Carl Perkins , Bo Diddley & Matchbox Newcastle City Hall 13th April 1978
This was a great concert with performances from two true legends of the first wave of rock’n’roll. First up were Matchbox, who are a rock’n’roll / rockabilly revival band that are still playing today. Matchbox went on to the have hit singles in 1979 and 1980 with “Rockabilly Rebel”, “Buzz Buzz a Diddle It” and “Midnite Dynamos”. Then came Bo Diddley who strutted the stage with his trademark rectangle guitar, playing those classic buzz riffs to the “Bo Diddley beat” like only he could, in tunes like “Who Do You Love” and “Bo Diddley”. From the programme: “Bo Diddley is one of the classic figures in contempary music, ranking alongside such originators as Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters”. 
Headliner Carl Perkins played the classic “Blue Suede Shoes” and a set of rock’n’roll, country and rockabilly. He played an excellent set, with was a little more country than rock. Dressed in a cream suit covered with rhinestones, he was in a every way a cool guy, and had the crowd (which included lots of teds in their full gear) literally rocking in the aisles. From the programme: “Had it not been for a serious car crash, Carl Perkins could have been bigger than Elvis Presley – at least, that’s the opinion of Sun Records’ boss Sam Philiips – the man who discovered them both.” A memorable gig, by two guys from the golden era who were part of the birth of rock music; I won’t see their like again.
Archive for the ‘Matchbox’ Category
7 Feb
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