Undoubtedly the best kept secret in Peterborough’s musical heritage, the Cloud Nine club played host to a huge list of up and coming bands in the early 1970s, many of who went on to become major venue bands.

Cloud Nine was promoted by Steve Allen and, after four months of work converting the Grand Hotel’s ballroom (adjacent to the main hotel) opened in September 1969.

Twice weekly events were staged – Saturday being Soul & Motown Night and Wednesdays initially being ‘the night of good sounds’ with a policy of staging the up and coming names of the college, university and rock club circuit. Due to luke warm attendances, the Wednesday sessions were moved within a month to Sundays and found instant success.

The Saturday Night Soul sessions attracted a latter day Mod, Stylist and Skinhead attendance. DJ’s were Steve Allen, Graham Simons, Sam K, and uniquely at the time Dolly Bird ‘Babs’ Miekle. British Soul and Ska influenced Bands were staged most weeks with appearances (some on special Midweek dates) by visiting American recording artistes including Jimmy Ruffin, Doris Troy, Lee Dorsey, JJ Jackson, and Heatwave. Despite the loyal attendance and packed houses for the Saturday Nights, it was the Progressive Rock Nights – Sunday’s ‘’Night of Good Sounds’’ – that gave the club its nationwide fame.

Advertised to a wider audience in The Melody Maker, and with the exception of Friars of Aylesbury, Cloud Nine was probably the only club venue regularly staging progressive music and bands of this type, between London and Birmingham.

Throughout the clubs life the Progressive Rock Sessions continued every week. Each Sunday saw new groups, recording artistes and future big names in terms of record sales and festival appearances, taking stage to an appreciative and hip attendance.

[see a list of all the bands/artists to play Cloud Nine @ The Grand Hotel at the foot of this page]

The DJ’s were Steve Allen and Krazy Kris Kaye, but Sunday was all about the live music – Free, Genesis, Mott the Hoople, Rare Bird, Quintessence, The Groundhogs, Skid Row, Trapeze, Curved Air, Argent, Graham Bond, Van der Graff Generator were all featured …… a time capsule of musical talent that shaped rock music for a decade to follow !

The Grand Hotel was sold by the owners for redevelopment as an extension to the adjoining Marks & Spencer store in 1971 and the Cloud Nine club moved to the Rose & Crown Hotel in Wisbech under the name of The Burlesque Club with progressive nights continuing with Stackwaddy on Sunday 12^th April 1971. Meanwhile, Saturday Soul Nights were presented at the Peterborough Town Hall for a period of time.

Cloud Nine (Mark 2) did return to the Peterborough scene a couple of years later in October 1973, with regular Saturday sessions at The Trinity Church Hall (aka: Assembly Rooms) on Trinity Street off Priestgate. Sadly by then the appeal of small progressive rock clubs had diminished and the events were very much in a Soul, Reggae, Ska and Northern Soul vein.

Despite being a primarily disco night, live bands very much remained in evidence with Heatwave, Jimmy James and The Vagabonds, The Real Thing and other British Soul bands making appearances.

Listen to Steve Allen talking about Cloud Nine on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire on 16th December 2017

The full list of Cloud Nine Club shows at the Grand Hotel

27^th September 1969 – Skatalites

1^st October 1969 – Clouds

4^th October 1969 – Prime Movers

8^th October 1969 – Karavan

11^th October 1969 – Mouse & the Traps

15^th October 1969 – Mighty Baby

18^th October 1969 – JJ Jackson

22^nd October 1969 – Black Velvet

25^th October 1969 – Root & Jenny Jackson

29^th October 1969 – Lee Dorsey

1^st November 1969 – Demon Fuzz

2^nd November 1969 – Juicy Lucy (First Sunday event)

8^th November 1969 – JJ Jackson

9^th November 1969 – Free

15^th November 1969 – The Kiss

16^th November 1969 – Steve Miller and Delivery

22^nd November 1969 – The Mohawks

23^rd November 1969 – Jody Grind

29^th November 1969 – Glenroy Oakley

30^th November 1969 – Eire Apparent

6^th December 1969 – Funky Fever

7^th December 1969 – Keith Relf’s Renaissance

14^th December 1969 – Graham Bond Organisation

17^th December 1969 – Freddie Note & the Rudees

20^th December 1969 – Ray King Soul Band

21^st December 1969 – Hard Meat and Warlock

24^th December 1969 – Equity Big Band

27^th December 1969 – Ruby James

28^th December 1969 – Pete Browns Piblokto

31ts December 1969 – The Foundations

3^rd January 1970 – The Committee

4^th January 1970 – Mott the Hoople

10^th January 1970 – Skatalites

11^th January 1970 – Steamhammer

17^th January 1970 – King Size Showband

18^th January 1970 – Daddy Longlegs

24^th January 1970 – Demon Fuzz

25^th January 1970 – Rare Bird

31^st January 1970 – Interstate Road Show

1^st February 1970 – Clouds

4^th February 1970 – Jimmy Ruffin

7^th February 1970 – Simon K & the Meantimes

8^th February 1970 – Van Der Graph Generator

14^th February 1970 – Funky Fever

15^th February 1970 – High Tide and Lloyd Watson

21^st February 1970 – Lucas & the Soulsounds

22^nd February 1970 – Radha Krishna Temple

28^th February 1970 – Zebra

1^st March 1970 – Tea and Symphony

7^th March 1970 – Blue Rivers and the Maroons

8^th March 1970 – John Dummer Band and Orange Seaweed

14^th March 1970 – Black Sage

15^th March 1970 – Trader Horne

22^nd March 1970 – Crazy World of Arthur Brown

27^th March 1970 – The Flaime Brothers

28^th March 1970 – Root & Jenny Jackson

29^th March 1970 – Titus Groan

4^th April 1970 – Interstate Road Show

5^th April 1970 – Principal Edwards Magic Theatre

11^th April 1970 – Equity

12^th April 1970 – Groundhogs and Silk

15^th April 1970 – Doris Troy

18^th April 1970 – US Flatop

19^th April 1970 – Flaming Youth

25^th April 1970 – Sir Washington

26^th April 1970 – Jan Dukes De-Grey and Griselda

2^nd May 1970 – BB James Express

3^rd May 1970 – Atomic Rooster

9^th May 1970 – The Cats

10^th May 1970 – The Greatest Show on Earth & Idaho

16^th May 1970 – Horatio Soul and the Pavements

17^th May 1970 – If

23^rd May 1970 – Sarah Gordon of the House of Bondage

24^th May 1970 – Kevin Ayres

30^th May 1970 – Element of Truth

31^st May 1970 – Formerly Fat Harry & Comus

6^th June 1970 – Black, White and Proud (Delroy Williams)

7^th June 1970 – Quintessence

13^th June 1970 – Transit

14^th June 1970 – Audience

20^th June 1970 – Zebra

21^st June 1970 – Climax Chicago Blues Band

27^th June 1970 – Lucas and the Soul Sounds

28^th June 1970 – Tupelo & Ginger

4^th July 1970 – Black Velvet

5^th July 1970 – Stray

11^th July 1970 – Exodus

12^th July 1970 – Curved Air

19^th July 1970 – Argent

24^th July 1970 – Duster Bennett (in Town Hall)

25^th July 1970 – Open air concert on River Embankment with Griselda, Comus

26^th July 1970 – 7 hour session with Quatermass, Grizelda and Dogbeard

2^nd August 1970 – Blonde on Blonde

9^th August 1970 – Carol Grimes and Delivery

16^th August 1970 – Bram Stoker & Slow Dog

23^rd August 1970 – Skid Stow

30^th August 1970 – Charge

6^th September 1970 – Atomic Rooster

13^th September 1970 – Crazy Mabel

20^th September 1970 – Cochise

26^th September 1970 – High-Lites

27^th September 1970 – 7 hour session with Ardvaark, Kriple Vision, Tiny Clanger, Elder Kindred

2^nd October 1970 – Stray & Orpheus (in Town Hall)

4^th October 1970 – T2 & Moonshakers

11^th October 1970 – Fat Mattress

18^th October 1970 – Caravan

23^rd October 1970 – Rocking Chair & Mythica (in Town Hall)

25^th October 1970 – Warm Dust

1^st November 1970 – Killing Floor & Salamanda

6^th November 1970 – Mike Cooper

9^th November 1970 – Writing On the Wall

15^th November 1970 – Grannies Intentions

22^nd November 1970 – Mighty Baby

29^th November 1970 – Satisfaction

4^th December 1970 – Delroy Williams Show

5^th December 1970 – Alan Bown

12^th December 1970 – Pete Browns Piblokto

19^th December 1970 – Everyday People

20^th December 1970 – Warhorse

26^th December 1970 – Laurel Aitken Show

27^th December 1970 – Ginger

2^nd January 1971 – Spencer Mac

3^rd January 1971 – Quiver

9^th January 1971 – Red River Band

10^th January 1971 – Skid Row

16^th January 1971 – Eyes of Blond

17^th January 1971 – Trapeze

23^rd January 1971 – Portrait

24^th January 1971 – Patto

30^th January 1971 – Delroy Williams Show

31^st January 1971 – Comus

6^th February 1971 – Spencer Mac

7^th February 1971 – Jelly Bread

13^th February 1971 – Marjorine

14^th February 1971 – Genesis

20^th February 1971 – Calum Bryce

21^st February 1971 – Barclay James Harvest

27^th February 1971 – Cindi Starr

28^th February 1971 – Dr. Strangely Strange

6^th March 1971 – Heatwave

7^th March 1971 – Bronco

13^th March 1971 – 67 Park Lane

14^th March 1971 – Titus Groan

20^th March 1971 – Muma Bear

21^st March 1971 – Quiver

27^th March 1971 – Portrait

28^th March 1971 – Amazing Blondell (closing night for Cloud Nine)

Huge thanks to Steve Allen Entertainments for information and images for Cloud Nine