Show Must Go On: Memories of great gigs in Kirkcaldy

The Kirkcaldy area has always supported live music with each decade having their own merits over the years. Post war ballrooms was the heyday of big bands touring supplemented by smaller local show bands in ballrooms and the members clubs as the returning forces had full employment and money to spend.

Fife Ice Arena opened in 1938 as Kirkcaldy Ice Rink and the post war touring bands included the top orchestras of the day such as Ted Heath and Joe Loss to full crowds, many in uniform on leave. A barn of a venue few live events followed this boom, but rocker Gene Vincent sang here and more recently Thin Lizzy and Rat Dog, the band formed by Grateful Dead guitar man Bob Weir.

The Raith Ballroom opened as a cinema the same year as the Ice Rink but was opened as a ballroom by TV personality Larry Marshall in 1962.

When Alan King became manager, he featured the pop stars of the day such as Sweet, The Searchers, The Who, Canned Heat and even Fleetwood Mac.

They were backed by the Andy Ross Orchestra originally then the Raith Show Band and ran six nights a week with beat groups like Kirkcaldy’s Young Front doing soul covers on a Monday night.

On the Esplanade the Burma Ballroom could boast the nationally acclaimed Tommy Sampsom Orchestra but visiting groups like The Band Of Joy with singer Robert Plant and drummer John Bonham before they formed Led Zeppelin and of course The Shadettes from Dunfermline before they changed their name to Nazareth.

The YMCA in Valley Gardens may have had a tiny venue for dancing but as a music venue was the place to be.

As well as the cream of Scottish bands like the Poets and The Pathfinders they hosted shows by Rory Gallagher, Chris Farlowe and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with guitarist Mick Taylor later of the Rolling Stones. Places like Templehall Community Centre in the late 1960s would host youth clubs.

I saw the Bay City Rollers get their first taste of teen adulation as did Salvation with a young Midge Ure fronting. It was he who charted with Slik and Ultravox and co-founded Live Aid.

Pubs in town have always featured live acts in some form The Elbow Room was a renowned folk venue in the 1960s with guests like The Spinners, Barbara Dickson, Hamish Imlach and The Humblebums with Billy Connolly and Gerry Rafferty while TV shows were recorded right there.

As for the clubs in town the Travel Club, Gunners, Railway Club all had resident bands and good attendances and function rooms in the hotels did good business like the Falkland Bar at the Royal Albert (Anthony’s) Hotel.

The Pogo-A-Gogo punk nights at the Station Hotel still live long in the memory of author Ian Rankin and the long-remembered Seaforth Hotel in Dysart hosted bands like Greenslade and Vinegar Joe with Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer.

My own residency at the Dutch Mill had years of great rock bands in the late 1970s including The Soft Boys, Pallas and Simple Minds.

Over the years the night clubs like Garrison which became Jackie ‘O’, Bentleys, Oscars then Caesars now Society, Kitty’s and the Cue Ball all had live acts, national DJs and public appearances (PAs) with soap stars and musicians. In the past few years live venues have been restricted to pubs like the Duchess, Betty Nicols, O’Connells, St Clair Tavern and the Windsor Hotel with some memorable ska nights.

The newest venue which opened last December as the Kings Live Lounge on the Esplanade has an admirable stage, sound system, lighting, and Green rooms with a breakout licenced bar.

In their short time they have hosted live music, burlesque, acrobatics, and a movie premiere.

Allan Crow, FFP editor, said it had all the potential of a King Tuts venue.

However, with staff currently furloughed and live acts just not feasible in the restricted guidelines numbers it will be some time yet before any shows can be scheduled or group classes returning.

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