Day: August 5, 2025

Burnley Lancashire

“Star Night” At the Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, was invariably reserved for Saturday night when there was chance of a lie in on the Sunday to let the toxic aftermath of Brew 10 wear off. But occasionally, the management were offered an act of such stellar proportions that available slots on other nights had to be considered. And so it was that Tuesday (yes Tuesday) August 3rd, 1965, saw the arrival of an American band who had just flown in for a European tour… Read More

In the modest but always vibrant town of Nelson, “Star Night” at the Imperial Ballroom was the heartbeat of every…

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Burnley Lancashire

BREAKING NEWS: Sixty years ago today, July 31st 1965, the star attraction at the Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, was Manfred Mann. Manfred Mann, real name Manfred Sepse Lubowitz, was born into a Lithuanian Jewish family in South Africa on 21st October 1941. Having studied music in Johannesburg, he worked as a pianist in several clubs, playing the music that he loved, jazz. He emigrated to London in 1961 and a year later met percussionist Mike Hugg at Butlins in Clacton, forming the Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers, playing a mix of jazz and blues. They were joined by Mike Vickers on guitar and bassist Dave Richmond, together with Paul Jones, vocalist and blues harpist. At one time they were augmented by four brass members as… Read More

  Exactly six decades ago, on July 31st, 1965, music history was made at the Imperial Ballroom in Nelson, where…

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