Adele Newcastle Tyne Theatre April 2008
This gig doesn’t seem that long ago, but its getting on for four years since Laura and I saw Adele at the Tyne Theatre in Newcastle. I recall at the time being surprised how quickly this gig sold out, and that was well before the mega-stardom that she enjoys now. At the time I had only heard “Chasing pavements” but was caught up in the wave of new female singers, such as Amy Winehouse and Duffy. So Laura and I decided to check Adele out. The show was very impressive, particularly considering that Adele was just 20 at the time. She struck me as quite shy, and couldn’t seem to believe it all herself. I remember her singing the Dylan song “Make You Feel My Love”, and realising that it was one Dylan song that I didn’t know. Good to see how her career has gone from strength to strength since then. I wonder if we’ll ever see her back at the Tyne Theatre again? And with a ticket price of £15?
7 Mar
Adele Newcastle Tyne Theatre April 2008
6 Mar
America and Poco Newcastle Odeon 1975
America and Poco Newcastle Odeon 1975
This was a pretty cool line up, and was my fist time seeing both bands. I knew a lot of stuff by America, but nothing by Poco. I went along with my friend Ian, as I recall. America had previously toured as support for Family in 1971, but the gig was the same night as Led Zeppelin played Sunderland Locarno (theres a gig I must report on), so I didn’t go. So when they returned to Newcastle for this gig at the Odeon I made sure that I attended. The Odeon is now sadly closed, but was an important venue for gigs in the North East in the early 70s. It was a little bigger than the City Hall, with a capacity of around 3,000, and I saw a few bands play there: Humble Pie, King Crimson, Black Sabbath, ELP, The Faces and The Who come straight to mind. BY the mid 70s it had sadly been converted to a multi-screen cinema, and the capacity reduced. I am pretty sure that this was the case for this gig. I recall both bands being really good that night. Typical America set list from 1975: Tin Man; Muskrat Love; Baby It’s Up to You; Moon Song; Old Man Took; To Each His Own; Lonely People; I Need You; Don’t Cross The River; Ventura Highway; Only In Your Heart; Woman Tonight; The Story of a Teenager; Half a Man; Company; Hollywood; Sister Golden Hair; Encore: Sandman; A Horse With No Name. I also googled and found a Poco setlist from 1974: Blue Water; Fool’s Gold; Rocky Mt. Breakdown; Bad Weather; Hoedown; Railroad Days; Ride the Country; Faith in the Families; Angel; Drivin’ Wheel; I Guess You Made It; Restrain; A Right Along; C’Mon. My friend John, who was also at this gig, has just emailed me to remind me that America/Poco played “Don’t Cross the River if you can’t swim the tide” with both bands on stage as the final number.
5 Mar
Artic Monkeys Lancashire Cricket Ground 28 July 2007
Artic Monkeys Manchester 28 Juy 2007
Amy Winehouse, Supergrass, The Coral and The Parrots
This was The Artic Monkey’s big gig, and sold out in amazing time, with a second night being added immediately to satisfy demand for tickets. The Artic Monkeys had come from nowhere, and were suddenly all over the place and massive. I hadn’t heard anything by them, but David and Laura fancied going so I bought tickets as soon as they went on sale. I’m glad I did, as this was a great gig. We drove down and arrived just in time to see The Coral. David and I had already seen them supporting The Who at the Albert Hall a year or so before. Their very 60sish blend of jangling guitar, folk-rock, and psych is exactly the sort of thing I like. They went down well with the crowd, but the sound mix was pretty poor. Supergrass came on and really rocked, and were a bit of a pleasant surprise to me. Much more rockier than I expected; reminded me of Steve Marriott and Humble Pie.
Amy Winehouse was just great, and also went down well with the crowd. 
The Cricket Ground is a massive venue and it was absolutely packed by the time The Artic Monkeys took to the stage. The reception was unlike anything I’d seen for some time. The whole crowd sang along with every word, and went absolutely mental, with beer (or was it piss?) flying everywhere. By the day of the gig Laura had bought the album and I knew some of the songs, particularly I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, Mardy Bum and When the Sun Goes Down. We all sang along, and had a great time. Stayed the night in a hotel which was walking distance away and drove back in the morning.
Setlist: Fluorescent Adolescent; I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor; Brianstorm; Still Take You Home; Dancing Shoes; From the Ritz to the Rubble; Fake Tales of San Francisco; Balaclava; Old Yellow Bricks; You Probably Couldn’t See for the Lights But You Were Staring Straight at Me; This House Is a Circus; Teddy Picker; D Is for Dangerous; If You Were There, Beware; Mardy Bum; Do Me A Favour; The View from the Afternoon; When the Sun Goes Down; Leave Before the Lights Come On; Encore: Plastic Tramp; 505; A Certain Romance.
Other memories: massive queues for the toilets; getting charged twice by the hotel somehow and having to contact them afterwards for a refund, which eventually got sorted out. Forgot to mention the first support who were The Parrotts and are a Beatles tribute act from Japan (honest!). I think the Artic Monkeys had seen them on their travels and were impressed by them. I thought we might have caught part of their set, but David and Laura both don’t recall seeing them at all. Who knows.
This was edited on 16/09/24 to add an image of Arctic Monkeys in 2007, playing at a festival. Just to show how they looked at the time. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
4 Mar
Bryan Adams Gateshead Stadium July 12th 1992
Bryan Adams Gateshead Stadium July 12th 1992
Support: Squeeze, Extreme, Little Angels
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.
3 Mar
Average White Band in concert 1976 and 1980
Average White Band 1976 and 1980
PIck Up The Pieces! The Average White Band were great favourites of some of my mates in the 70s. Their blend of funk and rock would fill the dance floor in discos. I saw them in concert a couple of times, at Newcastle City Hall in 1976 and again in 1980. I remember that as a tight rock/jazz outfit, great at what they did, but to be honest they were never really by cup of tea. I went to see them along with friends who were more into them than me.
The Average White Band split up in 1982 but regrouped after some years and are still playing today. They played recently at the Royal Glasgow Concert Hall as part of the Celtic Connections festival. Looking back through the programmes, which are pictured here, from those gigs did bring back some memories. The support act on one of those tours, I owuld think 1976, was Kokomo. 
Now there was a band, who are all but forgotten now, and much under-rated. Their blend of soul and funk was much more to my liking. Kokomo drew its musicians from a number of UK bands including The Grease Band, Arrival, and King Crimson. I recall seeing Kokomo quite a few times: a great gig in Newcastle Poly and at the Reading Festival, but can’t recall any of their songs. I must try and find one of their lps.
Bands like Average White Band and Kokomo represent a particular time and period to me; in fact I’d almost forgotten them. I’m finding the exercise of working through my programme and ticket collection very interesting. Its bringing back old memories, and reminding me of bands and times that I had forgotten. Its taking longer than I thought, however; I’m working through them, at least in part, alphabetically, and I haven’t yet completed the letter A…..
2 Mar
After the Fire October 1979
After the Fire October 1979
I saw After The Firs a few times in the 70s. The band formed in the early 70s as a progressive rock band, but by the time of this gig in 1979 they had moved to a more poppy new wave sound. I recall the song Laser Love, which was also the title of their lp of the time.
After The Fire were regulars at The christian-based Greenbelt festival throughout the 70s. Greenbelt ran on the same August bank holiday weekend as the Reading festival, which I always attended. However I’m pretty sure that they defected to Reading one year; think it was in the late 70s. They were also support act on a number of tours. I remember seeing them at a gig at Newcastle Polytechnic in 1977, supporting The Damned. Think that gig was cut short because the crowd were throwing bottles and glasses at The Damned. I found a programme and a copy of their fanzine Friends, in among my programme collection. 
I was surprised to find that they have reformed, are gigging again, and that there is now a Friends website, which is attempting to connect old fans who subscribed to the fanzine.I’m not sure I’m too impressed with the posing on the programme cover! I must take the time to read the Friends magazine, which I’m sure will bring back some memories. I’ve just read through the band biography on the Friends website. This band gigged a lot, and achieved a lot in the late 70s, including headlining The Rainbow Theatre, and touring Europe as support for ELO and for Queen.
1 Mar
The Rolling Stones Shine A Light movie Cineworld Boldon April 17th 2008
The Rolling Stones Shine A Light movie Cineworld Boldon April 17th 2008
I’m writing a chapter for a text on the Rolling Stones, focussing on my recollections of the Stones in concert. As part of that I’m also reflecting on the recent Shine A Light film, which Laura and I went to see in 2008. A strange one this in several ways. The cinema was pretty empty, which surprised me a little. There obviously wasn’t a great appetite for a Stones movie in the North East. Technically the film was outstanding, and the film sported some great guests playing with the band. However the set list was not a normal Stones show, and a little disappointing for me. I enjoyed the film, but wasn’t knocked out by it. Setlist: Jumpin’ Jack Flash; Shattered; She Was Hot; All Down the Line; Loving Cup (with Jack White); As Tears Go By; Just My Imagination; Champagne and Reefer (with Buddy Guy); Tumbling Dice; You Got the Silver; Connection; Sympathy for the Devil; Live with Me (with Christina Aguilera); Start Me Up; Brown Sugar; (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction; Shine a Light
29 Feb
Athletico Spizz 80 Centre Hotel Newcastle 13th August 1980
Athletico Spizz 80 Centre Hotel Newcastle 13th August 1980
Support: Arthur Two Stroke and the Chart Commandos?
Spizz is a bit of a character. I first saw him in Spizzoil as support for Siouxsie and the Banshees at Newcastle City Hall around the time of Hong Kong Garden, and he seemed totally nuts. The single Wheres Captain Kirk is classic mad punk. By the time he played this gig at The Centre Hotel, he’d built up quite a following. I seem to remember the place being packed and it being a mad wacky gig. The Centre Hotel was home to a few gigs around that time; I seem to recall seeing The Sadista Sisters there one night. I think local hero Arthur Two Stroke may have been support for this Spizz gig. Good to see that Spizz is still gigging.
28 Feb
Alkatraz Sunderland Polytechnic Wearmouth Hall Jan 21st 1977
Writing this blog, with a post each day based on my ticket and programme collection is an interesting exercise, particularly when I come across a ticket like this. I must admit that I have absolutely no recollection of seeing Alkatraz or even who the band were. But for completeness I am including them, and I decided to see if I could find anything out about this band. The name would suggest a mid 70s heavy metal outfit, perhaps at the start of the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal). Sure enough some googling uncovered the following album description: “ALCATRAZ – DOING A MIDNIGHT – 1976 (UK) heavy progressive. Meanwhile, after his stint in The Neutrons, Will Youatt joined up with his ex-Quicksand partner James Davies to found Alkatraz, a fabulous and all too short-lived band who we’d hoped would carry the welsh rock flag into the eighties. Their one release, Doing A Moonlight, is a really superb example of intelligent and well-executed guitar based rock.” which I found on the orexisofdeath blogspot. The Neutrons were a spin-off from Welsh rock wizards Man, and were well thought of in the 70s. So the Man connections make Alkatraz look an interesting outfit to me. Interesting also to see that DJ support came from the Dave Wood Road Show. I wonder if that was the same Dave Wood who established the local heavy metal label Neat in the late 70s? I only wish I could recall all these gigs, or go back in time and relive them!
27 Feb
Fairport Convention Sage Gateshead February 26th 2012
Fairport Convention Sage Gateshead February 26th 2012. Support Act: Kieran Goss
Marie and I spent a very pleasant evening in the Sage Gateshead last night seeing Fairport Convention. This time the band had chosen to visit the smaller Hall 2, which had been sold out for some weeks. We bought a programme on the way in, which Dave Pegg and Ric Sanders, who sitting at the merchandise table, kindly signed. Support came from Irish singer songwriter Kieran Goss, who delivered a short, but enjoyable set, before being joined by the Fairports for a nice version of Reach Out (I’ll Be There), the old Motown classic. This was Fairport’s 45th (!) anniversary tour, and for the occasion they asked fans to nominate songs, via email, that they would like to hear from their massive back catalogue. This has resulted in a set list with old favourites and a few surprises. 
We bought a programme calendar when we arrived and Dave Pegg and Ric Sanders kindly signed it for us. For me, the highlight of the night was a beautiful rendition of Sandy Dennny’s Fotheringay from the 1969 lp, What We Did On Our Holidays. The sound was crisp and clear; the Sage has wonderful acoustics. Setlist: Reach Out (with Kieran Goss);Sir Patrick Spens; Crazy Man Michael; Farewell, Farewell; Albert & Ted; The Cell Song; Genesis Hall; John Gaudie / Shetland Tunes; Interval: Mercy Bay; Fotheringay; Celtic Moon; Rosie; Jewel In The Crown; I Wandered By The Brookside; Hexamshire Lass; Hiring Fair; Danny Jacks Reward; Matty Groves; Encore: Meet On The Ledge
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