Babe Ruth 1973
Babe Ruth are often forgotten, memories of them lost over time. I’m getting towards the end of posting on bands beginning with the letter B, and wanted to make sure that I covered every band of note that I have ever seen, and Babe Ruth came to mind. Babe Ruth only existed for a short period between 1972 and 1976, but made a big impression at the time, although their biggest success came in Canada rather than the UK. The original band consisted of Jenny (Janita) Haan on vocals, Alan Shacklock on guitars, and Dave Hewitt on bass. They were a classic rock band; Jenny Haan was a raucous singer in the Janis Joplin mould, and totally wild on stage. Alan Shacklock was a tremendous guitarist and wrote a lot of the material. I recall seeing them performing Wells Fargo from their first album First Base on TV on the Old Grey Whistle Test and then saw them live a few times in local ballrooms. I remember in particular seeing them at Sunderland Top Rank on the Harvestmobile tour (see flyer) which was a package tour featuring bands from the Harvest stable, including Spontaneous Combustion, ELO, Roy Wood’s Wizzard, Kevin Ayres, Roy Harper & The Edgar Broughton Band. The Sunderland gig featured Babe Ruth, ELO, and Spontaneous Combustion. 
Spontaneous Combustion were a largely instrumental power rock trio, with a great guitarist. ELO were just great in those days (will post about them separately one day), but for me the best band that night was Babe Ruth. Their first album (see left) is excellent. Go to Youtube and listen to Wells Fargo, Black Dog” (not the Zepellin track), The Mexican, and Joker. They also did a great version of Zappa’s King Kong which was a favourite of mine at the time. By 1976 Jenny Haan had left the band to form her own band Jenny Haan’s Lion. She was replaced by Ellie Hope, and by this point the band contained no original members. I remember setting off with Marie to see Jenny Haan’s Lion at a college gig somewhere near Darlington one night, driving around and never finding the gig (no satnavs in those days) and giving up in the end. I think I did get to see them in the end, possibly at Bede College in Durham. I also have vague memories of seeing the new line up of Babe Ruth with new vocalist Ellie Hope, and being disappointed as the magic had gone. That final lineup changed their name to Liquid Gold, found Disco and hit the charts in 1980 with Dance Yourself Dizzy. Enough said. I’ve done some searching for Babe Ruth material on the internet, and discovered that they reformed a couple of years ago and played a reunion tour in Canada. More recently, in May 2012, Janita Jenny Haan and Dave Punshon from the original band played “a relaxed evening of musical storytelling and piano jazz like you’ve never heard before’ in Swindon. I’m going to keep an eye on their site (http://www.baberuthband.net/news.html) and watch for further opportunities to see them.
Posts Tagged ‘gigs’
3 Jun
Ian Brown Newcastle Academy 27 Sep 2007
Ian Brown Newcastle Academy 27 Sep 2007
To my deep regret I never got to see The Stone Roses. I somehow missed out on them altogether. They were around at a time when I was heavily into work and family things, and I wasn’t going to quite as many gigs as usual. The first time I saw Ian Brown was at Newcastle Academy with Laura and David in 2007. The place was packed and I was knocked out by the show and the crowd reaction. I hadn’t realised what a great performer Ian is, and how many people regard him as a legend and hero. Laura was particularly excited to see Andy Rourke from the Smiths in the band. Setlist (from Ian Brown forum): Corpses; Dolphins; Golden Gaze; TIME; Lovebug; Sweet Fantastic; Destiny; On Track; Goodbye To The Broken; Sister Rose; Longsight; KWYG; My Star; Resurrection; Baby Free; World is Yours (With Fools Gold intro); FEAR; Sister Rose. Laura and I have seen Ian at Newcastle City Hall since this gig, and were once again impressed by his performance. We are finally getting to see the Stones Roses when they play at Heaton Park on July 1st. We are both really excited and looking forward to it.
2 Jun
Bucks Fizz Newcastle City Hall 1982
Bucks Fizz Newcastle City Hall 1982
Another guilty pleasure post today, although in this case I do have mitigating circumstances. Ashleigh who was 6 at the time that Bucks Fizz won The Eurovision Song Contest with Making Your Mind Up. She loved the song and their performance with the famous skirt ripping element. In fact this started a life long love of the show for her, which continues to this day; each year she really looks forward to Eurovision (she was disappointed by our score this year, and thought Engelbert did well. So when Bucks Fizz toured I decided to take Ashleigh along to see them, I think as part of her 7th birthday present. 
This was the original line up of Bucks Fizz, and I remember even then being somewhat nervous of going along to such an “uncool” gig. My recollections are of a good show, better than I had expected, and of a much louder and rockier band than I had imagined (they had a full backing band). By 1982 Bucks Fizz had releases two albums and had hit No 1 again with Land of Make Believe. Their next No 1, which featured on the album and in the concert, was Camera Never Lies. Ashleigh and I still have happy memories of this gig and often talk about it. It was, of course, a gig in Newcastle a couple of years later which ended in tragedy for the band. The group’s tour bus collided with road works and crashed and Mike Nolan was badly injured. Today there have sadly been court battles over who owns the name Buck Fizz and two versions of the band are on tour.
1 Jun
Guns N Roses Gateshead Stadium 1992
Guns N Roses Gateshead Stadium 1992
Seeing Guns N Roses last week has made me cast my mind back to the first and only other time I saw them. This was when they were at the height of their success, on the Use Your Illusion tour. The tour called at Gateshead Stadium in 1992, with support from Soundgarden and Faith No More. This was of course the original classic line up including Axl Rose on lead vocals, Slash on lead guitar, and Duff McKagan on bass. 
I went along to the gig with Ashleigh and her friend, who were raving about the band at the time. It was a good gig, although to be honest I don’t remember being as impressed by them as I was last week (is that heresy?). The Guns N Roses history site notes of the gig: “25,000 people see GN’R at the Gateshead International Stadium in Newcastle (!), England. Duff had a verbal altercation with one fan. After Axl’s words of warning – “I wouldn’t mess with him, he’s not had a drink in two weeks!” – the fan piped down. After the show the band fly back to London to continue their stay at the exclusive Conrad Hotel, where fellow guests included Prince and INXS.” Setlist: It’s So Easy; Mr. Brownstone; Live and Let Die; Bad Obsession; Attitude; My Michelle; Double Talkin’ Jive; Civil War; Patience; Welcome to the Jungle; You Could Be Mine; November Rain; Speak Softly Love; Sweet Child O’ Mine; Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door; Don’t Cry; Paradise City
31 May
Elkie Brooks Sunderland Empire 1978 & memories of Vinegar Joe
Elkie Brooks Sunderland Empire June 4th 1978 and memories of Vinegar Joe
I have good memories of Elkie Brooks gigs during the period 1971, when I first saw here in DaDa, through Vinegar Joe, to the last time I saw here as a solo artist in 1978. The first time I saw Elkie she was in a band called DaDa, and was first on an Age of Atlantic package tour with Yes and Iron Butterfly. The concert was at Newcastle City Hall, and it was the first time I went to a gig at that venue. DaDa featured her husband Pete Gage, and her singing partner Robert Palmer and were a jazz-rock fusion band with lots of members and a brass section. 
Those three soon left DaDa to form Vinegar Joe, who I saw at Sunderland Top Rank (supporting Free; thanks for the reminder John), Sunderland Locarno, Reading Festival, Lincoln Festival and Newcastle Mayfair (on a bill with Chicken Shack if my memory is correct; which it may well not be…). 
Vinegar Joe were a class R&B act, and Elkie was tremendous vocally and in terms of her stage act. She was truly a wild woman of rock in those days, with swirling skirts and crazy dancing. By 1975 Elkiehad had gone solo and soon had chart success with Pearl’s a Singer and other singles. By the time I saw her again at Sunderland Empire, she was selling out concert halls across the country. By this point she was becoming a little middle of the road; however her live show was still great. I haven’t been to an Elkie Brooks concert since those days, and keep meaning to do so. She still tours and has become a national treasure. Writing this convinces me that I need to go and see her again soon. Thanks to John for mailing me the scan of the Vinegar Joe poster, which must have come from a Manchester University gig in the early 70s.
30 May
Bad Manners The Royalty Gosforth Newcastle 1981
Bad Manners The Royalty Gosforth Newcastle 1981
“Lip up fatty, ah lip up fatty, for the reggae, Lip up fatty, ah lip up fatty, for the reggae, Listen to the music, shuffle up your feet, Listen to the music of the fatty beat.”
I experienced the fatty beat as delivered by Buster Bloodvessel and his ska compatriots a couple of times in the early 80s. The first Bad Manners gig I attended was at the wonderful (and scary) Middlesbrough Rock Garden. This was just after the wonderfully named Ne-Ne Na-Na Na-Na Nu-Nu had hit the charts. By my second Band Manners experience they had also had hit singles with Lip Up Fatty and a few other songs. I took Ashleigh along to this gig; she was really into Bad Manners at the time. A great fun time was had by all, and particularly by our hero Buster who gave us lots of tongue wagging and some cool ska dancing. And their version of Can Can has to be seen to be believed, Buster is still out there doing it, although he has now lost some weight now. He may not be quite the fat man he was, but I am sure he will still be the same larger than life character that he always was. I still have nightmares about him mooning at us.
29 May
The B-52s Redcar Coatham Bowl July 1979
The B-52s Redcar Coatham Bowl July 1979
I saw The B-52s once. It was 1979 and their first UK tour. My mate Dave and I went to this gig at Redcar Coatham Bowl, having heard their top tune Rock Lobster. I recall the Bowl as being pretty full, and the band delivering a set of quirky, fun, 60s space rock n roll. The dance floor was packed for Rock Lobster. Kate and Cindy sported impressive beehives and the self-styled “World’s Greatest Party Band” offered a fun alternative to the more serious, dark, and harder UK punk bands. Great memories of a tremendous gig. Sunday nights in Redcar were lots of fun in those days. And great value at £1.50! I believe support came from Fashion, but can’t be certain.
28 May
Duane Eddy Sage Gateshead May 27 2012
Duane Eddy Sage Gateshead May 27 2012
A great gig last night by a true legend of a man, Duane Eddy in Hall 2 of the Sage. An appreciative crowd of a certain age saw Duane and his band run through a night of classic tracks and songs from Duane’s latest album. Duane was backed by Richard Hawley’s band and a tremendous sax player. Many guys from the past have slipped into playing cabaret versions of their songs, or can only manage pale versions of the originals. Not Duane Eddy. He looked and played great last night. The set included rock n roll classics like ‘Forty Miles Of Bad Road’, ‘Shazam’, ‘Yep!’, ‘Cannonball’ and ‘Ramrod’. Duane Eddy has been having a resurgence of his career lately. Its twenty five years between the release of his last record, and his most recent “Road Trip”. Produced by Richard Hawley and Colin Elliot, ‘Road Trip’ “showcases everything that is unique about his guitar playing. When it rocks, it rocks hard but above all it is an album that is defined by the man’s elegant playing and the space within its sound.” (Sage website). “Richard (Hawley) really wanted me to make a record that covered all the different moments from my career so that’s what we did. So there are things that are rocking with a wailing sax, and there are some pretty things too. There are echoes of the past, but it sounds new.” says Duane. “Duane’s sound as a guitar player is unbelievably unique. If you hear one note played by him you know that that’s Duane. His sound is so low and deep. And there’s an elegance and sophistication to what he does that is really very special.” (Richard Hawley).
27 May
The Bootleg Beatles Christmas Show Newcastle City Hall December 2007
Laura and her friend Alisa were getting into the Beatles, and Alisa fancied seeing this well known tribute act. “The Bootleg Beatles re-live the sights and sounds of the Sixties in their multi-media stage show. Join the long-running tribute band when they trace the history of the Fab Four from the Liverpool Cavern to Sgt. Pepper and the Apple rooftop. 
This year, The Bootleg Beatles celebrate their 25th anniversary, not bad for a band that gave itself “six months max”, but has seen off everything from post-punk to Britpop.” read the publicity for the show. The Bootleg Beatles regularly draw capacity crowds to their concerts, and this gig was no exception; the City Hall was packed and everyone was ready for some fun and nostalgia in the run up to Christmas. The Bootleg’s are true to the originals and took us a journey from the early days in the Cavern, to the last days of the Beatles, with costume changes and all the great songs along the way. I’m not a great fan of tribute acts, and would not normally go to see one, but I really enjoyed the show. Its very well done, and a fun night out is guaranteed.
26 May
Chris De Burgh Newcastle City Hall 1979
Chris De Burgh Newcastle City Hall 1979
I first saw Chris de Burgh supporting Supertramp on their Crime of the Century tour. I seem to remember seeing him as support act for a few other people, one of which was definitely Gallagher and Lyle. This tour was to promote his 1979 album Crusader, and the set featured tracks from this and his earlier lps. Highlights at the time for me were Spanish Train and Spaceman came Travelling. Chris found early success in South America and mainland Europe, before he made it big in the UK. This gig was, of course, well before his massive success with Lady in Red. Chris’ early albums feature some great song; he is a wonderful story teller, and quite under rated as a songwriter. Although it feels a sort of guilty pleasure to admit that I liked Chris de Burgh, and he was really good in concert in those days. I guess it doesn’t quite fit the “vintagerock” them, but this was a pleasant evening spent with a guy who has a bunch of good songs to sing. Those early lps are certainly worth checking out. I haven’t seen Chris de Burgh since the late 70s, although I did have a ticket for a recent concert at the Sage, but couldn’t make it in the end and sold my ticket.
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