The Archive

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Updated Dec 2012

This site is dedicated to the memory of Roger Hutchinson, who inspired me to delve deep into the magic of the free festival and who passed away Sept 3rd 2010.

R.I.P. Roger .....

Big BIG thanks to our sponsor Neil !

For information on today's festivals see eFestivals.co.uk R.IP. Phil Shaksby , aka Phil The Beer ,who passed away April 2010 .

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Durham Dome Festival, County Durham.UK July 1st 1973 ( plus unknown 1973 date ) June 22nd 1975. June 20th 1976. June 19th 1977. June 1980.

Photos from 1975 festival © Garry Marsh

     This festival was held in 1973 ,and then in 1975 through till 1980 .We know very little about the earliest festivals.The alternative magazine Mother Grumble has reports on two festivals being held in Durham in the summer of 1973, under this title .

    Unfortunately their webmaster has never replied to our requests for more information, so we cannot definitely say that their Domefest is the one portrayed on this site. The stage seen in the photo at Mother Grumble looks rather different to the one in Garrys pix, but this could just mean that they made some changes for the second festival.

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I was a 15 year old local that helped build the original geodesic dome that was used for the 1st Domefest in 1973. I think!!! A band called Stella may well have been part of the line up featuring Ian Martin ,guitar,now of Martian fm fame, Steve Duffy, vocals, of web poetry fame, Colin prior,Bass, of van crashing fame, Ian the drummer - barnfather &wilkes? And another guitarist, maybe called Martin, of a curly haired and quiet nature!
Mick Bird

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I came across these pix from the Durham Domefest 1975, which took place on the banks of the river (what?) in about June/July/August. The band on stage are/were ARBRE from Wallsend, they are still going as the Caffrey Bros (www.thecaffs.co.uk or .com).

Maybe you can find more about the Domefests, they may have been just one day events, can't remember, but we ONLY went to this one for one day!
All the best
Garry Marsh

June 23rd 1974

There was a Durham Domefest in June 1974. The reason I know this is that my band played there – Keplers Ellipse. The line up of our band was organ, guitar, bass, flute and vocals, and myself on drums. We played an organ dominated set consisting of caravan, camel, van der graaf and a rock version of bachs fugue in d minor. It was a great experience with a huge crowd lined up along the river bank. Unfortunately, being so caught up in the whole ambience of the day I didn’t take any photographs but hopefully someone else might have and will forward them to your site.

I can’t remember which other bands were on that day except that we somehow managed to blag the spot just before the headlining band which was Jack the Lad. They were absolutely magnificent.

Dave Henderson

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Hi

just been reading your item on the durham domefest and it brought back memories.
In 1973 the first ever domefest, we were the opening band called Geezer Tarquin were on the bill but they were our rivals so we went to the Dun Cow
In 1974 we were booked to be the headline band but supertramp played Dunelm House the night before and offered to play. We were asked if we would step down a rung.
What a bummer, we still played it was a privilege to be on the same stage as supertramp.

I remember the Durham students union who organized all the bands to play at Dunelm House in the early seventies such as Free, Deep Purple, Skid Row etc. before they made it big.
They also looked for local band to play as backing bands.

The first ever Domefest 1973 was a try it and see. All the local bands deemed it a success so the following year some of the bands who played previous year where asked again. The band Geezer which i was a drummer for where asked if we would finish the night.
Supertramp were on a British tour of universities performed the night before. When they offered to play at Domefest we were asked if we would play before them. It was a night i will never forget.

Thanks for the memories
Tony Lumley

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There was a festival in 77 (it's very unusual for me, but I can't remember a thing about this one) and Steve Brown Band headlined in 75 (not 76). Anyway, here goes

Sunday June 22 1975

(Got there about 4 o'clock so I missed some bands and don't know who they were)
In order of appearance -
Arbre
Global Village Trucking Company
Hedgehog Pie
Isotope
Steve Brown Band
To be honest, this is the only one that might interest anyone outside the North East cause the next 2 were local bands only. I don't know why they stopped booking non local bands.

Sunday June 20 1976

(in order of appearance).
Srewf
Dexter
Mushroom
Cancer Moon
Deja Vu
Village
Steve Brown Band
Arbre
Dave
Preacher
Guy
North Star
Raw Spirit

Srewf featured my band mates George Maddison and Kevin Heard from the Carpettes. During their set someone shot at George with an air rifle. He missed and the organiser came running on stage to shout at the culprit who was up the hill!
Dexter were an ace jazz rock band a la Isotope. I'd seen them (with Dave), six weeks earlier, do a freebie at Durham Fowler's yard. Pity they never released any recordings. Arbre were signed to DJM at the time and had an album out (acoustic guitar, Lindisfarne type group) Raw Spirit had been gigging for a while. I saw them supporting Man at Newcastle city hall June 21 1973. Can't remember anything about the other bands, sorry (Dave was a bloke with an acoutic guitar, he was really good, did his own songs)

Sunday June 19 1977

(in order of appearance)
Co Op Quintette
East Coast
Southbound
Sidekick
Harcourt's Heroes
Phil Townend
Steve Brown Band
Guy
Cubes
Erection
Headliners - Erection were like a Gonzalez type funk/pop outfit. I saw them six weeks later at Houghton-le-spring Inn Cognito club, where they played to a load of disco types, and they went down just as well!
Anyway, as I said, the last 2 festivals might be irrelevant to you. The 75 one was by far the best one.

All the best,

Neil Thompson.

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Hi
I went to the Durham Domefest I'm pretty sure in 1975 like Gary rather than 1973 so maybe it was held in later years than Mother Grumble reports.The river was the Wear. It was June I think and was bloody cold. A typical north eastern summer's day - maybe no longer with global warming but certainly when I was a kid. The only band I remember was the Chris Jagger Band. They arrived in a jag, an S type, with Chris sitting on the bonnet if I recall correctly. I thought it was reported in the NME at the time though I could be wrong. It was a one day event. It may have been held in earlier years but I can't remember.
keep on keeping on
Nick

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Durham Dome Festival 20 June 1976. I actually played in the band Neil refers to with George and Kevin (actually spelt Strewf, our first and only gig if I recall). Highlight of the day was watching the antics of the Hell's Angels who were present. When George was fired at with an airgun from across the river (Wear), the announcer interrupted the set to warn the culprits that if they didn't desist the police would be called, then paused and said 'Oh... there's the 'police' on their way now..' referring to a posse of Angels heading over a nearby bridge to 'remonstrate'. They (the Angels) also threw our 'roadie' (really a mate pressed into service) in the river for touching one of their bikes with his mini van. Luckily it's only about three feet deep there. But they had a certain style - I remember they sat in a group on the grass, shredded leathers and other undiscernible garments covered in oil and one with a skinned cat over his helmet, sipping sherry from immaculately cut glasses. Incidentally, I agree Dexter were great jazz-rock players but the times being what they were I saw the guitarist some months later in a decidely non-twiddly new-wave band (don't remember the name).

Mike

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I was at boarding school in Durham and The Dome Fest was a highlight of the Summer Term!

We were fairly young at the time, 13year olds that knew it all. We used to pile down to The Race Course (that’s the stretch of the river where the festival was held) and watch in awe has Hells Angels held their ground, mind you the aroma from the sweaty leathers was enough to ward anyone off ;)

Can’t remember much about the bands, we were just soaking up the atmosphere…Happy Days!

Jeff

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I cant remember much about it, I believe it was 75 as Sunderland had won the cup recently, I remember a load of Bikers fastening a rope to the Toilet steps (about 6 High) and pulling them off with a bike, funny watching everyone coming out and dropping !!! cant remember much about the bands, saw a couple of them in the Old 29 In Sunderland, your right it was cold !!! and its the wear next to the Cathedral, Good Days.

Ian Jack

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15th July 1979

White Heat Durham 1979 © Kevin Geragthy Shewan

I went to Domefest in 1979 and 1980 but really can't remember much about it other than it was a nice little festival on a strip of land down by the River Wear. I'm pretty sure my Dad would have told me about it in 1979 as I think he was working in Durham at the time, he may even have driven me over on the way to work. I've no idea who I went with that first time, it could have been my brother or maybe I even went on my own. I know the following year I got the bus through to Durham with my girlfriend as the bus ticket is stuck in my scrapbook!
It was mostly local bands, some of which I would have known from Friday nights at the Mayfair in Sunderland. There was a mix of styles from punk to rock with the odd folk singer thrown in as well. In 1980 an unknown band with a strange name appeared and it was quite a surprise a few months later when Prefab Sprout came to national attention!
I often wondered why I didn't go again after 1980 but looking at this site it would seem that was the last one - a victim of Thatcherite cuts no doubt!
Bye for now
Kevin Geraghty-Shewan

The 45's .Durham 1979 © Kevin Geragthy Shewan

Startrooper . Durham Domefest 1979 © Kevin Geragthy Shewan

Southbound . Durham Domefest 1979 © Kevin Geragthy Shewan

29th June 1980

Info courtesy Kevin Geragthy Shewan

Durham Domefest 1980 © Kevin Geragthy Shewan

Domefest 1980 © Dave Henderson

Prefab Sprout at the Domefest 1980 © Dave Henderson

The Big Picture. Durham Domefest 1980© Kevin Geragthy Shewan

Sharplicks . Durham Domefest 1980© Kevin Geragthy Shewan

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