Pete Seeger Newcastle City Hall 8th March 1978
Support from Louis Killen and The High Level Ranters
The passing earlier this week of the legendary Pete Seeger makes me cast my mind back to the one occasion I saw the great man in concert; which was at Newcastle City Hall in 1978. It is one of the simplest, yet most powerful performances I have had the pleasure of attending. I went along with a friend, neither of us massive folk fans, but the legend of the man transcends musical boundaries and drew us to the City Hall that night.
Seeger performed alone; seated centre stage on a simple wooden chair for much of the performance, accompanied only by his banjo, and sang all those great songs. He told us stories, sang his own tunes, and covered traditional and contemporary folk songs. There was a purity, authenticity and truth about his performance; Seeger was completely in tune with the audience; we all sang all with him to classics such as “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”; “If I Had a Hammer”; “Turn! Turn! Turn!”; “Little Boxes”; and “We Shall Overcome”. The title “legend” is often applied to many different artists and musicians, but few actually deserve it; Pete Seeger is one who undoubtedly and absolutely does.
Posts Tagged ‘folk’
1 Feb
Pete Seeger Newcastle City Hall 8th March 1978
23 Dec
Ray Jackson’s Lindisfarne Christmas Show Newcastle City Hall 22nd December 2013
Ray Jackson’s Lindisfarne Christmas Show Newcastle City Hall 22nd December 2013
When this show was announced, it sounded pretty improbable to me, and I just wasn’t sure that it would work. We’d been too long without a version of Lindisfarne gracing our stages, and the legendary Christmas concerts were now distant memories. But a version of Lindisfarne featuring only one original member? What would that be like?
A few events led to this year’s concert. Along the way we’ve had: the Alan Hull memorial concert; the unveiling of a plaque in Alan’s memory outside the City Hall, (with Ray Jackson playing at both events); the threatened closure of the City Hall, which was seen as a call to arms by many local musicians; and Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell performing The Lindisfarne Story (a show which I missed and really must try to see when it tours again next year). And then in May this year it all came together. The press release at the time read: “A new Lindisfarne debuts this Christmas. Ray Jackson, whose unique mandolin, harmonica and vocal styles helped create the original sound of Lindisfarne in the 1970s, is back, and will be performing live in concert with his new band for the first time this Christmas. Earlier this year a date for Ray Jackson’s Legendary Lindisfarne Christmas Show was announced……Jacka’s first Lindisfarne show for 23 years! After originally only intending to perform a single show at Newcastle City Hall on December 23rd 2013, (which sold out within hours of being announced), a 2nd show was added for December 22nd, also long since sold out. A 3rd and final Newcastle show has been added for December 20th, along with three others in Harrogate, Hull and Middlesbrough”. So the Jacka Man had taken up the challenge; supported, and no doubt encouraged, by Barry McKay, Lindisfarne manager from the 70s, and promoter of the original Christmas Concerts. Ray Jackson’s Lindisfarne are: Ray Jackson (founder member, on mandolin/harmonica/lead vocals), Dave Hull-Denholm (from the 1990’s Lindisfarne line-up, on guitars/lead vocals), Paul Thompson (from Roxy Music, on drums), Ian Thomson from the 1990’s Lindisfarne line-up, on bass guitar/double bass/vocals), Charlie Harcourt from Lindisfarne Mk 2, on guitars/vocals) and Steve Daggett (who toured and recorded with the reformed 1978 original line-up, on guitars/keyboards/vocals). For the concerts they were also joined by Tom Leary on fiddle.
As we entered the City Hall we were all given a party hat (David and I passed, both being Scrooges 🙂 ) and a free programme (donations were taken for charity). The packed out hall was greeted by Denny Ferguson as Santa (he warmed the crowd up well, but I was hoping for Mike the Mouth Elliott) and the atmosphere was friendly and high in anticipation. People were sitting up at the back of the stage behind the band, just like we did in the old days, and a huge Christmas tree stood in the corner. As soon as the new line-up started playing it was obvious that it was going to be a good night. The band recreated the Lindisfarne wall of sound and were true to their legacy and the band’s spirit, with Jacka, of course, being the star of the night. The show was in two parts, with most of the well known songs held for the last lap. 
The first set was something like this (from memory, and I will no doubt have missed some): Road to Kingdom Come, All Fall Down, Wake Up Little Sister, Scarecrow Song, City Song, Together Forever, Marshall Riley’s Army, Lady Eleanor (as haunting as ever), Court in the Act. The second set had everyone singing along to: Turn a Deaf Ear, Kings Cross Blues, Train in G Major, Uncle Sam, January Song, a beautiful Winter Song with Dave Hull-Denholm sounding uncannily like his father-in-law, Fog On The Tyne, We Can Swing Together (complete with a lengthy harmonica solo from Jacka including The Blaydon Races and the Theme from Z Cars (boo..) and just as I remember it from the 70s, and….an appearance by the High Spen Blue Diamonds Sword Dancers), Run For Home and closing with Meet Me On The Corner. The encore was: Roxy’s (or actually Canned Heat’s) Lets Work Together (a surprise and well played with lots of great harmonica from Jacka) and (of course, to send us home on our way) a great singalong to Clear White Light. Barry McKay said something about next year’s present being even better; could that hint at a Lindisfarne reunion? Rod Clements was in the audience last night, so who knows. A great night which reclaimed Newcastle’s Christmas for a legendary band, without tarnishing any memories, and gave a few thousands Geordies an early present. Well done and many thanks to Jacka.
Official Lindisfarne site: http://lindisfarne.co.uk/
Ray Jackson’s Lindisfarne: http://rayjacksonslindisfarne.com/
The Lindisfarne Story: http://www.lindisfarnestory.co.uk/
11 Dec
Roger McGuinn Newcastle City Hall 28th August 1974
Roger McGuinn Newcastle City Hall 28th August 1974
Roger McGuinn finally put the Byrds to rest in the early 70s and embarked on a solo career. He released an eponymous solo album in 1973, and in 1974 he released the album “Peace on You” and went out on tour to promote it across the USA and Europe. I saw him twice in 1974, at this show at Newcastle City Hall and three days later at a free concert in Hyde Park, where he shared the bill with Roy Harper and Julie Felix. His set consisted of tracks from his first two solo albums, smattered with a few Byrds classics. Pretty sure he played classic tracks like “Wasn’t Born to Follow”, “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”, “Mr. Spaceman”, “Chestnut Mare” and “Eight Miles High”. I recall Roger was playing a cool plexiglass guitar which had lights in it. Support came from “A Band Called O”.
6 Dec
John Martyn in concert
John Martyn in concert
I saw the great John Martyn several times in the 1970s. The first time was at festivals; the Lincoln Festival in 1972, and then Reading 1973. I remember the Reading appearance well; John appeared early on the Sunday afternoon with the great Danny Thompson on bass. At that time John was very much the folk hippy troubadour, and the song that we all knew was “May You Never” which appeared on the “Solid Air” album. I also saw John Martyn at a concert upstairs in the Londonderry pub in Sunderland; it must have been in 1972 or 1973. By that point John was beginning to experiment with his echoplex, and he was just amazing. The sound of his voice and guitar echoed again and again, filling the room with layers of sound. It was tremendous and not what I was expecting at all. John was exploring the use of his voice as an instrument, intertwining it with his echoing guitar, and creating sounds unlike anything I have ever heard before. I googled to see if I could find any record of that gig, as it doesn’t appear on his gigography. The only thing I could find was a blog report by a guy who was also at the gig: “Saw JM only once – in Sunderland at the Londonderry Hotel. Brilliant evening where he wasn’t paid a lot but promised to come and play and kept his word. Arrived in Newcastle station from London and was picked up by John …. somebody and driven through to Sunderland. Walked in – set up in a flash an started to play. I sat 8 feet away and could not believe that he was better live than on disc. Rolled the guy a j and shared it while he played. Very quiet – came into our lives and went in a couple of hours – back on the train to London…..Singing in the rain will never sound the same as when he played it live – brilliant guitar playing accompanying as always. Doo doo doo doo doo dee doo doo doo dee do dee doooo!!!!”(John B) I’d almost forgotten that he played a great version of “Singing in the Rain”.
After that great gig at the Londonderry my memories are a little vague, I’m afraid. I remember going to a gig at Newcastle University in the lateish 70s and possibly one at Sunderland Poly and Newcastle Poly? I also found a report of a gig at Redcar: “1979-11-18 UK, Redcar (Teesside), Coatham Bowl. The place wasn’t full and he was swearing (like bigtime!)” (Ian Hepplewhite). “He came on stage pissed, then smoked the biggest spliff seen by mankind and was then too out of it to play. My friend ended up crying at our table because he was so disappointed with the performance..” (Ian Wallis). I also though I saw John at Redcar, but don’t recall the gig being as poor as that. All of those 70s gigs seem to blend into one now…..
The next time I definitely saw John Martyn was at a gig at Newcastle City Hall on the Glorious Fool Tour. His band was Jeff Allen, Drums; Danny Cummings, Percussion; Max Middleton, Keyboards; and Alan Thomson, Bass. The programme sums the gig up well: “Who can fill a hall with sound using just a guitar and an echoplex? Who wears natty suits, complete with braces? Who has gained ecstatic reviews for every album he has released in the last ten years? The answer to all these questions is John Martyn. His new album “Glorious Fool” will be eagerly awaited by rock fans, not least because producer and drummer is Phil Collins, with whom Martyn collaborated on his last album Grace and Danger, his final album for Island, after an eleven album run with that label.” The Support Act that night was a band called Bumble And The Beez.
I saw John once more before he sadly passed away. That was at a concert at the Sage Gateshead in 2007. John was playing the Solid Air album, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. By then his health was poor, and he had lost part of his right leg and was in a wheelchair. But his spirit and voice were still great, and the concert was simply spell binding. John sadly passed away two years after that gig, and we lost a unique spirit and talent.
Setlist from John Martyn’s 2007 Solid Air tour: Cooltide; Looking On; Dreams by the Sea; The Man in the Station; Over The Hill; The Easy Blues; Gentle Blues; Don’t Want to Know; May You Never; I’d Rather Be the Devil; Go Down Easy; Solid Air; Rock Salt and Nails; Never Let Me Go
5 Dec
The Monkees Newcastle City Hall 1989 and Newcastle Arena 1997
The Monkees Newcastle City Hall 1990 and Newcastle Arena 1997
Hey Hey We’re the Monkees! When I was a kid, we would play out in the streets all day. But there were two TV shows that brought us all running back home so that we could watch them. One was Batman (Ker Pow 🙂 ) and the other was The Monkees. We just loved to watch the crazy antics of Mickey, Davy, Peter and Mike, and listen to those great, just perfect, pop songs. Sadly I didn’t manage to see the Monkees in concert in their hey day; the first time I saw them was when they came to Newcastle City Hall in 1989. This was their first UK tour for many years, and it was great to see them live. That show featured three of the band; Mickey, Davy, and Peter. 
Mike often resisted joining them on tour, preferring to concentrate on his own music and other projects. They were back again in 1997; this time at the cavernous Newcastle Arena, and Mike Nesmith was there too. On both occasions the guys played all of their hits, and covered the many different aspects of their career. The Monkees were always a mix of pop, country, vaudeville, stage and dance, and their shows reflected that. I saw The Monkees once more, at the City Hall a few years ago, at a concert which once again featured Mickey, Davy, and Peter (no Mike), and I blogged on that show at the time.
Sadly, on the morning of 29 February 2012, after riding one of his horses, Davy Jones complained of chest pains and was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead of a heart attack, and we lost another of our teen heroes. The Monkees were often dismissed as a “manufactured band” but if you look at the legacy of those hit pop songs, and those great TV episodes, there was much more to them. 
They captured a sense of freedom, and made us feel that the world was ours and that if we wanted to we could do just about anything. Very much of the time, but for those of us who ran into the house to watch the show, pretty special.
Setlist from the 1997 Newcastle Arena show: Last Train to Clarksville; Circle Sky; Sunny Girlfriend; Mary, Mary; You and I; Randy Scouse Git; Shades of Gray; Zilch; You Just May Be the One; Oh, What a Night; I’m a Believer; Bach’s Two-Part Invention in F Major (Peter’s keyboard solo); Rio (Mike Nesmith song); Lucille; Since I Fell for You; Daddy’s Song; For Pete’s Sake; A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You; Goin’ Down; Your Auntie Grizelda; Valleri; Listen to the Band; Porpoise Song (Theme From “Head”); Daydream Believer. Encore: (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone; Pleasant Valley Sunday.
25 Nov
Bob Dylan 24th Nov 2013 Blackpool Opera House
Bob Dylan 24th Nov 2013 Blackpool Opera House
This was my first visit to Blackpool, and it was for a pretty special occasion. Laura and I were going to see the one and only Bob Dylan in concert at the Blackpool Opera House. This was my 16th Bob Dylan concert experience, and Laura’s second. For the first time, I’d struck real lucky and managed to score front row seats. I bought the tickets the minute that they went on sale, and was amazed to find that we were sitting right down front :). We set off for Blackpool around 3pm and arrived just before 6pm, after a nice drive over the A66 and down the M6. I could see the Blackpool tower lit up from miles away as we drove in. The Opera House was quite easy to locate, being part of the Winder Gardens Complex, right in the centre of town. We ran into some old friends, had a chat about Dylan, and there was just time for a quick Italian meal before show time. We also spent a little time hunting for a stick of Blackpool rock to take back for Marie, but everything was closed on a Sunday night, so we sadly failed in that task. Dylan is on a short tour of the UK, calling at Glasgow, Blackpool and the Albert Hall; playing three nights at each venue. This is his first visit to Blackpool, and it seemed a little strange, but very welcome choice. Actually having said that, it does sort of fit. There is a feeling of old grandeur about Blackpool, a mix of greatness, tradition and the past, yet a validity within the present; all of which sits well with the legend that is Dylan. I can imagine him wandering the streets and arcades. I wonder if he did ….?
Last night was the final night of Dylan’s three consecutive shows in the venue. The Opera House is a lovely ornate hall, which holds just short on 3,000 people, and reminded me of the Odeon cinemas I would visit as a kid. Its a small intimate venue, compared to the arenas which Dylan normally plays when he comes to the UK. In recent concerts, Dylan has been playing a lot of tracks from his latest album, Tempest, with a few classics thrown in; so Laura and I knew what to expect.
Dylan and his band came on stage at 7.30pm prompt without any introduction. The opening song was “Things Have Changed”, a song from the film Wonder Boys, which was released as a single in 2000. It was clear from the start that Bob was on good form and in good voice, and the sound was crisp and clear from where we sat (there had been reports of poor sound on the first night in Blackpool). It was great to have such a close and unobstructed view of Bob and his Band. Dylan alternated between standing at the mike centre stage (no guitar this tour), and playing a small grand piano which was to stage right. His band are excellent and feature three guitarists; Stu on acoustic rhythm, Charlie on electric lead, and Donnie on pedal steel, mandolin, banjo and violin. On the last couple of occasions I’ve seen Bob Dylan in concert, his voice has sounded stronger than it has for many years. He seems to have a settled into a deep, snarling raspy groove, not unlike Tom Waits. This gives the songs a dark, bluesy feel. There is more emotion in his voice, you know that he means every phrase. 
The set was, as expected, drawn largely from Tempest. I have the album, and have played it a number of times, but I can’t say that the songs are yet familiar to me. However, last night they sounded good, as did old favourites “She Belongs to Me”, “Tangled up in Blue” and “Simple Twist of Fate”. The encore was a great version of “All Along the Watchtower” with a slower, moodier arrangement than the usual rockier version that Dylan has been playing recently, and a new song “Roll on John”, which is about John Lennon. This was a surprise, as the last song has been “Blowing in the Wind” on other nights of the tour. The crowd cheered loudly when he started “Roll on John”; its a crowd favourite already and the end of each verse was the cue for another cheer. Bob spoke to the crowd only once, to announce the intermission. He seemed in a good mood and quite animated at times, with some staccato leg movements while he was at the mike, and some little twists while at the piano. A great performance, by a legend that just continues to please. The show finished around 9.45pm, and we were home shortly before 1am. 
Setlist: Things Have Changed; She Belongs To Me; Beyond Here Lies Nothin’; What Good Am I?; Duquesne Whistle; Waiting For You; Pay In Blood; Tangled Up In Blue; Love Sick. Intermission. High Water (For Charley Patton); Simple Twist Of Fate; Early Roman Kings; Forgetful Heart; Spirit On The Water; Scarlet Town; Soon After Midnight; Long And Wasted Years. Encore: All Along The Watchtower; Roll on John.
Bob Dylan – vocals, piano, harp. Band: Tony Garnier – bass; George Recile – drums; Stu Kimball- rhythm guitar; Charlie Sexton – lead guitar; Donnie Herron – banjo, electric mandolin, pedal steel, lap steel, violin
“Doctor, doctor, tell me the time of day; Another bottle’s empty; Another penny spent; He turned around and he slowly walked away; They shot him in the back and down he went.
Shine your light, move it on, you burn so bright, roll on John.
From the Liverpool docks to the red light Hamburg streets; Down in the quarry with the Quarrymen.”
(Bob Dylan, Roll On John, 2012)
28 Oct
Don McLean Newcastle City Hall 1980
Don McLean Newcastle City Hall 1980 
American Pie is an epic song in several senses. The album version runs at an incredible 8 minutes, although it was shortened to four minutes for the single release. Much has been written about the meaning of its cryptic lyrics, with the general consensus seeming to be that the song is about the tragic death of McLean’s hero Buddy Holly in a plane crash. McLean has been reluctant to explain the song’s meaning and is on record as joking: “It means I don’t ever have to work again if I don’t want to.” or more seriously “You will find many interpretations of my lyrics but none of them by me…. Sorry to leave you all on your own like this but long ago I realized that songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence.”. 
My enduring memory of the song is seeing Don McLean perform it at the Lincoln Festival in 1972. The weather at the festival was awful, and the heavens opened during Don’s set. However when he sang this song the rain stopped, almost as if by magic, and we all sang along.
I saw Don McLean again in 1980 at a concert at Newcastle City Hall. The tour was to support a “Greatest Hits” compilation and the support act was local folk trio Prelude. As well as “American Pie” you could be sure that Don McLean would sing his other hits “Vincent” and “Crying”, as well as less known, but just as beautiful, songs like “And I Love You So” and “Castles in the Air”. He would also include one or two Buddy Holly songs such as “Everyday”, perhaps some Elvis or Bob Dylan, and some rock’n’roll. 
From the programme: “Don McLean is without doubt one of the most influential singer songwriters in the history of popular music. He has inspired many of his contemporaries and his classic song “American Pie” (released in 1971) has become a perennial on radio all-time Top Ten request lists. Another song “Vincent” – which is played every single day at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Holland – was cited recently by Stevie Wonder as one of his all-time favourites. And another – “And I Love You So” – has become a standard. It is also one of the most sung and recorded songs in history with versions by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Perry Como and Helen Reddy leading the way.”
Thanks to John for the scan of an early tour programme. The lower image is the front cover of the 1980 UK tour programme.
26 Oct
Roy Harper Manchester Bridgewater Hall 25th October 2013
Roy Harper Manchester Bridgewater Hall 25th October 2013
It’s interesting seeing how time has affected some of my old heroes, as they reach their later years. In some cases their health has failed, and their performance and voice is a shadow of former glories; while for others, the years have been kinder and maturity and experience of stage and life have added to their concert outings. Roy Harper is in the latter category. He looks well; slim, fit, alert and his wit, sarcasm and performance are as engaging as they ever were. The young angry folk singer that I first saw almost 45 years ago seems a wiser, calmer soul, at peace with himself, his music and the friends who filled Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall to see him perform, chat with him. harangue him, and listen to songs old and new.
I arrived late, just before 8pm and a couple of minutes before Roy joined special guest Jonathan Wilson on stage. The roadworks have returned to the M62, and the pouring rain and spray slowed my journey across the Pennines. As Roy joined us, a lady came down to the front and handed him a couple of roses; he took hold of both her hands and thanked her before he started the first song. A fitting start to the evening. Like all Roy Harper concerts these days, there is a feeling of a coming together of friends, reinforced by the usual Harper banter between the man and his audience. “Show us your bus pas Roy” shouted one guy. “Hold on. I may just have it on me.” replied Roy. He did, and he held it up for all of us to see. Roy has been playing a short tour of three dates to promote his new album “Man & Myth” which has been receiving great reviews from critics and fans alike. 
The tour started at the Festival Hall a few days ago, popped into his hometown of Manchester last night, and rounds off in Bristol tomorrow. Being the only northern date, it attracted fans from all over the north of England and several Scottish hecklers were in attendance. Roy has been accompanied by Jonathan Wilson and a string and brass section for the concerts. He opened with old favourite “Highway Blues”, and his set also featured several songs from the new record: The Enemy, Time Is Temporary, Heaven Is Here, January Man, and The Stranger. This was the first time that I’d heard the new tracks, and they all sounded strong, and quite typical Roy. There was a short interval. Roy also sang old favourites “Girl from the North Country”, “Another Day” and closed with “Me and My Woman”, all of which benefited from the strings and horns. He returned to sing a beautiful version of “When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease”, and thank us all for coming “I’d like to do it again; if the scales come out right and allow me”. He admitted to being quite nervous about playing in his home town. He needn’t have been. This was classic Roy at his best.
The concert finished just after 10.30pm. I was expecting to get home by 1am, but there was an accident on the A1 near the Harrogate turn off, which caused a 10 mile tail back and a 2 hour delay. I finally reached home at 3am.
13 Oct
Deep Purple Manchester Apollo Oct 12th 2013
Deep Purple Manchester Apollo Oct 12th 2013
I decided at the last minute to go and see Deep Purple at Manchester Apollo last night. Its a couple of years since I’ve seen them and the nearest calling point of this year’s tour was Manchester. The concert wasn’t sold out, so I bought myself a standing ticket, printed it off on my computer. I was soon on my way down the A1 and across the M62 to Manchester, listening to “In Rock” as I drove down. I arrived just as support band Rockbox took to the stage. The Apollo seemed pretty full, with the stalls packed, and looking upstairs I could see very few empty seats. Rockbox were quite bizarre. They are a five piece; the singer used a loud hailer rather than a mike, and the four other guys were wearing red velvet school uniforms ala Angus Young, complete with devil horns and short trousers. The guitarist wore his amp in a satchel and had a speaker strapped to his belt. Two guys had drums hanging around their necks; one with a bass drum and the other with a snare and a couple of cymbals. And oh, there was also a guy with a huge horn, draped around him; I think it was a sousaphone. A pretty strange line-up and very different from the norm. Their set was all covers including Won’t get fooled again, Sgt Peppers, and Don’t stop me now. They went down well with the crowd, who found it good fun, and knew all the songs. 
I found a spot quite close to the stage, and Deep Purple came on bang at 9pm. They have just released a new CD “Now What?!” which is their 19th album, and their first for 8 years, and the set featured a few tracks from it. In fact, they started with a new song, which surprised me (and disappointed me a little as I was expecting usual opener Highway Star). Not to worry, however, as there were plenty of old classics for me. Each member took a solo during the set, which I usually find tiring, but last night the balance was OK, with each members instrumental piece working well, and not being over long. Favourites for me were (of course) all of the old ones: Strange Kind of Woman, Lazy, Into the Fire, Space Trucking, Smoke on the Water, and the encores Hush and Black Night. Ian Gillan’s voice was quite strong, with the usual screams intact. He is now in the habit of disappearing off stage between verses, presumably to take a rest, and a drink for his throat. They dedicated one of the new songs, Above and Beyond, to Jon Lord. Black Night closed the show at 10.45pm, and was just great. It took me a good 30 mins to get out of the car park; they pack the cars in nose to tail, so you are blocked in and can’t get out until everyone around you arrives at their car. I then got stuck in traffic driving through the city centre. I was home around 1.45am. It was good to see Deep Purple again, particularly in a relatively intimate venue. Just classic. The old ones are still the best. Setlist: Après vous; Into the Fire; Hard Lovin’ Man; Vincent Price; Strange Kind of Woman; Contact Lost (guitar Solo by Steve Morse); Uncommon Man; The Well-Dressed Guitar; The Mule (drum Solo by Ian Paice); Above and Beyond; Lazy; Hell to Pay (keyboard Solo Don Airey); Perfect Strangers; Space Truckin’; Smoke on the Water. Encore: Green Onions (Booker T. & The MG’s); Hush; (bass Solo by Roger Glover); Black Night
5 Oct
Ralph McTell Newcastle City Hall 1974
Ralph McTell Newcastle City Hall 1974
Support from Prelude
I’ve only seen Ralph McTell once in concert, back in 1974. He was already well established on the folk scene at this point, having played several major concert tours, and filling the Royal Albert Hall twice in 1973. This tour was to promote Ralph’s seventh album “Easy” which featured Danny Thompson, John Kongos and Bert Jansch. I think Danny Thompson was with Ralph on the tour. It was of course the great song “Streets of London” which drew me to the gig. “Sreets of London” was recorded in 1969, but wasn’t released as a single until 1974, reaching No 2 in the UK singles chart. At one point it was selling 90,000 copies a day, and won Ralph the Ivor Novello Award and a Silver disc.” The song was inspired by McTell’s experiences busking and hitchhiking throughout Europe, especially in Paris and the individual stories are taken from Parisians – McTell was originally going to call the song Streets of Paris; 
but eventually London was chosen because he realised he was singing about London. The song contrasts the common problems of everyday people with those of the homeless, lonely, elderly, ignored and forgotten members of society” (from Wikipedia). I loved that song at the time, and enjoyed hearing Ralph McTell sing it. The City Hall was packed for this concert, and I was surprised just how many people were already fans of the guy, and knew the songs well enough to sing along to most of them. Support came from local folk trio Prelude, who had their own UK chart success in 1974, with a distinctive a cappella version of Neil Young’s “After the Goldrush”, which reached No 21. Singer Irene Hume explains how the song came about: “We were standing at a bus stop in Stocksfield and we just started singing it. There was no particular reason, it was just a nice song. The way we do it now is really no different from the way we did it at the bus stop. We included it in our act and it went down really well – even the rowdier clubs listened to it. We certainly never thought of it as a possible single”.
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