PLATFORM were a promotional organisation who, in the 70's & 80's, put Jazz concerts on in Dundee.
Tickets were usually purchased from Forbes music shop on the corner of Commercial St & Dock St.
Some of the acts I can recall going to see were Morrisey/Mullen, Billy Cobham (with Mike Stern), Allan Holdsworth, Stan Tracey, Soft Heap, Gary Boyle and, as my 1984 ticket on top shows, Dollar Brand, featuring a pretty intense Abdullah Ibrahim performance.
Gig venues included the Bonar Hall, Angus Hotel, The Rep, Royal Hotel, Whitehall Theatre and Tay Hotel.
The 3 items under the ticket are all from old Wire magazines I have and are good reminders of the scene at the time.
The Dundee Jazz Festival article dates from June 1985 and featured Gil Scott-Heron as one of the main acts that year.
That's followed by a small announcement about the launch of a new Jazz Club at the Tay Hotel - and this is dated November 1985.
The final item is an ad from October 1987 and has a couple of gigs in Dundee in amongst the Scottish shows - Bobby Watson Quartet at the Rep and Don Cherry's Nu playing at the Whitehall Theatre.
I can also remember Jack Bruce, Peter King (sax player), Alexis Korner, Talisker, OM, to name but a few.
ReplyDeleteI was at the Billy Cobham gig in the Bonar Hall and remember an amusing moment featuring Rob Adams from Forbes.
ReplyDeleteRob got himself rather tongue-tied when he came on stage to give Billy Cobham the big intro treatment to the audience, because just at the vital moment he said..."Please welcome on stage, Billy Connolly...er..er...uhm..Billy Cobham!!".
Although it was funny, we couldn't help feel sorry for him a bit when it occurred, but after the show when we were all leaving, I remember a couple of guys claiming that he did it deliberately, as a kind of "in joke" that was going on with the organisers behind the scenes.
No idea now if it was a mistake or just a bit of mischief!
Curt.
My father helped run Platform with Rob Adams. I was too young at the time to realise the status of the musicians that performed.I certainly do now.I have some of the literature of the club that my dad left behind which was about to be thrown out. Very interesting stuff !.
ReplyDeleteremember seeing jan hammer with eberhan webber at bonar hall , but the highlight was a billy higgins house drummer at one time with the bluenote label at the angus hotel playing with george coleman , others stan tracey ,alan holdsworth , boy i was lucky .
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