Jethro Tull Sunderland Empire March 1971
Jethro Tull are a special band to me. They are one of those bands I grew up with. I was heavily into them in the early 70s, as were many of my mates, and Stand Up was an album that we listened to again and again. I remember marvelling at Ian Anderson on Top of the Pops, his mad crazy eyes staring at me through the TV, and his eccentric garb shocking my parents. Their early singles were classics. My favourites were The Witches Promise, Teacher and Sweet Dream. I first saw Jethro Tull in concert at Sunderland Empire on 20 March 1971, the day after their classic album Aqualung was released.I was 14 years old at the time. Early gigs are very important in shaping musical tastes for the rest of your life, and this one certainly did that for me. Tull played two shows at the Empire that evening, and I decided to go along to the late show with a few mates. We felt very grown up, being allowed to go to the “late” show, and felt sure that the band would play better at the second concert. We had good seats in the “slipper” to the left of the stage. Support for the gig was Steeleye Span, a newly formed folk-rock band, who delivered a pretty good set. But we were there to see our heroes Jethro Tull. By this relatively early point in their career, their line-up had already changed several times, and was Ian Anderson on flute and vocals, Martin Barre on guitar, Clive Bunker on drums, John Evan on keyboards and Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond on bass. I think they started with Nothing is Easy, and the set featured a number of Tull favourites, and some tracks from the Aqualung album. We were just blown away by Jethro Tull that night, and by Ian Anderson in particular, who is one of the most charismatic performers, and was at the height of his craziness in those days. And so started a lifelong obsession with this band. I have seen them quite a few times since that gig, and watched their line-up and their musical style change over the years. But in those days in the early 70s so many years ago for me and a group of mates, Jethro Tull were legends and were one of the bands that we returned to again and again. Published setlist from a gig in 1971: Nothing Is Easy; Aqualung; With You There to Help Me; By Kind Permission Of; Sossity: You’re a Woman; Reasons for Waiting; My God; Cross-Eyed Mary; Wind Up; Locomotive Breath; Hard-Headed English General; Wind Up (reprise)
Posts Tagged ‘classic rock’
19 Jul
Jethro Tull Sunderland Empire March 1971
17 Jul
The Jam Newcastle City Hall 1980 and 1982
The Jam Newcastle City Hall 1980 and 1982
The Jam were back at the City Hall in 1980 and 1982, playing a couple of nights each time. Support for the 1980 concert was The Piranhas who hit the charts with their cover of Tom Hart. A bootleg exists for this concert which shows the setlist as: Thick As Thieves/Boy About Town/Monday/Going Underground/Pretty Green/Man In The Corner Shop/Set The House Ablaze/Private Hell/This Is The Modern World/Little Boy Soldiers/But I’m Different Now/Start!/Scrape Away/When You’re Young/The Eton Rifles 
Two years later and they were back again, this time supported by The Questions, who were signed to Paul Weller’s record label. They also wrote some songs for Weller protege Tracie Young (aka Tracie). 
The ticket also mentions a local support act, but I’m afraid I can’t remember who that was. By 1982 The Jam had released six albums, and had hit the charts many times, including three Number 1s. Town Called Malice was Number 1 in 1982, and the band were riding the crest of a wave. However Paul Weller was beginning to feel that this was the end of The Jam and the band was soon to disband. I would see The Jam, once more which I will write about tomorrow. Looking back this band left a legacy of great singles, and some great live performances.
16 Jul
The Jam Newcastle City Hall 1979
The Jam Newcastle City Hall 1979
The Jam called at the City Hall twice in 1979, once in May, and again in December. Both gigs were glorious occasions. By now Paul Weller was developing as a songwriter, and the concert set was changing all the time. Live favourites of mine were David Watts, Billy Hunt, the wonderful Away From the Numbers, all the singles, and Smithers-Jones. Their cover of Batman still appeared now and then and was always good fun. The beautiful Butterfly Collector was also part of the set by late 1979, and remains a favourite to this day. 
Paul Weller was just on fire at these gigs, spitting and snarling the vocals, with Bruce Foxton bopping about alongside him, and Rick Buckler smashing away at the back.
Setlist from London Rainbow Theatre show of the December 1979 tour: Girl on the Phone; To Be Someone (Didn’t We Have a Nice Time); It’s Too Bad; Burning Sky; Away From the Numbers; Smithers-Jones; The Modern World; Mr Clean; The Butterfly Collector; Private Hell; Thick as Thieves; When You’re Young; Strange Town; The Eton Rifles; Down in the Tube Station at Midnight; Saturday’s Kids; All Mod Cons; David Watts
Support for the December tour came from The Vapors who were to hit the charts with Turning Japanese. The programme for the Spring Tour 1979 has some smashing period advertisements. I am invited to buy Jam Shoes from Shelly’s of London. The come in “all colours”: white and platted, black and platted, black and white, red and white, red and beige, etc. Just send £12.99 plus £1 postage. Jam Jackets in plain colours (£35) and Union Jack (£55), from Carnaby Cavern Ltd (we supply The Jam, The Four Tops, so why not you?). “Mod” Parka, genuine american fishtail parka as word in the 60s, US Army surplus, not new but in good condition, only £12.50, from ACME Clothing Co. Wow! What a wardrobe. I wonder if I send my cheque off now I can still buy these. They would sure look great to wear the next time I see The Who or Paul Weller 🙂 !
15 Jul
The Jam 1977 and 1978
The Jam 1977 and 1978
When we think of late 70s punk rock, we have a certain image of safety pins, spitting, the pogo, and fast furious rebellious rock. In reality the punk scene was a pretty broad church, which drew from a wide range of influences. The Jam burst onto the scene in 1977, blending mod, sharp suits, with attitude, arrogance and great catchy pop songs. They had obviously been influenced by, soul, R&B, The Who and The Small Faces and you could tell that lead singer and guitarist Paul Weller was a big fan of Steve Marriott and Pete Townshend. I attended a few early Jam concerts in the North East, at Newcastle Mayfair and at Sunderland Seaburn Hall. These gigs were pretty wild affairs with Weller and the guys having to dodge a hail of glasses (and they were real glass in those days, not plastic) and waves of spit. The Seaburn Hall gig was particularly ferocious; it was attended by a group of skinheads (“We hate punks”) who were looking for trouble and there were several scuffles. The Jam set in those days drew from their first album, their early singles, and a nifty cover of the Batman them closed the show. They were a breath of fresh air and it was evident even at those early gigs, that this was a band that stood above the rest, and would ultimately transcend the punk movement. By 1978 The Jam had graduated to playing Newcastle City Hall, a venue that would be host to some great Jam gigs over the next few years. I also saw them headline the Friday night of the Reading festival in the same year. Sample Jam setlist from 1978: The Modern World; London Traffic; I Need You (For Someone); The Combine; Aunties & Aunts; Standards; Here Comes the Weekend; Sounds From the Street; News of the World; London Girl; In the Street, Today; Bricks and Mortar; In the City; In the Midnight Hour; Carnaby Street; All Around the World. I think support for this gig was Patrick Fitzgerald and The Dickies?
14 Jul
The Rolling Stones Hyde Park July 13th 2013
The Rolling Stones Hyde Park July 13th 2013
When I walked out of the O2 in London in August 2007 after seeing The Rolling Stones at the end of the Bigger Bang tour I really thought I had seen them for the last time. Even I, as a life long Stones fan, couldn’t have imagined that they would be back five years later and that they would deliver a series of concerts which would easily match, and in some ways eclipse, their concert tours of the 70s and 80s. But as David and I walked out of Hyde Park last night I felt I had seen them do just that. In whatever way you measure it this 50 and Counting tour has been a massive success and the Stones legacy remains intact, nay enhanced, by the stunning performances that Jagger and co have delivered. I have had the privilege of attending three shows on the tour: the opening night at the O2 last November, their overwhelmingly successful Pyramid stage debut at Glastonbury a couple of weeks ago and the last night (for now? 🙂 ) of the tour in London’s Hyde Park, their home town and the setting for their iconic show of 1969.
I took the train down to London on Saturday afternoon and met David at Marble Arch at 6pm. I was staying at the Cumberland hotel just over the road. We had a drink in the hotel bar and then wandered over to the park. Jake Bugg was on stage as we made our way in through the crowds. The weather was hot, almost unbearably so; in fact this was the hottest day of the year so far. I’d been invited by Barclaycard to try out their new contactless wrist band which I had loaded with £20 to spend in the park. We spotted the Barclaycard Unwind stand and wandered over to ask which food outlets accepted payment through my wristband, and how we could access the Unwind bar. The lady assured us that most food stalls took it and directed us towards the bar which was behind the stage. Now our tickets were cheap (£100 ! 🙂 ) standard GA which didn’t actually allow access to the bar or the areas close to the stage. Still we followed her directions, and walked through a couple of gates without being challenged and ended up in the backstage bar and with access to the Tier 2 area close to the stage. Result! We had a burger and a coke each which just about used up the money on my wristband and found a spot to watch the Stones.
The Rolling Stones hit the stage around 8.30pm with Start Me Up. One thing struck me about the crowd last night. I would say the majority were in their 20s or 30s. Sure there were some old guys like me but not too many. And everyone knew all the songs and sang along and danced. This was much more a Stones crowd than at Glastonbury and you could feel the difference. The sound, the visuals and the atmosphere were all much better. No guest, but what we did get were Ruby Tuesday and Emotional Rescue, both of which I haven’t seen played for some time. For me the highlight of this tour has become Paint It Black along with Gimme Shelter and Sympathy For The Devil; but Ruby Tuesday was equally stunning last night with the whole place signing along. 
Oh and a mention for Doom and Gloom which is fitting in well and has become a favourite of my friend John. I voted for Street Fighting Man on the Stones website and was pleased to see them play it. You just can’t fault this band. They really are at the top of their game at the moment; Jagger is so fit and so confident; Keith is so cool and yep he does fluff some riffs now and then but hey he is Keef and he is allowed to now; anyway Ronnie more than makes up for any of Keith’s shortcomings and shines through as the musical backbone of the band along with Charlie who is just Charlie and who actually said Hello to the crowd last night. Oh and I can’t forget to mention Mick Taylor who must feel like the luckiest guy in the world right now and who pushed the band to greater heights in Midnight Rambler, which has also become a highlight of the tour. Which ever way you look at it this is the greatest rock band in the world. No question. As David and I left the park, the riff from Satisfaction still ringing in our ears my wondering started again. Could this be the last time? This time I think not.
Setlist: Start Me Up; It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It); Tumbling Dice; Emotional Rescue; Street Fighting Man; Ruby Tuesday; Doom and Gloom; Paint It Black; Honky Tonk Women; You Got the Silver (Keith); Happy (Keith); Miss You; Midnight Rambler (with Mick Taylor); Gimme Shelter; Jumpin’ Jack Flash; Sympathy for the Devil; Brown Sugar. Encore: You Can’t Always Get What You Want (with choir); Satisfaction
Thanks to David for the photographs
13 Jul
Japan Newcastle City Hall 1982
Japan Newcastle City Hall 1982. 
By 1982 Japan were popular enough to command two shows at Newcastle City Hall. Support came from Sandii And The Sunsetz, who were on their debut tour of Britain, and were a five piece Japanese band. My enduring memory of this gig was a simply mesmerizing version of “Ghosts”. David Sylvian sat centre stage on a stool, just pure cool. Japanese guitarist and keyboardist Masami Tsuchiya performed with the band on this tour. Sadly Japan were already disintegrating and the band split shortly after this tour. 
The tour culminated in six sold-out nights at London’s Hammersmith Odeon; these were their last UK shows. These final Hammersmith concerts were recorded to produce Oil on Canvas, a live album and video released in June 1983. Set list: Burning Bridges, Sons Of Pioneers, Alien, Gentlemen Take Polaroids, Swing, Cantonese Boy, Visions Of China, Nightporter, Canton, Ghosts, Still Life In Mobile Homes, Methods Of Dance, Quiet Life, European Son, The Art Of Parties, Life In Tokyo, Fall In Love With Me. Now David Sylvian is another guy that I really must see again, if and when he next plays in the UK.
12 Jul
Japan Newcastle City Hall 1978 and 1981
Japan Newcastle City Hall 1978 and 1981
The band Japan first came to my attention when they supported Blue Oyster Cult at Newcastle City Hall in June 1978. There was quite a buzz about this new band at the time, reports portraying them as heavily influenced by Bowie, The Dolls and glam. To be honest, I was somewhat disappointed by their performance that night. They seemed at the time to be all image, with little substance in terms of the music, which was pretty ramshackle punk/new wave. David Sylvian played out his best David Johansen poses, and they did have a quite fun version of “Don’t Rain on my Parade”. But the sound was poor, and they were no match for BOC, who were at the height of their success. I also recently read that Japan supported Jim Capaldi and The Contenders on his UK tour which took place in October 1977. 
Now I saw Jim Capaldi around that time at Newcastle Poly, but I’m afraid that I don’t remember seeing Japan. By the time I saw Japan again, on the “Visions Of China” Tour in 1981, they were a totally different, and very impressive band. They had released their fifth and most successful album Tin Drum, which featured the beautiful and haunting “Ghosts”. Japan were amazing at the 1981 gig at Newcastle City Hall. David Sylvian and Mick Karn were both excellent front men, and I was simply transfixed when they played Ghosts. Supporting Japan that night were Blancmange, who went on to further success themselves. Setlist: Canton, Swing, Gentlemen Take Polaroids, Alien, Talking Drum, Visions Of China, Quiet Life, My New Career, Ghosts, Cantonese Boy, Methods Of Dance, Still Life In Mobile Homes, European Son, The Art Of Parties, Life In Tokyo, Fall In Love With Me, Canton (finale).
11 Jul
Joe Jackson 1981 and 1982
Joe Jackson 1981 and 1982
By 1981 Joe Jackson was doing the Jumping Jive. This tour called at Newcastle Mayfair, and saw Joe in a big band format with an album and tour which recreated 40s swing. It was an interesting and enjoyable gig, and very different from the Joe Jackson gigs I had previously attended. I went with my mate Gillie who was really into Joe and the Jumping Jive at the time. 
By 1982 Joe was back in the singles charts with the great Steppin’ Out, and touring with a new band. I caught his show at Newcastle City Hall in 1982. The ticket tells me that there was no support that night and that “the artiste” ie Joe) came on stage at 8.15pm. I can’t recall a lot about this gig, the early Joe Jackson gigs are the ones which stick in my mind. Songs like Is She Really Going Out With Him? and Fools in Love mixed new wave, pop and jazz in a stylish way like no other band at the time. This was the last time I saw Joe Jackson in concert. Joe’s visits to the UK have been less frequent in recent times. He’s another guy who I’d like to see again.
9 Jul
Elton John Brunton Park Carlisle 2007
Elton John Brunton Park Carlisle 2007
The tickets for this gig were a very kind present from work colleagues, when I moved on to another job. Laura came along with me to the gig which was another greatest hits set from Elton John. Support came from The Storys. This is my last post on Elton John. I have seen him in concert on one further occasion, at Darlington in 2008, and I have already blogged about that concert. In fact, its about time I saw him again; the concert at Leeds Arena in September looks tempting 🙂 
Setlist: Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding; The Bitch Is Back; Hercules; Madman Across the Water; Tiny Dancer; Daniel; Rocket Man; Honky Cat; Sacrifice; I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues; Burn Down the Mission; The Bridge; Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word; Bennie and the Jets; Philadelphia Freedom; Are You Ready for Love; Something About the Way You Look Tonight; Sad Songs; I’m Still Standing; Crocodile Rock; Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting; Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me; Your Song
7 Jul
Glastonbury Festival 2013
Glastonbury Festival 2013
I’ve already reported my thoughts on the Rolling Stones and Portishead sets at Glastonbury 2013, but I would also like to briefly reflect on my overall impressions of this year festival. We are just getting used to going to festivals again, having taken a long break from the days when we used to attend most of the festivals that took place in the UK throughout the 70s and early 80s. We have been to one day events in the years since then, but I really couldn’t face the prospect of camping and staying in a field for several days. Until 2010, that is, when Marie, David, Laura and I decided to take the plunge and go to Glastonbury. To my surprise and delight, we all enjoyed every minute of the experience, and we returned on 2011 and again this year in 2013. Glastonbury 2011 tested our faith, with a lot of rain and mud, and made me think twice about going this year. We hired a campervan in 2010 and 2011, but this year, partly as a result of the van getting stuck in the mud and having to get towed out by a tractor (which still gives me nightmares), we decided to try camping for real, in a tent (!) this time. So we bought a nice family size tent, and all the essentials: airbeds, stove, and even a blow-up sofa. We drove down on the Wednesday, arriving during the evening to get a spot in the campsite. Thursday was spent resting after the long drive, and moving all of all our stuff (we took far too much) from the car to the tent. Laura and David met some friends and left us for much of the time, joining us for the Stones and Portishead. We just took it easy, wandered around the massive site taking in the atmosphere, and caught a few bands along the way. 
Highlights of the acts that we did see were: Beady Eye on the Other Stage on Friday, Liam showing off his old familiar swagger, Bill Bragg rousing us all to think a little on the Saturday morning on the Pyramid stage, Elvis Costello singing all those hits on Saturday afternoon, Rufus Wainwright alone with a grand piano singing sweetly on the Pyramid on the Sunday afternoon, and Primal Scream, who seemed a little lost and didn’t quite get the crowd going before the Stones. There were a lot more acts that I had planned to see, but there are so many stages and so many things to do it just wasn’t possible to do so. And the weather was great. There was a little rain on the Thursday, which produced a small amount of the obligatory mud. However that mud soon dried up and the rest of the weekend from Friday to Sunday was sunny and hot. So we juts took things easy, rested some, walked around the site a little and caught a few bands. My main objective was to see the Stones, and that was achieved. Anything else was a bonus. We left later on Sunday, driving home before the crowds started. The vibe at Glastonbury is great; very friendly with people of all ages. We certainly didn’t feel out of place at all. So my faith and interest in festivals remains renewed, and we look forward to Glastonbury 2014 (hope we can get tickets 🙂 ). I think one festival a year of this type is probably enough for me now, and probably all I can cope with if I am honest with myself. I returned stiff and tired and have only just got over the whole thing. However, there are lots of other festival types and one day events that we intend to visit over the Summer, starting with Massive Attack vs Adam Curtis as part of the Manchester International Festival tonight and The Stones in Hyde Park next Saturday.
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