“I'd be surprised if he wasn't there! At his gig at Lancashire County Cricket Club (Move Festival 11.7.04) - which is stones throw from the site of the Hardrock/B&Q - where his fave's the New York Dolls were also on the bill, Morrissey mentioned having had tickets to see them play The Hardrock but the show was cancelled (that gig would have been on Nov 9th Nov 1972 but was cancelled as the Doll's original drummer, Billy Murcia had sadly died 3 days earlier on 6th Nov). Morrissey would have been 13 at the time and only lived around the corner on Kings Road, so it was a short walk from his house to the Hardrock. Therefore I guess he probably went to several gigs there, despite his tender years. I know he was a keen gig-goer and lets have it right, its 1972 and Bowie's playing down the end of your road, you're gonna make it your business to get in, or at the very least hang around outside and make a nuisance of yourself. Think the B&Q needs a blue plaque.”
“<Think the B&Q needs a blue plaque> - well said, a great venue, made a lot of Manchester folk happy, and gave a lot of us a good reason to sneak out of school early to catch the stage door.”
“What a great gig. Half of the week it was the Hardrock and then with a flick of a switch, half of the floor rotated and it was a disco! Can't remember the name of the disco because I never ever went. It used to play proper disco music which anybody who ever went to the Hardrock would never listen to.
Can you imagine - dancing to the Tams on a Thursday night and then watching Ten Years After the night after! I think not.
What was incredible about the Hardrock was the free Sunday night gigs - six or seven up and coming bands who to be honest nobody had ever heard of. Can't remember all of the names of course because most of the bands never made it but a couple I do remember were the Sutherland Brothers (they sang a song called Sailing which they had written themselves and which had not yet been covered by Rod Stewart) and a band called Tin Lizzy. They opened with a traditional Irish son called Whiskey in the Jar - wonder what happened to them?
The most memorable thin about the Hardrock was how low he ceiling was for such a large venue, which channelled the sound towards those stood at the slightly higher part right at the back. Guess who was stood just there when they saw Black Sabbath? Guess who's hearing is now totally gone (except for the whistling of course).
Wouldn't have missed amoment of it though...”
“I remember going to see Bowie on the opening night. The queue snaked down the side and all round the back. Being of the Bowie era, it was all very glittery. I saw him there again that Christmas. On 8.12.72, I took the delicious Lorraine to see Led Zep. Admittedly I was more interested in her than the show. I also went to the Hardrock to see, amongst others, 10CC and ELP.”
“I loved the Hardrock! In answer to comment by deputy Sherriff one of the little known bands who played for free on Sunday was status quo, who became the best rock band in the world (imo!). The disco was the Village. Fab venue!”
“I loved the Hard Rock. We would go after they had filmed Supersonic in the afternoon and there would be remnants of that lying around. I remember the ultra violet lights when you walked in and towards the toilets. So excited. The dance floor was silver and used to evolve, I think, unless it was me. We saw bands there, either thursday or friday. I know I saw Judas Priest there in 1975 in August, just before they played Reading festival. In fact, I'll go look for Supersonic now on utube.”
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