The Devil’s Cave (1220 Oldham Road, Newton Heath)

This was one of Tommy Brown’s venues which he ran with his wife Jackie.

This was the first coffee bar club that we played and had the smallest stage that we have ever played on apart from perhaps the Peppermint Lounge in Liverpool and you had to balance on the space in front of the amps to prevent falling into the audience or if we were lucky some of the girls would hold our legs and support us.

In late 1963 we played regular Sunday’s at the club and also Fridays at Browns Teenbeat Club at the Ben Brierley in Moston. (One of their other dance schools) Everybody is supposed to know where they were when John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, we were at the Ben Brierley in Moston.

The Devil’s Cave around October 1963 - From The Factotums story as remembered by Steve, Jeff and Andy

The Devil's Cave was at 1220 Oldham Road, Newton Heath, Manchester 10 and opened on Thursday, December 13, 1962. To get to the club you would go to the bottom of Old Church Street and turn left into Oldham Road and the club was the first or second block on the left.

The Devil's Cave was a coffee bar club and had a small stage and was originally called The Candy Club. It was near Dean Lane traffic lights and at the back of the Casino Record Rendezvous.

Advertised in The Manchester Evening News of Thursday, December 13, 1962 as Don't Go To Hell Go To The Devil's Cave The North's Top Pop Club Grand Opening To-Night. Manchester's Newest And Best Coffee And Jive Club. The Most Fascinating Decor In The North. Meet The Devil In Person Every Night. Membership Only One Skull. Open from 7 30 p.m. Every Evening All Enquires to FAI 5808. Club Membership 1-. 1220 Oldham Road, Newton Heath, Manchester 10.

This was one of Tommy Brown's venue's which he ran with his wife Jackie Brown. They also ran Brown's in Moston Lane, Moston, Manchester 40.

The Audenshaw, Lancashire group The Factotums had two residencies, here on Thursdays and at Brown's on Fridays. 

They also had a D. J. called D. J. Steve.

John Warburg
20 April 2020