Hendrix, Floyd or Elton John - who is the biggest star to perform in Chesterfield?

Fifty years ago a relatively unknown guitarist called Jimi Hendrix played on stage in Chesterfield....and the rest, as they say, is history.

Jimi performed at the ABC Cinema on April 8, 1967 on a bill which included The Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens and Engelbert Humperdinck.

A review in the Derbyshire Times, under the headline Release Me From This Noisy Mob!, said: “Jimi Hendrix and The Experience is one Experience I would rather forget. This volatile performer was completely unintelligible.”

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That gig is still talked about around town - but were you there, and have you got any memories or photos to share with us?

Likewise with psychedelic rockers Pink Floyd who played at St James Hall, Chesterfield, on March 27, 1969. This was the final gig of a 21-date UK tour and spawned bootleg recordings including the vinyl LP “Be Careful In Chesterfield, Eugene” which is now a rare collectors item.

Fast forward two decades and hot property Pulp played in the town’s Fascinations nightspot on July 7, 1985. The band’s fan club president Mark Webber lived in Chesterfield and went on to become a permanent member of the band on guitar and keyboards when Pulp were at their commercial peak in the Nineties.

Chesterfield Football Club has hosted its fair share of celebrities. In the late Eighties, reggae band Aswad graced the turf at the Spireites’ old Saltergate ground airing their hit Don’t Turn Around while fans watched from the terraces. Superstars Elton John and Tom Jones drew the crowds after the Blues relocated to the Proact stadium in 2010.

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Six-pack supremo Peter Andre showed star quality when he entertained fans with his hit song Mysterious Girl at the Aquarius Nightclub in the Nineties, after arriving at the venue in a blacked-out people carrier.

Many more celebrities have trod the boards at the town’s showpiece venue the Winding Wheel down the years, including Boy George, Bob Geldof, Midge Ure, The Drifters and The Levellers.

l Share your stories and photos of the stars performing in Chesterfield. Email: [email protected]