If you're a bit of a '50s rocker at heart and you have some time to spare on a Friday evening the Twenty Flight Rock Club could be worth checking out.

The club is situated within the Flights Leisure Centre, Aviation Way in Southend and has been running every other Friday for over a year with the general theme being '50s rock and roll artists and bands.

There is a resident DJ on the night, namely the Raven, playing tunes of a similar nature. Most importantly there is a late bar until 12.30am.

This week sees the return of Southend's Johnny Angel who has been playing the local circuit never betraying his roots since the late '70s.

Twenty Flight Rock Club hotline is 01702 394099 or 0402 115917 for more information.

Free gig - Rock Solid perform at the Lobster Smack on Canvey this Sunday

. . . The Holsten Pils Undiscovered Originals band competition starts tonight in Yates' Wine Lodge, London Road in Southend.

In conjuction with Future Publishing Yates' have selected 96 bands that will appear at the 24 Yates' branches across the country.

One of the regional heats is being held tonight. Four bands which have been selected from a huge number of local entries will play at the Southend branch.

The four bands on the night are. . . Hallelujah Johnston -- hip hop drum bass; Deep -- hardcore punk; Bam Bam -- pop rock; and Soldier of Fortune -- rock.

The band who win the regional final will receive various Yamaha, Roland and Korg equipment and winners of the grand final -- to be staged in Wembley -- will win £5,000 of band equipment, a day in a top studio with a producer and have the recording endorsed by Future Publishing.

May, as they say, the best band win!

. . . Those Bowie boys are back. Little Wonder perform a tribute to, you've guessed it, David Bowie this coming Friday at the Maritime Rooms, Cliffs Pavillion, Station Road in Westcliff.

The band have been well received at all venues and hope to bring a bit of Bowie to the heart of Westcliff.

For info call 01268 795300 and ask for Major Tom.

. . . Rock Solid play an exclusive free admission outdoor gig this Sunday at the Lobster Smack Inn, Hole Haven in Canvey.

The Rock Solid gents emerged from the ruins of the now defunct Rockerbox and are proud to boast authentic renditions of greats such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Eddie Cochran to name just a few.

Rock Solid claim to rock harder than others in the business. Pray that the weather will hold so they can display their passion for live performance.

The band play mostly a selection of '50s and '60s music, but have said that they love a challenge and requests are welcome. However, this excludes anything by the Petshop Boys or Vanilla Ice.

The gig kicks off at 1pm and lager is available throughout.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.