From King’s Heath’s Ritz Ballroom to the Royal Albert Hall in just 24 Hours!
56th Anniversary of The Rolling Stones Birmingham Debut
Satisfaction is guaranteed for The Rolling Stones fans this Sunday the 15th September at King’s Heath’s mini festival. There will be over 5 hours of The Rolling Stones music to celebrate the 56th Anniversary of their first ever performance in King’s Heath’s old Ritz Ballroom on York Road. The day after making their 1963 Birmingham debut before hundreds at the tiny ballroom, they returned to London to perform before thousands at the Great Pop Prom in the Royal Albert Hall.
The band formed in London in 1962 by Brian Jones after he met up with Mick Jagger & Keith Richards who had also been childhood friends. The Rolling Stones started out as a blues group taking their name from the title of a song by Muddy Waters. And for the whole of 1962 they played exclusively in the London area. But all that changed on the 7th of June 1963 after they released their first single, a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Come On”. Just a few months later on 14 September 1963 they played one of their first ever gigs outside London and their first ever in Birmingham at King’s Heath’s now sadly burnt down Ritz Ballroom. Joining Brian, Mick and Keith on the tiny stage were Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. Immediately afterwards they had to hurriedly return to London to get ready to open the Great Pop Prom in an afternoon concert at the Royal Albert Hall! When they next returned to Birmingham the following year they played the much larger venues of the Hippodrome and the Town Hall before going on to become onto become the world’s greatest rock and roll bands, selling over 200 million albums!
From 15.00pm-18.00pm a great line-up of local musicians including Acoustica, Acoustic Sunset, Dog Walker, Harmonica Bob and Oz, Matilda Pratt, Mr Apollo, Matilda Pratt, The Guest List and Tim Walkerdine will perform their interpretations of classic Rolling Stones songs at Fletchers Bar & Eatery. (directly opposite the burnt down ruins of the old Ritz Ballroom) Tracks ranging from early blues classics like “I’m A King Bee” and “Route 66” through to Jagger/Richards penned hits like “Jumpin Jack Flash” “Honky Tonk Women” and “Paint It Black”.
Tickets cost just £5 in advance from the Kitchen Garden Cafe, £5.50 from www.wegottickets.com/event/476536
or £6 on the door
At 19.00pm doors will then open at the award winning Hare & Hounds for an evening concert starting at 19.45pm by Europe’s No 1 tribute band “The Stones”, who regularly perform at major venues throughout the country, Europe and worldwide! They are a great band in their own right bringing to the stage all the energy and excitement of a live The Rolling Stones concert. A recent performance at Chesterfield’s Winding Wheel Theatre was described as “The Rolling Stones recreated to absolute perfection!”.
First 30 tickets advance tickets cost just £6.60 from
The price will then increase to £8.80 or £10 on the door.
Joint organisers Bob Prew and Ken Whittaker said “It is quite amazing to think that The Rolling Stones Birmingham debut took place in a tiny venue on a King’s Heath side street, but the owners of the Ritz Ballroom, Ma and Pa Regan, had a real eye for spotting up and coming talent and had already put on The Beatles earlier in 1963. While the ballroom burnt down several years ago, we are determined that it’s legacy should live on. King’s Heath’s York Road will be rocking again on September the 15th to the sounds of the greatest rock’n’roll band in the world. Satisfaction is guaranteed to all those who come on down to help celebrate and commemorate The Rolling Stones Birmingham Debut.”
Further Information
Bob Prew – 0121 689 2360/07779 782240 or Ken Whittaker on 0121 443 5237
King’s Heath Walk Of Fame is a small charity that aims to celebrate King’s Heath’s amazing musical, cultural and sporting heritage through pavement stars, wall plaques and live events so as to inspire young people to become the stars of the future!
www.kingsheathwalkoffame.org.uk
