Judging by the frenzied atmosphere at Sunday’s Gerry and the Pacemakers’ show at the Gaumont, Watford audiences are prepared to take as much of this kind of entertainment as the promoters can give them, writes Patrick Stoddart.

In the past three or four months we have had the Everly Brothers, Bo Diddley, Joe Brown, Billy J Kramer, Johnny Kidd and a host of other top names following each other within the space of days.

I wonder when people will begin to tire of it all. Let’s hope not for a while, because there are one or two more shows to come. Freddy and the Dreamers will probably play the Gaumont in February, and the Beatles could still come in the autumn.

But back to Gerry and the Pacemakers. One of the country’s best groups, their set was professional and polished.

Sticking to the material which has put them in the charts three times in a row, they had the girls in the audience hoarse within seconds. Even their very popular slow number, You’ll Never Walk Alone, was drowned out by screaming – and this is usually received by a dead silent house!

The mood was set from the very beginning. Emile Ford’s old group, the Checkmates, opened the show, and their individual brand of music was received with enthusiasm.

They were followed by the Rolling Stones, making their third highly successful visit to Watford. The Stones must be one of the groups largely responsible for promoting an interest in true Rhythm and Blues in this country as they use Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley material most of the time. Their first hit, Come On, was a Berry original.

The second half of the show was opened by lesser-known Northern group, Pete McClain and the Clan, who suffered in comparison with the Rolling Stones. It took an impression of the Beatles to get the girls screaming, but after that, the audience warmed to the newcomers. We may see more of them in the future.

By way of a contrast, the centre spot was filled by the Overlanders, England’s foremost folk group.

Their first record, Summer Skies and Golden Sands, did not achieve the heights I imagined it would, but it certainly went over well on Sunday. So did the Peter, Paul and Mary number they performed.

 The lack of curtains on the Gaumont stage makes it difficult to build up suspense and the audience was left in no doubt about the next act all the way through the evening. The job of the compere, Tony Brandon, was therefore made a little unnecesary, because the people were walking on stage behind him long before he got around to announcing them. But this probably added to the atmosphere. The show was a great success from beginning to end.

[From the Watford Observer of December 13, 1963]

NOSTALGIA NOTE: Tickets for the above show cost between 5/6d and 10/6d. On December 13, 1963, when the above article first appeared, the UK Top Ten was as follows.

1. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND: The Beatles
2. SHE LOVES YOU: The Beatles
3. YOU WERE MADE FOR ME: Freddie & the Dreamers
4. SECRET LOVE: Kathy Kirby
5. LOS INDIOS TABAJARAS: Maria Elena
6. DON’T TALK TO HIM: Cliff Richard & the Shadows.
7. I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU: Dusty Springfield
8. YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE: Gerry & the Pacemakers
9. GLAD ALL OVER: Dave Clark Five
10. DOMINIQUE: The Singing Nun