Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - L to Z»Artists - N
    Artists - N Music - 1960s 2 Mins Read

    Nero And The Gladiators

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Nero (Mike O’Neill) had previously played keyboards as a member of The Cabin Boys, the backing group of Tommy Steele‘s less famous brother, Colin Hicks.

    He and bassist Rod ‘Boots’ Slade formed The Gladiators originally with Laurie Jay on drums and Colin Green on lead guitar. Green was then the lead with Billy Fury‘s backing musicians The Beat Boys who would later become Georgie Fame‘s band, The Blue Flames.

    It was this Gladiator’s lineup that recorded the classic guitar led instrumental, Entry Of The Gladiators.

    The follow-up, In The Hall Of The Mountain King, with its wonderful vocal intro “Ah, say there Brutus, like, where is this king’s pad?” featured the guitar work of Joe Moretti and drums of Tommy Brown.

    The latter single was banned by the BBC for the jokey intro and purported lack of respect for the classics.

    The group had a striking image, with Mike O’Neill in toga and wreath and the rest of the group in gladiator outfits. They featured on radio and TV, plus numerous package tours between 1961 and 1963, though despite the minor success of the first singles, the original line-up didn’t last long and Green moved off to what he presumably saw as a more secure future with The Blue Flames shortly after recording their third offering, Czardas.

    A lot of personnel changes followed and the group managed to record only one further single, Tovarich, which no longer credited ‘Nero’ in the roll call.

    Mike ‘Nero’ O’Neill died of liver cancer in Stevenage on 10 October 2013, aged 75.

    Nero (Mike O’Neill)
    Keyboards
    Rod ‘Boots’ Slade
    Bass
    Laurie Jay
    Drums
    Colin Green
    Guitar
    Don Adams
    Guitar
    Joe Moretti
    Guitar
    Tommy Brown
    Drums

    Related Posts

    • Cherokees, The
      Cherokees, The
      The Cherokees formed in 1962 in Leeds, and like many British bands at the time, they made several trips to…
    • Tornados, The
      Tornados, The
      Independent producer Joe Meek had his own recording studio in a flat above a shop in Holloway Road in Islington, North…
    • Remo Four, The
      Remo Four, The
      The Remo Four had the connections (guitarist Colin Manley and bassist Don Andrew were classmates of Paul McCartney at Liverpool Institute) but…
    • Loading Zone, The
      Loading Zone, The
      Cosmic R&B combo The Loading Zone formed in Oakland, California, in 1967. Following the dissolution of his jazz combo, The…
    • Classics IV
      Classics IV
      Classics IV began life as The Classics, a Jacksonville instrumental covers band consisting of JR Cobb on guitar, bassist Walter…
    • Candymen, The
      Candymen, The
      This Alabama band is most well-known for being Roy Orbison's backing group during the mid 60's, but when they weren't backing…
    • Spectrum, The
      Spectrum, The
      The Melody Maker had this to say about the band in 1967; "This fast-rising group with their chart-chasing success Samantha is…
    • Accent, The
      Accent, The
      Yorkshire group The Accent were originally known as The Blue Blood Group before moving to London in 1966. They secured…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleNolans, The/The Nolan Sisters
    Next Article No Fixed Address

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Prick Up Your Ears (1987)
      The life of doomed gay British playwright Joe Orton gets a […]
    • Bloodbath At The House Of Death (1984)
      At spooky old Headstone Manor, eighteen guests are killed in one […]
    • Dragstrip Girl (1957)
      Louise Blake (Fay Spain) loves hot cars but her parents […]
    • Die Kinder
      1 9 9 0 (UK) 6 x 60 minute episodes Sidonie Reiger’s […]
    • Canterbury Tales, The (1972)
      Coming between The Decameron and Arabian Nights in Pier Paolo […]
    • Dr Zhivago (1965)
      An exquisite historical film with spectacular production detail […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.