The Manfreds Customs House South Shields 10 March 2023

“5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1…… It was the Manfreds”

manfred ticketA night of nostalgia. The Manfreds are basically the 1960s Manfred Mann band without Manfred Mann; that is before he left and eventually ended up fronting the Earth Band which he does to this day. The ManfredS take two forms: one with both singers Paul Jones and Mike D’abo fronting and the other with Paul Jones alone fronting the band. Tonight it is the latter of the two formations, which is more of a hits/jazz/blues combo as you might expect from the great man Paul Jones who is now in his early 80s and still on great form.

manfred 2So tonight’s concert, which is in two parts with a short interval consists of a mix of old (pre-Mike D’abo; that is Paul Jones) era Manfred Mann hits, plenty of vintage blues, and some Paul Jones new solo album material mixed in. The first set is mostly blues with some great vocals and mouth harp from Paul Jones who looks good, sounds good and twists some great blues licks from his large collection of different key mouth blues harps which perch on the mic stand. Interspersed with that is the Bob Dylan cover (one of several which were a hit for Manfred Mann) “Just like a Woman” and the McGuinness Flint hit “Malt and Barley Blues”. Tom McGuinness is a member of the band (he was in Manfred Mann before forming McGuinness Flint) and turns out to be one of the stars of the evening with some great guitar work. They also sing Burt Bacharach’s “My Little Red Book” which was covered by Manfred Mann in the 1960s. Somewhere along the way there are plenty of blues songs including classics such as “Smokestack Lightning”. The closing song on the first set is one of Manfred Mann’s massive hits the wonderful “Pretty Flamingo”. Just great.

manfred 1During the interval I catch a drink and purchase a couple of Paul Jones CDs which the man himself autographs for me; one for myself and one for my friend John in the USA. I am careful not to drink too much as I am still suffering from my misbehaviour the evening before at the Martin Carthy concert (see previous blog entry to read of my misbehaviour). The second set opens with another big chart hit “5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1”. We are soon treated to another classic song “Oh no! Not my Baby”, this one written by Carole King. Then Tom McGuinness comes up front for the McGuinness Flint hit “When I’m Dead and Gone” which, he reminds me was written by Gallagher and Lyle who were in the band alongside Tom McGuinness and Hughie Flint, before they went on to have many solo hits. I last saw McGuinness Flint supporting Humble Pie (or was it Wishbone Ash) at Newcastle Odeon in the early 70s. Then the band complete the show with “The Mighty Quinn” (another Dylan song, and sung originally by Mike D’abo, as I recall) and “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”. The encore is (most appropriately) “If You Gotta Go Go Now” (yet another Dylan song). And so it is over. A great night of classic 60s hits, and some great blues. At the end of a busy week of three concerts: Graham Gouldman, Martin Carthy and the Manfreds.

Thanks to Jackie for taking the photographs.

Set list.

Set 1: Tengo Tango; The One in the Middle; Sha La La; Malt and Barley Blues; Just Like a Woman; Choose or Cop Out; My Little Red Book; People Get Ready; I’m Your Kingpin; Smokestack Lightning; Losing You to the Blues in Me; Pretty Flamingo.

Set 2: 5-4-3-2-1; Watermelon Man; How Lucky Can One Man Be; Oh No! Not My Baby; Diamond in the Sand; Got to Be the Blues; Put It Where You Want It; When I’m Dead and Gone; Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn); Do Wah Diddy Diddy.

Encore: If You Gotta Go, Go Now.

Martin Carthy Durham Launderette 9 March 2023

carthy ticketThe last time I had the pleasure of being in the company of Martin Carthy was when I saw him, then a member of folk rock band Steeleye Span, supporting Jethro Tull at Sunderland Empire in 1971. Roll on 52 years and I am once again witnessing a performance by a man who has, quite rightly in my view, earned the title of “the Father of British folk music”.

The Durham Launderette is a quirky, exquisite venue. It is by day an ordinary launderette, used by the public to bring along their bags of washing. By evening it transforms into an intimate venue, which hosts concerts by folk artists and others. It cannot hold more than 60 or so people. My daughter, Laura, has performed there twice with her band the Shining Levels.

carthy 3The Laundrette announced the concert thus: “For more than 50 years Martin Carthy has been one of folk music’s greatest innovators, one of its best loved, most enthusiastic and, at times, most quietly controversial of figures. His skill, stage presence and natural charm have won him many admirers…….Trailblazing musical partnerships with, amongst others, Steeleye Span, Dave Swarbrick and his award-winning wife (Norma Waterson) and daughter Eliza Carthy have resulted in more than 40 albums… [Including]… 10 solo albums. [He has]…influenced a generation of artists, including Bob Dylan and Paul Simon.”

“Arguably the greatest English folk song performer, writer…… of them all’ Q Magazine

“Carthy is a master of the ballad of substance, songs that tell stories, whether they are traditional, his own or from contemporary writers.’ The Telegraph

And so it was that my carer Elaine and I joined a packed house of Carthy fans and devotees to see a folk legend in the first of two nights at the venue. Martin was supported by a young lady who had come over from the Netherlands to study at Newcastle University on their highly regarded Masters in Traditional Folk Music. She has since stayed on as a performer of traditional English folk. She performed (to my shame her name escapes me) some lovely songs including an exquisite version of “The Sparrow”.

carthy 2Martin looked great wearing a brightly coloured shirt, a red scarf which he removed and placed on his guitar case, and two gold earrings in his left ear. He is a great storyteller, starting each song with a prolonged introduction setting the scene for the tale which would unfold in the song, and explaining to us from where, and from whom, the song originated. Sometimes he might have to think a little in order to remember the names of the songs origins, but hey, respect to the guy who is now in his early 80s. Each song comes from a poem, an old folktale, or an ancient ballad. He crafts each one carefully. He includes the traditional “Scarborough fair” which features on his first, early 1960s, album and was since made famous by Simon and Garfunkel, Paul Simon probably having picked up the song from Martin when he toured the UK folk clubs in the 1960s.

Other tales included “Napoleon’s Dream” a traditional song with a long, interesting history: “Gale Huntington… commented: “This is another of the songs that show so clearly the strength of the Napoleonic myth. The line, “From that land of your fathers who boast they are free,” seems to indicate that this particular Napoleon song is American. But most of the song has the feel of an Irish lament.” (From the website: Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music). Martin spent a lot of time telling us about Napoleon, his life and ultimate downfall. Fascinating stuff from a masterful storyteller.

carthy 4Another song was about Bendigo: “The Noble Fox-Hunting, also known as Dido Bendigo and The Duke’s Hunt, is a hunting song from England. English folk song collector A.L. Lloyd describes the song: “A stirring old hunting song known all over England from Cumberland to Cornwall.…… and, though the name of the sporting Duke may vary, the list of hounds stays much the same. Country people must have loved to roll the grandiloquent syllables of names like Dido and Bendigo around their mouths… The song has had a long life and still flourishes.” …… “Dido Bendigo describes the excitement of a noble fox hunt: the Duke of Wellington and some of his noble friends set out with their brave fox hounds, and each fox meets with a dreaded fate as they try to escape.” (From Traditional.org site). Again, Martin spent time explaining the story, its history and origin and the name of the guy who originally “gave it to him”. Another major lesson in storytelling both in word, song and music.

Martin treated us to two sets with a short interval. Quite unlike me, but hey I enjoyed it, I had a bottle of Budweiser at the start of the evening, a large glass of red after the young lady’s set and a gin and tonic during Martin’s interval. My head was reeling by the end of the evening. I am not sure how much of this was from the power of the stories and how much was down to the alcohol!

Sadly, our taxi was awaiting us, so we had to sneak out before the end, which was a shame. A wonderful evening, with the legend, folk singer, storyteller and lovely gentleman that is Martin Carthy.

And thank you Martin for signing my ticket which I will treasure.

Graham Gouldman – Heart Full of Songs Fire Station Sunderland 07 March 2023

gouldman tixThis man is a walking jukebox! Not only did he write/co – write all of the hits of the magnificent 10CC, he also penned many of the hits, all songs I loved and still love, from the 60s. So, when I saw he was appearing at the Fire Station in Sunderland I just had to go along.

The Fire Station announced the concert thus: “It is only between 10cc’s sell-out, bi-annual UK tours that the band’s co-founder Graham Gouldman is able to fully indulge his Heart Full of Songs project and take it on tour. The semi-acoustic four-piece performs a broad spread of Graham’s song-writing catalogue, including chart hits for 10cc, the Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck and his time in Wax with Andrew Gold. The band line-up comprises Graham, 10cc live band members Iain Hornal and Keith Hayman, and Dave Cobby. When Graham formed what became Heart Full of Songs nine years ago, it was purely for the pleasure of playing his songs in their simplest form, acoustically. For lovers of perfectly-crafted music performed by the composer, a Heart Full of Songs concert is truly an exquisite experience.”

Gouldman2Graham started acoustically with one other guitarist Andy song which I didn’t know he had written: “Pamela, Pamela” which was a UK hit for the late Wayne Fontana. A simple song with a very catchy tune. Lovely. Then he started to sing a series of songs which mean so much to me and were such an important part of my youth. With each song, Graham introduced a new band member until the stage was full of a set of four excellent musicians. And so he delivered: “Heart Full of Soul” which was a hit for the Yardbirds, the late great Jeff Beck’s guitar solo still jangling around my brain; the bittersweet tale that the note in a milk bottle can bring (Graham explained his father brought him the title for the song after seeing a milk bottle with such a note one day): “No Milk Today”, a hit for Herman’s Hermits, and then moving forward to a 10CC hit “Good Morning Judge”. It doesn’t come any better than this.

640px-Graham_Gouldman_2010A few more songs in and then another classic, again inspired by a conversation with a family member about looking through windows as the bus passed by each house: “Look through Any Window” a big hit for The Hollies, one of my all-time favourite bands. Graham explained that when he was inducted into the rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame there was only one song he could choose and that had to be his favourite (and mine) “Bus Stop” which he wrote, again for the Hollies. Another excellent 60s pop song. Somewhere in there he sang a big hit which, to my shame, I had forgotten: “Bridge to your heart” which he co-wrote with the late great Andrew Gold in their short lived collaboration band Wax.

Of course, he also had to sing: “I’m Not in Love” the epic 10CC song which he co-wrote with Eric Stewart. And it sounded great, even without the 1000 or so over layered voices that featured on the original single. “For Your Love” again by the Yardbirds was his first big hit and deserved to be so. Other hits followed, ending with another story “Dreadlock Holiday”.

Pictures courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Setlist (maybe not in this order, however): Pamela, Pamela; Heart Full of Soul; No Milk Today; Good Morning Judge; Sunburn; Love’s Not for Me; Look Through Any Window; Daylight; Dancing Days; Bridge to Your Heart; Floating in Heaven; I’m Not in Love; That’s Love Right There; Bus Stop; Ariella; The Things We Do for Love; Standing Next to Me; Memory Lane; For Your Love; Ready to Go Home; Dreadlock Holiday.

It’s my life… An exhibition of Mod & 60s culture Newcastle library 25 February 2023

About the Event (from their website):

exibit1“Jools and Paul Donnelly have been avid collectors of all things vintage since the late 70s with a particular focus on the 1960s mod scene.  Both Jools and Paul have a passion for mod culture and since first meeting they have combined their collection some of which will form part of this exhibition at Newcastle City Library.  The collection includes vintage ladies and men’s mod clothing, shoes and accessories, ‘mod’ magazines, records and books. Their love of the 60s era motivated them to successfully lobby Newcastle Council for a heritage plaque at the site of the legendary Club a ‘Gogo. They have also written a book on the Club a ‘Gogo and the mod scene of 1960s Newcastle, on sale now.”

ex6Jools And Paul kindly invited me to their exhibition at Newcastle Library which, I must say, is pretty impressive to say the least. The couple have amassed an excellent and extensive collection of all things mod in Newcastle in the 1960s. The exhibition brought back lots of memories of my own early teenage years in Sunderland when I would go to Sunderland Top Rank Suite (the Rink) on a Saturday morning and dance along (yes, I had the bottle to dance in those days, which I lost somewhere along the path of life) to great pop/mod classics as Small Faces “All or Nothing”, Love Affair’s “Everlasting Love” and Barry Ryan’s epic operatic “Eloise”. I thought I was a young mod in my hipsters and Paisley “Rave” shirt. I even got dressed specially for the occasion, wearing a Vivian Westwood T-shirt with lovely ballerinas all over it, my best new Beatles Chelsea winklepicker boots and a pair of tiny round John Lennon sunglasses. You can never keep an old mod down! Jools and Paul kindly stood next to me for some selfies. Many thanks.

exhibit 1exhib2The exhibition contains records, 60s magazines and classic clothing from the era. Much respect! Encouraged by their collection, I went home, straight on to eBay, and bought a couple of folders containing Record Song Books from “back in the day”. The exhibition runs until the end of the month and I recommend you go along and see it. Aye, it takes you back. Wonderful.

club bookMany thanks to Jools and Paul for signing my copy of their excellent book which tells the story of everything mod in 1960s Newcastle. Wonderful! It’s a great read and takes me right back to the 60s and many of the bands I wish I had seen back in the day! Never mind I have tried to catch up since

From their website: “Through extensive interviews with the original mods and club goers of theclub signed North East, they tell us their story, a story of what it was really like to be young in those glory years of Newcastle’s musical history. Newcastle in the 1960s was known as a ‘Mod Mecca’ the book describes the mod haunts, the clubs, the scooters, the music and of course their love of clothes. Covering also Newcastle’s Beat and jazz scene and the early days of The Animals. But above all this is the story of the thrill of being a teenager and of their sheer joy for life spent in a Newcastle that sadly no longer exists. For anyone who has an interest in the mod scene and of the social history of 1950s and 60s, Newcastle this book is a must.”

Seriously, Jools and Paul have put together a great concept and project which chronicles everything mod and 60s. Do visit their site there is lots going on there!

Thanks again Peter

Black Star Riders Newcastle City Hall 24 February 2023

blacktixSometime in 1971. Sunderland Locarno upstairs bar. I see a tall black guy in the corner of the bar and wonder who he is. I go up and have a quick chat. An hour or so later the band take the stage and the same tall black guy is fronting them. They are called Thin Lizzy and are pretty good too! The black guy is, of course, Phil Lynott. I am 14, Phil is 21.

whiskey1973 and I’m watching Top of the Pops. Thin Lizzy appear, playing “Whiskey in the Jar” which is in the chart at the time. I go out and buy the single.

1975 – late 1970s. The Lizzy, with a new line – up featuring twin lead guitars, one of whom has really cool, long, blonde hair and is an American called Scott Gorham become absolutely massive. I see them many times at Newcastle City Hall and headlining the Reading Festival. They are an absolutely first class live band. “The Boys Are Back in Town” becomes an anthem for us all.

Phil_Lynott_Statue_at_Bruxelles_Dublin 2023Early 1980s. Middlesbrough Town Hall. Quite empty. Phil Lynott’s Grand Slam are appearing. Phil doesn’t look well. His face is bloated. The performance is not very inspiring.

4 January 1986. Phil Lynott passes away. He is 36. The cause is heart failure and drugs. Such a waste.

10 years or so later. I visit Dublin once a month for several years through work. I proudly have my picture taken next to a statue of Phil. Somewhere along the way I lose the photograph. However, I include here an image of the start you courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

black6Early 2000s. Thin Lizzy are headlining Newcastle City Hall again. This new version of the band comprises Scott Gorham, drummer Brian Downey and front man Ricky Warwick, who sounds quite a lot like Phil Lynott. They are surprisingly good and do justice to the Lizzy legacy.

black52012 and Thin Lizzy become Black Star Riders after writing new material and the departure of Brian Downey. Somewhere along the way Scott retires and the band continues. The new material sounds true to the Lizzy style and they continue flying the Lizzy flag high. They have become the natural progression in the next part of the Thin Lizzy saga.

2023 and Black Star Riders are headlining Newcastle City Hall. It is their tenth anniversary tour and Scott has re-joined his bandmates for this tour. Support acts are Michael Monroe (formerly from Hanoi Rocks) and Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons (Phil Campbell was guitarist in Motorhead).

black7We arrived late and Michael Monroe was already on stage climbing up onto the balcony. By the time I said to my carer Jackie “Quick. Take a photo” Michael was hanging down from the balcony and dropping back onto the stage. He was just as I imagined, a manic blonde showman. I never got to see Hanoi Rocks but I can imagine them as a crazy glam punk power rock band. The closing song is Credence Clearwater Revivals’ “Up around the Bend”. I tell my daughter Ashleigh who was a big Hanoi Rocks fan. That’s a Hanoi Rocks song she tells me so I figure they must have recorded it! It gets a great reception from the crowd who probably also think of it as a Hanoi Rocks song rather than a classic by Credence Clearwater Revival. John Fogarty is one of my heroes and one of the best gigs I ever went to was seeing him at Manchester Apollo. But that’s a story from a past blog entry! I buy Ashleigh a signed Michael Monroe CD and she is over the moon with it!

black4After a short wait, at 9:30 PM spot-on time, the Phil Campbell backdrop disappears and is replaced by a very impressive Black Star Riders drop. I suppose I’m amazed how much of a following the band has amassed in its own right. This is not the remnants of Thin Lizzy or a Thin Lizzy tribute band. This is a fully fledged rock band of its own right, led by the very impressive Ricky Warwick who continue the Thin Lizzy legacy in their own way, producing new songs which hark back to Lizzy and yet have a significance of their own. Magical. Phil must be up there proud of how his legacy continues to thrive and move onward and forward.

black3A few songs in and they perform a wild heavy version of the Osmond’s “Crazy Horses”. Well, I always knew it was a heavy rock song! After a few more songs they are joined by Scott Gorham who looks older, and yet cooler and still playing great guitar. His long mane of blonde hair has somehow been transferred to the young guitarist in Black Star Riders. There really is some sort of magic in the air! At one point in the set, they are joined by Phil Campbell and later on Michael Monroe comes on for one song also.

black2A few more songs into the set and we are treated to Lizzy’s “Don’t Believe a Word”. Class; it all takes me back to the 1970s. Towards the end they play “Jailbreak”. One more song and then it is 11 PM and time to go home, content in the knowledge that the legacy of Thin Lizzy remains safe in the hands and voice of Ricky Warwick and the rest of Black Star Riders. You have done a great job Scott, continuing to fly the Lizzy flag and somehow, miraculously, managing to hand it safely over to the Black Star Riders. I wonder what that young 21-year-old Phil I chatted to over 50 years ago would make of it all? Happy days

Setlist: Pay Dirt; Another State of Grace; Better Than Saturday Night; When the Night Comes In; Riding Out the Storm; Wrong Side Of Paradise; Crazy Horses; All Hell Breaks Loose; Bloodshot; Soldierstown; Don’t Believe a Word (with Phil Campbell); Blindsided; The Killer Instinct; Before the War; Testify or Say Goodbye; Tonight the Moonlight Let Me Down (with Michael Monroe); Kingdom of the Lost; Bound for Glory; Jailbreak; Finest Hour.

Suzanne Vega Sage Gateshead 18 February 2023

“My name is Luka, I live on the second floor, I live upstairs from you, Yes, I think you’ve seen me before If you hear something late at night, Some kind of trouble, some kind of fight, Just don’t ask me what it was…” (Vega, 1987)  A great song which rings round and around in my head before, during and after this great concert.

VEGA TIXSuzanne Vega kept passing me by, or rather, I foolishly kept passing her by. Each time she played locally, usually at the Sage, I thought of going along, and then some reason made excuses to myself to pass. She was one of several artists over the years who, for no particular reason, I liked and yet I never took the time to go and see them in concert. Well, I have come to the decision that in future I will try and catch up on as many of those artists as I am able.

VEGA4The song “Luka” rings round in my head as the concert grows nearer. I listen to her music on my friendly intelligent assistant, Alexa, and find that I know quite a few of her songs, which surprises me a little. Suzanne Vega emerged from the folk scene of Greenwich Village, New York, in the early 1980s; with her pure voice, a clutch of songs and an acoustic guitar. Her songs drew from storytelling each one weaving its own picture and enticing the listener to think about the content. She released her self-titled, highly acclaimed debut album in 1985. From the Sage website: “Known for performances that convey deep emotion, Vega’s distinctive, “clear, unwavering voice” (Rolling Stone) has been described as “a cool, dry sandpaper-brushed near-whisper” by The Washington Post, with NPR Music noting that she “has been making vital, inventive music” throughout the course of her decades-long career.…….[she]………“observes the world with a clinically poetic eye” (The New York Times), Vega’s songs have tended to focus on city life, ordinary people and real-world subjects. Notably succinct and understated, her work is immediately recognizable—as utterly distinct and thoughtful as it was when her voice was first heard on the radio over 30 years ago.”

VEGA1Like her songs, the stage set is minimal and she’s accompanied by a single, excellent, electric guitarist. She starts, well, at the start (where else to start?) with “Marlene on the Wall” and moves through a mixture of old and new tunes each one telling its own story. She is not afraid of bearing her soul, telling us of a teenage love affair at summer camp, initiated through a mutual admiration of Leonard Cohen and his music. She told the guy not to contact her again, and wrote a song to mark the affair. But he reappeared via a note and a bunch of flowers at a concert in Liverpool one night. This sparked another song and a lifelong friendship. They meet for lunch regularly. Her set, like her songs, is full of similarly quite personal stories. She alternates between her acoustic guitar, a lovely dapper top hat and a quirky little finger clicking dance. Wonderful. (Note to myself. One day I must summon up the courage to wear the battered old top hat I bought some time ago on eBay. Or maybe not: perhaps I will silly or too eccentric, unlike Vega).

VEGA2Do we like Blondie or Lou Reed? The Lou Reed vote wins (and includes Vega’s own vote) so we are treated to “Walk on the Wild Side”. I recognise many more songs than I expect. “Tom’s Diner” gets into my head and sticks there. “Da da da da…….” Not a bad way to end an evening.

I’m pleased I made the effort Suzanne. There is a depth and honesty within the simplicity of your stories. Thanks for sharing them with us. “Luka” comes back into my mind. So does the top hat. Maybe I will decide to wear it one day after all. Thanks again for a lovely evening and thoughts of my top hat.

VEGA5Setlist: Marlene on the Wall; Small Blue Thing; Caramel; Gypsy; In Liverpool; The Queen And The Soldier; When Heroes Go Down / Lipstick Vogue; Rock in This Pocket (Song of David); Last Train from Mariupol; Solitude Standing; Left Of Center; I Never Wear White; Some Journey; Luka; Tom’s Diner;

Encore: Walk on the Wild Side; Tombstone; Rosemary

Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Concert Sage Gateshead 16 February 2023

tub tixA night of memories, all connected, all intertwined and all came together for a special occasion at the glorious Sage Concert Hall, Gateshead. It is 50 years since Mike Oldfield released his unique ground-breaking LP Tubular Bells. To mark the occasion a tour, orchestrated by Mike Oldfield’s long-time collaborator and musical director Robin Smith has been gracing concert halls across the UK performing the work in its entirety.

But first the memories.

Filmgoers_waiting_on_line_to_see_The_ExorcistMemory 1. This first memory is a little hazy. A group of friends and I made the trip to Newcastle in 1973 to see one of the first showings of the film The Exorcist. I think, local councils had the final say as to whether this controversial horror epic could be shown in their city. Sunderland decided to ban the film, but nearby Newcastle decided to allow it to be shown. It was a Sunday afternoon showing, we had all read a lot about the movie, and how scary it was. The film was showing at the Essoldo cinema in Newcastle (see image from Wikimedia Commons of the film opening in the USA). At this stage I had not heard Tubular Bells but, from that day on, the movie and the recurring piano theme from Mike Oldfield’s classic album are linked forever in my mind. To say the film was scary is an understatement. The impact the film had upon me and my friends cannot be underestimated. We were terrified, especially by the scenes where the possessed Regan lay on the bed spewing green slime, emanating smoke and screaming expletives including “your mother sucks c***ks in hell!”. I can watch the film now and it doesn’t seem too bad, but on that Sunday afternoon as a teenager it seemed to be the most frightening thing I ever saw!

tub lpMemory 2. Having heard Tubular Bells in the above film, and read about the album in Sounds, I decide to go out and buy the LP (I still live in the land of vinyl and like to call records LPs!) I play it to death and becomes, and remains one of my favourite albums of all time. The mix of piano music, orchestral, Viv Stanshall’s announcements of the instruments including the tubular bells themselves, electronica and jazz remains an entrancing experience for the listener. I still possess a copy and play it now and then.

TUB PIC 2 2023Memory 3. Newcastle City Hall 1974 (see ticket). The progressive rock/psychedelic band Gong go out on tour along with a film of the recording of Tubular Bells. Another hazy memory. I think the film was shown last, after performances by Hatfield and the North and the aforementioned Gong who were well into their crazy pothead pixies phase. I seem to recall quite basic graphics with a projector showing the hour-long film on to a quite simple screen. The film followed the recording through the phases of the album, showing the musicians playing each part. It was the closest we would get to any sort of performance of Tubular Bells at the time and was very entertaining.

TUB PIC 2023Memory 4. Newcastle City Hall again. 1975 (see ticket). This time an orchestra is performing Tubular Bells to a very empty hall. The support act is Last Exit to feature on bass guitar, Gordon Sumner, otherwise known as Sting, who would, of course, go on to achieve international fame with his later band The Police. Interestingly, the guitarist in the orchestra performing Tubular Bells was none other than Andy Summers, who would later join Sting in The Police. Did they meet that night and forge an early friendship? Who knows. Such is the stuff of legend. An interesting evening spent with a couple of hundred other attendees.

TUB PIC 4 2023Memory 5. The City Hall yet again. The 1980s and Mike Oldfield has decided to go out on the road with a band and perform selections of his material including Tubular Bells and segments from his other albums. He had also achieved singles chart success with the lovely song “Moonlight Shadow” sung by Maggie Riley who, I think, joined him on at least one of the two performances I attended (See example ticket: there were two concerts in different years). Two great evenings with a true genius.

tub 2Now, I take the opportunity to see Tubular Bells performed once more, this time by a small orchestra/band in the Sage Gateshead. No appearance by Mike Oldfield on this occasion. The performance is advertised thus: “To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tubular Bells, the iconic masterpiece will be performed live with a full band at Sage Gateshead next Spring, conducted and arranged by Oldfield’s long term collaborator Robin Smith. Tubular Bells was the debut studio album by English multi-instrumentalist, composer and songwriter Mike Oldfield conceived in 1971 and finally released in 1973. Oldfield who was just 17 years old when he started composing the music, recorded and played almost all of the instruments on the album. It gained worldwide acclaim when the opening theme was used for the soundtrack of the horror film, The Exorcist and went on to become the highest selling instrumental album of all time. A bold and progressive fusion, Tubular Bells is a journey through classical, jazz, folk, prog rock and electronica.”

tub 1The performance is in two segments. The first short 30 minute segment comprises short sections from Mike Oldfield’s other works including the aforementioned “Moonlight Shadow” performed exquisitely by a female singer. They also perform “Family Man” which was a hit for Hall and Oates. I was not aware that Oldfield wrote that song. You learn something every day. After a short interval the ensemble returns and performs Tubular Bells in its entirety, authentically, and just like my old LP! It starts, through a fog of dry ice, with The Exorcist accompaniment piano piece, performed by Robin Smith on a grand piano. He then moves on to conduct the band through the remainder of the piece complete with excellent twin guitars, fuzz guitar, Viv Stanshall (his voice, that is) introducing the instruments and first class vocalists. An hour later and the performance concludes with “the sailors Horn Pipe” just as on the album. Mike Oldfield used to perform this when he was a member of New World, a band led by Kevin Ayres. Another hazy memory: I remember New World performing at Sunderland Top Rank around 1970 supporting someone like Quintessence. Sadly, I was too young to go along to that show. And it is all over, on time at 9:30 PM. No photography was allowed hence no images of the show on this blog entry. An excellent performance and a very pleasant evening for my carer Jackie and me.

Another memory created, each of them having a great piece of music as the common thread.

Setlist: Theme from Tubular Bells 11; Theme from Ommadawn; Theme from Return to Ommadawn; To France; Moonlight Shadow; Family Man; The Gem.

Second-half: Tubular Bells

Fairport Convention Harrogate Royal Hall 14 February 2023

fair tix 23A bit of an adventure. I always try and get to see Fairport Convention on their Winter tour. This year the nearest venue to me on their outing was Harrogate Royal Hall, some 70+ miles away from home. Not to be deterred I decided to ask my friendly taxi driver to take me on the journey down into Yorkshire. And so it was that last night my carer, Jackie, and I ventured south in the taxi towards the lovely Yorkshire town of Harrogate, leaving at around 6:40 PM. The journey was fine at first, however, my drivers Sat Nav decided to take us via Ripon, which led us down a country road which was thick in fog, so thick that he could barely see the road. Quite scary! Anyway, we arrived safely at the Royal Hall around 8:10 PM. The doors were closed and we looked around until we found one which was open and the guy who met us led Jackie and I towards the disabled entrance. We were soon seated in a nice vantage point in the Grand Circle overlooking the stage.

Royal_Hall,_HarrogateThe Royal Hall is a wonderful, exquisite, old, building (see image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons). I have been there twice before, once to see Camel and on another occasion to see the Groundhogs, Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash and Focus as part of a Classic Rock package tour. When we arrived, Fairport were already on stage, just starting their first set.

FAIR 6 23Their official site promised: “Fairport Convention have been entertaining music lovers for over half a century, having formed in 1967. During that time the band that launched British folk-rock has seen many changes, but one thing has remained the same – Fairport’s passion for performance. This year’s Winter Tour will present a mix of long-established Fairport favourites and some surprises from albums old and new.”

FAIR 4 23The current band features founding member Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, long-time member Dave Pegg on bass guitar, Ric Sanders on violin, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and vocals. This time round Fairport Convention were also joined on stage by former member Dave Mattacks on drums. Sadly, we arrived too late to catch the opening act Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage, however we did see them at the end of the show when they joined Fairport for the encore “Meet on the Ledge”.

FAIR 5 23Fairport always guarantee a pleasant evening with a mixture of fun stories, and songs old and new. The first set was exactly that with songs from their latest album and closing with “Sloth” from the 1970 Full House LP. “Stuffing their set with a surprising amount of new material for a vintage act, Fairport are still clearly having fun and brought the house down.” (The Guardian)

FAIR PROG 23During the interval I picked up a programme, signed by the band. Dave Pegg was, as usual, at the merchandise desk greeting fans and signing items. He kindly signed two programmes for me, one for me and one for my friend John in the USA. I also purchased a lovely little book which Peggy had produced to accompany a box set some years ago. The cover is full of images of him over the years (see picture). It was good to meet up with Richard Houghton, the publisher of This Day in Music books, for whom I have written several entries in his books which include fan memories of witnessing bands in performance. He was pleased to see me and was selling copies of his latest book which includes fan stories of Fairport Convention.

FAIR BOOK 23After a glass of red wine, we took our seats for the second half of the show. Once again, we were treated to a selection of songs old and new culminating in the traditional folk song “Matty Groves” and the always highly anticipated encore finale “Meet on the Ledge”. The vocals of Hannah Sanders from the opening act added an extra dimension to the song which of course was originally sung by the sadly missed Sandy Denny.

FAIR 2 23We left via the exit (see sign, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) and were greeted by our taxi driver. The drive north was equally scary with a true pea souper fog that limited our speed. We eventually picked up carer number two, Elaine, close to 1 AM and they put me to bed just after 1:10 AM. An interesting, exciting, scary, yet worthwhile evening.

Stained_glass_panel_in_EXIT_door,_Royal_Hall,_Harrogate_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2073960“Fairport is an institution, a festival, purveyors of memories, and keepers of the folk flame. But most of all they are a brilliant live band.” (Folk & Tumble magazine)

Setlist:

First Set: Walk Awhile; Cider Rain; My Love Is in America; Polly on the Shore; The Year of Fifty Nine; Steampunkery; Sloth.

Second Set: The Journeyman’s Grace; Banks of the Sweet Primroses; Bankruptured; Moondust and Solitude; John Gaudie; Portmeirion; Doctor of Physick; The Hiring Fair; Matty Groves.

Encore: Meet on the Ledge

The Pretenders The Cluny Newcastle 6 February 2023

pret1 - CopyWow! Sometimes there are gigs where everything comes into place and you have an unforgettable evening. Well this was one such occasion. The Cluny is a tiny pub venue in Newcastle. It cannot hold more than a few hundred people. So when the Pretenders announced that they were playing some intimate gigs and one of them was the aforementioned Cluny I just had to go along. The tickets sold out in minutes, if not seconds. I was lucky enough to score one for myself and a companion, who turned out to be Elaine, and who also took some great photos. We arrived around 8:10 PM. The Pretenders were due on stage at 8:30 PM. So we were just in time to squeeze through the tiny door which gained us entry into the concert room at the back of the pub.

pret3 - CopyWe came into the concert part and were faced with a jampacked room, filled with a sea of people. We couldn’t move and couldn’t see a thing. Now usually I don’t take advantage of being in a wheelchair. But this was one occasion I broke my rule and used my disability to my advantage. I slowly moved forward asking people to let me through to the front. Slowly but surely, everyone was so kind, and I reached a spot almost at the front of the crowd, one person between me and the stage. I had a wonderful view of everything. Thank you so much Cluny crowd! Elaine followed nervously behind me. I asked her to go to the bar and get me a drink and a T-shirt. “I can’t possibly move at all” she explained “and if I do get to the bar there is no way I can get back!” And she was right. We were completely crammed in and could not move at all. The entire venue was completely full and there was no room to move anywhere. Wonderful. It felt just like the old days when I was used to being crammed down close to the front.pret4 - Copy
8:30 PM. The band come on stage. Chrissie is just in front of me and looks just great. This lady is 71 years old and looks just wonderful. She is the archetypal rock chick in thigh length black leather winklepicker boots, jeans and a black shiny leather jacket. She sounds great and the new band she has assembled are excellent musicians. The advertising for the show told us that there would be no hits. But as I said, sometimes magic does happen and four songs in we get “Kid”. A meltdown moment. Tears in my eyes. And a mix of great rock ‘n’ roll and hits follows. But the evening gets better. Chrissie Hynde spots me and asks the people in front of me to move aside so I can see. “Are you okay? Can you see?” She says to me. I told you it was one of those evenings. Chrissie Hynde talking directly to me. I tried to mouth back “do you remember playing the Mayfair?” But she can’t hear me.

pret2 - CopyI recall seeing the Pretenders at the Mayfair around 1977 and that they were pelted with pints of beer by the traditional heavy rock crowd. So we get “Back on the chain gang”, “Talk of the town” and “Don’t get me wrong”. All played at full volume, with great raspy vocals from Chrissie. At one point she asks “did any of you see the New York Dolls?” A big cheer. “And Johnny Thunders. He’s dead now. But so is everyone these days.” Says Chrissie. “We can play arenas if we wanted to, but we want to come back and play little venues. We are losing a f***ing fortune!” Chrissie also talks about the Grammys: “what happened to real music and great rock ‘n’ roll?” More rock ‘n’ roll follows. And then they are gone.pret set - Copy
They play three encores. It is 9:50 PM. A member of the crew gives me a set list. Everyone is so kind. Thank you Chrissie for a wonderful evening. Special things happen every now and then. This was one of them. We wander out of the venue not quite believing what we have just witnessed. Elaine loved it and so did I. Proper rock ‘n’ roll in a small venue. And so close to the band. And Chrissie spoke to me and looked after me! As I said magic does happen now and then.

Setlist: Losing Sense; A Love; Turf Accountant; Kid; Adulteress; Downtown; The Buzz; Domestic Silence; Don’t Get Me Wrong; Biker; Message of Love; Talk of The Town; Don’t Cut Your Hair; Time The Avenger; Chain Gang; Let The Sun Come In; Junkie Walking. Plus three encores!?

The Residents Newcastle Boiler Shop 2 February 2023

res tixThe Residents are an enigma.

I have been aware of the band, their philosophy, and their music for almost 50 years. I remember hearing about the Residents from friends in the late 70s. Now I had never heard of The Residents at that point in time, so I had to go and find out about them. What I found was a unique, crazy art collective who wore bobble head eye masks and never revealed their identity. Their music was also unique and every album very different. At that point my interest was raised and I promised myself if I ever got the chance to see The Residents then I would do so.

resi 5The Residents hail from the USA and never reveal their individual or collective identities. They always wear masks on every appearance, album cover or indeed on their website. So, there is an air of mystery and intrigue about this band. I delved further into this strange collective and found their music interesting, sometimes hard to come to terms with, but ultimately enjoyable. Now every album, and there have been many of them, is different. I have listened to some of their music but I am not familiar with all of it and can’t claim to be a true “fan”.

resi2From their website: “Alternately seen as a rock band, an arts collective, and a spirit, THE RESIDENTS have been regarded as icons in the world of experimental music for almost fifty years. In addition to their ground-breaking work in the areas of trance, world fusion, electronica, punk, industrial and lounge music, the group has also been credited with being among the originators of performance art and music video, with their videos included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Their lengthy career has also taken them into the world of film and television music, having scored numerous films and TV series as well as several projects for MTV. In addition, the group is also thriving in the world of digital media having released ten DVDs, and two internet series. “Wow! Eclectic, super productive and genre crossing or what!

resi bookSo, I was determined, throughout the last 50 or so years, to keep my promise to myself and go and see this band if they ever came to the North-East. Now, to my knowledge, The Residents have never appeared in the North-East of England before. They have played in the UK on a number of occasions, Often at prestigious venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, London and Hammersmith Odeon, London; but have never ventured close by. I guess I have been lazy, and never travelled to see them in the past. More fool me! So, when I saw that they were coming to the Boiler Shop in Newcastle, I just had to go.

resi4Bad timing of the night. I read on the Boiler Shop website that there was a support act so I figured the main act would be on stage around 8:30 PM to 9 PM. So, I asked my taxi driver to arrive at 8 PM to get me there just in time (I thought) to see The Residents. Big mistake. When we arrived at the venue and made our way up onto the wheelchair platform, our USA friends were already on stage. My carer for the evening (and thanks for the photos) Jackie, kindly went and purchased a fine pint of Guinness for me and asked at the bar what time they had taken to the stage. Apparently, they started at 8:15 PM so we had missed around 15 minutes. Anyway, their performance was fantastic in the true sense of the word. They had a great light show and behind them was a screen displaying images which, I assume, related to the songs and the bands mythology. I bought a T-shirt with their signature bubble eye mask displayed on the front, a couple of badges and a book which is an A-Z Encyclopaedia of The Residents (it will take some reading!).

resi 6The singer would do a crazy little dance moving his (?) arms up and down and bobbing up and down at the same time. Difficult to describe. They all had masks over their faces and instead of eyes appeared spooky lights. The crowd was a mixture of ages and different types drawn from their fan base: hippies, punks and those who were probably there out of interest and curiosity like myself. The place was reasonably full but by no means packed. I can’t begin to describe their music. Every song is very different with sometimes shocking and spooky lyrics. “Curiouser and curiouser!” cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English).”(Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, 1865).I distinctly remember some of the songs: “Die! Die! Die!”, ” Kill Him!” and “Constantinople”.Definitely leading us further and further down that rabbit hole.

resi 3I was drawn into it. The crazy, spooky, music. Indescribable. New wave? Trance? Psychedelia? Labels don’t work for The Residents. A challenging, strange, difficult to describe yet ultimately enjoyable evening. 50 years too late, but worth the wait.

Setlist (something like, based on other performances): Jambalaya (On the Bayou); Hello Skinny; Cut to the Quick; Laughing Song; Bach Is Dead; Boxes of Armageddon; Would We Be Alive?; Cold as a Corpse; Smelly Tongues; Moisture; Constantinople; The Monkey Man; Semolina; Kill Him!; Blue Rosebuds; The Theme From Buckaroo Blues; The Stampede; Lizard Lady; Cold as a Corpse; Hungry Hound; Die! Die! Die!.

Encore: Diskomo; Nobody Laughs When They Leave.