – Writing On The Wall plus The Stack
February 27 – Marjorine plus The T-Set
March 06 – The Variations plus Argus Butterfly
March 13 – Power Vane
March 20 – Spiggy Topes plus The T-Set
March 27 – My Dear Watson plus The Grey Wooly Affair
April 03 – Skipping Rope ‘n’ Bangles
April 10 – Wild Oats
April 17 – Picketty Witch plus The Grey Wooly Affair
April 24 – Spiggy Topes
May 01 – Gollum The Underdog plus The Grey Wooly Affair
May 08 – Sunshine plus Sockitombe Disco Light Show
May 15 – Magic Roundabout plus My Dear Watson
May 22 – Dance moves to Forres Victoria Hotel for one night only. Toe Fat plus Spiggy Topes
May 29 – Gollum The Underdog plus The T-Set
June 05 – No Dance
June 12 – Twilight Zone
June 16 – Juicy Lucy
June 19 – Hot Cottage plus The T-Set
June 26 – Mr. Blues Band
June 28 – Fanny’s Scene plus The T-Set
July 03 – The Toy Shop
July 05 – Fanny’s Sunday Scene with My Dear Watson
July 10 – Slade plus The T-Set
July 12 – The Foundations
July 17 – The Foundations plus Cody High
July 20 – My Dear Watson plus Grass
July 24 – My Dear Watson plus Grass
July 31 – Freedom Train
August 02 – Fanny’s Saturday Scene with Shallow Justice
August 07 – Status Quo plus Bones
August 09 – Fanny’s Saturday Scene with My Dear Watson
August 14 – Agatha’s Moment plus Hot Cottage
August 16 – Fanny’s Saturday Scene with Spiggy Topes
August 21 – Beggar’s Opera plus Mr. Fantasy
August 23 – Fanny’s Saturday Scene with Bones
August 28 – My Dear Watson plus Bones
September 04 – Ceremony plus Grass
September 11 – Gollum The Underdog plus Sunshine
September 18 – String Driven Thing plus Julian’s Garden
September 25 – Agatha’s Moment
October 02 – The Royal Teens plus Rock Machine
Ovtober 09 – Spiggy Topes plus Badge
October 16 – Hot Chocolate plus My Dear Watson
October 23 – Chuckles plus Wide Horse
October 30 – Beggar’s Opera
November 06 – Lucas And The Ragged Edge plus Cyril Plugg
November 13 – Geno Washington
November 20 – My Dear Watson plus Shallow Justice
November 27 – Agatha’s Moment plus Spiggy Topes
December 04 – Billy Steele Combo plus Woodstock
December 11 – Royal Teens plus Jynx
December 18 – Writing On The Wall plus My Dear Watson
December 25 – Gully Foyle
1966
December 31, 1966
January 21 – Grand Opening. Sounds Inc. plus The Ballerina Band.
Considering the promoter, Albert Bonici, had a well established series of venues for many years, it’s odd he should have waited so long to open at the Ballerina. He had regular dances at the Two Red Shoes Ballroom, the Assembly Rooms and the Town Hall in Elgin, Victoria Ballroom in Forres, the Public Hall in Craigellachie, the Fisherman’s Hall in Buckie and Longmore Hall, Keith.
He had also used the Regal Ballroom in Leopold Street back in 1960 when The Beatles (then known as The Silver Beetles) played as support to Johnny Gentle for his tour of Scotland. I’d be interested to know how much Bonici used the Regal before the opening of the Ballerina and if he was staging regular dances there.
January 28 – The Highland Press Club presents Malcolm Clarke and The Cresters
February 04 – The Caley F.C. Supporters Club featuring The Mindbenders. Seen here, as they were at the Ballerina – without Wayne Fontana – with “Groovy Kind Of Love”. If the guy on guitar and lead vocals looks familiar, it’s because he’s Eric Stewart who made it to mega stardom in the 70’s as a member of 10cc.
February 11 –Johnny And The Copycats
February 12 – The Facells plus The Graham Nairne 7 with guest, ex-Jacobeats singer, Terry Russell
February 18 – North of Scotland 2nd XI presents The Stramash Show with The Bell Sisters, Peter London, Sol Byron and The Senate
February 19 – New Style Saturday Night Dancing featuring The Flock with guest, ex-Jacobeats singer, Terry Russell
February 25 – The Poets. Here they are with “Now We’re Thru”.
February 26 – The Royal Teens plus The Graham Nairne 7 with singer Terry Russell
March 04 – The Facells plus The Graham Nairne 7
March 05 – The Souls plus Terry Russell plus The Graham Nairne 7
March 18 – The Four Pennies
March 25 – The Klansmen
March 26 – Ballerina Big Beat Nite with The Oreogons plus The Graham Nairne 7
April 01 – Neil Landon with The Colin Anthony Combo
April 02 – Ballerina Big Beat Nite with Size 4
April 15 – The Habits
April 22 – Stramash with Sol Byron plus The Senate plus The Rebel Sounds
April 29 – The Applejacks. While I was looking for a live clip of the band, I found this. It’s the Pathe newsreel of the wedding of two members from last year. Crazy to think that you might have watched this at the cinema back in ’65!
May 06 – St. Louis Union
May 13 – McKinlay Sisters
May 27 – The Honeycombs plus The Rebel Sounds. Here are The Honeycombs with “Have I The Right”
June 03 – Julie Grant plus The Graham Nairne Set and The Flock
June 10 – The Foundations plus The Graham Nairne Set
June 17 – David and Jonathan plus The Graham Nairne Set and Deirdre Cameron. Here’s David and Jonathan with “Lovers Of The World Unite” which will peak at number 7 in the charts on July 7th.
June 24 – The Truth
July 01 – Winners of the South of Scotland Festival Beat Championship 1966 – The Beachcombers
July 08 – Sounds Incorporated. Here they are from the NME Poll Winners’ Concert later in the year.
July 15 – The Rebel Sounds plus The New Jacobeats
July 22 – Two Band Show – The Quantrelles plus The Size
July 27 – Boutique Dance with Mannequin Parade – The Copycats
July 29 – Cliff Bennett and The Rebel Rousers, seen above with “I Can’t Stand It”.
August 03 – Special Summer Dance also featuring Beauty Queen Contest – The Copycats plus The Rebel Sound
August 05 – Neil Landon And The Burnettes
August 10 – Contest Special with ‘Miss Mod Gear’ – The Copycats plus The Soundcasters
August 12 – Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours plus The Soundcasters
August 17 – Miss Mini Skirt – The Facells
August 19 – Heinz plus The Soundcasters and Me And The Others
August 20 – The Oreogons
August 26 – The Drovers plus The Flock
August 27 – The Soundcasters
August 31 – The Raging Storms
September 02 – The Chuckles plus The Soundcasters
September 03 – The Oddity
September 09 – Swinging Blue Jeans plus The New Jacobeats
September 16 – The Beatstalkers plus The Rebel Sounds
September 23 – The Drovers plus The Phantoms
September 30 – The Klondykes plus The Soundcasters
October 07 – The Flintlocks plus The Flock
October 14 – The Chris-Do-Lynns plus The Rebel Sounds plus The New Jacobeats
October 21 – It’s The fabulous Sandie Shaw’s Backing Group – The Escorts plus The Phantoms
October 28 – The Quantrelles plus The Soundcasters
November 04 – Times plus Bootleggers
November 11 – The Crazy Late Nite. Admission only costs 1d, if the penny is dated 1951, 1952 or 1953 – Normal Price Of Admission 6/11 1/2d. The Dawn Breakers plus The Klansmen plus The 3 Blind Mice
November 18 – The Koobas plus The Throb. This is the Koobas on the German pop show, “Beat Beat Beat” on September 23rd, playing “Shake” and “Take Me For A Little While”.
November 25 – The Honeycombs plus The Mike Curtis Set
December 02 – Wayne Fontana and The Opposition plus The Rebel Sounds
December 09 – 1) The Beatstalkers 2) Garry and The Highlanders 3) The T-Set
December 16 – The Mojos plus The Soundcasters
December 23 – ‘The Krazy Xmas Kappers’ Show’ with The Royal Teens plus The New Phantoms
December 26 – Aberdeen Students’ Charities’ Campaign Punch Ball present The Agents plus The Blue Stars
December 30 – Phase Five plus The T-Set