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The Fiesta nightclub Sheffield


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Apparantly the guy who was the compere at the Fiesta in 1972/73 is the chap who sings the theme tune to the BBC soap Neighbours !

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ADD ON BERNARD MANNING,PAUL DANIELS,MAX BYGRAVES,MARTI CAINE,RONNIE DUKES AND RICKY LEE,BATCHELORS,DANNY WILLIAMS,FREDDIE AND DREAMERS,LYNN PAUL,ROY WALKER AND THE BIGGEST DISSAPOINTMENT EVER(ACCORDING TO MI MUM) LENA MARTELL.

THE COMPERE WAS DAVID LAINE WHO USED TO SING WITH THE MUDLARKS MANY YEARS AGO. GOT SOME PHOTOS WHEN I LEARN AR TO USE PUTER REET.

SOME OF THE BEST NIGHTS DOWN THERE THOUGH WAS TOP CLUB LAND AWARDS.COMPERED USUALLY BY Mr ENTERTAINMENT TONY WHYTE. SOME MARVELLOUS ACTS AND WILL NOT FORGET ONE SHOW WHEN A GROUP I WAS HELPING TO MANAGE MIKE SHANE AND CHEVROLLETS CAME SECOND TO A FANTASTICALLY FUNNY GUY,BILLY PEARCE.

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Another interior view of the Fiesta this time from the stage during the opening by the Lord Mayor in 1970 gives you a bit of an idea of the layout of the seats and tables.

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Excellent - many thanks for posting this one..

Again I've learnt a lot from this picture - I didn't know the floor was banked - I thought that it was flat (where the tables are that is)

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Guest Noise Heat Power

When I was in the first year at junior school - would have been 1974 - we went to a pantomime at the Fiesta in the middle of the afternoon. It's amazing to see those interior photos, because I clearly remember us all expecting it to be like a theatre, then in we went and it turns out we're all sat at those tables - I was on the raised up stretch at the back.

And - get this - the lights on the tables FLASHED IN TIME TO THE MUSIC!

Heaven.

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Guest Noise Heat Power

If I recall correctly, it was an effect that was used sparingly. Probably wouldn't be allowed now though due to likelihood of inducing photosensitive seizures. :P

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Was it waitress service in the Fiesta then ?

Yes it was full waitress service. There was a bar in the disco though.

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Guest daveyboy66

I saw the Temptations there in 1972 just after David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks had left and then saw Tina Turner in her first tour after she had left Ike. It was a brilliant venue I just wish there was somewhere like it now.

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Guest Blade68

Yeah, my sister used to work there too (Yvonne Allen nee Sargeant), she was on reception with a lass called Jackie Bearder... My Sis, used to get me 'comps' too! I remember suffering Keith Harris & Orville, and The Dooleys!!!

My sister worked there for a few years from it opening and used to get us Comp tickets. We also got to meet a lot of the stars for autographs etc. My dad was in his element when he got to meet his musical heroes Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald.

More acts that played the Fiesta

George Macrae

Ella Fitzgerald

Ray Charles

Auther Connelly

Sam & Dave

The Grumbleweeds

Detroit Emeralds

Ben E King

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Keith Harris = aaaagggghh !!!

The Dooleys however are a much different prospect and I would have hoped that you developed musically as a result of watching them live on stage

lol

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Guest Blade68

You're dead right...... I progressed on to The Jam shortly afterwards!!!

Keith Harris = aaaagggghh !!!

The Dooleys however are a much different prospect and I would have hoped that you developed musically as a result of watching them live on stage

lol

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Yeah, my sister used to work there too (Yvonne Allen nee Sargeant), she was on reception with a lass called Jackie Bearder... My Sis, used to get me 'comps' too! I remember suffering Keith Harris & Orville, and The Dooleys!!!

My sister was called Carol Jeffries back in those days and was in charge of payroll. Maybe your sister remembers her.

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Also Marc Bolan and his band T-Rex were booked to play at the Fiesta for one night. When they saw the place they refused to play, saying that the Fiesta was too grand and not the sort of place they played at !

The next day Marc Bolan was on a panel show on Radio Sheffield with local DJ Ray Stuart and spoke of the night before's happenings.. Bolan stated that the booking contract had stipulated a maximum entry fee of ten bob, but he had found that the Fiesta was charging much more, and so he pulled out.

I was there that night - In an effort to bring in a younger audience, they had a week of rock bands - with a special deal on ticket prices if you booked for 3 nights.

We saw Curved Air, The Kinks, and our 3rd night was Tyranosaurus Rex (as they were then, as it was just the 2 of them)

It's true that they refused to play because of the price charged - we paid about 3 quid per night!

After waiting ages to see if negotiations would result in them actually appearing, the MC came out and said there would be no performance & we could all have our money back!

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Fiesta was a great place in its time. Just that much more 'luxurious' than a lot of the small gigs and clubs around town, and all with those flashing table lights and chicken in the basket! Dont know if it was the same at the Fiesta, but at the time, some clubs admission price included chicken in the basket whether you wanted it or not! Something to do with them then being able to get the right sort of entertainment/late opening licence because they served food.

Great to see to photos. The sloping auditorium and low lighting always looked good and meant that everyone had a good view of the stage as well. It may well have influenced a lot of similar clubs in their seating arrangments, and having a seperate Disco room as well. The Aquarius in Chesterfield was the same as that. The present day cabaret room at Warners Thoresby Hall in Nottinghamshire has the same seating arrangement.

I also remember seeing the Temptations, Four Tops and the Beach Boys at the Fiesta. All very good. The Temptations stagecraft was a wonder to see live. They were always were better at movin' and dancin' onstage than the Tops. They used to back off from the mikes and all spin and move in different directions then all move back to different mikes just in time for the next vocal line. Brilliant stuff. (I was lucky enough to see some of the other great soul acts listed like Ike & Tina Turner, Jnr Walker, Sam and Dave, Stevie Wonder etc in smaller clubs like the Mojo, Twisted Wheel, Dungeon in Nottingham and the Broken Wheel in Retford.)

I seem to remember the Beach Boys had a ton of equipment and instruments onstage.

Its a shame more places like this dont still exist to see live music in, and still be able to financially survive. It beats the aeroplane hanger style of the Hallam Arena thats for certain!

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Guest tsavo

There was also a raised resturant area to the right of the stage where meals other than chicken in a basket were served. Most memorable act I saw there?, Must be Les Dawson, like Bob Monkhouse, far better live than on tv.

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I saw the three degrees there for my 18th birthday in May 1975.

Wasn't the club claimed to be the largest nightclub in Europe at the time?

Micki

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Guest katjay

Oh the good old days in the Fiesta I come down from Middlesbrough to work in the club when it first opened with Yvonne better known as Von Von some of the acts missed of the lists are

Love Lace Watkins: he stayed in the Hallam Hotel

The Four Tops:

Lulu & the Brothers:

Harper Brothers: [now Cannon and Ball]

Don Crocket Comedian, he made the big time in Los Vegas {sadly he died great entertainer]

Foundations:

Vanity Fair:

Dustan Gee: Comedian [he was great and a really nice bloke to meet]

Dave Allen: [comedian loved his Irish mist liquor]

Des O’Conner: [yes he sang]

Max Bygreaves: A great trouper had a great sense of fun]

Kenny Rogers and the First Edition:

The list can go on but I know that I enjoyed working in the Fiesta it was more like a family outing than going to work. Being a stranger in Sheffield at the time the people made me feel welcome as did the members of staff a real friendly place. I am left with very happy memories of the early days in the club.

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Oh the good old days in the Fiesta I come down from Middlesbrough to work in the club when it first opened with Yvonne better known as Von Von some of the acts missed of the lists are

Love Lace Watkins: he stayed in the Hallam Hotel

The Four Tops:

Lulu & the Brothers:

Harper Brothers: [now Cannon and Ball]

Don Crocket Comedian, he made the big time in Los Vegas {sadly he died great entertainer]

Foundations:

Vanity Fair:

Dustan Gee: Comedian [he was great and a really nice bloke to meet]

Dave Allen: [comedian loved his Irish mist liquor]

Des O’Conner: [yes he sang]

Max Bygreaves: A great trouper had a great sense of fun]

Kenny Rogers and the First Edition:

The list can go on but I know that I enjoyed working in the Fiesta it was more like a family outing than going to work. Being a stranger in Sheffield at the time the people made me feel welcome as did the members of staff a real friendly place. I am left with very happy memories of the early days in the club.

Welcome to the site Katjay. Were you working there at the same time as my sister, her name was Carol Jeffries

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Guest katjay

Was it waitress service in the Fiesta then ?

Yes it was all waitress service when on the seating area but you could go to the top bar to be served

during many of the star acts all the bars closed so the waitresses [me] we would double rounds for the customers many had become regulars so we remembered most of the drinks.

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