Posts Tagged ‘concert’

21 Aug

AC/DC POWER UP TOUR Wembley Stadium 3 July 2024

Posted by vintagerock in AC/DC, The Pretty Reckless. Tagged: , , , , .

I first saw AC/DC in 1976 when they came over from Australia and played the Reading festival, and small venues such as Newcastle University Students Union, and Middlesbrough Town Hall. This was, of course, in the days when the original singer Bon Scott led the band alongside brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. They had just released their first album High Voltage which featured classic tracks such as “The Jack”, “TNT”, “It’s a Long Way to the Top… If You Want to Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “She’s Got B**ls”. Not very PC. But this band were lots of fun.

Angus would wear his school uniform complete with cap and satchel and ride on the shoulders of Bon through the audience. I remember touching the pair of them as they wandered through Middlesbrough Town Hall and watching poor Angus get soaked in beer as some idiot decided to throw his pint on the two of them at Newcastle University. Crazy days.

The Young brothers were originally from Glasgow and moved to Australia when they were young, and the UK had a deal whereby you could emigrate to Australia for something like £5. I remember some of my friends going to Australia, never to be seen again. Others decided to return and reappeared many years later. So, AC/DC are usually seen as an Australian band, but their roots lay in the East End of Glasgow. Angus would front the band on lead guitar with, by his side, brother Malcolm on rhythm guitar. Angus was the crazy, manic schoolboy.

The band became a massive favourite at Newcastle Mayfair. They would pack the venue for several nights in a row. I went every time they appeared and saw them there many times. One night, with def Leppard as support, there was a fire in the venue and the concert was cancelled and rescheduled. Again, these were crazy nights. AC/DC were a massive draw yet chose to continue headlining the Mayfair rather than moving on to the larger venues such as the City Hall or Newcastle Odeon. They clearly enjoyed the intimacy, drinking culture and madness of the crowd. Happy days.

And then poor Bon was no more. His hard drinking caught up with him. “Scott died of alcohol poisoning and the other members considered disbanding. However, at the request of Scott’s parents, they continued together.” (From Wikipedia) Then came a surprise. Local lad (local to me, that is) Brian Johnson was announced as the new singer.

I had seen Brian perform many times in local band Geordie at workingman’s clubs and, later, at Sunderland Locarno when they hit the charts with songs such as “Don’t Do That” and “All Because of You”. He had a similar raucous voice to that of Bon’s so you could sort of imagine the logic behind choosing him to replace the irreplaceable.

And thus, I was sitting in Newcastle City Hall in 1980 for the Back in Black tour to promote the album of the same (very appropriate) name. “Their first album with Johnson, Back in Black (1980), was dedicated to Scott’s memory. It became the second best-selling album of all time.” But for me the big question remained. How will Brian cut it live? Could he fill the large shoes left by Bon? As soon as AC/DC took to the stage the answer was clear. I need not have worried. AC/DC were back and as powerful as ever. Brian screamed and screeched those vocals out and was simply tremendous.

AC/DC went on to become international megastars. The introduction of Brian Johnson heralded a new chapter in the career of AC/DC. From then on, I saw AC/DC many times, usually headlining rock festivals, particularly the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington Park. The bell came along for “Hells Bells” and became an integral part of the show. Brian, Angus (still a schoolboy) and Malcolm went on to success after success. The last time I saw them perform was at Manchester Arena some time ago with my son, David. They were tremendous and I was hungry to see them again.

Sadly, things changed along the way. “Malcolm Young left AC/DC in mid-2014 to receive treatment for dementia. In September 2014, the band’s management announced that he would be retiring permanently. He died from the effects of dementia on 18 November 2017” (from Wikipedia). A sad loss. To complicate things further, Brian Johnson left the band only to return.

When I saw “Rock legends AC/DC return to Wembley Stadium this summer for two epic concerts with special guests The Pretty Reckless.” I could not wait to buy tickets. In fact, to ensure I secured my place in the crowd I invested in a gold package. Jan, Jackie, and I travelled down to Wembley on the train staying at our usual friendly Premier Inn. Soon we were in the Bobby Moore suite enjoying complimentary food and drink and a magnificent view of the stage. I treated myself to a few drinks and a T-shirt and programme.

The AC/DC site: “We are thrilled to finally announce the ‘POWER UP’ European Tour. Angus, Brian, Stevie, and Matt will be joined by Chris Chaney to carry the torch for Cliff. The tour will see us play shows across Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, England, Slovakia, Belgium, France & Ireland this Summer. We can’t wait to see you all out there.”

I saw a little of support act the Pretty Reckless but was tempted away by the lure of the hospitality. They sounded good, and my friend John who has seen them in their home USA told me just how great they are and admonished me for missing out on them. Soon AC/DC took to the stage, we took our seats which gave us a great view of the proceedings, and away we went on a rollercoaster of classic songs: “Back in Black”, “Hells Bells”, back to the start with “High Voltage” and other familiar territory such as “Highway to Hell” and “Whole lotta Rosie”. They were fantastic and the Brian/Angus pairing was on top form.

But this was very much the Angus Young show. Angus, still dressed as a schoolboy, stole the show with extensive, epic guitar solos. Fantastic. The encore took us back to the start again with “TNT” and then closer “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”. We filed out of the stadium, down Wembley Way, and waited what seemed to be ages for a taxi back to our hotel. Before I knew it, we were on our way home on the train the next day. AC/DC are still magnificent.

Many thanks to Jan and Jackie for the photographs and to Chris for manipulating the site.

Setlist: If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It); Back in Black; Demon Fire; Shot Down in Flames;    Thunderstruck; Have a Drink on Me; Hells Bells; Shot in the Dark; Stiff Upper Lip; Shoot to Thrill; Sin City; Rock ‘n’ Roll Train; Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap; High Voltage; Riff Raff; You Shook Me All Night Long; Highway to Hell; Whole Lotta Rosie; Let There Be Rock.

Encore: T.N.T.; For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

19 Aug

Madness Newcastle Racecourse 28 Jun 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Madness. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

I first saw Madness on the legendary Two-Tone tour which called at Newcastle Mayfair on November 9th, 1979. This tour brought Ska to the masses, coming off the back of the punk revolution, and featured the combined talents of headliners The Specials, Madness and The Selecter. The tour sold out everywhere, and was a complete success, but sadly the main reason it made the press was because of some violent outbreaks caused by a minority of troublemakers in some venues. The National Front and the British National Party were out recruiting at the shows, even though the bands who were performing on the tour openly distanced themselves from racism. It was a strange paradox, here we had fans dancing to multi-racial bands and singing along with songs whose lyrics preached racial unity, and yet the far-right was trying to sell politics which came from the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

As I recall, there was quite a bit of trouble at the Mayfair gig, with fights breaking out throughout the night; and being one of a small number of people in the crowd with long hair, I did feel quite unsafe at times. None the less I survived, and it was a great night, featuring three excellent bands, and one of several nights I would spend with Madness over the next few years. By the time the Two-Tone tour visited our towns, Madness were already hitting the charts and bringing their nutty humour and perfect pop tunes into our living rooms on Top of the Pops. In 1979 “The Prince”, “My Girl” and “One Step Beyond” had all been chart hits in the UK.

The next time I saw Madness was at Sunderland Mecca, which by then was also called the Mayfair (just to confuse things), on April 30th, 1980. The place was packed, and a hot sweaty fun night had by all. I remember being right down the front in the pit, getting knocked and pushed all over the ballroom floor. I then saw them at concerts at Newcastle City Hall in December 1980, October 1981, and February 1983. I also saw Madness headline the first night of the Dock Rock Festival, which took place down at Hartlepool docks in the summer of 1986. Going to a Madness gig meant a guaranteed night of fun. By the mid-80s there was no stopping these guys; and they hit the UK single charts over 20 times, assembling a catalogue of tremendous pop tunes to draw from including “Baggy Trousers”, “Our House” and “House of Fun”.

Madness split shortly after the Dock Rock Festival in 1986 and reformed some years later to give us many more years of fun! They would often headline Newcastle Arena, and I went along and saw the nutty boys on several more occasions, each one bringing the audience a guaranteed night of chart hits, dancing and singing along. I enjoyed every time and so I was delighted to read that: “Following the success of their No 1 album ‘C’Est La Vie’ this week, get your baggy trousers ready as we are thrilled to announce MADNESS are to perform at Newcastle Racecourse on Friday 28th June 2024!

Theatre of the Absurd presents: Madness – C’Est La Vie “The lights go down on some dark theatre in London / For the cruellest comedy…” Read the headlines and it’s hard not to conclude that the world has gone mad. Mad enough, in fact, to give North London’s finest twelve-legged quorum of Nutty Boys a run for their money. According to keyboard-wrangler Mike ‘Barso’ Barson, the title track to Madness’s lucky thirteenth full-length C’Est La Vie is “about these crazy times we’re living in, and how I just want to stay on my boat and not be a part of All this madness. But of course, I’m a member of a group called Madness. Perhaps we should have called ourselves ‘Sanity’…” If this latest opus is any indication, when the going gets mad, the Mad only get sharper, wilder, and more succinct.”

“C’Est La Vie combines the widescreen ambition of masterpieces like The Liberty of Norton Folgate and The Rise & Fall and the allkiller- no-filler tune factory instincts of classics like Absolutely, 7 and Can’t Touch Us Now. It’s a 14-song suite packed with lunatic hooks and neon choruses, eerie spaceska and sophisticated pop genius – a giddy gambol across a bouncy castle soundscape that finds time for moments of righteous anger, powerful empathy and the kind of plain-spoken wisdom that’s always operated beneath the group’s nutty veneer. Vintage Madness, in other words.”

How could I resist? Well, the answer was of course, I couldn’t’ t, could I!? The last time I went to a similar event was to see the Beach Boys at York races, which was lots of fun. So, Jackie, Harvey and I elected to go to the races. I decided to pay for the Premier Enclosure which placed the three of us in a nice part of the racecourse to place our bets before the nutty boys took to the stage. We did quite well actually, coming out with £20 profit overall to share between us. We won on every race! Wish we had done an accumulator. We had a nice drink and then wandered down to see Madness.

We bumped along over the grass and got so far down into the crowd. We couldn’t get right to the front because the closer we got to the stage the fuller and crazier it became. Hence, we got the closest we could and watched Madness perform a set of greatest hits. I had forgotten just how many hits these guys have had. They came one after the other: “One Step Beyond”, “My Girl”, “House of Fun”, “Baggy Trousers” and “Our House”. Everyone singing along and dancing crazily. Great fun. The final encore was, as always, complete with fez’s “Night Boat to Cairo”. We all meandered out towards our taxi home. A good time had by all. Happy days.

Many thanks to Jackie for pictures and helping me navigate the site.

Setlist: One Step Beyond; Embarrassment; The Prince; C’est la vie; NW5; My Girl; The Sun and the Rain; Hour of Need; Wings of a Dove; Lovestruck; Run for Your Life; Bed and Breakfast Man; Shut Up;     Round We Go; Mr. Apples; Livin’ on a Prayer; House of Fun; Baggy Trousers; Our House; It Must Be Love

Encore: Madness; Night Boat to Cairo.

11 Aug

Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets The Glasshouse June 22 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets. Tagged: , , , , , .

This was my second Nick Mason experience, having previously seen Nick and his band Saucerful of Secrets at Newcastle City Hall a couple of years earlier. Nick is, of course, drummer of Pink Floyd fame, and has assembled a band of fine musicians to go out on the road and play a wonderful set of early Pink Floyd classic songs, many from the Syd Barrett era. This time the tour was entitled the Set the Controls Tour, indicating that the band had moved forward from the Syd Barrett era, from which they previously drew their repertoire.

“Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets are an English rock band formed in 2018 to perform the early music of Pink Floyd. The band comprises Pink Floyd drummer and co-founder Nick Mason, bassist Guy Pratt, guitarists Gary Kemp and Lee Harris, and keyboardist Dom Beken. As many fans had discovered Pink Floyd with their bestselling 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon, Mason wanted to bring their earlier material to a wider audience.” (From Wikipedia). Bassist Guy Pratt was a member of a later incarnation of Pink Floyd and Gary Karen was, of course, a founder member of 1980s band Spandau Ballet.

As before, the stage was set out with Nick Mason in the centre (very much the star of the show and the evening), surrounded by his band of musicians. Behind, and around them, was a very appropriate backdrop of psychedelic liquid lens images, setting the scene for an evening of early psychedelic rock.

The first half opened by taking us right back to the start with the classic guitar-based tune “Astronomy Domine”, one of my favourite early Pink Floyd tracks. We were then treated to more Syd Barrett era songs including my favourite “See Emily Play”. I loved that tune so much in the early 1970s when it was played constantly at Sunderland Locarno (with everyone running onto the dancefloor, except me, to do crazy hippy dances). “Remember a Day” is also a favourite song of mine.

The closing song of the first set was, as promised by the tour title “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” a song written by Roger Waters, taking lyrics from a Chinese poetry book, and features a wonderful drum part by Nick Mason played with timpani mallets. “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” is a standout track from A Saucerful of Secrets, the Floyd’s second studio album, released in1968. The mental health of Syd Barrett deteriorated during recording, so guitarist David Gilmour was recruited. Barrett left the band before the album’s completion.

During the interval I purchased a T-shirt and a pint of Guinness. Soon it was time for the second set which returned to Barrett era songs: “The Scarecrow” and “Lucifer Sam”. The concert ended with “Echoes” a lengthy haunting tune which comprises the entire second side from later period Floyd album Meddle.

 

But that is not the end. The audience gave the band a standing ovation and they return to play “One of These Days”, a throbbing, rhythmic classic song which opens the afore mentioned Meddle. The final song is the title track from A Saucerful of Secrets. Many of these songs feature the drums of Mason at the heart of their rhythmic structure.

So, we have been treated to a mix of early Pink Floyd music, performed by the drummer whose percussion, use of timpani and gongs lay at the heart of their rhythm.

Happy days. Many thanks to Jackie for the photographs and Chris for manipulating the site.

Setlist: Set One: Astronomy Domine; Arnold Layne; See Emily Play; Remember Me; Obscured by Clouds; When You’re In; Remember a Day; If; Atom Heart Mother; If (Reprise); The Nile Song;  Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.

Set Two: The Scarecrow; Fearless; Childhood’s End; Lucifer Sam; Echoes.

Encore: One of These Days; A Saucerful of Secrets.

5 Aug

Sunderland Music City Roots The Firestation 21 June 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Celadore, Lottie Willis, Mcxxne, Red Remedy, Ruby Kelly, Sunderland Music City. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Another fabulous night at The Fire Station, my local venue. This special event was scheduled for World Music Day, celebrating the launch of Sunderland Music City with a showcase of the North East’s leading emerging talent. This special event featured performances from rising stars who are being supported by artist development programmes based in Sunderland and the wider region. This event was hosted by Marty Longstaff and Frankie Francis. Marty Longstaff is also known as the Lake Poets, and Frankie is better known as Frankie from Frankie and the Heartstrings

In the first half we were treated to excellent performances by Red Remedy, Fabz and Mcxxne, and Ruby Kelly. Red Remedy hail from Sunderland College, and are a five-piece alternative pop rock quintet from the North East known for their powerful and infectious music. Led by Maddy Storey’s mesmerizing vocals, the band’s sound combines alternative rock, indie and punk elements.

Next up were Fabz and Mcxxne led by Newcastle-based singer/songwriter Mcxxne. Mcxxne has been supported across platforms such as BBC Radio 1Xtra, BBC Introducing, and DMY. Fabz is a rising MC coming through the Northern Roots mentoring scheme. Straight out of NAME (The Northern Academy of Music Education) was singer Ruby Kelly. Ruby Kelly is a Welsh folk singer/songwriter who is influenced by some of my favourite artists such as The Kinks, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, her songs were brutally honest accounts, from her own life experiences of moving away from her hometown at the age of 18.

During the interval I treated myself to a pint of Guinness and from there we moved into the second half which featured once again excellent performances from Lottie Willis, Jodie Nicholson and Celadore. Lottie Willis kickstarted her musical career by joining the Young Musicians Project at the age of 14 and now at just 19-years-old she has grown her audience across the North East with support from BBC Introducing as well as performing shows for the likes of Summer Streets, Waves festival and Tracks. She was followed by Jodie Nicholson a Teeside-based writer and producer who was the first artist to play at The Fire Station.

Last, but by no means least, was a performance by Celadore, the alias of Sunderland born-and-raised musician Rachael Small. Rachael has surrounded herself with a band of like-minded and talented folk with the aim of bringing to life the piano ballads she has been rehearsing and recording at The Bunker, a legendary pioneering artist development organisation in Sunderland

By this time I was too knackered to stay for the after-party hosted by DJ Frankie Francis. Many thanks to Jackie for the photographs and Chris for navigating the site.

4 Aug

The Wedding Present & Voodoo Radio Georgian Theatre Stockton 2pm 16 June 2024

Posted by vintagerock in The Wedding Present, Voodoo Radio. Tagged: , , , , , .

My blog friend Mark recommend I go and see The Wedding Present at Stockton Georgian Theatre as he was going to see them all three shows there. I could only manage to get tickets for the Sunday afternoon concert. The other shows were all fully subscribed. So, carer Chris, Norm and I turned up at 2 PM just-in-time to catch Cumbrian support act power pop-punk pair VOODOO RADIO consisting of singer/drummer Paige and her guitarist father Tony.

Their website states: “The duo started rocking the tunnels of Leicester Square tube station, London in 2018, stopping commuters and tourists alike in their tracks with a mesmerising ‘summer of 76’ power-pop sound. Tony, a seasoned performer was inspired by hearing Slaves on the radio and suggested to young Paige: “get two shoe boxes, anything that’s like a drumstick – a table knife and a wooden spoon and see if you can sing and play rhythms whilst hitting a beat” – Paige certainly could, and Voodoo Radio were manifested.”

“Since gaining a record deal last year with Holy Dotage Records the Cumbrian duo have been played on BBC Radio 6 by Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson. They were also record of the week on BBC Cumbria and have had various interviews. Tom Robinson also choose Voodoo Radio as one of his top 5 up and coming acts to look out for 2022. Summer hit Ice Cream Man was recently played on Absolute Radio by Frank Skinner. Last Year the duo played festivals such as Kendal Calling, Headlined the BBC Introducing stage at Coast Roads Festival, Guilfest, Front Row Fest, Micks Mayhem Punk Fest, Twisterella, Undercover Fest, Alternative Aycliffe to name a few.”

We had quite a struggle finding the venue, but eventually we managed to do so. Once inside, we took a vantage point upstairs which gave us a great view of the proceedings. Before seeing the support act Voodoo Radio, Chris and I went downstairs to the merchandise stand, and queued to purchase a couple of books and a George Best T-shirt. The lady on the stand promised that The Wedding Present front man and author David Gedge would sign the two books at the end of the concert.

Once back upstairs I asked Chris if he would go downstairs again and purchase two Voodoo Radio drumsticks, signed by Paige which he kindly did. Voodoo Radio played their set, Paige banging away at her drums, while Father Tony played excellent guitar. After this, Norm treated me to a pint of Guinness, before headliners the Wedding Present took to the stage. My friend, Mark who had travelled from down south to see his favourite band, introduced himself to me and told me how great they had been the previous evening.

The Wedding Present are excellent. David Gedge is clearly the front man of the band. They begin with “Brassneck” which sets the tone of the afternoon. Gedge, halfway through the concert, introduces “Rachel”, as the new guitarist. It is very clear that the band have a strong following, Gedge saying “Hello” to many of their fans who have no doubt travelled some distance to witness the afternoon concert. The final track is “Bewitched” afterwards we go downstairs and join the queue to get our books signed.

Their site states that: “They have had eighteen UK Top 40 hit singles… not bad for a band that has, from its inception, stubbornly refused to play the record industry’s game. It all started in 1985 when David Lewis Gedge boarded a National Express coach in London with 500 records packed into a pair of his mother’s suitcases and, in this fashion, delivered the band’s debut single Go Out and Get ‘Em, Boy! to a distribution company in Yorkshire. That pioneering spirit has been at the core of the band’s philosophy ever since. From George Best, “an unmitigated delight” [NME], the first full-length release on their own Reception Records onwards, the band has charted an appealing, if often eccentric, course of its very own.”

“With their early releases The Wedding Present had acquired a reputation for bittersweet, breathtakingly honest love songs immersed in whirlwind guitars, so it was extraordinary that Ukrainski Vistupi V Johna Peela, with the band exploring traditional Eastern European folk music, should be their major label debut for RCA Records. “(They) carry off what is basically a bold experiment with verve” [NME]. However, this was soon followed by the more traditionally incendiary Bizarro, “simply unbeatable” [Melody Maker] which featured their first hit single Kennedy.”

“The next step, made with characteristically twisted Wedding Present logic, was to enlist the aid of the noise-mongering [and, at that point, relatively unknown] sound engineer Steve Albini. The resulting Seamonsters, recorded in the snowy wilds of Minnesota in just 11 days, suggested a more thoughtful Wedding Present. The Guardian newspaper noted that: “Albini has given The Wedding Present considerable weight, with Gedge’s voice trickling between banks of scowling guitars. Indeed, the singing ranged from sensual whispering to feverish screams.”

An excellent concert by a tremendous band. Thanks to Chris for the photographs and navigating the site. Thanks to Norm for going outside, finding our taxi, and asking him to wait for us while we had the books signed.

VOODOO RADIO Set: (something like) Eat Your Words; Pretty Boy; Basic Bitch; Slag Bank; Ice Cream Man; Dog; Stupid Humans; She’s so Toxic; Space Girl; Turn out the Light.

wed11Wedding Present Set: Brassneck; We Interrupt Our Programme; Dalliance; Nobody’s Twisting Your Arm; What Have I Said Now? Rachel; It’s a Gas; Gazebo; Don’t Talk, Just Kiss; Come Play With Me;     Crawl; Catwoman; No; Kennedy; Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft; Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me); Take Me!; Bewitched.

1 Aug

James Arthur Middlesbrough Riverside Stadium June 8 2024

Posted by vintagerock in James Arthur, McFly. Tagged: , , , , .

This was a massive undertaking, and some might say a massive risk for James Arthur. Sure, he had just undertaken a sell-out arena tour, but filling a football stadium is something else again. Even if it was his home turf. I just felt duty-bound to go along and support James at this massive homecoming show. After all, I have seen him perform a few times before including an intimate gig at the Boiler Shop earlier this year, which I greatly enjoyed. Plus, I can’t resist stadium concerts.

Middlesbrough Football Club announced the event thus: “Teesside singer-songwriter James Arthur has announced a huge homecoming gig. The Middlesbrough-born crooner and Brit Billion-certified artist announced on Monday that he would be performing a massive homecoming show at Riverside Stadium in June 2024. It will be his biggest headlining gig to date and will see him joined by special guests McFly as well as Lauran Hibberd.”

“The news comes months after James announced he would be releasing his fifth studio album, Bitter Sweet Love, which is set to be released on January 26 [which I saw him preview at the Boiler Shop at the time of its release] with multiple dates including UK arenas. The 35-year-old Boro fan said playing at his home stadium had always been a ‘pipe dream’ and he was ‘really honoured’ to be playing on home turf.”

On returning to his roots on Teesside, James said: “It’s truly unbelievable. I don’t think that I can put it into words. As someone who came to the Riverside as a young lad with a season ticket and walked through the turnstiles, it’s just crazy to think that people are going to be walking through the turnstiles to watch me perform. It’s very much like the end of a movie, a full circle moment. It has been a bit of a pipe dream of mine to play my team’s ground; I’m really honoured.”

On the day of the show, Jan, Harvey, and I ventured south to the ‘Boro to see how James would fare in the stadium concert. Just as we arrived at the ground, we could hear McFly finishing their set. I wrote just yesterday about how I saw many acts perform at the Olympic Torch Concert in The Mall, London during 2008. McFly were one of those performing on the day. So, it has been many years since I saw them perform, and I didn’t really see them this time (although I could hear a couple of familiar hit songs). The crowd gave them a great cheer as they finished their warmup performance.

As we entered the Riverside Stadium it became clear that the place was pretty full. James had succeeded in bringing together his home fan base to support him. The pitch was full, as were most of the stands. We had a splendid view opposite the stage, overlooking the crowd. After a short wait, and just enough time for a drink (expensive, in plastic glasses, you know the score) James took to the stage, opening the proceedings with the title track of his new album “Bitter Sweet Love”. The home crowd knew every song, singing along with every word.

James was clearly moved by the entire event. He said something like: “Thank you for making my dream come true. I was born just down the road in Redcar, and I was a season ticket holder for Middlesbrough, spending many happy Saturday afternoons in this stadium. To return home and play here is beyond my wildest dreams”. The guy was very emotional throughout the whole concert. The audience loved him.

I recognised several of the songs and enjoyed the entire concert. “Impossible” reminded me of taking my daughter, Laura, to see James at Newcastle City Hall just after he had won The X Factor. Soon it was over. The crowd gave him numerous standing ovations. James thanked everyone again. Jan, Harvey, and I made our way out of the stadium, searching for our taxi which we soon found. We all agreed it had been a highly enjoyable affair, and a triumph for James.

Many thanks to Harvey for the photographs and to Jan for helping me navigate the site. Thanks to Wikimedia Commons for the image of the Riverside Stadium.

Setlist: Bitter Sweet Love; Blindside; Empty Space; Can I Be Him; Comeback Kid; Sermon / Ready or Not; Rewrite the Stars; A Year Ago; Certain Things / Safe Inside / Quite Miss Home / Emily; Naked;     From the Jump; Train Wreck; A Thousand Years; Falling Like the Stars; My Favourite Pill; Car’s Outside  ; Young; Impossible; Homecoming; New Generation; Lasting Lover; Say You Won’t Let Go

31 Jul

James & Razorlight Newcastle Utilita Arena 5 Jun 2024

Posted by vintagerock in James, Razorlight. Tagged: , , , , , .

James and Razorlight. Now there’s a blast from the past for me. Two bands who I saw many years ago and I have watched their careers from afar without feeling an urgent need to witness them live again. James, I saw supporting The Smiths at Newcastle City Hall sometime in the 80s, probably on the Meat Is Murder tour.

Who knows, it was a long time ago. The truth is that I remember very little about James. I probably retreated to the City Hall bar as was my wont in those days. I was alone as none of my friends were into The Smiths. I recall that the City Hall was, unbelievably now, only half full. I remember videos of a slaughterhouse, alongside the harrowing squeals of cows being slaughtered. A thought-provoking show which one does not forget easily. The Smiths were majestic in those days. Not the best time I saw them perform but nonetheless very memorable. Morrisey and Marr were a tremendous pairing at the time.

Razorlight, I saw as part of a free multi line – up concert on a pleasant, happy warm afternoon in The Mall, spent with my late wife Marie. We travelled to London for this Olympic Torch concert featuring Rachel Sweet, Kelly and Ozzy performing Black Sabbath’s “Changes”, Will Young, James Brown, McFly, and headlined by Rod Stewart with his old buddy Ronnie Wood, performing a couple of songs including “Stay with Me”. There may have been others who I forget. Roger Bannister ran down The Mall with the Olympic torch. This was to announce that we were to host the Olympics in 2012.

So, I guess this concert must have been 2008. We were halfway down The Mall and could see little. Luckily, there were screens all the way down and we thus had a splendid view of the proceedings. You had to win tickets in a draw with most tickets going to Londoners. I entered the draw several times using different family addresses to be sure of winning tickets, which I did. Another memorable event for quite distinct reasons. We stayed in a pleasant hotel close to The Mall, had a lovely meal on the evening and came home the next morning. Happy days.

The Arena website announced the pairing thus: “James will be taking to the stage at Utilita Arena Newcastle this June with Razorlight as Special Guests. Following on from a hugely successful 40th Anniversary year, the band will head out on a run of dates in June next year in celebration of their newly announced album, due for release in April 2024. One of Britain’s most enduring success stories, James have released 16 studio albums, selling over 25million copies with their recent run of Top 5 albums proving to be a golden era for the band.”

Now the truth is that I had forgotten just how many chart hits James have had and just how charismatic lead vocalist Tim Booth is. So, I was not really prepared for what I was about to witness. Jackie and I arrived just in time to purchase a very welcome pint of Guinness before entering the Arena. As we took our seats, Razorlight were already onstage, mid – way during their set. The Arena was absolutely crammed. James are obviously extremely popular these days. Razorlight completed their set with their best-known song: “America” which I recognised instantly.

During the interval Jackie went on a bar errand and came back with a lovely double Jack Daniels for me. That set me up for the rest of the evening. James took to the stage to a mighty roar from the Newcastle crowd and launched into a set of hit after hit. It is amazing just how many chart hits this band have scored. Tim Booth was all over the Arena, crowd surfing at one point and running around the outskirts of the audience, up and down the walkways, coming up to me and singing directly to me for several minutes. Lovely and what a gent!

The visuals were fantastic, focusing upon flowers and butterflies, making full use of the screens. James started with “She’s a Star”. I was pleasantly surprised how many songs I recognised, “Sit Down” being an obvious favourite of the audience. The entire concert was excellent, very enjoyable, and over before I knew it. Lots of fun with two great bands.

Many thanks to Jackie for the excellent photographs and to Chris for manipulating the site. Also, to Tim Booth for singing to me.

Razorlight Setlist: (something like) In the Morning; Scared of Nothing; Stumble and Fall; Golden Touch; Vice; In the City; I Can’t Stop This Feeling I’ve Got; Before I Fall to Pieces; Somewhere Else; America.

James Setlist: She’s a Star; Waltzing Along; Our own; Hey; Life’s a Fucking Miracle; Getting Away with It (All Messed Up); Tomorrow; Five-O; Shadow of a Giant; Better with You; Mobile God; Jam J; Sit Down; Nothing but Love; Sometimes.

Encore: Way Over Your Head; Come Home; Beautiful Beaches; Laid; Sound

28 Jul

Yes The Glasshouse 2 Jun 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Yes. Tagged: , , , , , .

“There’s a time and the time is now and it’s right for me, It’s right for me, and the time is now, There’s a word and the word is love and it’s right for me, It’s right for me, and the word is love “ (Yes, 1970).

Last time that I saw Yes was only a couple of years ago and I was just recovering from Covid. It seems an age ago now. I was terrified at the time that I might not survive, having been classed as vulnerable, but I was actually okay. I reckon I caught it going to see the Rolling Stones at Murrayfield. If I did then it was worth it.

Now they say that one forms allegiances to the bands that you see when you are young. This has certainly been the case with me. I first saw Yes in 1969 when I was all of 12 years old and they were supporting the Bonzo Dog Band (who had just been in the chart with “I’m an Urban Space Man”). The music was loud, exciting, bright and like nothing else I had ever experienced before. I went on my own and I was in the front row a few feet away from the band who, in those days was Jon Anderson (vocals), Peter Banks (guitar), Chris Squire (bass guitar), Tony Kaye (keyboards) and Bill Bruford (drums). Completely different from the lineup I saw the other night.

From that night on I have been a lifelong Yes fan and must have seen them many, many times over the years since. The lineup has changed along a winding, meandering road with Steve Howe replacing Peter Banks on guitar in 1970 and Rick Wakeman and Alan White joining on keyboards and drums respectively, shortly afterwards. Then came many lineup changes, lots of classic albums, and mega prog stardom. Along the way Jon Anderson left, as did Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe left and then rejoined the fold. Chris Squire and Alan White both sadly passed away; local hero Alan White very recently (he hailed from Chester le Street). But the true story of Yes is much, much more complicated than that!

The current members of Yes remain the same as last time I saw them and are: Steve Howe – guitars (first joined in 1970); Geoff Downes – keyboards (first joined in 1980 for the Drama album in a strange incarnation of the band where he and Buggles compatriot Trevor Horn joined for a short period); Billy Sherwood – bass guitar (since 2015); Jon Davison – lead vocals (since 2012); Jay Schellen – drums (has been playing drums with the band since 2017, sometimes deputising for Alan White who sadly passed away in May 2022).

As I entered the Glasshouse I was greeted by a lovely surprise. Roger Dean, the designer of all those lovely album covers was in the foyer talking people through a great layout of his signed prints. Some of them were exceptionally large, and quite expensive, but nonetheless exquisite. I invested in a small, signed print of the Yes logo (it is away getting framed at the moment, image to follow). Fantastic. I bought a massive, again rather expensive, signed programme which takes you through the entire history of the band and their classic songs. Well spent up for the evening I entered the hall ready for part 1 of the show.

The first set included a short selection of Yes classics. Within this were some of my favourite songs: “Going for the One”, “I’ve Seen All Good People” and their epic cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “America” ……. “Kathy”, I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh, Michigan seems like a dream to me now”… “She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy, I said “Be careful, his bowtie is really a camera””. (Simon and Garfunkel, 1968). I actually heard the Yes version before the original. Classic. It brings tears to my eyes. Then came a welcome surprise back to the Time and a Word album and the title track. I remember seeing the original band play this in 1970, before any of the current members were part of the Yes family. Perfect it takes me back to when I was 13.

Time for a Guinness and a double Jack Daniels to settle me down after all that excitement!

The second set comprised a mini selection of tracks from Tales of Topographic Oceans. I really enjoyed the shortened version.

The encores take us back to the early days and “Roundabout” followed by closing song “Starship Trooper”. Memories of Yes headlining the Reading festival in 1975 come flooding back. The finale was a short section of the Beatles’ “I Feel Fine” at the end of “Starship Trooper”. Another excellent evening of Yes music. Last time I said that I hoped that I could experience many more such evenings. Only a couple of years later and here I was again. Let’s hope these regular visits of the band continue. They never fail to deliver.

Many thanks to Jan for the photographs and to Chris for navigating the site.

Setlist: Set 1: Machine Messiah; It Will Be a Good Day (The River); Going for the One; I’ve Seen All Good People; America; Time and a Word; Don’t Kill the Whale; Turn of the Century.

Set 2: South Side of the Sky; Cut from the Stars; The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn) / The Remembering (High the Memory) / The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun) / Ritual (Nous sommes du soleil).

Encore: Roundabout; Starship Trooper; ‘I Feel Fine’.

21 Jul

Robin Trower Glasshouse 30 May 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Connolly Hayes Trio, Robin Trower. Tagged: , , , .

Well, a legend performing in a local venue. This time Robin Trower was playing in Hall 2 (the smaller hall) which was completely packed, while Richard Thompson was playing in the larger Hall 1. This had been a dilemma for me. Who to see? To solve my dilemma, I went to see Richard Thompson in York (as previously reported) and Robin a couple of nights later.

Many years ago, back in the 70s, Robin Trower was massive. The tribute below explains how great he was, and is: “Anyway, the most important point of all this is that the peaks of this concert were magnificent to a degree that makes you wish you were Keats so you could write a sonnet and give proper expression to the exquisite agony and ecstasy. My toupee took off and hovered three feet above my head from the first monster moaning chord of ‘Bridge of Sighs’ to the last bent string and swayed emotion.” (Phil Sutcliffe, reviewing a concert at Wembley Empire Pool (now Wembley Arena) in Sounds, 1976)

I first saw Trower in the early 1970s when he had just left Procol Harum. He was supporting Nazareth who had recently been in the charts with “Broken Down Angel”. The pairing made such an impact upon me my mates that we went to see the same line – up play at Newcastle Mayfair the following week. A few years later and I was queueing outside the City Hall to buy tickets to see Robin Trower. He was by that time being proclaimed as “The King of Wah Wah” (from another Sounds review of the mid–70s) and often compared to Jimi Hendrix. Yes, this guy is THAT good. If you don’t believe me listen to the track “Bridge of Sighs”

In those days his singer and bass guitarist was James Dewar, who had a rich soulful voice and had just left Stone the Crows, another great band, with whom I saw James several times (if you’re interested look for earlier blog entries). Now, something just came to mind. I have vague memories of seeing Robin Trower in his earlier band Jude, at a very empty Wearmouth Hall, Sunderland Polytechnic “Saturday night dance”. Jude comprised singer Frankie Miller, the bassist/singer James Dewar, and former Jethro Tull drummer Clive Bunker. This star-studded outfit was short – lived and did not record anything.

Anyway, enough of my reminiscing and let’s return to the recent concert at the Glasshouse. Their website announced his return to the north-east: “Anthemic. Awesome. A guitar behemoth. For six decades, Robin Trower’s career has been a quiet rebellion. Dive into the British guitarist’s backstory and you’ll find an artist who’s always rolled the dice over taking the path of least resistance. In the early-’70s, Trower showed fearlessness, leaving the security of Procol Harum to create a gold-selling solo album: Bridge of Sighs which filled North American stadiums.……”

Support came from the Connolly Hayes Trio, a blues rock outfit. Sadly, we arrived just a little too late to catch their performance. We had time for a quick drink in the bar before entering a sold-out crowd ready to witness the legendary guitarist. The last time I saw Robin, in Stockton, he was taking on much of the singing himself This time he returned to the familiar three-piece line – up as it was in the 70s, with the bass player taking singing duties. Robin Trower remains an outstanding guitarist who can squeeze notes through his Stratocaster like no one else. His singer/bassist has a great voice and does justice to the old songs. This formation is much more authentic than the band I witnessed in Stockton, allowing Robin to focus on his guitar playing.

The first song was unfamiliar to me, but we were soon in familiar territory with the excellent rocker “Too Rolling Stoned” which used to close his shows as the encore. A few more songs in and “Day of the Eagle “takes me back 50 years. Then the beautiful, intricate and soulful beginning of the classic “Bridge of Sighs” swirls throughout the hall. This song retains its magic today. Trower’s face displays the effort, feeling and how much of himself he is putting into the guitar work which starts the song, and remains his finest hour. The rest of the set is less familiar to me but retains the classic rocking guitar work that only Robert Trower can produce from a Fender Stratocaster. His guitar solos are as beautiful as they were in the 70s. It is all over too soon. Pure magic and I am so pleased I solved my dilemma and made the effort to see him.

Sadly, shortly after this performance I read that Robin had cancelled his USA tour. The following statement on his official website explained: “from Robin Trower: “It is with great regret that I must inform you that I will be unable to fulfil the upcoming tour of the USA in September/October. I have struggled with health issues for some time now. Following my latest stay in hospital a few weeks ago, my doctor advised me that the only possible way for an effective long-term solution is to undertake a major operation as soon as possible. ……I have also been advised that the recovery time to 100% full fitness could take a while. This makes committing to a fixed touring period in the near future impossible.……I am very hopeful that this procedure will give me a new lease of life and I can return to doing what I love the most- playing live”

All best wishes to Robin. I hope that your health improves and that you are, indeed, soon back to playing live.

Many thanks to Jackie for the photographs and to Chris for manipulating the Site for me. Thanks to Wikipedia Commons for the image of the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, which brings back memories of when I visited the city with my late wife, Marie. I have the LP in my own collection.

Setlist: The Razor’s Edge; Too Rolling Stoned; Wither on the Vine; Cloud Across the Sun; Somebody Calling; Distant Places of the Heart; It’s Too Late; Day of the Eagle; Bridge of Sighs; Rise Up Like the Sun; Daydream; No More Worlds to Conquer; Little Bit of Sympathy.

Encore: Rescue Me; Birdsong.

2 Jul

Richard Thompson York Barbican 27 May 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Jim Moray, Richard Thompson. Tagged: , , , , .

DICK0Not for the first time I had a dilemma. Richard Thompson was playing in the larger Hall One of The Glasshouse, Gateshead’s whilst another hero of mine, Robert Trower, was playing the same venue, on the same night, in the smaller Hall Two. In the past I have solved such dilemmas by trying to see both artists, splitting my time between the two.

DICK3Sometimes this has worked, such as when I went to see Rush at the City Hall, came out early and went down to the Mayfair just as the Clash came onstage. On another occasion I saw Culture Club at the City Hall at the time of Karma Chameleon, went down to the Mayfair and saw Marillion on an early tour. However, with a bit searching of the Internet I discovered that Richard Thompson was playing in York a couple of days before his Gateshead Glasshouse appearance. So, I decided to see Richard in York on Tuesday and Robin on Thursday in Gateshead. Problem solved!

DICK4So, a trip to York it was, along with carers Jackie and Elaine. Our friendly taxi driver took us to Durham station and shortly afterwards, we arrived by train at York. An equally friendly taxi driver then transported us all to the Barbican Theatre. He promised to pick us up at the end of the show. So far, all was well.

DICK2Now, I first encountered Richard Thompson when I saw him perform as part of a duo with his then wife Linda, supporting Traffic at Newcastle City Hall in the early 1970s. I then lost touch with Richard and his music until relatively recently. In the last few years, I have seen him perform at Newcastle Tyne Theatre in the aforementioned Glasshouse. I soon realised what I had been missing. The man is an incredible musician, singer, guitarist, and storyteller. He can switch from intricate fingerpicking on an acoustic guitar to beautiful electric guitar. He has a large back catalogue of songs starting with his time as a member of Fairport Convention in the late 1960s through his work with Linda and then his solo career.

DICK5The publicity for his 2024 tour read: “Ivor Novello Award-winning and GRAMMY® Award-nominated legend Richard Thompson returns to York with a full band. ‘The finest rock songwriter after Dylan and the best electric guitarist since Hendrix’ – Los Angeles Times” Influential. Pioneering. A British folk-rock cornerstone. He’s famed for turning emotions into the lightning-speed fretwork, poetic songwriting and impassioned picking that have filled nineteen solo albums to-date. Thompson has had an illustrious career and it’s still going strong. He holds a coveted spot on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” He’s even picked up Lifetime Achievement Awards from the BBC and Americana Music Association in Nashville and was awarded an OBE in 2011.”

DICK1We arrived at the Barbican with plenty of time for a drink and to catch the support act, solo singer/guitarist Jim Moray, who was a pleasant surprise and warmed up the crowd well. “Should you care to look back over the past two decades of British folk music, one musician in particular stands out for having a singular, idiosyncratic vision that has rarely wavered in style and substance. Jim Moray may have garnered initial attention for his digitally driven approach to traditional music, but reflecting on his seven albums and numerous production credits it’s clear that imagination and invention are the real cornerstones of his work. As Moray embarks on his third decade as a professional musician, he can count career-defining performances at Glastonbury, The Royal Albert Hall, and WOMAD, and has caught the attention of those in the know along the way. “I love this singer of old ballads”, enthused none other than Iggy Pop.” (From his website).

DICK8Richard Thompson was accompanied by full electric band this tour; I am more used to seeing him play solo. This was a pleasant change, the full band added a harder, more electric sound to Richard’s own excellent vocals and guitar playing. The band comprised Richard’s wife on vocals and tambourine, his son (I think) on guitar and long-time Fairport member Dave Mattocks on drums. The set included an acoustic part in the middle.

DICK1OWe managed to catch the entire set (we have often needed to leave early on previous trips to York) which was great. As we left the venue, we rang our (new) friendly York taxi driver and he arrived a few minutes later to take the three of us back to the station in plenty of time to catch our train. No worrying rush on this occasion! Phew. After the usual short ride back to Durham our local friendly taxi driver transported us back home and I was soon comfortable in my bed again.

DICK7Setlist was something like this: Freeze; Hard on Me; Withered and Died; The Old Pack Mule; Turning of the Tide;    John the Gun; Al Bowlly’s in Heaven; The Day That I Give In; A Man in Need;    Take Care the Road You Choose; Singapore Sadie; What’s Left To Lose; Guns Are The Tongues; Tear Stained Letter

 Encore: Dimming of the Day; The Bells of Rhymney; Jealous Words

Many thanks to Jackie and Elaine for the photographs, my friendly taxi drivers and the train for making the journey pleasant and effortless and Chris for manipulating the site.

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