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  DATES    
Go to home pageGo to history PageGo to opening night pageDates 1930-1959Dates 1960-69Dates 1970-71Dates 1972Dates 1973Dates 1974Dates 1975Dates 1976Dates 1977Dates 1978Dates 1979Dates 1980Dates 1981-82Dates 1983-PresentVarious Photographs of the Theatrelive albums of concerts at the theatrefilms that have been shot at the theatreContact me & Info 1972      
      Chipperfields circus poster
1st/3rd-8th  

 

January Chipperfield's Circus
   

1st - 3 shows, 2pm, 5pm & 8pm

3rd-7th - 2 shows, 5pm & 8pm

8th - 3 shows, 2pm, 5pm & 8pm

       
     
14th /  

 

 
15th January   Yes, Heads Hands & Feet, Shawn Philips  
Yes Poster Free Concert Programme Yes ticket
16th/      
17th January The Byrds, Tranquility       Byrds Poster Byrds Ticket
       
  20th January   The Kinks Video link to Kinks at The Rainbow  
  21st/     Jimi plays Berkeley concert poster Free Concert Programme
  22nd January   Film ”Jimi plays Berkley” "live Jimmy & Vella, Cat Mother
      Film PosterJimi plays Berkley poster
  23rd January   Curtis Mayfield, Bloodstone  
         
  27th/            
  28th January   Isaac Hayes
         
  29th/     Mountain poster Free Programme Mountain ticket
  30th January Mountain, The Jimmy McCullough Band  
    Press Advert
  4th/    
  5th February Poco, Billy Preston, Gallagher & Lyle Poco press advert Free Programme Poco Ticket
  Press Ad  
       
  6th February The Edgar Broughton Band, Dave Ellis  
      Faces Ticket
  10th -  
  12th February The Faces, Aston, Gardner & Dyke, Byzantium
    Video link to The Faces performing "Stay with Me" at this concert Free Programme Faces Poster
  17th -    
  20th February Pink Floyd     Pink Floyd Ticket
  Premier of “Eclipse” which became “Dark Side of the Moon”
  Free Programme
  20th February Jack Bruce Band, Rahsaan Roland Kirk & the Vibration Society - Cancelled  
      Free Concert Programme
     
     
  25th/  
  26th February The Steve Miller Band, Tim Hardin, Young & Renshaw
  Video link to Steve Miller Band performing "The ganster is bad" at this concert Steve Miller Band press Advert
       
       
  27th February Chicken Shack, The Savoy Brown Blues Band Chicken Shack tour advert
       
  1st March The Kinks  
      Free Programme
  2nd March Soft Machine Rehearsals
     
  3rd March Desmond Decker & The Aces, The Pioneers, Bruce Ruffin, Nicky Thomas
  4th March Osibisa, Fella Ransome Kuti, Afro 70 with Ginger Baker
  5th March Roy Harper, Helen Reddy Roy Harper advert Roy Harper programme
  7th March Al Stewart  
    Three hour solo concert  
    Tony Kingsbury recalls in My Al Stewart Chronicles:  
   

“One of the concerts that sticks in my memory was at the huge Rainbow in Finsbury Park, north London. Whether it was the best of Al's concerts I'd seen is difficult to judge all these years on but it feels like it was. Huge audience, very long show with Al solo and with the first band. Didn't promote that one though- bugger! “

Graham Tidd also recalls "I remember seeing Al Stewart for just 50p for that 3 hour concert (a bargain even then). He did an acoustic set with stuff like A Small Fruit Song and probably Love Chronicles then came back with a full band doing stuff like Zero She Flies."

Humble Pie Poster
  10th /  
  11th March Humble Pie, Hookfoot, Trapeze
       
  12th March Theatre closes  
      Soft Machine were due to play a concert that night, it was cancelled.
 
Alice Cooper & Freddie King had a concert cancelled to be held on 18th March.
      The Grateful Dead had four concerts cancelled, due to be held from 3rd - 6th April
      Steve Miller Band had a concert cancelled due to be held on 7th April.
      ELO had a concert cancelled due to be held on 18th April
      The Allman Bros & J.Giles Band had a concert cancelled due to be held on 28th April
       
      Alice Cooper ticket   Allman Bros ticket    
       
  29th May   National Rock/Folk Contest National Rock/Folk Contest advert
         
      NME-May 27, 1972: Front page headlines:  
      NME Front page 27th May 1972  
       
       
      The Rainbow Theatre in London's Finsbury Park - acclaimed, as Britain's leading rock centre during its brief four-month span until it closed down in early March - is to re-open shortly. The lease on the premises has been acquired by a specially formed company called Biffo run by Chris Wright and Terry Ellis, who are also the bosses of the Chrysalis organisation. Artists and groups recording for the Chrysalis label, or handled for management or agency by Chrysalis, will be among the first attractions featured at the re-born Rainbow. These include Jethro Tull, Ten Years After, Procol Harum, Cat Stevens, Black Sabbath and Edgar Broughton. Deep Purple Ticket
       
30th June - Re-Opening Shows
1st July Deep Purple, Silverhead
        Deep Purple Press Advert
  21st/       Joe Cocker advert Joe Cocker ticket
  22nd July   Joe Cocker & The Chris Stanton Band, Patto, Gerry Lockran
           
  29th July   Slade, Juicy Lucy, Max Merritt & The Meteors Slade advert Slade ticket
  12th August   Free  
        Hawkwind Poster Hawkwind Ticket 1972
13th August Hawkwind, Man, Keith Christmas, Magic Muscle,
  Beryl Billabong & The Sheilas DJ Andy Dunkley
  2,000 people without tickets storm the side door and get in free
Hawkwind programme Hawkwind givaway Programme  
  16th -      
  18th August   David Bowie Rehearsals  
  19th/      
  20th August   David Bowie, Roxy Music, Lloyd Watson Video link to film of Ziggy at The Rainbow  
Procol Harum's Matthew Fisher played a Steinway Grand piano at these gigs, but was behind a curtain so the audience couldn't see him, he was only introduced at the end of the second night to take a bow!
Bowie by stage door Back stage Pass Bowie on stage
  Bowie Ticket
      On the 19th August Bowie films a promo film for "John, I'm only dancing" on the stage and in the auditorium. The film is directed by the photographer Mick Rock  
           
  30th August   David Bowie, JSD Band Foyer dressing for Bowie Gig Bowie Ticket
        David Bowie press advert Bowie Flyer
       
17th September

Stephen Stills/Manassas

Stephen Still/Manassas ticket
     
22ndSeptember Procol Harum, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,
Pro Art Singers
Poster Procal Harum Ticket
  After show party ticket
  ? September   Jackie Wilson & The Sweetest Feeling, Black Faith, The Marvels Jackie Wilson on stage
  1st October   Jimmy Cliff   Jimmy Cliff advert
  7th October   Stone the Crows, Tennent and Morrison Stone the Crows Ticket
   
            Stone the Crows Tour advert
  13th October   Chairmen of The Board, William Bell, Arthur Conley Chairmen of the Board press advert
             
          Mott the Hoople ticket
       
  14th/     Mott advert
  15th October   Mott The Hoople, Home  
         
                 
                 
  21st October   The Kinks, The Mike Cotton Brass, Suzi Quatro, Birtha Kinks Ticket
     
27th October Ralph McTell, Natual Acoustic Band   Ralph McTell advert Ralph McTell ticket
  Ralph McTell advert
     
2nd/    
3rd November Ten Years After, Frankie Miller and Brinsley Schwarz   Ten Years After ticket
   
   
          Ten Years After Ticket
             
  4th November   The Osmonds     Osmonds Ticket
  5th November   Ralph McTell      
  8th/9th November   The Osmonds   Crowds outside theatre for Osmonds concert Osmonds Ticket
      The Osmonds performed their 3rd concert at the Rainbow Theater in Finsbury Park. The following is a story from a British newspaper: “Pop star Donny Osmond arrived in an ambulance, under medical supervision, for his concert in London on Thursday night (Nov 9, 1972). A doctor advised 14-year old Donny’s family to cancel the show because he had influenza and temperature of 103. But Donny, idol of the weenybopper fans, insisted that the show must go on. Wrapped in sweaters he arrived at the Rainbow Theater in Finsbury Park to take the stage with his brothers before a capacity audience. Donny said, ‘I heard that 3,000 fans had come from all over Britain, and I just couldn’t let them down.’" The Osmonds on stage
10th/    
11th November Slade, Thin Lizzy, Suzi Quatro, Press article for Slade/Thin Lizzy concert
Kid Jensen introduces Thin Lizzy
      Slade, Thin Lizzy, Suzi Quatro Press Advert
17th/18th November Wishbone Ash, Curtiss-Maldoon Wisbone Ash ticket
25th November “Film” Pink Floyd at Pompeii (This screening was cancelled) Press Ad Pink Floyd Film Poster
2nd December Duke Ellington  
     
3rd December Barclay James Harvest with Orchestra, Camel, Spyrogyra

Barclay James Harvest Press Advert

8th December “Tommy” show rehearsals Tommy Ticket
   
9th December Ron Reizer’s All star “Tommy” show featuring Rod Stewart, The Who, Ringo Starr, Peter Sellers, Steve Winwood , Maggie Bell, Bill Oddie, Elkie Brooks Richie Havens, and Richard Harris with the London Symphony Orchestra
  Tommy Review 1 Tommy poster Tommy programme
  Tommy "cast" Roger Daltrey & Pete Townsend on stage Tommy Review 2
13th December King Crimson, Lloyd Watson KIng Crimson Press Advert King Crimson Ticket
14th -    
16th December Yes, Badger Yes Ticket
 

The 15th show is assumed to be the source for 'Close To The Edge" and "Starship Trooper" available on Yessongs & Yessongs film

Ex Yes keyboard player Tony Kaye forms new band, Badger. The show was recorded and released as the album “One Live Badger” produced by Jon Anderson also from Yes

Yessongs film poster
Video link to Yes performing "Yours is no disgrace" at this concert
22nd December Groundhogs, Stray, Gentle Giant Groundhogs Press Ad Groundhogs ticket
23rd/    
24th December

David Bowie

Special Christmas Eve concert.

  Bowie advert Bowie Press Advert Bowie Ticket
     
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  Copyright © Rick Burton 2011