Eric Clapton Newcastle City Hall April 1977
Support from Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance
Eric Clapton returned to Newcastle City Hall a year later, this time with Ronnie Lane and his band Slim Chance as special guests. We were spoilt for Clapton shows from the mid 70s onwards. Eric moved from a period of a few years where he hardly played at all, to a position of touring the Uk every year. I took every opportunity to see Eric, going to every show that he performed at the City Hall, and never left disappointed. 
Looking at set lists from 1977, it seems that Clapton varied some of the set, but that it was focussed largely on the blues. A recording from Hammersmith gives the set as :Hello Old Friend; Sign Language; Alberta; All Our Past Times; Tell The Truth; Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door; Can’t Find My Way Home; Crossroads; I Shot The Sheriff; Nobody Knows You; Further On Up The Road; Stormy Monday; Willie and the hand jive; Layla; Dream, Dream, Dream. 
Ronnie Lane was a great choice of support act, especially after 1976’s support act Mr Pugh’s Puppet Theatre. I’d seen Ronnie in the Faces and once before with Slim Chance when they brought their Passing Show to Newcastle Town Moor (I’ll post on that gig another time). Ronnie came over to me as laid back, unassuming, friendly and authentic on stage. His set was good fun, and a good reason to stay upstairs and watch the support act, rather than retreat to the bar.
Posts Tagged ‘blues’
28 Jun
Eric Clapton Newcastle City Hall April 1977
27 Jun
Eric Clapton Newcastle City Hall 12 August 1976
Eric Clapton Newcastle City Hall 12 August 1976
Two weeks after seeing Eric Clapton at The Crystal Palace Bowl, I saw him again at Newcastle City Hall. My strongest memory of this gig isof the bizarre support act, which was Mr Pugh’s Puppet Theatre, which was exactly as it suggests on the tin, a guy with a set of puppets in a seaside “punch and judy” like booth. This seemed an almost surreal choice as a support act at the time, and looking back still seems strange today. Clapton’s set was somewhat similar to what he played at Crystal Palace, quite short and a mix of blues, and Clapton standards. Not earth shattering, but good, as always, to see him. This gig was the first of quite a few national tours for Clapton, and as part of these he called at the City Hall several times over the next few years. I will blog on each of those shows over the coming days.
26 Jun
Eric Clapton Crystal Palace Garden Party 31 July 1976
Eric Clapton Crystal Palace Garden Party 31 July 1976
Support acts: Freddie King; The Chieftains; The Jess Roden Band; Barbara Dickson; Dick and the Fireman
I saw Clapton twice during 1976, once at Newcastle City Hall and at this gig at the Crystal Palace in London. A group of us went down to London by train for this gig, and when arrived at the Crystal Palace Bowl we met up with some other friends from Sunderland. It was a very hot day, as were most that summer; just right for spending the day in the park listening to some bands. The Crystal Place Bowl is a grassy picnic area, which used to have a shell-shaped stage situated at the other side of a lake from the grassy area where the audience sat. It was used for several concerts during the 70s, many of which ended with various members of the crowd taking to the water in the lake to get closer to the stage and their heroes. First up at this gig was Dick and The Fireman, who were an occasional “super”group of friends who came together for a fun jam every now and then. For that date the incarnation consisted of Mel Collins, Neil Hubbard, Mike Patto, Alan Spenner, Carol Grimes, Bob Tench, Henry McCulloch, Tim Hinkley, Boz Burrell, Simon Kirke, John Halsey, with Larry Coryell and Ron Wood guesting on some songs. The late, and very very great, Steve Marriott is listed in the programme, but didn’t show on the day. Now Henry McCulloch is one great guitarist and the late great Mike Patto was one cool vocalist, but the set seemed like what it was; a few friends jamming for a bit fun; nothing more, nothing less. Anyway it was ok as an opener. Next up was Barbara Dickson, who had just hit the charts with “Answer Me”, followed by the very under-rated Jess Roden. I saw Jess in Bronco, as support for Free once, and several times with his “Jess Roden Band”; he sang with a lot of soul, and is sadly hardly ever mentioned these days. 
The Chieftains seemed quite a strange choice for the day, and delivered a set of traditional Irish folk, which was quite fun, sitting on the grass on a hot summer afternoon. Next up was the legendary Freddie King. I’d heard quite a bit of Freddie’s material on the radio, including “Have You Ever Loved A Woman”, “Hide Away” and “Tore Down” and, as I recall, he played all of those. Clapton played a relatively short and subdued set on just over an hour, with Larry Coryell and Ron Wood joining for a couple of songs. I remember Larry Coryell being particularly impressive, giving Clapton a good run for his money. By the end of the show, quite a few people were in the water. Have a feeling Jesus Jellet was dancing down the front. This wasn’t one of the best times I’ve seen Clapton, but it was a fun day. After the gig we were all back on the midnight train up north. All in all a pretty good day; three great guitarists, sun, and a day out with friends; all for £4 and a day return which was £2 or £3 at the time. Clapton Setlist: Hello Old Friend – All Our Pastimes – Tell The Truth – I Shot The Sheriff – Double Trouble – Blues Power – Going Down Slow – Stormy Monday – Layla – Further On Up The Road.
25 Jun
Eric Clapton Hammersmith Odeon December 5th 1974
Eric Clapton Hammersmith Odeon December 5th 1974
Reflections on my first live connection with God
This was a big gig for me. I was a massive Clapton fan as a teenager. I bought the Goodbye Cream lp, and the Mayall/Clapton Bluesbreakers album, and spent hours learning to copy Clapton’s solos, playing and replaying the vinyl albums until I’d worked out how he played those licks. I sat in awe in front of our new (first) colour TV watching the Cream Farewell at the Albert Hall show. I talked about going to the Rainbow show with my mate Nicky, but was still pretty young and going to a gig in London seemed so unthinkable at the time; it was just talk really at that stage. But when Clapton announced a couple of comeback shows at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1974 I decided that I just had to go. I hadn’t managed to buy a ticket in advance for the Clapton gig, and the shows were sold out, but that didn’t discourage me. I was used to buying tickets for sold out gigs outside the venue on the night in Newcastle, so I planned to do the same at Hammersmith. 
I bought a day return train ticket to London and made my way to Hammersmith. I can still feel the excitement as I got off the tube and made my way to the legendary Hammersmith Odeon. I bought a ticket from a tout outside the venue, paying a little more than face value. I entered the venue and took my seat, which was to the rear of the stalls. I don’t think there was any support act. Clapton and band took to the stage, and started with Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile”, which was a big surprise to me. Why was this guitar god starting with an old song like this? After getting over the initial shock I realised how good the version was, with Clapton and Yvonne Elliman singing together and doing a great job. Real tears in the eyes stuff. Clapton had just released “461 Ocean Boulevard” which focussed much more on Clapton the singer than the guitarist, and “Smile” fitted with the mood of the album. Next up was “Let it Grow” from the album, another classic song. By this point I could hardly believe what I was experiencing; Clapton was there in front of me, and he was singing these great songs. Yvonne Elliman’s role in Clapton’s band at that point shouldn’t be understated. This was no backing vocals role, she was right up front with Eric dueting with him. The rest of the set was a mix of cold and new. Old blues like “The sky is crying” and “Ramblin’ on my mind”, covers such as “I shot the sheriff”, and “Little Wing” and “Badge” from Cream days. “Layla” was the first encore. Ronnie Wood joined in for the encores (Eric introduced him as Peter Townshend for a joke). By then I was getting nervous as I had to make it back for Kings Cross for the midnight train home. I did make the train, and arrived back how at around 7am the next morning having spent the night on the mail train as it wound its way up the country, stopping to pick up and deliver mail bags on the way. I went to college a couple of hours later and told everyone about it. So there it is, my first Clapton experience, and I gig that I’m so pleased I made the effort to get to. Clapton has remained a favourite of mine over the years, although I must admit that I did lose faith in him during the 90s a little. I’m going to spend the rest of the week reflecting on the other Clapton gigs which I have been to. Band: Carl Radle (Bass); George Terry (Guitar); Jamie Oldaker (Drums); Dick Sims (Keyboards); Yvonne Elliman (Vocals); Marcy Levy (Vocals). Setlist: Smile; Let It Grow; Can’t Find My Way Home; Tell the Truth; The Sky Is Crying; Have You Ever Loved a Woman; Ramblin’ on My Mind; Badge; Little Rachel; I Shot the Sheriff; Better Make It Through Today; Blues Power; Key To The Highway; Let It Rain; Little Wing; Singin’ the Blues. Encore: Layla; Steady Rollin’ Man; Little Queenie
23 Jun
The Cramps Newcastle Mayfair March 1986
The Cramps Newcastle Mayfair March 1986
When I was very young, around 10 years old, I discovered horror movies and a magazine called Famous Monsters of Filmland. I loved the classic 30s horror movies: Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman, and was fascinated by zombies, ghouls, the creature from the black lagoon. Through my teens I bought Famous Monsters from Filmland regularly, and saw as many 30s, 40s, and 50s horror and scifi films as I could on TV or at the cinema (which was sometimes difficult as many were X rated, which meant that you had to be 16 to see them). Why I am telling you this in a post about The Cramps? Simple. The Cramps blended together several of my favourite things: a love of gothic horror, the bizarre, scifi, surf music, garage, and rockabilly. They came out of the New York punk scene, and are often credited with starting the psychobilly genre. Looking through the pages of the programme from this gig reminds me how great this band were. The programme is crammed with images taken from B movies and features the 1985 movie Return of the Living Dead, for which The Cramps wrote a song “Surfing Dead”. 
The Cramps were at their peak of popularity on this, their 1986 world tour. The tour took in several nights at Hammersmith Palais and a few nights at Hammersmith Odeon, as well as gigs around the country, including this North East gig at Newcastle Mayfair. They were fronted by singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy. I went to the gig with my mate Dave, and it was a load of fun. The show was totally wild and wacky, quite similar in many ways to The B-52s, but much crazier. Lux Interior was totally wild on stage; I can picture him now, crawling all over the top of the speaker cabs, stripping off at the same time. The guy had no fear; think of Iggy Pop at his wildest times 10. The place was packed, and the crowd lapped it up. The Cramps continued throughout the 90s, and split only when Luz Interior passed away in 2009.
22 Jun
Bruce Springsteen Sunderland Stadium of Light 21 June 2012
Bruce Springsteen Sunderland Stadium of Light 21 June 2012
Laura, David, Luke, Phil and I all went to see Bruce last night. Great gig, and a pretty marathon set, coming in at over 3 hours, which seems to be pretty standard for Bruce these days. The afternoon had started with the heavens opening, soaking Sunderland with a deluge of rain, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of anyone there. Bruce was advertised to come on stage at 7pm, with no support act. David, Luke and Phil went over around 6pm, but Laura and I couldn’t get away until a little later. We drove over and managed to get parked in a side street quite close to the stadium, and got in to the gig around 7.30pm, thus missing the first few songs. Its quite strange entering a massive gig after the show starts; and seeing the band and crowd in full swing. Its like entering a party late, where everyone is already drunk and well into the spirit of the thing. The set was a mixture of old and new, and although there were quite a few songs that neither Laura or I knew, it didn’t drag at all. The favourites were kept until the end; Laura was delighted he did Thunder Road, and of course Born to Run, she had been hoping for Because the Night, but hey you can’t get everything. The E Street Band was as tight as any band can be, and Bruce’s energy and stamina was just amazing. The show was somewhat understated, no gimmicks or technology, just good honest music. And that for me is what makes Bruce world class, the boss, the future of rock and roll, whatever you choose to call him. You get the feeling that this guy really means what he says and sings; that he really feels it, and yet he does so almost effortlessly. There is a level of honesty, passion and authenticity about Bruce that few others have. He comes over as a working class guy with a voice that transcends political, cultural and geographic boundaries and barriers, and he connects with the audience in a unique way. The connection between performer is so natural, simple, through the songs, the way he holds and plays the guitar, and yet in a way no other performer can quite match. Last night in Sunderland everyone of the 50,000 people in that stadium felt a connection with that guy on the stage, and we all went away feeling a little happier, stronger and all the better for it. I went to work today, and everyone I met was talking about the gig, whether they were there or not. 
This was the seventh time I’ve seen Bruce, the first being at his first UK gig in Hammersmith Odeon in 1975. What I observe over the years is the way in which the guys music and confidence has grown, from a young guy wearing a wooly hat singing his songs about American life to a small(ish) theatre almost 40 years ago, to a guy who is perhaps at his peak now, leading a stadium full of people of all ages through a series of anthems that mean so much to so many. Just amazing. Setlist: Badlands; We Take Care Of Our Own; Wrecking Ball; Death to My Hometown; My City of Ruins; Spirit in the Night; Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?; Jack of All Trades; Youngstown; Murder Incorporated; Johnny 99; Working on the Highway; Shackled and Drawn; Waitin’ on a Sunny Day; The Promised Land; Point Blank; The River; The Rising; Out in the Street; Land of Hope and Dreams. Encore: We Are Alive; Thunder Road; Born to Run; Hungry Heart; Seven Nights to Rock; Glory Days; Dancing in the Dark; Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.
18 Jun
Roger Chapman recent gigs at Newcastle Tyne Theatre
Roger Chapman Newcastle Tyne Theatre
Marie and I have been to see Roger Chapman a couple of times over the past ten years. Both gigs were in the beautiful setting of the Tyne Theatre in Newcastle. Chappo is in a great shape, and his voice is as strong as ever, which is pretty amazing, given his throaty warbling style. The set was a mix of solo stuff and Family favourites, the latter going down well with the local crowd, who were all 40 to 50 somethings, steeped in Family music and looking for memories and a night of great rock; both of which were delivered in ample helpings. A CD exists of a 2002 gig at the Tyne Theatre, the ste being: Kiss My Soul; Down Bound Train; Habits Of A Lifetime; Midnite Child; Blind Willie McTell; Wheels & A Crowbar; X Town; Weavers Answer; My Friend The Sun; Holding The Compass; Shank (Shadow On The Wall); Toe Nail Draggin’; Short List; Burlesque; Jesus & The Devil; In My Own Time
17 Jun
Family in concert 1972 and 1973 Newcastle Mayfair and Newcastle City Hall
Family in concert 1972 and 1973 Newcastle Mayfair and Newcastle City Hall
Family were a great favourite with rock fans in the North East of England. They came up here a lot in the late 60s and early 70s, playing Sunderland Bay Hotel, Newcastle Mayfair, Sunderland Locarno and other local venues. As I posted yesterday when writing about Roger Chapman, back in those days, if you asked anyone in the North East their favourite live band, my guess is that they would choose a band like Family who regularly played in local ballrooms and put on a great live show. In Sunderland the answer would have been Free, Family, and possibly Stray or Edgar Broughton. The first time I got to see Family was at Newcastle Mayfair in June 1972. I have very vague memories of them playing a gig at Silksworth Youth club in the late 60s, and standing outside listening, as I was too young to get in. The gig definitely happened, but my standing outside may well be a figment of my imagination. Thanks to Barry for his memories of the Silksworth Youth Club gig: “A couple of vague memories. Roger Chapman was wearing bright red trousers. When the group had a break a girl asked Chapman if they did any “Soul” music. No, was Rogers brusque reply. If I remember correctly the leader of the new youth club was a guy called Clive. He wanted to put Silksworth Youth Club on the map as music venue. Happy days..”. Back to that gig in 1973. I queued outside the Mayfair to get in early and get a good spot in front of the stage. Support came from Audience, featuring Howard Werth who, like Roger Chapman, has his own vocal and musical style. Their album, “House on the Hill” is a classic of the period. Listen to the track “You’re Not Smiling” and you’ll see what I mean. Family were great that night. Roger Chapman sang in his usual unique style, with lots of vocal and mike stand gymnastics; but what really struck my was the way that he engaged, and interacted with the audience. It was like he was meeting a group of old mates. Most of the crowd had clearly seen the band before, and there seemed to be some private joke between Roger and some of the crowd, starting with the crowd asking “What about the workers, Roger?”. The other thing, that sticks in my memory is Poli Palmer’s vibraphone; I hadn’t seen or heard anything like it before. 
By the following year Family had sadly decided to call it a day, and the next time I saw them was during their farewell tour, at Newcastle City Hall. The line up had changed (again) by the time of that gig, and the atmosphere in the City Hall was great, but tinged with sadness. Support came from Phillip Goodhand-Tait. Chapman was once again the focal point of the evening. I recall sensing as we walked out of the hall, that everyone was upset that they would not see this great band again. Family’s music was a strange and unique mix of rock, psychedelia and r&b. Singles such as The Weaver’s Answer, In My Own Time, and Burlesque were great favourites in the ballrooms of the time, the dancefloor always filling with lots of hippy dancers. Unlike many bands of that era, Family have never reformed; however Chappo continues to play (he has just announced a Christmas gig at the Y theatre is his hometown Leicester) and his set often includes several Family songs. Its a few year since I’ve seen Roger in concert (will blog on recent gigs tomorrow), but recent reports suggest that his voice remains as strong as ever.
16 Jun
Roger Chapman Streetwalkers Newcastle City Hall 1977
Roger Chapman Streetwalkers Newcastle City Hall 1977
Roger Chapman is often forgotten these days. In my eyes he is a major figure in English rock music and has one of the most unique rock voices. Back in the early 70s, if you asked anyone in the North East their favourite live band, my guess is that they would choose a band who regularly played in local ballrooms and put on a great live show. In Sunderland the answer would have been Free, Family, and possibly Stray or Edgar Broughton. I saw Family a couple of times in the early days, and I’ll blog on that in a day or so. By the mid 70s Family were no more, and Roger Chapman was fronting Streetwalkers, along with Family compatriot Charlie Whitney. 
I saw Streetwalkers a few times: once at the very rainy Buxton 74 Festival, again at Reading 74, supporting The Who at Charlton in 1976, and at this gig at the City Hall in 1977. The Buxton gig was particularly memorable for one thing. Rain poured down the whole weekend, but when Chapman and Whitney sang Family’s My Friend the Sun, the sun came peeping out through the clouds, as if by magic, to a great roar from the festival crowd. 
It was a moment that anyone who was there will remember. I was there with my mate Gillie, and John was there with Susan; we were just talking about that special moment the other week. I also went to this Newcastle gig with Marie. I remember the City Hall being about half full; I guess by that point in time Chappo and his Streetwalkers were beginning to go out of fashion, particularly with punk coming along. The Streetwalkers always delivered a great set of rock with Chapman’s voice and stage presence being like no other. He would talk the crowd as if he knew them, and perhaps in some cases, he did. By 1977 the set featured tracks from their 1970s lps, with one or two Family songs thrown in for good measure. There was then a big gap, where I didn’t see Roger Chapman at all, which was a mistake on my part. I’ll report on some more recent gigs, however, in the next day or so.
14 Jun
Cinderella and Slaughter Newcastle City Hall 1991
Cinderella and Slaughter Newcastle City Hall 1991
My mate Dave and I were quite into heavy rock in the 80s, and we went to see a lot of the American bands who came over and played in the North East. We’d seen Cinderella low on the bill at Donington Monsters of Rock a few years earlier. This tour was at the time of the Heartbreak Station album. Proper heavy rock stuff this. Big hair cuts, loud heavy rock. Great stuff. Support came from Slaughter. Found a setlist: The More Things Change; Push Push; Sick for the Cure; Make Your Own Way; Night Songs; Back Home Again; Somebody Save Me; One for Rock and Roll; Heartbreak Station; Coming Home; Fallin’ Apart At The Seams; Love’s Got Me Doin’ Time; Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone); Nobody’s Fool; Gypsy Road; Shake Me; Dead Man’s Road; Shelter Me; Brown Sugar
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