Gigs in the 1960s at the Steering Wheel club in Weymouth

The club was at 7 Maiden Street and represented the heyday of live music in the town.

The club was run by Sam Fowler, the founding father of the local live music scene.

The Steering Wheel then became Harry’s and no live band crossed its threshold.

Back in the 1960s the following gigs were held at the Steering Wheel. Do you remember attending any of them?

November 21, 1968

Killing Floor

This blues rock band formed in 1968. Band of Joy’s singer was Robert Plant, who went on to become the lead singer for Led Zeppelin.

Killing Floor were an active part of the British blues boom of the late 1960s, which also produced bands such as Free and the aforementioned Led Zeppelin.

Over the next four years the band built a strong reputation on the club and college scene in the UK, played major festivals in Europe and backed Texas blues legend Freddie King on two British tours. Two albums were produced, both of which have been reissued many times and have gained cult status worldwide.

June 26, 1968 and December 6, 1967

Band of Joy

The band was formed in West Bromwich, England, by Robert Plant, Vernon Pereira, and Chris Brown.

Plant eventually left the group after a conflict with the band's management. He tried to form his own Band of Joy, but it folded.

He attempted a third try with John Bonham 1967 to 1968. The band broke up in May of 1968 when a recording contract failed to materialize.

November 1, 1967

The Gods

This rock band was founded in 1965. The Gods are most famous for introducing the world to Ken Hensley, the multi talented, main songwriter of Uriah Heep’s most famous period and an excellent solo career in his own right, but also housing Greg Lake and Mick Taylor in their ranks at some point in their relatively short lived history.

However, they were arguably, alongside Deep Purple’s earliest work, the closest the UK came to Vanilla Fudge.

May 4, 1967

Family 

Hailing from Leicester, Family existed from early 1967 until late 1973. The band covered a lot of musical ground, touching on 60′s psychedelia; breezy acoustic passages; hard progressive rock; jazz-flavorings; and in their final stages, a laid-back, “good-time” brand of rock and roll.

The basis of the group lies with the songwriting partnership of Roger Chapman and Charlie Whitney. Mr. Chapman is thought by many to have the most unique voice in rock.

May 8, 1966

The Troggs

Formed in Andover, Hampshire, this band are remembered for their anthem Wild Thing and smash hit Love Is All Around, which went on to be covered by Wet, Wet, Wet and spent 15 weeks at number one.

By 1970, The Troggs were struggling. They continued to release a stream of singles, most of which had a straightforward simplicity that was out of step with the progressive rock of the time, all of which flopped, though some were fairly good.

The Troggs are still going today and will be performing concerts in Germany next month and a Reg Presley Memorial Gig in Manchester on February 4, dedicated to the memory of their much-missed former frontman.

Did you attend any of these gigs?

What are your memories of seeing these bands at the Steering Wheel or of any night you spent there at the much-missed Maiden Street venue?

Get in touch by contacting Jo Davis on 01305 830973 or email joanna.davis@dorsetecho.co.uk