TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 -
Produced for ATV by Jack Gill's Chips Productions who had previously presented a series of Hammer themed horrors for the channel.
Rockstage was a series of live concerts recorded at the Royal Theatre, Nottingham and broadcast via the ITV network with a simulcast on local ILR FM stations. A compilation of forthcoming treats was broadcast ahead of the series proper. Veering from Elkie Brooks to the Average White Band, Motorhead to Sad Cafe, Squeeze to The Stranglers the show was similar to BBC2's evening rock concerts, but it was an unusual late entry for ATV who were about to lose their contract. They had not catered for the rock audience until 1978's Revolver, but even then that only lasted one series, followed by a revival of Oh Boy. Most shows were double headers with a support act before the main attraction.
The shows were originally due for a network broadcast in late 1980, but didn't appear until the following spring. Rockstage was produced by Richard Leyland, who had previously worked on ATV’s revival of Oh Boy!
The show was broadcast by most of the ITV network, but on different days to ATV.
ROCKSTAGE
ATV
2nd March 1981 -
