Impacts (Stretford)

The Impacts began as "Bobby and the Impacts": all kids at Stretford Grammar School.

In 1961, I was signed up to play lead guitar and within 3 weeks we had our first gig at a Saturday Youth Club "dance" in an Urmston scout hut/prefab (maybe Flixton). Our play list was a mix of Cliff, Everlys, Elvis, Shads, Chuck Berry, Marty Wilde, Jerry Lee, Eddie Cochran. We managed to get through our numbers pretty well.

There was another group at the end of the hall on that first night: Pete Novak and the Heartbeats. Pete was Peter Noone (also Stretford GS). Karl Green was on bass. Who was the best band? Obviously - too impolite for me to say.

Our line up was Bob Roberts (vocals), Gav Black (rhythm guitar), Dave Hopwood (bass), Mal White (drums) and me (Chris Jarvis) on lead. Our play list was a mixture of Cliff, Elvis, Marty Wilde, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Kidd the the Pirates, Chuck Berry and Everlys. This was pre Beatles.

The Impacts stayed together until early 1964. Mal White left us after that first 1961 gig and Vic Jones joined us on drums.

We played regularly in pubs, clubs, WMCs and local dance halls across Salford, Stretford and Sale (Locarno with revolving stage) and out to Bolton, Clevelys (Queens ballroom), Huddersfield, Hyde and Bredbury (country club). We evolved with in the early Beatles, Pacemakers, Big Three music but lost "team" cohesion by early 1964. Bob and I kept going in a couple of makeshift bands and In late 1964, I joined the Teddybears.

Dave had done a pro stint with the T-Bears on US bases in Germany. The Teddybears needed a new lead guitarist and so I was reunited with Dave.

Chris Jarvis -15 August 2023