Queens Hall - classic rock venue?

Bunkers, shelters and other buildings
BLAKEY
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon 24 Mar, 2008 4:42 am

Post by BLAKEY »

uncle mick wrote: Think this is it BLAKEYhttp://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIde ... SPLAY=FULL Many thanks Uncle mick - that's a very nostalgic picture for me, and I've put a comment on the Leodis picture !!
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

jdbythesea
Posts: 405
Joined: Sat 02 Apr, 2011 6:14 am

Post by jdbythesea »

I was looking at that picture of the back of the Merrion Centre. There was a filling station at the Wade Lane end of the road . My Access card was tampered with there back in the early 70s. In those days the equipment used was fairly primitive and the cashier (it was thought) had a little scam going. I got my money back thankfully. Petrol then was expensive too!

Bruno
Posts: 331
Joined: Fri 29 Jul, 2011 9:54 am

Post by Bruno »

Funny how memory plays tricks, I thought I'd been to quite a few gigs at the Queen's Hall, but as I've mentioned before, I kept a comprehensive list of all the gigs I went to for several years, so I've just dug it out again, and it turns out I only went to two at the QH.First was The Stranglers, supported by the Drones and the Saints, towards the end of 1977. The second gig was The Clash in early summer 1978. They were supported by Chelsea (another punk band as far as I can remember, which isn't very far at all), but I do remember the opening act, a band called Breaker from Coventry. Breaker was the band which evolved into The Specials (weren't they orignally called Special AKA?), and even then the lead singer was that miserable bloke who sang Ghost Town when they morphed down into the Fun Boy Three. Anyway, this bunch of midlanders wasn't going down very well in Leeds, there were chants of 'off, off, off' and worse, so the singer (was it Jeffrey Dammers?) stopped the music and proceeded to moan at the audience about how, atttending Elland Road as a Coventry City fan, he had been attacked by Leeds supporters. Cue the biggest cheer of the evening so far from the crowd, and a hail of glass bottles like something from Agincourt, which saw the band hurriedly leave the stage, not to return. I'm not condoning that sort of behaviour, but I am still laughing about it, 33 years later.On the beer festival subject, I've just been to have a look in my kitchen cupboard, and I note that I have beer glasses from the Great British Beer Festival (ie the national event) from 1981, 1982 and 1988. The 1988 glass actually features the words 'Queen's Hall, Leeds' so there is no doubt as to the venue. The intervening years, 1983-1987, saw the Leeds Beer Festival being held at the QH as far as I can recall.
The older I get, the better I was.

franco
Posts: 62
Joined: Fri 12 Jun, 2009 2:17 pm

Post by franco »

Hi Bruno. Great memories. Great bands. I wasn't there but a friend swears that when he saw Adam Ant at the Queens Hall during the Prince Charming "Review" a large creche had been erected in front of the stage to accommodate his younger fan base. Could this be true?

User avatar
chameleon
Site Admin
Posts: 5462
Joined: Thu 29 Mar, 2007 6:16 pm

Post by chameleon »

New thread content moved here to existing discussion -colUser Location: harrogateJoined on: 14-Feb-2012 17:36:04Posted: 3 posts # Posted on: 14-Feb-2012 19:52:40.    Edit | Quote Anyone got any photos of the Queens hall when it was a music venue.I'm thinking of the FUTURAMA FESTIVAL'S mostly and the XMAS ON EARTH punk gig and the DAZE OF FUTURE PAST ?Geordie-exileUser Location: TynesideJoined on: 06-Feb-2008 22:39:43Posted: 893 posts # Posted on: 14-Feb-2012 21:48:56.    Delete | Edit | Quote http://www.songkick.com/festivals/21341 ... ama-5-1983

Welsh
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun 03 Jun, 2012 7:55 am

Post by Welsh »

grumpytramp wrote: As an adolescent growing up in Leeds in the very early 1980's was a desolate experience for a rock fan. The other northern cities were blessed with great traditional venues (Newcastle City Hall, Sheffield City Hall, Hanley Victoria Halls, Bradford St Georges Hall, Machester Apollo, Liverpool Empire, Glasgow Apollo etc) ........ Leeds was, sort of blessed, with the Queens HallThe Queens Hall, supposedly a top venue ....... a converted tramshed, with the appaling acoustics, a floor of rock solid concrete, appalling climatic conditions, stinking toilets & terrible catering set in those days the most dismal part of the city!But then as a teen when my heros arrived in town, there was no other place to be!First QH gig: Jan 24th 1981 Black Sabbath (supported by the utterly sh#t* AIIZ and the utterly superb Max Webster). A bizzare experience with a number of hand held crosses being set alightThe most inappropriate QH gig: Lindisfarne (Christmas ?1983 and sponsered by Radio Aire) ..... an odd choice for Lindisfarne, as their gigs at the Leeds Uni where a garunteed multi-pint fueled top class party experience Weirdest QH gig: No question, Rainbow 1981 ........ day after riots in Chapeltown, real tension in the air, masses of police, taxis radio bursting out over the PA ....... utterly brilliant gig (oh aye, I caught one of the drummers drumsticks).Worst QH gig: with the benefit of hindsight probably Motorhead (nothing wrong with the band ....... but in a hall with the acoustic characteristics of a concrete mixer, it really didnt work)Oddest support at a QH gig: Rose Tatto supporting some one or other. Angry Anderson proceeds to consume a bottle of clear spirit in the first thirty minutes of their set before collapsing in a heap on stage. The band continue to, err, rock until a roadie wanders on with a bucket of water which he empties over Angry. Stumbling to his feet he manages a couple more tunes before shambling off (the same character that sang the wedding theme for Scott and Charlene [kylie] marriage on neigbours)Best QH gig: Whitesnake (I think December 1982 Saint and sinners tour) with what I think was the QH record audience of 10,000 + The place was heaving and bounced the whole night long to the full back catalogue of classic heavy blues!I understand that the Queens Hall is no more and is now a car park. Not sure how much of a shame it is ........ but I really do have the fondest memories of some great nights (and days following with sore ankles, tender necks and ringing ears!) Rose Tattoo did indeed support Rainbow in 1981 and I remember Angry Anderson collapsing. He was probably drunk, but I also seem to remember him head-butting the mic and cutting his forehead open. Rainbow were increadible, with Blackmore smashing his strat and ramming it into the speakers on the right side of the stage. Rainbow was my second gig there, the first being Whitesnake in 1981- Come an get it tour. I remember being stunned at how old and porky the band looked compared to their svelte appearance on the cover of Live in The Heart of the City (an artists impression). They were supported by Billy Squier, I think. Before one or other of those gigs, I remember queuing in the street, in a long line of denim clad rockers when three punks walked down the street, goading the queueing people and flicking 'V's at them. Those gigs were soooo loud compared to nowadays.

majorhoundii
Posts: 404
Joined: Sat 12 Mar, 2011 6:55 am

Post by majorhoundii »

I went to one gig at the Queens Hall - The Faces in 1973. The accoustics were terrible.

somme1916
Posts: 982
Joined: Fri 02 Mar, 2012 7:39 pm

Post by somme1916 »

Saw Bryan Adams there(T'Pau support-or other way round ?)....anyway,he was awesome as our American cousins would no doubt say.Thin Lizzy too played great gig with the inimitable Phil Lynott belting 'em out.Didn't mind PIL when they came too......some very hazy nights there,great memories what I can still remember properly !
        I'm not just anybody,I am sommebody !

User avatar
cnosni
Site Admin
Posts: 4199
Joined: Wed 28 Mar, 2007 4:47 pm

Post by cnosni »

Welsh wrote: grumpytramp wrote: As an adolescent growing up in Leeds in the very early 1980's was a desolate experience for a rock fan. The other northern cities were blessed with great traditional venues (Newcastle City Hall, Sheffield City Hall, Hanley Victoria Halls, Bradford St Georges Hall, Machester Apollo, Liverpool Empire, Glasgow Apollo etc) ........ Leeds was, sort of blessed, with the Queens HallThe Queens Hall, supposedly a top venue ....... a converted tramshed, with the appaling acoustics, a floor of rock solid concrete, appalling climatic conditions, stinking toilets & terrible catering set in those days the most dismal part of the city!But then as a teen when my heros arrived in town, there was no other place to be!First QH gig: Jan 24th 1981 Black Sabbath (supported by the utterly sh#t* AIIZ and the utterly superb Max Webster). A bizzare experience with a number of hand held crosses being set alightThe most inappropriate QH gig: Lindisfarne (Christmas ?1983 and sponsered by Radio Aire) ..... an odd choice for Lindisfarne, as their gigs at the Leeds Uni where a garunteed multi-pint fueled top class party experience Weirdest QH gig: No question, Rainbow 1981 ........ day after riots in Chapeltown, real tension in the air, masses of police, taxis radio bursting out over the PA ....... utterly brilliant gig (oh aye, I caught one of the drummers drumsticks).Worst QH gig: with the benefit of hindsight probably Motorhead (nothing wrong with the band ....... but in a hall with the acoustic characteristics of a concrete mixer, it really didnt work)Oddest support at a QH gig: Rose Tatto supporting some one or other. Angry Anderson proceeds to consume a bottle of clear spirit in the first thirty minutes of their set before collapsing in a heap on stage. The band continue to, err, rock until a roadie wanders on with a bucket of water which he empties over Angry. Stumbling to his feet he manages a couple more tunes before shambling off (the same character that sang the wedding theme for Scott and Charlene [kylie] marriage on neigbours)Best QH gig: Whitesnake (I think December 1982 Saint and sinners tour) with what I think was the QH record audience of 10,000 + The place was heaving and bounced the whole night long to the full back catalogue of classic heavy blues!I understand that the Queens Hall is no more and is now a car park. Not sure how much of a shame it is ........ but I really do have the fondest memories of some great nights (and days following with sore ankles, tender necks and ringing ears!) Rose Tattoo did indeed support Rainbow in 1981 and I remember Angry Anderson collapsing. He was probably drunk, but I also seem to remember him head-butting the mic and cutting his forehead open. Rainbow were increadible, with Blackmore smashing his strat and ramming it into the speakers on the right side of the stage. Rainbow was my second gig there, the first being Whitesnake in 1981- Come an get it tour. I remember being stunned at how old and porky the band looked compared to their svelte appearance on the cover of Live in The Heart of the City (an artists impression). They were supported by Billy Squier, I think. Before one or other of those gigs, I remember queuing in the street, in a long line of denim clad rockers when three punks walked down the street, goading the queueing people and flicking 'V's at them. Those gigs were soooo loud compared to nowadays. They were extremely loud,saw snakes in 82 and 84 at the Queens Hall (amongst many others,including the Police and Culture Club,which i managed to sneak in for both),they were so bloody loud.These days gigs seem to be very quiet in comparison,they dont have two mountains of Marshall speakers arrayed at either side of the stage anymore.Went to see the now heavy rock band Europe (yes of Final Countdown fame) who these days plough the Rainbow/Whiesnake/UFO/Thin Lizzy/Deep Purple classic heavy rock field,but i was shouting at the top of my voice for them to turn it up.Its my choice if i want to have my ears ringing for 24 hours after a gig,not a health and safety inspectors.    
Don't get me started!!My Flickr photos-http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnosni/Secret Leeds [email protected]

Caron
Posts: 798
Joined: Wed 28 Mar, 2012 7:34 pm

Post by Caron »

At the risk of sounding VERY boring I'd like to ask has anyone pics of the QH and where did it used to be ? Did a lot of moving around in my younger days. I did go to the QH with my mam to an Ideal Home Exhibition but have no idea where it was.Thanks.    

Post Reply