I have lots of fond memories of seeing Dave Stewart in many incarnations. First, in local folk rock band Longdancer at Sunderland Locarno (the Mecca; see later) in the early 1970s. Then, some years on, with Annie Lennox in the Tourists again at Sunderland Locarno, at Newcastle City Hall and at the Reading Festival.
Further on in his career, I was lucky enough to see Eurythmics perform at Newcastle City Hall. I also recall seeing Dave Stewart join Fergal Sharkey on stage for an encore at Newcastle City Hall, on Fergal’s first solo tour after leaving the Undertones.
I then saw Dave with Ringo Starr at the opening of the Capital of Culture in Liverpool, which was also the opening concert at the new venue, Liverpool Arena. Since then, I have seen him perform at a couple of homecoming concerts, one previous concert at Sunderland Empire and more recently at the new Sunderland music venue The Fire Station. All great shows and great memories.
This time Dave Stewart returned to Sunderland Empire to perform another homecoming show, this time showcasing “the Eurythmics Songbook” drawing from his back catalogue of great songs which he wrote with Annie Lennox. The theatre was, quite rightly, jampacked and everyone was excited about seeing Dave Stewart back home performing those great classic tunes. I met many good friends at the concert; it was nice to catch up on old times.
Dave Stewart has done pretty well for a lad from Sunderland. He has sold in excess of 100 million albums worldwide. He has also played with some of the biggest names in the business. It is great that he remembers his roots, and this return home concert was much anticipated by the people of Sunderland. The Sunderland Empire advertised the show thus: “Eurythmics Songbook tour marks the first time in more than 20 years that fans can see a full length show of Eurythmics classics – performed on tour by Stewart and a full live band.
Dave Stewart, the award-winning singer, songwriter, musician, producer, innovator and Eurythmics co-founder, is set to captivate audiences across Europe once again.
Featuring Dave alongside an all-female band of virtuoso singers and musicians, the tour promises to take fans on a nostalgic and electrifying musical journey spanning four decades of the iconic musical partnership’s ground-breaking hits. Celebrating a remarkable 40 years since the release of the timeless Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), Eurythmics, known for their unique blend of synth-pop, new wave, soul and rock, have sold over 75 million albums worldwide since their 1980’s debut and have become enduring icons of popular music.”
As mentioned above, Stewart has assembled an all–female band of excellent musicians and singers who helped him perform the Eurythmics hits. The singers, one of whom was Dave’s daughter, were all tremendous and delivered the goods in recreating and reimagining the vocals performed previously by Annie Lennox.
The hits just kept on coming: “There Must be an Angel”, “I Saved the World Today”, “Thorn In My Side”, “Here Comes The Rain Again” and many, many more. I had forgotten just how many great songs this band had recorded.
Dave was resplendent in silver suit, but still very much a Sunderland lad. He reminisced of going to the Mecca and old times in Sunderland. Very much a front man for much of the show, Dave Stewart also alternated between centre stage and stepping back, allowing the great musicians around him to take the lead.
The evening was brought to a close with an encore of “Sweet Dreams”, accompanied by a deluge of red-and-white (of course) tickertape falling from the rafters. Very appropriate. By now the entire Empire crowd was up on its feet, singing along, going absolutely crazy. Another great evening spent with a true Sunderland legend. Bought myself a T-shirt as a memento, which I am proudly wearing today as I write this.
Many thanks to Jackie for the excellent photographs and to Chris for helping me manipulate the site.
Setlist: Take Me to Your Heart / Never Gonna Cry Again / The Walk / This City Never Sleeps; It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back); Love Is a Stranger; I Love You Like a Ball and Chain; I Need a Man; You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart; I Saved the World Today; Who’s That Girl?; There Must Be an Angel (Playing With My Heart); The Miracle of Love; Thorn in My Side; When Tomorrow Comes; Here Comes the Rain Again; When the Day Goes Down; Missionary Man; Would I Lie to You?; Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves; Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
I am not sure who suggested going. Maybe it was my sister-in-law Elaine or carer Jan, who both accompanied me to the show. Never mind, thank you to whichever one of you it was. I don’t think I would have gone along to 
The tour publicity heralded the concert thus: “The King is back! One of the most unique concert experiences of recent years is set to return for 2023 having won the hearts of critics and fans a-like, as Elvis is set once again to be back, in an arena near you! The full-scale concert brings the King up close on screen alongside the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra live on stage performing the King of Rock and Roll’s most well-known “rocking” songs and his tender, heart-wrenching ballads, with a special guest to be announced in due course. A show like no other, expect an overwhelmingly encapsulating and enthralling evening!
This is the only chance to experience the man who changed the course of popular music, selling an unparalleled 1 billion records worldwide, his popularity unwavering as the critical and commercial success of the Baz Luhrman produced biopic Elvis showed us in cinemas this year! The collaboration between the music of Elvis and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra has spearheaded an incredible phenomenon, with new orchestral arrangements of the music of the most legendary artists of all time being presented with the original recordings of the artists’ own voice which led to three huge-selling and critically acclaimed albums (If I Can Dream, The Wonder of You, and Christmas with Elvis and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra).
With Elvis never having toured the UK, or performing with a full sized orchestra as were two of his dreams, these shows are a chance to both honour the legacy of an icon who has defined popular culture for over half a century, and for fans to see ‘The King’ live, who never had the chance to before.”
I have always been a fan of Elvis. Ever since I was very young and bought copies of “King Creole” and “Heartbreak Hotel” on 78 from a local second hand shop. I played and played those records. I then saw the 1968 Comeback Show on TV at some point and was totally knocked out by the guy, his energy, swagger, style and voice. Without Elvis, would we have The Beatles, and modern day rock ‘n’ roll? Who knows. I also remember buying “In the Ghetto” when it was in the charts. I love that record to this day.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra took to the stage to a loud round of applause. A large screen behind the orchestra displayed the initials “EP” to remind us of what we were about to experience. They performed “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” with the lyrics displayed on the big-screen. The orchestra was augmented by a band with an excellent guitarist and a group of very soulful singers. Next, another large screen descended from the rafters and Elvis, from Las Vegas, was singing “Burning Love” to us. The sound was amazing and this was the start of a wonderful journey through the life of Elvis Presley. Possibly the greatest singer and artist the world has ever seen.
We were taken through a range of Elvis classics including “Trouble”, “That’s All Right Mama”, “Hound Dog” and “Heartbreak Hotel” with footage alternating between early and mid-1970s Las Vegas performances to film from the aforementioned 1968 Comeback TV Show triumph. All of this reminded me of how great a performer the man was. I can’t quite recall the order of proceedings but there was a short interval during which I had a lovely tray of chips (lots of salt) having had a pint of beer on the way in. I also purchased a T-shirt which I am proudly wearing as I type this with my speech software and a programme (pictured).
There was a tour of Graceland, courtesy of Elvis’ old friend who now manages the estate (I would love to visit) and the voice of Priscilla Presley talking about her life with Elvis while images of Priscilla, Elvis, a young Lisa Marie and happy family memories were shown.
The aforementioned “Suspicious Minds” had everyone up on their feet dancing and singing. They remained so for the rest of the performance which closed with the magnificent “American Trilogy” from Las Vegas and “If I Can Dream” from the 1968 TV show. Very emotional stuff. Much, much better than I had expected.
Setlist: Burning Love; Welcome To My World; Steamroller Blues; Fever; You Gave Me A Mountain; You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me; I Just Can’t Help Believing; Just Pretend; You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling; Amazing Grace; I Can’t Help Falling In Love; In The Ghetto; How Great Thou Art; Bridge Over Troubled Water; Trouble/Guitar Man; That’s Alright Mama; Hound Dog; Don’t Be Cruel; Heartbreak Hotel; Are You Lonesome Tonight; All Shook Up; Blue Suede Shoes; Memories; Love Me Tender; The Wonder Of You; Suspicious Minds; What Now My Love; Big Hunk Of Love; American Trilogy; If I Can Dream.
Another “trip out” to see a group of (who seem like) old friends. This time it was the acoustic version of 
The Queen’s Hall is set behind a park in the centre of Hexham (thanks to Wikimedia Commons for the image). The staff in the venue quickly helped us up in the lift and found us some alternative seats (presumably because we were late in arriving) at the rear of the hall overlooking the stage, with actually a pretty good view of the proceedings. The staff were wonderful and really helpful throughout the night going out of their way to make sure I was safe going up and down in the lift to reach the bar during the interval.
I have seen Fairport Convention many times in recent years. Each time I enjoy them more and more. This band has a rich folk-rock heritage and a massive back catalogue of songs to draw from. Each song is preceded by a detailed and often comical explanation of the origin and meaning of the song. Each member takes a turn in explaining the songs and taking a lead role on either vocals, guitar, mandolin or violin. The first set completed with some songs which are becoming very familiar to me now. The sound was excellent and the audience reception was very warm and friendly. In a Fairport Convention concert, I often get the feeling that it is a meeting of old friends coming together, and last night was no exception. This band have a very strong, loyal following.
There was no new merchandise on sale, other than CDs and the recently published Gonna See All My Friends: A People’s history of Fairport Convention book to which I contributed and already have a copy. Still, that allowed me a little more time to venture downstairs to the bar and partake in a lovely double 
The second half of the concert was excellent as always. The singing troubadours delivered a clutch of songs some familiar and some less so. “Portmeirion” is based on the village where the TV series The Prisoner was set. I used to watch it when it was first aired in the 1960s and could not understand it. Perhaps it is time to revisit it? I will see. Soon we were taken back in time again, to the day when, as told by Simon Nicol, they auditioned for a lady singer and in walked Sandy Denny who for a few short years changed the nature, sound and destiny of the band. Simon delivered an exquisite rendition of my favourite “Who Knows Where the Time Goes”. As magical as it ever was and always will be. I was pleased to see that particular song return to the set. Then followed the traditional song “Matty Groves” as the closing folk tale. But we knew that wasn’t the end. Fairport returned to deliver the timeless encore “Meet on the Ledge”. A great evening with a great band.
Another 60s show. No apologies this time. You know what, I enjoy the old hits and it doesn’t seem to matter anymore as to whether there are original members or not. I guess we return to my old question “When is a band not a band?”.
The bands on show here, as far as I can ascertain, contain only one original member between them all. But more on this later. I went along with carer Elaine and my old friend Norman and you know what? We all greatly enjoyed the “Sensational 60s Experience” and I knew every song! And this 60s concert even had a proper compere, just like a 60s package tour should. He looked great with lovely long blonde hair. I will use some of the tour blurb to describe each band and then will add my own comments on the lineup and the performance.
Opening the show were: “
“
Closing the first half were: “
Opening the second part of the show were: “
Closing the show were: “
I am continuing my quest to make up for lost time and see every band that I am interested in, and have not yet seen live. So, 
Of course, I knew “The Final Countdown” and vaguely new “Carrie” but that was about it. Anyway, time to put this right. So, I bought tickets to see Europe at the recently renamed lovely, local venue the 
From the tour information: “Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979, by lead vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson, and drummer Tony Reno. They obtained a major breakthrough in Sweden in 1982 by winning the televised competition “Rock-SM” (Swedish Rock Championships); it was the first time this competition was held, and Europe became a larger success than the competition itself.
Since their formation, Europe has released eleven studio albums, three live albums, three compilations and twenty-four music videos. Europe have millions of album sales under their belt and a No1 smash in 1986, with the legendary The Final Countdown, which received an award from YouTube in 2022 for the first Swedish band ever to receive a BILLION views for any one song.” Pretty impressive!
The first thing that surprised me was just how popular this band is. The venue was almost sold out very few seats remaining. I looked round at the T-shirts that people were wearing: Journey (yes, I see some similarities, another band I must see again as I have not seen them since they first started and I saw them at Newcastle Mayfair in the late 1970s I think), Def Leopard, Iron Maiden, Motorhead and several other classic, heavyish rock bands.
I only recognised four songs: “Final Countdown”, “Carrie”, “Rock the Night” and pretty great covers of Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” (singer Joey Tempest announced that they were good friends of David Coverdale and that he was a local lad from Redcar, which prompted a loud cheer from the crowd), and David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”. Joey Tempest is a great front man and the band are clearly great friends who have been together with the original lineup still intact, for 40 years. Again, pretty impressive. This is a true classic rock band who deserve their success. A great evening with a great band.
I first encountered 
The next time I witnessed Glenn Hughes was when he performed as part of the Jon Lord Memorial concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Again, he was a human dynamo, commanding the stage with magnificent, searing, soulful vocals. And again, he was a human powerhouse. He deserves the title “The Voice of Rock” which is often quoted about him.
I have been remiss in missing out on the last few times that Glenn played in Newcastle. This time the tour was promoted as a celebration of classic Deep Purple and the album Burn, so I could not resist attending. And I am so glad that I did. Jackie and I arrived in time to catch the last few songs of the support act 
Soon Glenn Hughes exploded onto the stage. This guy is amazing. His voice remains strong and soulful and he has so much energy. Glenn was clearly pleased to be back in the north-east and delivered a set of Deep Purple classics, each song lasting 10 to 15 minutes with extended guitar solos. There was even a drum solo! This was a proper 1970s rock performance. Standout songs were “Mistreated”, “Burn” and a great rendition of “Highway Star”.
The Voice of Rock demonstrated how he deserves this title. Great showmanship, much patting of the heart and dedication to his old friend and bandmate the late, great Tommy Bolin. They both shared addictions sadly Tommy did not survive, while Glenn managed to beat his demons. Glenn has lived in the USA for many years, and has put together an excellent band with an exceptional guitarist who did justice to those great Purple rock anthems.
An excellent night with a truly exciting and explosive rock legend. I bought a signed poster. Many thanks to Jackie and Chris for the images.
Well, I had to go and see my daughter, Laura, perform with The 
Cuddy (published by Bloomsbury, 2023) is the “experimental new novel from Benjamin Myers, the Durham-born author of The Gallows Pole, The Perfect Golden Circle, and The Offing. Cuddy is on the shortlist for the Goldsmiths Prize 2023. The novel evokes the spirit of St Cuthbert and traces the stories of ordinary people connected over 1,500 years to Cuthbert’s final resting place in Durham Cathedral.” (From the Durham Book Festival programme).
The performance consisted of Toby Jones and Samantha Neale reading extracts from Cuddy, interspersed with new songs written especially to accompany the book by The Shining Levels. This worked extremely well and the hour-long performance seemed to pass in an instant. Testimonies from the Book Festival programme describe the nature of the event below.
Rebecca Wilkie, Director of Durham Book Festival, New Writing North, said: “Durham Book Festival has a rich history of commissioning work that celebrates the literary history of Durham. When we read Durham author Benjamin Myers’ glorious and ambitious new novel, Cuddy, we knew we had to commemorate it at this year’s festival. It’s a love letter to County Durham, inspired by the enduring influence of St Cuthbert and the lives of people real and imagined, connected to Durham Cathedral across many centuries. It’s wonderful to be working with Jack McNamara and Live Theatre to dramatise an extract from the book and to see it brought to life by brilliant actors Toby Jones and Samantha Neale.
Jack McNamara, Artistic Director/ Joint Chief Executive Officer, Live Theatre, said: “Live is thrilled to partner with New Writing North and Durham Book Festival to bring a fragment of this magnificent North East novel to audiences. And who better to give St Cuthbert a voice than the always brilliant Toby Jones, who we’ve developed a very special relationship with over the last few years. Plus, bringing him together with amazing North East talent in Samantha Neale and The Shining Levels will be quite something witness. All hail St Cuddy!”
Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “It’s an honour to have Toby Jones join us at Durham Book Festival. We’re excited to see how the team will bring Benjamin Myer’s Cuddy to life, especially given the significance the story of St. Cuthbert for the County Durham community.”
Yes, I know it isn’t really rock, but it is still fun! A few years ago, I vowed never to attend a 60s revival tour again. I found them cringy; and full of really old people dancing in a very embarrassing way! Roll on some years and I have gone back on my decision. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, I realise that I love 60s music and it was the soundtrack to my childhood and early youth. Secondly, I have lost any concerns of going to see bands with very few, or no, original members. I now take the view that I will enjoy the songs, even the lineup is not 100% authentic. Finally, I am now myself a really old person and I fit in with the crowd! So let the fun begin. This was the 
Darlington Hippodrome is a lovely old theatre which I have visited several times over the years, including taking my daughter to see the Chuckle Brothers in pantomime. Good fun! This time I was going to witness a collection of bands from the 1960s. There were 7 acts in the concert so it was jampacked and very tightly timed.
First up was the 
The 2nd group was 
Next up was someone who is 100% authentic, 82 years old and still in great voice. 
Closing the first set was my main reason for going. Now when I was around 12 or 13 years old, I had several heroes. These included of course the Beatles and the Stones. However, on a Saturday morning I would attend a kids disco at Sunderland Top Rank Suite (The Rink). I would try and dress like a young mod and I modelled myself on Barry Ryan, Steve Marriott and the man who I was about to see: the one and only main mod man 
Opening the second half of the show was 
Next, we were treated to a performance of Searchers hits performed by current member 
Closing the show was the consummate professional 
Jimmy Burns is not only a massive punk hoarder and collector, he is also a real gent. We first touched base a few years ago when Jimmy contacted me through my blog and shared some images of posters which he had, of punk concerts I had been to in the past. Jimmy then kindly let me use these images on my blog. Last year Jimmy invited me to see his exhibition of memorabilia at Newcastle Central library. Well, he is back there again, with a second exhibition Punk No. 2 of marvellous memorabilia. The exhibition runs from October 8 until November 10.
Once again, Jimmy met me at the library and give me a private personal tour of his exhibition, which is as before, excellent and well worth visiting. My carer Jan and I arrived early and went upstairs in the lift to the space where his collection is currently on display. Jimmy soon joined us and took me around the exhibition space, explaining the details of the wonderful treasure trove of punk memorabilia which she has assembled for his second exhibition. What he revealed to me was another unique collection of memorabilia. Jimmy has a massive collection and this is only one small part of it.
Punk No. 2 exhibition once again takes the visitor through the history of punk, this time including posters from around the country as well as for concerts in the north-east. This includes very rare posters of punk bands including Sex Pistols posters from early gigs, there legendary Anarchy tour, early Clash concerts and posters of other major punk acts such as Joy Division, the Damned and many others. If you go along, you will also see part of Jimmy’s massive collection of flyers, tickets and very rare original vinyl records from around the world.
To say that Jimmy has assembled a unique collection of punk items which not only covers the north-east but is of national importance, is an understatement. I very much doubt that anyone else in the UK has assembled such a collection. And as before, only part of his collection is currently on display in the library. Jimmy has put this together largely through personal connections he has made over the years. He is touch with collectors around the world and is constantly trading with others to try and find other items to add to his collection.
We were soon chatting as before about punk concerts that we had both been to “back in the day” and rare items that we would both love to own, such as a ticket for the cancelled Sex Pistols Anarchy 1976 concert at Newcastle City Hall. I had a ticket and sadly returned it to claim my money back when the concert was cancelled. Big mistake.
Jan and I were once again knocked out by a fabulous exhibition and by Jimmy’s passion for anything to do with vintage punk rock. Thank you once again Jimmy for spending time with us, talking us through the exhibition and sharing happy memories with me. I really appreciate it and look forward to chatting with you more in the future. Good luck with the exhibition. I’m sure that many people will go to see it and that it will be well received. If you are interested in punk rock then I would urge you to go along and visit the exhibition while it is currently on display in Newcastle Central library.
The exhibition runs until November 10. I would urge you to go along and see it. Many thanks to Jan for taking the photos. Apologies for the reflection (the memorabilia is all safely housed behind glass) which has come out on some of the images.
I always thought that 
Unbeknown to me, during the Covid lock down, Toyah and Robert started their own Sunday lunch video stream, every Sunday, where they would perform a cover version of one of their favourite songs, largely rock classics, in which they had some sort of connection to the artist. They have now started touring the show with a full band. This is another surprise, I always had Robert Fripp down as a very quiet shy individual.
However it seems that I was wrong, and/or Toyah has succeeded in bringing him out of his shell. So Toyah does most of the talking but there is some playful banter between both of them, and Fripp sits on a stool playing absolutely impeccable Les Paul guitar. The rest of the band consists of a couple more guitarists, bass, keyboards and drums.
So, the concert starts 7:30 PM prompt, with a short interval and finishes quite early at 9:45 PM. This allows ample time to cram in a great selection of songs; a mix of covers (as aforementioned, usually with some connection to the artist) and some of Toyah’s own hits. We start with Toyah’s “Thunder In the Mountains”, followed by Blondie’s “Heart of Glass”, Toyah revealing that her husband played guitar on the Parallel Lines album, a fact that I was not aware of. It seems Fripp has many more streams to his bow that I realised.
Toyah is dressed in a lovely red frock and does some wonderful dance moves. Next up is Lenny Kravitz and “Are You Gonna Go my Way”; apparently King Crimson supported Lenny on a US tour and Toyah went along for the ride. Then Martha and the Muffins “Echo Beach” which Toyah covered and had a hit with, another fact that had somehow passed me by. Back to a Toyah favourite and “It’s a Mystery”. Brings back memories of seeing Toyah at Newcastle City Hall several times during the 1980s and even earlier when she first emerged from punk at Newcastle Mayfair. Happy days. I did wonder if she would perform any punk classics such as something by Sex Pistols. But this wasn’t to be. I guess I can’t have everything.
Toyah explained that she went to gigs in Birmingham from an early age and saw Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep and Black Sabbath: “a concert which changed my life”, leading us into “Paranoid”. Cream’s “Sunshine of your Love” is followed by “Tainted Love” and a story of how Toyah shared the bill on an 80’s tour with Mark Almond. Finally the first set concludes with Led Zeppelin and the sprawling, mystical imagery that is “Kashmir”. Toyah explains that this particular rock god visits them at their home quite often. But does she mean Plant or Page? I suspect Robert Plant?
The 2nd set begins with Metallica and “Enter Sandman”, followed quickly by “Schools Out” Toyah wielding a baseball bat and explaining how the song meant so much to her at the time of its release: “I hated school”. She also explained how Alice Cooper came online and watched her and Robert perform “Poison” from their kitchen! “Sweet Child o’ mine” is followed by “Fashion” and an explanation that Robert had a close collaboration with David Bowie and played guitar on that track. Another fact I was unaware of. The guy is clearly world-class, as of course I always knew. After a couple more great rock songs from ZZ Top and Neil Young Toyah relates another interesting story.
Trevor Horn contacted the pair recently and asked them to rerecord “Relax” and it will be released very soon. She explained how Fripp is 77 and she is 65 and the sentiment and lyrics of the song may seem a little bizarre in that context. Having said that, she sang the song directly to her husband. Billy Idol had invited Toyah to support him on his recent arena tour and hence “Rebel Yell” follows. Back to Toyah and “I Want to Be Free”.
Time for the encore and another surprise. Apparently Bowie and Eno invited Robert to travel to Berlin and play guitar on the next song “Heroes”. Classic. The closing song is the Arrows (does anyone else out there remember the TV show? I used to love it!) and Joan Jett classic “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”. A great show performed by a well-established front person and her enigmatic husband, a true rock god and guitar genius. Thanks to Elaine for the photography for the evening. Bought a signed programme during the interval. Day 3 of 3 concerts. Time for some rest.
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