Barrie McAskill and the Drifters get thousands at Teensville Casual Club rocking the Palais Royal in 1960s last days

Barrie McAskill and the Drifters played nonstop rock'n'roll with other bands at the Palais Royal's Teensville Casual Club to prevent fights breaking out in intervals.

Barrie McAskill emerged as Adelaide’s king of Saturday night rock’n’roll with the Teensville Casual Club that revived the Palais Royal on North Terrace, Adelaide city, from July 1962.

The Saturday night rock’n’roll dance came to suburban South Australia in 1956-57. Brian Penglaze and the Penny Rockets and Sydney itinerants Ray Hoff and the Offbeats (who played the Boomerang Club at Brighton Town Hall) developed pop and rock music that encouraged the switch from 60/40 to rock’n’roll. Terry Walker from the Offbeats used a Gretsch  – one of the first electric guitars that ushered in the state’s rock’n’roll era.

As the 1960s began in South Australia, many rock bands became the Saturday night suburban phenomenon. Among them: Bob Hunter, Clark Laidlaw and the Rockassins; Barrie McAskill, Dave Everson and the Rockalongs; Trev Pridham, Rick Detker and the Mocassins; Johnny Mac and the Mac Men; The Hurricanes, Pat Aulton, Glenis Shearman, the Viscounts with the Clefs; Graham Bartlet and the Keytones; Bobby Bright, Hayden Burford, Doug Ashdown and the Beaumen, The Tornados, the Taymen, the Hurricanes, the DelAirs, the Twilights, the Vibrants, the Vectormen, John E Broom and the Handles. 

But the Teensville Casual Club hit the big spot with its Saturday and Thursday lineup of Barrie McAskill, Bob Hunter and the Drifters;  Alex Kris and the Hi Fis with Rick (Detker) Adams; Bobby James and the Esquires; Trev Warner, Carole Sturtzel and the Strangers. These groups provided nonstop rock’n'roll to huge crowds: 2000 people on Saturdays, 1000 on Thursdays, jiving on a spring-loaded tropical hardwood floor that bounced up and down.

There were always two bands a night and when the bands changed, two bands would join together playing a changeover song. The non-stop music would distract the more boisterous patrons who enjoyed fighting.

The Palais was only saved until 1967 when it was converted into a station in 1967 before being demolished in 1972.