THE DON RATHBONE TOUR DIARY
During his brief tenure as a co-founding member of The Hollies, drummer Don Rathbone kept a diary for 1963 that, remarkably, still survives to this day. During research for RIDING THE CAROUSEL I was fortunate enough to see this precious piece of musical history, and noted the following dates listed within the pages. You can now see for yourself how busy the group was during that initial year, after they had first stepped out onto the stage at Manchester’s Oasis Club as ‘The Hollies’ !
Some of the venues shown are clearly identifiable, whilst other entries simply just list the town or city that the band were scheduled to play in that day. Where possible, additional detail has also been filled in. However, whatever the writing may reveal, it remains a fascinating journey back in time.
Go on… take just one look
Donald Rathbone, 42 Alderley Rd. Tel: Wilmslow 4369
1962
September 30 The Oasis, Manchester
December 5 The Oasis, Manchester
December 9 The Oasis, Manchester
December 23 The Oasis, Manchester
December 31 – Mike Cohen, Whitefield
1963
January 3 Mirrlees, Stockport
January 4 St Albans
January 5 Hyde Astoria
January 6 Lowlands
January 7 Klub Koquette, Stockport
January 9 Adswood Youth Club
January 10 Mecca, Burnley
January 11 Leek Youth Club
January 12 Kings Hall CH
January 13 Preston
January 14 Savoy, Oldham
January 17 Kidsgrove
January 18 Klub Koquette, Stockport
January 19 Delph Youth Club, Oldham
January 20 Greenways, Stoke
January 21 Kings Hall CH
January 25 Savoy
January 26 Kings Hall, Stoke
January 27 Cresta NH
February 1 Savoy
February 2 Queens Hall, Burslem
February 3 Cavern Club, Liverpool
February 5 Leigh Co-op
February 7 Mirrlees, Stockport
February 8 Savoy
February 9 Leek
February 10 Flintstones Cave
February 12 Leigh Co-op
February 13 Adswood Youth Club
February 14 Savoy
February 15 St Albans
February 16 The Oasis, Manchester
February 22 The Twisted Wheel. Manchester
February 23 Congleton Mall
February 24 Birch’s Park
February 26 Leigh Co-op
February 27 Kingsgate
March 1 The Bodega, Manchester
March 2 Maycroft School, Brannington
March 3 Klub Koquette, Stockport
March 4 – London
March 5 – London
March 6 – London (photos/record/Harrow)
March 7 – London
March 8 Hill stores
March 9 Leigh
March 10 The Three Coins, Manchester
March 11 Quaint Walls, Chester
March 14 Savoy
March 15 Flixton
March 16 Cowley
March 17 Royal Crew
March 19 Leigh
March 20 Adswood
March 21 Middleton Co-op
March 22 Regal Ballroom, Alderley Edge
March 23 The Twisted Wheel, Manchester
March 24 The Majestic, Birkenhead
March 25 Monaco Club, Farnworth
March 26 Leigh
March 27 The Cavern Club, Liverpool
March 29 The Fire Station Dance Hall, Rochdale
March 30 Leigh Co-op
March 31 Lowlands
April 3 West End, Birmingham
April 4 Mirrlees, Stockport
April 6 Kings Hall, Stoke
April 7 Alma Lodge
April 8 Kings Hall, Ch
April 10 Adswood
April 11 Locarno, Burnley
April 12 The Bodega, Manchester
April 13 Golborne
April 14 Royal Hotel, Crewe
April 15 Kings Hall, Stoke
April 17 Nelson
April 18 Mirrlees, Stockport
April 19 Flixton
April 20 Delph
April 21 Preston
April 22 Jungfrau Club, Manchester
April 23 Middlesbrough
April 24 The Cavern Club, Liverpool
April 25 Romiley
April 26 The Oasis, Manchester (lunchtime and evening shows)
April 27 Brinnington, Stockport
April 28 Rex
April 29 The Plaza
April 30 Stamford Hall, Altrincham
May 2 Middleton
May 3 The Twisted Wheel, Manchester
May 4 Town Hall, Sale
May 5 The Three Coins, Manchester
May 6 The Majestic, Darlington
May 8 The Majestic, Newcastle
May 10 Jungfrau Club, Manchester
May 11 Kingfisher
May 12 George Hotel, Burslem, Stoke
May 13 Plaza, Manchester
May 14 – London (film)
May 15 – London (EMI)
May 17 Imperial
May 18 – London (BBC Radio show ‘Saturday Club’) / Kings Hall, Sale
May 19 – Pick of the Pops / The Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
May 20 – The Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime) / London (EMI)
May 22 Jungfrau Club, Manchester
My 23 >illegible<
May 24 The Twisted Wheel, Manchester
May 25 Golborne
May 26 Lowlands
May 27 The Oasis, Manchester (Derek Quinn’s 21st)
May 28 >crossed out< The Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime and evening shows) Talent Spot
May 31 The Kingfisher, Stockport
June 1 Town Hall, Leek
June 2 George Hotel, Burslem, Stoke
June 3 Plaza, Manchester
June 4 Stanford Hall
June 7 Winter Gardens
June 8 Golborne
June 9 Alma Lodge
June 11 High Wycombe
June 12 The Cavern Club, Liverpool
June 14 The Twisted Wheel, Manchester
June 15 – party
June 16 Hinkley, Leicestershire
June 17 The Oasis, Manchester
June 18 Hen & Chicken, Birmingham
June 19 Top Rank, Preston
June 20 – BBC radio (‘It’s Mark Time’ radio show)
June 21 – Elstree Studios (filming)
June 22 Mirrlees, Stockport
June 23 Kingfisher Club
June 24 – Elstree Studios (filming)
June 25 Jungfrau Club, Manchester
June 26 The Cavern Club, Liverpool
June 27 Locarno, Burnley
June 28 Assembly Rooms, Tamworth
June 29 Royal Star, Maidstone
June 30 The Cavern Club, Liverpool
July 1 The Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime) / The Twisted Wheel, Manchester (evening)
July 2 – London (EMI)
July 3 – London (EMI)
July 4 -London / Mirrlees, Stockport (evening)
July 5 – Paris Theatre, Regent Street, London (BBC Radio show ‘Go Man Go’)
July 6 Astoria, Rawtenstall
July 7 Palais-De-Dance, Ashton
July 8 – 155 Talgarth Rd, London W14 (BBC Radio show ‘Saturday Club’)
July 9 Stanford Hall
July 11 Plaza, Manchester
July 12 The Cavern Club, Liverpool
July 13 Outlook Club, Middlesbrough
July 14 The Three Coins, Manchester
July 15 – recording
July 16 – travelling
July 17 – travelling
July 18 Scotland (Grampian TV – rehearsal 10:30)
July 19 – travelling / Leyton Baths (evening)
July 20 Gayways Club, Northampton (listed as The Gateway)
July 21 Blackpool
July 22 Kingfisher
July 23 The Cavern Club, Liverpool
July 24 London (BBC Radio show ‘Easy Beat’)
July 25 The Majestic, Luton
July 26 St Bernadette’s Youth Club, Withington
July 27 TBC – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff or The Carlton, Rochdale
July 29 The Pavilion, Bath
July 30 Town Hall, Wallington, London
July 31 Town Hall, Stourbridge
August 2 – London (BBC Radio show ‘Pop Goes The Beatles’)
August 3 TBC – Peterborough or The Corn Exchange, Stamford
August 4 Winter Gardens, Bournemouth
August 5 Plaza, Manchester
August 6 The Cavern Club, Liverpool
August 8 Ellesmere Port
August 9 Gravesend Co-op
August 10 Market Hall, Redhill
August 11 Winter Gardens, Bournemouth – with Jet Harris & Tony Meehan, The Springfields, Mark Wynter, Jan & Kelly & the Eric Delaney Band
August 13 Altringham
August 15 Burnley
August 16 Droylsden Co-op / Plaza
August 17 Scala, Dartford
August 18 ‘The Beat Boat’ (London to Margate and back)
August 19 – London (EMI)
August 22 The Locarno, Liverpool
August 23 Birmingham Plaza
August 24 Hastings Pier, Hastings
August 25 Kingfisher Club
August 26 Kings Hall CH
August 28 The Cavern Club, Liverpool
August 29 Ellesmere Port
August 30 Savoy, Southsea
August 31 Stamford
September 1 – Aston, Birmingham (ATV TV series ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’)
September 2 – Ward and Goldstone, Salford
September 5 Nuneaton
September 6 Watford
September 7 Abergavenny
September 8 Cheadle Hulme Stockport
September 10 – London (BBC Radio show ‘Saturday Club’)
September 11 Town Hall, Hyde
September 12 Salisbury
September 13 – Paris Theatre, Regent Street, London (BBC Radio show ‘Go Man Go’)
September 14 Castle Club, Coningsby, Lincoln
September 15 Queens Hotel, Blackpool – with Jet Harris & Tony Meehan
September 16 Chippenham
September 17 Town Hall, Sale
September 18 Warrington
September 19 Scotland
September 20 Scotland
September 21 Scotland (Don’s diary lists this as ‘travelling to Ireland’)
September 22 Scotland (or Ireland)
September 23 Scotland (Don’s diary lists this as ‘returning to England’)
September 25 Bristol Co-op
September 27 Palais, Wimbledon
September 29 West End Ballroom, Birmingham (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
September 30 The Majestic, Reading (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 1 State, Kilburn (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 2 The Majestic, Newport (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 3 The Majestic, Plymouth (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 5 The Majestic, Crewe (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 6 Victoria, Chesterfield (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 7 The Majestic, Darlington (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 8 Rink, Sunderland (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 9 The Majestic, Leeds (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 10 The Majestic, Hull (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 12 The Majestic, Birkenhead (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 13 Astoria, Oldham (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 14 The Majestic, Newcastle (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 15 Astoria, Middlesbrough (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 16 Top Rank, Finsbury Park (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 17 The Majestic, Luton (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 18 Top Rank, Bristol (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 19 The Baths, Rotherham (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 21 Savoy, Ipswich (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 22 Chester (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 23 Leeds (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 24 Hinckley (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 25 Floral Hall, Morecambe (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 26 Kings Hall, Stoke (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
October 28 Rank, Preston (‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour)*
Note: * The ‘Beat Show of 1963’ tour also featured Shane Fenton & The Fentones, The Marauders and Frank Kelly & The Hunters
October 30 TBC – Doncaster (London overnight) or The Cavern Club, Liverpool
October 31 Stocksbridge, Sheffield
November 1 The Locarno, Derby
November 17 Crewe
November 12 McIlroy’s Ballroom, Swindon
November 29 California Ballroom, Dunstable
November 30 Jungfrau Club, Manchester
Note: Don’s final show with The Hollies was during mid-September 1963 and although his replacement, Bobby Elliott, was seated behind the drum kit for any subsequent dates that year, Don’s diary still continues to list shows, suggesting that (briefly) he still helped out to a degree.
