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From the noise and feedback of Psychocandy right through to the present day, they’re part of my musical DNA. So treating them as an opening act was always going to be a hard mental adjustment.

That said, Reid and company delivered a fantastic, albeit short, seven-song set. They didn’t mess about. Opening with JAMCOD, they locked straight into that moody, feedback-drenched groove. Hearing April Skies, Blues From A Gun, and Some Candy Talking back-to-back in an arena was a treat, even if the room was still filling up. 

By the time they rolled through Happy When It Rains, Just Like Honey, and a menacing Reverence, they had shown exactly why their influence still hangs heavy over modern rock and shoegaze. They were in top form, and seven tracks honestly just left me wanting a full headline set.

I’d caught Alice Cooper out in Daytona earlier in the year, so I knew what to expect from him as the frontman for The Hollywood Vampires (8) a proper, full-fat rock ‘n’ roll spectacle. And they certainly delivered on that front.

The Vampires set is essentially the ultimate high-budget covers night celebrating dead friends and rock royalty, anchored by Alice, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry, and Tommy Henriksen.

I was sceptical about Depp on guitar but he can play, he did a few vocals too but the mix didn’t do him any favours.

The band kicked off with a couple of their own songs I Want My Now and Raise The Dead before diving headfirst into a massive list of classics. Alice sounded great on I’m Eighteen, and the band pulled off a surprisingly dark rendition of Velvet Underground’s Venus in Furs and Killing Joke’s The Death And Resurrection Show.

The covers kept coming thick and fast, Jim Carroll’s People Who Died (where Ozzy probably got the biggest cheer of the night as he appeared on the film of all the people mentioned in the song was shown), Johnny Thunders’ You Can’t Put Your Arms Round A Memory, Aerosmith tracks, The Who’s Baba O’Riley, and a massive crowd-singalong for David Bowie’s Heroes. Closing out the main set with School’s Out blended into Pink Floyd’s Another Brick In The Wall was pure theatrical fun.

Then came the encore. Bringing out Ronnie Wood for The Train Kept A-Rollin’, The Rolling Stones’ Brown Sugar, and Jeff Beck’s Hi Ho Silver Lining was a genuine surprise and a great moment to end on.

I went to the O2 specifically for The Jesus and Mary Chain, but the Vampires proved to be a thoroughly entertaining bonus. A solid night of classic riffs, nostalgia, and top-tier showmanship.

This popular US R&B quartet were billed as The Original Coasters because they were led by tenor singer Cornelius “Cornell” Gunter who’d been an “original” member of The Coasters who had moved to New York from Los Angeles to record for Atlantic Records in the late 1950s.

Gunter had remained until 1961 before leaving to form his own version known as The Fabulous Coasters.

In November 1966, British promoter Roy Tempest brought Gunter’s version over for a nationwide tour, but it’s not clear who the other members were and so we’d be interested in hearing from anyone that can provide more information below in the comments section. Also, an article in the Nottingham Evening Post (see below) regarding two shows on 6 November suggest that another version of The Coasters was touring Europe (and possibly Britain) at the same time, which might account for some of the gigs below.

For most, if not all, of the gigs listed below, Tempest used a Bognor-Regis based band that he had signed to his agency at the start of September 1966 and installed in London called The Noblemen, although by this point, they had started to work as The Motivation/Motivation.

The line-up comprised Jimmy Marsh (lead vocals); Martin Barre (lead guitar/saxophone), Mick Ketley (keyboards); Chris Rodger (saxophone/trumpet); Bryan Stevens (bass); and Malcolm Tomlinson (drums).

When they linked up with The Original Coasters, The Noblemen/Motivation had just finished working with Alvin Robinson. Rodger also recalls that they supported Ben E King on a few shows while working with The Original Coasters, including at the Twisted Wheel in Manchester (either on 8 or 12 November) and possibly the Thames Hotel in Windsor on 15 November.

Shortly after a riot at the Domino Club in Manchester on 20 November, The Motivation stopped working with Tempest and subsequently changed name to The Penny Peeps, recording two singles for Liberty Records in 1968. Barre went on to join Jethro Tull.

The Coasters returned for another British tour in May 1968 but it’s not clear what version this was.

These gigs are incomplete

Tour dates:

5 November 1966 – Rawmarsh Baths Hall, Rawmarsh, South Yorkshire with Brian Poole & The Tremeloes and The Dawley Crews Amblers (Sheffield Star) Most likely with The Noblemen/Motivation considering King Mojo all-nighter later this same evening

5 November 1966 – King Mojo all-nighter, Sheffield, South Yorkshire with The Noblemen and Sonny Childe & The TNT (Sheffield Star) Backed by The Noblemen (aka Motivation)

6 November 1966 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) Most likely with The Noblemen/Motivation

6 November 1966 – Beachcomber, Nottingham with Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays (Nottingham Evening Post) Most likely with The Noblemen/Motivation. This show was reviewed in the Nottingham Evening Post’s 11 November issue on page 14 (see above)

6 November 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker) Most likely with The Noblemen/Motivation but is this possible as  the 7.30pm-11.30pm time clashes with Nottingham gigs above unless this was another version of The Coasters

9 November 1966 – Mecca Ballroom, Royal Pier, Southampton, Hants with The Noblemen (Southern Evening Echo) Backed by The Noblemen (aka Motivation)

11 November 1966 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, northwest London with The Mode (Melody Maker) Most likely with The Noblemen/Motivation

12 November 1966 – Oasis, Manchester with Motivation and Hari Kari (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Backed by Motivation

13 November 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker) Most likely with The Noblemen/Motivation. It might be after this gig that Malcolm Tomlinson and Mick Ketley were invited by Gunter to a party where they met Jimi Hendrix. 

15 November 1966 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker) This was most likely with another backing band as Ketley doesn’t recall playing this venue or was another version of The Coasters

17 November 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex (Brighton Evening Argus) Most likely with The Noblemen/Motivation

19 November 1966 – Twisted Wheel, Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Most likely with The Noblemen/Motivation

19 November 1966 – Cavern, Liverpool with The Noblemen, The Hideaways, The Kids, The Love Trade and The Escorts (Liverpool Echo) Backed by The Noblemen (aka Motivation)

20 November 1966 – Princess Theatre, Chorlton, Greater Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Backed by Motivation

20 November 1966 – Domino Club, Openshaw, Greater Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) Backed by Motivation – this is the gig where the riot took place

24 November 1966 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker) This was most likely with another backing band as Ketley doesn’t recall playing this venue or was another version of The Coasters

25 November 1966 – New Yorker Discotheque, Swindon, Wiltshire with The Noblemen (Swindon Evening Advertiser) Backed by The Noblemen (aka Motivation)

26 November 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Motivation, Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays and Heart & Soul (Lincolnshire Standard) Backed by Motivation

26 November 1966 – Burlesque, Leicester with Motivation (Leicester Mercury) Backed by Motivation

27 November 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirlevington, North Yorkshire with The Motivation (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette) Backed by Motivation

We’d welcome any further information below in the comments section