Birdcage Club - Biography

Biography - Birdcage Club

UK

Strictly speaking there were two Birdcage venues as well as two separate clubs in the Eastney Road location. The building, just south of the Bransbury Park junction was originally the Court School of Dancing which, in the late 1950s, ran rock & roll nights with local groups like the Cadillacs and the Renegades.
The first Birdcage Club opened its doors in late February 1965 at Kimbells Ballroom, Osborne Road, Southsea. It reflected the mid-60s shift from blues/r&b to soul and dance music and was opened by Rikki Farr, son of champion boxer Tommy and brother of singer Gary whose band the T-Bones were the first act. Rikki was helped by locals, including Robin Beste, Bob Beard, Mick Baxter, Dave Morgan. DJ Pete Brady played all the latest soul records to Pompey's growing mod audience.
The club had one famous night ‘away' at the Savoy in July 1965 starring the Who and local favourites the Crow. A month later it moved to its own premises at Eastney by which time regular favourites included Jimmy James & the Vagabonds, the Action, Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds and Rod Stewart - generally with his Steam Packet mates Long John Baldry, Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger. Occasionally Pompey groups like the St Louis Checks, Klimaks, Simon Dupree and Wrong Direction would play there while visiting Americans included Wilson Pickett, Ike & Tina Turner, Major Lance, Ben E King and Inez & Charlie Fox.
In 1966 the club introduced all-night sessions, then closed during June for a re-vamp. When it re-opened the music was not always based on American soul/Tamla as groups like the Hollies, the Small Faces, the Move and the In-Crowd (also known as Tomorrow)
appeared alongside a new DJ ‘Mad King' Jerry. There were still some fine nights - notably the visit of Little Richard in November 1966 when Teddy Boys and Mods co-existed peacefully, enthralled by his performance.
As 1966 turned to ‘67 record nights often featured ska, while bands like Cream and Pink Floyd brought the new sounds of what would be the Summer of Love to the ‘Cage. Tastes changed, hair grew and the soul/amphetamine world of the Birdcage and Pompey mods was replaced gradually by the new psychedelia. Regular Birdcage visitors the Paramounts went to number one under their new name Procul Harum but the club did not survive the transition and closed in August 1967.
In December, the Birdcage reopened as the Brave New World and through 1968 it offered a variety of new rock, folk, jazz and pop acts. The following year it became the Pack nightclub. There were few punters, there was a fire, and the legendary venue finally closed forty years ago. For a brief period in the mid-1960s it was magical but nothing remains of the club - except the memories.
Dave Allen.

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