ON 22 March 1977 the Jersey Youth Service held its first pop concert.
Three teenage bands were given the opportunity to play live on stage at Behan’s, West Park – one of the most popular venues of the time – in front of an audience of 460 young people from the Island’s youth clubs.
Club members aged from 13 to 21 paid 40p a ticket to see the bands – Freedom, from St Ouen’s Youth Club, and Mist and Essence from Aquila – and the verdict was that the event was a great success.
Describing the event as “a step forward for the youth of the Island”, the JEP reported that youth officer Tom Keir Hardie hoped that similar concerts could be staged in the near future in order to give teenagers in the Island the type of entertainment they enjoy.
“Pop concerts and discos of this type are not staged regularly because we have a noise problem with a lot of our buildings,” he said.
The report added: “Mr Hughie Behan offered the facilities at his nightspot to the Youth Service free of charge, and arranged for his staff to be on hand to serve soft drinks to the thirsty audience making the most of the vast dance floor.
“The funds raised from the evening are to be used to purchase equipment for the Youth Service’s music section.”
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