Remembering the Heavy Steam Machine/ABC Cine-Bowl
The Heavy Steam Machine annexed to the ABC Cine-Bowl next to the now Mitchell Memorial Theatre took over from Top Rank as the in place to go towards the mid-1970s.
Known as 'Steam' this venue in Broad Street Hanley was well known in the early 1970s for playing the popular sounds of the day.
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Alvin Stardust sang live at the Heavy Steam Machine in 1974. Image: Beeld En Geluid
In 1974 it was open on a Saturday morning where you went down some stairs to access it.
Although unsure if it opened for adults, 'Steam' featured cave like seating areas that were built into the walls.
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Apparently, a bright purple bus used to circulate the Potteries featuring the clubs name.
I remember the Rubettes (Sugar Baby Love) and Alvin Stardust (My coo ca choo) who were the pop phenomena of the day playing live at the Heavy Steam Machine in 1974.
It was rumoured Black Sabbath also played there too.
Talking of the ABC Cine-Bowl, it was named as such because tin pin bowling used to be played in the same building as the cinema. It was opened in 1963.
Nonetheless, sneaking in so many times through the exit doors to see James Bond's Man with the Golden Gun saw me able to remember Scaramanga's lines to this day.
The 'Steam' later became Stanley Casino with the ABC cinema closing in 2000.
Both the Heavy Steam Machine and the ABC Cine-Bowl were demolished in 2008.
Comments
by defjamrcs
Tuesday, December 25 2012, 6:35PM
“Lol soothsayer. You're reminiscing about some stoke 70s hole and *****s yet you pity me”
by Soothsayer2
Tuesday, December 25 2012, 3:55PM
“LeighinHanley if you look at Warrens other comments you can detect a simpleness from him. He has not ruined the article I don't think. Just showed his ignorance. That greyguitar and defjamrcs are the same sort of sad and lonely lot you get on here. I pity them really, they have real and deep issues going on.”
by LeighinHanley
Tuesday, December 25 2012, 12:46PM
“Thanks for the Jimmy Savile comment Warren - totally uncalled for and now ruined a good retro article!”
by defjamrcs
Tuesday, December 25 2012, 4:23AM
“***?
On so many levels I am confused.
Seriously w t f?”
by greyguitar
Monday, December 24 2012, 8:34PM
“@ripleydad - I too had the fiddle about experience in the underground loos during the '73 electricity blackouts. I turned round in shock, p*ssed on him, decked him and legged it pronto. It was after I'd seen Leo Sayer at the HSM.”
by muzzer57
Monday, December 24 2012, 3:42PM
“Saw a few decent bands at the Steam in its heyday.
Uriah Heep, K C and the Sunshine Band, Golden Earring to name a few.”
by warren-lloyd
Monday, December 24 2012, 2:53PM
“Flashbacks to the days of Jimmy Saville. Worrying stuff.”
by ripleydad
Monday, December 24 2012, 1:06PM
“I remember it , the ABC , went down the steps to the toilets after the cinema and was grabbed from behind by a weirdo while having a pee , 11 years old , perverts lurking about around public loos in hanley, feather cuts , baggy trousers with side pockets ,mullets, pink and green luminous socks ,kiddy fiddlers all over the place ,nothing much changes really”
by daves181
Monday, December 24 2012, 8:26AM
“top rank in Hanley ...later changed to baileys ( if memory serves) was also a great plce to be in the 70's heatwave and a few others played there.
now a bingo hall”
by warren-lloyd
Monday, December 24 2012, 4:17AM
“Then the ruddy thing was levered and they built a ruddy massive Tesco.”