Camel Newcastle City Hall 1979
The last time I saw Camel in concert was in 1979 at Newcastle City Hall. By this time the late Peter Bardens had left the band, and had been replaced by two keyboard players. I remember wondering how the band would survive the departure of such a key founder member, and was a little unsure whether to go along to the concert this time around. However a few of us did go along, and the band performed as consistently as ever. 
The tour was to promote the new album “I Can See Your House from Here”, which was quite controversial as a result of its cover which features a crucified astronaut looking down on the earth. I haven’t seen Camel since 1979, although versions of the band have toured up until 2003; with Andy Latimer at the helm. Andy’s poor health has restricted Camel activity in recent years, however the good news is that the Camel website suggests that a new album is under development. Setlist from the London show of the tour: Echoes; Unevensong; Song within a Song; Neon Magic; Rhayader; Rhayader Goes to Town; Migration; Rainbow’s End; Wait; Ice; Hymn to Her; Announcement; Who We Are. Encore: Your Love Is Stranger Than Mine; Never Let Go
Posts Tagged ‘folk’
27 Jul
Camel Newcastle City Hall 1979
26 Jul
Michael Chapman: a Fully Qualified Survivor
Michael Chapman gigs in the 1970s
Michael must have spent the whole of the 1970s gigging up and down the country. I recall seeing him support several major touring artists: Emerson, Lake and Palmer; Focus and Camel come to mind, but I’m sure there were several others. I also recall going to see him as headline act at Newcastle Mayfair one Friday night around 1975 or 1976. Pretty sure he had a full band with him that night, featuring Keef Hartley on drums, and Rick Kemp on bass. Danny Thompson also often played with Michael, on acoustic double bass. If you haven’t heard any of Michael’s material, listen to his first album Rainmaker, or the Fully Qualified Survivor album, both of which are classics. Michael continues to play to this day, and is another guy who I really must catch up with and go and see again. I always enjoyed seeing him in the 70s, his guitar playing is as strong as his songs and his soulful voice.
25 Jul
Camel Newcastle City Hall 1978
Camel Newcastle City Hall 1978
Support Michael Chapman
I was back in the City Hall again in 1978 to see Camel, with support from Michael Chapman. This tour was to promote the Breathless album, and the set included tracks from the new album, as well as a medley of tracks from the Snow Goose album. I remember being quite pleased to hear the Snow Goose material. This was to be the last tour with founder Peter Bardens in the line up. 
Support Michael Chapman seemed to be gigging constantly throughout the 70s. I must have seen him support many different artists. Michael deserves a separate mention: I’ll blog on him tomorrow. Setlist: Earthrise; Unevensong; Song within a Song; The Sleeper; Summer Lightning; Tell Me; La Princesse Perdue; Skylines; Echoes; Never Let Go; One of These Days I’ll Get an Early Night; Lunar Sea. The Snow Goose Medley: Rhayader Goes to Town; Sanctuary; The Snow Goose; Flight of the Snow Goose; Preparation; Dunkirk; Epitaph; La Princesse Perdue; The Great Marsh. Encore: Air Born
24 Jul
Camel Newcastle City Hall 1977
Camel Newcastle City Hall 1977
I didn’t get fully into Camel until after their breakthrough Snow Goose album. I’m not sure why I didn’t pick up on them earlier; I did see them at the Reading Festival in 1974 and 1976 but they weren’t fully on my concert-going radar until 1977, when a group of us went to see them at Newcastle City Hall. This tour was in support of Rain Dances, which was their fifth album. 
Although I always enjoyed seeing Camel in concert, I was never as familiar with their material as I was with that of contemporaries like Yes and Barclay James Harvest. My recollections of Camel are of a progrock band with excellent musicianship; and sets which were largely instrumental, and quite orchestral in nature. My other recollection was that I sometimes confused them in my own mind with Frampton’s Camel, who I saw supporting Humble Pie around the same time. Setlist: First Light; Metrognome; Unevensong; Rhayader; Rhayader Goes to Town; Preparation; Dunkirk; Fritha Alone; La Princesse Perdue; Tell Me; Song within a Song; Skylines; Highways of the Sun. Encore: Lunar Sea; Rain Dances. Encore 2: One of These Days I’ll Get an Early Night; Never Let Go
23 Jul
Dr John The Sage Gateshead 22 July 2012
SummerTyne Americana Festival 2012
Dr. John and The Lower 911 featuring Jon Cleary
Plus support Phantom Limb
Dr John took to the stage around 8.45pm last night to close the SummerTyne Americana Festival 2012 at the Sage Gateshead. The Sage was buzzing with crowds who were taking in the music which was taking place in all three halls, and on the concourse. Dr John’s concert was the highlight of the weekend (for me anyway!) and took place in the larger Hall 1. I had been preparing myself for the gig by playing my old vinyl copy of his 1969 debut lp, Gris Gris, which introduced Malcolm John “Mac” Rebennack, Jr to the world as Dr John The Night Tripper. Gris Gris combines voodoo rhtyhms with psychedelic rock and New Orleans R&B, and features the song I Walk on Guilded Splinters which had been covered by many artists including Humble Pie and Marsha Hunt. Today Dr John retains some of that image, taking to the stage with his voodoo walking stick, dressed in a sharp blue suit, wearing a cap and his hair hanging in a plat at the back. 
His six piece band featured Jon Cleary, who is a New Orleans style R&B headliner in his own right, on keyboards and occasional guitar. The rest of the band included saxophone, trombone, bass, guitar, and drums. The stage was set with Dr John’s organ and grand piano taking centre stage alongside each other, a stool between them, allowing the Dr to quickly switch between keyboards, and to play both at the same time, which he did once or twice. The set was much more R&B and blues, than voodoo, although flashes of the latter crept in at times, as did New Orleans Mardi Gras. Dr John’s band is just excellent, with each musician great in their own right, and each getting the chance to solo. 
The lady trombone player was particularly outstanding. I recognised some, but my no means all of the songs, and was impressed by Dr John whose singing and playing were just superb. The Dr is a real cool dude, who led his band through a set of songs which would be at home as much in a smokey New Orleans bar, as in a concert hall. The set included his “hit” song Right Place, Wrong Time, and a series of standards, for example: St James Infirmary, Let the Good Times Roll, Making Whoopee. A great set, although I was disappointed that he didn’t play I Walk on Guilded Splinters. I had to leave during the encore to pick Laura up. Setlist included (I have missed a few that I didn’t recognise): Locked down; Down the road; I been Hoodood; Right place wrong time; Let the good times roll (Dr John on guitar); St James Infirmary; Jon Cleary song; Ice Age; Big shot; Making whoopee; Now that you got me; That’s life?; Revolution; Goin’ back to new Orleans; Mardi Gras day. Encore: Such a Night
20 Jul
Unveiling of Alan Hull memorial plaque Newcastle City Hall 19 July 2012
Unveiling of Alan Hull memorial plaque Newcastle City Hall 19 July 2012 
A Newcastle City Memorial Plaque was unveiled today outside Newcastle City Hall to celebrate the life of Alan Hull, who died in 1995. Lindisfarne played at the City Hall over 100 times, and their Christmas concerts were part of the annual festivities for many of us during the 70s and 80s.
I was aiming to go along to the unveiling this morning, but was in a meeting at work which ran late, so I missed the actual unveiling. I did, however, make it through just in time to catch the end of a short set by Ray Jackson. Ray performed after the unveiling, on a small stage set up outside the entrance to the City Hall. A crowd of around 100 had gathered outside the City Hall for the occasion. Ray Jackson and the band, which consisted of Ray, Dave Hull Denholm and Ian Thomson on double bass, played: All Fall Down; Clear White Light; Lady Eleanor; Fog On The Tyne.
I spent some time today running through my own memories of Alan Hull and Lindisfarne. Things I remember are; Sitting at the back of the City Hall stage in the early 70s watching Lindisfarne take the crowd through songs from the first couple of albums; everyone singing along; we can swing together. Clear White Light; the encore; Sunderland Rink, standing on chairs with a group of friends from school; at the back of the ballroom; everyone just mental; we sang and sang. Standing with a group of mates; on top of our home made shack/tent; at the Lincoln Festival 1972; Lindisfarne were one of the highlights of the weekend. Going to the Alan Hull solo concert at the City Hall in the mid 70s; he played lots of songs from his solo lps; Pipedream and Squire. Marie and I singing along to Run From Home; standing on a table; a packed Redcar Coatham Bowl; 1978; the single high in the charts. Lots of Christmas concerts at the City Hall. There were many more highlights, but the one memory which really sticks in my mind is Alan standing centre stage alone, spotlight on him, at the City Hall singing Winter Song. Just beautiful. “When Winter’s shadowy fingers first pursue you down the street; And your boots no longer lie about the cold around your feet; Do you spare a thought for summer whose passage is complete; Whose memories lie in ruins and whose ruins lie in heat; When winter….. comes howling in.”
12 Jul
China Crisis Newcastle Mayfair mid 80s
China Crisis Newcastle Mayfair mid 80s
If you asked me, I would have said that I’d seen China Crisis a few times, however my ticket collection consist of only one stub, from a gig at Newcastle Mayfair, which probably took place in the early to mid 80s. I have vague memories of seeing them at Redcar Coatham Bowl as well, but that could well be a figment of my imagination. The band had some pretty pleasant tunes; I remember Wishful Thinking, King in a Catholic Style and Black Man Ray, in particular. In my head China Crisis sit in the same box as Aztec Camera and Talk Talk. Not sure what strange logic makes me place the three bands together, but there we go. Of the three bands, Talk Talk were, in my view the strongest, and were just great live; I will report on them another day. I’ve just played Black Man Ray on youtube to remind myself of China Crisis. Good song.
24 Jun
Culture Club Newcastle City Hall 1983
Culture Club Newcastle City Hall 1983
Dave and I went to see Culture Club at Newcastle City Hall in March 1983. This is the only time that I have seen the band. At this point in their career Culture Club had released their first lp “Kissing to be Clever” and had hit the singles chart twice, with the No 1 single “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” and a No 3 hit with “Time (Clock of the Heart)”. This was their first major tour, before they became really mega, with the release of the massive “Colour by Numbers” album and the world wide hit “Karma Charmeleon”. 
Boy George was (and still is) a fascinating character, and it was to see him and to hear the hit singles that drew us to The City Hall that night. Support came from The Swinging Laurels, reportedly at the request of George. The concert was pretty good; George looked great in a multi-coloured suit/dress and had impressive dreadlocks. I remember the music as being a mix of pop and reggae, and the sound much quieter than most rock gigs. The gig was sold out, and had been for some time in advance. I seem to recall that we went on to the Mayfair after the gig that night to see Marillion. 
I haven’t seen Culture Club since that night, although I did sit in the next row to Boy George on a flight to Munich once. A bootleg recording of the Liverpool show of this tour gives the setlist as: Boy Boy (I’m The Boy); I’ll Tumble 4 Ya; Mister Man; Take Control; Black Money; Love Twist; Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?; You Know I’m Not Crazy; I’m Afraid Of Me; White Boys Can’t Control It; It’s A Miracle; Church Of The Poison Mind; White Boy; Time (Clock Of The Heart)
18 Jun
Roger Chapman recent gigs at Newcastle Tyne Theatre
Roger Chapman Newcastle Tyne Theatre
Marie and I have been to see Roger Chapman a couple of times over the past ten years. Both gigs were in the beautiful setting of the Tyne Theatre in Newcastle. Chappo is in a great shape, and his voice is as strong as ever, which is pretty amazing, given his throaty warbling style. The set was a mix of solo stuff and Family favourites, the latter going down well with the local crowd, who were all 40 to 50 somethings, steeped in Family music and looking for memories and a night of great rock; both of which were delivered in ample helpings. A CD exists of a 2002 gig at the Tyne Theatre, the ste being: Kiss My Soul; Down Bound Train; Habits Of A Lifetime; Midnite Child; Blind Willie McTell; Wheels & A Crowbar; X Town; Weavers Answer; My Friend The Sun; Holding The Compass; Shank (Shadow On The Wall); Toe Nail Draggin’; Short List; Burlesque; Jesus & The Devil; In My Own Time
17 Jun
Family in concert 1972 and 1973 Newcastle Mayfair and Newcastle City Hall
Family in concert 1972 and 1973 Newcastle Mayfair and Newcastle City Hall
Family were a great favourite with rock fans in the North East of England. They came up here a lot in the late 60s and early 70s, playing Sunderland Bay Hotel, Newcastle Mayfair, Sunderland Locarno and other local venues. As I posted yesterday when writing about Roger Chapman, back in those days, if you asked anyone in the North East their favourite live band, my guess is that they would choose a band like Family who regularly played in local ballrooms and put on a great live show. In Sunderland the answer would have been Free, Family, and possibly Stray or Edgar Broughton. The first time I got to see Family was at Newcastle Mayfair in June 1972. I have very vague memories of them playing a gig at Silksworth Youth club in the late 60s, and standing outside listening, as I was too young to get in. The gig definitely happened, but my standing outside may well be a figment of my imagination. Thanks to Barry for his memories of the Silksworth Youth Club gig: “A couple of vague memories. Roger Chapman was wearing bright red trousers. When the group had a break a girl asked Chapman if they did any “Soul” music. No, was Rogers brusque reply. If I remember correctly the leader of the new youth club was a guy called Clive. He wanted to put Silksworth Youth Club on the map as music venue. Happy days..”. Back to that gig in 1973. I queued outside the Mayfair to get in early and get a good spot in front of the stage. Support came from Audience, featuring Howard Werth who, like Roger Chapman, has his own vocal and musical style. Their album, “House on the Hill” is a classic of the period. Listen to the track “You’re Not Smiling” and you’ll see what I mean. Family were great that night. Roger Chapman sang in his usual unique style, with lots of vocal and mike stand gymnastics; but what really struck my was the way that he engaged, and interacted with the audience. It was like he was meeting a group of old mates. Most of the crowd had clearly seen the band before, and there seemed to be some private joke between Roger and some of the crowd, starting with the crowd asking “What about the workers, Roger?”. The other thing, that sticks in my memory is Poli Palmer’s vibraphone; I hadn’t seen or heard anything like it before. 
By the following year Family had sadly decided to call it a day, and the next time I saw them was during their farewell tour, at Newcastle City Hall. The line up had changed (again) by the time of that gig, and the atmosphere in the City Hall was great, but tinged with sadness. Support came from Phillip Goodhand-Tait. Chapman was once again the focal point of the evening. I recall sensing as we walked out of the hall, that everyone was upset that they would not see this great band again. Family’s music was a strange and unique mix of rock, psychedelia and r&b. Singles such as The Weaver’s Answer, In My Own Time, and Burlesque were great favourites in the ballrooms of the time, the dancefloor always filling with lots of hippy dancers. Unlike many bands of that era, Family have never reformed; however Chappo continues to play (he has just announced a Christmas gig at the Y theatre is his hometown Leicester) and his set often includes several Family songs. Its a few year since I’ve seen Roger in concert (will blog on recent gigs tomorrow), but recent reports suggest that his voice remains as strong as ever.
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