Ultravox Whitley Bay Ice Rink 4th Nov 1986
The U-Vox tour
The tour was sponsored by Harp lager and support came from Zerra One.
U-Vox was Ultravox’s eight studio album and continued the movement to a straight rock and pop sound. The album was their least successful by most measures, and it was criticised by the media, the fans, and later by the band itself, Midge Ure declaring it “unfocused”. The band sacked their drummer Warren Cann, and replaced him with Mark Brzezicki from Big Country. The band embarked on a tour to promote the album, but it was the beginning of the end, and they split in 1988. The tour saw them playing in arenas; in the north east they played the cavernous, cold, Whitley Bay Ice Rink, which could accommodate more people than the City Hall, but was not by any means the best venue for a rock concert. The band moved away from large gothic stage sets, choosing to stage a more straightforward rock show this time around.
SetList: Same Old Story; The Voice; New Europeans; Sweet Surrender; White China; Dream On; All in One Day; Time to Kill; All Stood Still; Hymn; Lament; Vienna; Passing Strangers; The Prize; One Small Day; Love’s Great Adventure
Encore: Dancing With Tears in My Eyes; All Fall Down
Writing this blog helps refresh my memory about the bands who I have seen in the past. Writing about Ultravox is a good example. I’d forgotten how many times I’d seen the band, and how much I enjoyed their music and their concerts. Both versions of the and were impressive in their own way. The first, John Foxx fronted, Ultravox! were very different to anyone else around at the time, and were a cool, dark, electronic synth band. I remember in particular their performance at Reading in 1978. And will also connect the later, Midge Ure fronted, Ultravox with “Vienna”, dry ice, and gothic stage sets. Happy days that I had put to the back of my mind and almost forgotten. Tomorrow I will start to write about a band who I remember very well, the mighty Uriah Heep. I’ll make my apologies now, it could be a bit of a marathon….
Posts Tagged ‘gigs’
1 Dec
Ultravox Whitley Bay Ice Rink 4th Nov 1986
30 Nov
Ultravox Newcastle City Hall 19th May 1984
Ultravox Newcastle City Hall 19th May 1984
Support from Messengers
Ultravox’s 1984 tour was to promote “Lament” which is their seventh studio album. “Lament” was another big success, reaching No.8 on the UK album chart and achieving a gold record. By this time the band were starting to move away from synthpop, going in a more mainstream pop direction, with more guitar-oriented rock songs. The album featured three singles, including the big hit “Dancing with Tears in My Eyes”. The 1984 tour was called the “Set Movements” tour and once again included two sold-out concerts at Newcastle. I attended the second night. The tour was sponsored by Levis. The tour programme has a completely black rough-textured cover and features some quite arty and very posed photographs of the band. The Ultravox tours of this time featured massive gothic stage sets with quite dark moody themes and images, and lots of dry-ice. They were quite spectacular, and always good fun.
Setlist: Man of Two Worlds; Passing Strangers; We Stand Alone; New Europeans; I Remember (Death in the Afternoon); Visions in Blue; Heart of the Country; Western Promise; Vienna; Reap the Wild Wind; We Came to Dance; White China; One Small Day; Hymn; The Voice
Encore: Lament; Dancing With Tears in My Eyes
Later that year Midge wrote and commandeered the Band Aid single with Bob Geldof. I saw Ultravox at the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium where they played a short four song set: Reap the Wild Wind; Dancing With Tears in My Eyes; One Small Day and of course Vienna.
I saw Ultravox on one further occasion, which I will write about tomorrow before moving on to blog about, I think, Uriah Heep.
29 Nov
Ultravox Newcastle City Hall 16th Nov 1982
Ultravox Newcastle City Hall 16th Nov 1982
Support from Messengers
Ultravox released their sixth album “Quartet” (their third with Midge Ure) in 1982 and toured around the world to promote it on the Monument Tour. By now they had followed the success of “Vienna” with a series of Top 20 UK singles: “All Stood Still”, “The Thin Wall”, “The Voice”, “Reap the Wild Wind” and “Hymn”. The band were very popular, so much so that this time they sold out two nights at the City Hall. I attended the second night. The Monument Tour was recorded for posterity in the form of a video and an lp “Monument” which was recorded at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, and released in 1983.
The Monument album peaked at no.9 on the UK album chart and was certified Gold in January 1984. The City Hall show was another great concert from a band who were at the top of their game.
Support came from Messengers a duo aka Danny Mitchell and Colin King, friends from Glasgow of Midge Ure and who supported Ultravox again in 1984. Mitchell has co-written songs with Midge Ure for many years.
Setlist: Reap the Wild Wind; When the Scream Subsides; The Thin Wall; New Europeans; We Stand Alone; I Remember (Death in the Afternoon); Visions in Blue; Mr. X; Sleepwalk; The Voice; Vienna; Astradyne; All Stood Still; Passing Strangers; Mine for Life
Encore: Hymn; The Song (We Go)
28 Nov
Ultravox Newcastle City Hall 24th Sep 1981
Ultravox Newcastle City Hall 24th Sep 1981
Support from Eddie and Sunshine (Eddie Maelov and Sunshine Patterson ex Gloria Mundi)
Ultravox! – John Foxx + Midge Ure = New Revitalised Ultravox = Vienna = Mega Success
So Ultravox regrouped with their new ( ex Slik ex Rich Kid) Midge, became a cool new romantic pop band and produced one of the greatest singles of the 80s. “Vienna”. Dark, brooding, gothic. The ultimate in 80s synth pop. The moody video. It was worth going to see them just for that one song.
Ultravox live = Vienna = lots of dry ice = very much of its time. Wonderful.
“We walked in the cold air.
Freezing breath on a window plane.
Lying and waiting. A man in the dark in a picture frame.
So mystic and soulful. A voice reaching out in a piercing cry.
It stays with you until the feeling has gone,
Only you and I. It means nothing to me.
This means nothing to me.
Oh, Vienna” (Vienna, Ultravox, 1981)
Setlist: The Thin Wall; New Europeans; Sleepwalk; I Remember (Death in the Afternoon); Stranger Within; Mr. X; Rage in Eden; Accent on Youth/The Ascent; Your Name (Has Slipped My Mind Again); Vienna; Passionate Reply; Passing Strangers; We Stand Alone; All Stood Still
Encore: The Voice
27 Nov
Ultravox! 1977 & 1978
Ultravox! 1977 & 1978
Early Ultravox! were quite different from the Midge Ure fronted band who produced Vienna. I saw the band on a few occasions:
16th April 1977 Middlesbrough Rock Garden
27th August 1977 Reading Festival (low down on the Saturday bill)
5th Feb 1978 Redcar Coatham Bowl
25th August Reading Festival (special guests on the Friday, appearing second on the bill to headliners The Jam)
I may also have seen them at Newcastle Mayfair, but can’t be sure.
The line-up of the band was John Foxx (lead vocals), Chris Cross (bass), Stevie Shears (guitar, replaced by Robin Simon in 1978), Billy Currie (keyboards, synthesisers, violin) and Warren Cann (drums). They recorded three albums: Ultravox!, Ha!-Ha!-Ha! And Systems of Romance. By their third album they had dropped the ! from their name. Ultravox! were an interesting band. Live they appeared a mix of Roxy, Bowie and Kraftwerk, combining glam and pop with punk and electronica. John Foxx was a charismatic and enigmatic front man, sometimes punky, sometimes robotic, always interesting. Foxx’s real name is Dennis Leigh, he chose the stage persona of John Foxx, saying: “Foxx is much more intelligent than I am, better looking, better lit. A kind of naively perfected entity. He’s just like a recording, where you can make several performances until you get it right – or make a composite of several successful sections, then discard the rest.” In 1979 Foxx left the band, who recruited Midge Ure and became a new entity.
Setlist Reading 1977: ROckwrok; Slip Away; The Frozen Ones; Distant Smile; Young Savage; My Sex; Wide Boys; Saturday Night in the City of the Dead; Artificial Life; The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned; Fear in the Western World
26 Nov
U2 Twickenham Stadium London 18th June 2005
U2 Twickenham Stadium London 18th June 2005
The Vertigo Tour
Support Acts: Doves, Athlete
It was 18 years since I last saw U2 and I figured it was about time that I went to see them again. Marie, David and Laura also fancied seeing them so, knowing that demand for tickets would be huge, I joined the fan club to get a chance of presale tickets. Tickets bought, we went to London for the weekend for the concert. Our presale tickets got us seats at the side of the stage looking down on the band, and in a spot where the sound wasn’t good. The joys of stadium gigs. Nevertheless we all enjoyed the concert; so many classics and Bono on good form. It was great to hear old songs like I Will Follow again.
We saw U2 again one month later at the Live 8 concert in Hyde park, which I must write about some time soon. Their short set that day featured four songs: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (with Paul McCartney); Beautiful Day (including a short snippet of the Beatles’ Blackbird); Vertigo; and One (including a snippet of Unchained Melody).
Setlist: Vertigo; I Will Follow; The Electric Co. / Bullet With Butterfly Wings (snippet) / I Can See For Miles (snippet); Elevation; New Year’s Day; Beautiful Day / Here Comes The Sun (snippet); I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For; All I Want Is You; City Of Blinding Lights; Miracle Drug; Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own / No Regrets (snippet); Love And Peace Or Else; Sunday Bloody Sunday; Bullet The Blue Sky / The Hands That Built America (snippet) / When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet) / Please (snippet); Running To Stand Still; Pride (In The Name Of Love); Where The Streets Have No Name; One
Encore(s): Zoo Station; The Fly; Mysterious Ways; Yahweh; Vertigo
25 Nov
Procol Harum Dominion Theatre London 24 November 2014
Procol Harum Dominion Theatre London 24 November 2014
Friday Night is Music Night (for BBC Radio 2)
Last night Procol Harum performed for ‘Friday Night Is Music Night’. The performance will be broadcast shortly on Radio 2. This special event took place at the Dominion Theatre in London, and Procol Harum were accompanied by the sixty piece BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by David Firman and the forty voice Crouch End Festival Chorus.
The current line-up of the band is founder member, singer/pianist and composer Gary Brooker, Matt Pegg on bass, Geoff Dunn on drums, and Josh Phillips on keyboards and Hammond organ. Their usual guitarist Geoff Whitehorn had been taken unwell a few days ago and was replaced at very short notice by Dave Colquhoun of Rick Wakeman’s band who did exceptionally well, having learnt the set in two days, and who was himself suffering from a broken ankle and walking on crutches. Procol Harum dont play in their home country very often these days, and it is many years since they have performed a symphonic set in the UK.
The venue for this unique concert was the Dominion theatre, a beautiful 2,000 seater hall, which sits at the end of Oxford Street in Tottenham Court Road, and has for the past 12 years been the home of Queen’s We Will Rock You musical. The concert was sold out, with Procol Harum fans travelling from around the world to experience this performance.
The orchestra and choir filled the entire stage, and a small stage had been constructed for the band, just above the orchestra pit. The concert started at 7.30pm sharp, with the familiar chords of Homburg and the opening line “Your multilingual business friend, Has packed her bags and fled” filling the theatre and sending shivers down our spines. Songs like these were written to be performed with orchestral accompaniment, and Gary Brooker’s voice rang strong and clear above the majesty of the music. A perfect opening song. This was followed by Simple Sister from 1971’s Broken Barricades, and Grand Hotel from the 1973 album of the same name. Gary explained how, at the of the album’s release the band would stay in the best hotels, eat in the best restaurant, and travel in limousines, and joked that for this concert he came on the tube, ate a takeaway burger, and that they had to finish the show on time so that he could catch the last train home. This was followed by Fires (Which Burnt Brightly) which is also from Grand Hotel. Next was Misssing Person, which is a Brooker solo track, and was performed by the band only, sans orchestra . Broken Barricades was then followed by Sympathy for the Hard of Hearing, which Gary dedicated to those who have fought for their country. The first set closed with an epic version of A Salty Dog which Gary dedicated to Alvin Stardust, Jack Bruce, and also to Geoff Whitehorn who was apparently texting his best wishes to the band from his hospital bed, and was surely there in spirit.
After a short interval the concert resumed. The second half started with a second attempt of the opening section of A Salty Dog, to remedy ‘a technical fault’ for the purposes of the recording for radio, although I am sure none of us had noticed any technical fault the first time round. This was followed by Wall Street Blues (band only), Something Magic, Nothing But the Truth and Into the Flood. The Gary announced the song that “started it all for us in 1967” which sounded just great, with a strong passionate vocal performance by Gary and Josh on Hammond, recreating the texture and sound of the Hammond solos to perfection. The song received an amazing reception from the audience with applause which seemed to go for ever and a standing ovation with the who,e theatre on their feet. Amazing. 
The concert closed with An Old English Dream, and The Blink of an Eye (Gary explained how the song was written about 9/11, how the band would often talk to the New York fireman as they passed by the fore station, and how many of those men lost their lives). The encore was Conquistador. A truly epic concert. It’s a shame that Procol Harum don’t play more often in this country. Gary joked at one point that he “wasn’t sure if the band would make their 50th”. I’m sure they will, and based on this performance they continue to go from strength to strength.
Setlist: Homburg; Simple Sister; Grand Hotel; Fires (Which Burnt Brightly); Missing Person; Broken Barricades; Sympathy for the Hard of Hearing; A Salty Dog
Interval
A Salty Dog opening; Wall Street Blues; Something Magic; Nothing But the Truth; Into the Flood; A Whiter Shade of Pale; An Old English Dream; The Blink of an Eye; Grand Finale
Encore: Conquistador
Stayed at David and Shauna’s and I’m typing this on the train back home.
24 Nov
U2 The Joshua Tree tour, Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, 1st August 1987
U2 The Joshua Tree tour, Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, 1st August 1987
Support Acts: Run Rig, Love & Money, The Mission, The Pogues
I went with my mate Ian to see U2 play at Edinburgh Murrayfield Stadium in August 1987 as part of the Joshua tree tour. By now U2 were headlining stadiums everywhere, and were one of the biggest acts in the world. We arrived in time to catch rousing support performances by The Mission and the Pogues who warmed the crowd up for the main act. The Joshua Tree is U2’s landmark album, which reached No 1 in the UK and US album charts, and solidified their position in the premier rock league. The album contains a number of important U2 songs including the epic track “Where The Streets Have No Name” which often opened their set during the tour, but which strangely the band didn’t play at this concert.
U2 were playing quite a few covers during this tour, and Bono was also including snippets from classic rock songs during their performances. At Edinburgh U2 started with two covers: “Stand By Me” (Ben E King) and “C’mon Everybody” (Eddie Cochran) and also played “People Get Ready” (Curtis Mayfield) and Help! (The Beatles). They also included the odd line from “Riders On The Storm” and “Break On Through” (The Doors), Van Morrison’s “Gloria” (rather than their own song of the same name); “Ruby Tuesday” and Sympathy For The Devil” (The Stones); and “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (Joy Division) thus showing their influences. I remember thinking it strange that they would start with two covers. I great concert, but very different from seeing the band in a small venue. We ran into old mate Gilly, who lives in Scotland, which was great. A great day, seeing a band who were writing and performing at their peak at the time. 
Setlist: Stand By Me; C’mon Everybody; I Will Follow; Trip Through Your Wires; I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / Exodus (snippet); People Get Ready; MLK; The Unforgettable Fire; Exit / Riders On The Storm (snippet) / Van Morrison’s Gloria (snippet); In God’s Country; Sunday Bloody Sunday; The Electric Co. / Break On Through (snippet); Help; Bad / Ruby Tuesday (snippet) / Sympathy For The Devil (snippet); October; New Year’s Day; Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Encore(s): Bullet The Blue Sky / Loch Lomond (snippet); Running To Stand Still; With Or Without You / Shine Like Stars (snippet) / Love Will Tear Us Apart (snippet)/Fight For Your Right (To Party) (snippet) / Party Girl; 40
I lost touch with U2 after this tour and it was some 18 years or so before I went to see them again.
23 Nov
Lady Gaga Newcastle Arena 22nd Nov 2014
Lady Gaga Newcastle Arena 22nd Nov 2014
Laura and her friend Christina accompanied me to the ArtPop Ball, when Gaga’s ArtRave tour called at Newcastle Arena last night. I am finding it difficult to write about this show, there was so much going on all the time, with a crazy stage set, many dancers, and loads of costume changes. I also can’t make my mind up whether it was one of the best shows I have ever seen, or one of the worst; truth being it contained elements of both.
We arrived while support, and Gaga friend, Lady Starlight was finishing her set, which seemed to consisted of a constant monotone dance beat. She soon left the stage and a series of videos of our Gaga hero were greeted by massive cheers from the crowd. The stage set consisted of bright white dome-like structures on the main stage which housed the band, and formed an entrance to the show. From the stage a series of translucent walkways extended out into the main floor area of the arena. The fans on the floor could walk underneath and between the walkways and could still see the show through them. There was another smaller stage-cum-walkway at the other end of the floor area. A massive piano, looking something like a futuristic version of the organ from The Phantom, was perched on a corner of the set up.
The show itself was a mix of Lady Gaga’s hits and tracks from the new album. Lots of loud dance, anthemic singalongs and a few acoustic-type songs which featured Gaga largely solo on the piano. The latter were, for me, some of the best moments. Lady Gaga had a number of costumes changes into a series of bizarre get-ups including a strange tentacle dress, a golden leotard with wings, some very revealing next-to-nothing outfits and a crazy rave girl complete with big rara skirt and luminous dreadlocks. At one point she is changed by her stylists on stage, dressing down to nothing at all, with her back to the audience. There were also quite a few Gaga speeches / sermons where she told us hoiw she is “the most authentic artist”, talked about her support for the LGBT community, and related some stories of her life. Her personal connection to the fans is clear and strong. She talks directly to them, a lot, more so than any other artist. The music is pretty powerful stuff at times. Some of the images are simplistic and obvious, but I guess that it part of the point, the attraction, the charm and the power of the concept. Is it “authentic performance art”? Who knows, and who is to decide? The audience certainly liked it and cheered in unison when Gaga declared them the “most f***ing authentic fanbase in the world” (if you keep saying you are authentic does it make you authentic?). But I am perhaps being a little harsh here. At the end of the day this is a challenging, entertaining, sometimes moving, sometimes a little shocking, show which takes every rock and pop (and art) concept you have ever seen (Bowie, Madonna, Queen, Liza Minnelli, punk, disco, dance, rave, Bette Midler, Black Sabbath, Blondie, Cyndi Lauper, Andy Warhol – you can see them all in there), mashes them up, twists them and throws them back out at you in some super bright, often trashy, never boring but always entertaining, postmodern pastiche. You just have to admire the lady.
ACT I: Welcome to the artRave: ArtPop; G.U.Y.; Donatella
ACT II: Planet Venus; Venus; MANiCURE
ACT III: Memories; Just Dance; Poker Face / Telephone
ACT IV: Partynauseous; Paparazzi; Do What U Want; Dope; Yoü And I; Born This Way
ACT V: Jewels N’ Drugs; The Edge of Glory (snippet); Sexxx Dreams; Mary Jane Holland; Alejandro; Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
ACT VI: Ratchet; Bad Romance; Applause; Swine
Encore: Gypsy
22 Nov
U2 Newcastle City Hall 1st March 1983
U2 Newcastle City Hall 1st March 1983
Support Act: The Nightcaps
In between seeing U2 at the Mayfair and this gig at the City Hall, I also saw them back at Gateshead Stadium, supporting the Police in 1982. I’ve written separately on that concert, when I covered the Police. It was another great concert and another triumph for U2. However it was The War album and that tour really sealed it for U2. They were now a major band. The City Hall concert sold out very quickly and a second night was added, three weeks later. You could feel the power in this band, and you also knew that the next time we saw them it would probably be in a big arena or stadium. This tour was the first and last time the band played the City Hall. It was an amazing show and we were right down the front. Bono, the rest of the band and the audience were all on fire that night. Bono ran around the stage waving a white flag during excellent new song ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ and climbed up onto the balcony during ‘I will Follow’.
Setlist: Gloria; I Threw A Brick Through A Window; A Day Without Me; Seconds; New Year’s Day; Sunday Bloody Sunday; The Cry; The Electric Co./Send In The Clowns; I Fall Down; October; Tomorrow; Twilight; Out Of Control
Encore: Party Girl; A Celebration; 11 O’clock Tick Tock; I Will Follow; 40
The next time I saw U2 was in Wembley Stadium at Live Aid, where they played a short two song set (Sunday Bloody Sunday and Bad) and were one of the highlights of the day. Bono famously pulled a girl from the crowd up onto the stage that day. Bono: “I don’t like the distance between stage and crowd. I don’t like the distance between performer and audience. So I’m looking for a symbol of the day, something I can hold onto. Melanie Hills: “Bono looked at the audience and suddenly looked towards me…I was looking around: me? me? And they were saying, yeah, you, you, get up there. Oh my God. And so the security men grabbed me….” A magic moment that truly cemented U2’s position as a major rock force.
After Live Aid, the next time I saw U2 was at a big stadium in Scotland.
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