Steve Harley Newcastle City Hall Feb 1976 Timeless Flight
Steve Harley was back at the City Hall in February 1976, almost a year after his previous triumphant gig. This time he chose to play two nights; I went along to the first night’s show. I recall wondering if he could sell out two nights at the time and although it was quite full, the City Hall was no means full on the night I attended. The singles which followed Make Me Smile had not been very successful. The first single from the latest album Timeless Flight was Black and White, and didn’t register in the charts at all. Steve said at the time “I knew it was either going to be massive – top three – or a complete stiff. It turned out to be a stiff.” For me the stand out tracks on Timeless Flight is Red Is a Mean, Mean Colour. A second single from the album White, White Dove also failed to chart. 
None of this seemed to bother Steve who was on fine form at the gig in February 1976. In his mind, and through his performance, he remained a superstar and never seemed to doubt the course his music was taking. I went with my friend Ian, who was also a Steve Harley fan at the time, and we both enjoyed the gig. I don’t think there was any support act for the tour. As well as tracks from the new album, all the favourites were played. The closing song at the time remained Sebastian, with Tumbling Down and Make Me Smile held back for the encore. Steve Harley was an intriguing performer, coming over as very arrogant one moment, and then quite soft and sentimental the next. His songs were also difficult to categorise, and his lyrics quite deep. It seemed to me that he had immense confidence and self-belief, sticking to his own track even when the hit singles stopped coming, as was the case in early 1976. On stage his performance was as strong as ever.
15 Apr
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