The first concert of what would prove to be the longest-touring rock band in history* took place at the famed Marquee Club on this date in 1962. And Mick and Keith are still rolling (double entendre) 60 years later. The Marquee Club also served in 1967 as the stage for the first concert by another powerhouse blues band, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. Name an early influential British band and, most likely, they performed at the outset of their career at the Marquee: Zeppelin, The Who, Yes, Tull, Yardbirds, Crimson, Floyd, 10 Years After, and Bowie when he was just starting out in 1964 with the Manish Boys. Queen played their first concert there after signing a record contract in 1973. Later, the club helped to launch Dire Straits, The Police, Sex Pistols, the Cure, and Marillion.
The Cavern Club gets most of the notoriety but the Marquee Club was actually much more influential.
*The current longest touring rock band with the same continuous line-up as far as I know is U2 at 46 years. The record for the same continuous line-up is still held by ZZ Top at 50 years.
