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| The Bandstand |
| Gloucester Park |
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Location: Gloucester Park Photographer: Pete Scott Year of photo: 29/07/1984 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: Local band Big Lynne seen performing at the 1984 peace festival. |
| Gloucester Park Bandstand |
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Built in the mid 1970s, the first notable event to use it
was the 1978 Basildon Rock Festival. This free event, held on Sunday, 20th August, featured mainly local
bands headed by The Opposition. That years event also saw an unscheduled appearance by another
local band called The Vandals. Fronted by then unknown singer 'Alf' - now better known as
Alison Moyet - she later went on to achieve fame as one half of chart act Yazoo, with former
Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke. Her success continued in 1984 went she embarked on a solo
career. The Vandals guitarist, known only as 'the guitarist
with no name', would later have a solo career releasing records under the name Robert
Marlow. In 1979 the event was held on Sunday, August 19th, and the festival's acts included 'Norman and the Worms', whose line-up featured future Depeche Mode member Martin Gore, and Phil Burdett, later to form and record as Phil Burdett & the New World Troubadours, both singing and playing guitar. Amongst their set list was a rendition of the popular 1960s Australian children's T.V. series theme 'Skippy the Bush Kangaroo', complete with drums! The festival of 1980 was another notable success and featured punk band The School Bullies, with future Cure member Perry Bamonte. By 1983 the free Sunday summer event had now become the 'Gloucester Park Peace Festival'. This new 'Festival For Peace' promotion backed by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), took place on 17th July, with the main attractions being Basildon chart band The Pinkees, who scored a top ten hit in 1982, and local act Big Lynne, who played again at the 1984 event on 29th July. The 1985 event, held on 4th August, was rained off after only two bands had played. Sunday July 13th, 1986 saw Erasure play one of their earliest concerts at the bandstand - a fitting start for band member and former Depeche Mode/Yazoo founder Vince Clarke, who once lived and was schooled locally. Other notable acts to appear include T.V's 'the greatest show on legs', a popular 3 man mild strip tease act, and ska band Bad Manners, who had a run of chart hits in the 1980s, and entertained a large crowd on Saturday 26th September, 1987. During May 2002 the bandstand was demolished and the area grassed over. It is now the site of a new skateboard park which opened in 2005. Text written 2002 with revisions 2002-2007. |
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