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 Ashworth. Bar staff were two Johns, names forgotten or never known (see John Constantine's letter below).
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 (Durrutti Column & any number of other Manchester band, inclusive of Greasy Bear)
The underground magazine sales man was Mike Don (a totally insane Scot 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 '60s 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
Loved the walls, the shows, the alternative feel.
Mustn't forget an unsung hero at the M Village (and elsewhere) for me whose name apparently was Rowdy (Yates even). For me he was a good man, helping 'strangers' to feel at ease, and also help find a source of decent smokable.
I believe that he was eventually harrassed and became depressed, I was told that he had died. I hope the information is wrong.
Roger Baker
10/1/09
I remember going to the Magic Village to see a band called The Burning Bush simply because they had a Sitar player. My enduring memories of 'The Village' are of a girl who always danced wildly and of emerging into a Manchester Sunday morning blinking and happy.
Neil Jackson
15/6/09
I remember the Village with great affection. I was one of the 2 Johns behind the bar.I was 16 in 1967 and was a would-be soul DJ, playing discs at Merlins Cave in Stockport, also a Saturday night in, of all things, a Methodist youth club,and VERY briefly Rountrees Sound in Manchester.
I wrote Roger a letter asking for a DJ audition. He already had 2 Jocks - Simon Foster and Paul Ashworth but he gave me a job behind the bar and a concession running the cloakroom!
I recall hanging David Bowies coat up one Friday night and charging him six pence!
I think the guy that painted most of the artwork on the walls was Allan Jones. I knew him from school,and he was a fine artist,and we started but never finished, a Foundation course together at Stockport College.
I recall dancers being the beautiful Juliet and Carol. I think Carol moved to Holland and had some sort of career as a dancer/entertainer.
God, I saw some great bands,and joined my own 1st band with Mike Bowden and Joe Roberts as a result of jamming late one Saturday night. Mark Stone taught me a few basic chords.
In later years I went on to become a singer-songwriter, broadcast on the BBC and Picadilly Radio, and record several albums.
I think the freedom,values and wonderful perspective on life I found at the Magic Village guided the rest of my life.
Thank you Mr. Eagle and everyone back in those heady days.
(Incidentally,I remember meeting Rogers mum, Dorothy, one Saturday night, she was rather posh but very open and charming.)
John Constantine
15/7/09
The 2 DJs were Simon Foster and Paul Ashworth.
Alan Frost went on to become Roger's main helper in Liverpool, also he very successfully managed the Magic Village through its death convulsions, after Roger had left.
There was also a lovely black girl named Cathy who often danced.
I remember getting off a 192 bus in Piccadilly Gardens and noticing a lot of long haired people hanging around in a vaguely lost fashion. They turned out to be The Missunderstood, booked for that Saturday night.We walked down to Cromford Court together.
They had arrived by train while their instrument and PA came in a transit van. The light shows were fantastic.
I recall one,especially,one Friday night, not a lot of people in the club,and Bridget St John on a bar stool in the "middle room", walls clad with white canvass - magic.
One of the disagreable jobs on the Sunday morning after the all-nighter was cleaning the toilets, we used to sit in the bar, have a smoke and then draw lots for it. The Ladies was usually the worst but not always!
Love and Peace,jc
John Constantine
15/7/09
I'm the completely insane Scot who ran the magazine stall. Abiding memories of the place for me include the night we had The Nice, and about four times the official fire limit number of customers arrived: there were people literally standing on each other's shoulders. Then there was the night David Bowie turned up as a punter and was almost refused admission until somebody in the office (Roger?) recognised him.
Perhaps the weirdest incident happened at about 4am on an allnighter. A registered junkie (well known locally but I've forgotten his name) made arrangements with the DJ at the time - possibly Mike Marshal l- who played the Velvet Underground's 'Heroin', and shone a blue spotlight on the junkie coolly injecting himself on stage. When Roger found out the chap's feet barely touched the ground, despite protesting that he'd done nothing illegal. Which technically he hadn't.
Running the magazine stall had its problems, not least a permanent leak from the gents toilets immediately above which became increasingly obvious towards the end of an allnighter.
By the way, I'm almost sure that the artist, who Roger considered to be a genius, was called Chris Clover.
Mike Don
21/8/09
I remember Keith Emerson of the Nice playing whilst climbing all over his organ, in the style of Mozart in the film Amadeus.I also remember a fantastic night with a band that seemed likely to be huge (but instead disappeared) called Clouds. They had a drummer who could have played all night.
It was a great experience going to the Magic Village with some people taking their sleeping bags with them.
Geoff Greeen
15/9/09
I lived in Wigan until 1970, if we went to see a band at the Free Trade Hall we usually had to leave before the end, legging it to Victoria Station. Then we discovered 'The Milk Train' which left at 1 am and joined up with a similar Liverpool train at Wigan at 1.30. It was boring hanging around till 1 am but at least we saw the Free Trade encores.
Then we discovered The Magic Village and it became our waiting room. I have fond memories of the rope swing with which you could traverse the questinable pool of liquid leaking from the ceiling.
Did I see The Peddlers there? A bit square for The MV but they were great actually. Roger Eagle should get a credit for starting Eric's in Liverpool, a club much more important than late era Cavern.
Alan Maycock
25/9/09
In reply, and hello Mike Donn, and with extra info regarding your comment on David Bowie's visit to the Village, that was the night I was on the cloakroom and charged him sixpence (as in my previous letter).
I knocked on the office door to inform Roger that Mr. Bowie was in the club (which may have put an end to a game of cards with Vera!).
Roger rushed out to greet him and I recall Bowie playing a great acoustic set to about 30 people in the bar, just for the fun of it,and as a warm-up for his concert at the Free Trade Hall the following night. It was fantastic!
I agree,the gents toilets and general dampness was awful, but, at the time, we didn't seem to care, wonder why?
Love to all Villagers.
John Constantine
30/10/09
Hi there!
Well I never, browsing the internet and vainly put my own name in. Blow me down with a feather I found this little gem, a blast from the past. I am glad there are other people out there still alive that remember those days. Resident dancer Mmm didn't know I had a title!
I remember going down there from the age of 16 to dance my little heart out - yes, I even paid to get in. Big Roger protected me fiercely from predators and even convinced my parents once that they served no alcohol and he would make sure I got home safe! I do remember the fantastic light show gloopy coloured blobs.
The place was dark damp and dank. The music was always brilliant, dark figures skulking in the shadows wearing old army and navey coats smelling of mold and sweat, even worse when Afghan coats became trendy. Argh!
I remember chatting to this shy young guy in a demin jacket one night called himself Dave. He wanted to know what "the scene was like". They said his name was Bowie or something.
Yes, I danced a lot to numerous bands. I was actualey practising to fly, with or without the mushrooms.
They were good old days and you'll never get anything like them again, sorry folks you just had to be there! T
hanks for the memory, realy miss Roger.
Bye love and may the long time sun shine upon you, the pure light within you guide your way on.
Juliet Begley
6/11/09
My favourite bands to play there were Clouds and Blossom Toes.
Sorry I didn't get to thank Roger for such formative influences while he was still with us, music still plays a huge part in my life and I will never forget the Magic Village.
Rene
25/12/09
I am brother of Dave Backhouse, if anyone wants info about him do email me at bob@backhouse.info He currently lives in Fallowfield.
Rob Backhouse
3/1/10
I remember seeing St Louis Union at the Magic Village, I suppose it was just before they split up. They'd gone all hippy and bluesy, they were pretty good but I suppose 'Girl' ruined their underground cred. They should have stuck it out.
I DID see them at the village. They'd gone long haired. They were all living in a house in Moss Side. They had a black guy playing a beat up, white-painted Hammond organ that made the floor shake.
Anon
6/2/10
Anyone remember Aunties Kichen? I often used to go there before hitting The Magic Village.
I remember seeing Jethro Tull at The Village before they were famous. I also seem to remember 'Love Makes Sweet Music' by Soft Machine on the jukebox.
Sally Coombes
7/2/10
Manchester's answer to The Roundhouse, Jethro Tull, The Edgar Broughton Band and The Liverpool Scene were Village regulars. It was good to see them build a following as word got round. Their audiences grew from about 50 people to full houses.
I saw Tyrannosaurus Rex there, Steve Peregrine-Took came back on after their set to jam with Mark Stone, using a drum kit they'd cobbled together from bits and pieces left behind by other bands. Marc Bolan went off to sleep in a corner somewhere.
I saw Slade there too, in their pre-glam skinhead days. Plus John Mayall, Captain Beefheart, Ten Years After, Tim Rose, Roy Harper, Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera... and many others my poor old brain can't recall.
The large picture on the stairs was by Chris Clover, Alan Jones painted the walls and I'm pretty sure it was Dave Backhouse who did the pillars.
I was lost when it closed, I can still smell the incense.
Linda
12/2/10
I was only 16 in 1969 but I used to go to The Magic Village. I remember seeing Edgar Broughton, Glass Menagerie, Ace Kefford Stand, The Misunderstood ... and I went to two gigs at The Holdsworth Hall on Market Street ... one was Country Joe & The Fish ... the other was Family. I was a huge fan of Captain Beefheart and the first time that I heard 'Trout Mask Replica' was at The Magic Village.
The DJ must have got an advance copy, cos it wasn't in the shops ... I remember him playing it over and over.
When I moved house 4 years ago, I found my old membership card.
Marshall Jarman
16/2/10
Only made it twice to the Village, mid-68. Wish I'd gone more. Amazing light show, resident long-hair Mark Stone playing his harmonica like a man possessed. On the jukebox, Freak Out by the Mothers of Invention. As for the bands, my mind's a blank... but I did see Country Joe and The Fish at Houldsworth Hall soon after.
Alex Skorecki
4/3/10
I remember going to watch The Nice with Keith Emmerson rocking his hammond organ. It was a great place to go to. I went there every weekend and saw many top bands.
Those were great days when I look back.
Margaret King
9/3/10
My friend Paul Ashworth was always the first person to get what I would call "funny music" not your regular sort of music.
Paul had polio as a child which meant he had one leg shorter than the other but he never let it stop him living life to the full. When I first knew him he would play cricket and he was a prodigious spinner of the ball. He was excellent at batting, a lot better than me anyway. He told me he had had trials for Lancashire and I can believe it. He did try to play football but his legs wouldn't allow him to be very good which left him frustrated. He got a job down south at the SMC shirt shop in Watford and would be always bringing back records.
He would come up with things like the Doors and a group called the Seeds. I remember one of the songs went, We're the Seeds starting to grow." They didn't get anywhere but I remember the singer had the longest hair I had ever seen! Paul was the first person I met who had a Frank Zappa record, Absolutely Free. I remember one of the lines was "Only 13 but she knows how to nasty" and I thought "Wow, how can they get away with that?"
My brother, Frank was a member of a blues group the Kingbees and told me tales of Banjos and the Sovereign club were the seating was car seats laid out on the floor. One night I was supposed to go to the Twisted Wheel to watch Sunny boy Williamson but my dad stopped me at the last minute. It's not surprising really because I was only 15 years old.
I was a regular in the Crown Pub in the sixties. It was the only pub in Manchester that would serve people with long hair and it became known as the long-haired pub. I had long red hair then and I have long hair and now only it's mostly white. My first experience of smoking dope was in a pub called the Assize Court which was across the road from the Crown. We were watching a group called the New Religion and I noticed something large and conical being smoked on the next table to me so I moved little closer and let it be known that I wouldn't be averse to having a drag on the suspicious looking object. They duly passed it to me and I gave it a prodigious suck. In those days my lungs were pretty good due to me being a sporting type. At the end of the drag smoke came out of every orifice, I am sure including my ears! I sat for a few minutes before staggering to the back door and was violently sick in the car park. After that I had a go when ever I could find it and was violently sick for the first six times but I persevered. It was only after the sixth time did I realise that every time I smoked dope I had consumed at least six pints of alcoholic beverages. I smoked some dope without having a skinful first and have never looked back since!
Around 1967 or 1968 Paul got a job as a DJ at the Magic Village and after that when the Crown closed at 11 o'clock we would go to the Magic Village. I remember there was a pinball machine just after you came through the door. I was never that good at pinball but I was good at that machine. It must have been Roger Eagle's own special machine because I always manage to get free games on it. It had cards Ace King Queen Jack in a row and if you managed to get it in the Ace pocket it flirted the ball across to the King and the Queen then the Jack and you got lots of points for it. You could do this manoeuvre several times and it was great to hear the phut sound signifying free games. It wasn't unusual for me to get 20 free games at a time.
I saw some very good bands there, Jethro Tull played there and I remember Ian Anderson saying halfway through the set that it was Mick Abrahams 25th birthday and thinking , "gosh he's still making music like that at his age!" The bands would sit with the audience between sets and Ian Anderson and Mick Abrahams were sat with me. I told them enthusiastically that they were the best band I had ever seen and they said they had a record contract and there would be a record coming out soon.
One night I remember this guy in a blue silk caftan and saying to my friend, "who does he think he is" but really I suppose I was a bit jealous. About three o'clock in the morning he got up and started playing music with somebody else. There were only about 20 of us still awake and I can't say I was that impressed. He was Peregrine Took and his mate was Mark Bolan. The only song I remember as being quite good was, Deborah.
One of the best nights I had there was when Roy Harper played. He was continually smoking dope on stage and his guitar playing was amazing. I couldn't believe that he was the only person who was playing guitar because there was so much going on and he was also so funny. It was a Friday night and he was on the next night so I went again. Later I went to live in Colne and Roy Harper was a regular at Colne Municipal Hall until at least 1990 when I moved and he always smoked dope on stage. People in the audience would throw him joints.
In 1968 I went on "the road" and was away for the summer. When I got back Paul told me I had missed a really good gig, Captain Beefheart and the Magic band. I did actually meet him later one memorable night in 1972 at the Bickershaw music festival while under the influence of psychedelic drugs. I wrote about it on my website http://lotties.brainiac.com/ceegee/loop.htm
I saw him three times during the Clear Spot tour of 1973 which I wrote about my website again. http://lotties.brainiac.com/ceegee/loop2.htm
I always wanted to get in touch with Paul Ashworth again and many times put his name into Google but unfortunately he had the same name as a character in Fever Pitch as well as it being a very common name. I listen to Sounds of the Sixties, Saturday mornings on Radio 2 and I asked for a request of Fat Angel by Jefferson Airplane because that was a song I remember shaking my head to often at the Magic Village while sitting next to the speaker. It's a wonder I can hear at all these days! I don't know if they played it because I don't listen to every minute of every program. I learned that Paul had died in 2008 and it prompted me to make another request for Captain Beefheart singing Electricity. I told them a little tale about going to Magic Village and how Paul had been very influential in my life. They didn't play Electricity, they played Abba Zabba. They must have thought that Electricity was too weird!
It's strange Captain Beefheart has multiple sclerosis and I also have multiple sclerosis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsLnvRwBJhw
http://lotties.brainiac.com/ceegee/parapet.htm
He gave up making music in 1981 probably because of ill health and has since become a successful artist who sells paintings for vast amounts of money.
After the Magic Village closed I had to find somewhere to spend my late-night weekends. I tried the Continental club and at ??? Pantry on Cannon Street and didn't like. The place that finished up being my late-night Saturday place was Auntie's Kitchen. It was good but it wasn't an all nighter. It went on until 2 a.m. and it seemed too organised for me. I did miss the Magic Village but I had lots of nice memories.
As a postscript in the 1980’s when I was living in Colne and Roger Eagle turned up and he seemed a little down on his luck. He had a relationship with a friend of mine called Janet Cook. He started playing records at the Union which was just across the road from a club called Francs who had bands like the UK Subs playing and lots of pogoing going on. Roger still had all his old singles, Smokestack Lightning, Green Onions and Help Me by Sonny boy Williamson. He played Sometimes a Woman Gotta Hit a Man by the Captain for me. It finished after about three weeks. I enjoyed it but obviously I didn't have enough friends! Roger disappeared after that and Janet told me he had gone to live in Leeds.
Charlie Gee
19/3/10
It was without doubt the best time ever. Like all the other people on this site, I think I must have seen pretty much all of the bands that have been mentioned.
I do remember the guy who sold posters just below the stairs as you got down, bought my very first Hendrix poster from him also many copies of IT paper, some of which I still have somewhere in the house. The place wasn't licensed but who needed beer all you had to do was breathe.
Fantastic - Keep on Trucking.
Andrew Gibbons
17/4/10
I started going to the MV in 1967, when I was 15 and continued until about 1970/71. Remember Simon Ashworth, me and my friend Dave Street were quite friendly with him and visited Simon's Dad's pub, which I think was just off either Deansgate or Cross St, a few times. Can anyone rember the name/address of it ? Remember Roger on the door, would talk with him about who were the up and coming bands. I remember once we said Pink Floyd but he said he couldn't afford them but had a group called The Nice booked for a few weeks in the future and had we heard of them ! Their appearance was phenomenal.
Remember Mike Don and buying various magazines off him. Also CP Lee, who seemed to be some kind of organiser of 'events' that were always to cool for me to attend.
Saw too many great bands to name them all but 'highlights' include the Incredible String Band playing all night until about 6am, and asking John Peel (who was appearing with Tyranassaurus Rex, who didn't turn up)to play Cream's single, Anyone for Tennis, and him telling us to piss off.
The MV also seemed to become an arts lab on week days when it was free entry with the hope that something would happen. It rarely did but I did meet the one and only girl I got off with from the MV, Carmel Brown from Blackley.
Rob Marston
20/4/10
I think the pub that Simon's parents had was,maybe,the "Star and Garter",anyhow it was on Fountain Street behind (what was at the time )Lewis' department store.I think the buiding is now Primark,but as far as I know the pub is still there. A Victorian mock half timbered affair. Mind you it is a long time since I have been there.
John Constantine
21/4/10
I used to go to the Magic Village with Juliet Begley and Martin Sievey and Nigel Fowler.
Me and Nigel got a job stuffing teddybears for Adrian Mulquean - paid in hash, lying in a pile of foam rubber. Roger used to have a poster for Richard and Mimi Farina behind the DJ booth. Celebrations for a Grey Day. Dave Backhouse was a mate too. Haven't seen him since 1978 when if memory serves me right he was wearing a brown paper bag on his head!
Love to hear from anyone there.
Paul Astles
5/5/10
Met many friends at the Magic Village,it had a great influance on my life, pity there were no digital camaras then, would love to see all those old faces again.
Russ Stevens
25/5/10
The village was magical and an oasis/refuge.People forget that back then long hair and strange clothes were the preference of the few and frowned upon by most people.
I saw many bands at the village and seem to remember that they would play the uni's and then do a 12.00 am slot and then one at 3.00 am after which we would find our way home.
My curiosity for the past drew me to the site and I send my best regards to Juliet Begley, Paul Astles and Nigel Platt.
6/6/10
Hi to everyone out there in the ether-----is it really 40 plus years since the halcyon days (when it was always summer)of the magic village ?
I was one of the "regulars"------remember Juliet Begley well------used to dance a la Isadora Duncan in my red dress along with her and Carol.Remember Steve Gee who sometimes worked behind coffee bar(sadly he died way back in 1970 ) Went out with chef Matthew Norton from Sale and actually met my ex husband Rob at MV Good friend Dilly from Middleton /Joe Roberts whom I still bump into from time to time and others who I can`t put a name to-------abiding memory of spilling coffee over Roy Harper - happy days!!!!!!!
Love to all Tina x
Tina
22/7/10
Went to see Van der Graaf Generator there in '69 or '70. They did 'White Hammer' and 'Red Shift' amongst others. Happy days - or rather late nights and very early mornings. Someone else on this page mentioned gigs at Holdsworth Hall on Deansgate (200 yards from the Village) around that time. I remember Country Joe and the Fish supported by Liverpool Scene.
Peter Heywood
24/7/10
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