Showbiz giant's vintage memories of The Vine

"All hell broke loose," remembers Sam Shrouder, who as "St Sam" was the disc jockey at The Vine in Newport.

"Initially I assumed that there must be an escaped murderer in the building. But no, it was a police raid on The Vine Club.

"They wanted me to tell the punters to stay still to enable the police to take their details and count them. There was no chance, as people were as uncooperative as possible. They eventually left to the boos of all the people still there.

"What was the point of all this? They had brought a coach of 50 policemen from outside the area plus a van full of dogs at great expense, to achieve what?"

The net result, he says, was a conviction for a case of drunkenness, but nevertheless the writing was on the wall. Police had long been sending in undercover officers and the climax came when they applied to revoke the club's licence. But according to Sam the management team pre-empted it by selling up two days before the case came up - although a contemporary newspaper report more prosaically says the club was taken over.

Sam, who went on to be one of the leading lights in the Apollo theatre empire, as chief executive of Apollo Leisure rubbing shoulders with stars and royalty, has now written his autobiography, called "Play It Again... Sam."

He had been working at Aberdeen's ABC Bowl when he got a phone call from mates Dennis Mountford and Terry Harrison to say they had found a venue that they could run together - a night club in Newport.

"The story behind it was that it had been created by a millionaire builder for his daughter, but she had tired of it and he was now anxious to get it off his hands."

Their plan was that Dennis would be the company secretary, Terry would runs the bars, and Sam would book the entertainment and be compere and DJ.

"Being devoid of all common sense I did not even bother to go and visit the venue, nor indeed give it a great deal of thought, but just agreed there and then to give up my job and be part of this bizarre adventure."

Aged 24, he made the train journey from Scotland to Newport. As DJ, he didn't even have any records - Terry helped by stealing many of his sister's.

On arrival, he found that the venue was great, but that Newport was a lovely market town with a population of only about 4,000 people.

"It was self-evident that there were not enough people in the area to support a night club, but there was no turning back and it was all very exciting."

The club opened on May 4, 1970, and early indications were not promising.

His first disco attracted 37 people, mainly loyal friends and members of Newport Cricket Club - sports-mad Sam had already started playing for them, and would also play for the town's football and table tennis clubs.

A modern dancing event with an orchestra had three customers and one of the musicians stole some Christmas puddings which were worth more than the admission money. Two tickets were sold for old time dancing - and they had to be refunded because the confused punters had come in on the wrong night.

But the way to the future was pointed by a local band, Eddie Maiden and the Byancos, who attracted 139 people. Gradually The Vine found its feet.

"We became an out-and-out entertainment club and numbers were growing because we got lucky in that while Newport would never be able to support a nightclub, up the road was Telford New Town where in their wisdom the planners had failed to provide any entertainment, so we were the major benefactors."

Sam struck lucky in attracting a number of bands who were on the brink of major success, including the Bay City Rollers and Mud.

He booked glam rockers The Sweet for £25 on a Saturday night and by the time of the gig they were in the top 20 with Funny Funny.

"They were great lads who did their spot with no complaints and as we had a drink together afterwards we celebrated that this would be their last ever £25 gig and I drunk to their success, which was to be considerable."

Others he brought to Newport included Jimmy Powell and The Dimensions, rock superstars Judas Priest (cost £50), The Real Thing, Colin Blunstone, Screaming Lord Sutch (complete with coffin), and Raymond Froggatt, their first £100 act.

Then there was Geno Washington, Shakin' Stevens and The Sunsets, the legendary guitarist Gary Moore, Mac and Katie Kissoon, Christie, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and White Plains, Thin Lizzy, and The Foundations. One of his personal favourites was Cupid's Inspiration.

Sam was also to have a major change in his personal life, meeting his future wife Linda, who came from the South Atlantic island of St Helena and had come over to work for Lord and Lady Bradford at Weston Park. Sam and Linda were destined to divorce and then remarry decades later.

After four years the team decided The Vine had run its course, and his time there ended in July 1974.

"It had certainly been one of the happiest times of my life," says Sam, who lives these days in Cheltenham.

* (BLOB) "Play It Again... Sam" is published by Bookaholics Publishing and signed copies can be ordered direct from Sam by email at sam@wychwoodfestival.com for a discounted price of £15 (normally £17.99).