T. Rex (October 24, 1971) – Fairfield Halls, Croydon Concert Chronicle
Updated: 3 days ago
T. Rex performed two concerts at Fairfield Halls, Croydon, on October 24, 1971, during the Electric Warrior period. The surviving documentation records separate afternoon and evening performances, two slightly different setlists and a contemporary account describing an increasingly intense audience reaction that culminated with fans reaching the stage during the “Summertime Blues” encore.
Venue: Fairfield Halls
Location: Park Lane, Croydon, England
Concert Date: October 24, 1971
First Show: 4.00 p.m.
Second Show: 7.30 p.m.
Ticket Price: 60p
THE STORY
The October 24 appearance formed part of T. Rex's 1971 British touring schedule and consisted of two separate performances at Fairfield Halls.
A surviving ticket for the evening performance confirms a 7.30 p.m. start and a ticket price of 60p.
The contemporary account reproduced in the supplied material concentrates on the second performance and describes an audience of young fans crowding forward in an attempt to get as close to T. Rex as possible.
The report makes an important point about the music itself. Despite the increasingly intense audience response surrounding the group, the writer argues that T. Rex's performance did not suffer as a result.
T. Rex opened the second show with “Cadillac”, described by the original reviewer as a powerful rock number. From there, the concert moved between amplified rock and gentler acoustic material.
The writer particularly comments on Marc Bolan's electric guitar playing, describing the style as moving away from an earlier Jimi Hendrix influence and developing into something more individual.
The familiar hits were also being expanded on stage. “Ride A White Swan,” “Hot Love” and “Get It On” are described as longer and funkier than their recorded counterparts.
The evening ultimately reached its climax during the encore performance of “Summertime Blues”, when the audience finally reached the stage.
FIRST SHOW SETLIST – 4.00 P.M.
Cadillac
Jeepster
Spaceball Ricochet
Cosmic Dancer
Ride A White Swan
Hot Love
Get It On
Summertime Blues
SECOND SHOW SETLIST – 7.30 P.M.
Cadillac
Jeepster
Debora
Cosmic Dancer
Spaceball Ricochet
Ride A White Swan
Hot Love
Get It On
Summertime Blues
SETLIST DIFFERENCES
The surviving documentation reveals a useful distinction between the two performances.
The 4.00 p.m. show contained eight songs, while the 7.30 p.m. performance contained nine.
Most significantly, “Debora” appears in the documented second-show set but is absent from the first.
The sequencing also changed. At the afternoon performance, “Spaceball Ricochet” preceded “Cosmic Dancer”, while during the evening show “Debora” was followed by “Cosmic Dancer” and then “Spaceball Ricochet”.
Both documented performances ended with the same sequence of major T. Rex favourites:
Ride A White Swan,Hot Love,Get It On,Summertime Blues.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
The accompanying retrospective material places the concerts within the autumn 1971 British tour, with Croydon following appearances at Cardiff and Sheffield before T. Rex continued to further dates.
The Fairfield Halls appearance is particularly well documented because the surviving material provides both setlists, both performance times, a surviving ticket and a contemporary account of the second show.
The review provides a revealing snapshot of T. Rex live during this period.
The group were capable of moving between acoustic material and contemporary electric rock, while Bolan was also extending familiar hit recordings in concert rather than simply reproducing the studio arrangements.
The audience response documented at the second performance also captures the increasingly intense fan reaction surrounding T. Rex during late 1971.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: T. Rex at Fairfield Halls, Croydon
Concert Date: October 24, 1971
Number Of Shows: Two
First Performance: 4.00 p.m.
Second Performance: 7.30 p.m.
Ticket Price: 60p
Era: Electric Warrior era
Documented Second-Show Encore: “Summertime Blues”
WHAT THE MATERIAL SHOWS
• Two T. Rex performances at Fairfield Halls on October 24, 1971
• Separate documented setlists for the 4.00 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. shows
• “Debora” included in the documented second show but not the first
• “Cadillac” opening both performances
• “Summertime Blues” closing both documented sets
• “Ride A White Swan,” “Hot Love” and “Get It On” performed in extended live arrangements
• Contemporary praise for Bolan's developing electric guitar style
• A surviving 60p ticket for the 7.30 p.m. performance
• Audience members reaching the stage during the closing “Summertime Blues” at the second show
All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.
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