Bev Bevan: Diary dates from March

1964
On March 25th, Denny Laine and the Diplomats made their last ever appearance, opening the show for the Rolling Stones at Birmingham Town Hall., as Denny was about to form the Moody Blues. The Diplomats carried on without him, recruiting Jim Onslow and Sprike Hopkins from Gerry Levene and the Avengers and soon working the new 5 piece line up at the Station Hotel in Selly Oak, McChechnie Brothers Social Club in Aldridge, the Belfy Hotel in Wishaw and Wednesbury Youth Centre.

1968
Highlight gig of the month for The Move was a charity show in aid of the Spastics Association at Wembley Empire Pool, titled The Record Star Show. The full line up of the all day concert , in order of appearance, was Amen Corner, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen , Spencer Davis Group, Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich , Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, Easybeats, Chris Farlowe, Flowerpot Men, Foundations, New Vaudeville Band, The Move and P J Proby.
Amongst the disc jockeys introducing the acts were Tony Blackburn, Alan Freeman, Pete Murray, David Jacobs, Simon Dee and Kenny Everett.

1969
On the road with The Move and shows in Folkestone, , Bath, Redcar, Bradford. and Reading. Plus an appearance at the Lyceum Ballroom in London and a charity concert at Wembley Arena. Also a short tour of Scandinavia, taking in Finland, Sweden and Denmark.

1970
More Move gigs and TV and radio shows to promote the new single, "Brontosaurus", Finished a short tour of Ireland in Kilkenny and also a gig at Bury St Edmunds Corn Exchange. Appearances on the Dave Lee Travis show, Radio One Club, Disco 2, and flew to Bremen to appear on Germany's top TV pop programme, Beat Club.

1973
ELO appeared on the Hits a Go Go TV show in Zurich, Switzerland. Also a few English gigs, in Malvern, Manchester, Dagenham, Gravesend, Leeds and Boston.

1974
ELO gig at the Liverpool Empire and an appearance on BBC TV Top of the Pops to promote new single, Ma Ma Ma Belle.
At the end of the month flew to Detroit for start of ten week tour of North America. Following the Detroit show drove to Toronto for sell out concert at Massey Hall, then flight to Philadelphia to play at the Spectrum, where Al Stewart opened the show.

1975
Last 3 gigs for ELO tour of Germany, in Szarbrucken, Heidelburg and Munich.
Back home in Birmingham, at Hollick and Taylor recording studios, I played drums and sang bass vocals on my old friend Jasper Carrott's big hit single "Funky Moped".

1976
Coming towards the end of an American tour with ELO. Show in Fort Wayne, Indiana with Roxy Music opening for us, then on to Flint, Michigan. Next stop, the atmospheric New Orleans, before flying to Houston for a concert at the impressive Summit., to 11,000 people. From there the trek across the USA continued with shows in St Louis, Norfolk, Greensborough, Washington and Birmingham, Alabama, where our old friends Journey opened the sow.

1977
On USA tour of the States with ELO. Played to 11,000 at the Municipal auditorium in Mobile, Alabama, then it took 3 flights (via New Orleans and Dallas), to get to our next port of call, Tulsa, Oklahoma. There was a tornado warning before the gig at the Assembly Centre, but nothing came of it. Choppy flight out next morning to get to Southern Methodist University in Dallas and Genesis came to the show and looked in afterwards backstage. Flight next day to Shreveport and a sold out show at Hirsch Memorial Auditorium. Next stop New Orleans and another sold out show to around 8,000. From there a Delta airlines flight to play again at the Summit in Houston, before moving on to St Louis and another concert at the Keil Auditorium.
Roberts Stadium in Evansville was next, with Journey also on the bill, then on to Notre Dame College in Southbend, the Rupp Arena in Lexington, the Civic Centre in Charleston, St Johns Arena in Colombus and also that legendary sporting venue, the Boston Gardens.

1980
On March 15th I drove to Wembley Stadium to see my team Wolverhampton Wanderers lift the League Cup again, beating hot favourites Nottingham Forest, with my pal Andy Gray scoring the only goal of the game.
Also recording at Musicland studios in Munich, Germany working on the Xanadu movie soundtrack album. Olivia Newton-John came over for a weekend to sing lead vocal on the title track. A very pretty and charming young lady.

1982
3 days of rehearsals at SSE studios in Birmingham as part of a hastily put together band to back American soul legend Bobby Womack, (including Beverley Craven as one of the backing singers). Then filmed a half hour Bobby Womack TV Special at BBC Pebble Mill, in front of live audience for the Ebony TV music series.

1995
On an Australian tour with ELO Part 2.. After a show in Brisbane, a coach journey to nearby Newcastle before two big concerts in Sydney,( without doubt one of the most spectacular cities in the world.). Melbourne next stop, then Adelaide and finally two nights in Perth. All the shows with an orchestra.
On to Singapore for a concert there with their local symphony orchestra, before the long flight home, via Bangkok and Delhi.

1996
Beginning of an ELO Part 2 tour of small theatres in Britain, beginning at Plymouth Pavillions and moving on to Bournemouth, Brentwood, Colchester and the Derngate theatre in Northampton.

1997
On a tour of USA with ELO Part 2 and played Texas Station, just outside Las Vegas. From the hot Nevada desert it was off to cold and snowy Anchorage, Alaska ! Show there at the Performing Arts Theatre then flight to Los Angeles LAX airport for connecting flight to Auckland to begin disorganised tour of New Zealand. From Auckland eventually moved on to Wellington and Christchurch. A long and tiring journey home - Christchurch to Melbourne, Melbourne to Singapore, Singapore to London Heathrow and a minibus drive home to Warwickshire.

1999
On an Eastern European tour with ELO Part 2 and shows in Lithuania's capital city Vilnius and Bulgaria's capital, Sofia.