Cromford Court, off Market Street
See also Manchester Cavern and The Jigsaw
The manager of the Magic Village was the late Roger Eagle, the owners being Vera & Ted Barry. Regular DJ was Paul Ashley. Bar staff were two Johns, names forgotten or never known.
They sold soft drinks, coffee (well something they called coffee) & an insane selection of sandwiches & rolls, not to mention unmentionable other things, well it was the 60s.
The resident little girl dancer was Juliet Begley.
Occasionally the whole team would decamp over to the Holdworth Hall on Deansgate to put on a special concert.
Country Joe & the Fish is one I remember, but there were many others. Locals other than Dave Backhouse were Chris Lee (now CPLee of Salford University), Mike King, the late Martin Hannet, Bruce Mitchell (Dorrotti Column & any number of other Manchester band, inclusive of Greasy Bear)
The underground magazine sales man was Mike Don (a totally insane Scott who later started Mole Express), there was the team that ran Grass Eye magazine, Dave Clark, Keith Jones & Chris Dixon.
Chris Dixon later became the DJ at Mr.Smiths as well as doing a one night a week concert at MSG.
When the Magic Village was finally closed down an attempt was made to move over to the empty Jigsaw club, but the idea never really got off the ground & died after a very short time. Roger Eagle went on to run the Liverpool Cavern club & for a time also put on some really big concerts at the Liverpool stadium.
Info on Mark Stone and Allan Prior
Image courtesy Maggie Backhouse
Although Dave Backhouse gets mention on the Oasis page it was infact the Magic Village where Dave perfected and performed most of his Fantastic Light Shows.
I first met Dave on a summer night in 1967 at the Village, and would from time to time see him working there dressed in his mad scientists white lab coat (white where there wasn't spilled coloured ink from the projection slides he created as he puffed on a roll-up under the brim of his black bowler). Oh and the spinning disc Strobe.
The first time we met we had a heated, deep and meaningful about life the universe and worms, but I didn't think much more about him until in 1969, I saw him walk into the dining room at Hornsey School of Art (London) Where we had both, unknowingly to each other, just enrolled. We became great friends/flatmates and Dave is one of the very few remaining friends from my teenage years.
He recently did a 60's style Light Show, for a young band in Stockport, who were amazed by the technology. He still has all the authentic lighting gear and is available for similar events.
He now lives in Fallowfield, so if want A REAL LIGHT SHOW and you can't find his phone number, email me and I'll get him to get in touch with you.
Martin Sievey
Roger Eagle behind the bar - Image courtesy Maggie Backhouse.
I know they say that nostalgia is not what it was , but the memories that I have of those times I would not swap.
For instance , one saturday night in Cromford Court at the Cavern or whatever name was being used at the time, The Groundhogs are playing live on the tiny little stage. They were promoting the Blues Obituary album and were playing up a storm.
There was sweat running down the walls, the music was loud, Tony T.S. Mcphee playing his red Gibson S G like a man possessed, (something he has done to this very day ) however there was one slight twist to the evening . The drummer Ken Pustelnik I believe was suffering from a severe attack of the squits and at the end of every number the band played he shot off the drum stool and disapeared backstage, only to emerge a few minutes later.
Gradually over the course of the evening the the colour drained from his face he became a shadow of the guy that started the gig and by the end of the gig looked like a trainee corpse but while he was onstage he never missed a beat, now thats class.
Jim Massie
|
