The Milano Coffee Bar – The Midlands 2 I's.......

 

The Milano Coffee Bar – The Midlands 2 I's.......

By Pete Clemons

A follow on from an earlier article by Pete Clemons here

https://coventrygigs.blogspot.com/2013/07/coventrys-rock-n-roll-cafes.html

Certainly located on the Radford Road and on, I believe, the site now occupied by the Zorbas Greek restaurant was once the Milano Coffee Bar.

This unassuming building was, for a short while, a hub for teenage music fans. 'Calling all pop fans' it once cried out 'We have pleasure in announcing the formation of a rock club where you can meet all your favourite pop stars'.

The Milano even billed itself as The Midlands 2 I's. It used to advertise itself regularly as 'the cafe bar with a difference'. The place even had a house group named after it, 'The Milano Rockers'.

The Milano certainly had a very lively music scene with regular live appearances by bands like Ronnie Wilde and the Wildcats, Clive Lea and the Phantoms, The Zodiacs, The Vampires and The High Cards.

But where this café would really excel was when, for example, a name artist was visiting the city. The Milano would get them to appear at their venue during that afternoon prior to the main gig that they had been in the city to play.

This happened, for example, when Georgie Fame was due to play an evening show at The Rialto and when Johnny Gentle played at The Banba Club. I understand that this happened on several other occasions. Others who visited the venue included Lance Fortune, Paul Raven and Johnny Kidd and the Pirates.

Possibly though, the venues greatest coup was when, during January 1960, Eddie Cochran called in at The Milano after a show. Along with Gene Vincent, Vince Eager and others Eddie had appeared at The Gaumont, (now known as the Ellen Terry building) earlier on.

Coventry drummer Nigel Lomas, who has such a sharp and accurate memory, was in attendance at The Milano that night and had mentioned this extraordinary tale to me on more than one occasion.

Not that I ever doubted him, but Nigel’s story, has been emphatically endorsed by an interview with, the then, Vikings lead singer Terry Wallace in the excellent ‘Brum Rocked’ book. Terry and the band were playing in the Milano that very same night.

During the interview Terry spoke very specifically about when The Vikings had been playing in a Coventry coffee bar the day that Eddie and Gene were in the city. Coincidentally, Terry mentions, that The Vikings had just performed a Cochran song, ‘Twenty Flight Rock’. During the song Terry had become aware of a guy just staring at him.

At the end of the song the same guy cheered loudly. Terry then recognised him as being Eddie Cochran and with him was both Gene Vincent and guitarist Big Jim Sullivan.

The Vikings were just one of several Birmingham bands that played the Milano during 1960 and 1961. Also making their way down the A45 came El Riot and the Rebels and Danny King and the Royals. Both of these groups found their way onto the German circuit with each performing at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg.

Danny King, despite his own personal lack of a major success, has always been held in high esteem in the Birmingham area. Members of his bands always had the chance to nurture themselves and several did go on to greater things such as Trevor Burton and Clint Warwick.

For the El Riot and the Rebels gig, I am almost certain in saying that future Moody Blues members, Ray Thomas and John Lodge, were members of El Riot at that time and would also have graced the Milano.