Soundcasters play town hall gig with homage to Con Club
A BAXENDEN rock n’ roll band paid homage to their first ever gig at Accrington Conservative Club at a recent performance.
The Soundcasters performed a free concert at Accrington Town Hall in front of more than 100 people.
The band made their debut at the Con Club – which burnt down last month – in October 1965 and went on to become familiar faces, playing at the venue 26 times in the space of three years.
In another nod to the past, the band were introduced at the town hall by Frank Westell, who had been the Con club’s entertainments manager.
The Soundcasters were formed in 1964 by five Accrington school friends before they split up in 1970.
Original member Tony Cooper, from Baxenden, relaunched the band six years ago with several new members.
Tony said he was saddened to learn about the loss of the Con Club.
He said: “It was very sad because there was talk about doing something with the building, maybe renovating it.
“It just seems such a shame, I spent all my teenage years in the Con Club and so did half of Accrington.”
Tony said that being introduced by Frank brought back memories of their former gigs.
He said: “The first time we played at the Accrington Con Club Frank presented us, so he asked if he could do the same at the town hall, 51 years later. He said he hadn’t done anything like this for years – Frank’s in his 70s now. He said it was a great thrill.” A POPULAR petrol station in Huncoat has reopened after upgrades closed it for five weeks.
The Texaco garage on Burnley Road had been fenced off while renovation works were carried out in April and May to install new pumps and a new canopy.