1969
The Sterling Showband 7/6
Jan 4 The Sterling Showband 6/-
Jan 7 (Tuesday) Dingwall Fire Brigade Club. Beat dance in the clubrooms Ormidale Place, Dingwall. The Sterling Showband. 4/-
Jan 11/12 The Sterling Showband
Jan 17/18 The Sterling Showband
Jan 24/25 The Sterling Showband
Jan 31/Feb1 The Sterling Showband
Feb 7/8 The Sterling Showband
Feb 14/15 The Sterling Showband
Feb 13 Thursday night is Star Night at the Ballerina Ballroom, Nairn. Simon Dupree supported by Charge of the Lite Brigade
Feb 21/22 The Sterling Showband
Feb 28/Mar 1 The Sterling Showband
Mar 7/8 The Sterling Showband
Mar 14/15 The Sterling Showband
Mar 21/22 The Sterling Showband
Mar 28/29 Come and enjoy the last appearance of The Sterling Showband at the Pavilion. The band has been engaged by one of Ireland’s top agents and is to appear under a new name GALAXY.
Apr 4/5 The fabulous showband from Derry 7/6
Peter Boy and the Trend 6/-
Apr 11/12 Peter Boy and the Trend
Apr 18/19 Peter Boy and the Trend
Apr 25/26 Peter Boy and the Trend
May 2/3 Peter Boy and the Trend
May 9/10 The Galaxy (formerly the Sterling Showband)
May 16/17 The Galaxy
May 23/24 The Galaxy
May 30/31 Memphis Showband
The Tuesday Show was started by Bob Hunter in June 1969 and ran for five successful seasons
until 1973.
It was designed to complement the long running Highland Cabaret by giving visitors and locals a
different type of entertainment. The compère was Jock Watt and each week he introduced the
following artistes who appeared on a regular basis. Bill Webster was the featured male singer and
sang songs from shows like the Sound of Music and Oklahoma.
Christine Fraser was the featured lady singer and she drew many compliments for her singing of
Old Time and Music Hall numbers. The accompanist was Bill Beaton, who, along with Bob Hunter,
provided music for the artistes with Bob himself featuring in a tribute spot to Louis Armstrong.
Bill Webster Christine Fraser
The Melotones did a very good spot each week on the show, the highlight of which was ‘Fergie’s Blues’
played by Fergie Brown on trumpet. If memory serves me well he played one note which he held for a
full 24 bars and always drew enthusiastic applause from the audience, which recognised the
achievement of such a feat. Once when he was asked “Oh Mr Brown, how do you hold that note?” he
replied “I drink as many drams as I can and I smoke as much as I can!”
There were no dancers in the show. Instead the audience themselves got the chance to dance after
the show when the Melotones provided half an hour of dance music, which included an elimination
waltz, Bob was always looking for ideas to present to the audience and one of these was based on a
radio show which was popular during WW2. It was called “I want to be an actor” and it invited members
of the audience taking part in a melodrama. At the Tuesday Show they used a 2 page script which featured
a hero, a heroine and a villain. There were 3 volunteers for each part and for a test run each person
said a line and made a noise. After the real
thing the audience judged the participants and the winning ‘actor’ got a bottle of champagne. When the
feature was firmly established Iain R. Thomson (of “Isolation Shepherd” fame) wrote a new script
featuring heather sandwiches and the Loch Ness Monster! On the occasions when an audience was
reluctant to participate the couriers would gamely volunteer.
Bill and Bobby Bob Hunter
In 1973 there was a change of personnel when Bobby Hepburn took over as compère from
Jock Watt, Ian Macgregor replaced Bill Webster and Kenny Davidson stepped into Bill Beaton’s
shoes as accompanist.
Bobby Hepburn
However some of the magic had gone and the fifth and final season came to an end on the
11th September, 1973. All the artistes were paid by the night and Bob had always tried to get rates
of pay increased in successive years.
As a footnote Bob Hunter was with the Melotones at the start of their career in 1956 and remained
with them till 1959. After spells with the Caledonian Ballroom Orchestra he had his own very successful
trio from 1968 to 1974, featuring Bill Beaton and Jackie Mitchell. In 1974 he rejoined the Melotones
and stayed with them till they disbanded in 1996. By this time they were a 4 piece outfit consisting of
Fergie Brown, Bob Hunter, Jackie Ross and Willie Wilson and doing a residency in the Highland Hotel,
Strathpeffer. Shearings, who had taken over the running of the hotel deemed them too expensive
(hotly disputed by Bob) and so they disbanded.
June 6/5 Memphis Showband from Southern Ireland along with a girl vocalist
June 13/14 The Freedom Fighters (one of Ireland’s top showbands)
June 20/21 The Paragon 7
June 27/28 The Emperors from Southern Ireland
July 4/5 The Emerald Showband
July 11/12 The Echo’s Showband
July 18/19 the playboys.
New style of advert with arrow and lower case
July 25/26 the freedom fighters.
Ireland’s top recording stars and Silver Disc award winners. Record sales now top 4½ million.
July 26 Dingwall Fire Brigade Club in the Town Hall Dingwall
The Foundations and My Dear Watson 8.00-10.30
8/- in advance 10/- on the night
Aug 1/2 the for sale
The For Sale is a pop outfit specialising in Beach Boys and Four Seasons material. The boys have been playing for 2 years and have recently returned from a very successful tour of Germany. They leave shortly for Morocco and the South of France where their manager has arranged several appearances at top-class clubs. Since the boys returned from Germany they have played extensively in both the North and South of Ireland.
Aug 8/9 the college boys
2 years ago Ronnie Parks, Joe Campbell, Gerry Martin, Joe McGreevy, Lindsay Luney and Wills McKinney were regarded as the heads of the various showbands they played for, having all acted as session men for several top Irish recording showbands. These 6 talented instrumentalists formed the College Boys 2 years ago and since then have had no less than 3 records in the Irish Top Ten, have made many radio broadcasts (On Radio One Club, Mon 21st July, playing from 12 noon – 2p.m.), appeared on UTV Zoom-in series and several other television spots. Although the band is 6 in number they all double on instruments, their brass line-up tenor sax, trombone and trumpet. The College Boys are making their first appearance tonight and tomorrow and will undoubtedly prove to be the best Irish showband ever to tour Scotland.
Aug 15/16 the big timers
Aug 22/23 the green angels
Aug 29/30 peter boy and the trend
Sept 5/6 peter boy and the trend
Sept 12/13 Peter Boy and the Trend
New style advert – couples dancing
Sept 19/20 Peter Boy and the Trend
Sept 26/27 Peter Boy and the Trend
Oct 3/4 By popular request the return of the Galaxy (formerly the Sterling Showband). Due to increase in band and transport costs admission as from Friday will be 8/6
Oct 10/11 The Galaxy 8/6 and 6/-
Oct 17/18 The Galaxy
Oct 24/25 The Galaxy
Oct 31/Nov 1 The Galaxy
Nov 7/8 The Galaxy
Nov 12 Scottish Society for Mentally Handicapped Children Dingwall and District Branch
Grand Variety Concert presenting the entire cast of the Highland Cabaret
The Tuesday show with the Barnetson Girls and the Strathpeffer Band – the Bob Hunter Trio etc
Compère Charlie Bulloch
In the Pavilion Wed 12 Nov 1969 6/-
Nov 14/15 The Star Dust
Nov 21/22 The Freedom Fighters
Nov 28/29 The Royal Viceroys
They were: Jimmy Watters (Leader) trombone & vocals, Sam Downey, drums & vocals, Martin
(surname unknown) rhythm guitar & vocals, Joe Gilchrist, bass & vocals and Billy Donaldson,
guitar, organ (Farfisa) and vocals. There is no known photo of the band. (See entry in Guestbook).
Dec 5/6 The New Denver
Dec 12/13 The Sundowners
Dec 19/20 First time in Scotland the sensational
Heather and the Pines
The management wish to apologise to their patrons for last Friday’s band turning up late, but unfortunately it was outside their control due to adverse weather conditions. We hope you will enjoy your dancing over the festive season.
Dec 24 The Freedom Fighters
Dec 26/27 The Emeralds