Bob Dylan Earls Court London Sat 17 June 1978
This was a big event for me. It had been a long time since Dylan had played in the UK, and I was determined to see him, as I hadn’t done so before. It was clear that there was going to be massive demand for tickets for these gigs, which were a string of concerts at the vast Earls Court Arena in London. Buying tickets in those days was very different than it is today with the use of the internet. It was announced that tickets would be on sale by personal application only, with a limit of four tickets per person. The tickets were to be sold at various box offices around the country and went on sale of a Sunday morning. Sadly, there was no box office in the North East of England, the nearest being Leeds, Glasgow or Sheffield. So I decided to go to Leeds to queue for tickets. I figured that I would need to arrive early so I drove to Leeds on Saturday morning, one day before tickets were due to go on sale, to buy tickets for Marie and I to see the great man. Tickets were on sale from a music shop (think it was called Barkers?) in the Headrow, which is the main street in Leeds. When I arrived at the shop, there was already a queue, as some fans having arrived on Friday night. At some point during the day, the shop decided to give us all numbered tickets to mark our place in the queue, and asked us to move on, to prevent crowding and return later to form the queue when the shop closed. This meant I was more or less guaranteed a ticket! So I had a look around Leeds and returned to join the queue around 6pm. We then got ourselves in order according to our number on the ticket (looking back it seems amazing that this worked!). It was a cold, long night queuing outside the shop, but everyone was friendly and the time passed quite quickly, although I didn’t get much sleep. There was evidence of touts, who were staying the night in hotels, and had some young kids queueing for them. By the morning the queue was massive, and curled round and round the streets. I bumped into a couple of mates from town, and agreed to buy their tickets as I was only buying two. We were soon in the shop and bought the tickets. There was some disappointment because the tickets which were sent to Leeds were for seats way up the back of the arena, but hey hey at least we were in. Also they had only sent a small number of tickets (around 1,000 or so I think) so only the first couple of hundred of people in the queue got tickets, leaving hundreds disappointed. I later talked to some friends who went to Sheffield to buy tickets, and the queue was much smaller, and they got better seats! Some others went to Glasgow and there was hardly any queue, with tickets left some days after they went on sale! 
Come the night of the show Marie and I took our seats up the back of Earls Court. The friend how I had bought tickets for kindly bought me a cassette copy of Street Legal, which was good (I still think it is a great album). Dylan was wonderful, and much better than I had hoped. The sound and the view weren’t great from our seats; sounds systems weren’t so good in those days, and video screens weren’t widely used (I don’t think there were any for this gig, but can’t be certain). Dylan was this tiny figure in a waistcoat singing those great songs. He was playing long sets at this point in his career and covered all of his classic songs, along with a selection from the Street Legal album. His voice was strong, and every time he played his mouth organ there was a great cheer from the crowd. This gig started me as a lifelong Dylan fan, and this was the first time of many I was to see the guy in concert. I will review those other gigs over the next few days.
Setlist: A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall; Love Her With a Feeling; Baby, Stop Crying; Mr. Tambourine Man; Shelter From the Storm; Love Minus Zero/No Limit; Tangled Up in Blue; Ballad of a Thin Man; Maggie’s Farm; I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met); Like a Rolling Stone; I Shall Be Released; Going, Going, Gone; Rainy Day Women #12 & 35; One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later); You’re a Big Girl Now; One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below); Blowin’ in the Wind; I Want You; Señor (Tales of Yankee Power); Masters of War; Just Like a Woman; Simple Twist of Fate; All Along the Watchtower; All I Really Want to Do; It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding); Forever Young; The Times They Are A-Changin’
Posts Tagged ‘gig’
9 Oct
Bob Dylan Earls Court London Sat 17 June 1978
8 Oct
Lonnie Donegan live in Sunderland late 70s
Lonnie Donegan Seaburn Sunderland sometime in the late 70s?
I remember seeing the late, legendary Lonnie Donegan in concert on one occasion in the late 70s. The gig was in a big marquee somewhere near the seafront it Seaburn, I think, but I can’t be certain. I do remember going along purely out of interest and not being sure what I would make of it; like many of the 50s and 60s acts, Lonnie was seen as pretty uncool around that time, and hadn’t reached the legendary status that he holds today. I was glad I went, as I was totally knocked out by the energy and passion of his performance; he was just great. He sang all the classics that I knew, having played them on old 78s as a kid: Rock Island Line; Cumberland Gap; Puttin’ On the Style; Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight?); Battle of New Orleans; and of course: My Old Man’s A Dustman. Lonnie played that banjo like there was no tomorrow and we all joined in and sang along with him. As Jack White said during his acceptance speech at the Brit awards: “Remember, Lonnie Donegan started it for you.” Or as Paul McCartney is quoted as saying: “We all bought guitars to be in a skiffle group. He was the man.” Legend.
7 Oct
Radiohead Manchester Arena Oct 6th 2012
Radiohead Manchester Arena Oct 6th 2012
Went to see Radiohead last night at Manchester Arena. It was a great gig; Laura thought it was the best gig she has ever been to :). 
Last night I started to “get” Radiohead, after some time of sitting on the fence wondering why all my family rave about them. I’ve seen them twice before, both in massive open air venues (Edinburgh Meadowbank, Lancashire Cricket Ground) and it all passed me by at those gigs. The sound wasn’t great at those big shows and we were some way from the stage. Last night was different. Laura and I had great seats (bought through WASTE; many thanks) in the front row of the first side block, just to the left of the stage. We arrived around 7pm to collect our wrist bands from the Waste area outside the arena, had a look at the merchandise (Laura bought a vinyl copy of King of Limbs, and I bought a badge: no programmes 😦 ), and took our seats around 8.15pm, having missed support act Caribou, who Laura told me good things about. Radiohead took to the stage shortly before 9pm. From the start I found myself being transfixed by Thom Yorke, who was whirling about, arms flailing and just took command of the audience. Although to my shame, none of the material was familiar to me (unlike Laura who knew every line of every song) I could appreciate the beauty and complexity of the songs this time. The light show was also just amazing, with individual screens moving up and down from the roof. 
The sound was crisp and clear from where we sat, perhaps the best I have heard for a large arena gig. It was Thom Yorke’s birthday and at one point the crowd sang Happy Birthday to him. Truly a great gig. Next time I really must get into their material so I know the songs which, I guess, would help me fully get into Radiohead. Setlist: Lotus Flower; Airbag; Bloom; The Daily Mail; Myxomatosis; The Gloaming; Separator; These Are My Twisted Words; Pyramid Song; Nude; Weird Fishes/Arpeggi; Reckoner; There There; The National Anthem; Feral; Paranoid Android. Encore 1: You and Whose Army? (Crowd sing Happy Birthday to Thom); Full Stop; Morning Mr. Magpie; Planet Telex; How to Disappear Completely. Encore 2: Give Up the Ghost; Everything In Its Right Place. Encore 3: Idioteque.
6 Oct
Doll by Doll in the late 70s
Doll by Doll in the late 70s
Doll by Doll were an intriguing band. Led by the late and sadly missed Jackie Leven, Doll by Doll surfaced around the time of punk, but their music was much deeper than the punk moniker suggests. One of my mates was raving about their first album, so I went to see them when they played at Middlesbrough Rock Garden, think it was around 1979. I also seem to recall seeing them as a support act at Newcastle City Hall, I think it was in the same year, on a Hawkwind tour. They are worthy of mention, as looking back, it is clear that they were a pretty significant, and very under-rated band. Jackie Leven came from a folk-roots background and blended this with psychedelia, some great guitar, and smattering of punk. The first album, Remember, is pretty special, and unlike anything else around at the time. Although I didn’t recognise Doll by Doll as anything particularly special when I saw them, I had their first album and played it quite often, and now realise just how unique the band were. “There are spiritual story tellers and there are soulful story tellers. I hope to be a soulful story teller. I see the two kinds as two different directions. Spiritual is ascending. Sky, God and all that. I hope my story telling is going down into the earth, is wetter, has more moisture.” Jackie Leven.
5 Oct
American Blues Legends Barnes Hotel Sunderland 1975
American Blues Legends Barnes Hotel Sunderland 1975
I’m going to have a couple of days break from covering acts beginning with the letter “D”, before I embark upon the task of covering the Bob Dylan concerts that I have attended; which will be a considerable task. So I’m going to reminisce on the time a group of American blues legends came to town. I, along with many friends, was heavily into the blues in the early 70s, so when this tour came to the Barnes Hotel in Sunderland lots of people I knew went along. I didn’t buy a ticket in advance for the gig, and went along expecting to pay at the door, only to find that the place sold out. However, that wasn’t going to deter me too much from getting in. A group of us were in the same predicament. We had some mates who did have tickets and they agreed to throw a ticket out of the window, which we used in turn to gain entry. 
It worked a treat and several of us got in for nothing. The place was packed and we were treated to a night of great blues from some true masters of the art. Lots of mouth harp playing, by the acts, and by some members of the crowd, who always seemed to have an Echo Super Vamper in their pocket, which they would bring out at any opportunity to do some serious note bending. This was the 3rd UK tour of American Blues Legends, and the only one that I saw. The bill for the 1975 tour featured Billy Boy Arnold; Lonesome Jimmy Lee Robinson; Little Joe Blue; Homesick James; Tommy Tucker; Eddie Guitar Burns; with Pete York on drums. It was a great fun night, although I remember spending much of in the bar with a group of mates. Think I walked home after the show. The tour was promoted by Big Bear records, who subsequently released an album of the tour. My programme contains a “Bank of Big Bear” voucher with a £4 note which could be cut up into 8 50p vouchers to get a reduction on albums from the Big Bear catalogue. I wonder if it is still valid?
4 Oct
Def Leppard Newcastle City Hall 1980
Def Leppard Newcastle City Hall 1980
I first saw Def Leppard at Middlesbrough Rock Garden, in their very early days. They were a new, young New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band from Sheffield, who I’d read about in Sounds. On the strength of a good write-up in Sounds, probably by Geof Barton, I decided to go along and see them, dragging along a reluctant Marie. The gig was not that full, but there was a sprinkling of bikers in there, who gave the band a good reception. The gig was in July 1979, and at that time Def Leppard were playing a mixture of covers and some of their own material. I remember them playing the single (Getcha) Rocks Off, and several Thin Lizzy covers including Jailbreak and The Boys Are Back In Town. I think they also played Bowie’s Suffragette City and UFO’s Doctor, Doctor. Good choices. I was quite impressed, particularly by the enthusiasm of singer Joe Elliot. One year on, and Def Leppard were headlining at Newcastle City Hall. I can’t be certain who the two supports were, but I think they may have been Magnum and Colossus. I had it in my mind that the support was Iron Maiden, but I think that may be my memory playing tricks with me. This was the start of a meteoric rise to mega success for Def Leppard. I can’t pretend to be a massive fan but did enjoy seeing those early gigs. This was at the time of their first album, On Trough the Night, and the set was drawn largely from that lp. Setlist from 1980: When the Walls Came Tumbling Down; It Could Be You; Rock Brigade; Satellite; Medicine Man; Let It Go; Answer to the Master; Sorrow Is a Woman; Good Morning Freedom; It Don’t Matter; Lady Strange; Overture; Rocks Off. Encore: Hello America; Wasted
3 Oct
Ray Davies Sage Gateshead 2 Oct 2012
Ray Davies Sage Gateshead 2 Oct 2012
Went along to see Ray Davies, who was back at the Sage Gateshead last night. I arrive late, missing the support, and just before Ray took to the stage. The set contained a mix of well know Kinks classics, and some lesser know songs including Misfits, Muswell Hillbilly, Oklahoma USA and Full Moon, which were a change from Ray’s usual form and a nice surprise. The format of the show was similar to last time I saw Ray. He started with himself and a guitarist, bit on acoustic guitars, and then after several songs, his band joined him. All the well known songs were played: Where Have All The Good Times Gone; Dedicated Follower Of Fashion; Sunny Afternoon (which he told us he first performed in Sunderland!); See My Friends (still my favourite Kinks song); I’m Not Like Everybody Else; Autumn Almanac; Waterloo Sunset; Victoria; All Day & All Of The Night; Lola. Seeing Ray is always great. I’ve seen him quite a few times over recently, and still enjoyed it. In fact the change in setlist made last night even more enjoyable. But I still feel a little sadness that there is no sign of a Kinks reunion. Seeing Ray reminds me how great the Kinks were, and how wonderful it would be to see Dave and Mick up there beside him.
Postcript. I have added below scans of earlier gigs where we have seen Ray Davies. These include three shows at the The Tyne Theatre and another show at the Sage. All these shows were great fun, with quite similar setlists.
2 Oct
Dr Hook Newcastle City Hall 1974 and 1977
Dr Hook Newcastle City Hall 1974 and 1977
The first time that I saw Dr Hook, they were very different from the AOR band that they became in their later days. My mate Norm and I went to see them at Newcastle City Hall in 1974. We only knew one track Sylvia’s Mother, which is a great song, and were impressed by these crazy guys, who sang a mixture of southern rock and country, with great funny lyrics, many written by poet Shel Siverstein. Those guys had incredibly long hair at the time, were all stoned, crazy hippies, and front men Ray Sawyer and Dennis Locorriere had a great line in on-stage chat. Songs from that period were: Sylvia’s Mother, Cover of the Rolling Stone, Roland The Roadie And Gertrude The Groupie, and Ballad of Lucy Jordan (later covered by Marianne Faithful). They were great fun, and totally crazy. 
By 1977 when I saw them again at the City Hall, Dr Hook were riding on a wave of major success in the UK, having hit the chart with A Little Bit More and If Not You. Support came from Alfalpha. The show seemed a little toned down to me, with less crazy banter, and more straight songs. At this point the band were changing from a rock band to more a middle of the road rock/country act. They had even had their hair cut (which disappointed me)! 
Dr Hook went on to even greater success in the UK with a string of mega-hits. However, the memories I have are of those crazy long haired guys that I saw at the City Hall in 1974. A DVD exists of the band in those early days, when they were known as Dr Hook and the Medicine Show and shows the set as; Sylvia’s Mother; Marie Lavaux; Yodel; Cops ‘N Robbers; Carry Me, Carrie; Penicillin Penny; Roland The Roadie; Freakin’ At The Freaker’s Ball; The Cover Of The Rolling Stone.
30 Sep
Dead or Alive Newcastle Mayfair 1984
Dead or Alive Newcastle Mayfair 1984
Pete Burns is a crazy, wierd guy. In 1984 he and his band Dead or Alive were riding high in the charts with their remake of KC and the Sunshine Band’s 1975 hit, Thats The Way (I Like It). This was a few months before their massive (and great) hit You Spin Me Round (Like a Record). Dead or Alive in concert was a pretty amazing experience, great rhythms and dance music, and totally crazy and compelling performance from Pete Burns, whose outrageousness and bottle impressed me immensely. This gig was before their massive success, and the Mayfair was respectably full, but not packed. The band had just released their debut album Sophisticated Boom Boom, which featured Wayne Hussey as a member of the band. Wayne, however, had left the band by the time of this tour, to join Sisters of Mercy, and then on to form The Mission. I haven’t seen Dead or Alive again since those days, although I did watch Celebrity Big Brother with interest in 2006, to see Pete Burns in the house.
29 Sep
The Damned 80s gigs
The Damned’s line-up changes several times in the late 70s and early 80s, with a few different people filling the guitar spot. I lost track of the different permutations, and I also remember seeing the band billed as The Doomed at a Rock Garden gig at one point. My mate Norm reminded me that we went to see Damned spin-off band Rat Scabies White Cats in 1978 at Whitley Bay Rex Hotel. The White Cats were short lived and Rat soon returned to The Damned fold. The Damned played Newcastle Mayfair a few times in the early 80s, and always attracted a big crowd. By then they had a lot of strong singles, and the set was much longer than in the early days. 
A live album exists of their Mayfair gig from 1982; I gig which I probably attended, and shows the setlist as being: Ignite; Disco Man; Generals; I Just Can’t Be Happy Today; Stranger on the Town; Wait for the Blackout; Bad Time for Bonzo; Curtain Call; Dozen Girls; Limit Club; Melody Lee; Fuse; Love Song; Sensible’s a Wanker; Smash It Up; Looking at You; New Rose; Happy Talk; Noise Noise Noise; Hippy Hippy Shake; Citadel. Favourites for me at that time were Smash It Up and Love Song. 
I also loved their version of Eloise, which is one of my all time favourite songs. I loved the Barry Ryan original, and remember going out and buying the single. I saw The Damned at Newcastle City Hall in 1986, around the time of Eloise, and was still impressed by them. By that time, however, Sensible had left the band, and only Vanian and Rat remained from the original line-up. I think that was the last time that I saw the band in concert. I keep meaning to go and see them again, and would really like to do so, particularly as the latest line-up features Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible. They are playing in Newcastle in December, but I’m pretty sure that I will be working in Ireland that day, so will miss them again. Must put that right sometime soon. I have some great memories of Damned gigs, and always had fun when I saw them.
The Mayfair was a great venue and I remember some crazy nights with The Damned there. Jimmy Burns has kindly sent me an image of a poster from those heady days. Many thanks, Jimmy (a.k.a. Punk Hoarder). I’m pretty sure I will have been at that concert. I have seen The Damned since then, featuring Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible from the original band and they were as crazy as ever. I have tickets for their reunion concert next year at Manchester Apollo and I am really looking forward to it. Maybe happy days can be here again.
Vintagerock's Weblog. 