Welcome to another posting of a series of gig listings for 1960s bands. None of these lists is exhaustive and my idea is to add to them in the comments section below over time. They are here for future researchers to draw on. I have also added a few interesting bits of information and will add images in time.
I’d like to encourage band members to get in touch to share memories, or for anyone to send corrections/clarifications to my email: Warchive@aol.com
Equally important, if you attended any of the gigs below or played in the support band, please do leave your memories below in the comments section for future historians to use. If you know of any missing gigs, please add them too, if possible, with the sources.
Paul Stewart – lead vocals
Pete Hammerton – lead guitar
Bob Freeman (aka Rob Tolchard) – rhythm guitar
Ian McIntock – bass
Ray Cook – drums
Sands were formed from the remnants of Hampton, Middlesex R&B outfit, The Others around June/July 1965.
They first worked as The Emotions and then The Army before adopting Sands, named after a coffee bar in New Bond Street, around March 1966. Apart from Cook, who had worked in The Tridents with Jeff Beck, the rest had played in The Others.
8 April 1966 – Marquee, London with Gary Farr & The T-Bones (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
15 April 1966 – Links R&B Club, Maxwell Park Youth Centre, Borehamwood, Herts with Alan Price Set (Simon Gee research)
22 April 1966 – Marquee, London with Bluesology (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
6 May 1966 – Marquee, London with The Emeralds (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
13 May 1966 – Marquee, London with The Move (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
23 May 1966 – Marquee, London with Steampacket (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
27 May 1966 – Marquee, London with The Move (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
Around early June 1966, the group headed to Hamburg to play the Top Ten Club with Irish showband The Woodpeckers but it was not a positive experience and they cut the residency short after briefly rehearsing with Scottish singer Barry St John.
17 June 1966 – Coronation Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent with Episode Six and Steve & The Corvettes (East Kent Times)
20 June 1966 – Marquee, London with The Shotgun Express (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
25 June 1966 – Club de Danse, Colchester, Essex (Evening Star, Ipswich)
28 June 1966 – Marquee, London with The Small Faces (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
1 July 1966 – Cellar Club, Latin Quarter, Leicester with Legay (Leicester debut) (Leicester Mercury)
2 July 1966 – Farnborough Technical College, Farnborough, Hampshire with The Graham Bond Organisation (Aldershot News)
7 July 1966 – Marquee, London with The Move (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
4 August 1966 – Marquee, London with The Move (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
13 August 1966 – Co-op, Rainbow Suite, Birmingham with The Outer Limits (Birmingham Evening Mail)
18 August 1966 – Marquee, London with The Move (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
20 August 1966 – Burlesque, Leicester with Roaring ‘60s (Leicester Mercury)
Around this time, Sands played the Hi-Fi club in Toulon in the South of France. They also embarked on a short Belgium tour in the second half of the year.
17 September 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
1 October 1966 – Marquee, London with The Herd (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
13 October 1966 – Marquee, London with The Move (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
28 October 1966 – Marquee, London with Gary Farr & The T-Bones (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
2 November 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
4 November 1966 – Marquee, London with Duffy Power’s Nucleus (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
5 November 1966 – Shoreline, Bognor Regis, West Sussex with Duffy Power (Melody Maker)
19 November 1966 – Weymouth Pavilion, Weymouth, Dorset with Chapter IV (Dorset Evening Echo)
20 November 1966 – Pavilion Ballroom, Southampton (Dorset Evening Echo)
21 November 1966 – Discotheque Club, Salisbury (Dorset Evening Echo)
25 November 1966 – Marquee, London with The Summer Set (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
2 December 1966 – Starlite, Greenford, London with The All Night Workers (Melody Maker)
6 December 1966 – Concorde, Southampton, Hampshire (Southern Echo)
9 December 1966 – Marquee, London with The Iveys (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
16 December 1966 – Marquee, London with The Ultimate (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
7-8 January 1967 – Old Barn Club, Penzance, Cornwall (West Briton & Royal Cornish Gazette)
13 January 1967 – Marquee, London with Roscoe Brown Combo (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
27 January 1967 – Marquee, London with Mark Barry (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
28 January 1967 – Lion Hotel, Warrington, Cheshire with Beachwoods and Principles (Warrington Guardian)
29 January 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Warrington Guardian)
5 February 1967 – Saville Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, London with Cream and Edwin Starr (Melody Maker)
17 February 1967 – Marquee, London with The Condors (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
During late February Ray Cook left to work with Jeff Beck who he’d played with in The Tridents and B J Wilson joined (possibly from Freddie Mack’s Mack Sound). Cook worked with Jeff Beck in the first week of March but left on 6 March
22 April 1967 – Lion Hotel, Warrington, Cheshire with Klue and Georgie Germs (Warrington Guardian)
23 April 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Warrington Guardian)
10 May 1967 – Steering Wheel, Weymouth, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo)
12 May 1967 – Steering Wheel, Dorchester, Dorset (Dorset Evening Echo)
13-14 May 1967 – Old Barn Club, Penzance, Cornwall (West Briton & Royal Cornish Gazette)
28 May 1967 – Heaven Club, Angel Hotel, Godalming, Surrey with The Other Two Thousand (Surrey Advertiser)
2 June 1967 – Marquee, London with The Wages of Sin (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
17 June 1967 – Lion Hotel, Warrington, Cheshire with Beachwoods and Georgie Germs (Warrington Guardian)
18 June 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire (Warrington Guardian)
Around this time B J Wilson joined Procol Harum. Bob Freeman (aka Rob Tolchard) took over the drum stool
29 July 1967 – Beachcomber, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post)
August 1967 – Three weeks at the Papagayo Club, Font Romeu, France (most likely starting second week of the month)
16 September 1967 – Lion Hotel, Warrington with The Fix and The Seftons (Warrington Guardian)
Shortly after this gig, Paul Stewart and Pete Hammerton left and Rob Tolchard and Ian McIntock recorded as Sun Dragon.
Thanks to Mike Stax for his excellent interview with Rob Tolchard in Ugly Things #36 for some of the information. Thanks also to Rob for providing me with additional information.
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