Posts Tagged ‘blues’
6
Feb
Posted by vintagerock in Uriah Heep. Tagged: blues, concert, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, R&B, rock, rock n roll. 1 comment
Uriah Heep Workington Carnegie Theatre 29 Jan 2011
More and more I realise just how much old rock bands like Uriah Heep mean to me. Its a pity that we don’t seem more of them in the UK, and when they do play here it tends to be in smaller venues, and not in major cities. I saw a few weeks ago, to some surprise, that Uriah Heep were playing at the small (300 seater) Carnegie Theatre in Workington as a warm-up for an appearance at a rock show at Butlins Skegness. I decided that it was worth the 100 mile drive to see them again, particularly in such a small theatre. My only hesitation came from thinking about the possible winter weather, and how that might affect driving over to see them. As it happened; when the day arrived the weather was OK, with some frost and snow flurries, but no real problems on the road.
I set off at around 4.30pm to give myself plenty of time to drive over to Workington. The drive was pretty uneventful (except as usual I got a little lost in the centre of Carlisle) and I arrived in Workington just before 7pm. A visit to the local fish shop was in order, and after scoffing off fishcake and chips (not that nice actually) I wandered into the venue. When I got inside the place was pretty empty; everyone was still in the very packed pub which was just over the road from the theatre.
The Carnegie Theatre is a lovely little theatre with an adjoining bar (Munroes Bar I think) and community centre. Its pretty small with around a dozen rows of seats downstairs in the stalls and about 8 rows up in the balcony. I’d bought my ticket quite late and my seat was in the second from back row of the balcony. The show had apparently been sold out for a few weeks.
I took my seat in the balcony for the support act who were Hammerhead. They are a Cumbrian rock band who started in the 70s, and played a set of great melodic rock. Well worth checking out. During the interval I wandered downstairs to the bar which was now completely packed.
Uriah Heep took to the stage at around 9pm, opening with Wake the Sleeper from their recent album. Wake the Sleeper is a pretty good opening song, with the trademark Heep screaming harmonies. The next songs I recognise are Return to Fantasy (great) and Bird of Prey. Hearing Bird of Prey takes my mind back to an early tour at Newcastle City Hall (Magician’s Birthday tour perhaps?) where I swear they announced Bird of Prey as “an old song, that we won’t be playing again”. After Bird of Prey I decided to wander downstairs to see if I could get a better view. Everyone was standing up in the stalls, and there didn’t seem to be any security at all, so I managed to make my way to the very front of the stage. We were then into all the great old songs: Stealin’, the Wizard and Gypsy. It was nice to hear the full keyboard intro to Gypsy again; the last couple of times I’ve seen the band they’ve missed it out and gone straight to the riff. Mick takes centre stage and is clearly enjoying himself. Bernie Shaw is a great front man and vocalist and has the crowd with him on every word; singing along at the top of their voices. They finish with July Morning and Easy Livin’ (always my favourite). Encores are Sunrise (I’d forgotten how good that one is) and we all sing along to Lady in Black. I don’t usually sing along but couldn’t help myself. On the way out I hear a guy next to me say to his friend “that was awesome” (and it was!).
Easily the best gig I’ve been to in a long long time. You can’t beat a recipe of vast experience, great songs, small venue, enthusiastic crowd.
I leave around 10.45pm and get home just before 1am; ears still ringing. When I get home I tell Marie how great it was but she’s half asleep, and she turns over and goes back to sleep.
website: http://www.uriah-heep.com/
Setlist: Wake the Sleeper; Overload; Return to Fantasy; Only Human; Book of Lies; Bird of Prey; Stealin’; The Wizard; Free an’ Easy; Gyspy; Look at Yourself; Angels walk with you; July Morning; Easy Livin’
Encores: Sunrise; Lady in Black
ticket
5
Feb
Posted by vintagerock in Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson. Tagged: blues, concert, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, R&B, rock, rock n roll. 4 comments
Richard Thompson Sage Gateshead Jan 26 2011
Will and I went to see Richard Thompson at the Sage last week. Will is now well into Richard, having got the latest CD Dream Attic in preparation for the show. I’m afraid I wasn’t so prepared, so the first half of the show was all new to me. However that didn’t stop me from enjoying the show. Richard’s band was spot on, and his singing and guitar playing was excellent with quite a few extended solos. The second half of the show consisted of a selection of songs from his “greatest hits’, a few of which I actually recognised.
Richard has been getting a lot of good press recently, and it is much deserved. The show at the Sage demonstrated just how versatile he is and how strong his songs are. His guitar playing is superb; he is under-rated as a guitarist and is up there with the greats.
Both Will and I agreed it was a great show from a true master.
Band: Pete Zorn (guitars, flute, saxes, mandolin), Michael Jerome (drums), Taras Prodaniuk (bass) and Joel Zifkin (violin, mandolin).
Setlist:
First half (Dream Attic) :The Money Shuffle; Among the Gorse; Haul Me Up; Here Comes Geordie; Demons in Her Dancing Shoes; Crimescene; Big Sun; Stumble On; Sidney Wells; A Brother Slips Away; If Love Whispers Your Name’
Second half: The Angels Took My Race Horse Away; Can’t Win; One Door Opens; Al Bowlly’s In Heaven; I’ll Never Give it Up; Wall Of Death; Tear Stained Letter
Encores: Take Care The Road You Choose; I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight’.
ticket
26
Jan
Posted by vintagerock in Roxy Music. Tagged: blues, concert, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Roxy Music Newcastle Metro Arena 25 Jan 2011
Great to see Roxy Music back in Newcastle. Last night’s setlist was a good mix of well known tracks and lesser known songs taken from their wonderful back catalogue. For me it was a much better performance than their last reunion show at Newcastle around 10 years ago. All of the four original members seemed genuinely glad to be back on stage together. Brian Ferry’s voice was strong and he seemed to be well up for the occasion, although he spent a lot more time at the piano than in the past. The visuals were very impressive, presenting images from their album covers alongside other stylish pictures. Two dancing girls graced the back of the stage in true Roxy fashion. I thought Phil Manzanera and Andy MacKay were particularly impressive. Not reaching the heights of the great 1970s shows that we saw at the City Hall, but a good start to the tour. Yes they could have played more hits, and an encore would have been nice; but hey ho still a good showing. I’d forgot how great a song Pyjamarama is. Will this be the last time? And if it isn’t can you please play In Every Dream Home for me next time?
Setlist: The Main Thing – Street Life – Pyjamarama – If There Is Something – Same Old Scene – Just Like You – Amazona – 2HB – Like A Hurricane – Tara – Bitter Sweet – Sentimental Fool – Prairie Rose – My Only Love – Avalon – Virginia Plain – Love Is The Drug – Editions Of You – Do The Strand – Jealous Guy – For Your Pleasure.
I hate printed tickets
programme
9
Jan
Posted by vintagerock in Thin Lizzy. Tagged: blues, concert, folk, gig, music, pop, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. 1 comment
Thin Lizzy Newcastle City Hall 8 Jan 2011
I’m back in 1972. Its a Friday night and I’m in the upstairs bar of Sunderland Locarno (“the Mecca”). There’s a tall black guy standing next to me. He’s chatting away in a strong but soft Irish accent. He seems a friendly guy; looks like he could be in a band. An hour or so later the night’s group take to the stage. They are called Thin Lizzy, and the guy from the bar is the front man. None of us have heard of them; someone tells me that John Peel plays them quite a bit and that they have an album out called “Shades of a Blue Orphanage”. They play pretty well; the front man has great presence, the guitarist is pretty good and the drummer’s impressive. I find out later that the tall guy is called Phil Lynott and the other members are Eric Bell on guitar, and Brian Downey on drums.
Roll on a year. I’m watching Top of the Pops and Thin Lizzy are on my TV playing an Irish-folk sounding tune “Whiskey in the Jar” which has a great guitar riff. Next day I go out and buy the record. My journey with Lizzy is beginning.
Over the next few years they play Sunderland a few more times, hitting the stages of the Mecca and the Rink. They appear down the bill at the Reading festival once or twice. Each time I see them they are getting stronger and tighter, but they seem to be missing out on the big break.
We’re now in 1976 and Thin Lizzy have just released the Jailbreak album. The Boys are Back in Town is out as a single and suddenly they are everywhere. I buy the Jailbreak album and play it and play it. Thin Lizzy start to headline and sell out Newcastle City Hall and other major venues. We all go to see them at the City Hall on the tours that follow: Johnny the Fox; Bad Reputation; Black Rose. I stand in the field at Reading with 30,000 other people when they headline in 1977. At this stage Thin Lizzy are at the top of their game and can’t be matched as a live act. I go to every tour and can’t get enough of them. At this time, they really are the greatest live band on a good night.
Then come the later tours: Chinatown; Renegade; and finally Thunder and Lightning; which becomes their farewell tour. At these shows Thin Lizzy are OK, but they seem increasingly tired. Or maybe I am just becoming tired of seeing them. When the end comes in 1983 it feels sad; but sort of inevitable.
The next time I see Phil Lynott I’m in Middlesbrough Town Hall and he’s fronting his new band Grand Slam. Its July 1984. Phil looks tired and unwell. The band are OK, but not great. There aren’t many in the audience. Sort of sad to see. A couple of years later Phil sadly passes away.
Over the next twenty odd years I don’t have many Thin Lizzy things in my life. I think of them sometimes and visit the statue of Phil off Grafton Street when I visit Dublin which, because of work, is quite often. I even get a guy to take a photo of me next to the statue (the photo is now lost on an old camera and computer). I have most of the lps, but don’t play them very often.
Roll forward to 2007. A group of us go to see Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy and Styx at Newcastle Arena. I’m intrigued by the inclusion of Thin Lizzy on the bill. How can there be a Thin Lizzy without Phil? Anyway they seem pretty good (as good as any support act can be in a big arena) and perform credible versions of all the well-known songs.
I’m now in 2011 at the back of a packed City Hall waiting for Thin Lizzy to take the stage. I’m wondering what this incarnation of the band will be like. Will it work? Can it work? How can the new Thin Lizzy, who might be considered a tribute band by some, sell out the City Hall?
I’ve prepared myself by playing the Live and Dangerous double lp. My favourites were always Emerald and Cowboy Song. I’d forgotten how good they were.
The current line-up is Scott Gorham on guitar, original drummer Brian Downey, keyboardist Darren Wharton who was in the early 80s Lizzy, Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, former Whitesnake bassist Marco Mendoza and singer Ricky Warwick from The Almighty.
Thin Lizzy explode onto the stage with Are You Ready. They’re loud and sound pretty true to the original. Ricky Warwick hails from Northern Ireland and his voice sounds like Phil’s. The twin guitar sound is as great as it ever was, and Scott Gorham looks good, the only visible difference being the lack of that great long mane of hair that I was always so jealous of. The crowd is up on their feet throughout and everyone is singing along. I get to hear my favourites Emerald and the Cowboy Song and also a great version of Whiskey in the Jar, with Vinnie Campbell squeezing wonderful licks from his guitar. As I recall they went through a spell of not playing Whiskey in the Jar during the 70s; its great to hear in included in the set tonight. Now and then the screens at the back of the stage show images of the old band and of Phil.
So did it work? Definitely. The current band consists of the right blend of previous members, excellent musicianship and Irish heritage to do justice to the material and to pay tribute to Phil in a fitting way. It reminds me how great the old rock bands were (and still are in this case). Its no good dwelling on, or comparing with, the past anyway. Lets just be grateful that there is still a Thin Lizzy out there playing Phil’s music; and doing a pretty damn good job of it too.
Roll on next tour. I guess that my journey with Thin Lizzy isn’t quite over yet. Is it really almost 40 years since we saw Phil in the bar in Sunderland? Where did the years go?
Selist: Are You Ready; Waiting For An Alibi; Jailbreak; Do Anything You Want To; Don’t Believe A Word; Dancing In The Moonlight; Massacre; Angel Of Death; Still In Love With You; Whiskey In The Jar; Emerald; Wild One; Sha La La La; Cowboy Song; The Boys Are Back In Town
Encore 1: Rosalie; Bad Reputation
Encore 2: Black Rose
programme
12
Dec
Posted by vintagerock in The Pogues. Tagged: blues, concert, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, R&B, rock. 1 comment
The Pogues Newcastle Academy 14 Dec 2010
I’ve only seen the Pogues once before back in the 80s supporting U2 at Murrayfield. This winters tour has been billed as the farewell Christmas tour, so I figured that it was time to catch them again while I still had the chance. Laura fancied seeing them, as she has taken a liking to Fairytale of New York, and has recently sung it at a gig with her friend Will.
We arrived around 8.30pm, after the support act has finished, expecting the Pogues to take the stage around 9pm. The venue had advertised their start time as 8.50pm. What actually happened was a long wait while the crowd got increasingly restless, with some people starting to “boo”. I’ve never see the Academy as full as this. You couldn’t move at all downstairs. Laura figured that the crowd would be quite wild at a Pogues gig, so we stayed at the back in a safe spot.
We were beginning to think that Shane had let us down, but around 10pm the Pogues came out to a great (and impatient!) roaring welcome from the crowd. Shane was in good form, was singing well and seemed pretty sober. The crowd went mental (it was a good idea to stick near the back of the hall), the band played their all, and we all got to sing along to The Irish Rover, Dirty Old Town and (of course) Fairytale of New York. Great stuff; gets you in the mood for Christmas.
Setlist: Streams of Whisky; If I Should Fall From Grace With God; The Broad Majestic Shannon; Boat Train; A Pair of Brown Eyes; Tuesday Morning; Sunnyside of the Street; Repeal of the Licensing Laws; Body of an American; London Girl; Thousands Are Sailing; Dirty Old Town; Bottle of Smoke; Sickbed of Cuchulainn
Encore 1: Sally MacLennane; Rainy Night in Soho; Irish Rover
Encore 2: Fairytale of New York; Fiesta
Pogues website: http://www.pogues.com
ticket
24
Oct
Posted by vintagerock in Joe Bonamassa. Tagged: blues, concert, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. 1 comment
Joe Bonamassa Newcastle City Hall 17 Oct 2010
Will and I decided to go along to sample the mighty Joe Bonamassa who seems to have gone from playing small blues clubs to massive headline status in a very short space of time. Neither of us were familiar with Joe’s material but had heard great things about the man and we were thus looking forward to this. We were seated a little from the front (the front block seats were £50 ouch! is this what stardom means Joe?) but with a good view. There was no support and Joe was on stage shortly after 8pm. The stage set and lighting was impressive, but its Joe’s playing that everyone was there to see. The Hall was full of 50+ something men and you just know that everyone in there played guitar and was hanging on Joe’s every lick. And there were plenty of licks to hang on to. The set was pretty standard blues with some rock numbers thrown in, all showcasing Joe’s impeccable technique. Joe has lots of guitars and at one point he straps on a Les Paul which he tells us used to belong to his hero Paul Kossoff and throws himself into Free’s Mr Big. Its sort of weird to think that the last time I saw that guitar it was Paul who was playing it. There is an acoustic set where he shows us just how great (and fast) he can play and he finishes with some rockier numbers which include riffs borrowed from Led Zeppelin 2. Will and I both think he was great, although we agreed that some of the blues numbers were rather samey. So we are off for some chips and then home.
website: http://www.jbonamassa.com
setlist: Cradle Rock (Rory Gallagher cover); So Many Roads; When the Fire Hits the Sea; So, It’s Like That; If Heartaches Were Nickels; Slow Train; Steal Your Heart Away; Sloe Gin; The Ballad of John Henry; Happier Times; Never Gonna Make You Move Too Soon; The Great Flood; Young Man Blues; Woke Up Dreaming; Mountain Time
Encore: Bird on a Wire (Leonard Cohen); Just Got Paid (Z Z Top)
ticket
9
Oct
Posted by vintagerock in Ian Hunter, Mott the Hoople. Tagged: blues, concert, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, rock, rock n roll. 2 comments
Ian Hunter and the Rant Band Newcastle Tyne Theatre 11 Oct 2010
The Tyne Theatre was pretty full downstairs for Ian Hunter, with the circle around half full. Most of the audience seemed long time fans, sporting t-shirts from his many tours, with many Mott the Hoople at Hammersmith shirts on show.
Most of the set was Ian Hunter solo stuff, some of which I sort of recognised. But as we got to the end we got the real favourites: Walking with a Mountain, Sweet Jane, All the Way from Memphis, Roll Away the Stone, Saturday Gigs (we all sang along) and All the Young Dudes.
Setlist (something like): Sea Diver; Life After Death; Cleveland Rocks; Dancing on the Moon; Shallow Crystals; Irene Wilde; Arms and Legs; Flowers; Rain; River of Tears; Man Overboard; Wash Us Away; Walking With a Mountain; Michael Picasso; Sweet Jane
Encore: Somewhere; All the Way From Memphis; Boy
Encore 2: Roll Away the Stone; The Saturday Gigs ; All the Young Dudes
i hate printed tickets
19
Sep
Posted by vintagerock in Joanna Newsom, Roy Harper. Tagged: blues, concert, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Joanna Newsom and Roy Harper The Sage Gateshead Tues 21 Sep 2010
Laura and I are going to see modern psych-folkie Joanne Newsom on Tuesday at the Sage. My knowledge of her is scant; I know she plays a harp and some say that she sounds like Kate Bush. But the real reason that I am going is to see my old hero Roy Harper who has come out of retirement for this. I’ve seen Roy many times over the years. The first gig ever went to was The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band with Roy and Yes support, and the last time I saw him was with David at the 100 Club in London. I thought that might have been my last chance to see him, but here we are with him coming out to support Joanna.
It was great to see Roy again. He came on prompt at 7.30 and played a short set of pretty well known Roy songs. We got the usual chat between songs, which was great to hear again. Seeing Roy is always like seeing an old friend again, and this seemed even more the case than ever. His voice was as strong and passionate as ever. At the end he told us that there would probably me one more time that he’d come and see us. He has apparently been saying the same thing at every night of this tour, so I read into that he is going to do one more final tour. I think he is 70 next year, it would be fitting to have a 70th birthday tour so we could all see him again one more time.
Joanna Newsom was OK, but we didn’t know the material and for me it was always going to be an anti-climax after seeing Roy.
Roy Harper setlist:
Highway Blues,
Don’t you grieve,
Frozen Moment,
Francesca
Green Man
Me and My Woman.
Roy Harper website: http://www.royharper.co.uk/
Joanna Newsom website: http://www.dragcity.com/artists/joanna-newsom
ticket
19
Sep
Posted by vintagerock in Jethro Tull. Tagged: blues, concert, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Jethro Tull South Shields Gypsies Green Stadium 17 Sep 2010
This gig had been set up a special one-off appearance tied in with the preparations for and events around this weekend’s Great North Run. Tull Guitarist Martin Barre was running in the race, and the opportunity must thus have come up for the band to play. The concert was in a large marquee which had been set up within the grounds of Gypsies Green Stadium, which is a sports stadium close to South Shields. Norm and I went along to the gig on Friday, we both recalled previous visits to the stadium in the 70s; one to see Tony McPhee’s Terraplane and the other to see Mohamed Ali on his visit to the region.
We arrived just as the support act Bessie and the Zinc Buckets were finishing their set, and ran into some old friends. Tull came on around 8.15pm; apparently there was a curfew of 10pm, as the venue is within a built-up area. We’d both seen Tull earlier this year, but couldn’t resist the chance to catch them again, in a different setting. The marquee was massive and pretty full, with devotees having travelled from far and wide to see the band. First up was Nothing is Easy, followed by other early Tull classics such as Beggars Farm, Nothing Is Easy, A New Day Yesterday, Songs From The Wood, Bourée, Thick as a Brick, My God. The set centred around the late 60s and 70s classic albums, which was great for us! Aqualung closed the show with the usual Locomotive Breath as the encore. Norm and I agreed that we enjoyed it more that we have in recent times, perhaps because of the different venue.
website: http://www.j-tull.com/
ticket and wrist band
19
Sep
Posted by vintagerock in King King, Robin Trower. Tagged: blues, concert, gig, gigs, music, pop, R&B, rock, rock n roll. 2 comments
Robin Trower Newcastle Academy 16 Sep 2010
Will and I went to see Robin Trower at the Academy on Thursday night. Support came from King King who are increasingly becoming known as one of the country’s top blues bands. The hall was quite empty when they came on, but they didn’t let that detract from their performance which was great. Some excellent guitar work from front man Alan Nimmo. At one point he was playing his Strat acoustically and signing without any mikes or accompaniment; great use of dynamics.
The hall had filled to a respectable crowd by the time Trower took to the stage. He still plays guitar as he always did, and still pulls some frightening faces as he squeezes those licks out of his Fender. The singer is the same guy that Will and I saw with him a few years ago when we saw him at South Shields, I can’t be sure if the other members of the band are the same. I can’t say that I recognised that many of the songs but old favourites Bridge of Sighs, Lady Love and Too Rolling Stoned sounded as good as ever. A good gig by an old timer who is still a master of the guitar.
Robin Trower site: http://www.trowerpower.com/
King KIng site: http://www.kingkingblues.com/
I hate printed tickets
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