Dal Stevens and the Four Dukes mistaken for Cliff and the Shadows !
Things were improving for our group as we were now averaging two venues a week. However, we had been practising on Wednesday evenings at the Unity Hall in Rawson Square costing 10 shillings.
The problem was, after all our different bus journies and the walk through town with Instruments etc, we were beginning not to enjoy the situation as the practise time seemed so limited. However, things were about to change
We had recently played at the local Saturday morning Teenage Show at the Gaumont Theatre.
On our second visit, I was speaking to Mr Philcox the overall manager of the Theatre whose idea this show was proving to be a success, especially for our local groups. I mentioned to him that we were finding it difficult to have a place to practise. Mr Philcox hearing of our plight, offered us one of the ten changing rooms to practice on our Wednesday evenings. This was not only very convenient but would not cost us a penny, it also meant we could leave Keith's drum kit there to pick up anytime for any bookings.
Our practice room was on the first-floor balcony of the theatre of which the entrance was through the balcony, down the right-hand side through the double doors along a passage and into our dressing room. It was very spacious, and soundproofed, also with a frosted window that looked down onto the cobbled Quebec Street.
Our practice nights went well with additional numbers, Apache and Duane who could sing like Cliff Richard singing his hits. We would always arrive together at 7:30 until 10 0 o'clock for us the disperse carrying guitars for our buses home. On our arrival, when in the balcony we had to be quiet going down to the dressing room, as most of the time there were many patrons who we had to pass watching the film. However, sometimes some of the female patrons would ask in passing, who we were.
We would always answer, but not too loud, but this would change as Cliff Richard and the Shadows were due to appear on stage at the Gaumont Theatre on a Saturday night.
Continued -
It was our practice the Wednesday night before Cliff Richard and the Shadows appeared on stage on Saturday, it was Duane thought we were to make more noise than usual on the balcony down to the dressing room. It would be dark other than the light showing the film and perhaps we would be mistaken for the Cliff and the shadows. Why? we agreed for those few minutes to act it out, with Eric being tall and a little like Hank Marvin, the rest of us unlike any of them. It was very dark on the night as we heavily clambered our way down and through the double doors to our dressing room, Hank's and Cliff's names were said loudly during this fiasco as we settled down for our practice.
The dressing rooms were soundproofed and all was set up with Duane singing Cliff Richard numbers, also the instrumental, Apache, after a while as the music drifted into the night through the open window a small crowd of teenagers below were looking up and shouting. This had happened before, however it seemed this night somewhat different which would come to an abrupt end.
Seemingly there had been problems in the balcony, although no sounds could be heard from us, but word had got around that Cliff was here with his group.
I was later told all this from one of the usherettes having problems around the double doors to the dressing room and had to call Mr Philcox to the situation.
Of course, we were playing in the soundproofed room completely unaware of all this. That was until Mr Philcox entered the room and said during our practice we had been mistaken for Cliff Richard and his group!
We all looked at each other in amazement. Mr Philcox was as much surprised as we were. While all this was taking place the noise from the street was loud, he went to the window saying we should not play any more numbers and closed the window. He was right as later glances through the window we saw a lot of teenagers outside. We had entered the building at 7:30 to practise and had to wait until 11 o'clock before we could leave the way we came in and rumours rife that it could start up again. I do not believe we pulled the wool over Mr Philcox's eyes even though we tried to act innocently. I think he knew it had developed out of nothing. The last buses had gone, outside it was again still and quiet, and what did Mr Philcox do? He paid for two taxis to take us home.
Dennis ( Duane ) Oliver later joined 'The Crusaders' as mainly the vocalist and was popular for his renditions of the all the Cliff Richard numbers.
