It’s been over 30 years since I first saw The Jesus and Mary Chain live, so their return to Newcastle at NX was an unmissable date in my diary. Back in 1987, I saw them at the Mayfair and vividly recall their loud, stark, and unrelenting sound—a band whose live shows were drenched in feedback, drama and attitude. Fast-forward to 2024, and their performance has evolved, but their music still feels as raw and vital as it did back then.
The NX website said: “One of the most influential bands of their generation and beyond, The Jesus and Mary Chain mark their 40th anniversary in 2024 with a new album, Glasgow Eyes.To be released on March 8th by Fuzz Club, this is the band’s first studio album since Damage And Joy (2017). 2024 promises to be a bumper year for devotees of the Reids: the brothers will also unveil their autobiography, a documentary, and a world tour starting in March.”
From my blog entry 30+ years ago: “So, the conversation went like this. Laura: “Dad, I thought you said you saw The Jesus and Mary Chain?” Me: “Yes. I’m sure I saw them at Newcastle Mayfair.” Laura: “Well it is not on your blog.” Me: “I must’ve forgotten about it. I shall add it!” Now when I wrote my blog, I took it from tickets, programmes, and my memory. And somehow, I had forgotten this one. Not surprising; my memory is not great. I went straight to eBay and what did I find, but a ticket for the show which I quickly purchased. I had no ticket so presumably must’ve handed it in on the night. I heard a lot about this band and how legendary they were.”
I read the following on their official site: “Few bands have had such a huge effect on musical culture, as The Jesus And Mary Chain. Their attitude alone, dressed in black, angry with the world, playing short sets drenched in feedback, set the benchmark in the post-Sex Pistols music scene of London. Their seminal debut album Psychocandy would go on to change the course of popular music, channelling the sneering angst and noise distortion of the live shows into hypnotic sweet melodies layered with dark lyrics that would beguile and bewilder. Released into the world, The Jesus And Mary Chain became the darlings of British press, as they searched to find the owner of the post punk crown in the mid-80’s.”
Pretty impressive! Now did my memories live up to this? It was a Wednesday night, and I had heard quite a lot about The Jesus and Mary Chain. So, I decided to go along, by myself, to the Mayfair to see what they were like. I recall stark black-and-white lighting and lots and lots of drums and noise. I would like to say I was blown away by the birth of grunge, but the truth is my memory of the concert is quite sketchy.
I remember thinking that they were different, loud, stark, very “in your face” and quite scary in a way. I wasn’t familiar with the material but enjoyed the show and came away quite impressed. I have since watched some of their material on YouTube, such as “Kill Surf City“, which completely drags the Jan and Dean classic through punk into grunge and wish I could go back and watch the gig again!
Move forward 30 years. Celebrating their 40th anniversary, this tour was in support of their latest album Glasgow Eyes. The new material felt fresh yet entirely in keeping with their legacy, slotting seamlessly alongside their classic tracks. The set opened with “Jamcod,” followed by the iconic “April Skies” and “Head On,” immediately pulling the audience into their dark, hypnotic world.
The NX was the perfect venue—intimate but buzzing with anticipation. The crowd, spanning generations, hung on every note, from the dreamy distortion of “Some Candy Talking” to the bittersweet beauty of “Just Like Honey,” which formed part of a spine-tingling encore.
What struck me most was how timeless their sound is. Songs like “Never Understand” and “Happy When It Rains” still embody that quintessential mix of sweetness and aggression, while the live renditions of “Nine Million Rainy Days” and “Reverence” left the room shaking with energy.
This was more than a gig—it was a celebration of a band that has shaped so much of alternative music. The Reid brothers remain enigmatic on stage, letting their music do the talking. As I walked out into the cold December air, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for having witnessed them again, proving they’re as important now as they were in the ‘80s.
Many thanks to Jackie for the photographs. The remainder of the images come from my own collection and Wikimedia Commons. Many thanks also to Laura for her help with the entry and Natalie for help with manipulating the site.
Setlist: Jamcod; April Skies; Head On; Happy When It Rains; All Things Pass; Chemical Animal; Some Candy Talking; Cracking Up; Nine Million Rainy Days; Pure Poor, Far Gone and Out; Venal Joy; Blues From a Gun; Sidewalking; Between Planets; In a Hole; Sometimes Always; Darklands; Never Understand.
Encore: Just Like Honey; Taste of Cindy; Reverence.
Second night of a three night run of concerts. Which is, by the way, quite hectic for me these days! The first night was a concert by Mike and the Mechanics who I have already blogged about and were superb, followed by 
Now imagine a concert where you just go along out of interest to see what someone is like. Of course, I remember Matt Goss as a member of Bros, teenybopper heroes who were not really my cup of tea at the time. My daughter Ashleigh was really into them however. I had read that Matt had rebuilt his career as a big Las Vegas star, singing Rat Pack, crooner type songs. Intriguing. So, I decided to go along just to see what he would be like. I didn’t really know what to expect, to be honest. So along I went with carer Jackie and guest sister-in-law Elaine. All of us wondering what Matt would be like.
To say it was a revelation is an understatement. I have never seen anyone who has turned around his career 360° and come out fighting, strong and simply superb. This guy has gone from being right up top as a youngster with his twin brother (who is also making his own success as an actor) to more or less disappearing, certainly from my view point, to rebirth as a new star in America and Vegas in particular. I have never seen anyone connect with the audience in the way that Matt Goss does. To say he reaches out to the audience doesn’t touch it. He literally walked right down into the crowd taking his time to talk to people, ask them where they came from (“Redcar, where is that? Oh, just past Middlesbrough”) and offer them a small glass of tequila to give a toast to the crowd (“keep the glass, it is a gift from me”) accompanied by his bodyguard at all times.
You can just imagine him moving around the tables smoothly in Caesar’s Palace, Vegas. And then he is swiftly back up on stage singing his heart out. His voice is strong and he is accompanied by a full orchestra and excellent backing band and singers. A fantastic show. But I guess what else were we to expect given this guy goes down great in Las Vegas. We were all totally overwhelmed by it. This is a show to top all other shows. I am not exaggerating when I say it was one of the best concerts I have ever attended. No joke, this guy is the business. He has everything, no fear, totally authentic, great voice, looks just great, snazzy suit, great moves on stage and a repertoire of classic songs.
Some of my favourite songs of all time from the Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Cole Porter stable. So, he sang “Luck Be a Lady Tonight”, the fabulous “Nature Boy” (one of my all-time favourite songs), Anthony Newley’s “Feeling Good” (another favourite of mine), “Birds Do It” (you know this one… Let’s Fall in Love), “Fly Me to the Moon” and (“it took me a long time to feel I earned the right to sing this one, but now I feel I can”) “My Way”. The classics keep coming. He throws in some new songs, which I obviously don’t know but sounded good; one is called “Mustang”. And he takes is back to his old band and “When Will I be Famous” and “I owe You Nothing”.
Simply great. Jackie, Elaine and I are all in total agreement. We had all witnessed something special.
I am now at the point of adding entries to my blog, when I suddenly remember a concert from many years ago that I have yet to write about. This comes about for two reasons. Firstly, I created the blog by working systematically through my tickets and programmes. Secondly, however, this means that I missed concerts along the way if I did not have a ticket or a programme or a strong memory of the gig. So every now and then one pops into my mind. This gig, is one such example. Some of these are already listed briefly in a post entitled “Other Memories”. But now is the time to write about those other memories!
And so it was that I, and two friends (who shall remain nameless for reasons which will become obvious); one from Sunderland who had come down to London with me, and another who had recently moved to Acton, went along to savour the delights of the Marquee Club and the pub rock band 
Stadium and the Elton John concert (a story which I have already blogged on).
The set comprises several blues standards, and songs from Mayall’s extensive back catalogue. The sound is somewhat laid-back, in the style of a Chicago blues combo with each excellent instrumentalist being given the chance to highlight their skill in an extended solo; including electric piano and harmonica solos by Mayall himself. That is the strength of Mayall. The man comes over as modest, happy and content to allow his band members to flourish, shine and excel and then move on to further their own successful careers; from Clapton onwards and Buddy Whittington himself being a recent example. There are quite a few songs I recognise and several I don’t; nonetheless I enjoyed the set, as did my carer Jackie, and continue to marvel at the legend that is John Mayall. His tiny guitar, which I have seen many times over the years, never ceases to fascinate me. Mayall finished the set with, what else but, his own standard “Room to Move” with much harmonica excellence on display. Long may he continue. Respect. Until the next time.
a kid, maybe 10 or 11, the public house over the road “The Colliery Inn” would sell off the jukebox copies of recent hit singles when they left the charts, or when the locals lost interest in them. My mates and I would regularly go to the side entrance of the bar, where there was a little hatch and ask the barmaid to look at the records. She would bring out a box of 45 rpm singles, each with their centres pushed out for operation in the jukebox. We would, with delight, look through the pile of records including The Rolling Stones, Small Faces, The Who and others. I can still smell the beer that wafted out of the bar; lovely! There were never many Beatles singles; someone must have held on to them. I remember buying copies of “19th Nervous Breakdown”, “Little Red Rooster”, “Have You Seen Your Mother Baby (Standing in the Shadow)” and “Paint It Black”. I had to buy plastic centres for the records in order to play them on my old record player. I would stack up the records and play them again and again; particularly “Paint It Black”. My lifelong obsession with the Rolling Stones began then.
A few years later, I was a young teenager sitting in awe in Newcastle City Hall in 1971, watching in disbelief at my hero Mick Jagger. I couldn’t believe that I was actually saying the Rolling Stones, in real life, in front of me! From then on, I have seen the Stones many times; joining 200,000 fans at Knebworth Park in 1976, many shows in football stadiums around the country, and more recently, concerts in London’s plush O2 arena and at the Glastonbury Festival.
Before my accident, buying tickets was very different, and much easier. I would go to my computer; a few clicks and I had my tickets! Ticket buying is very different now I need a wheelchair space. I need to locate the accessible phone line and phone that number, only to be put into a queue, listening to music until I finally got through to an operator. I am then allocated my spot in the stadium and a free ticket for my carer. Sometimes I could be in the queue for over one hour, hoping to get tickets. This is admittedly much easier than queueing for tickets which I did many times in the 1970s. I once queued 28 hours outside Newcastle City Hall to buy tickets for the Rolling Stones! The logistics of travelling to a major gig have changed since being in a wheelchair. I need to plan ahead carefully. I book an accessible taxi to the train station, accessible seats on the train and two hotel rooms (one disabled room for me, one twin room for my carers). I take two carers with me, for different shifts during the night. Booking the train involves phoning the accessible travel line and then another number to book train tickets. I need to arrive at the station early and look for the friendly guys with a ramp who assist me on to the train.
“Gimme Shelter “and (of course) “Satisfaction”.
Well it has been more than 30 years since The Maiden and I touched base. Too long. I have many happy memories of 
They enter the stage to the music of UFO’s “Doctor Doctor” (great choice and clearly setting out their influences) and then straight into a set which draws from their entire back catalogue, and heavily from their new album The Book of Souls. There are lots of songs that are new to me, but they all sound great and when they go back to the early days and “Iron Maiden” and the first encore “The Number of the Beast”, I am on familiar territory. I was expecting “Run To the Hills” and they don’t play it, but hey you can’t always have everything. They leave the stage to the music of Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”, which about sums the evening and the whole experience for me. My carer, Alan, was a Maiden virgin but really enjoyed the whole thing. A great night with a great band. It was like meeting old friends again. I was back on the rock ‘n’ roll rollercoaster; in a wheelchair, but still rocking away. Happy days are here again.
“James Bond has a license to kill, rockstars have a license to be outrageous. Rock is about grabbing people’s attention.” “I was never interested in being a rock star. I always wanted to be Boris Karloff.” (Gene Simmons).
So I went along, no preconceptions, not expecting too much and more out of interest than anything. And what did I get? Probably in terms of a concert, and experience, the greatest rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza you can imagine. You think of it and KISS do it: loud (and I mean LOUD) rock music, rising drum kit, Gene Simmons spitting blood and breathing fire (and playing some loud, fast bass), Paul Stanley coming round the crowd on a mini stage hoisted on a small crane, explosions, fireworks, rockets: you name it and KISS give you it. A total over the top experience. Wow and double Wow!
Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” (quite fitting). They march on stage and original members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley get massive cheers from the crowd. Gene Simmons still has the longest, funniest tongue in the business and Paul Stanley remains the ultimate rock god caricature. “Lick It up” contains a short segment of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (the Who). The songs are not the greatest, nor the most memorable, but they are great rock ‘n’ roll tunes and the spectacle overpowers the music. Of course we all know and sing along to “Crazy Crazy Nights” and (Argent’s) “God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll to You” and for the rest of the night we get lost in the loudness, craziness and showmanship. In many ways the best rock ‘n’ roll night out you could have. Even Lisa, new to the band, came away with a big grin on her face.
Setlist: Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song as intro); Detroit Rock City; Shout It Out Loud; Deuce; Say Yeah; I Love It Loud; Heaven’s on Fire; War Machine (Gene breathes fire); Lick It Up (with short segment of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” ); Calling Dr. Love; 100,000 Years (with drum solo); Cold Gin; God of Thunder (Gene spits blood); Psycho Circus; Let Me Go, Rock ‘N’ Roll; Love Gun (Paul on stage in crowd for this song and the next); I Was Made for Lovin’ You; Black Diamond. Encore: Beth; Crazy Crazy Nights; Rock and Roll All Nite; God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll to You![_DSC3253 [LR]](https://myvintagerock.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/dsc3253-lr.jpg)
Mark recently sent me some great photographs of punk bands playing locally in the late 70s and I have been including these in my posts. One band that I now realise I should have highlighted before is Teesside punk rockers ![_DSC3235 [CROP][LR]](https://myvintagerock.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/dsc3235-croplr.jpg)
gig in which their set was interrupted by young band Speed who would often turn up and play at gigs unannounced. I also saw them supporting Generation X at Newcastle University (11th March 1978), X-Ray Spex at Redcar Coatham Bowl (23rd April 1978) and Penetration at Redcar Coatham Bowl (8th December 1978). I also saw them supporting Penetration at Middlesbrough Rock Garden on at least a couple of occasions (possibly 27th January 1978 and/or 18th March 1978). (Thanks to the great Blitzkrieg Bop site for the dates of the gigs).
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