John Science Talks Exclusively To Thisisull.com - Sixties Bands and The Seventies Fast Food Phenomenon (2/7) By Michelle Dee and Cilla

(1/7), (2/7), (3/7), (4/7), (5/7), (6/7), (7/7).

Photograph Gallery Pioneer Cafe Jameson Street Gallery , Yankeeburger Jameson Street Gallery , Yankeeburger Hessle Road Gallery 1, Gallery 2, Gallery 3.

So Martin arranged for them to come to Hull and Vance came over on the train with 3 other musicians, for a tenner and their dinner. The night came and these four fellas came in. I looked at them and thought, oh my god. He said to me, 'D'you know anybody who's got any amps?' I'd thought they would have brought their own, and then he said, 'D'you know anybody who's got any drums?

Paul Shepherdson had a jazz band in those days - anyway, he lent us some drums and some amps and eventually these guys got set up. Loads of people came. I stood behind the coffee machine trying to think how can I hide, but well, if you wanted to listen to music, they were unbelieveable ... unbelieveable. You know that voice he has,' John enthrals.

I imagine that immense voice playing out the famous Unchain My Heart line in my head. You see, that young man who had been huddled up asleep in the dressing room of the Esquire Club, would later become Joe Cocker. 'As soon as they started, everybody was mesmerised,' John continues. 'The last time I saw him was in Los Angeles. There were thousands of people there, of course. I saw him briefly, for a second. I was with Martin Dale who shouted, 'Joe, how you doing? Joe looked up and shouted back 'Martin! And the bloke from Yankeeburger, ya bastard! How're you doing? And that was that, I haven't seen him again. He's still going strong though - a very nice guy.

The biggest night we ever had at The Gondola - and I still think they are one of the best groups ever -was when a group called The Pretty Things played. They were real scruffy (some people thought they were dirty, but they weren't!) If you came out of The Gondola and turned left, there was a big hotel called The Imperial (now known as The Paragon) During the interval, they went in there to have a beer but they were turned away because they looked so scruffy.

Anyway, this group came to me. We were registered to take two to three hundred people. That night we had over 600 people through the doors. We had a fleet of ambulances outside because people were passing out like flies - they were taking them to hospital, reviving them and then bringing them back again! It took an hour for everybody to get out. You see, in those days, nobody needed a drink. They just had a coca cola and a coffee.

The John Dankworth Quintet played for us as did Eric Lee and the Aces, The Mustangs ... Tony Martin and the Mods, the Keith Herd Combo, I met so many people - in the old days. Have you ever heard of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates?' John asks us. I knew the hit record Shakin All Over, so John filled with nostalgic fervour once more tells us about the late Johnny Kidd. 'Well they came, set up and off they went. I think they intended people in Grimsby to hear them! And with the hotel next door, you can imagine - the hotel staff came rushing in, complaining that some of their guests couldn't sleep because of the vibration!

photograph courtesy of Adrian Barrett, www.johnnykidd.co.uk

Two nights a week at the Gondala we had a disco night. And I had my own group, a group from Sheffield. I thought they were very good - I lost a fortune, of course! They were called The Citadels. We used to book groups from a bloke called Pete Stringfellow...

John was already a very shrewd business man, doing deals with companies, months before the acts were due to play at his establishment. This meant he was ahead of the game if and when said act hit the big time. Looking at the Clubland Column written by Brian Winchester for the Hull Daily Mail I found the club entry prices quite revealing. Admission to the disco was one shilling and sixpence, to see a local band you would be charged three and six, whereas to watch a named touring band it would set you back a whole five shillings. Average wage for a tradesmen in the early sixties was between five and seven pounds a week and under five hundred pounds annually.

Continued .... Next Page (3/7)

Photograph Gallery Pioneer Cafe Jameson Street Gallery , Yankeeburger Jameson Street Gallery , Yankeeburger Hessle Road Gallery 1, Gallery 2, Gallery 3.

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