1970s
In the era now remembered for flares and lots of hair, Colston Hall played host to many legends at the height of their success. The Rolling Stones appeared again in 1971. Jackie Dix describes the unforgettable atmosphere and deafening screaming:
“The minute Mick Jagger walked out the screaming started…. Halfway through the second song he came to the front of the stage and dangled his foot over the edge. That was it. My friends and I went ballistic, screamed our head off, stood up…I have never known such excitement before or since! The atmosphere that night was electric.”
The Stones were in good company with David Bowie, Elton John, Thin Lizzy, Roxy Music, Bob Marley and Lou Reed all gracing the stage.
Dawn Parsons, an avid concertgoer in the seventies, remembers:
“All the big names would play at venues like the Colston Hall and the Hippodrome. You didn’t have to go to Cardiff or Pilton or Knebworth to see David Bowie or Elton John. Tickets prices seem absurd looking back at them now, but at the time I still had to save hard…David Bowie once played 2 sessions at the Colston Hall in one evening. I was lucky enough to get a ticket for one of them. Ticket price - £1.50!”
It wasn’t just the big names from the world of rock and pop that wowed the crowds in the seventies – massive stars from the world of jazz were in abundance. Buddy Rich, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson and the wonderful Ella Fitzgerald all took their place in the Colston Hall history books.
