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Picture special: A new Rolling Stones book features stories from Hamilton people about band's legendary 1964 gig in the town

10:54, 1 OCT 2015 UPDATED 12:15, 1 OCT 2015
BY ROBERT MITCHELL

Author Richard Houghton made an appeal to readers of the Advertiser to come forward, and they did.



It’s been over five decades since 2000 people crammed into a Hamilton ballroom for a legendary gig by the Rolling Stones – and now a new book will shine a light on that remarkable night by telling the stories of people who were there.

Amongst the performances remembered in You Had To Be There: The Rolling Stones Live 1962 – 69 are the concerts that took place in the Chantinghall Hall Hotel on May 18, 1964.

Last year, author Richard Houghton made an appeal in the letters page of the Hamilton Advertiser for people who were there to come forward, and was delighted when many of our readers did exactly that.

Richard, who lives in Manchester, said: “I’ve been lucky enough to capture some great anecdotes of people who saw the Stones on their journey to stardom. They started out as a group of rhythm and blues aficionados sometimes playing to a handful of people in a pub and became the greatest rock and roll band in the world.”

Although 2000 people managed to cram themselves into the ballroom at the Chantinghall Hotel on that night in 1964, it is also remembered because another 1000 mobbed the streets outside because of a forgery scam.

A queue snaked its way all the way to Peacock Cross, and the police had to send for reinforcements from Motherwell and Wishaw.

Youngsters who succumbed to the heat or hysteria tried to recover in a makeshift ambulance room in the hotel’s foyer, while in the ballroom a few scraps broke out.

Michael Prater was just 10 when the Rolling Stones came to Hamilton, and he recalls: “I stood outside, unable to get in.

“There was a riot at the show due to forged tickets and the place was packed solid. Cars were damaged and there was a lot of unruly behaviour.”

Patrick McCue was aged just 15 when he went to the Hamilton show. He said: “Two of my friends who were into the Stones’ music managed to get three tickets and persuaded me to accompany them to the gig.

“There we were, three mods, all decked out in our black plastic coats and trilby hats to match. My enduring memory of that evening, after what can only be described as the best gig I’ve ever been to, is the chaos following it.

“The cloakroom staff had lost the ticket stubs and it was to be 50 at a time to go into the cloakroom and pick up their coats. I duly picked up my black plastic coat and headed outside. My friends emerged 30 minutes later sporting what could only be described as expensive Crombie coats!”

Author Richard Houghton added: “This book is not just about the Rolling Stones. It’s also a window on the past, a look at what it was like to grow up in 1960s Britain.

“Teenagers hadn’t really been invented until the Rolling Stones came along and they played a part in opening many people’s eyes to what was possible. The Stones helped to make the Sixties swing.”

You Had To Be There: The Rolling Stones Live 1962 – 69 can be ordered from gottahavebooks.co.uk or via www.amazon.co.uk.

[www.dailyrecord.co.uk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-10-01 21:29 by Cristiano Radtke.

Been getting some good press coverage around the launch of my book in various local newspapers. And some 5 star reviews on Amazon too! Waiting to hear what Some Toronto Girl thinks of it.

STG thinks Canada Post sucks more than usual. Checking daily, no sign of it yet. You'll definitely hear when I do, the bubble bath and whisky are standing by, planning to make a night of it!

Just received the book

So different from wanna-be scandalous unathorized bio on sex and drugs

This joyful, candid,

You read it as you wish, no need to scroll from page one to the end.. Moving testimonies from teens after WW II on the early Stones.. You pick a concert, and immerse back in time.. Funny how you have the feeling of the other side, from the crowd.. I was just reading the Keith "spitting" incident in Glasgow, the one Ian Stewart said they get almost killed for, and had to run for their life.. Include also cops' memories...


It's a marvel

I'm wondering whether this has reached Toronto yet?

Hi Richard,
Thanks for following up. No sign of it yet. I'm giving it up for lost. Will have to pick up a copy locally, really looking forward to reading it. Congrats on getting it published.

A

The RCMP must have intercepted it. Let's give it 7 more days. If it doesn't arrive by then I'll send you another one by recorded delivery.

Just under the wire! Glad to have it in my hot little hands and looking forward to a nice long read! Thanks so much, Richard!

Yay! Sometimes it takes what seems like months (--and it *is* months) to pass over the Canadian border.
Sometimes stuff doesn't get there at all. So glad you received your prize book, STG!

~"Love is Strong"~



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-11-17 14:36 by angee.

Hi STG. Glad it finally arrived. Hope you like it. Richard

Finally had a chance to start perusing. Lovely book, full of the kind of tales I wish I could tell, and nicely presented. Thanks so much Richard. Looking forward to more reading!

Glad you like it! Richard