Yardbirds: Australasian Tour 1967 |
Beck-Page Yardbirds 1966 |
Dragon Telecaster |
Final Days 1968 |
Posters |
Videos 1964-68 |
The following is a listing of known, original Yardbirds gig posters. The band formed in London around September 1963 and continued through to July 1968 when they disbanded to form the New Yardbirds, or Led Zeppelin. The band reformed in 1986 around original drummer Jim McCarthy and rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja. This listing is only concerned with the original 1963-1968 band, featuring guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, plus singer Keith Relf. During their lifetime, the band had a frantic touring schedule. Their time was spent of the road, performing, in the studio and doing promotional photograph shoots, interviews and performances on radio and television. Prior to their coming under the managerial guidance of Peter Grant early in 1967, they received little monetary reward for all this hard work. The following posters therefore represent a very small part of the band's working life.
1964
The Yardbirds supported Sonny Boy Williamson between December 1963 and March 1964. They also produced some recordings with him.
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Ricky-Tik Club, Guildford, UK, 17 January 1964.
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Rhodes Centre, Bishop's Stortford, UK, 11 July 1964.
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31 July 1964.
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Tour poster, unspecified location, October 1964.
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Face Club, Grantham, UK, 1 November 1964.
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Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK, 24 December 1964 - 16 January 1965.
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1965
The Yardbirds had their first real chart successes during 1965 and began to get top billing at gigs.
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Fairfield Hall, Croydon, UK, 6 March 1965.
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Eric Clapton left the band in the middle of March 1965, following the recording of For Your Love. Jeff Beck replaced him, after Jimmy Page had turned down the offer to join.
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Whitehall, UK, 3 July 1965.
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North Pier Pavilion, UK, 8 August 1965.
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At the Staines Hall gig on 9 October 1965 they had top billing over John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, which now featured Eric Clapton, replacing Peter Green therein.
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| Staines Town Hall, UK, 9 October 1965. |
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Town Hll, High Wycombe, UK, 19 October 1965.
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The international success of For Your Love even gave The Fabulous Yardbirds top billing over visiting US acts such as The Loving Spoonful and The Turtles.
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Arie Crown Theatre, US, 11 December 1965.
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Alexandria Roller Skating Arena, US, 23 December 1965.
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1966
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Bishop's Stortford, UK, 9 April 1966.
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North Pier, UK, 3 July 1966.
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| Portsmouth, UK, Tuesday, 4 May 1965. |
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The Yardbirds commenced an American tour in August 1966. By late August Jeff Beck was sick and was replaced on lead guitar by Jimmy Page. Poster graphics during this period become psychedelic and much more colourful, largely as a result of the widespread use of hallucinogens such as LSD. This was most evident on the west coast of America.
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Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco and Rollarena, San Leandro, California, 25-26 August 1966.
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Santa Rosa Fair Grounds, US, 21 July 1966.
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San Ramon High School Stadium, Danville, US, 29 July 1966.
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Baltimore Civic Centre, US, 10 September 1966.
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The Yardbirds briefly returned to the UK at the end of September 1966, to film a segment for the movie Blow Up and to support the Rolling Stones tour.
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ABC, Ardwick, UK, 28 September 1966.
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Shortly thereafter they returned to the US. Around this time a promotional poster for Jordan amplifiers was released featuring the band.
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Jordon "Boss" Amplifiers, circa September 1966.
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Staples High School Auditorium, Westport, US, 22 October 1966.
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The high point of the Beck-Page twin guitar line up was the gig at the Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, on 23 October 1966.
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Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, US, 23 October 1966.
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Early in November Jeff Beck quit the band, and it subsequently became a
four piece, with Page on lead guitar, Dreja on bass, McCarty on drums
and Relf on vocals and harmonica. The band continued their US tour through to the end of 1966 and into early 1967.
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Lima, Ohio, US, 4 December 1966.
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* Beverley Road Baths, 15 December 1966
1967
Peter Grant took over as manager beginning with the Australasian tour of January 1967 with Roy Orbison and The Walker Brothers.
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Sydney, Australia, 21-23 January 1967.
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Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, US, 22 July 1967.
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Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, US, 25-27 July 1967.
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31 July 1967.
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Hidden Valley, Ontario, 26 August 1967.
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Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, US, 23 October 1967.
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1968
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Aerodrome, US, 28 March 1968.
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Anderson Theatre, New York, 30 March 1968.
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The Boston Tea Party, US, 11 April 1968.
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Grande Ballroom, Detroit, US, 3-4 May 1968.
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Shrine Exposition Hall, US, 3-6 May 1968.
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Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, California, US, 10 May 1968.
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| Caseys, Lewiston, Idaho, 18 May 1968. |
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Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, US, 23-25 May 1968.
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Shrine Auditorium, US, 31 May - 1 June 1968.
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After returning to the UK from the US tour, the band played a couple of university gigs then disbanded. Page subsequently formed Led Zeppelin, though through October they performed under the name The Yardbirds, or The New Yardbirds.
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4 October 1968.
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Great Hall, Surrey University, UK, 25 October 1968.
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---------------------------
Yardbirds: Australasian Tour 1967 |
Beck-Page Yardbirds 1966 |
Dragon Telecaster |
Final Days 1968 |
Posters |
Videos 1964-68 |
|
Blue Fender Bronco 1968 |
Cream Gibson SG |
Fuzz Tone |
Jimi Hendrix Flying V |
Jimmy Page Dragon Telecaster | Jackson C. Frank |
Jo Ann Kelly |
Kahvas Jute & Chariot |
Music | MC5 |
Nick Drake Guitars |
Peter Green | Shocking Blue |
The Leftards - Gong punk 2017+ |
The Vamps 1965-77 |
Yardbirds |
Michael Organ
Last updated: 25 December 2020
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