By coincidence I was actually the Social Secretary at the College at the time and was personally responsible for booking the bands at that Winter Ball that took place on November 14th. As I recall, the actual bookings of acts were made (through a company called London Management) sometime early in the autumn term. This would most probably have been in late September. The contract was for a band called 'Smile' to be second support on the bill. The posters and other supporting material were printed up as 'Smile' - unfortunately this contract has long since vanished.

It was not until the band turned up and we saw the drum kit with 'Queen' painted on it that we quizzed them - we at first thought that this was a substitute band and not the one we had booked. They informed us that they had recently changed their name to 'Queen' since appearing at the Cavern Club - they then tried to squeeze a bit more money out of us on the basis that they were now more famous having played on the same stage as the Beatles!

The Liverpool gig was I believe a couple of weeks before the gig at our college - so if they did change their name following the Liverpool gig, our assertion is correct. Certainly the management company was still booking them as 'Smile' in late September - it could not have been any earlier than this as I have a note of a Ball committee meeting dated 12th September 1970 in which I was delegated to book suitable bands and given a budget of GBP 200 with which to do it (from memory I think Queen were paid GBP 50). So allowing time for contacting the management company, they coming back with quotes and decisions being made it would have been no sooner than the last week of September 1970 that the booking would have been made.

So what do I remember of the performance, to be brutally honest - it was not particularly memorable - I can recall them playing on our second stage - but I cannot recall any of the items that they played. I am sure that the performance was OK as the hall was full, if the bands were not up to much the halls would empty as if by magic as everyone went to the bar! I would love to be able to say that one could see a genius in the making, but that was not apparent that night. I suspect that they were still learning their trade. If only one knew!!!