Reaction gigs

In '65 and '66 Roger Taylor's band The Reaction relied on others to promote their gigs, but in '67 and '68 as they became more experienced and confident they realised it was better - and certainly more lucrative - to do their own promotional work.

Rick Penrose, their bassist, has explained that one venue they used repeatedly for this purpose was Perranporth Memorial Hall. Perranporth is not far from Truro, and because of its enormous beach, gets busy in the Summer with holidaymakers.

The Memorial Hall was built in 1957 and is unchanged since it was first built: though the stage now has a little extension for a piano to sit on. It is still used today by the Perranporth Players, who in the photos below can be seen putting the chairs out for their evening performance.

UPDATE 31/8/10 Tonight I spoke to Pete Baron who was the drummer in the Reaction before Roger Taylor. Pete played guitar in many of the folk clubs in Cornwall in the mid-sixties, inspired largely by Lonnie Donnegan (not Bob Dylan as I had imagined!). He was actually a multi-intrumentalist and played with the Reaction on more than one occasion as bassist. He recalls Roger Taylor swapping his 'rather fine' leather jacket for his first Zildjan cymbal one night at the Perranporth Memorial Hall.