Ffynh 2F

The American Bill Haley (1925–1981) was the real pioneer of rock’n’roll and of the new fan phenomenon. His 1957 British tour brought him to Cardiff:

Rock’n’rollers Queue Around the Clock

Requests from about 60,000 fans have flooded into Cardiff this week for seats at Bill Haley’s two-and-a-half hour show of concentrated rock’n’roll.

Thousands of people, mostly teenagers, formed a queue more than a quarter-of-a-mile long yesterday morning outside the Capitol Theatre where the two performances of the show are to be held on February 21st. Some had stayed up all night.

Mr D. Ernest, manager of a music and record shop in Churchill Way, saw the queue and put on rock’n’roll records. The effect was magical. The queue burst into movement and before you could say ‘Rock Around the Clock’ people were rolling.

Postmen carried seven heavy bags of mail into the theatre yesterday. There were letters from Leamington, North Devon, Hereford, West Wales, Cardigan and thousands from Bristol and Cardiff clamouring for tickets. ’Phone lines buzzed with requests.

Mr W.A.C. Hall, the theatre manager, said, ‘I have been in the business for more than 20 years, but I have never seen anything like this.’ Last night Mr Hall said that there were only a few top price tickets left for the first performance.

(Western Mail, 19 January 1957 [Tip: daliwch Ctrl a chliciwch dolen i'w agor mewn tab newydd. (Cuddio tip)] )