In the late 70s and early 80s, a leisure centre a short drive away from Merseyside was a major venue on the tour scene, attracting music fans from the area and beyond.
Many from our region will remember travelling to Deeside Leisure Centre in Queensferry, North Wales, by coach or train to see big names like Blondie, Boney M, Gary Numan, The Police, The Jam, Bob Marley and more. The complex became a leading rock venue after the local council invested in a skin to cover the old ice rink, turning the arena into a performance venue.
A music mecca in its time, concert goers also saw household names such as The Clash, Dire Straits, The Who, ACDC, Iron Maiden and more live. The first concerts at the site is said to have been Boney M in 1979, North Wales Live recently reported.
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Paul Lavin, 58, first went to a concert at Deeside Leisure Centre as a teenager. He told North Wales Live: "The capacity of that ice rink, it was just a big metal shed. Thinking back now the sound must have been awful, just a big echo chamber, a massive shed with an ice floor with a carpet on it.
"The capacity generated a lot of heat and the ice started to melt and by the end of the concert your feet were standing in freezing water. But to be honest you didn't really care, you were seeing people that you’d only ever seen on the telly and I've heard people say they couldn't have cared less if the water came up to their knees, they would have still gone."
In 1980, Paul remembers seeing his "hero at the time" Gary Numan and paying £3.75 for the ticket. Other concert prices at the venue included Status Quo in 1984 for £7.50, ACDC for £4.50 in 1980 and Blondie for the same price that same year.
We recently share an image of the once leading concert venue on our Facebook page. And ECHO readers were quick to share their memories of travelling to Deeside Leisure Centre and the acts they saw perform.
Do these awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
Steven John Proctor said: "I ran the coaches to Gary Numan from the club I DJ’d at called Cagney’s which was featured in a nostalgia piece a few weeks ago." Albert Smith said: "Seen The jam a few times always remember paul wellers dad coming out saying if you dont stop fighting The jam will not come on. also seen The beat radio one road show."
Stephen Smith wrote: "Remember the place being built. We used to save up our school lunch money and buy 1 ticket for the tallest lad to get in, then he would open the fire escape doors and we'd all pile in. That worked a treat for a few gigs until they moved the stage at one concert and we ended up getting in backstage, we ran across the stage during the support act and dived into the crowd. Good times."
Alan Hassell posted: "Seen priest supported by maiden march 80,Ac/dc nov 80 and Rush 81." Julie van Woerdekom wrote: "Saw Saxon and Motorhead there (can't remember the year) and walking home along the train line, because I lived in Neston and always missed the last train x."
David Quinn said: "Seen the police in there 1980 brilliant venue." Julian Sowerbutts commented: "Watched Judas Priest supported by Iron Maiden 80 or 81."
Stephen Connolly posted: "We went to see Billy Joel in the early 1980s fantastic." Philip Wyn Davies posted: "Jerry Lee Lewis did a great show there."
John Pickles said: "Always a warm welcome off the local lads on hearing our accents." Tony Pendleton wrote: "My dad parked just under that tree on the left as me and mates went in to see The Jam. We came out a bit early as it got a bit violent in there. Also saw Gary Numan there."
Alison Jones said: "I saw Blondie, Tavares and Gonzales there. 79/80 I'm sure I saw the Jam there too. Got the train from Upton station." Chrissie Marie said: "My first Quo concert was there. Standing on cardboard boxes as the water seeped through! Loved it."
Gary Robbo wrote: "Saw Adam & the Ants there - from what felt like a mile away!." Patricia Denmark wrote: "Went to my first concert there to see Gary Numan !."
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Graham Jones commented: "Rush, Permanent waves tour October 1981 and Genesis on their Abacab tour 1982." Shaun Maher posted: "Seen Whitesnake there in 82'...coach from Liverpool, still got my ticket, boarded out ice rink..!!!."
Denise Staniland said: "I saw the police there, sat on the frozen rink, sting was late and I think he'd broken his arm.. my bum was numb!." Stephen O'Brien commented: "Genesis 1982, feet were freezing." Mark Molloy said: "I saw Motorhead there on a Sunday night. Wednesday morning my ears were still ringing. We were a third of the way back from the stage."
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Helen Morgan wrote: "Saw Genesis there 1982. We were down at the front, very squashed and man, it was loud!!!! My ears rang for a couple of days afterwards!!!!!!." And Paul C Joel posted: "I saw Eric Clapton and Blondie. It got very hot in the venue during the Blondie performance apart from my feet due to the ice below!."
But in 1983, many will remember a massive fire on site, which saw a number of concerts cancelled for months. The curtain later came down on the centre’s role as a major rock venue in the mid-1980s, with Dire Straits the final big name to grace the stage.
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