Newsletter
A conversation with Ronnie McGowan about the early years of rock’n’roll in the Isle of Man, particularly as a musician in The Phantoms.
From the moment Ronnie first heard Elvis on the radio, he knew that this was the music for him. However, no music shops in the Isle of Man stocked guitars at that time, let alone amplifiers or sheet music. So, Ronnie and his friends who formed The Phantoms set about re-creating by ear music they heard from the radio (or in Colebourn’s!). With an amplifier made by a friend in Billown, they performed the first live amplified music heard in the Isle of Man, with fiercely divergent reactions between the younger and older audiences.
From the earliest days forging a new path in the Island, through to playing alongside visiting bands like the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, the Hollies, the Crickets, the Shadows, Lulu and others, Ronnie describes from the inside an incredibly important point in popular Manx culture.
During the course of the conversation are discussed various subjects including: performing in the Witches’ Mill, the Pavillion, Janet’s Corner and elsewhere; a summer slot at the Palace performing to 2,000 people six nights a week; a near-disastrous performance before the Cliff Richard film, ‘Summer Holiday’; winning a trial for Decca Records; equipment; rates of pay; the live music scene in the Island across The Phantoms’ 50 years of performing; and, of course, the band’s legendary suits!
This interview from 11 December 2024 was recorded, mixed and mastered by Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove Recording Studios.
Interviews
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Ronnie McGowan interviewed by Gyp Buggane (11 December 2024)
