'It was the club to be': Memories of when Jimi Hendrix played at Newcastle's Club a'Gogo

Jimi Hendrix played in the North East many times including York, Darlington, South Shields and twice in Newcastle. Credit: PA

A Jimi Hendrix fan has shared his experience meeting the rock legend in Newcastle as a people with Hendrix stories and memorabilia are being encouraged to come forwards.

Malcolm Wylie was a regular at Newcastle's Club a'Gogo which saw names such as The Animals, The Who and The Rolling Stone play there during the 1960s.

The club was situated upstairs from the now-demolished Handyside Arcade on Newcastle’s Percy Street, the Club a’Gogo began life as a jazz club in 1962.

Mr Wylie met Hendrix there in 1967 when the guitarist had asked him to pass a bottle of sauce.

He said: “That night I remember Jimi Hendrix walking up the stairs with, I think it was his manager, or the owner of the gogo.

"He was going into the nosh bar, we used to call it, and basically sitting down and having a sandwich.

"We were in there and obviously he was unknown.

"He said can you pass a bottle of sauce, which we did, and we had our sandwich and then we went in and saw him perform. That was it really."

It's hard to imagine it but, at the time, Mr Wylie and his friends were unfazed by meeting Hendrix, as he wasn't famous at the time.

Club A'gogo was situated upstairs from the now-demolished Handyside Arcade on Newcastle’s Percy Street. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees Archive

He added: “He was a new act, so you’re watching something that’s gone down in history as probably the greatest guitar player in the world and at the time he was unknown but amazing.

"You knew you were watching somebody special. 

“The atmosphere of the Gogo was the club to be, for music.

"I saw probably the best acts I’ve seen in my life there. Geno Washington, Zoot Money, Long John Baldry, Eric Clapton, they were all there.

"You could go on and on and on talking about the club a'Gogo, it was just a great place to be.

“When I used to go in there, they used to play the Rolling stones’ first album side to side right through and then obviously you went into the era of soul and Otis Redding and it went through various periods.

"It was a great time to be in, the sixties.”

Hendrix played many times in the North East including Newcastle twice. Credit: Barrie Wentzell

At the time Hendrix was managed by Chas Chandler, band member of The Animals and Newcastle local.

Rumour has it that Hendrix stayed with Chandler at his home in Heaton and even busked on Newcastle's Chillingham Road.

Jimi Hendrix played in the North East many times including York, Darlington, South Shields and twice in Newcastle.

A new exhibition is now running at Newcastle City Library dedicated to the city's thriving music scene during the sixties.

Organiser Paul Donnelly had also campaigned for the blue plaque now on the wall at the old entrance to Club a'Gogo.

A blue plaque has now been put up at the old entrance to Club A'gogo. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees News

He said: “You could just go out one night and see The Who, The Rolling Stones, Cream, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, John Lee Hooker, these are huge artists.

“It definitely seemed to me that in Newcastle, we had a taste for really good music.”

The Handel & Hendrix museum in London is based in the former home of Jimi Hendrix.

They are now encouraging people with stories and memorabilia about the rock legend to come forward as they could feature in the exhibition.

Claire Davies from Handel & Hendrix said: "It’s so important to us to capture these memories and really hone in on the legacy that he still has nearly 50 years later.

“We’re so lucky that people still live that who have had these personal experiences with him."

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