DATES   1970 - 1971  
Go to home pageGo to history PageGo to opening night pageDates 1930-1959Dates 1960-69Dates 1970-71Dates 1972go to dates 1973go to dates 1974go to dates 1975go to dates 1976go to dates 1977go to dates 1978go to dates 1979go to dates 1980go to dates 1981 to 1982go to dates 1983 to the presentVarious Photographs of the Theatrelive albums of concerts at the theatrefilms that have been shot at the theatreContact me & Info 1970      
11th February   “Soul Together Tour” with Sam & Dave, Joe Tex, Arthur Conley, Clarence Carter

Soul Together advert Soul Together ticketSoul Together Programme
    Sam & Dave complete tour on notoriously bad terms with each other and split up for solo careers
Soul Togerther poster
20th March   Gene Pitney, Badfinger, Marmalade, Satisfaction
Johnny Hackett
 
Gene Pitney Programme 1970   Gene Pitney, Clodagh Rogers & Badfinger backstage Gene Pitney tour flyer
    Clodagh Rogers was ill so for this date she was replaced by Marmalade.  
       
2nd May   The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, The Hollies, Mark Wynter,
The Tremeloes, The Mojos
 
       
? May   Chuck Berry, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Manfred Mann  
       
11th June   The Woody Herman Orchestra  
29th October  

David Frost Variety Spectacular with Louis Arnstrong, Tony Bennett, Jake Thackrey, Sandie Shaw, Ronnie Baker

Louis Armstrong on stage
8th November   The theatre is renamed “The Odeon” Finsbury Park  
         
11th December   The Beach Boys, The Flame Beach Boys ticket Beach Boys Programme and Ticket 1970
1971      
14th August   The Byrds, Rita Coolidge The Byrds/Rita Coolidge Programme
18th September   Closed as a cinema by Rank cinema organisation  
      The last films shown were “Gorgo” and “Twisted Nerve”  
            Twisted Nerve poster Poster for the film "Gorgo"
      Taken over by “Sundancer” consortium managed by John Morris  
      The theatre is renamed
“THE RAINBOW THEATRE”
 
         
  4th - 6th      
  November   The Who, Quiver Who poster, opening concert of Rainbow Theatre  1971
The Who press advertWho poster for Rainbow Opening Concert version 1
      The Who open the new Rainbow Theatre. A chorus line of dancers precedes the show and Keith goes into the audience to yell for The Who to come on. Pete wears a silver lamé jump suit with the Rainbow Theatre logo on the back. At the end of the show the chorus line comes back out and The Who join them for a few high kicks.
Free Programme No.1
  Who on stage with dancing girls, opening concert Rainbow Theatre 1971
      a set of Who tickets of opening shows
  Newspaper cutting from opening night
7th November Alice Cooper, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown,
Roger Rustin Spear
Alice Cooper, Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come Poster Alice Cooper ticket
  Alice Cooper press Ad
  11th November   Barclay James Harvest, Chicago Climax,
East of Eden, Marc-Almond
Press advert for Barclay James Harvest free concert 11th Nov 1971
A Free Concert
Mark Almond Press Ad
  12th /13th   Mountain, Wishbone Ash, Gordon Haskell   Mountain-Wishbone Ash ticket
  November   Press advert for Mountain concert Nov 1971
   
       
In house free programme
  14th November   Mott the Hoople, Stoneground, Peace Mott the Hoople advert
  15th November   Argent, Climax Chicago, Duffy Power Argent tour flyer Argent Press advert
   
  19th November   Osibisa, Gong Early 1971 Flyer
  20th November   Glastonbury Festival Benefit concert with
Bronco, Gypsy, Bridget St John, Mick Greenwood, Formerly Fat Harry, Fanny
Glastonbury poster in house free programme
A benefit show to pay off the debts incurred by the Glastonbury Fayre, now of course, better known as... The Glastonbury Festival. It was in 1971 (the second Festival to be held at Worthy Farm) that the first pyramid stage was constructed out of scaffolding and expanded metal covered with plastic sheeting and built on a site above the Glastonbury -Stonehenge ley line. The musicians who performed - including Hawkwind, Traffic, Melanie, David Bowie, Joan Baez and Fairport Convention - were recorded on a now exceedingly rare triple album while the festival was filmed by a crew that included Nick Roeg and David Puttnam. Approximately 12,000 attended - for free... hence the benefit show at The Rainbow. Glastonbury Fair Benefit Flyer
  23rd /    
 
  24th November   Theodorakis conducts Theodorakis
  26th November   Family, Press Ad Free programme given away at Family and Fairort Convention concerts Nov 1971 Family ticket
  Terry Reid, America
  27th November   “Saturday Morning Pictures” featuring Stray Show "badge" Press advert for Stray morning concert Nov 1971
a 10:00am concert
     

and in the evening

 

Fairport Convention
       
             

 

 
  2nd - 4th December   Freddie King, The Grease Band, Leon Russell, Beggars Opera
Leon Russell ticket
  Leon Russell programme Leon Russell press advert Free programme given away at Leon Russell concerts Leon Russell ticket
      Bill Thorndycraft, Vocalist and Harp player from Killing Floor recalls,
“A couple of years later when Freddie King was touring with Leon Russell’s Shelter artistes, he was playing a few nights at the Rainbow theatre Finsbury park where our ex-roadie Big
Pete Walters was the sound engineer. Freddie had spoke to Pete and had asked after me and said he wanted me to go to the Rainbow on the last night to play some blues Harp with
him. Unfortunately my mental health was poor at the time
and the next day Pete said Freddie had wanted me to jam
with him at the end of the show with Leon Russell, Eric
Clapton and a few other interesting people.
This remains, one of my biggest regrets in life
Leon Russell poster
         
  5th December   Al Green, Rufus Thomas, Tami Lynn  
         
 

8th/9th December

 

 

Melanie

David Boldinger “a fan” recalls
“The first Melanie concert I attended was at the Rainbow in Finsbury Park, which was about 3 or 4 miles from where I lived at the time. I had a seat in the G-ds, (I'm Jewish, the '-' is an 'o'), which is up high on the balcony. This was December 9th, 1971. I went with a mate from work. The only concert I had been to before, was some 15 or so years earlier, at the same venue or one near it, called the Empire, that was Diana Dors, I was about 5 or 6 then! When Melanie walked all alone, in her Kaftan, carrying her guitar to the plain wooden chair centre stage. My first thoughts were how brave she was, one small girl for this great big audience. It soon became obvious, she was in no danger, the audience was hers! Was this the concert where the mic failed? I could just hear her, even from where I was! The audience was absolutely silent! Melanie said that on her way into the Rainbow, she heard the Salvation Army singing 'Oh, Come All Ye Faithful'. I bought my copy of Gather Me' in the foyer there.”

Melanie advert
Melenie programme Dec 1971 Melenie ticket
  10th /11th      
  December   Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention , Linda Lewis  
      The show on the 11th was cancelled due to Trevor Howell, the jealous boyfriend of an ardentfemale Zappa fan, pushed Zappa off stage into the orchestra pit. He breaks leg and ankle in several places and suffers a fractured scull. Recuperation will involve nine months in a wheelchair and three more in a surgical brace
in house free programme
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention ticketPhoto of Frank Zappa lying in orchestra pit after being pushed off stage by jealous boyfriend of female fan Moters of Invention poster
 
  15th December   Doris Troy, The Roy Young Band, Rufus Thomas Doris Troy advert
         
  17th /18th      
  December   Joan Baez, Mimi Farina Press Ad in house free programme Joan Baez ticket
  Press Ad
  19th December   Centipede, Patto, B.B.Blunder, Zoot Money
  Press AdCentipede ticket Dec 1971
20th December Joan Baez, Mimi Farina Joan Baez ticket
  22nd December   Lindisfarne  
         
  23rd December   Curved Air, Skid Row, The National Head Band, Nick Pickett  
         
  26th December   Tyrannosaurus Rex  
       

27th/28th - 3 shows, 2pm,5pm & 8pm

29th/30th - 2 shows, 5pm & 8pm

Chipperfields Circus Poster
  27th -    
31st  
December Chipperfield’s Circus
  31st December   Jim Watson Tribute Night…* Surprise New Year Eve Show Poster Advert for Jim Watson tribute night
      December 1971 "Flyer" Sadly I don't think this event happend!...see advert above
*John Morris recently confirmed to me that this New Years Eve show, which was to feature an all star band did not take place.
         
         
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  Copyright © Rick Burton 2011