Another “trip out” to see a group of (who seem like) old friends. This time it was the acoustic version of Fairport Convention, which is basically the band without a drummer. The venue was the lovely Queen’s Hall Arts Centre in Hexham. A bit of an adventure to a new (for me, anyway) venue. I have visited Hexham many times in the past; to the market and to take my son to hockey matches when he used to play at national level grass hockey. My friendly taxi driver was up for the challenge to take me to Hexham and back, probably approximately an 80+ mile round trip. This was the nearest that the band were appearing on their current tour, so I couldn’t resist and Jackie my carer and I made the journey the other night.
We set off early at 6 PM, giving us (hopefully) enough time to arrive for the 7:30 PM start. Well, the best made plans…., did not include a great big tailback on the A1, partly the result of heavy traffic around the local Metrocentre, and partly due to roadworks. So, Jackie and my driver both consulted their satnavs (or in Jackie’s case Google maps) and agreed that a detour through the scenic route along quite windy roads would be the best course of action. It probably was but it did result in us arriving a few songs into the first set.
The Queen’s Hall is set behind a park in the centre of Hexham (thanks to Wikimedia Commons for the image). The staff in the venue quickly helped us up in the lift and found us some alternative seats (presumably because we were late in arriving) at the rear of the hall overlooking the stage, with actually a pretty good view of the proceedings. The staff were wonderful and really helpful throughout the night going out of their way to make sure I was safe going up and down in the lift to reach the bar during the interval.
I have seen Fairport Convention many times in recent years. Each time I enjoy them more and more. This band has a rich folk-rock heritage and a massive back catalogue of songs to draw from. Each song is preceded by a detailed and often comical explanation of the origin and meaning of the song. Each member takes a turn in explaining the songs and taking a lead role on either vocals, guitar, mandolin or violin. The first set completed with some songs which are becoming very familiar to me now. The sound was excellent and the audience reception was very warm and friendly. In a Fairport Convention concert, I often get the feeling that it is a meeting of old friends coming together, and last night was no exception. This band have a very strong, loyal following.
There was no new merchandise on sale, other than CDs and the recently published Gonna See All My Friends: A People’s history of Fairport Convention book to which I contributed and already have a copy. Still, that allowed me a little more time to venture downstairs to the bar and partake in a lovely double Glenfiddich.
The second half of the concert was excellent as always. The singing troubadours delivered a clutch of songs some familiar and some less so. “Portmeirion” is based on the village where the TV series The Prisoner was set. I used to watch it when it was first aired in the 1960s and could not understand it. Perhaps it is time to revisit it? I will see. Soon we were taken back in time again, to the day when, as told by Simon Nicol, they auditioned for a lady singer and in walked Sandy Denny who for a few short years changed the nature, sound and destiny of the band. Simon delivered an exquisite rendition of my favourite “Who Knows Where the Time Goes”. As magical as it ever was and always will be. I was pleased to see that particular song return to the set. Then followed the traditional song “Matty Groves” as the closing folk tale. But we knew that wasn’t the end. Fairport returned to deliver the timeless encore “Meet on the Ledge”. A great evening with a great band.
The journey back was another adventure. The A1 was closed for work on the road and we followed a diversion into the centre of Newcastle, through Gateshead and onward towards home. I was back home for around midnight. Roll-on next time.
Thanks to Jackie for the photos and to Chris for helping me manipulate WordPress.
Setlist: Set 1: Walk Awhile; Doctor of Physick; The Banks of Sweet Primroses; Cider Rain; Bankruptured; The Year of Fifty Nine; Lalla Rookh; The Festival Bell; Steampunkery.
Set 2: Royal Seleccion No. 13; Honour and Praise; My Love Is in America; Moses Waits; Portmeirion; The Happy Man; John Gaudie; Who Knows Where the Time Goes?; Matty Groves.
Encore: Meet on the Ledge
Another 60s show. No apologies this time. You know what, I enjoy the old hits and it doesn’t seem to matter anymore as to whether there are original members or not. I guess we return to my old question “When is a band not a band?”.
The bands on show here, as far as I can ascertain, contain only one original member between them all. But more on this later. I went along with carer Elaine and my old friend Norman and you know what? We all greatly enjoyed the “Sensational 60s Experience” and I knew every song! And this 60s concert even had a proper compere, just like a 60s package tour should. He looked great with lovely long blonde hair. I will use some of the tour blurb to describe each band and then will add my own comments on the lineup and the performance.
Opening the show were: “
“
Closing the first half were: “
Opening the second part of the show were: “
Closing the show were: “
I am continuing my quest to make up for lost time and see every band that I am interested in, and have not yet seen live. So, 
Of course, I knew “The Final Countdown” and vaguely new “Carrie” but that was about it. Anyway, time to put this right. So, I bought tickets to see Europe at the recently renamed lovely, local venue the 
From the tour information: “Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979, by lead vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson, and drummer Tony Reno. They obtained a major breakthrough in Sweden in 1982 by winning the televised competition “Rock-SM” (Swedish Rock Championships); it was the first time this competition was held, and Europe became a larger success than the competition itself.
Since their formation, Europe has released eleven studio albums, three live albums, three compilations and twenty-four music videos. Europe have millions of album sales under their belt and a No1 smash in 1986, with the legendary The Final Countdown, which received an award from YouTube in 2022 for the first Swedish band ever to receive a BILLION views for any one song.” Pretty impressive!
The first thing that surprised me was just how popular this band is. The venue was almost sold out very few seats remaining. I looked round at the T-shirts that people were wearing: Journey (yes, I see some similarities, another band I must see again as I have not seen them since they first started and I saw them at Newcastle Mayfair in the late 1970s I think), Def Leopard, Iron Maiden, Motorhead and several other classic, heavyish rock bands.
I only recognised four songs: “Final Countdown”, “Carrie”, “Rock the Night” and pretty great covers of Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” (singer Joey Tempest announced that they were good friends of David Coverdale and that he was a local lad from Redcar, which prompted a loud cheer from the crowd), and David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”. Joey Tempest is a great front man and the band are clearly great friends who have been together with the original lineup still intact, for 40 years. Again, pretty impressive. This is a true classic rock band who deserve their success. A great evening with a great band.
I first encountered 
The next time I witnessed Glenn Hughes was when he performed as part of the Jon Lord Memorial concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Again, he was a human dynamo, commanding the stage with magnificent, searing, soulful vocals. And again, he was a human powerhouse. He deserves the title “The Voice of Rock” which is often quoted about him.
I have been remiss in missing out on the last few times that Glenn played in Newcastle. This time the tour was promoted as a celebration of classic Deep Purple and the album Burn, so I could not resist attending. And I am so glad that I did. Jackie and I arrived in time to catch the last few songs of the support act 
Soon Glenn Hughes exploded onto the stage. This guy is amazing. His voice remains strong and soulful and he has so much energy. Glenn was clearly pleased to be back in the north-east and delivered a set of Deep Purple classics, each song lasting 10 to 15 minutes with extended guitar solos. There was even a drum solo! This was a proper 1970s rock performance. Standout songs were “Mistreated”, “Burn” and a great rendition of “Highway Star”.
The Voice of Rock demonstrated how he deserves this title. Great showmanship, much patting of the heart and dedication to his old friend and bandmate the late, great Tommy Bolin. They both shared addictions sadly Tommy did not survive, while Glenn managed to beat his demons. Glenn has lived in the USA for many years, and has put together an excellent band with an exceptional guitarist who did justice to those great Purple rock anthems.
An excellent night with a truly exciting and explosive rock legend. I bought a signed poster. Many thanks to Jackie and Chris for the images.
Well, I had to go and see my daughter, Laura, perform with The 
Cuddy (published by Bloomsbury, 2023) is the “experimental new novel from Benjamin Myers, the Durham-born author of The Gallows Pole, The Perfect Golden Circle, and The Offing. Cuddy is on the shortlist for the Goldsmiths Prize 2023. The novel evokes the spirit of St Cuthbert and traces the stories of ordinary people connected over 1,500 years to Cuthbert’s final resting place in Durham Cathedral.” (From the Durham Book Festival programme).
The performance consisted of Toby Jones and Samantha Neale reading extracts from Cuddy, interspersed with new songs written especially to accompany the book by The Shining Levels. This worked extremely well and the hour-long performance seemed to pass in an instant. Testimonies from the Book Festival programme describe the nature of the event below.
Rebecca Wilkie, Director of Durham Book Festival, New Writing North, said: “Durham Book Festival has a rich history of commissioning work that celebrates the literary history of Durham. When we read Durham author Benjamin Myers’ glorious and ambitious new novel, Cuddy, we knew we had to commemorate it at this year’s festival. It’s a love letter to County Durham, inspired by the enduring influence of St Cuthbert and the lives of people real and imagined, connected to Durham Cathedral across many centuries. It’s wonderful to be working with Jack McNamara and Live Theatre to dramatise an extract from the book and to see it brought to life by brilliant actors Toby Jones and Samantha Neale.
Jack McNamara, Artistic Director/ Joint Chief Executive Officer, Live Theatre, said: “Live is thrilled to partner with New Writing North and Durham Book Festival to bring a fragment of this magnificent North East novel to audiences. And who better to give St Cuthbert a voice than the always brilliant Toby Jones, who we’ve developed a very special relationship with over the last few years. Plus, bringing him together with amazing North East talent in Samantha Neale and The Shining Levels will be quite something witness. All hail St Cuddy!”
Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “It’s an honour to have Toby Jones join us at Durham Book Festival. We’re excited to see how the team will bring Benjamin Myer’s Cuddy to life, especially given the significance the story of St. Cuthbert for the County Durham community.”
Yes, I know it isn’t really rock, but it is still fun! A few years ago, I vowed never to attend a 60s revival tour again. I found them cringy; and full of really old people dancing in a very embarrassing way! Roll on some years and I have gone back on my decision. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, I realise that I love 60s music and it was the soundtrack to my childhood and early youth. Secondly, I have lost any concerns of going to see bands with very few, or no, original members. I now take the view that I will enjoy the songs, even the lineup is not 100% authentic. Finally, I am now myself a really old person and I fit in with the crowd! So let the fun begin. This was the 
Darlington Hippodrome is a lovely old theatre which I have visited several times over the years, including taking my daughter to see the Chuckle Brothers in pantomime. Good fun! This time I was going to witness a collection of bands from the 1960s. There were 7 acts in the concert so it was jampacked and very tightly timed.
First up was the 
The 2nd group was 
Next up was someone who is 100% authentic, 82 years old and still in great voice. 
Closing the first set was my main reason for going. Now when I was around 12 or 13 years old, I had several heroes. These included of course the Beatles and the Stones. However, on a Saturday morning I would attend a kids disco at Sunderland Top Rank Suite (The Rink). I would try and dress like a young mod and I modelled myself on Barry Ryan, Steve Marriott and the man who I was about to see: the one and only main mod man 
Opening the second half of the show was 
Next, we were treated to a performance of Searchers hits performed by current member 
Closing the show was the consummate professional 
I always thought that 
Unbeknown to me, during the Covid lock down, Toyah and Robert started their own Sunday lunch video stream, every Sunday, where they would perform a cover version of one of their favourite songs, largely rock classics, in which they had some sort of connection to the artist. They have now started touring the show with a full band. This is another surprise, I always had Robert Fripp down as a very quiet shy individual.
However it seems that I was wrong, and/or Toyah has succeeded in bringing him out of his shell. So Toyah does most of the talking but there is some playful banter between both of them, and Fripp sits on a stool playing absolutely impeccable Les Paul guitar. The rest of the band consists of a couple more guitarists, bass, keyboards and drums.
So, the concert starts 7:30 PM prompt, with a short interval and finishes quite early at 9:45 PM. This allows ample time to cram in a great selection of songs; a mix of covers (as aforementioned, usually with some connection to the artist) and some of Toyah’s own hits. We start with Toyah’s “Thunder In the Mountains”, followed by Blondie’s “Heart of Glass”, Toyah revealing that her husband played guitar on the Parallel Lines album, a fact that I was not aware of. It seems Fripp has many more streams to his bow that I realised.
Toyah is dressed in a lovely red frock and does some wonderful dance moves. Next up is Lenny Kravitz and “Are You Gonna Go my Way”; apparently King Crimson supported Lenny on a US tour and Toyah went along for the ride. Then Martha and the Muffins “Echo Beach” which Toyah covered and had a hit with, another fact that had somehow passed me by. Back to a Toyah favourite and “It’s a Mystery”. Brings back memories of seeing Toyah at Newcastle City Hall several times during the 1980s and even earlier when she first emerged from punk at Newcastle Mayfair. Happy days. I did wonder if she would perform any punk classics such as something by Sex Pistols. But this wasn’t to be. I guess I can’t have everything.
Toyah explained that she went to gigs in Birmingham from an early age and saw Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep and Black Sabbath: “a concert which changed my life”, leading us into “Paranoid”. Cream’s “Sunshine of your Love” is followed by “Tainted Love” and a story of how Toyah shared the bill on an 80’s tour with Mark Almond. Finally the first set concludes with Led Zeppelin and the sprawling, mystical imagery that is “Kashmir”. Toyah explains that this particular rock god visits them at their home quite often. But does she mean Plant or Page? I suspect Robert Plant?
The 2nd set begins with Metallica and “Enter Sandman”, followed quickly by “Schools Out” Toyah wielding a baseball bat and explaining how the song meant so much to her at the time of its release: “I hated school”. She also explained how Alice Cooper came online and watched her and Robert perform “Poison” from their kitchen! “Sweet Child o’ mine” is followed by “Fashion” and an explanation that Robert had a close collaboration with David Bowie and played guitar on that track. Another fact I was unaware of. The guy is clearly world-class, as of course I always knew. After a couple more great rock songs from ZZ Top and Neil Young Toyah relates another interesting story.
Trevor Horn contacted the pair recently and asked them to rerecord “Relax” and it will be released very soon. She explained how Fripp is 77 and she is 65 and the sentiment and lyrics of the song may seem a little bizarre in that context. Having said that, she sang the song directly to her husband. Billy Idol had invited Toyah to support him on his recent arena tour and hence “Rebel Yell” follows. Back to Toyah and “I Want to Be Free”.
Time for the encore and another surprise. Apparently Bowie and Eno invited Robert to travel to Berlin and play guitar on the next song “Heroes”. Classic. The closing song is the Arrows (does anyone else out there remember the TV show? I used to love it!) and Joan Jett classic “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”. A great show performed by a well-established front person and her enigmatic husband, a true rock god and guitar genius. Thanks to Elaine for the photography for the evening. Bought a signed programme during the interval. Day 3 of 3 concerts. Time for some rest.
A Stream of Memories: please bear with for this blog entry. The afternoon and the brought back lots of memories. I will ramble through them here.
I would buy every one I saw and I ended up with multiple copies of each album. So I had 5 copies of Sergeant Pepper, 7 copies of Please Please Me, 6 copies of The White Album, and so on. I gave family members full collections of all the albums and singles. I sold some on eBay. I am busy collecting a full set again on eBay, so that I have a set downstairs to play on my retro record player. I have sets upstairs but I can’t get to them in my wheelchair so I leave them intact and I start again!
I know this is crazy, but it is the madness of being a hoarder. Anyway, to get the point, Jan my carer and I were playing two albums: Hard Days Night and Beatles For Sale before leaving for the concert. I started thinking; without the Beatles where would we be? Would they be any pop and rock as we know it? Would there be any Waterboys? Anyway we left for the concert with “Babies in Black” and “I’ll Cry Instead” ringing through my head. Magic.
Newcastle Tiffany’s. The last time I saw the Waterboys was around 1985, when “Whole of the Moon” was in the charts. It was at Newcastle Tiffany’s, an old Mecca nightclub which was a great venue where I witnessed many great concerts: Altered Images when “Happy Birthday” was number 1 in the charts, Cocteau Twins, and many others. Happy days, lots of memories.
Surprisingly, for me anyway, the current band does not include violin which was central to the sound of many of the Waterboys better known songs. Instead, the Waterboys now comprise two keyboard players, who take the lead on many of the songs. One guy to the left of the stage is dressed in tight crushed velvet plum coloured flares (which he changes into tight white/black striped trousers during the interval), with a long coat and long flowing white hair to match. He plays a swirling 1960s style Hammond organ, pushing it backwards and forwards and running his fingers up and down the keyboard. He also comes to front of stage and plays a guitar keyboard (the same sort as Edgar Winter uses). He is a real showman and a great asset to the band. The other keyboard player is dressed in very smart mod gear with a natty hat to match. He concentrates on playing excellent electric piano. And Mike is front stage snarling, spitting out the songs and playing great see-through Perspex guitar, acoustic guitar and a selection of wonderful instruments.
I said I would return to the subject of loving Newcastle City Hall as a great venue. Mike Scott: “it is great to be back at the old City Hall. I have played the Sage many times, and it is a lovely venue, but it is a long time since I played the City Hall. It is good to be back here and to say “hello Newcastle” (big cheer) again” (or something like that). I don’t know many of the songs, “Fisherman’s Blues” stands out and is fantastic. “Ladbroke Grove” tells the story of Mike’s early years living in London, “It Was Over” relates the tale of an early schoolboy crush, “Piper at the Gates of Dawn” is a spoken word extract from Wind in the Willows and sounds quite mystical, appropriate and magical. Springsteen’s/Patti Smith’s “Because the Night” is mixed with a Scott song “The Pan Within”.
They return for an encore and finish with “The Whole Of the Moon” and everyone is up on their feet, singing and dancing. Mental note: go and see the Waterboys every time I can in the future. Thank you so much Ciaran for tempting me to go. It was great advice. Happy days. Thanks to Jan for the photos. I bought a lovely signed poster on the way out.
Setlist (something like this): Set 1: Where the Action Is; Glastonbury Song; How Long Will I Love You; Ladbroke Grove; A Girl Called Johnny; This Is the Sea; All Souls Hill; When Ye Go Away; Blackberry Girl; Because the Night / The Pan Within.
I have been meaning to go and see 
The press release for the new tour announced: “Lloyd Cole will release a new album, ‘On Pain’, on 23rd June ’23 on the earMUSIC label. ‘On Pain’ is Lloyd’s twelfth album as a solo artist and features eight new Lloyd Cole songs, four of which are co-written by Commotions founding members Blair Cowan and Neil Clark, who also perform on the record. The album is produced by Chris Merrick Hughes and was recorded in Lloyd’s attic studio The Establishment.” Lloyd is now based in the USA and this tour is to promote the new album.
Our friendly taxidriver took us right to the door, which was handy as it was pouring down with rain. We took our seats close to the front with a great view, just in time for the show to begin.
Set 1. Lloyd took to the stage, dressed very smart, entirely in white, alone with his acoustic guitar. His songs spanned his career, from his days with the Commotions, through to his latest album. This guy has a massive back catalogue and also a massive fan base. The theatre was almost full. Gradually, band members joined him, including a guitarist, keyboard player and a drummer. The keyboard player, Blair Cowan and guitarist Neil Clark have been with Lloyd since the early Commotions days.
By the end of this set, the full band was on stage and the performance had morphed from acoustic to electric. The songs were unfamiliar to me, but very pleasant. I was trying, in my mind, to categorise his music but found it difficult to do so: melodic, pleasant, perhaps with a smattering of country? Whatever, I enjoyed listening to these songs for the first time. At the end of the set, I was greeted by two former colleagues and we had a good chat about rock music and concerts attended. I also met a new fellow concert goer and her husband. I passed them my card which has the address of this blog. I do hope you have found my blog and can read this. Hello! (I love to find new subscribers). Time for a double Jack Daniels and ginger. Very appropriate and lovely.
I perused the merchandise stand but there were no T-shirts to buy. There was a tempting lyric sheet which the guy on the stand promised that Lloyd would be signing after the show. I held off buying one, and decided to wait and see when the concert ended and if there was still time to purchase one then.
Set list (something like this): Undressed; Mr. Malcontent; My Other Life; No Blue Skies; Night Sweats; Minor Character; Violins; Blue Like Mars; Mister Wrong; Pay for It; Perfect Skin; Wolves; Perfect Blue; The Flipside; Myrtle and Rose; Like Lovers Do; The Idiot; Brand New Friend; Forest Fire; The Young Idealists; Mainstream
They blend folk, world music and roots in a “sprawling soundscape of songs ranging from the orchestral through psychedelic pop and ethereal pastoral ballads and beyond, tipping its hat to a myriad of musical influences and styles. All delivered with the drama and exquisite vocal harmonies The Shining Levels are known for.” The venue is quite intimate and holds 30 people, so Jan and I arrive quite early to ensure a good view of the proceedings. I partake in a lovely large glass of red and a salami wrap. Perfect.
The performance is in two parts. First the band play music inspired by local author Benjamin Myers book The Gallows Pole, which I have seen them perform before, and which has recently been televised as a major BBC TV series. After a short interval the content of the music changes to songs to support Pat Barker’s book The Silence of the Girls. Pat Barker is another, quite famous and successful, local author. Both sets combine readings from the book with a selection of songs based around the themes within the story.
“Inspired by the real life events of 18th century Yorkshire criminal gang the Cragg Vale Coiners who operate in the Upper Calder Valley in the Pennines, the album’s source material …… has rapidly become a modern cult classic. Drawing on a shared childhood and background with the author (songwriter Dave is best friends with author Benjamin Myers).
The Shining Levels’ music explores themes from the book: an England divided, the potency and mystery of remote rural landscapes, industrial progress, the changing seasons, shifting fortunes, self-delusion and self-aggrandizement, poverty vs wealth, societal power structures – and strange visions of mythical creatures …… The bucolic meet the technological, and the rural collides with the digital to thrilling effect.” (Piccadilly Records, 2019).
As described above, the music is a mix of folk and swirling, meandering songs which tell aspects of the dark days discussed in the book. Vocals are shared between all four: Laura who also makes excellent use of a loop machine, Christina who plays haunting flute, Jenny who accompanies the others with atmospheric violin and singer-songwriter Dave who also provides solid backline with keyboards and guitar.
Part 2. The Silence of the Girls.
The book is described as: “The Silence of the Girls is an electrifying revision of The Iliad which for the first time gives voice to the women enslaved by the Greek army headed by the god-like warrior Achilles, through the main character Briseis.” The readings are quite haunting, as is the music, each song focusing on one aspect from the book.
Of course, I am biased, being the very proud father of one of the members Laura, but the short quotation above also demonstrates just how haunting a combination their music can be. The performance is over far too soon and then we are off into our waiting taxi. Soon we are back home, having met up with Joanne, who helps me back into my bed, the music still swirling around in my head.
The Shining Levels are: Laura Smith – Lead vocalists and looper extraordinaire; Christina Cuthbertson – Vocals, flute and percussion; Jenny Clewes – Vocal and violin; Dan Coggins – Songwriter/Producer – bass, guitars, keyboards, weird noises and vocals and Davey J – Songwriter, bass, guitars, keyboards, piano and vocals. Dan was not present this evening, but will perform with the band at their next show (which I will also attend) at Durham Gala Theatre.
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