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It is an autumn night on September 24th 1984, an ascending alternative rock band called The Smiths are warming up to play a gig at Gloucester Leisure Centre with a setlist comprising of hits such as 'This Charming Man' and 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' following the release of their debut studio album earlier that year. This show also saw the live debut of the song which would be a contender for their biggest hit 'How Soon Is Now'. This show would be their longest ever with a setlist comprising of seventeen songs.
Gloucester Leisure Centre would become a staple venue for emerging British bands on the independent circuit as shown by Echo & the Bunnymen there four days later on September 28th. This show would feature hits such as 'The Killing Moon' at the same and would include three different encores. Echo & the Bunnymen would return to Gloucester thirty-two years later to play at the Sportbeat Festival at Oxstalls Sports Park in 2016.
The 'Buying England by the Pound' benefit show was held at Gloucester Leisure Centre on October 5th 1985. The show was an eleven-hour marathon of music to raise money in aid of African famine relief, inspired by 'Live Aid', which took place in the same year. All of the bands which featured in the show originated from Gloucestershire and the events souvenir programme was designed and printed in Gloucester.
The Stranglers would appear at Gloucester Leisure Centre on November 1st 1986 playing hits such as 'No More Heroes' and 'Golden Brown' with their album Dreamtime being released just a few days before. In what was a time of political turmoil in Gloucester, the punk styles of these bands was indicative of the industrial action taking place such the miner's strike which took place between 1984 and 1985.
The Bristol Hotel was another popular music venue during the 80s as shown by bands such as Bonneville playing a Rock 'n' Roll night in 1983 (shown below). Other popular venues included Stroud Subscription Rooms which saw five hundred people turn out for a 'Live Aid' style concert called 'Aid Africa; Five Live' in 1986 and the Barge Semington in Gloucester Docks which regularly hosted up-and-coming rock bands.
Interested in reminiscing amongst 80s music memorabilia? The Museum of Gloucester's 1980s Britain: Money Changes Everything exhibition is running until January 8th.
© Credit to Visit Gloucestershire for images of 1980s Gloucester Docks, Eastgate Street and Bonneville.
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