Sheffield History Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 Was anyone there when Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five played at The Fiesta Club in Sheffield City Centre? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield History Posted June 6, 2018 Author Share Posted June 6, 2018 MICHAEL JACKSON & THE FIESTA CLUB, SHEFFIELD I worked twice with Michael Jackson, during the period when he was billed as "MICHAEL JACKSON and the JACKSONS" One of the concerts was in Brighton at the Brighton Centre and the second at the famous Fiesta Club in Sheffield - this would have been in 1977 or 1978. Michael was young and it was obvious that he was already becoming a Superstar. He had been part of the JACKSON 5 but was now billed as lead singer under his own name plus his brothers. The album "DESTINY" had been released and this was the DESTINY TOUR. At that time I had secured a contract to book many of the Northern theatre/nightclubs in England including the prestigious Sheffield Fiesta in Yorkshire. These theatre clubs were a major part of the entertainment scene in the UK at that time (the late 1960's through to the late 70's). The Sheffield Fiesta, which opened in 1970 had been owned by the Lipthorpe Brothers (Keith and Jim) but they had been brought out and was then owned by the Rank Organisation. I had secured the exclusive entertainment booking rights, which was a major coup for me personally - I can't remember the seating capacity now but it must have been around 2,000 seats. The Fiesta was known as the Premier Nightclub in Europe - it was a very exciting place and I loved it - every minute of it. It was my job to book the artists and everyone performer from the dancing girls, compere's and of course the stars. I was 29 years old and you can imagine not only the fun of booking this place, but it was a very big responsibility too. Rank Leisure the company that was operating this club wanted it to be a success so I had to contract the finest artists and those that will sell out the tickets. There was fierce rivalry between the clubs - there was the Batley Variety Club, the Wakefield Theatre Club, the Golden Garter in Wythenshawe, The Night Out Birmingham, Caesar's Palace and many others - all of them fighting to book the top stars. I had a real fight on my hands. I booked the Fiesta Club in Sheffield from around 1976, 77 and 78 - I am not sure of these exact dates - so much of this fades in the memory, but it was an incredible time and what a way to learn the entertainment industry - this held me in good stead later when we promoted major concerts in London and throughout the UK and eventually when we opened offices in New York and other countries - From the Sheffield Fiesta to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the London Palladium, Royal Albert Hall to the Metropolitan Opera House, Carnegie Hall in New York - it was a long walk and an exciting one - but nothing was more exciting that the Fiesta! I have so many memories of booking artists into the Fiesta - including The Walker Brothers, Roy Orbison, Joe Cocker, Shirley Bassey, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, The Hollies, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Searchers, Freddie and the Dreamers, Cilla Black, The Temptations, The Drifters, Suzi Quatro, local boy Tony Christie, Showaddywaddy, Matt Monroe, Jack Jones, Johnny Mathis plus UK comedians like Freddy Starr, Bruce Forsythe, Tommy Cooper, Bob Monkhouse and a host of others - but the big coup was contracting MICHAEL JACKSON. I remember the excitement this announcement caused. Lines around the block to the booking office - huge media interest from local and national newspapers, television news and so forth. The word was out Michael Jackson and the Jacksons were coming to Sheffield. Michael, his brothers, the musicians, the technical crew and Joe Jackson the father arrived - Michael was lovely to speak with - he was a gentle soul and I liked him immediately - in some ways he was very accessible although it appeared to me that his father was keeping a very close control over him - almost obsessively, but that is only my personal opinion. The tickets had been sold out for weeks and the anticipation was running high. The venue was packed to the rafters and when Michael and his brothers hit the stage the atmosphere was electric. I will remember that performance for ever - the excitement, the dancing, the energy generated, the incredible atmosphere in that room - the music pounding and throbbing as Michael and his Brothers stored through their show. Hit after hit - the audience was in a frenzy. Here are some of the online comments of the Fiesta and Michael's appearance: Chrissy Clarke saw Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five at the Fiesta in 1977 or 1978: "I met Michael Jackson at the Sheffield Fiesta - it was The Jackson Five - the place was packed. They were absolutely brilliant. They'd just performed Destiny. "He was the most amazing dancer - he had this presence about him. He was 17 or 18 - my age. He smiled at me, I was on the front row and he came and sat with me. He kissed me and held my hand, he was just a really, really nice guy. He gave me a flower. I was just mute!" Anyone who knows Sheffield will know the big building on Arundel Gate, which is now the Odeon cinema. Next door was the Top Rank nightclub (later known as the Roxy Disco and now is the O2 Academy.) Bob at the Fiesta The Fiesta was full of good old fashioned entertainment - stage, tinselly curtains, musical heroes, cabaret acts and hypnotists, chicken-in-a-basket served to your dimly-lit table, dancing girls and a compère. Lesley I remember it well, it was thick in snow and i took my clothes to work just in case i could not get home to get changed. I was just about to see the best group in the world, the Jackson 5 and not even the weather was going to stop me. It was one of the BEST NIGHTS of my life and i feel honoured and privileged to have seen Michael Jackson live. Ros Winsor I saw Michael Jackson there in the 70s after queuing in the snow outside to get in. He was mind blowing and I have always remembered that night with great fondness. We went to the Fiesta almost every week for a few years and had some great times, cut my "nightclubbing" teeth there. Also, saw the Four Tops in '75 when I was heavily pregnant and there was a heat wave. They turned all the fans on the stage round for the fans that night, another fantastic memory. Wish it was still here! Bernie Johnson, Örebro in Sweden I saw the Jackson 5 (Destiny Tour) at the Fiesta. Chicken in a basket meal included. Also saw The 4 Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The 3 Degrees, The Drifters, and if I remember correctly The Barron Knights, but we'll keep that between ourselves. MICHAEL JACKSON was a joy to work with - as were his brothers - The Brighton Concert at the Brighton Centre was also a complete sell out. Michael was and is a superstar - sadly missed and such a sad ending to an amazing career. Thanks for reading and thanks for the memories Peter http://pjbdrummer.blogspot.com/2015/04/michael-jackson-fiesta-club-sheffield.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield History Posted June 6, 2018 Author Share Posted June 6, 2018 JACKSONS AT THE FIESTA CLUB SHEFFIELD - SET LIST "Dancing Machine" "Things I Do for You" "Ben" "Keep on Dancing" Jackson 5 Medley: "I Want You Back" / "ABC" / "The Love You Save" "I'll Be There" "Enjoy Yourself" "Destiny" "Show You the Way to Go" "All Night Dancin'" "Blame It on the Boogie" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield History Posted June 6, 2018 Author Share Posted June 6, 2018 Tour dates[edit] Date City Country Venue Europe[2][3][4] January 22, 1979 Bremen Germany Musical Theater Bremen January 24, 1979 January 26, 1979 January 27, 1979 Frankfurt Jahrhunderthalle January 28, 1979 Madrid Spain Teatro Monumental January 29, 1979 January 30, 1979 January 31, 1979 Groningen Netherlands MartiniPlaza February 1, 1979 Amsterdam Koninklijk Theater Carré February 2, 1979 February 6, 1979 London England Rainbow Theatre February 7, 1979 February 8, 1979 February 9, 1979 February 10, 1979 Brighton Brighton Centre February 11, 1979 Preston Preston Guild Hall February 12, 1979 Wakefield Theatre Royal February 13, 1979 Sheffield Fiesta Nightclub February 14, 1979 Geneva Switzerland Victoria Hall February 15, 1979 February 16, 1979 Glasgow Scotland The Apollo February 17, 1979 Manchester England Manchester Apollo February 18, 1979 Birmingham Bingley Hall February 19, 1979 Leeds Queens Hall February 20, 1979 Leicester De Montfort Hall February 21, 1979 Cardiff Wales Sophia Gardens Pavilion February 23, 1979 London England Rainbow Theatre February 24, 1979 February 25, 1979 Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre February 26, 1979 Amsterdam Netherlands Koninklijk Theater Carré February 29, 1979 Avignon France Théâtre des Carmes March 2, 1979 Paris Le Palace Africa[4] March 6, 1979 Johannesburg South Africa Orlando Stadium March 7, 1979 March 8, 1979 March 9, 1979 March 10, 1979 March 12, 1979 Dakar Senegal Stade de l'Amitié March 13, 1979 March 14, 1979 March 15, 1979 March 16, 1979 Cape Town South Africa Green Point Stadium March 17, 1979 March 19, 1979 Johannesburg Orlando Stadium March 20, 1979 March 21, 1979 North America[5] April 14, 1979 Cleveland United States Music Hall April 15, 1979 April 19, 1979 Devon Valley Forge Music Fair April 22, 1979 April 25, 1979 Chicago Arie Crown Theater April 26, 1979 April 27, 1979 April 28, 1979 April 29, 1979 May 3, 1979 St. Petersburg Bayfront Center May 6, 1979 Jacksonville Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum May 10, 1979 Houston Houston Music Hall May 12, 1979 May 16, 1979 Birmingham Birmingham Municipal Auditorium May 17, 1979 Columbus Municipal Auditorium May 18, 1979 Nashville War Memorial Auditorium May 19, 1979 Atlanta Atlanta Civic Center May 20, 1979 Memphis Orpheum Theatre May 24, 1979 Pine Bluff Saenger Theatre May 26, 1979 Kansas City Municipal Auditorium May 27, 1979 Oklahoma City Oklahoma State Fair Arena May 30, 1979 Shreveport Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium June 1, 1979 Norfolk Chrysler Hall June 3, 1979 Columbia Township Auditorium June 8, 1979 Charlotte Belk Gymnasium June 9, 1979 Washington, D.C. Warner Theatre June 10, 1979 Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium October 2, 1979 New Orleans Municipal Auditorium October 3, 1979 October 4, 1979 Shreveport Hirsch Memorial Coliseum October 5, 1979 Mobile Mobile Municipal Auditorium October 6, 1979 Huntsville Von Braun Civic Center October 7, 1979 Louisville Louisville Gardens October 12, 1979 Philadelphia Spectrum October 13, 1979 Rochester Rochester Community War Memorial October 14, 1979 Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Civic Arena October 15, 1979 Saginaw Saginaw Civic Center October 19, 1979 Indianapolis Market Square Arena October 20, 1979 St. Louis Kiel Auditorium October 21, 1979 Dayton UD Arena October 25, 1979 Columbus Veterans Memorial Coliseum October 26, 1979 Syracuse Onondaga County War Memorial October 27, 1979 Buffalo Buffalo Memorial Auditorium October 28, 1979 Springfield Springfield Civic Center November 1, 1979 Kalamazoo Wings Stadium November 2, 1979 Chicago Chicago Stadium November 3, 1979 Cleveland Public Auditorium November 4, 1979 Detroit Cobo Arena November 5, 1979 November 6, 1979 Baltimore Baltimore Civic Center November 8, 1979 Richmond Richmond Coliseum November 9, 1979 Uniondale Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum November 10, 1979 Hampton Hampton Coliseum November 11, 1979 Fayetteville Cumberland County Memorial Auditorium November 14, 1979 Fort Worth Tarrant County Convention Center November 15, 1979 Baton Rouge Riverside Centroplex November 16, 1979 Jackson Mississippi Coliseum November 17, 1979 Lake Charles Burton Coliseum November 19, 1979 Houston The Summit November 20, 1979 Columbus Municipal Auditorium November 21, 1979 Greenville Greenville Memorial Auditorium November 22, 1979 Savannah Savannah Civic Center November 23, 1979 Macon Macon Coliseum November 24, 1979 Nashville Nashville Municipal Auditorium November 25, 1979 Atlanta Omni Coliseum November 29, 1979 Albuquerque Tingley Coliseum November 30, 1979 Mobile Mobile Civic Center December 2, 1979 Honolulu Honolulu International Center December 6, 1979 Portland Memorial Coliseum December 8, 1979 Seattle Seattle Center Coliseum December 9, 1979 Vancouver Canada Pacific Coliseum December 13, 1979 San Bernardino United States Swing Auditorium December 14, 1979 Phoenix Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum December 15, 1979 San Diego San Diego Sports Arena December 16, 1979 Oakland Oracle Arena December 18, 1979 Inglewood The Forum December 21, 1979 Nassau The Bahamas Haynes Oval January 11, 1980 Honolulu United States NBC Blaisdell Arena January 12, 1980 January 13, 1980 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield History Posted June 6, 2018 Author Share Posted June 6, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 Excellent stuff, Sheffield History! So you actually worked with the Jackson brothers, wow! Years later I worked for a while with the co-promotor Jeff Kruger - a very big man in the entertainment biz, and very aware of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield History Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 On 06/06/2018 at 17:51, Athy said: Excellent stuff, Sheffield History! So you actually worked with the Jackson brothers, wow! Years later I worked for a while with the co-promotor Jeff Kruger - a very big man in the entertainment biz, and very aware of that. No no - it wasn't me! The quotes are from the promoter/booker of the Fiesta Club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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