Putting On The Ritz Again!

Special Concert by the Award Winning Out Of The Shadows of 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s music  on Sunday 13 October will commemorate the glory days of King’s Heath’s old Ritz Ballroom Award winning West Midlands Group Out Of The Shadows will play a special concert in King’s Heath on Sunday 13 October to commemorate the glory days of the old Ritz Ballroom. Regularly voted Top Club Act by regional club entertainment officers, the group will star in a 3 hour afternoon concert starting at 3 pm at Fletchers Bar on King’s Heath’s York Road directly opposite the fire damaged ruins of the old ballroom.

The iconic ballroom run by legendary Irish Couple Ma and Pa Regan was at the centre of the 1960’s Brumbeat scene hosting some of the earliest performances by local groups The Move, The Moody Blues and the Spencer Davis Group as well as the Birmingham debut of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and The Kinks. It closed down in the early 1970’s. And after Ma and Pa Regan died, the building was converted into a Cash Converters shop before it was destroyed by fire on 27 March 2013.

Now the special concert of 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s music by the Stourbridge based group Out Of The Shadows will commemorate the music of the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s playing many of the finest vocal and instrumental hits of the time.

Organisers Bob Prew and Ken Whittaker said

Birmingham has an amazing musical heritage that we don’t celebrate as much as we should. And equally King’s Heath has played a pivotal role in Brum’s pop music scene that is not recognised as much as it should be. The Ritz Ballroom was at the hub of the 1960’s music explosion. Later UB40 played their first ever gig at the Hare & Hounds and Duran Duran and Ocean Colour Scene made some of their first recordings at the old Highbury Studio. This special concert on Sunday 13 October will celebrate the period when the Ritz Ballroom was the only place to be to hear the best in live music. Anyone who comes along is guaranteed a fabulous afternoon’s entertainment

Advance tickets for the 3 hour concert by Out of The Shadows starting at 3 pm on Sunday 13 October cost £5 from Kitchen Garden Cafe or www.wegottickets.com/event/476537

Any remaining tickets will cost £6.