Robert Sellers and Nick Pendleton, authors of the new book ‘Marquee: The Story of the World’s Greatest Music Venue’ takes us on a journey through the history of the Marquee, the most famous and iconic music club in the world.
Throughout the years, it became a focal point for the evolving trends in popular music, embracing rhythm and blues with artists like Alexis Korner, The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds. As the music scene shifted towards rock, the Marquee welcomed The Who, David Bowie, Cream, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. But the Marquee’s influence extended beyond its four walls, with its recording studio used by The Moody Blues and Elton John, and its annual open-air festival which commenced in 1961, eventually settled in Reading in 1971, making it the world’s longest-running popular music festival.
Further information
‘Marquee: The Story of the World’s Greatest Music Venue’ by Robert Sellers and Nick Pendleton is published by Paradise Road Books
Podcasts also available on The Strange Brew: Jim McCarty – The Yardbirds, Paul Jones – Manfred Mann, Ray Thomas – The Moody Blues, Dana Gillespie, Bowie and John Hutch Hutchinson, Bob Young – Status Quo, Arthur Brown, Steve Rothery – Marillion
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Very nostalgic. I was helping Arthur Brown’s road crew on the Saturday night in 1968 that they performed to celebrate the Marquee’s 10th anniversary. Road crew is a bit of an exaggeration. All of the equipment, most of the band, and the helpers fitted into a normal wheelbase transit. Aficionados of the roadie world of the 60s will remember lusting after the long wheelbase transit, with double wheels at the back. We didnt have one of those.
It was shortly after Fire had been in the charts and Arthur performed the song with his flaming headdress. Given the low ceiling in the club it was a miracle we got away with it, long before health and safety.
After the gig we were confronted by the manager of the marquee, smartly dressed in a tweed jacket, shirt and tie. Think he had a moustache and he had a military bearing. He reprimanded Arthur for swearing on stage and deducted a fine – it was either 5 pounds or £10 – from the fee for the night.
Those were the days of no after show glamour. Having loaded the equipment we dropped off various members of the band, including Arthur who in those days lived somewhere out in the western suburbs. But still a fantastic night