Here are two photos I took at the Rolling Stones concert at Big Apple in March 1971. Two of my friends, Phil and Linda Wharton, and I were quite near the stage.
I remember Mick Jagger throwing a basket full of daffodils, I think they were, into the audience, and Linda caught it. This concert must have been just before the Stones went into exile in France, a film about which was shown on TV. Great memories.
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Great photos Diane, I was there, sitting very close to where you took the photo, a few rows from the front and just a tad to the left! Reckon I could have almost spat on them if I wanted to, I was so close. I would not be interested in seeing them now from 200 yds back! I went with a gang from The Cottage, one of whom, I cant recall his name, was into photography. He took loads of colour photos and was showing them in The Cottage a few nights later; would love to see them now! It was a great night, never to be forgotten, but could never forgive them for not doing an encore!
Thanks, Diane, for the great pictures. Even more thanks though for mentioning your friends Linda and Phil Wharton, both of whom I know. Linda and I worked at Miss Selfridge in Churchill Square and I have very fond memories of her. Later when they moved to the north of England my husband and I went to visit for a few days. Back then we coresponded regularly about shared interests like favourite recipes, sewing tips, clothes etc. I remember when my husband and I went to the cinema to see the new movie Jesus Christ Super Star we were suddenly surprised by a tapping on the shoulder and seeing Linda and Phil were sitting in the seats directly behind us. Out of all the cinema seats to choose from we were as close as if we had planned it. If you still have contact with Linda and Phil please send my very best wishes. I hope they are both well. Sandra.
Hi Sandra, I just received an e-mail from Phil, who’d only just seen this page. He and Linda had been watching a ’72 Stones concert from Texas last night and were wondering if they still had any photos from the Big Apple – that’s what made Phil look up this site, I believe! I too, visited them in Skipton about 30 years ago, I think they occasionally come down to Brighton, but I’ve never managed to catch up with them in person yet, we just keep in touch at Xmas! This was the only concert I saw at Big Apple – I also have a picture of us queuing to get in! Happy days…
I was there too. Police wouldn’t let us sit while we waited to get in. One old couple walked past us escorted by a Bobby with the old guy saying to his wife. “I thought there was a long line for bingo tonight!”. Obviously he thought a bunch of long haired hippies had suddenly got the bingo bug. I sat on a ten inch shelf halfway up the wall at the back of the hall. The show was worth the numbness… 🙂
I was there too, I remember the floor was sprung and it was a ballroom, several floors up in a large cinema near the Brighton clock tower. People were jumping up and down at the same time and the floor bounced. I was worried that one of the lighting towers would fall down. I had to queue for two hours to buy a ticket at a little shop on one of the roads leading from Brighton seafront. Great to see them in such a small venue
I was at this show too – very close to the front. (I had camped out all night to get the tickets so my friends camped out to be at the head of the line on the day of the show!) A rare treat to see them in my favorite Brighton Venue. There was a local photographer who did some amazing shots and was peddling them around the Cottage. But there was another person who worked up in the lighting booth who did a very good sound recording of the show, and traded around a few 1/4 open reel copies with friends. I’d love to find a copy of THAT! Any leads, anyone?
amazing that I found it, I was there too, while being with the ship in Shoreham.Our shipping agent supply the ticket for me, unfortunately I lost it. having a stones museum in Portoroz, Slovenia would like to have a copy of the ticket, Somebody can help me.Pls inform on my email : slavko.franca@gmail.com many thanks
I seem to remember this was one of their concerts to promote Sticky Fingers. I specifically remember them playing Wild Horses and like the others I got right to the front. It didn’t seem to be such a big deal in those days but it was a brilliant gig. Didn’t the Ground Hogs play immediately before as their support band? Thank you for posting the pics.
Hi Michael, I knew/remember the guy who took the photos, and was then showing them at the Cottage, can’t remember his name though! He was a keen photographer, with a decent camera, and took lots of colour photos, would love to see them now!!
I seem to remember that this was the first of their ‘farewell tours’. I was lucky with tickets. I strolled down on the Sunday morning when tickets went on sale and bumped into a couple of friends who had queued all night and let me push in with them. Took an ex girlfriend Caroline Shirley with my second ticket. Brilliant night. Mick Jagger in a pink suit and baseball cap. Everyone jumping up and down on the spring loaded floor – lots of bounce.
I still resent all the people that pushed in to the front of the queue after I’d spent a night trying to sleep on the freezing street. But hey – we all got in to see them. And yes, what a treat to see a band like that in a small venue. And that bouncing floor was like a trampoline! – nuts, eh? And SO memorable. Think how we got here: we’ve all googled “Stones – Brighton – Big Apple”, almost half a century later later! What special memories these are!
Wow, I remember this gig. My dad got given tickets at the last moment. As I could not see I went down the side and got onto the stage hiding in front of the PA speakers. After a couple of numbers the bouncers found me and I was thrown back into the audience.
I remember queuing up to get tickets from Tiger Moth records on a freezing January night after seeing Deep Purple. Tickets for the show cost 18 shillings, a bit less than the £130 I‘m paying to see them in Cardiff this week.
I’m a bit late to this page, but I was also at the Deep Purple gig with a ticket bought by my friend Gary, who heroically agreed to queue all night for Stones tickets for us, whilst I went home to bed. If you are the same Gary I would love to hear from you after 46 years. Contact details on my website mapsDOTthehunthouseDOTcom
The Groundhogs were the support for the Stones and I remember them being booed off stage – not because they were bad, but because they weren’t the Stones. Very unfair. The crowd at the Big Apple were often unruly, unlike the Dome, probably because the concerts all started after the last film was over in the Cinema below so everyone had been in the Pub all evening. The Fire Brigade set limits on the number of tickets that were sold over safety concerns about the single, tiny exit staircase. These were ignored by someone and the place was packed. It was so hot and sweaty I developed Prickly Heat. The Doctor said he had only ever seen this in the Jungle during the war.
I don’t remember the venue ever having seats. When it originally opened the floor was covered in small cushions. These were soon nicked or thrown on stage and very quickly disappeared.
Another packed gig was Emerson Lake and Palmer. It was so full the only place I could find to stand was leaning against the Mixing Desk at the back of the crowd. During Keith Emerson’s “Hammond-raping” solo the bloke on the mixer was doing all the work, the whole thing looked fake. As a big fan of Keith I was shocked. I have recently learned from Loudon Wainwright III’s road manager of the time, that all these gigs were much more tightly rehearsed and much less spontaneous than they appeared to be.
Happy days – oh to be able to attend a few more concerts like those, get baked beans on toast in the Cottage and a beer in the King & Queen.
I was at this gig, and yes, It was one of many farewell tours…Mick wore a pink satin suit… there was no encore as I remember… Just “bye” and they all disappeared…
The floor was very bouncy, we were scared it was going to cave in!
The gig was exactly 50 years ago today, my 19th birthday. I was studying at Brighton college of education and a group of us spent a very cold January night on the pavement to get tickets only for a load of people to be jumping the queue in the morning. Being quite short and standing near the back my view was limited. It was a brilliant night even though I was afraid the bouncing floor was going to give way.
I was there, about three rows from the front. Groundhogs were the support band. Standing there, almost within touching distance. Belting out Brown Sugar, with a bit of brass thrown in. What a great night! What a great live band!
I was there at the front (one person in front of me) on Bill Wyman’s side. There were so many great shows at the Big Apple, and my friends and I had the advantage of being young girls (14) and swift of foot when the doors opened. One of the fun parts was staying up all night for tickets, except when the guy (not naming names as he’s still active in Brighton and I’m long-since gone) threw up by the phone box. And the cushions!! Many of them were thrown at the stage, and when TRex played there, I remember Marc Bolan saying “gee man, you hippies are dangerous”.
I was at this show. We camped out all night to buy tickets, as well. My family was living in Brighton for a year (from Canada) and we saw many amazing performers at this unique venue during that time. Oh, it was crowded that night! If you moved your arm to scratch your nose, you lost that space and couldn’t put your arm back down! It was a spectacular show; Jagger was everywhere on the stage, outrageous and vocally astounding. The air was electric with excitement. It was years and miles ago, but it was absolutely a night to remember.
I was right at the front leaning on the stage. I went straight after school and changed in the toilets! I was allowed in as I worked at the Big Apple selling memberships, although I was only 15! I often took drinks to the green room for various bands, but the Stones were an exception. I also remember the Cottage very well.
I was there too. Had to queue up for hours to get the tickets at a little office not far from Hippodrome. I think we paid 2 pounds! I was also worried the lighting tower would fall. So good to see them in small venue. I would guess around 1000-2000 attendees. Stephen Pickup,
I was there too. I queued all night for tickets. My friend and I were at college in Eastbourne. By the time we got there it was getting crowded so, because I wanted to have a good view of Mick we climbed up on the left hand side of the stage and stood in the wings. After Groundhogs performed they joined us chatting waiting for the stones to appear. Mick Jagger had a bag of naf cushions which he threw at the audience I managed to get one as he walked past. It was certainly a night to remember.
I didn’t have a ticket for The Stones, as I was still at school with no money, but went along anyway. I used to sneak into the Big Apple regularly, but I think there was some extra security that night so I couldn’t get in by my ‘usual route ‘
There were a lot of other people without tickets, hanging around outside trying to get in.
At the back of the building, behind the stage, there was a stairwell used like a fire escape and to haul gear in and out. There was a window open about 10 feet up so I, being a lightweight and an adventurous dardevil, volunteered to climb up a human pyramid until I was standing on people’s outstretched hands and managed to reach the window and climbed in. I went back down the stairs and opened the door to let the 20 or so other ticketless fans.
They were already playing when we got into the hall so nobody noticed us coming in. We’d made it!
Unfortunately, I really don’t remember anything about the show anymore, but I will never forget how I managed to get in.
Absolutely true!
I queued all night to get tickets with my friends Liz Rowe and Dick Lexmond. It was a brilliant night. The atmosphere in the queue was amazing. The floor was so bouncy the concert was just amazing. The groundhogs were good as well.
I was at this concert. I’ve seen most of there Concerts in England, right up to date, thanks for the pictures.
G’day from Australia! Just found this, so happy to be reminded of one of the best nights of my life. A spotty teenager from Shoreham, I was transported by them – especially the wondrous Mick Taylor. Yes- the floor was SO bouncy! The overnight queue for tix was absolutely worth it. This began my love affair with the Stones & the appreciation of MT’s sheer lyrical brilliance.
I was just thinking about this concert and thought I’d look it up as I couldn’t remember the date, and came across this site. 1971 – wow. I was there and am pleased to see all the references to the bouncy floor as it’s what I remember most. It was terrifying as it could so easily have collapsed under our collective weight. I almost fainted when we were leaving due to the crush of people and lack of ventilation. No health and safety in those days but very happy memories nevertheless!
I remember queuing for Rolling Stones tickets with my brother, sleeping overnight on the pavement in Middle Street, in January! The tickets were on sale at tiny Tiger Moth Records near the top of Middle Street, and we got there relatively early Saturday evening, joining the queue outside the Hippodrome, maybe 75m-100m down from the shop,. It was all very calm and civilised, with an orderly queue snaking down the pavement on the east side of Middle Street. Eventually it extended the full length of the street, then round the corner and out of sight along the seafront. We could circulate & walk about in the street quite easily, our sleeping bags marking our place, and I even noticed a couple of intellectual types at the head of the queue sitting on the pavement outside Tiger Moth, playing Chess on a proper board with wooden pieces. The tickets were to go on sale the following morning (Sunday) and everyone was keyed up for the moment the shop would open. I don’t particularly remember the sleep overnight, so it must have been OK, despite laying full-length on the pavement. But next morning the quiet was suddenly disturbed – looking down to the seafront we were horrified to see a large mob striding purposefully up Middle Street – and they were already halfway up! We, and everybody else around us, weren’t about to lose our places and let this lot barge in front of us. A reaction quickly built up, people desperately grabbing bedding & belongings then rushing to get to the shop before them.
It quickly became a mad stampede, and the poor chess players on the pavement outside the shop were completely overwhelmed, their pieces going flying, the board trampled underfoot…
It was a terrific concert, but I nearly made a really BIG mistake in the interval during the show. The presenter had come on in front of the drawn stage curtains and was talking to the audience, dangling the prospect of the Stones coming back on for another session.
For some mad reason, standing way back on the right side I chose that time to hurl one of the seating cushions at the stage. It soared high up, practically disappearing in the gloom of the roof girders, then came swooping down at high speed and hit the presenter full in the face!
Probably the audience roared with laughter. And I was taken aback with the pinpoint accuracy.
But he reacted angrily, saying they were definitely not coming on now, then stalked off behind the curtain. I was a bit worried to say the least!
Fortunately, they did come back on, and it was a great concert.
It was a long time ago Lawrence, your memory is playing games with you. I was there 6 rows slightly left of centre. It was at the end of the show, the Stones had finished their set and gone off. The crowed were cheering for more and after a time, perhaps 4 or 5 mins, EVERYONE started throwing cushions onto the stage. That put paid to any slight chance (if ever there was one) of them coming back on, the crowed were very disappointed and I do wonder if they would have had the cushions not been thrown!
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