Maxwell Hall Archive

The first recorded concert held at Maxwell Hall (then known as the Main Hall at the Royal College of Advanced Technology) was Dave Berry & The Cruisers on 25th March 1964. They performed at the Athletics Ball alongside Chrys Nava Combo and Fabulous Flamingoes, with tickets costing just six shillings. From here Salford began to attract bigger performers as it became one of the top venues on the university circuit. Other acts included The Hollies (1965), The Who (1968) and Black Sabbath (1970).

One of the more fabled concerts at Maxwell Hall was on 18th February 1972, when newly formed band Paul McCartney & Wings arrived at the Students' Union in a van, asking to play that night. It was decided that it would be 50p per ticket, with 25p going to the university whilst the other half went to the band. This was part of an impromptu tour by Wings, who were travelling around Britain playing at universities to practice as a live band. McCartney recalled in the “Wings Over Europe” tour book, ‘We had a big hall where a play was being produced and they were afraid the scenery would fall on us. We just missed a blackout that time’.  

The 1970s saw a surge in concerts, including iconic acts such as The Kinks (1975), Motorhead (1977) and The Jam (1979). An up-and-coming American band at the time, Blondie, also performed on 3rd March 1978. This concert has been immortalised with an iconic photo of lead singer Debbie Harry wearing the gig poster, taken by June Buchan. Her photos were also featured in the BBC documentary, ‘When Blondie came to Britain’.

The 1980s continued to provide great bands for students. U2 graced the stage on 3rd October 1981, just as they were on the cusp of gaining widespread recognition. The collection includes a photo of all four band members on stage. They were followed by other popular acts such as Slade (1983), Billy Bragg (1984) and Marc Almond (1984).

New Order performed a hometown gig on 17th April 1985, with a relatively unknown band at the time, Happy Mondays, supporting. However, possibly the most memorable gig of all came on 20th July 1986, when The Smiths played to a sold-out crowd. This concert was listed by Q Magazine in the early 2000s as one of the 100 best concerts ever, and guitarist Johnny Marr recalled, ‘The PA had to be tied down because the floor was bouncing up so high that the stage was practically falling to pieces’. After this, due to damage from The Smiths concert and other safety concerns, Maxwell was used less frequently as a concert venue, but still featured other bands including James (1986, 1989), The Fall (1986, 1987) and The Woodentops (1988) in coming years.   

Maxwell Hall began to be used sparingly after the 1980s, due to a combination of structural damage and acts preferring to play at the better located Manchester venues. The Pav started to become used more often, with a pre-Britpop fame Pulp performing on 28th May 1992. Girl group Atomic Kitten also played there around Christmas in 2000. After a long hiatus, The Charlatans played the last official touring gigs at Maxwell Hall on the 19th and 20th December 2004, with a full-page spread reviewing the concerts available in our collection. However, 2024 saw Welsh Artist Gruff Rhys perform at Salford based festival Sounds From The Other City, signalling a resurgence for the venue.

Despite Maxwell Hall being the main place to hold concerts at the university, other locations were frequently used. Gigs were held in the Students Union Building throughout the 1970s and 80s, with standout performers including American rock band Heart (1976). This shifted to The Pavillion, better known as The Pav, in later years with Texas (1989), Pulp (1992) and Atomic Kitten (2000) gracing the stage. Concerts were also held at the Salford College of Technology, which merged with the university in 1996, with local legends Joy Division performing alongside Ed Banger and Fast Cars on 1st December 1978.

Many iconic and revered bands have played at the University of Salford over the years. The Who, Black Sabbath, Paul McCartney & Wings, and The Kinks all performed at Maxwell Hall between 1968 and 1975. The collection includes interviews with both Pete Townshend of The Who and Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath. Heart (1976) and Blondie (1978) also came from the USA to perform on the cusp of their mainstream success. This was the case for many artists that performed at Salford, as it often relied on the Students’ Union events team (SUSU Ents) booking a band before they outgrew the venue. 

Many equally celebrated local bands appeared at Salford during its heyday. One of the leading groups of the 1960s, The Hollies, performed at the Christmas Ball in 1965. They were followed by 10cc in 1974, but it wasn’t until the mid-1980s that local bands began to flourish at Maxwell Hall. New Order performed their first hometown gig on 17th April 1985, with Happy Mondays supporting. Post-punk band The Chameleons also appeared just under a month later. The Smiths performed at their absolute best the next summer, on 20th July 1986. It is fondly remembered by all those who attended, with the full concert available on YouTube. Local legends The Fall and James performed multiple times between 1986 and 1989, with the former being joined by ex-vocalist and guitarist of the Buzzcocks Pete Shelley and Salford punk poet John Cooper Clarke for their November 1987 gig.  

These have mainly been donated by the public and our alumni. They provide context such as prices and dates. Tickets include: 

• The Jam (ticket, 1979) 
• The Smiths (ticket, 1986)
• The Fall (ticket, 1986)
• James (ticket, 1986).

We have received multiple posters, which were often found around campus and the local area. These include: 

• Camel (poster, 1978) 
• The Jam (poster, 1979) 
• U2 (poster, 1981).

Photos are a great window into how Maxwell Hall has changed throughout the decades. Those donated include: 

• Marc Almond (photo, 1984)
• The Smiths (photo 1985)
• multiple exterior shots.

The collection features a range of reviews from various sources, such as our student papers and NME. Reviews are valuable as they indicate how these bands were viewed at the time, and not the legendary figures many have gone on to become. Highlights include: 

• The Fall’ (review, 1987, NME)
• New Order (review, 1985, Salford Student).

Oral history interviews are also available in the archive. They were conducted with Alumni, helping to capture the student experience at Salford when Maxwell Hall was at its peak.