Thoughts on Frankie Miller live in the 70s. 
Frankie who? Frankie Fu**in’ Miller – That’s who! So said the tour t-shirts for Frankie Miller’s Full House at gigs in the mid 70s. Frankie Miller is one of the greatest white soul and R&B singers that the UK has produced, easily on a par with Paul Rodgers (with whom he was often compared at the time), Eric Burdon, Rod Stewart and Joe Cocker. I first became aware of Frankie when he played Sunderland Poly’s Wearmouth Hall in the band Jude, which also featured ex Procul Harum guitarist Robin Trower, ex Jethro Tull drummer Clive Bunker and old friend, fellow Scotsman and bassist Jimmy Dewar who had just left Stone The Crows. I have very vague recollections of that gig, and can’t be certain I was present, but I’m pretty sure that it happened. Frankie Miller then went on to front his own band, which became Frankie Miller’s Full House, and they toured relentlessly on the club and university circuit throughout the mid 70s. 
I recall attending tremendous rowdy Frankie Miller gigs at Newcastle Poly, Newcastle Mayfair and Redcar Coatham Bowl. My ticket stub from the Redcar gig is pictured here. The gig at Redcar was around the time that “Darlin'” was in the charts, which makes it 1978. Frankie hit the charts twice; with “Be good to yourself” and “Darlin'”, but it is his great live performances that I remember most of all. Frankie Miller live in the 70s just couldn’t be topped for a rocking night of great R&B and soul..
Frankie Miller suffered a brain haemorrhage in New York on 25 August 1994, while writing material for a new band he was forming with Joe Walsh of The Eagles. He almost died, and was in a coma for several months. Since then Frankie has slowly been regaining his health.
Rod Stewart said of Frankie Miller, “He is the only white guy that ever brought a tear to my eye!” Wish I’d bought one of those t-shirts. Guess it wouldn’t fit me now anyway. Thanks to John for the scan of his Frankie Miller EP.
Thanks to Mitch for reminding me that I must also have seen Frankie Miller supporting Ten Years After in 1972: “Frankie Miller played Newcastle City Hall on 29/10/72 as support on Ten Years After’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Music To The World tour. I was there – both acts were terrific…and this was before his debut solo album was released. He also duetted with Phil Lynott on the original version of Still In Love With You which appears on Lizzy’s 1974 album Nightlife.”
Posts Tagged ‘concert’
23 Oct
Frankie Miller live in the 70s
22 Oct
John Mayall and Chicken Shack Gateshead Sage 2006
John Mayall and Chicken Shack Gateshead Sage 2006
The last time I saw John Mayall and his Bluesbreakers was at the Sage Gateshead in 2006. This was another superb double bill, showcasing John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers alongside Stan Webb and Chicken Shack. I’ve already written about Stan the Man Webb and his fine guitar prowess, and will unashamedly use my entry today as a further excuse to do so. Stan is one of the best blues rock guitarists around, but in my view he rarely gets the credit he deserves. He mixes excellent technique with a real blues feel, and understands how to use tone and sound dynamics to great effect. My favourite Chicken Shack songs are the rock numbers from his early 70s albums, such as Poor Boy, and Daughter of the Hillside. 
If you get the chance listen to the track Poor Boy, and you’ll see what I mean about the use of dynamics. The song starts very quietly, but Stan and the rest of his band soon come thundering in with a great riff and drums, usually deafeningly loud. Stan’s not a bad blues singer either. This concert saw Chicken Shacl opening for the legend that is John Mayall, and his Bluesbreakers, who again featured Buddy Whittington on guitar. A great pairing and a great gig. The line up for the Bluesbreakers was Mayall, Whittington, Joe Yuele, and Hank Van Sickle. Chicke Shack featured Webb, Jum Rudge, Gary Davis and Mick Jones. From the programme: “Good Evening and Welcome. British Blues Legends John Mayall and Stan Webb join forces on a musical bill that promises blues at its very finest – it just doesn’t come better than this!”
I recently bought a live DVD of Stan and Chicken Shack. The tracklisting gives an idea of a typical set (although Poor Boy is sadly missing): So Tell Me; The Thrill Has Gone; Reconsider Baby; I Know You Know Me; You Are The Sweetest Little Thing/Hurt; Stan Webb’s Chicken Shack Opera; Spoonful; Doctor Brown 10. I’d Rather Go Blind; The Daughter Of The Hillside; Stan’s Blues.
Its been a few years since I’ve seen Stan Webb or John Mayall in concert; something I intend to put right when I get the chance. Mayall is promising to tour the UK for his 80th birthday in October 2014, which is a tour to look forward to.
21 Oct
John Mayall Chicken Shack Mick Taylor Newcastle City Hall 2004
John Mayall Chicken Shack Mick Taylor Newcastle City Hall 2004
The next time I saw John Mayall was on a strong triple bill of Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Stan Webb and Chicken Shack ,and Mick Taylor. I am a big fan of Stan and Chicken Shack. I’ve always thought that he is a greatly under-rated guitarist, easily on a par with Clapton and Page. The surprise for me on the night was just how great Mick Taylor was. I saw him with the Stones in the early 70s, where his playing really shone on the bluesier tracks like Stray Cat Blues and Midnight Rambler. I then saw him perform a quite shambolic concert in a marquee somewhere behind Gateshead stadium one night, some time in the 1980s. 
On this tour in 2004, Mick Taylor was back on form and gave the other guitarists Stan Webb and Buddy Whittington a run for their money. Stan and Chicken Shack were first up followed by an interval, during which I surprised to be greeted by John Mayall at the merchandise stall, so I bought his latest CD and got it signed. After the break, Mayall and his band took to the stage, with Mick Taylor guesting for part of the set. On this tour Mayall and the Bluesbreakers drew heavily from his back catalogue, probably more so than on other recent tours including a note perfect version of “All your Love” from the Beano album. When Mick Taylor joined, they also played songs from the Crusade album which debuted the guitarist at the yoin age of 18. Songs played included: Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, Walking On Sunset, Oh, Pretty Woman (from Crusade, an Albert King song and not the Roy Orbison track), and of course my own favourite Room To Move.
20 Oct
Camel Harrogate Royal Hall Oct 19th 2103
Camel Harrogate Royal Hall Oct 19th 2103
Last night I renewed my acquaintance with the band Camel, who opened their UK tour with a concert at Harrogate Royal Hall. I saw Camel 5 or 6 times in the 70s, but can’t claim to be a massive fan. The last time I saw them was in 1979 at Newcastle City Hall. Camel guitarist front Andrew Latimer has been battling illness for many years, and for that reason the band have not performed for 10 years. He has regained his health and is taking Camel out on the Road, playing their epic Snow Goose album in full in tribute to his friend and former Camel original member Peter Bardens who died of cancer some years ago, and in celebration of a career spanning more than 40 years. The current line-up of the band is: leader and original member Andrew Latimer (guitar, vocals), long time band member Colin Bass (bass vocals), with Denis Clement (drums), Guy LeBlanc (keyboards) along with keyboardist and special guest Jan Schelhaus. A statement explains: “The evening pays tribute to former band member Peter Bardens, who died of cancer at the same time as frontman Latimer was battling a terminal illness. Ten years later, Latimer has regained health and is willing to celebrate a career that spans over four decades. This two-set show will also embrace compositions recorded throughout those years in a personal covenant of appreciation for a deeply rewarding life of music.”
The entire tour is sold out; the band retains a strong and loyal fan base.
My mate Norm decided to come along for the ride, and we drove down the A19; arriving around 7.30. I went straight into the Royal Hall, which is a beautiful restored old venue, and took my seat in the front row. The band had just taken the stage and were playing their classic Snow Goose album. Norm walked up the road to a local hostelry. I’ve been playing the Snow Goose for the past couple of weeks to familiarise myself with the tracks. This concept album is based on the short story by Gallico, and is classic 70s progressive rock; led by Latimer’s soaring guitar, and with the highs, lows, and intricacies that you would expect of the genre. Purely instrumental it stands as a great example of the period and of orchestral rock. Last night Camel performed the piece perfectly to the delight of the crowd who sat intently throughout, giving the band a tremendous ovation at the end of each section.
“The Snow Goose: A Story of Dunkirk is a short novella by the American author Paul Gallico. It was first published in 1940 as a short story in The Saturday Evening Post, then he expanded it to create a short novella which was first published on April 7, 1941. The Snow Goose is a simple, short written parable on the regenerative power of friendship and love, set against a backdrop of the horror of war. It documents the growth of a friendship between Philip Rhayader, an artist living a solitary life in an abandoned lighthouse in the marshlands of wartime Essex because of his disabilities, and a young local girl, Fritha. The Snow Goose, symbolic of both Rhayader (Gallico) and the world itself, wounded by gunshot and many miles from home, is found by Fritha and, as the human friendship blossoms, the bird is nursed back to flight, and revisits the lighthouse in its migration for several years, as Fritha grows up. Rhayader and his small sailboat eventually are lost in the British retreat from Dunkirk, having saved several hundred men. The bird, which was with Rhayader, returns briefly to the grown Fritha on the marshes. She interprets this as Rhayader’s soul taking farewell of her (and realizes she had come to love him). Afterwards, a German pilot destroys Rhayader’s lighthouse and all of his work, except for one portrait Fritha saves after his death: a painting of her as Rhayader first saw her—a child, with the wounded snow goose in her arms.” (Wikipedia).
During the interval I popped out and met up with Norm, for a swift drink. In the second half of the show Camel played a selection of tracks from their large back catalogue. I should have invested more time listening to their material before the show, as most of the tracks were unfamiliar to me. Vocals were shared between Colin Bass and Latimer, but it was the latter who shone as the star of the show. His guitar playing was outstanding; I’d forgotten just how good he is. It looked like he was really enjoying himself, and that he couldn’t believe the crowd reaction. The stand out track for me was Mystic Queen from their first eponymous lp. Other tracks played included: Never Let Go, Echoes, Fox Hill (which was quite amusing) and closing song For Today. Encores were: Lady Fantasy and Never Let Go. After the gig I met up with Norm and we drove home, getting back around midnight. It was good to see Camel again. I need to spend some time listening to their early lps, as there are surely some gems therein.
19 Oct
John Mayall and Peter Green Sunderland Empire 2000
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and Peter Green’s Splinter Group Sunderland Empire 2000
When I was getting into music in the 60s I listened to a lot of white blues. Cream, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and Ten Years After were never off my record player back then. My guitar heroes were Clapton, Alvin Lee, Frank Zappa and Peter Green. I would listen to Greeny and The Supernatural again and again, trying to learn how to play them on my cheap Zenta guitar. There was a feel and a tone about Peter Green’s playing which gave it an atmospheric quality unlike any of the other guitar greats of the day.
This tour presented a chance to see two of my heroes from those days perform on the same stage, in my local theatre. I went along with my friend Will. It was almost 20 years since I’d seen John Mayall in concert. We’d seen Peter Green more recently at a concert at Redcar Coatham Bowl, which took place a few years earlier. Peter had been coaxed out of seclusion by long time collaborator and fellow lead guitarist Nigel Watson. Peter and the Splinter group were on stage first and played a set which drew from blues classics and from his old Fleetwood Mac days. The line-up was Peter Green (guitar and vocals), Nigel Watson (guitar and vocals), Pete Stroud (bass), Roger Cotton (piano and keyboards) and Larry Tolfree (drums). I think they played Need your Love so Bad, Oh Well, Albatross, Green Manalishi and Black Magic Woman. It was just great to see Peter again, and glimpses of the old Peter Green came through from time to time, where his guitar playing was fine and as fluid and beautiful as ever. Nigel Watson was by his side, watching over him and at times stepping in to sing or take the lead guitar parts.
After the interval John Mayall and his Bluesbreakers took to the stage. The line-up was Mayall (guitar, mouth organ and vocals), Buddy Whittington (guitar), Greg Rzab (bass), and Joe Yuele (drums). This was the first time I’d seen Buddy Whittington on guitar; he really is outstanding. Mayall has described Buddy as “possibly the greatest Bluesbreaker of them all”. I found a setlist from the Albert Hall date of the tour: Hot Ticket, White Line Fever, My Country Girl, Always A Brand New Road, Maydelle, So Many Roads, Hideaway, Another Man Done Gone, Ain’t No Surrender, Nacksboro Highway, Dance With Me Honey, A Hard Road, Room To Move. Encores: Dead City, Checking’ Out My Baby
Peter Green was coaxed on stage to join John Mayall for the encore, reliving a music partnership that started in the 60s. From the programme: “Wow! John Mayall and Peter Green – can it be real- is it a dream? No! It is real, you are going to see two legends of the blues playing on the same bill – the Godfather of British Blues and the prodigal son – pulling E, G and A out of the air to weave their magic at your heartstrings…..Ladies and gentlemen, sit back and enjoy John Mayall and Peter Green in an evening of the best British blues you’ve heard fro a long time – if not ever!”
18 Oct
John Mayall Newcastle City Hall 1971 and 1972
John Mayall Newcastle City Hall 1971 and 1972
I first saw John Mayall in 1971 and 1972 at Newcastle City Hall. I had the “Hard Road” and “Bluesbreakers” lps, and played them a lot, and I was also aware of the pedigree of Mayall’s bands over the years. The line-up for the 1971 tour was: John Mayall on vocals, harmonica, keyboards; the young Jimmy McCulloch on guitar, Larry Taylor on bass, and Keef Hartley on drums. Jimmy McCulloch was just 18 at the time, and had already had major chart success as a member of Thunderclap Newman. Larry Taylor joined Mayall from Canned Heat, and Keef Hartley was leading his own band at the time. McCulloch was just an amazing guitarist, and went on to join Stone the Crows and then Paul McCartney and Wings. Support for the 1972 tour came from American soft rock band Eggs Over Easy, who were quite good. 
I’m afraid I don’t recall which tracks Mayall and the band played that night, but it was, of course, some great blues. There is a live recording of the band from October 1971 on Youtube. Mayall was back at the City Hall the following year. I’m less clear who was in his band for that concert, but think it was probably like this: Keef Hartley on drums again, John Mayall (of course), Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Freddy Robinson on guitar, Clifford Solomon on sax. This was a much more jazz oriented band than previous years. Support for the 1972 tour was Matching Mole featuring the great Robert Wyatt. I saw Matching Mole a couple of times; the other was at the Reading festival. In 1973, Wyatt fell from a third floor window during a party, leaving him paralysed from the waist downwards. 
From that day onwards he has concentrated his efforts into solo recordings. I remember Matching Mole as being quite avant garde and, like the headliners, they were also quite jazz-rock influenced. One of my favourite Mayall songs at the time was “Room to Move” which was played a lot in clubs at the time. The live version would come towards the end of the set and always included a lengthy and impressive mouth harp solo by Mayall. At the time I saw him, John Mayall had already been playing for many years, and of course he continues to play to this day. The great man hits 80 (!) this year, and will be touring the UK next year to celebrate. It was many years until I saw John Mayall again after these early 70s gigs. He moved to the USA in the 70s and his visits to the UK become less and less frequent. I have, however, seen him a few times in recent years, on blues package tours with Chicken Shack and Peter Green and I’ll write about those concerts over the next few days.
17 Oct
Mahogany Rush and Lone Star Newcastle City Hall 1977
Mahogany Rush and Lone Star Newcastle City Hall 1977
This was a pretty hot double bill by any standards. Lone Star were an up and coming UK band who had only recently headlined the City Hall themselves and Mahogany Rush, featuring Frank Marino, were the new US power trio cum Hendrix-style guitar sensation. Legend is that when Marino was a teen he was “visited by an apparition of Jimi Hendrix after a bad LSD trip, which led to the spirit of Hendrix entering Marino’s body and bestowing his ability to play the guitar.” Marino denies this today, but its a pretty good story. There’s no denying that Frank Marino plays guitar like Hendrix, although in interviews at the time he would always try and downplay this. The programme talks about his drug fueled dream and how he picked up guitar after coming out of hospital, suffering from the effects of a drug overdose, aged only 14!: “the guitar became a kind of therapy, some way to express and perhaps exorcise his recurring dreams, which sometimes consisted of a rock music soundtrack accompanying a visual image of each instrument personified in an everyday object. 
‘Picture the vocals’ says Frank ‘coming out of a little plastic clothespin, with choruses of them coming out of the corner, thistles and reeds coming up with the bass. Legs turning into bicycle pedals, going around so they make percussive noises” and it goes on to refer to the Hendrix “experience”: “Particularly when you have the distinct idea that the spirit of the late Jimi Hendrix has become much more than an influence, and sometimes seems to have become permanently embedded in you to the extent where you seem to be his living personification….” Now come on Frank. Unless you had no input into the tour programme and no control over it, it would be difficult for you to deny that you had a hand in the crazy Hendrix stories and comparisons.
Putting aside the question around whether Frank Marino is the “living personification” of Jimi Hendrix; Mahogany Rush were a hot live rock trio. Their set included at least one Hendrix cover maybe more, I don’t entirely remember, and was a showcase for Franks’ astonishing guitar wizardry. Lone Star also performed well, and went down a storm with the Newcastle crowd, although I seem to recall that the Hall was only around half full for this gig.
I would imagine that the set I saw at the City Hall in 1977 will have been something like this: The Answer, Dragonfly,I’m a King Bee, Excerpt form Back Door Man, A New Rock and Roll, Johnnie Be Goode, Talkin Bout a Feelin, Excerpt Who Do Ya Love, Electric Reflections of War, The World Anthem, Look at me, Strange universe, Voodoo Chile, Purple Haze. This is from the official live album recorded on a US tour in late 77 and released in 78, and an update from Damian. 
This was the only time that I’ve seen Mahogany Rush. They continue to play to this day, but their visits to the UK are few and far between now. My friend John has seen them in the States a few times and tells me how good they still are. He sent me a signed CD (pictured here). Thanks also to John for the scan of the poster from this gig.
That early acid experience clearly had a profound effect on Frank Marino. He still talks of it today, and says on his official website: “This experience became the basis of everything that I was to do in music, including the name Mahogany Rush, which was a description I would use to describe a certain sensation that I was having on the trip. The artwork on the albums, Child of the Novelty and Strange Universe are an artist’s rendition of my trip as told by me to the artist, Ivan Schwartz, who has since passed away”. John saw Frank Marino four times between 2006 and 2011. His views on those recent shows: “I thought he was just absolutely fantastic and he had the same effect on me as the first time I saw Robin Trower in 1975. An exceptional player with a good voice, he plays a lot of covers which is fine with me and has some exceptional songs in He’s Calling and Hometown Hero. Electric Reflections of War is too much for me but other than that song; its all just great.” Frank Marino last toured the UK in 2005 and he played the City Hall in 2002 as part of a package called Legends of Rock; featuring him as the opening act, followed by Uli John Roth, then Glenn Hughes and with Jack Bruce headlining. Now there’s a gig I shouldn’t have missed.
16 Oct
Crosby, Stills & Nash Gateshead Sage October 15th 2013
Crosby, Stills & Nash Gateshead Sage October 15th 2013
The past 10 years has seen several visits to the UK by Crosby and Nash, and CS&N, after many years of not visiting this country. This is the fourth time that I’ve seen C&N or CS&N in the last ten years, as well as solo shows by Stephen Stills and Neil Young. This year’s tour features Crosby, Stills and Nash who played to a packed Sage concert hall in Gateshead last night. Laura decided to join me this time. She’s not a fan, but is familiar with some of their songs, largely as a result of hearing me play them. The show was almost three hours, with an interval and featured all of the classic CS&N tracks, with some solo material and some new songs. The harmonies were, as always, still beautiful.
From the programme: “Welcome to our world of music. All our lives we’ve been focussed on touching your hearts and hopefully having you think abut the crazy world we still live in….whether it’s a love song or a subject of vital importance, it’s essential for us to communicate with you and make you a part of our lives. Hopefully our music will help you feel less lonely, less crazy and perhaps, inspire you to do something positive about your life and the lives of others. Time, family and friends are our only true currency and we have to recognise that all of us together, can make a difference and help make the world a better place for ourselves and our children. Rock on!” Still old hippies at heart, and still out there playing for us, and doing a pretty damn good job of it too.
The set list included (from memory; I have definitely missed some): Carry On/Questions; Marrakesh Express; Long Time Gone; Southern Cross; Lay Me Down; Bluebird; Love the One You’re With. Interval. Helplessly Hoping; Golden Days; Treetop Flyer; What Are Their Names; Guinnevere; Just a Song Before I Go; Burning for the Buddha; Our House; Teach Your Children; Almost Cut My Hair; Wooden Ships. Encore: Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.
15 Oct
The Motors Newcastle Mayfair 1978
The Motors Newcastle Mayfair 1978
Airport! The Motors were a British pub rock band who got swept up in the punk scene and hit the charts with “Airport”, which was a number 4 UK hit single in 1978. They were formed in London in 1977 by former Ducks Deluxe members Nick Garvey and Andy McMaster together with guitarist and front man Bram Tchaikovsky, and drummer Ricky Slaughter. I saw them a few times around this period, notably at the Reading Festival and at Newcastle Mayfair. “Airport” was rising up the charts at the time of the Mayfair gig and the place was packed. These guys had learned their craft in the pub rock scene of London, and it showed. They were a slick and professional live rock band, with some catchy tunes. As well as “Airport”, their earlier single “Dancing the Night Away” was also pretty good. Bram left the band shortly after this, and went on to lead his own band. The Motors continued for a few more years until they folded in 1982. My poster programme (pictured) tells me that support for the Mayfair gig came from heavy rock band “Marseille” and young Glasgow band “The Jolt”.
“Airport, airport, You’ve got a smiling face, You took the one I love so far away, Flying away, flying away, Airport, airport, You’ve got a smiling face, You took my lady to another place, Flying away, flying away” (The Motors, 1978).
14 Oct
Mr Big live 1976
Mr Big live 1976
Mr Big were a British pop rock band, fronted by the enigmatic Dicken. They are best known for their 1977 Top 5 hit “Romeo”. The members of Mr Big had been playing together since the late 1960s, and in 1974, the band signed to Epic Records. In 1975, Bob Hirschman, then manager of Mott the Hoople, took over as the band’s manager, and their first album, Sweet Silence, was released on EMI. In November 1975, Mr Big supported Queen on their A Night at the Opera tour. I caught the tour at the City Hall, but got in late (that’s a story for another day) and missed Mr Big. I did get to see them once or twice, and have a programme from their solo tour. I don’t recall whether I saw them at Redcar Bowl, or Newcastle Mayfair, or possibly both. Romeo was a catchy tune, and Mr Big were good live. Dicken was a charismatic front man with a strong raspy voice. I’ve just played some of their material on YouTube to remind myself of them. I found the following write up which describes them well: “Not to be confused with the American band that came about years later, this Mr. Big are the real deal from the 70s. Probably best known for their massive hit “Romeo” in 1977, they were hard to define or pin down to one musical genre. Their music could be Pop one moment, Hard Rock the next and anything in between. Progressive Rock even! Signed to EMI around the same time as Queen and Cockney Rebel many fans feel they should have been just as big but sadly they lost out, particularly to the former. They toured as support to Queen, Sweet, Tom Petty, Journey, Kansas, The Runaways and were signed to the Arista label in the USA. Ian Hunter (of Mott the Hoople fame) produced their third album “Seppuka” but it was not released until years later. Dicken and bassist Pete Crowther went on to form another band named Broken Home, which released two albums in the early 80s (again highly recommended listening).” I also saw Broken Home at Reading 1980. From the Mr Big tour programme: “They took the British press by strom lat year, causing some of Britain’ finest music publications to rave ecstatically over their ‘awesome creative powers’. Mr Big is the quintessential British Band.”
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