Shanghai Redcar Coatham Bowl 1975?
This was one of the first gigs I went to at Redcar Coatham Bowl. It was probably in 1975 or 1976. Shanghai were a rock band fronted by ex Rebel Rouser and top 60s R&B vocalist Cliff Bennet. The rest of the bands line-up featured former Pirate, ace guitarist and big Wilko Johnson influence Mick Green on choppy Telecaster; Brian Alterman, also on guitar; Speedy King on bass; and Pete Kircher on drums (who would later join Status Quo). This band had all the right ingredients but just never quite made it; another potentially great rock band who were passed by when punk came along and brushed everything aside. I also saw them supporting Status Quo around the same time. Shanghai lasted a couple of years, released two albums, and then split. Mick Green went on to reform the Pirates and sadly passed away in 2010, while Cliff Bennett continues to perform to this day. Wonder who the support act was. I think it may have been Raven, who were a North East band which formed in 1974 and gained popularity during the NWOBHM movement in the late 70s.
Posts Tagged ‘concerts’
24 Jun
Shanghai Redcar Coatham Bowl 1975?
23 Jun
Splinter “Costafine Town” live at Newcastle City Hall
Splinter “Costafine Town” live at Newcastle City Hall
My friend John mentioned the band Splinter to me in an email the other day, which brought back memories of this fine duo. Splinter was a two-man vocal group from the North East, South Shields in fact. The two members were Bill Elliott and Bobby Purvis and they formed in the early 1970s. Elliott and Purvis had both been members of local rock band Half Breed, who were quite popular on the circuit in the early 70s; I remember seeing them at Newcastle Mayfair or Sunderland Mecca. Splinter were connected with George Harrison, being the first act to sign to Harrison’s Dark Horse Records label. The band’s sound was often compared to The Beatles and Badfinger. Their debut album, “The Place I Love” was released in 1974 and contained the hit single “Costafine Town”. “Costafine Town” is a great pop song, and a favourite of mine at the time.
I remember seeing Splinter live at the City Hall at least once; I think they were support act for the Kinks. I recall making a special effort to pass on visiting the City Tavern or the City Hall bar, so that I could see them, largely to hear them play Costafine Town, which they of course did. I have an old vinyl copy of their debut lp upstairs. Time to get on the turntable again.
I often wondered what Costafine Town was about, and a little googling revealed the answer, which I found on the Sheilds Gazette website: “Costafine Town took its inspiration from Corstorphine Town in Shields, the stretch of the riverside between West Holborn and Templetown, which includes McNulty’s shipyard. The name was said to derive from Robert Corstorphine, the landlord of the Cookson’s Arms there in the 1830s, but it later emerged that his surname was actually, originally, Robert Marsham, and he had simply adopted the name of the locality.”
“A dirty old hole, In the side of the road, For the man who cleans the streets, Open pub doors, Where the working class goes at night.
Written on walls, Where the cats never crawl, For the glass along the top, Man I was born there, I’m gonna walk right back.
Costafine town, it’s a fine town, I’m coming home
I feel so lonely, I’ve been too long away
Costafine town, it’s a fine town, I’m coming home
I wish I’d never, Made up my mind to stray”
(Splinter, 1974)
There’s a YouTube video of the guys performing Costafine Town on the Whistle Test. Check it out. Great song.
22 Jun
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel with Orchestra & Choir Sage Gateshead 21st June 2014
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel with Orchestra & Choir Sage Gateshead 21st June 2014
It was a truly amazing experience to see Steve Harley perform the first two classic Cockney Rebel albums “The Human Menagerie” and “The Psychomodo”, accompanied by full band, the Orchestra of the Swan and Choir, conducted by Andrew Powell, last night. This concert was first performed at the Birmingham Symphony Hall in 2012, and is now available on DVD. Steve Harley said at the time “ It’s been a long time coming – something like 39 years. Now we’re here, at last, with an orchestra and a choir and a big rock band, to play those first two albums pretty well the way they appeared on the original vinyl. Maybe some things should never change, in spite of progress. Welcome, my old friends.”
First Half; The Human Menagerie: Hideaway; What Ruthy Said; Loretta’s Tale; Crazy Raver; Sebastian; Mirror Freak; My Only Vice; Muriel the Actor; Spaced Out; Judy Teen; Chameleon; Death Trip.
Second Half; The Psychomodo: Sweet Dreams; Psychomodo; Mr. Soft; Singular Band; Ritz; Cavaliers; Bed in the Corner; Sling It!; Big Big Deal; Black or White; Tumbling Down.
Encore: Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me).
A great concert. Stand-outs (although there were many, with standing ovations for several songs) were: “Sebastian”, “”Tumbling Down”, and “Make Me Smile”.
Steve Harley put his heart and soul into the performance last night. His voice just gets better with time, and the songs found a new life when played with the full band and orchestra. Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet) was star number two of the show, playing great sax and clearly enjoying every minute of it. 
Steve had some great craic with us all, telling us stories about his days with the band in the 70s, and bringing back memories for me of classic gigs at Newcastle City Hall and Reading 1974, all of which he referred to. He related a memory from the City Hall of a guy jumping off the balcony and climbing down the light tower. He introduced “Tumbling Down” by reminding us all how we would leave the hall still singing the closing line “Oh dear!….look what they’ve done to the blues, blues, blues…”. Steve quoted Hammersmith Odeon as an example, with the Cockney Rebel crowds entering the tube still singing, but I recall the very same thing happening at Newcastle City Hall, and Reading in 74 and at a gig at Redcar Coatham Bowl. But for me the high point has to be “Sebastian”, Steve shrouded in dark gothic lighting, wringing every drop of emotion out of the epic, haunting, enigmatic ballad. Stunning and beautiful. And the mass singalong, including the full orchestra singing the “ooh la la la”s, for “Make Me Smile” took us all back to our youth. Me, I was back in the City Hall, Steve was No 1 in the charts and the atmosphere was simply electric; I thought the roof would come off.
Thanks for another great night, Steve.
21 Jun
Michael Schenker Newcastle City Hall 30th November 1982
Michael Schenker Newcastle City Hall 30th November 1982
I get the impression that the mad axe man was probably not the easiest guy to work with. Come 1982 and vocalist Gary Barden was out of the MSG, to be replaced by ex Marbles and Rainbow front man Graham Bonnet, he of the powerful voice with an amazing range. On top of that drummer Cozy Powell and Schenker’s UFO mate Paul Raymond were also off. A new album “Assault Attack” was recorded and released and a tour followed soon after. However by the time the tour started Graham Bonnet was gone, and the vocal spot was refilled by Gary Barden. What was happening! I was looking forward to seeing Schenker and Bonnet together; now that would have been some gig. The rest of the line-up was Chriss Glenn on bass (aha someone stayed constant) and his SAHB pal Ted McKenna on drums.
The tour called at Newcastle City Hall on 30th November 1982, and it was another good concert, even if we didn’t get the chance to see Graham Bonnet. Less UFO songs this time around, but we still got “Doctor Doctor” 🙂
An audience recording exists; I found this comment about the gig on the Live Rock Avenue blog spot: “Assault Attack tour but no Graham bonnet, unfortunately. Assault attack was a masterpiece, on the same level of the first two studio album but rawer,harder, heavier, bluesier…Barden’s abilities weren’t the same as Bonnet’s. Assault attack, Dancer, Samurai, Broken promises were left out of the set list due to Barden’s inabilities. However a great concert. Also Looking for love was played!”
Setlist: Ulcer; Cry for the nations; Attack of the mad axeman; Rock you to the ground; Bijou Pleasurette; Victim of illusion; Into the arena; Desert song; Curvoisier Concerto; Lost horizon; Let sleeping dogs lie; We are looking for love;,Armed and ready; Doctor doctor; Ready to rock; Rock Bottom
This was the last time I saw Michael Schenker, which is a mistake on my part. Another one to add to my list of people to see again. I see he is touring again in December….
20 Jun
Michael Schenker Newcastle City Hall 2nd Oct 1980 and 4th Sep 1981
Michael Schenker Newcastle City Hall 1980 and 1981
Michael Schenker was (and still is) a true guitar legend. Back in the mid 70s, Shenker was the man. Great rock attitude, a reputation for being a pretty wild guy, great screeching riffs, fast fingers up and down the neck of his Flying V, a little bit flashy, so skinny, and amazing long blonde hair. I saw him many times with UFO right back from the early days when they used to play quite regularly at Sunderland Mecca. I would stand on the dance floor transfixed by Schenker’s playing, and had a few mates who swore down that he was the best guitarist at the time. “Doctor Doctor” was of course a big favourite of all of us, and the dance floor would always fill when it was played. Then around 1978, shock horror, Schenker announced that he was leaving UFO. He was becoming known for drug and drink excess, for being unreliable, disappearing for spells. The usual tale of a young guy (he was only 17 when he joined UFO) and too much too soon. However it seemed that he soon got his act together and that by 1980 he was of sufficient stature to lead his own band, and to go out and headline his own tour. Schenker set about assembling a band of top rate musicians. By 1981 his band included Schenker on his signature Gibson Flying V lead guitar, newcomer and Schenker discovery Gary Barden on vocals, ex SAHB Chris Glen on bass, his old UFO pall Paul Raymond on keyboards and rhythm guitar, and powerhouse drum supremo Cozy Powell.
I saw Schenker on his 1980 tour, in support of his first solo album “The Michael Schenker Group, when he called at Newcastle City Hall on 2nd October 1980 and at the same venue again on 4th September 1981 when he played in support of his second solo lp “MSG”. Both shows were opportunities for Schenker to show us what virtuoso rock guitar playing is all about. The set featured a mix of his new solo stuff and UFO favourites like “Rock Bottom”, “Shoot Shoot”, “Lights Out” and of course “Doctor Doctor”, which, for me, is one of the great classic rock songs, and a track that I play to this day.
Setlist from the Hammersmith Odeon gig of the same tour: Armed and Ready; Cry for the Nations; Victim of Illusion; Natural Thing; Feels Like a Good Thing; Into the Arena; Looking Out from Nowhere; Rock Bottom; Tales of Mystery; Lost Horizons; Shoot Shoot; Doctor Doctor; Lights Out
From the 1981 tour programme:
“The Mad Axe Man is Back.”
“Is it Loud Enough?”
I just have to hear the first few bars of “Doctor Doctor” with that magnificent swirling guitar, and I’m back on that dance floor again – just to the right of the plastic palm tree 🙂
“Doctor doctor, please…..
Oh, the mess I’m in
Doctor doctor, please…oh, the mess I’m in
She walked up to me and really stole my heart
And then she started to take my body apart
Livin’ lovin’ I’m on the run
So far away from you
Livin’ lovin’ I’m on the run
So far away from you”
(Schenker and Mogg, 1974)
Wow is that song really 40 years old ? 🙂
It all seems like yesterday…..so recent, and yet so long ago
19 Jun
Joe Satriani Newcastle City Hall 29th May 1990
Joe Satriani Newcastle City Hall 29th May 1990
Joe Satriani was inspired to pick up the guitar at age 14 when he learnt of the death of Jimi Hendrix and is “one of the most technically accomplished and widely respected guitarists to emerge in recent times.” (Greg Pato, AllMusic bio). A group of us went to see Joe Satriani when he appeared at Newcastle City Hall in 1990, shortly after he had released his highly successful third album “Flying In A Blue Dream”. I recall a set of super ace virtuoso guitar work, largely instrumental, although I believe Joe did sing on a couple of numbers. His work is heavily influenced by themes from science fiction with titles like “Surfing with the Alien” and “The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing”. “When he was just a little-biddy boy, ace widdlist Joe Satriani used to have weird dreams, dreams where he was flying around in “this blue colour” which coulda been “sky or space or water”. Hmmm, weird huh? But wait, it gets weirder… he’s still having them, has a new LP out called Flying In A Blue Dream featuring ‘The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing’ ” (Steffan Chirazi, Kerrang!, 1989)
18 Jun
Skid Row Whitley Bay Ice Rink 15th Nov 1991
Skid Row Whitley Bay Ice Rink 15th Nov 1991
Support from Love / Hate
I often learn something new when I do a blog entry. I already knew, of course, that Skid Row had been an Irish Rick band of the early 70s featuring Gary Moore and Brush Sheils (and later Tonka Chapman). And I also knew that the US Skid Row was a very different, heavy rock, band who were big during the late 80s and early 90s. What I didn’t realise until today (thanks to Wikipedia) is that the latter band had connections with Jon Bon Jovi and that “reportedly, Jon Bon Jovi asked Gary Moore – guitarist with late ’60s Irish rock group Skid Row – to sell the rights to the name for $35,000.”
I took Ashleigh and her friend to see Skid Row at Whitley Bay Ice Rink in 1991. They were big fans while, to be honest, I knew little by the band. I lurked at the back of the hall while Ashleigh and her mate joined the mosh down front. Ths tour was at the time of Skid Row’s second album “Slave to the Grind”, which “marked the band’s move towards a heavier sound. The lyrics were more complex, criticizing modern ways of life, authority, politics, drugs, and organized religion, among other topics.” (Wikipedia). The line-up of the band at the time was Rob Affuso on drums; Sebastian Bach on lead vocals; Rachel Bolan on bass, and guitarists Scotti Hill and Dave “The Snake” Sabo.
Setlist: Slave to the Grind; Big Guns; Here I Am; Makin’ a Mess; 18 and Life; Piece of Me; Sweet Little Sister; Psycho Therapy; Wasted Time; Psycho Love; Mudkicker; Midnight / Tornado; Quicksand Jesus; Get the **** Out; Monkey Business; Riot Act; Train Kept A-Rollin; Youth Gone Wild
17 Jun
The Stiff Tour 1977 Middlesbrough Town Hall
The Stiff Tour 1977 Middlesbrough Town Hall and Newcastle Poly
The Stiff tours were a highlight of the late 70s rock calendar. These amazing events featured a selection of artists from Stiff records, travelling up and down the UK dropping into concert halls, university student unions and your local theatre. The first tour was known as the Live Stiffs Tour or 5 Live Stiffs, and took place in late 1977. My ticket stub from the gig at Middlesbrough Town Hall is here on the right, I’ve been trying to work out what the title for that concert was! Perhaps it was “The First Stiffs’ Tour” ?? Who knows 🙂 This first extravaganza boasted a stellar line-up of the new wave aristocracy with a young Elvis Costello with his fine Attractions, Ian Dury and the magnificent Blockheads, the crazy, wild and 100% authentic Wreckless Eric, The Jesus of Cool Nick Lowe (featuring rocker supremo Dave Edmunds) and ex Pink Fairies, Motorhead (and great Lewis leather jacket) Larry Wallis. A bunch of mates and I caught the tour at this Middlesbrough Town Hall gig. At the time punk was really taking off around the UK, and the old town hall was packed. I remember seeing Elvis Costello outside talking to a group of kids; my mate Norm recalls him giving them a penny for the guy. We witnessed some great music with wonderful performances from Elvis and Ian Dury that night. Ian stole the show; he was at his height at the time, performing material from New Boots and Panties!!: “Sweet Gene Vincent”, “Billericay Dickie”, and “Clever Trevor”. The gig ended with everyone on stage performing Dury’s “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll”. Amazing!!
The tour called at Newcastle Polytechnic a couple of weeks later. I enjoyed the show so much, I went along again, this time with Marie. Marie has a better memory than me on this gig, and can recall us chatting to Elvis Costello in the union bar. She swears that Captain Sensible was with him, holding court to a few of us, in a typical mad mood, and show off that he is, he ate an entire packet of crisps, including the bag, all in one go in front of us. I do have a vague memory of meeting the Captain, but couldn’t be certain that it was the same night as the Stiffs tour. I wish I had kept a diary…
A bargain at £1.50
16 Jun
Sex Gang Children Dingwalls Newcastle 1983?
Sex Gang Children Dingwalls Newcastle 1983?
Sex Gang Children were an early goth, post-punk band that formed in the early 80s, and were one of the more well-known bands of the “Batcave” scene. The “Batcave” was a night club in London at the time, which is often credited with being one of the places out of which “goth” grew. Sex Gang Children were fronted by Andi Sex Gang on vocals. I remember them as a very dark (of course) band, with dramatic songs, heavy bass and tribal drumming. This gig was probably in 1983, around the time that Sex Gang Children released their only studio album “Song and Legend” which made the top of the UK Indie Chart and contained the single “Sebastiane”.
Their setlist of the time was something like this: Cannibal Queen; German Nun; State of Mind; Draconian Dream; Beasts; Kill Machine; Killer ‘K’; Dieche; Oh Funny Man; Sebastiane; Song and Legend. Encore: The Crack Up
15 Jun
Magna Carta Burnsall Village Hall 14th June 2014
Magna Carta Burnsall Village Hall 14th June 2014 The Grassington Festival 
Magna Carta one of a few bands that I’d promised myself I would try and see again if I ever gotthe chance. I think (but I can never be certain these days) that I saw Magna Carta somewhere sometime in the early 70s. One thing I am certain of was that I first saw them on TV in 1970 or 1971, playing on the Old Grey Whistle Test, or it may have been its predecessor Disco 2. They played a simply stunning version of “Airport Song” with spellbinding vocals from Glen Stuart. I remember talking about it with mates at school the next day, and we were all impressed by them. Three things stuck out which marked that performance for me. The first was the amazing bush of hair which circled Glen’s face. The second was the purity, clarity and high pitch of his vocals (he apparently had a five octave range). And the third was the perfect harmonies between Glen and Chris. Actually, thinking about it, there was a fourth aspect of the performance that I must mention; the exquisite guitar work of Davey Johnstone (he would shortly leave to join Elton John’s band). Today Magna Carta are (as they always were) led by founder and main songwriter, and great dalesman, Chris Simpson. From Chris’ bio on the Magna Carta site: “Chris grew up in the Yorkshire Dales, in a 16th century stone house lit by candles where, in the words of his song Wild Horses: “No T.V. or electric light And the darkness fell like a Winter’s night Silence was a friend you did not question…” He is a true Dalesman. His influences are an eclectic mix of Steinbeck, Dickens, Buchan and Hemingway together with Elvis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee and Chuck Berry.” The current Magna Carta band also features Laurens Joensen (an excellent guitarist, mandolinist and multi-instrumentalist from Amsterdam), John Shepard (drums), Wendy Ross (classically trained award-winning violinist), Will Stockbridge, the 17 year old son of Chris’ friend Nigel the guitar technician from Richmond on bass (Nigel restored an old bass for me some years ago), and Chris’ old friend and great joker Doug Morter (who was originally in Magna Carta in the ’80s). This concert was both a reunion and (another) farewell, and was part of the annual Grassington festival. Magna Carta and Chris Simpson have a long standing connection with the Grassington festival. Chris used to live in Grassington and he has played the festival on a number of occasions, and Magna Carta recorded an album there. Burnsall is a tiny village in the Dales. To get there I had a pleasant drive across North Yorshire, passing through Ripon and Pately Bridge on the way, and then negotiating some single track roads as I got closer to the village.
The Village Hall was easy to find; I saw a string of cars parked and figured that I was getting close. The place was already full when I arrived, the concert had been sold out for weeks. Chris told us that people had travelled from Hull, Canada and Borneo (!) for the concert. A big picture of their bass player Lee Abbott, who sadly passed away in 2012, was displayed on the wall down at the front of the small hall. The concert started at 8pm and Magna Carat played until after 11pm with a short 30 minute break. The set consisted of songs from throughout their career, including a number from “Lord of the Ages”. One of the highlights was the first UK (and home coming) performance of new song “Fields of Eden” which tells the story of the dales and features a great narrative from Andrew Jackson who has a deep rich voice, and came up onto the stage to joined the band for that song. The closing song was, of course, “Airport Song”. A pleasant evening spent with some fine musicians, great songs, deep in the heartland of the place where Chris and the songs grew. It was a privilege to see him play them back where they belong. Bought a great book, “The Complete Works of Magna Carta” at the concert; a bargain at £5 🙂
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