UFO are a much under rated rock band. I spent many nights in the 70s and 80s at UFO gigs. They are appearing at Newcastle Academy next Saturday, and I intend to go along and see them, so I thought I would reminisce on UFO gigs past this week.
I first saw UFO in 1972 at Newcastle City Hall at a free gig which local promoter Geof Docherty put on, as a thank you to fans. Support came from local band Beckett, featuring Terry Slesser, and Melody Maker poll winner Lloyd Watson. At that point in 1972 I think Pink Fairies’ Larry Wallis was playing guitar with UFO. I remember the show being pretty wild with some long guitar solos, and Phil Mogg or Larry Wallis (can’t remember which) climbing up the speaker stack and onto the balcony of the venue. The music at this time would have been drawn from the first couple of lps, and was quite spacey, psychedelic stuff. The next few times I saw UFO was at Sunderland Locarno, Newcastle Mayfair, and at the 1974 reading Festival. 
By then Michael Schenker had joined the band and they had released the classic album Phenomenon, followed by Force It and Lights Out, featuring such great songs as: Only You Can Rock Me, Doctor Doctor, Love to Love, Lights Out, Rock Bottom, and Shoot Shoot. There was nothing better than a Friday night in a packed ballroom watching Schenker, Mogg and Way play Doctor, Doctor. Great guitar intro, and first class melodic heavy rock. By 1979 UFO had graduated to playing Newcastle City Hall, and Michael Schenker had left the band to be replaced by Paul Chapman. I’ll report next on some of those City Hall gigs which took me into the 80s.
Posts Tagged ‘gigs’
11 Mar
Adam and the Ants 1979 – 1985
Adam and the Ants 1979 – 1985
It was interesting to observe the transformation of Adam Ant from punk rocker to pop star as the 70s turned into the 80s. The first time Marie and I saw Adam and the Ants was at the great, sadly missed Middlesbrough Rock Garden, around 1979. This was around the time of thw Dirck Wears White Sox lp. The place was quite full, but not packed as I recall. The Ants played the Rock Garden a few times around that time, and were a favourite there. 
I remember him singing “Lady” which was the B side of the Young Parisians single. I can picture him now singing: “I saw a lady and she was naked; I saw a lady she had no clothes on”. Happy memories. Have a vague memory of Jordan being in the crowd watching him that night. 
The next time I saw Adam and the Ants was with my mate Davey at Durham University Students Union in 1980. This was around the time of Kings of the Wild Frontier; Dog Eat Dog had just been in the charts, and Adam was leading a new version of the Ants, Marco Pirroni having joined on guitar. The place was ram packed and we all sang along to Kings, Antmusic, and others. Great Burundi beats. They were awesome that night and it was clear that we were seeing a band who had arrived and were on their way upward. 
The next time we saw Adam and the Ants was at the Gosforth Royalty, which has now been replaced by a supermarket. By now our daughter was heavily into the band and a few of us went along. Again it was a great night, I recall Kevin Mooney being in a strange mood, smashing his bass into the stack. He left the band shortly afterwards. From there on Adam Ant became a massive star, playing at Newcastle City Hall. We caught the next couple of tours including the Prince Charming Revue. These gigs were OK, but lacked the excitement and energy of early shows. The last time I saw Adam Ant was at Live Aid in Wembley Stadium in 1985, where he put on a pretty average show. Adam is playing again at the moment and getting rave reviews. I must take the time to see him again.
Update on 23 December 2021. Many thanks to Jimmy Burns (a.k.a. Punk Hoarder) for the great image of the poster for the Gosforth Royalty concert. My sister-in-law recognised it straightaway as we took her to that very concert when she was a teenager. We both have many happy memories of the old, slightly dilapidated, grandeur of that lovely venue, now long gone. I still haven’t fulfilled my promise to myself to see Adam Ant again. He is playing Newcastle City Hall next year but I can’t make it. Next time I really have to make the effort to do so. I did have tickets to see him at the Sage some years ago but I was in hospital at the time and my son and daughter went along and really enjoyed it. Those early shows, particularly in the Rock Garden, were for me when he was at his best. Happy days.
10 Mar
Mick Taylor Buck Hotel Reeth 9 March 2012
Mick Taylor Buck Hotel Reeth 9 March 2012
Reeth is a lovely village situated deep in the Yorkshire dales. It took Marie and I just over an hour to drive there, down the A1M to Scotch Corner and across through Richmond. The Buck Hotel stands tall at one end of the village green. Last night there was a Sold Out sign at the door, and the small room to the side was packed with rock fans of the older variety, who had all come to see a legend play some blues. The venue is a lovely old village inn, and the concert room holds around 100 people; this was like seeing Mick Taylor play to you in a friends house. Mick and band took to the stage just before 9pm, and started with Secret Affair. It was obvious from the word go that Mick has put together one hell of a tight band, with the great Zoot Money on keyboards, Ronnie Johnson on second guitar, Michael Bailey on bass, and Jeff Allen drums. The pace was set for the evening, with some rocking, shuffling blues and Mick singing and taking the lead with lots of use of slide. Mick’s playing was at times exceptional, very reminiscent of Peter Green at his best, very fluid with great use of tone; and yet sometimes he didn’t quite make it. His vocals were pretty strong, much better than I expected. It was great to see him, and his playing was much better than I expected, and he was generally on better form than previous times I’ve seen him. Mick looked well last night, and seemed in good spirits. But this was a band show as much as Mick’s. Second guitarist Ronnie Johnson took a couple of solos and gave Mick a run for his money. Ronnie seemed familiar to me; I see he has played with Manfred Mann and Van Morrison among others, so I guess I must have seen him somewhere before. Zoot Money took the vocals for a few songs, notably It never rains but it pours, which he wrote for Jimmy Witherspoon, and Will the Circle be Unbroken, which he dedicated to those no longer with us, including the names of sadly departed friends: Tony Ashton, Robert Palmer and others. Zoot’s singing was pretty incredible and he almost stole the show with his jazzy R&B. There was a short break half way through the set, during which everyone took advantage of the fine real ales on offer. Dylan’s Blind Willie McTell moved into All Along The Watchtower, with a Hendrix style solo. The band finished with an excellent version of the Stones’ song No Expectations, which was a fitting end to a great gig. The drive around the winding Yorkshire roads was fine and we were back home by 12.30. Set included: Secret Affair; Twisted Sister; Fed Up With The Blues; It never rains but it pours (Zoot vocal); Tore Down; Will the Circle be Unrboken (Zoot vocal); Blind Willie McTell / All Along The Watchtower; No Expectations. I’ve listed the songs I recognised and have definitely missed quite a few.
9 Mar
Aha Newcastle City Hall 1986
Aha Newcastle City Hall 1986
Aha were big news in 1986. They’d had big hits with Take on Me and Hunting High and Low, and the video for Take on Me was very distinctive, using a mix of pencil drawings, animation and live action. Ashleigh was very into them, and we went along to their show at the City Hall. This was their first tour and the gig sold out very quickly. I remember the show as being very slick, great vocals, good light show and wonderful pop. I’ve never felt the need to see Aha again, but pleased that I did. Ashleigh really enjoyed seeing them and still talks about it to this day. 
I had a conversation with a taxi driver in Dublin a few years ago, after a gig at the Point (think it was Status Quo). He’d seen Aha at the same venue a few days earlier and said they were absolutely first class. Setlist for 1986 tour: Train Of Thought; Love Is Reason; Living A Boy’s Adventure Tale; Cry Wolf; The Blue Sky; The Sun Always Shines on T.V.; Driftwood; Here I Stand And Face The Rain; We’re Looking for the Whales; And You Tell Me; Hunting High and Low; I’ve Been Losing You; Scoundrel Days; Take On Me
8 Mar
The Alarm live in Newcastle 1983 to 1988
On a good night in the 80s The Alarm were untouchable. Full of righteous passion, great stirring singalongs and celtic rock. Occupying a territory somewhere between The Clash, U2 and Dylan, this band could really cut the mustard. My first Alarm experience was at Newcastle Tiffanys club. I may have seen them before that as a support act, but can’t be sure. This gig was just as 68 Guns had been released. 
I can picture my mate Davey and me, on the balcony in Tiffanys looking down on the stage with the whole place singing along and the whole balcony shaking. Happy days. The next couple of times I saw The Alarm they were at the City Hall. I remember those gigs as being good, but its that night at Tiffanys that sticks in my mind. 
They had quite a few hits, but none of them matched the power of 68 Guns, and the passion that Mike Peters sang it with. Mike Peters has not been well, but has kept playing, and The Alarm play on to this day. The last time I saw Mike Peters was in the bar at a Springsteen gig at the O2 in London. The guy has good taste.
7 Mar
Adele Newcastle Tyne Theatre April 2008
Adele Newcastle Tyne Theatre April 2008
This gig doesn’t seem that long ago, but its getting on for four years since Laura and I saw Adele at the Tyne Theatre in Newcastle. I recall at the time being surprised how quickly this gig sold out, and that was well before the mega-stardom that she enjoys now. At the time I had only heard “Chasing pavements” but was caught up in the wave of new female singers, such as Amy Winehouse and Duffy. So Laura and I decided to check Adele out. The show was very impressive, particularly considering that Adele was just 20 at the time. She struck me as quite shy, and couldn’t seem to believe it all herself. I remember her singing the Dylan song “Make You Feel My Love”, and realising that it was one Dylan song that I didn’t know. Good to see how her career has gone from strength to strength since then. I wonder if we’ll ever see her back at the Tyne Theatre again? And with a ticket price of £15?
6 Mar
America and Poco Newcastle Odeon 1975
America and Poco Newcastle Odeon 1975
This was a pretty cool line up, and was my fist time seeing both bands. I knew a lot of stuff by America, but nothing by Poco. I went along with my friend Ian, as I recall. America had previously toured as support for Family in 1971, but the gig was the same night as Led Zeppelin played Sunderland Locarno (theres a gig I must report on), so I didn’t go. So when they returned to Newcastle for this gig at the Odeon I made sure that I attended. The Odeon is now sadly closed, but was an important venue for gigs in the North East in the early 70s. It was a little bigger than the City Hall, with a capacity of around 3,000, and I saw a few bands play there: Humble Pie, King Crimson, Black Sabbath, ELP, The Faces and The Who come straight to mind. BY the mid 70s it had sadly been converted to a multi-screen cinema, and the capacity reduced. I am pretty sure that this was the case for this gig. I recall both bands being really good that night. Typical America set list from 1975: Tin Man; Muskrat Love; Baby It’s Up to You; Moon Song; Old Man Took; To Each His Own; Lonely People; I Need You; Don’t Cross The River; Ventura Highway; Only In Your Heart; Woman Tonight; The Story of a Teenager; Half a Man; Company; Hollywood; Sister Golden Hair; Encore: Sandman; A Horse With No Name. I also googled and found a Poco setlist from 1974: Blue Water; Fool’s Gold; Rocky Mt. Breakdown; Bad Weather; Hoedown; Railroad Days; Ride the Country; Faith in the Families; Angel; Drivin’ Wheel; I Guess You Made It; Restrain; A Right Along; C’Mon. My friend John, who was also at this gig, has just emailed me to remind me that America/Poco played “Don’t Cross the River if you can’t swim the tide” with both bands on stage as the final number.
4 Mar
Bryan Adams Gateshead Stadium July 12th 1992
Bryan Adams Gateshead Stadium July 12th 1992
Support: Squeeze, Extreme, Little Angels
Bryan Adams was at the height of his success at the time of this concert in 1992. He’d just had a mega hit with Everything I do. Although that particular songs is not one of my favourites, some of his others songs, and especially Summer of 69, are great. A packed Gateshead Stadium gave him a great reception that night. Setlist: House Arrest; Kids Wanna Rock; Hey Honey – I’m Packin’ You In!; Can’t Stop This Thing We Started; Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya?; Cuts Like a Knife; It’s Only Love; Touch The Hand; Heaven; Lonely Nights; (Everything I Do) I Do It for You; Run to You; When the Night Comes; Somebody; There Will Never Be Another Tonight; B-Stage: C’mon Everybody; She’s Only Happy When She’s Dancin’; Encore: Summer of ’69; Diana; Straight from the Heart. 
The concert also sported strong support acts in Squeeze, Extreme and Little Angels. Little Angels are a heavy rock band who come from just down the coast, in Scarborough. I can’t recall seeing them, and probably arrived after they played. I do remember seeing Extreme, and made a point of making sure I saw them. Although they are also primarily heavy rock, there best known song is the classic ballad More Than Words, which had been a hit just the year before this gig. Squeeze have some top songs and got the crowd singing along. This is the only time I’ve seen Bryan. I’m not a fan, really, and haven’t felt the need to see him again, although he has returned to the region several times, playing the Arena, Gateshead Stadium again two years later, and a recent unplugged show at the Sage.
3 Mar
Average White Band in concert 1976 and 1980
Average White Band 1976 and 1980
PIck Up The Pieces! The Average White Band were great favourites of some of my mates in the 70s. Their blend of funk and rock would fill the dance floor in discos. I saw them in concert a couple of times, at Newcastle City Hall in 1976 and again in 1980. I remember that as a tight rock/jazz outfit, great at what they did, but to be honest they were never really by cup of tea. I went to see them along with friends who were more into them than me.
The Average White Band split up in 1982 but regrouped after some years and are still playing today. They played recently at the Royal Glasgow Concert Hall as part of the Celtic Connections festival. Looking back through the programmes, which are pictured here, from those gigs did bring back some memories. The support act on one of those tours, I owuld think 1976, was Kokomo. 
Now there was a band, who are all but forgotten now, and much under-rated. Their blend of soul and funk was much more to my liking. Kokomo drew its musicians from a number of UK bands including The Grease Band, Arrival, and King Crimson. I recall seeing Kokomo quite a few times: a great gig in Newcastle Poly and at the Reading Festival, but can’t recall any of their songs. I must try and find one of their lps.
Bands like Average White Band and Kokomo represent a particular time and period to me; in fact I’d almost forgotten them. I’m finding the exercise of working through my programme and ticket collection very interesting. Its bringing back old memories, and reminding me of bands and times that I had forgotten. Its taking longer than I thought, however; I’m working through them, at least in part, alphabetically, and I haven’t yet completed the letter A…..
1 Mar
The Rolling Stones Shine A Light movie Cineworld Boldon April 17th 2008
The Rolling Stones Shine A Light movie Cineworld Boldon April 17th 2008
I’m writing a chapter for a text on the Rolling Stones, focussing on my recollections of the Stones in concert. As part of that I’m also reflecting on the recent Shine A Light film, which Laura and I went to see in 2008. A strange one this in several ways. The cinema was pretty empty, which surprised me a little. There obviously wasn’t a great appetite for a Stones movie in the North East. Technically the film was outstanding, and the film sported some great guests playing with the band. However the set list was not a normal Stones show, and a little disappointing for me. I enjoyed the film, but wasn’t knocked out by it. Setlist: Jumpin’ Jack Flash; Shattered; She Was Hot; All Down the Line; Loving Cup (with Jack White); As Tears Go By; Just My Imagination; Champagne and Reefer (with Buddy Guy); Tumbling Dice; You Got the Silver; Connection; Sympathy for the Devil; Live with Me (with Christina Aguilera); Start Me Up; Brown Sugar; (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction; Shine a Light
Vintagerock's Weblog. 