Manchester City Football Ground.
May 28, Tuesday. We have a set list and audio of this last David Cassidy's World Tour concert, maybe not very good quality, but nevertheless so moving.
https://www.davidcassidy.com/fansite/ConcertPages/1974May28_ConcertAudio.mp3
We also have on the website some amazing photographs shared recently by Lorraine. They are truly outstanding.
https://www.davidcassidy.com/fansite/ConcertPages/1974May28_Lorraine.html
Very emotional day for all of those lucky fans who saw David Cassidy in Manchester 50 years ago. It was also a very special concert for him, so let's read first what David Cassidy wrote about it in his autobiography.
https://www.davidcassidy.com/fansite/TvFilmPages/2004July28_DavidCassidyTheReluctantIdol.html
My FB friend, Krysia Jenkins, in 1974 a 14-year-old schoolgirl, was allowed to go to this concert with her two friends, and she documented it in their school magazine, 'Hill and Dale'. I'm so grateful I can published her story on this special day.
What can I say, it's dramatic and exciting, and it's difficult to believe it was written by a teen. A labour of love. All because of David.
"A DREAM COME TRUE
Three girls set off from Halifax railway station 7.05 am on Tuesday 28 May 1974. Destination Manchester Victoria station. On their arrival at 7.55 am they took a taxi to Manchester City Football ground, but not to see a football match (...)
By 8.15 am all three girls were sitting outside their entry blocks looking at the overcast sky. They were lucky, being at the front. As the morning grew older the queque extended. By 10.30 am it had started raining heavily - with no protection from the rain they got drenched, it was even possible to wring out their hair.
Until 12.30 pm everything was running smoothly, apart from the downpour of rain. More and more fans arrived making the queque go across the road and stopping the traffic getting past. Mounted policeman as well as police in cars came to show their techniques. But no one was interested. It wasn't until they started pushing the fans about that many rebelled and actually threatened the police.
Then one policeman told the fans to move to the car park about a hundred yards away. Whilst another was telling them the opposite. Everything was chaotic. The three girls linked up so as not to lose one another, and ran to the car park. But across their pathway was a gigantic lorry saying 'Manor Mobile Stereo Recording Unit'. Then one of the three girls shrugged the other two away and ran. The lorry neared. As she looked behind she realised she would be crushed against the lorry if she didn't go under. Falling to the ground she struggled under hurting herself. With tear-filled eyes she got up and ran into the car park.
The rain fell sharply and felt as it was cutting your face. The three were united after the search. (..) The rain came down like a monsoon.
The afternoon from then flew by. Fans sang songs to their idol in the stadium. The three girls suddenly realised as the rumbles of their stomachs grew louder, that they had lost all their food. As they went through their pockets only chips of Polo mints were found. But that was just a minor aliment because in a matter of hours they knew they'd be looking at their idol..happiness was a substitute for food..
As seconds turned to minutes and minutes to hours, 6.30 pm finally arrived. The sky by now had cleared and the sun brought life to many. Police had started letting people with three pound tickets in first. The fans ran across to their entry blocks faster than the wind. One girl in front of three girls fell but they couldn't stop. If they did they'd would be crushed too.
When the three finally got to their block they looked at one another happily. They were near the front. Fans eager to get near started pushing. One lady then shouted out. "Stop pushing! Can't you see that this barrier is going to fall and crush these girls in front?!!"
The three girls turned round to see a massive iron barrier swaying directly behind them. All they could do was hold on to each other and pray for it not to fall.
After those petrifying moments the doors were opened and the three girls got in after one almighty push..
The supporting act 'Showaddywaddy' came on. Those forty minutes soon came to the end. Ed Stewart the compere, came on to the stage. As he talked to the fans telling them to behave or they'd be ejected, three St John Ambulance men walked on to the pitch. Some fans got suspicious of the little one in the middle and screamed. As their idol flung off his hat and ran towards the stage the screams rose to a crescendo.
At last!! There he was standing on the stage wearing a black suit with sparkley lapels and navy shirt. His hair shone like a star. As he sang, played the guitar and blew kisses, girls went hysterical and fainted. After several songs he went and changed into white dungarrees and red T shirt. His dancing drove fans wild..
Cameramen on the pitch were taking films and photographs of the entire concert. The concert was coming to an end. The exhausted idol made one more change into a Manchester City Football shirt with a number two on the back. He was left on the stage alone without his band. He thanked the fans for coming and with the help of a man who held the words to the song he sang, "It's all over now, baby blue.."
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