Sunderland Locarno

The north-east venue hosted a gig that Peel frequently described as his all-time favourite (although this sometimes varied) - headlined by the Faces on the weekend after the local second division football club beat Arsenal to qualify for the 1973 FA Cup Final (where they subsequently defeated heavy favourites Leeds 1-0 in one of the biggest shocks in English football history).

Playing gigs in Sunderland was not an unknown experience for Peel, who had struck up a relationship with local promotor Geoff Doherty when the latter was starting out at the Bay Hotel in the same city. Peel later contributed a foreword to Doherty's memoir, 'A Promoter's Tale: Rock At The Sharp End'.

Peel in Sunderland
Gigs below featured Peel on the bill. These were researched from Doherty's listing, at the end of his book, of all the gigs he put on down the years.

Bay Hotel

(all 1969)

3 March
 * Van Der Graaf Generator, Black Sabbath

10 March
 * Spirit Of John Morgan & The Music Of Jan Dukes De Grey

21 April
 * Liverpool Scene, Bridget St John

Locarno


 * 1969

24 October (day of release of "Atomic Heart Mother"
 * Pink Floyd, Stone The Crows

28 November
 * Tryannosaurus Rex, Spirit Of John Morgan


 * 1970

13 February
 * Blodwyn Pig, Audience - Locarno,


 * 1973

13 April
 * Rod Stewart & Faces - Locarno

27 April
 * Status Quo, Good Habit - Locarno