THE CLASH - CAIRD HALL - 1980

The 18th January 1980 saw The Clash rumbling into town for a gig at the Caird Hall.

This was their "16 Tons Tour", the band arriving on stage to the sound of Tennessee Ernie Ford's version of the song "16 Tons".

Quite a lively night needless to say, the band wearing black, red & white combination gear and telling the crowd at the front to stop gobbing!

There were at least 2 dozen songs in their set on the night, recordings of which exist and I have in my collection.

I was tempted to accompany this item with a Caird Hall sound sample but I thought you'd like what's below even better.

It's footage of the band in Dundee the day after the gig, about to depart for their next show elsewhere.

It has Joe Strummer doing his bit for the camera, filmed at the Tay Hotel and around the corner area of Whitehall Crescent.

The cops are making their presence known too....just in case!

BRIDGE DAY - ANGUS HOTEL - 1966

Here's a couple of photos from completely different vantage points, but both captured at around the same time.
The Royal entourage were in town for the opening of the Tay Road Bridge in August 1966 and stopped off at the Angus Hotel, inevitably drawing a large inquisitive crowd.
Although the photographer in the crowd was suffering from a touch of camera shake, you can see the 3 cars are in the same position as the image above it.
Quite a coincidence that these are the only photos I have of this moment, and the two of them appear to have been taken almost simultaneously!
In addition, I have film footage of the moment the Queen Mother departs the Angus Hotel and gets into a waiting car.
The "doorway crowd" footage is very wobbly, but you can make out what's happening.

LIVE...FROM THE INVERCARSE - 1973

In May 2010 I posted a feature on the East Coast Jazz Band which included a recording of them playing at the Invercarse Hotel in 1973.
That one back then was a funky little number by Stevie Wonder - so this time out I thought I'd have the band doing a song in a slightly different style, a rock-pop crossover which was a chart hit in 1971 for Ashton, Gardner & Dyke - a track called "Resurrection Shuffle". A tune that was sure to get everybody tapping their toes underneath the dining tables!
Same line-up as before, except it's Brian Rose doing the vocals on this occasion. So... Les Cameron, keyboards - Dave Fimster, trumpet - Jim Wallace, trombone - Doug Gow, clarinet/sax - Harry Morrison, drums - Ron Elder, bass and Brian Rose, guitar & vocal.
A nice sound coming out of the Farfisa Compact Deluxe too!

DRINKS AT THE TAY HOTEL - 1980'S

This was taken somewhere in the Tay Hotel sometime in the 80's.
A bit vague, I know, but I can't figure out which part of the hotel it could be.
I thought at first it might be upstairs in the Junction 9/Club Feet area, but I don't remember the bar being decked out as a frilly stage set, so I guess it must be some other function room in the hotel.
Someone may recognise the bar staff in the picture, looking a bit like Punch & Judy behind there, so with a bit of assistance we may be able to piece it together.
To zoom into the faces, click on the image to enlarge.
Image by DC Thomson.

ANGUS HOTEL - THE END

POTS ARE FORMED FROM CLAY,

BUT THE EMPTY SPACE WITHIN IT

IS THE ESSENCE OF THE POT.

WALLS WITH WINDOWS AND DOORS

FORM THE HOUSE,

BUT THE EMPTY SPACE WITHIN IT

IS THE ESSENCE OF THE HOME.

Words by Lao Tse

Photo by Neil Menzies

ANGUS HOTEL INTERIOR - #3

The top picture is the Dining Room.

The bottom picture the Ballroom.

That serving dish is made to look very large in the top shot!

And that grand piano is made to look very small in the bottom shot!

My wining & dining back then was normally something a little less ostentatious.

One night in the early 80's, steamboats as usual, I nipped into the Chinese Takeaway in the Nethergate, after a really good night up at the University for the Bow Wow Wow gig. Tucking into my meal on the way back to my flat, I was passing the Angus Hotel entrance area when this mini bus rolled up outside. Who should who step out it but the band. I spotted the singer, Anabella, straight away, a wee honey she was, looking great with her new mohican hairstyle. As she crossed my path, instead of being all star-struck letting her know I had just seen her perform, thought the gig was wonderful and all that, I shoved my chicken & chips under her nose and said "D'ye want a chip?". "No thanks mate" she replied in her Cockney accent, as she toddled off into the hotel.

And that was it!

She certainly didn't want to "Go Wild In My Chinky" that night!!

Photos by the Scotsman

ANGUS HOTEL INTERIOR - #2

The top picture is the Coffee Lounge, where I bet many business deals have been discussed.

The lower picture is the Cocktail Lounge, where I bet many businessmen have been pissed!

The hotel, of course, wasn't just for the pleasure of out-of-towners, we locals had a bit of fun in there too. I've been to quite a few gigs at the Angus, as well as an occasional private function.

Disco action too, catering for varying tastes, with the likes of The Neoteric Disco, Mike Short's Disco, and even the Cranked Up Disco has rattled the Angus Balcony Bar!

Bottom pic by the Scotsman

ANGUS HOTEL INTERIOR - #1

I have some pictures from inside the Angus Hotel I'm gonna put up over the next couple of days, but before I plough on, just another reminder of how the hotel looked on the outside back in the 60's (as shown in the top image) where everything is all neat & tidy and shiny & new.

So to get the ball rolling with the black & white picture, here's the main stairway with a piece of artwork by local artist, Ian Eadie, who you may recall also did the Overgate mural.

The piece in the picture is called "Night and Day"...(the artwork, not the female!)

B & W photo by the Scotsman.

TAYPARK HOTEL - 1960's

Taypark Hotel was in Broughty Ferry and its location meant that it had a very nice view overlooking the Tay.
The 60's illustration at the top shows that its ample grounds went right down to the river's edge.

Incidentally, these very grounds were once used for a photo shoot with The Rolling Stones back in 1965.
As you can see from the photo above, which also dates from the 1960's, its interior was rather spacious too.
This dining area was called the Bay Suite Restaurant and Ballroom.
Quite a plush looking place really, with a large curvy 90 ft. window to catch the scenery and a stage opposite complete with grand piano.
The actual dancefloor featured illuminated glass panels in a variety of colours.
Then there was the Riverview Lounge and Smuggler's Cocktail Bar to choose from as well.
All this information has to be referred to in the past tense now because the entire building was demolished in 1983.

AD FROM THE 80'S - LE PAPILLON

The last in the sequence of ads from the 80's is this one dated 1981 for Le Papillon Restaurant in the Angus Hotel.
It says you can sit and listen to soft piano music while enjoying the intimate surroundings. On Saturday evenings you can really let your hair down and dance along to their resident trio!
Perhaps they should have called the place Le Papillon (butterfly) for day time, and in the evenings, Le Papillon de nuit (moth)..!!

ANGUS HOTEL ENTERTAINMENT

Top is a 1966 advert with a nice illustration of the Angus Hotel.
Along with its location, the ad emphasises their Banqueting Suite, which caters for 500 people.
The other item is for a different kind of entertainment at the Angus, and is dated December 1981.
Local DJ, Tony Cochrane, organised an alldayer which was spread over 3 halls in the Angus.
One for SOUL music, one for Funk and the other, FUTURIST.
Click items to enlarge.

ROYAL HOTEL (Teazers etc) - 70's & 80'S

The old Royal Hotel building in Union Street was quite a busy place if you go back 2 or 3 decades.
Here's the lowdown on the mid 70's to mid 80's period.
Well "Teazers" was the name of the night club they ran upstairs. The disco in the main lounge was quite roomy, and being a typical city centre club, it was always chock-a-block at weekends.
However, more interesting things were going on in the other rooms in the hotel...
In one of the smaller lounges they put on occasional jazz acts. I remember attending a few back then. Jazz-funksters Morrissey Mullen, and jazz-rockers Soft Heap, are 2 that spring to mind.
In another area of the hotel there was a larger hall that also had a stage. Dundee's alternative music promoters "Dance Factory" used this venue to put on gigs. Although these were usually advertised as being at Teazers, it wasn't the main disco room.
Needless to say, I went to lots of those too. Some of the acts who performed were, Big Country - Aztec Camera - The Fall - Durutti Column - Death Cult - Fischer Z, and on it goes.
This hall was also the place where they had a go at running a regular reggae disco. It was a bit hit & miss attendance-wise, even if the music was great, so unfortunately it only lasted a few months. Shame because it was the only place in Dundee where you were likely to hear Junior Murvin's classic "Police & Thieves" - so it got my thumbs up at the time!
When the Dance Factory moved to their permanent home in Fat Sams in 1984, Teazers started up a new club night called the Rock Machine, and this showcased both the alternative scene and rock music.
The top picture is the main Royal Hotel building's location on the corner of Union Street.
The photo under it shows the entrance area to Teazers Nite Club (the black & white doorway structure behind the pole) which was roughly halfway down Union Street.
Underneath that is the main lounge bar in Teazers disco.

The Teazers advert is a typical example of the kind published in the local press - this one here dating from December 1978.
And below, is a clip of the Royal Hotel entrance which was a separate area to Teazers doorway, and captured on film in 1985.
Although the building itself is till there today, it's no longer in use as a hotel.

ANGUS HOTEL #3 - 1980's

On the Angus Hotel reception desk they used to have a visitors book for guests to sign and an additional separate book for celebs autographs.

Being Dundee's top hotel for 3 decades meant that it did contain quite a few famous names. In there were the likes of Maggie Thatcher, David Bowie, the Queen, Peter Ustinov, Rod Stewart and so on, page after page.

In March 1985, The Associates booked in for the night when they were in town for a gig at Fat Sams.

A while afterwards, I managed to get the page from the celeb book the band had signed that night.

I also attended the gig too and I'm gonna give that a mention on Retro Dundee next. Stay tuned..!!

Incidentally, on the other side of the page was the signature of songstress, Susan Maughan. She had a couple of hit records back in the 60's (remember 'Bobby's Girl'), and she was performing at the Whitehall Theatre in April that year.

ANGUS HOTEL #2 - 1970'S

This photo of the Angus Hotel zone was taken in 1973.
The road layout reminds you it was in a perfect spot to catch travellers from all points on the compass.
There were a couple of small business premises to the left of the main entrance canopies. Grampian TV was next door. Next to them was a jewellers, office supplier and a car rental. Later, one of those premises was occupied by 2nd-hand record shop, Groucho's.
The 2 businesses across the road in the same Nethergate building next to the roundabout were, J.D Brown Photography Studio (the window with the net curtains) and next to it is the Bangladesh Restaurant, where David Bowie & Co once bought meals to bring back to the Angus Hotel after their gig in '73.

ANGUS HOTEL #1 - 1960'S

Built in the early 60's, The Angus Hotel, on the corner of Marketgait and Nethergate (now Debenhams), was Dundee's top city hotel for around 3 decades. It was THE place for visitors to stop off at, whether they be royalty, politicians, rock stars or celebs. It wasn't only for out-of-towners though, locals used it too, for functions, weddings and so on. It even hosted gigs occasionally. I remember going to a few jazz concerts there in the late 70's - early 80's.

The building was part of the overall Overgate Centre design, and adjoining the hotel on the Nethergate side were 2 pubs, The Glamis and The Nethergate Bar. Then around the back of the hotel was the Overgate shopping area.

The short piece of footage below, from the mid 60's, gives a better view of it's position and layout, showing the front of the Angus and the shops at the rear.

 

Photo by the Scotsman.Tints by GG.

THE BALLINARD GOES PUNK! - 1977

Many of us know about Dundee's early punk gigs that took place at The Ambassador Hotel in 1977, but here's a gig list that was published in Cripes in October '77 showing that the Ballinard Hotel were trying to get in on the act too.
The Jolt playing on a Saturday night followed by a punk disco on Sunday!