Two bands that I have never seen before. However, on checking (on this blog) I discovered that I saw Extreme in 1992 supporting Bryan Adams (my blog is useful in refreshing my memory!). The City Hall was absolutely crammed. All standing downstairs and upstairs also completely packed. Elaine and I were seated on the viewing platform, looking over the heads of the crowd with a great view. Jan was seated upstairs centrally, again with a great view of the proceedings.
From the tour proportion material: “With the force of a Boston wrecking ball, EXTREME swing between unapologetic fits of fret-burning hard rock and intimately introspective balladry. This dynamic affirms the iconic multiplatinum Beantown quartet—Gary Cherone (vocals), Nuno Bettencourt (guitar), Pat Badger (bass), and Kevin Figueiredo (drums) – as one of rock’s most unpredictable, undeniable, and unbreakable groups whose songs course through the very fabric of popular culture.“
“They’re the rare band whose music has appeared in an actual cult series a la Bill & Ted as well as the Netflix juggernaut “Stranger Things.” They’ve sold 10 million records, topped the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, packed major venues on multiple continents, memorably performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in London, and regularly average over 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify. However, their dynamic approach hits harder than ever on their 2023 full-length offering, Six.”
Notwithstanding that excellent buildup of Extreme this was very much a double headliner concert. It is one of the very few occasions where I have seen the venue absolutely heaving for the “support act”. Living Colour were a revelation. Their music is a colourful mix of heavy rock, soul, reggae and rap. The group started their set with classic Jimi Hendrix. It would have been the late great guitarist’s 81st birthday. So, what we got was an excellent cover of “Crosstown Traffic”. A great start to an excellent set. The pace kept going. The lead singer looked magnificent with wonderful waist length dreadlocks and an amazing colourful jacket. I recognised some of the songs, and everything they played was just excellent. A very welcome start to the evening.
Extreme. This is exactly the most appropriate name for this band. Everything about them was extreme! Very loud. Hard rock. Amazing vocals. Excellent screaming screeching guitar solos. Again, like Living Colour, Extreme mash up a selection of styles: heavy rock, ballads, rap and funk. Anyone who went along expecting all their music to be in a similar vein to their best known track “More Than Words” would have got a great big shock. For that particular song the singer Gary Cherone and guitarist Nuno Bettencourt sat on small stools centre stage and had all the crowd singing along.
Much crowd cheering, first finger and little finger salutes, singing along and general craziness. This band were much, much better than I expected. I recognised a few songs particularly the aforementioned “More Than Words” and their other well-known track “Get the Funk Out”. This band wear their influences on their sleeve, playing segments of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and “Fat Bottomed Girls”. “Cupid’s Dead” was preceded by a short segment of Johnny Nash’s “Cupid”. At the end Gary Cherone clambered up onto the balcony to shake hands with fans upstairs. Marvellous. Great fun.
Elaine really enjoyed it. I think I may be converting her to heavy metal. Jan also enjoyed the show. Many thanks to Elaine for the photographs, to Jan for accompanying us and Chris for manoeuvring the blog site.
Setlist: It (‘s a Monster); Decadence Dance; #REBEL; Rest in Peace; Hip Today; Teacher’s Pet / Flesh ‘n’ Blood / Wind Me Up / Kid Ego; We Will Rock You; Play With Me; Other Side of the Rainbow; Tragic Comic; Hole Hearted; Cupid’s Dead; Thicker than Blood; Hurricane; Midnight Express; Am I Ever Gonna Change; More Than Words; Fat Bottomed Girls / Banshee; Take Us Alive / That’s All Right; Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee; Get the Funk Out.
Encore: Small Town Beautiful / Song for Love; Rise.
Bryan Adams was at the height of his success at the time of this concert in 1992. He’d just had a mega hit with Everything I do. Although that particular songs is not one of my favourites, some of his others songs, and especially Summer of 69, are great. A packed Gateshead Stadium gave him a great reception that night. Setlist: House Arrest; Kids Wanna Rock; Hey Honey – I’m Packin’ You In!; Can’t Stop This Thing We Started; Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya?; Cuts Like a Knife; It’s Only Love; Touch The Hand; Heaven; Lonely Nights; (Everything I Do) I Do It for You; Run to You; When the Night Comes; Somebody; There Will Never Be Another Tonight; B-Stage: C’mon Everybody; She’s Only Happy When She’s Dancin’; Encore: Summer of ’69; Diana; Straight from the Heart. 
The concert also sported strong support acts in Squeeze, Extreme and Little Angels. Little Angels are a heavy rock band who come from just down the coast, in Scarborough. I can’t recall seeing them, and probably arrived after they played. I do remember seeing Extreme, and made a point of making sure I saw them. Although they are also primarily heavy rock, there best known song is the classic ballad More Than Words, which had been a hit just the year before this gig. Squeeze have some top songs and got the crowd singing along. This is the only time I’ve seen Bryan. I’m not a fan, really, and haven’t felt the need to see him again, although he has returned to the region several times, playing the Arena, Gateshead Stadium again two years later, and a recent unplugged show at the Sage.
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