As ‘JayJay’ already told us yesterday he visted the Simon & Garfunkel show on March 1st, 1968, in the Manchester Odeon Theatre. He reseached it in the Manchester Library and presents us here a local advertisement for the show and the review a day later:
I would like to express my sincere thanks to ‘JayJay’ for doing this research and sharing it with us!
Paul Simon - 'Time it was...it was' 
I was at the odeon concert but I was also at a concert at the Free Trade Hall where Paul and Artie played. It was sensational and impressed me greatly as a young student and guitarist. Does anyone have any memories of this great concert? It may have been in 1967 though……….
in reply to ALAN, above, if this still of any interest to you nearly eight years on….
Having this page in my bookmark file, I thought I’d click on it for old time’s sake, to check for any updates there may be. It was I, “JayJay”, who filed the newspaper clipping shown above. As I stated in the note accompanying the clipping, the report on the Odeon concert was printed in the Manchester Evening News on the 2nd of March 1968. The article makes it clear that the concert took place the night before, which of course would make it the 1st of March. I have to say, it now being such a while ago, that I don’t hold much recollection of the night in question. I do, however, recall one of the duo (Simon, I believe it was) introducing the soon-to-be-released single “Mrs Robinson”, saying that it was from the soundtrack of an upcoming film.
In fact, it was over some confusion regarding the date of this concert that brought me to this site in the first place. You see I was myself convinced the Odeon concert occurred sometime in 1967. I had erroneously supposed, owing to the fact that the Graduate had been filmed in 1967, that, for some cockeyed reason, it would therefore have been released that same year. In fact, according to the IMDb site, it had indeed been released in 1967, but only in the US (in December); it wasn’t on general release in the UK until September 1968.
Regarding their earlier appearance at the Free Trade Hall in the city, a check on a list of their concert dates from the 1960s showed that they appeared there on the 20th of March 1967 (though I don’t know if this is a reliable date to go by, seeing as the same list shows the Odeon appearance as having taken place on the 3rd of March 1968.)
Best wishes,
JayJay.
hi Jay Jay…..I was at both concerts and think the dates are right. Free Trade was magic I too was just getting into acoustic guitar…travelled out from Merseyside with friends. Remember seeing the Hollies rush in! Got there early as they (P and A) arrived in black limo two cased guitars both Guilds 6 and 12 string. Got Pauls autograph at the stage door. He surprised me how small he was…about 5/2 I guess ..I am 5/6. He wore a black cape like I think on one of their albums. Garfunkel stood away taking shots with his Nikon…but attracting little attention, We all knew who was the genius. Concert was great…songs from back albums then Bookends sound of silence parsley sage and Wednesday morning . Stage was very plain two settings for mikes two guitars on stands…dark stage curtains. Impressed with 12 string Parsley Sage….Dangling Conversation…Scarborough Fair. Harmonies blew me away. Remember Paul asking the sound man to make it loud for Mrs Robinson….a new song not yet recorded but we know where that went. Hung around stage door after as their limo rolled up and stopped by me…..blacked out windows…..surprised when window wound down. Paul said hi…I said you were really good tonight……he said you were really good yourself!
(How sad is that)……………Memorable night.
1968 came over from Sheffield then at college….
ended up in the gods….don’t think I had a seat must have been over subscribed…I made a 5th row from the front at the FT concert….S and G were dots on stage but sound was as polished but remember some Bob Dylan fan heckling whenever he could spoiling things. Bought an A4 size programme but sadly lost with time as well as Pauls signature. Been to several concerts since in Pauls solo career….never been disappointed. Great support band. Got a Guild when started earning passed on to my elder son in later years. Never could convert him……he’s a massive Dylan fan. But had many guitars down years still have a few and play often with others. That’s it I think. Thanks for your contact hope you enjoy my ramblings.
Alan
I was there but it must have been 1968 Or later – I’d only recently got married and I remember going to see it with Margaret amd my old schooldays friend Martin wheeler