 Derek
James tells the story
of a rock 'n' roll phenomenon
Backstage a bunch of grandfathers
are pacing up and down. The handshakes and embraces
are over and now the butterflies are starting to flutter.
It had been a long, long time.
In front of the stage hundreds of
people, of all ages and from all walks of life, are
laughing, drinking and waiting to be entertained. They
paid good money for their tickets - and now they want
to see, and hear, their heroes from yesteryear.
Other, younger ones, are standing
around,wanting to know what all the fuss is about. The
lights are flashing, the sound has been checked, the
drum kits have been set up. And just look at the size
of those amplifiers!
Former Radio Caroline pop pirate
now Radio Norfolk presenter Andy Archer walks on to
the stage and says: "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and
girls welcome to the Golden Years."
The crowd go crazy as the temperature
and the tension reaches fever-pitch - the boys are back
in town.
Five hours, and ten bands later,
they are still dancing, still cheering and still laughing.
The Golden Years had arrived with a bang.
Since that first concert in the
autumn of 1996, around 25 Norfolk beat groups from the
1950s, 60s and 70s have been reunited at a string of
Golden Years concerts which get bigger and better every
year.
Many of the bands have re-formed
and are now back on the road playing the same pubs and
clubs that they did three decades ago.
Others only play for the Golden
Years while there are some who are who are still professional
musicians and come home from various parts of this country
and abroad to take part.
The sell-out concerts are now a
huge hit, played a big part on the entertainment scene
and have raised over £30,000 for a string of charities.
Ten bands played the first reunion
gig at The Talk in Oak Street, Norwich, in 1996. Hundreds
of people couldn't get in - we needed a bigger venue.
The biggest concert hall in Norwich is at the University
of East Anglia so that is where the first two-day Golden
Years rock weekend was held in April 1997 and then again
in 1998 and 1999.
"I never imagined this would happen,"
said Terry. "It has been amazing. We now have ten different
bands playing each night and sell over a thousand tickets.
It is a huge event."
And what makes the Golden Years
so special is the atmosphere - both among the audience
and the bands. The look of delight on the faces as the
bands walk back on the stage - and the look of amazement
when they start playing again. They are sounding better
than ever. Groups who would have become household names
if they had come from Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham
or London.
But they came from Norwich and
Norfolk and back in the swinging 60s they never stood
a chance. Many had recording deals, fan clubs but they
never had what every group was dreaming about - a hit
record.
So how did it all start? In the
winter of 1996 ex-drummer Derek Moore popped in to see
me at the Evening News office in Norwich...he had put
together a home-made video telling the story of a beat
band called The Toffs. They were a bunch of lads who,
back in the late 1950s, gathered at weekends to listen
to skiffle at the Red Lion in St George's, Norwich.
Youngsters like Derek, Alan Caalf,
Pete Baron, Roger Murrey, Roger Moon and Malcolm Hooper.
"What I would like to do is find them so I can give
them a copy...who knows we may be able to have a reunion,"
said Derek. I wrote a piece about The Toffs, recalling
the days of cool coffee bar cats and Teddy Boys - and
was amazed.
All of a sudden members of other
groups - The Zodiacs, Malcolm & The Jet Blacks, Garry
Freeman & The Contours, The Continentals, The OffBeats
were all knocking on my door. The memories came flooding
back. Then someone suggested a reunion concert. But
who was going to organise it? Up stepped a big fella
with broad shoulders.
His name Terry Wickham, ex Zodiac.
He agreed to take over. A decision that was to change
his life.
Now, three decades on, they are
a hit with their grandchildren. And that is worth far
more than a No 1 record - it's priceless. |