Bob Dylan St James Park Newcastle 1984
Support from Santana and Lindisfarne
Dylan was back in the UK in 1984 for a couple of concerts, one at Wembley Stadium and this time he also visited the North East for a massive gig at St James Park, with support from Santana and local heroes Lindisfarne. I went along with a group of friends. I remember Lindisfarne going down well with the crowd (well they would, wouldn’t they!). I can’t remember a lot about Santana, to be honest. Dylan played a set of classics and got a good reception from the Toon crowd. He was sporting a strong band with Mick Taylor on guitar, and Ian McLagen on keyboards. I think Carlos Santana also joined the band on guitar. 
Looking back on those shows, we didn’t know how lucky we were at the time. Dylan was singing well, and performing long sets which covered his entire back catalogue.
Setlist: Highway 62 Revisited; Jokerman;;All Along The Watchtower; Just Like A Woman; Maggie’s Farm; I And I; License To Kill; A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall; Tangled Up In Blue; It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding); Simple Twist Of Fate; Masters Of War; Ballad Of A Thin Man; Enough Is Enough; Every Grain Of Sand; Like A Rolling Stone; Mr. Tambourine Man; Girl From The North Country; It Ain’t Me, Babe; Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat; Tombstone Blues; Blowin’ In The Wind; Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door; The Times They Are A-Changin’
Archive for the ‘Lindisfarne’ Category
12 Oct
Bob Dylan St James Park Newcastle 1984
20 Aug
Joe Cocker and many others Great Western Festival Lincoln 1972
Joe Cocker and many others Great Western Express Festival Lincoln May Bank holiday weekend 1972
I was 15 at the time and so excited about going to a real pop festival. My dad drove me and a couple of mates down on the Friday night, after we’d been to the local Mecca ballroom. We arrived in the early hours of Saturday morning, having missed the Friday night bands, and slept in a big crash tent for a few hours. We soon ran into a group of other lads who had also come down from Sunderland, and between us we built a cabin out of bails of hay and planks of wood which were lying around in the fields. I swear there were around 20 of us sleeping in there. We were quite close to the stage, and I pretty much stayed in that cabin all weekend. We could also stand on the roof and watch the bands. There was a massive (and very empty) press enclosure which divided the crowd from the stage, so no-one could get that close, which was bad planning. The weather was wet, with rain for most of the weekend. But I didn’t care; this was a real pop festival, and I was determined to enjoy every minute. The line-up for the remaining three days of the event was really strong. I’ll try and recall as much as I can.
Saturday. Nazareth opened the day around noon. I remember them playing Morning Dew, and thinking that they were ok. They were followed by Locomotive GT, Roxy Music who were playing their first major gig and Heads, Hands and Feet, featuring the great Albert Lee, who I remember playing “Warming up the band”. The first band I have strong memories of was Wishbone Ash. They hd just released “Argus” and their set consisted of all the classic Ash songs: Time Was, Blowin’ Free, Jailbait, The King Will Come, Phoenix etc. They were just wonderful at that time. Helen Reddy did not perform, and was replaced by Rory Gallagher, who had stayed on from the Friday to play again, as I understand his Friday set was cut short because of the weather. The Strawbs featured the classic Cousins/Hudson/Ford line-up at the time. This was before any of the hits. Pretty sure they played “The Hangman and the Papist” and “The Man who called himself Jesus”. Stone The Crows were next up. This was their first performance after Les Harvey’s death, and Steve Howe from Yes stood in on guitar. Maggie Bell’s performance was highly emotional and the crowd gave her the strongest reception of the day, sensing how real the blues was to her that night, coming only a few weeks after she had lost her boyfriend. Rod Stewart and The Faces closed Saturday night. I remember Rod wearing a silver lame jacket and that they were pretty ramshackle, but good.
Sunday. The Natural Acoustic Band started the day, followed by Focus who warmed the crowd up with Sylvia, and Brewers Droop who were a raunchy boogie band who popped up at a few festivals in those days. Spencer Davis played with his new band, which was heavy on steel guitar and country oriented, followed by The Incredible String Band. Lindisfarne were the first band to get the crowd going and were a big hit of the weekend. We were all on the roof of our cabin, singing along to Fog on the Tyne. Average White Band were followed by The Persuasions who were an a cappella soul band, and were impressive. The next big hit of the day were Slade, who just tore the place apart. They started this performance with a lot to prove to a “Hippy” crowd, who viewed slade as a pop act. By the end of the performance everyone was singing along and converted. They were just great. Monty Python’s Flying Circus, with the entire cast, did all their great sketches: Dead Parrot, Lumberjack Song, Argument; great fun. The Beach Boys closed the evening and were wonderful singing all the hits. Great end to a great day.
Monday. The morning featured some folk acts, who had been moved to the main stage because the folk tent had been damaged by the weather. I remember Jonathan Kelly performing and singing “Ballad of Cursed Anna” which is a favourite of mine to this day. Jackson Heights, featuring Lee Jackson from the Nice started the main part of the day off, followed by Atomic Rooster, Vincent Crane collapsing (as he normally did) during Gershatzer. Vinegar Joe with Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer were next up, followed by the Sutherland Brothers. The next two bands were both up and coming at the time: Genesis and Status Quo. They were both festival favourites, Peter Gabriel with his shaved forehead, telling those great stories to introduce beautiful songs such as Musical Box, and Quo were still trying to establish themselves as a proper rock band and shake off the pop image, which they were doing very well with tracks such as Someones Learning and Is It Really Me? Don McLean sang American Pie and the rain stopped for him. Humble Pie were something else. Steve Marriott was at the top of his game and was fully into his “My skin is white but my soul is black” routine. I Don’t Need No Doctor!! Just great. Sha Na Na, still featuring in all our minds from the Woodstock movie, had us all singing along. Joe Cocker closed the festival. He came on very late as I recall. There was a long wait and he took to the stage in the early hours of the morning. I remember him singing The Letter and Cry Me a River. He was good, but I was tired and cold by that time. All my mates had gone to sleep.
Other memories of the weekend. A large black and white screen above the stage, which worked some of the time. They showed movies on it throughout the night. I watched Marlon Brando in The Wild One, which was banned in the UK (!) at the time. Lots of chants of Wally. People openly selling dope with price lists on their tents. Hari Krishna’s giving out free food. A straw fight during (I think) Lindisfarne’s set. Everyone around me had also been to the Bickershaw festival a couple of weeks before, and were taking about how great The Grateful Dead and Captain Beefheart were. I was dead jealous.
I caught the train back on Tuesday. My mates variously hitched and scored lifts. I arrived home tired, unwashed, and determined to go to as many festivals as I could in the future, which I sort of stuck to for the remainder of the 70s.
20 Jul
Unveiling of Alan Hull memorial plaque Newcastle City Hall 19 July 2012
Unveiling of Alan Hull memorial plaque Newcastle City Hall 19 July 2012 
A Newcastle City Memorial Plaque was unveiled today outside Newcastle City Hall to celebrate the life of Alan Hull, who died in 1995. Lindisfarne played at the City Hall over 100 times, and their Christmas concerts were part of the annual festivities for many of us during the 70s and 80s.
I was aiming to go along to the unveiling this morning, but was in a meeting at work which ran late, so I missed the actual unveiling. I did, however, make it through just in time to catch the end of a short set by Ray Jackson. Ray performed after the unveiling, on a small stage set up outside the entrance to the City Hall. A crowd of around 100 had gathered outside the City Hall for the occasion. Ray Jackson and the band, which consisted of Ray, Dave Hull Denholm and Ian Thomson on double bass, played: All Fall Down; Clear White Light; Lady Eleanor; Fog On The Tyne.
I spent some time today running through my own memories of Alan Hull and Lindisfarne. Things I remember are; Sitting at the back of the City Hall stage in the early 70s watching Lindisfarne take the crowd through songs from the first couple of albums; everyone singing along; we can swing together. Clear White Light; the encore; Sunderland Rink, standing on chairs with a group of friends from school; at the back of the ballroom; everyone just mental; we sang and sang. Standing with a group of mates; on top of our home made shack/tent; at the Lincoln Festival 1972; Lindisfarne were one of the highlights of the weekend. Going to the Alan Hull solo concert at the City Hall in the mid 70s; he played lots of songs from his solo lps; Pipedream and Squire. Marie and I singing along to Run From Home; standing on a table; a packed Redcar Coatham Bowl; 1978; the single high in the charts. Lots of Christmas concerts at the City Hall. There were many more highlights, but the one memory which really sticks in my mind is Alan standing centre stage alone, spotlight on him, at the City Hall singing Winter Song. Just beautiful. “When Winter’s shadowy fingers first pursue you down the street; And your boots no longer lie about the cold around your feet; Do you spare a thought for summer whose passage is complete; Whose memories lie in ruins and whose ruins lie in heat; When winter….. comes howling in.”
30 Apr
Van der Graaf Generator, Lindisfarne and Genesis Newcastle City Hall 1971
Van Der Graaf Generator, Lindisfarne and Genesis Newcastle City Hall 1971
I’d just started going along to gigs at Newcastle City Hall. The first gig I went to was Iron Butterfly with Yes and DaDa support, followed by this Charisma package tour which featured Van der Graaf Generator, Lindisfarne and Genesis. I went along with my mate Gillie, and remember that we paid at the door. The tickets were all of 30p, but we had some vouchers which Northern Arts were giving out at through schools at the time to encourage young people to go to live concerts, and they entitled us to half price entry, which meant that we paid 15p each! We hadn’t seen any of the three bands before and were really excited about it. We got the train through to Newcastle and when we arrived at the City Hall there was a massive queue to get in to the venue. The place was packed and we only just managed to get in. In those days, when the hall was full, they sometimes used to let you sit on the stage on tiered choir seats which are behind the performers. Thats where we ended up that night. The atmosphere was great up there, but the view wasn’t too good. I seem to recall that during the evening we wandered into the main hall and managed to find a couple of seats in the circle.
First up were Genesis. They had released their second lp Trespass a few months earlier, and were also playing tracks from Nursery Cryme which was released later in 1971. I remember being really impressed by them, and by singer Peter Gabriel in particular. At that time Peter would introduce the songs with quite intricate stories. Musical Box, Return of the Giant Hogweed, and Twilight Alehouse were all preceded by such stories and were great concert favourites at the time. Musical Box was my favourite; Cynthia kills Henry, by knocking off his head with a croquet mallet, and then finds his musical box in the attic. I found the story dark and fascinating and hung onto Peter’s every word. It was obvious in those early days that Gabriel was a tremendous front man. Genesis finished their short set with the Knife, which was always my favourite, and often the encore in those days. Gabriel held the mikestand as a machine gun, shooting us all, as a heavy strobe light featured him centre stage. Great memories. The set at that time will probably have consisted of: Happy the Man (to become a single in 1972); Stagnation (from Trespass); The Fountain of Salmacis (from Nursery Crime); Twilight Alehouse (not recorded until 1973 as B side of I Know What I Like, but a great favourite in concert); Musical Box (from Nursery Crime); Return of the Giant Hogweed (from Nursery Crime); closing with The Knife (from Trespass). This was the first of many times that I saw Genesis in the early 70s.
Next up that night was Lindisfarne who were local heroes and had us all singing along with Fog on the Tyne, Meet me on the Corner, Lady Eleanor, and Clear White Light (my favourite along with Winter Song). The band was yet to break through big, and I was to spend many memorable nights with them over the coming years; including the regular City Hall Christmas concerts.
The headline band for the evening was Van de Graaf Generator, who Gillie and I found quite strange and difficult to get into. I remember long sax solos, and the fabulous prog classic Killer (about a lonely Killer Whale): “So you live in the bottom of the sea, and you kill all that come near you ….but you are very lonely, because all the other fish, fear you …..”.
This was a great evening, and a bargain at 15p! Gillie and I both came away raving about Genesis and Lindisfarne, and a little confused by Van de Graaf….
18 Jan
Grangemouth Pop Festival Scotland 23 September 1972: Jeff Beck, Billy Connolly and others
The Grangemouth Pop Festival
Line up: Beck Bogert Appice; Status Quo; Steeleye Span; Lindisfarne; The Everley Brothers; Beggars Opera; Average White Band; Sunshine; Billy Connolly; The Chris McClure Section; MC: John Peel. All for £1.50!
I’m going to see Billy Connolly at Newcastle City Hall on Thursday night. I’m looking forward to the gig, and it made me think about the couple of times I’ve seen Billy Connolly in the past. The first time I saw him was at The Grangemouth Pop Festival in Scotland in 1972 (see ticket right). At the time he was unknown outside Scotland and, as he delighted in telling us, he was scared shitless about this gig, as it was his biggest to date. The festival was organised by Great Western Festivals, who had also run the excellent Lincoln Festival which I attended earlier in 1972, and was billed as Scotland’s first pop festival. My friend Nicky and I went by train to the gig. 
Grangemouth is north west of Edinburgh. The festival took place on Saturday 23 September 1972 and was part of the Grangemouth centenary celebrations. It was held in a sports stadium, which was in an industrial area, next to a gasworks, which spewed smoke over us at various times during the day. It wasn’t that well attended as I recall, with quite a heavy atmosphere, drunkenness, and some fights as the day went on. The promised line up was good, however a few of the bands who were billed did not play; a not uncommon occurrence in those days. Billy Connolly (see left from the programme of the festival) delivered a set pretty early during the day which was a mix of comedy and folk songs, and was one of the hits of the day for me. He’d just had a success at the Edinburgh festival and was just starting to make a name for himself.
Other highlights of the day were Beggars Opera who were also local heroes with great swirling Hammond organ, The Everley Brothers who sang all those timeless hits, and Steeleye Span, who were still playing quite traditionally-based elecric folk at that time, before the days of All Around My Hat. Status Quo were at the top of their game in the early 70s, and were great favourites of Peel, who was DJ/MC for the day. Marsh Hunt was to seen wandering around the crowd. The extract to the right, which is taken from the newspaper programme (also see below) shows the line up and timings. Chris Mclure, who was another local hero, also played. Unfortunately, neither Uriah Heep or The Electric Light Orchestra played. 
Beck, Bogert and Appice were the main reason we went along, and Beck was a revelation. His guitar playing eclipses Clapton in my view, and I was in awe of him that night. I remember him playing Superstition and am pretty sure that he used a mouth-tube, which was the first time I’d seen suc a strange contraption, and was a few years before Peter Frampton used one on Show Me The Way. I can’t remember much of the set, but I’m pretty sure it contained Morning Dew, a new song called Black Cat Moan, Going Down, and an epic version of Keep Me Hanging On, which Bogert and Appice will have brought with them from Vanilla Fudge. After the gig we got the train back to Edinburgh, where we spent the night trying, and failing, to sleep on some pretty hard and uncomfortable benches, until it was time for the first train back to Newcastle on the Sunday morning.
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