Record

Performance TitleImperial College Carnival Concert featuring Smile, Free, Spooky Tooth, Joe Cocker and Bonzo-Dog Band, in aid of The National Council for the Unmarried Mother and Her Child
Performance Date27 February 1969
Performance DayThursday
Performance Time19:30
Orchestra or BandSmile (Brian May - lead guitar, Tim Staffell - bass, harmonica, vocals, Phil Taylor - organ, vocals, Roger Taylor - drums, vocals)

Free (Paul Rodgers - vocals, Paul Kossoff - guitar, Simon Kirke - drums, Andy Frazer - bass guitar)

Spooky Tooth (Mike Kellie - drums, Mike Harrison - harpsichord, Gary Wright - vocals, Luther James Grosvenor - guitar, Greg Ridley)

Joe Cocker and the Greaseband (Chris Stainton - keyboards, Alan Spenner, Neil Hubbard - guitar, Bruce Rowland - drums, Henry McCullough - lead guitar)

Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (Vivian Stanshall - trumpet, lead vocal, Neil Innes - piano, guitar, lead vocal, Rodney 'Rhino' Desborough Slater - saxophone, Roger Ruskin Spear - tenor saxophone, 'Legs' Larry Smith - drums)
Set ListSmile:
'If I Were a Carpenter', T Hardin,
'Earth',
'Mony Mony',
'See What a Fool I've Been', Queen
Performance NotesThe Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band used fireworks as part of their set, which were not agreed by the Hall. (Event Booking Record)

"John Peel did his best to hold the show together when faced with long intervals whilst Spooky Tooth and the Bonzo Dog set up all their equipment , but while both of these put on excellent performances, the night surely belonged to Joe Cocker and the Grease Band , who started rather badly but had changed the whole atmosphere of the concert by the end.
They did this with a mixture of pure energy and a selection of well chosen concentrating songs, which gradually succeeded in bringing ythe audinece over to their side. Fortunately the Smile, who opened the show after the interval were original enough in their choice of style and material to be entertaining after Joe's act, but the Bonzo Dog were partly spoilt by distorted amplification making a lot of their comedy unintelligible to the majority near the back of the Hall. Nevertheless the only other complaint that could be made against the act was the shortage of actual songs and the proliferation of explosions, and they must surely be unique amongst other so-called pop groups.
The show overran for half an hour and the Bonzo Dog Band decided to donate £60 to cover for this , for which we must be grateful, and it is only sad that not more people could not turn out to go along and see the concert. Although not the financial catastrophe of the Spencer Davis Concert magnitude, a loss of between £100 and £500 was made on this concert. (Imperial College student newspaper, 'Felix', 6 March 1969)
Related Archival MaterialProgramme (RAHE/1/1969/23)
Ticket Prices5s-21s
URLhttps://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/.Ec.ZWx.Z1adZO
Catalogue
Reference NumberTitleDate
RAHE/1/1969/23Imperial College Carnival Concert featuring Smile, Free, Spooky Tooth, Joe Cocker and Bonzo-Dog Band, in aid of The National Council for the Unmarried Mother and Her Child27 February 1969
Work
Ref NoTitleNo of Performances
Udoxaimaik_RihImperial College Carnival Concert featuring Smile, Free, Spooky Tooth, Joe Cocker and Bonzo-Dog Band, in aid of The National Council for the Unmarried Mother and Her Child1
Performers
CodeName of Performer(s)
DS/UK/737Imperial College London; 1907-; British university
DS/UK/12183Free (1968-1973)
DS/UK/13133Cocker; Joe (20 May 1944-22 December 2014); OBE; English singer
DS/UK/17495Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (1962-1970, 1972, 1988, 2002-)
DS/UK/11161The Grease Band (1969-1975)
DS/UK/17812Smile (1968-1970)
DS/UK/17816Spooky Tooth (fl 1960s-)
DS/UK/17787Gingerbread; 1918-; British charity
DS/UK/1672May; Brian (19 July 1947); CBE; English singer songwriter and astrophysicist
DS/UK/9609Peel; John (1939-2004); OBE; English DJ, radio presenter, record producer, journalist
DS/UK/4334Rodgers; Paul (1949-); English singer-songwriter
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