1990 PART THREE : THE ALL NIGHT MERSEYBEAT BALL (AN EVENT NOT TOO BE MISSED!) |
GRAFTON ROOMS, LIVERPOOL |
Monday, 28th October 2019
The following article is taken from a fanzine I used to publish called 'Beatles',
REVIEW
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Allan Williams, original manager of the Beatles took the opportunity to organise "The All Night Merseybeat Ball" on Thursday, 3rd May 1990 between 9pm - 7am at the famous Grafton Rooms.
It seemed an opportunity for us to sample the atmosphere of an all-nighter reminiscent of Liverpool in the 60's. Merseybeat bands due to appear on stage included Geoff Nugent's Undertakers, Cy Tucker, Karl Terry & the Cruisers, Beryl Marsden and Faron's Flamingos. With a line up like that who needed a hotel! The first suspicions that everything might not be as it seems was Allan Williams frantically giving out leaflets before the Merseycats concert at the Philharmonic Hall. Our tickets had cost £10.50, it would have cost £12.50 on the door, but now suddenly it was a fiver after midnight! We arrived at the Grafton at 11.30pm, around 30 people we're littered around the room, a solitary DJ spinning the discs, obviously the 9pm start was optimistic! Suddenly around 00.30am an announcement was made to the effect that the event was cancelled due to difficulties with the PA. It seems the bands were told to bring just their instruments and were due to use the PA at the Grafton Rooms but the management who were unhappy at staging the gig refused to give them permission. They are being sued by Allan Williams People in the Grafton, understandably irate, were now looking for Allan Williams demanding their money back and to give Allan credit he refunded everybody who paid on the door and asked others to claim a refund from where they had bought their tickets, in our case Lennon's Bar. The All Night Merseybeat Ball was billed as a place not to be missed. By the way we found an hotel! |
Eddie M