The Clash White Riot Tour Newcastle University May 20th 1977
This was the night that punk truly arrived in Newcastle, and the first time I saw The Clash. It was the first really big punk gig in Newcastle, and it sold out well in advance. Most of the tickets had been sold to students through the students union; in fact if I remember correctly you had to be a student to buy tickets, which was the source of some agro and trouble on the night of the gig. Luckily I was a student at Sunderland Poly at the time and I used my union card to buy a couple of tickets for Marie and I. When we arrived at the Union building on the night of the gig, the entrance was surrounded by a group of local punks who were trying to get in. There were a few scuffles between the doormen and the punks, who were angry because they couldn’t get in to see “their band” who (in their eyes) were playing for a group of middle class students.
In 1977, Newcastle University ballroom was in a smallish room up a flight of stairs, with the main bar being down on a lower level. The union building was a maze with several bars, a pool room, and several lounges. You could wander around the building and dip in and out of the gig in the main ballroom. There was a great sense of anticipation that night. The North East had missed out on the Sex Pistols Anarchy tour which had been booked to visit Newcastle City Hall, and had been cancelled because of the controversy around the band. So this was the first chance for local punks to see a “big” punk band. The place with packed, however the audience was largely students with a smattering of local punks who had somehow managed to buy tickets, and were crammed around the stage upstairs. I sensed that these guys didn’t really know much about punk, but had decided that it was right for them. They were probably much more into the image, the concept of anarchy and rebellion, than Clash music. The first Clash album had been released a few weeks before the gig, and the audience were there as much out of curiosity and because of reports that they had read in the NME and Sounds than as result of the music. Similarly for me, I’d read reports that The Clash was THE new punk rock band to out-punk (and out rock) The Pistols, so I had to see what these guys were like. Support came from The Prefects (replacing The Jam, who had just left the tour) Subway Sect, and The Slits. Marie and I made a point of making sure we made our way from the bar up to the ballroom to see each of the bands. The sound wasn’t great for any of the support acts, who all seemed a bit amateur and ramshackle to be honest; but I guess thats what punk was about in those early heady days. There was lots, and I mean lots, of spitting at the band. This was one of the first times I’d seen the crowd spit at the stage; its difficult to imagine how prevalent the practice was in those days. The Clash were just streets ahead of the support acts. For their set there was lots of pogoing and the spitting was relentless. Poor Joe Strummer was covered in spit. They looked great; just like their pictures on the cover of the first album. I’d heard some of the tracks from the first lp, and new the single White Riot, and loved Janie Jones and Police and Thieves, which were played a lot at punk gigs at venues like Middlesbrough Rock Garden in 1977 and 1978. The set was short, as were each of the songs, and consisted of tracks from their great first album. The sound was a bit murky, but the atmosphere, the band’s passion, and the power of delivery made up for it. We’d seen a few punk bands during 1976, including The Sex Pistols at a small gig in a pub in Whitby, but this was the first sold out and wild punk gig that we had attended, and it was just great. It set me off going to lots of punk gigs over the next few years. Don Letts, who managed The Slits at the time, was wandering around with a massive video camera, filming the event. The music between the bands was very heavy, loud dub and reggae, which was quite new to all of us. There were further scuffles around the entrance area throughout the night, with punks fighting with the guys on the door to get in, and there were a few fights inside the gig. As I had very long hair at the time, so I could easily have been a target. I was always careful to avoid trouble, and always managed to do so. I can’t find any record of the setlist, but based on reports from other gigs on the tour it is likely that is was something like this: London’s Burning; 1977; I’m So Bored With the U.S.A.; Pressure Drop; Hate and War; Cheat; Police and Thieves; 48 Hours; Capital Radio; Deny; Remote Control; Career Opportunities; White Riot; Janie Jones; Garageland; 1977. The day after the gig Joe Strummer and Topper Headon were arrested, in true punk fashion, for stealing pillowcases from a hotel room in Newcastle (!), and spent some time in the cells. Great memories of an era that now seems so long ago. Where did all the time go?
15 Jul
The Clash White Riot Tour Newcastle University May 20th 1977
14 Jul
Clicks Sunderland Poly Wearmouth Hall 1980
Clicks Sunderland Poly Wearmouth Hall 1980
I found this ticket in my collection, but at first sight I had no idea who Clicks were, I am afraid. Marie and I went to the “Poly” dances quite often on Saturdays throughout the 70s and early 80s, and saw a lot of bands there including Sham 69, Stealers Wheel, Arhur Brown, Shakin’ Stevens and the Sunsets, Stray Cats, to name a few; but this one has escaped my memory. I’ve included it simply for completeness as I am working through the letter C. However I googled the name Clicks and found this from Penetrations Wiki page: “The remainder of the band (ie without Pauline Murray) briefly continued under the name Rhythm Clicks, releasing a 7” single in 1980 on the Red Rhino label containing the songs “Short Time”, “Lies Don’t Talk” and “Chains” “. It makes sense to me that this is probably the same band, with the word “Rhythm” missing from the ticket. I was a big fan of local punk heroes Penetration and Marie and I went to see them lots and lots of time from 1976 onwards. It would makes sense that I would have gone to see any spin off band if they played in Sunderland. There is a recording of “Short Time” on Youtube; the music is typical punk / new wave. Further searching revealed that the band were led by Gary Chaplin who was the original guitarist and songwriter from Penetration.
13 Jul
John Cale The Sage Gateshead 2006
John Cale The Sage Gateshead 2006
John Cale strikes me as a pretty cool and sorted guy. Musically he crosses several genres and gives the impression that his music is very much his art. I never saw the original Velvet Underground in concert, which I deeply regret, although I have seen Lou Reed in concert several times. I did go to see a later version of the Velvet Underground at Sunderland Locarno in the early 70s, but I have a feeling the band didn’t turn up that night. This, however, was the first and only time that I have seen John Cale. I went along to this gig with David, and we had standing tickets at the front of the hall. The atmosphere in the small standing section was great, with a small number of die hard fans going totally crazy. The set was quite long, and consisted of a mix of songs from throughout John’s career, including some Velvet Underground classics. I seem to remember that he has a single out at the time which was very punky. A great gig which David and I both enjoyed. I couldn’t find a setlist for the Gateshead gig, but did manage to find one from Glasgow on the same tour: Venus In Furs; Walkin’ The Dog; Evidence; Woman; Helen Of Troy; Dancing Undercover; Femme Fatale > Rosegarden Funeral of Sores;
Hush;Dirty Ass Rock ‘n’ Roll; Guts; Look Horizon; Magritte; Cable Hogue; Set Me Free; Things; Ship Of Fools; Sold Motel; Perfect; Leaving It Up To You; Gravel Drive; Heartbreak Hotel. Band: Dustin Boyer: lead guitar; Michael Jerome: drums; Joseph Karnes: bass
12 Jul
China Crisis Newcastle Mayfair mid 80s
China Crisis Newcastle Mayfair mid 80s
If you asked me, I would have said that I’d seen China Crisis a few times, however my ticket collection consist of only one stub, from a gig at Newcastle Mayfair, which probably took place in the early to mid 80s. I have vague memories of seeing them at Redcar Coatham Bowl as well, but that could well be a figment of my imagination. The band had some pretty pleasant tunes; I remember Wishful Thinking, King in a Catholic Style and Black Man Ray, in particular. In my head China Crisis sit in the same box as Aztec Camera and Talk Talk. Not sure what strange logic makes me place the three bands together, but there we go. Of the three bands, Talk Talk were, in my view the strongest, and were just great live; I will report on them another day. I’ve just played Black Man Ray on youtube to remind myself of China Crisis. Good song.
11 Jul
Glen Campbell Sage Gateshead 2007
Glen Campbell Sage Gateshead 2007
I grew up with the music of Glen Campbell playing around me. Wichita Lineman was on the radio all of the time when I was a teenager, and although it didn’t seem cool at the time, it was actually one of my favourite songs at the time, and still is today. A few years ago I bought a Glen Campbell Greatest Hits lp in a charity shop and began to realise what a great artist he is. Dreams of the Everyday Housewife is also a favourite of mine. I’ve only ever seen him once in concert, when Marie and I went to see him at The Sage in Gateshead around five years ago. We both really enjoyed the experience. Support came from his daughter Debby. 
Glen looked great. He was wearing a pretty sharp cowboy shirt, jeans and great cowboy boots. And his voice was as clear and beautiful as I hoped it would be. I hadn’t realised the he is also an excellent guitar player, and he treated us to a faultless rendition of Mason Williams’ Classical Gas. From memory, I am pretty sure the set included all the hits: Gentle on My Mind; Galveston; By the Time I Get to Phoenix; True Grit; Wichita Lineman; Rhinestone Cowboy; Southern Nights. Great stuff from a true artist. I sadly missed him on his recent farewell tour, which also called at the Sage. I’d quite fancied going to see him again, but couldn’t make it, which was a disappointment. In recent years, I’ve come to quite like country music, and have been to see quite a few of the old country artists including Kris Kristofferson (he was just great), Willy Nelson (the guy is a legend), and Dolly Parton (good fun show). Guess I must be getting old.
10 Jul
The Cure Whitley Bay Ice Rink 1985
The Cure Whitley Bay Ice Rink 1985
By 1985 The Cure had graduated to playing at Whitley Bay Ice Rink, which was a cavernous (and cold!) venue which was frequented by bigger bands during the 80s, before Newcastle Arena was built. By 1985 The Cure had hit the single chart on several occasions, including the superb “Love Cats”. I went along to this gig with my mate Dave, and we were both quite into the band at the time. I seem to remember that we both liked “Love Cats”. Support came from Hard Corps, who were a French band. 
By the time of this gig, The Cure were centred very much around Robert Smith, as band leader and the focus of the live performance. The Cure in concert had become much more of a rock / pop show, and Smith was coming into his own as a front man. Setlist: The Baby Screams, Play For Today, A Night Like This, Primary, Kyoto Song, The Blood, The Hanging Garden, Charlotte Sometimes, Inbetween Days, Let’s Go To Bed, The Walk, Push, Screw, One Hundred Years, A Forest, Sinking. First Encore: Give Me It, Boys Don’t Cry. Second Encore: You Really Got Me, I Dig You. It was over 20 years till I saw The Cure again, when Laura, David and I went to see them at Wembley Arena.
9 Jul
The Cure Newcastle City Hall 1982
The Cure Newcastle City Hall 1982
Support Zerra1
A year after seeing The Cure at the City Hall, they were back again at the same venue. The band were in their heavy goth phase, and this before they started to have serious chart success. Support came from Zerra1 who were an Irish band from the U2 mould. (Update note: I found another old Cure programme upstairs in my collection. It is probably from this tour, or another early tour, so I have added it here) 
Setlist: The Figurehead, M, In Your House, Cold, The Drowning Man, A Short Term Effect, The Hanging Garden, Siamese Twins, Other Voices, Three Imaginary Boys, Primary, One Hundred Years, Play For Today, A Forest, Pornography. Encore: 10.15 Saturday Night, Killing An Arab, All Mine.
8 Jul
The Cure Newcastle late 70s and early 80s
The Cure Newcastle late 70s and early 80s
I saw The Cure quite a few times in the early days of their career. The first time that I saw them was at the Reading Festival in 1979, when they appeared low down on the bill on the Friday night. I remember that I had read a lot about them, and I’d also had heard the single “Killing an Arab” on the radio. So I made of point of being in the arena and watching them that night. They went down prety well, and showed some promise, even at that early stage. I also saw them at a gig in Newcastle University Ballrom on a Saturday night sometime in 1980. I also saw them as support act for Siouxsie and the Banshees at Newcastle Poly. Robert Smith played two sets that night, first with The Cure and then as guitarist for The Banshees. My favourite Cure song at the time was “A Forest”, and it probably still is today. By 1981 they had graduated to playing the City Hall. 
The great Cure gig list site http://www.cure-concerts.de shows the setlist for the 1981 Newcastle gig as: The Funeral Party, M, The Drowning Man, All Cats Are Grey, Three Imaginary Boys, Primary, At Night, Fire In Cairo, Play For Today, Grinding Halt, A Forest, Faith, Jumping Someone Else’s Train, Another Journey By Train, Killing An Arab, Forever. Looking at other setlists from the same tour, indicates that the Newcastle set was comparatively short in comparison with some of the other gigs on the tour, with some shows featuring many more songs. I have a lovely little programme from those days (see scan) which is a song book, and contains the lyrics from many of their early songs. I’m not sure at which gig I bought this, but it must have been from one of their early tours. I saw The Cure twice more in the 80s, and will blog on those gigs over the next couple of days. There was then a gap of 23 years before I saw them again, at Wembley, in 2008.
Update 22 December 2021
Many thanks indeed for the lovely image of the poster for the concert which Jimmy Burns (a.k.a. Punk Hoarder) kindly sent me and has allowed me to add this to my post. It brings back great memories of a great band. I didn’t realise at the time how important the cure would become in the history of new wave, punk, goth and pop music. They really have provided millions of people with enjoyment and entertainment over the years. And their back catalogue is extensive, wide-ranging in style and lots of fun!
7 Jul
Cher Manchester Arena 1999
Cher Manchester Arena 1999
I’d always fancied seeing Cher in concert, ever since hearing her early material like “I Got You Babe”, “Bang Bang”, and “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves”; all great songs. I loved “Believe” and its crazy Auto-tune when it came out, so when she announced a UK tour, I persuaded Marie to go to the Manchester Arena gig. We bought tickets quite late, and ended up with cheap seats right up at the top of the massive arena, which Marie found quite scary. I was little annoyed because, after we had bought the tickets, Cher added a Newcastle date to the tour. However I put that aside in my mind, and we stuck with going to the Manchester gig. We got the train to Manchester and stayed overnight in a city centre hotel. 
The gig itself was impressive; the set was a mix of songs from throughout her career, and featured a lot of costume changes. Cher was offstage for a couple of songs while she got changed, and a group of dancers took centre stage. At one point a nostalgic video sequence was shown with lots of clips of Cher, some with Sonny, from the 60s. Great stuff. It was an interesting concert, very much a show as much as a gig. Setlist: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For; All or Nothing; The Power; I Found Someone; We All Sleep Alone; The Way of Love; Half-Breed; Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves; Dark Lady; Take Me Home; After All; Walking in Memphis;Just Like Jesse James; The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss); Dov’è l’amore; Strong Enough;If I Could Turn Back Time. Encore: Believe
6 Jul
Phil Collins Newcastle City Hall 1985
Phil Collins Newcastle City Hall 1985
No Jacket Required Tour 
Being a big Genesis fan, and thinking Phil’s version of Can’t Hurry Love was good fun, I was quite excited about seeing him in concert. This gig sold out quickly and was eagerly anticipated. Phil had a full band with him; as well as singing and playing piano and drums himself, the rest of the guys were known as the “Hot Tub Club” and comprised: Leland Sklar: Bass; Peter Robinson: Keyboards; Daryl Stuermer (Genesis): Guitar; Chester Thompson (Genesis): Drums; and The Phenix Horns. There was no support and quite a lengthy set from Phil and Co covering all of the hits to date. 
This gig came at the start of the tour, which took him around the world and ended with a performance, at which I was also present, at Wembley Stadium as part of the Live Aid concert. Phil was very much in a workaholic mode at this time, and popped up everywhere, famously playing at both the London and US Live Aid concerts on the same day. Last time I saw Phil was on the Genesis reunion tour at their concert at Old Trafford Manchester. Setlist for No Jacket Required Tour: I Don’t Care Anymore; Only You Know And I Know; I Cannot Believe It’s True; This Must Be Love; Against All Odds; Inside Out; Who Said I Would; If Leaving Me Is Easy; Sussudio; Against All Odds; Behind The Lines; Don’t Lose My Number; The West Side; One More Night; In The Air Tonight; Like China; You Can’t Hurry Love; It Don’t Matter To Me; Hand In Hand; Take Me Home; People Get Ready; It’s Alright; And So To F…; You Know What I Mean; Doesn’t Anybody Stay Together Anymore
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