A great buzz at the MSG. As you made a way upstairs towards the folk you would catch a glimpse of jazzmen (and women maybe?) doing their hectic thing downstairs.
A dynamic friendly environment was my perception - this was my schoolboy/pre-student notion. Though into the blues I was a bit nervy of the Twisted Wheel unfortunately, as friends turned towards all-nighters and associated paraphernalia.
Hitched a ride from Liverpool, show off driver crashing onto the central reservation of the East Lancs part-way back but made it to see lovely Buffy St Marie, beautiful young thing in a little red dress.(or was that her LP cover?). There were Robin and Barry Dronsfield who would often host singers nights , other names escape me.
It was a sad day when the MSG closed, a great loss in it's cross-cultural/musical way. The building stayed up for years afterwards, offering a glimmer of hope.
Nice company too.
Roger Baker
10/1/09
I made my first appearance as a guest star at the jazz club that Bruce Mitchell ran in the basement of the MSG for a short time. This was also my last appearance as a guest star - anywhere. Bruce had put an ad in the Jazz Column of the Evening News that read 'The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Pete Crooks'. The only incredible thing was that I could play the melody line of about six tunes and that was it, my total repertoire. I was backed by a rhythm section of Frank Toms on piano, Mike Quellin on bass and Bruce himself on drums. I'd never met Frank or Mike before, let alone played with them and it wasn't love at first sight.
I counted the first tune in and Frank brought it in at double tempo leaving me struggling to keep up. I don't remember much else about our playing but I think that it went downhill from there. I do remember that there was a bunch of blokes in the front row who must have been hard up because they were sharing one hand rolled cigarette between them.
Amazingly nobody booed or heckled; perhaps the audience thought that it was very avant garde or perhaps it was due to those hand rolled cigarettes. Bruce, ever the gentleman, paid me at the end of the evening and that night I rode home in a taxi.
At this point I'm supposed to say 'those were the days' but that's one gig that I'd prefer not to do again. On the other hand, I've seen some great people and some great bands at the MSG and those really were the days.
I later played with with Mike Quellin in a band called 'The Denis Range Seven' which had some great arrangements. Mike distinguished himself by putting the bass parts for those great arrangements on the roof of the drummer's van whilst he loaded his bass. Yes, you've guessed it. He forgot all about the bass parts and left a trail of music from Whaley Bridge all the way to Stockport. We should have made him go and pick it all up.
Pete Crooks
5/9/09
I remember going to "The Pendulum " at MSG which was a Northern Soul night on a Friday. the Dj was Dave White and the night had re-located from a pub on Hardman Street.
Les Whyatt
16/1/10
I have very happy memories of the MSG. My father introduced the club to me as he was a sales rep for a brewery and knew "Jenks" very well.
My happiest memory was when I was taken there for my 21st in April 1965 to see Earl Hines perform. It was truly magical. Both my mother and father were there and some friends and it really made my birthday special, although it was not on the actual day.
I spent many happy hours in that wonderful smoky atmosphere doing the specially "stomp" dance to trad jazz. Oh happy days.
Laraine Fryers
9/3/10
Jenks was a father figure to all budding jazzmen. He wrote a great article in Jazz Journal in the early sixties after he moved to Cheltenham.
I remember he and John Orr as being helpful particularily at The Sportsman on Market Street.
Malc Roylance
27/8/10
The MSG was the most fabulous club going in the 1960's there were 11 of us girls who were all friends, we all met through friends of friends at the MSG. I can even remember, if you were unlucky enough to buy the first round of drinks - 10 halves of bitter and half a mild, then we would all split up and be bought drinks. We used to go almost every night, there was the folk upstairs, the jazz downstairs and the middle room was what I called the glorified youth club with people from all walks of life,everybody was so friendly. Every weekend we either went to all night parties or up to the lakes or wales with the climbers after the guild on a Friday night. Before we met the 'lads'us girls used to hitch hike up the lakes on the Friday but we always made sure we made it back to the guild on the Sunday evening for a couple of pints.
If we didn't go for a couple of nights we always thought we were missing something.
I met so many wonderful people there and it was the best time of my life. It was a very sad day when it was closed down and I am sure it could have gone on for many years after as the building was still there for a good few years after the closure.
I would love it if a reunion concert was arranged - what a reunion that would be - hope you manage to do one especially in the centre of Manchester, where all my friends I am still in touch with from the guild would be able to come. Every time we get together and we get talking about the MSG I always say I am going to organise a reunion and the answer I get back is that I will have to be quick before everybody has gone - please arrange this before it is too late. It would be lovely to see 'old' friends again.
Barbara Jones
7/9/10
I used to go to Folk nights upstairs at the Guild. I went after work on Monday evenings to singers night, where many of the now "rich and famous" would sing for a free pint.
I sold raffle tickets on Saturday nights and sometimes helped behind the bar. There was a group of around 12 of us who went regularly.
Sometimes we'd go walking in the Peak District on Sundays and end the day at the Guild with a drink and some good music. Does anyone remember the Chinese waiter who never got an order wrong, Ronnie who joined our walking group, Bryn Pugh, John McAtee who played incredible jazz piano in the upstairs room and Noel, the former body-builder and bouncer who looked as though no-one would dare to cross him but was the nicest man.
I first went with my older brother and his girlfriend and was hooked, even though I didn't know any of the songs. It didn't take long and I made many friends there, saw many great singers and probably didn't realise at the time what a unique place it was. I later went with my younger brother and Bob, the doorman, was a little confused as I sometimes met a boyfriend and sometimes went with my brother. Finally the penny dropped and he realised that the tall young man he saw me with most often was my brother. I have lost contact with the people who I met regularly there and would love to hear from them.
I moved to London in '71 and continued to go to the Guild at every opportunity, when I was visiting family until the place finally closed.
Kath Mayall
8/9/10
We used to got to the Parakeet Coffee Bar and spend all night with one cup (6d)of coffee, and later frequented the Left Wing Coffeee Bar.
When I was about 16 (1961) played (banjo) at the Black Lion Hotel, Blackfiars St. upstairs with the Ian Rose Jazz Band (Thursdays) and The New Iberia Jazz Band (Sundays).
Later (1963) joined The Savannah Jazz band who were resident at the Manchester Sports Guild for some time (Fridays I think). The guys in the middle bar often had weekend parties so we were usually invited "bring your banjo" of course and we would rush to Picadilly Station to catch the last train to Hayfield where the guys had a cottage in the hills. We would play till the early hours often stood on the wall playing to the sheep and neighbouring farmers.
Being a musician I didn't have to pay to get in so would spend a lot of time at the MSG. I also used to go upstairs on a Monday where Frank Duffy ran the folk singers club and play some banjo solos.
After a short spell in London returned to join Shep's Banjo Boys and played at the Golden Garter for 3 years.
My first job (1961) was at the CPA on Oxford Street so lunchtimes were spent in and around the music shops- Barrats, Renos, Mameloks,Stock & Chapmans, Johnny Roadhouse.
I was brought up in Longsight and Mike Maxfield (Dakotas) lived opposite in the corner shop for a while but he was into pop music whilst I was into skiffle and jazz. We have met up many times since then.
I got my first guitar when I was about 9/10 having heard Rock Island Line by Lonnie Donegan and often wonder if my dad hadn't bought me a banjo for my 11/12th birthday I would have stayed with the guitar and probably played with one of the Manchester groups!
Charlie Bentley
15/9/10
Visited the MSG for years, both as visitor and player. Saw so many people there, Pete Seager, Peggy Seager, Tony and Arthur, Mike Harding, Judy Collins, ELO, and... on Monday evening, singers night, Jenks kept order.
I played five string banjo with The Manchester Ramblers, Bill Ogden, Ged Leonard, and meself.
Dave McKeown
21/10/10
It was the first folk club I went to and I remember being astonished by the diveraity and talent od som of the performers. I saw Martin Carthy, Richard Thompson, Mike Harding, Bernard Wrigley and the late Harry Boardman, who subsequently became a close personal friend.I think it closed about 1973 for "imminent demolition" but wasn't demolished for a number of years. Tragic.
Chris Cole
11/2/11
The advertisement in the Manchester Evening News said 'Come and Sing Along With Drony. These words held a fascination for me until one Monday evening I ventured forth to do just that. There was Drony compering the Singers Club.
To cut a long story short, we have now been married nearly 40 years.
Does anyone else remember Drony and his humerous songs...The Gremlin Crew and Greenfleas, Fat Nelly the Cook and the like??
Those were happy days in the late 60s and early 70s.
Carole Dronsfield
14/5/11
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