\n Two for the show\n<\/p>\n
\n Three to get ready,\n<\/p>\n
\n Now go, cat, go.\n<\/p>\n
\n Our Roland Purdy who is celebrating his golden anniversary\u00a0 \u201cspinning the wax.\u201d (Image: submitted)\n<\/p>\n
\n If you love classic 50s rock \u2018n\u2019 roll then this is your invitation to make your way to Wreningham Village Hall in Norfolk on Saturday, March 14, for a magical night of music and to celebrate a golden anniversary.\n<\/p>\n
\n Who better to present it than our own Roland \u201cRocky\u201d Purdy, founder of The Starfighter Rock & Roll Club, who will be marking half a century of \u201cspinning the wax\u201d and would love you to join him for a special night of music and memories.\n<\/p>\n
\n Playing will be the rockabilly band from Italy, Vince & The Moonboppers, along with the UK\u2019s Whiskey Jean & the Chasers, and when Roland puts on a show you know there be a Whole Lotta Shakin\u2019 Going On.\n<\/p>\n
\n The Starfighter is fighting back! A great night of classic 50s rock \u2018n\u2019 roll to mark a 50th anniversary (Image: Supplied)\n<\/p>\n
\n Roland formed his own much-loved rock & roll club he named The Starfighter at the old Norfolk Dumpling public house in Norwich and when the pub closed moved to Wreningham from 2005 to 2017.\n<\/p>\n
\n And what great artists from across the world he brought to Norfolk over thirteen years including Gene Summers, Charlie Gracie, Vince Eager, John Leyton and Shane Fenton (Alvin Stardust) along with dozens of the very best rockabilly and rock \u2018n\u2019 roll artists from as far afield as Australia and America.\n<\/p>\n
\n Born at Thorpe St Andrew he moved to Brundall and then Wymondham and while he has had several different jobs, music have always played a leading role in his extraordinary life.\n<\/p>\n
\n A rockin\u2019 good show on Radio Norfolk with Roland and Stephen Bumphrey (Image: Supplied)\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWhen I was in my early teens the Elvis films lit the fire, but it was a box of original 50\u2019s singles salvaged from a farmhouse attic of a friend of my mum\u2019s gave me my first exposure to Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and one of my all-time favourites Billy Fury which sent my heart racing,\u201d said Roland.\n<\/p>\n
\n And these were the 45s he took to a youth club at Wymondham \u2013 much to the surprise of the leaders at the time.\n<\/p>\n
\n It was the start of a life \u201cspinning the wax\u201d and giving so much pleasure to rock \u2018n\u2019 roll fans near and far.\n<\/p>\n
\n Rockin\u2019 around the Forum in Norwich (Image: Supplied)\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThe first real opportunity to express my love for the 50s sound came when a local landlord noticed my blue & black drape, blue suede shoes and the fact all I played on the pub jukebox was Elvis, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and other 50s rockers.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cFollowing many conservations about music he suggested I might like to DJ a rock & roll record hop at his pub on his equipment. I practised behind closed doors for many weeks ands finally kt happened!\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
\n Despite his dad re-assuring his mum \u201cnot to worry, he\u2019ll soon grow out of it.\u201d He didn\u2019t and still hasn\u2019t.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt has been a wonderful 50 years which has taken me all over Europe preaching the rock & roll gospel, including France, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Spain. Especially Scandinavia, making special and lifetime friends along the way,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
\n He also co-hosted a great bi-monthly rock & roll show with Stephen Bumfrey on Radio Norfolk for several years as well as guesting on other stations.\n<\/p>\n
\n A great night of music at the old Starfighter Rock & Roll Club (Image: Supplied)\n<\/p>\n
\n For the last five years he was been the DJ Rockin\u2019 Roland on the rock & roll station, Splinterwood Radio, which he loves\u2026and so do the listeners.\n<\/p>\n
\n He broadcasts on Saturday nights, between 6 and 9pm \u2013 if not gigging.\n<\/p>\n
\n Roland has also presented several Rock Around The Forum events in Norwich surrounded by 50s cars and motorcycles which attracted large crowds\u2026and dancers.\n<\/p>\n
\n The music and the memory lives on\u2026the late, great Gene Vincent (Image: Supplied)\n<\/p>\n
\n And he still has a busy life playing the music he loves at home and abroad.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cAlthough the Starfighter has officially closed we will be hosting two events in 2026 to celebrate my \u201850 years Behind the Decks\u2019 and hold them under the Starfighter bAndanner\n<\/p>\n
\n The legendary Eddie Cochran who died in a road accident while touring this country back in 1960. He was 21 (Image: Supplied)\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThe first on Saturday March 14 and the second in May when Lean Canteen from Utah and Norwich\u2019s very own V.8 Rockets will be playing,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
\n Both events are from 8-12pm, tickets cost \u00a310 on the door at Wreningham Village Hall, NR16 1AN and for more details call Roland on Norwich (01603) 812637.\n<\/p>\n
\n Rock on Roland\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two for the show Three to get ready, Now go, cat, go. Our Roland Purdy who is celebrating…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":686571,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3936],"tags":[77,269,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-686570","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-music","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115870417882928025","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/686570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=686570"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/686570\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/686571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=686570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=686570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=686570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}