Fairfield Halls Croydon

[Gatwick1946]

I mentioned this theatre in a post today, and that has reminded me that this venue had 2/3 rows of seats at the back of the stage. Not uncommon, for theatre in the round type shows, but capable of resulting in a more intimate performance for artists and audience.

In the 1980's, for one show, I was a late booker, and was given (with my agreement) one of these seats. To my surprise, when I took my seat, and The Shadows strolled on (in their unique way), I could almost reach out and tap Hank on the shoulder with my programme! I was entranced to have Hank's left profile throughout the performance. As he moved on stage I was able to study in close detail his playing style and where he placed his fingers on the fretboard. About the only thing I missed was when he adjusted his echo unit controls - this was when he used those pair of large echo units, mounted on a rack, at a handy hight.

Hank and Bruce exchanged a bit of stage banter about the situation ("those must be the cheap seats etc") and a couple of times, with wide smiles, after bowing to those out front, they turned and bowed to us in their rear!

Probably this was a time that I had one of the best seats (for me,as I have been known to fumble a bit of guitar playing in my time!) in the house. Only surpassed, at the same venue, another year, when I had a front row seat and because of the viewing angle, enjoyed a close view of the performers, with the exception of their feet!

The behind the stage seats, were not always used, on other times when I saw shows at this theatre complex. I wonder if any other of our forum members ever got to see our favourite group there?

Kindest regards,
Christopher

[bor64]

Hi Christopher,

I've a similar experience on the last shads tour in November 1990 at the RAH.
I visit the hall in the afternoon before the show, and had a choice between some seats behind the stage by the organ.
So I put my best smile on and ask the girl behind the counter if she had just one ticket for a poor traveller that came from far (the Netherlands).
She smiled back and presented me a separated chair on the map behind the PA system....well that was almost on Hanks lap....
So I was early and discovered I was just one meter away from the guitar tech corner.
So it's save to say I've learnt a thing or two, I handled Hanks strat and the 34346 , could see all backstage set up and could ask everything
The show was very special indeed, a little strange with the sound,but I expected that.
I made some nice pictures and I looked Hank a dozen times in the face/eyes on spitting distance.
Every time I see the RAH on the telly my focus goes always to that chair....not always is it placed,because when people have to walk there because of the decor or something else, that chair is taken out of it's socket.

Cheers Rob

[Gatwick1946]

Hi Rob,

Wow thats serendipity methinks, - I would love to have seen that.
Geweldig nieuws!

Kindest regards,
Christopher

[RayL]

Those seats at back of the Fairfield stage are the Choir Stalls.
I saw the Everly Brothers from the choir stalls. Albert Lee was leading the band (as he often did with the Everlys). Also on the bill was Duane Eddy.

I saw The Shadows from the Fairfield front stalls on 26th October 1961 (Alan Jones, bass, Cliff Hall, K/B), and again on Friday 21st May 2004 for the Final Tour. Excellent both times, of course.

Incidentally, Christopher, if you want a front stall in the centre that is on a level with the stage (so you can see the performers feet), N21 is the seat to book. I only know this because I installed a remote control video camera there for a dance show, where it is vital to have a camera looking centre-stage. I was being paid by the choreographer (also the producer) and they like to see the patterns of the dancers symmetrical about the centre-line.

The Fairfield Halls had a very expensive (and inevitably over-budget) three-year facelift and reopened in September 2019. Unfortunately, the car park was not ready so attendances (before the pandemic closed the Halls) were very poor. Beware of car parking in Croydon. It is staggeringly expensive. Nevertheless, Croydon Council is currently bankrupt.

Ray

[Gatwick1946]

Hi Ray,
The Everly Bros. - I bet that was a show and a half. Only seen it on youtube.

I saw Albert Lee in Lonnie Donegan's band when Lonnie was support to Hank on a solo gig at the Royal Albert Hall in the 1990's. Albert was still gigging with his band until fairly recently. I last saw a poster for his gigs in 2006, when I lived in the Isle of Wight - used to see Jet Harris in Ryde High Street, where I lived, but never had the nerve to speak to him! But saw his shows in the local theatre backed by the Rapiers.

I always thought that, being a proper theatre, Fairfield Halls had good acoustics compared with the likes of multi-purpose venues like Crawley Leisure Centre (now pulled down) or Brighton Centre, where I saw Cliff, Hank(solo) and The Shadows. Brighton Dome was excellent - I saw Marvin Welch & Farrar there in Nov 1971.

Kindest regards,
Christopher

[RayL]

Hi Christopher
Yes, great show from the Everlys. Albert Lee's last UK tour was in the autumn of 2019. I saw him at the Alexandra Theatre in Bognor Regis, September 30th. It was a wet Monday night, yet the theatre was full - not a spare seat.

Looping back to Barry Gibson, Albert has guested with the Local Heroes. He displays his flying fingers on Train Spotting (by Gibson, Hall and Jones) from the One Of Our Shadows Is Missing album.

I agree that the Fairfield has excellent acoustics - classical works have been recorded there. There is a curtain which can be drawn along the length of the gangway between the lower and upper stalls which reduces the reverberation time* to give a 'tighter' acoustic for chamber pieces. I wasn't impressed by the Brighton Centre - too many hard walls giving a muddy sound. The Brighton Dome was quite nice - I saw The Searchers there.

If you want to see an artist once, but hear them twice at the same concert, go to the De La Warr Pavillion at Bexhill-on-Sea and sit halfway down the hall. Everything coming at you from the front is followed a fraction of a second later by the echo from the hard back wall. They can't do anything about it because the Pavillion is a 1930s architectural gem and Grade 1 listed, so no touchee.
Ray

*The time it takes for a sound to fade by 60dB. A value of six seconds would come from a huge hall or warehouse. An upholstered living room would be a fraction of a second.