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12
Sept
Harrogate's place in the history of rock'n'roll to be revealed in talk
The Beatles famously played in Harrogate in 1963, but if you want to know why, you might have to ask Derek Shelmerdine.
He’ll be presenting a talk to Harrogate Civic Society on Wednesday (September 16), when he’ll be taking “a look at the music of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, seen through the eyes of Harrogate”.
Mr Shelmerdine is an author and broadcaster living in the town, but he originally comes from North Wales – “just over the border from Chester and close enough to Liverpool for a night out”.
Growing up in 1950s and ’60s, he experienced the explosion of the British music scene in the 1960s at first hand, playing drums in a local band, Cleo’s Mood, from 1963 to 1967, and even serving a brief stint as a professional roadie in the 1970s.
He told the Stray Ferret:
Music has always been a big part of my life, and its development – in the US and the UK – is fascinating.
I’ll be looking at how rock’n’roll came about, and how it developed into beat music in the UK.
Beat groups developed into rock groups in the second half of the 1960s, and new genres developed in the late ’60s and early ’70s, such as glam rock, prog(ressive) rock, heavy metal and folk rock.
Rock turned then full circle in the mid-1970s with punk rock. The music went from virtuoso musicians and stadium venues back to simple, three-minute songs, played in small, intimate venues – and the philosophy that anyone can be in a band.
Mr Shelmerdine – who has written a 700-page, three-part history of the genre called Rock'n'Roll Unravelled – will also be looking at the Harrogate artists who were closely associated with big names such as David Bowie, Bob Harris and Rick Wakeman, and who won awards and had hits in America.
The 45-minute talk will take a tour through Harrogate’s own music scene, from The Beatles playing at the Royal Hall – and how they ended up there – through to the current day.
Mr Shelmerdine said:
Harrogate’s not on the main tour circuit, and it’s not a university town, which makes a huge difference. So it’s not Liverpool, but quite a few major names have played here.
And it’s still got a very vibrant music scene. Lots of pubs have live music, and there’s a thriving Northern Soul scene here.
Mr Shelmerdine will present his talk, Harrogate Rocks, at 7pm on Wednesday (September 16) at the West Park Centre at the corner of Victoria Avenue and West Park.
Tickets can be booked online free of charge for Harrogate Civic Society members, but there is a suggested donation of £5 on the door for other guests and prospective members.
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