The Rezillos and The Mekons Newcastle City Hall 30th November 1978
The Rezillos had appeared at the City Hall the year before as support to the Ramones. This time they returned as headliners, riding on the success of their “Top of the Pops” single. The Rezillos were a wonderful quirky punk / new wave act from Edinburgh who took a much more light-hearted approach to their music than many other bands of the time. They were fronted by vocalist Fay Fife, who seemed to me to be a cross between Lulu, Twiggy, Sandie Shaw and Mary Quant; fellow singer Eugene Reynolds, who was a very cool cross between James Dean and Steve Zodiac, and guitarist Jo Callis, who went on to join the Human League. Their influences came through very clearly as 60s pop, rock n roll, and B movie sci-fi. The Rezillos split shortly after this tour, to re-emerge with a new line-up as The Revillos. “Top of the Pops” was their biggest hit, but their earlier singles “Can’t Stand my Baby” and “(My baby does) Good Sculptures” were also both good clean fun, as were their covers of Fleetwood Mac’s “Somebody’s Gonna Get their Head Kicked in Tonight”, The Dave Clark Five’s “Glad All Over” and Gerry and the Pacemakers’ “I Like It”. The album “Can’t Stand the Rezillos” is generally recognised as a classic of its genre and era. The Mekons were a punk band formed by a group of Leeds University students ; quite left wing and noisy as I recall. They continue to this day, and are now based in Chicago. A fun night for all super sci-fi pop hipsters.
PS The Rezillos have recently reformed and are gigging again.
Posts Tagged ‘gigs’
28 Mar
The Rezillos and The Mekons Newcastle City Hall 30th November 1978
27 Mar
Rush Newcastle Arena 5th October 2007
Rush Newcastle Arena 5th October 2007
27 years since they last graced a Newcastle stage, Rush were back and playing at Newcastle Arena. I went along with Laura and a group of mates. Saw a lot of old familiar faces; everyone had turned out to see this band again. This was a very slick and professional show, as befits a band with such a long and strong pedigree. One thing that I hadn’t bargained for was just how many albums had been released since I last saw Rush in concert. My memories were of those late 70s gigs, and I knew all of the songs from those days, but had heard very little by Rush since then. Hence almost all of their set was completely new to me. I only recognised “Spirit of the Radio” and “Tom Sawyer”. This was a long show, featuring two sets and drew from across their back catalogue (but not enough early songs from me. I didn’t think I’d ever see Rush, and that they wouldn’t play Xanadu; but there you go 🙂 ). A lesson learned. It is worth investing the time to get to know a band’s material before going to see them in concert. None the less I enjoyed the concert. 
This was the last time that I saw Rush. They have been back to Newcastle since this gig, but it clashed with another concert for me (I think I was in Manchester seeing Rogers Waters perform The Wall). Rush are hinting at a world tour next year. It’s about time I saw them again. And if I do, this time I will listen to their material before I go to the gig.
Setlist: First Set. Limelight; Digital Man; Entre Nous; Mission; Freewill; The Main Monkey Business; The Larger Bowl; Secret Touch; Circumstances; Between the Wheels; Dreamline. Interval. Second Set. Far Cry; Workin’ Them Angels; Armor and Sword; Spindrift; The Way the Wind Blows; Subdivisions; Natural Science; Witch Hunt; Malignant Narcissism; Drum Solo; Hope; Distant Early Warning; The Spirit of Radio; Tom Sawyer. Encore: One Little Victory; A Passage to Bangkok; YYZ
26 Mar
Johnny Marr Leeds Brudenell Social Club 25th March 2014
Laura and I went to see the great Johnny Marr last night at the equally great Leeds Brudenell Social Club. Johnny played two sold out gigs there as a warm up to some South American gigs. The Brudenell is an intimate club venue and the tickets for these gig sold out immediately. Johnny broke his hand a few weeks ago in a fall while he was running, and it was touch and go if the gigs would go ahead. However, his plaster came off last week, and he felt ok to do the shows. The set consisted of tracks from his latest album “The Messenger”, a couple of brand new tracks which will appear on his next album and the Smiths classics: Panic, Bigmouth Strikes Again, How Soon Is Now?, There Is A Light That and Never Goes Out. He also played a great cover of I Fought The Law (ala The Clash) and Electronic’s Getting Away With It. Really clear sound, great atmosphere, and pretty neat renditions of the Smiths songs. Great stuff!
25 Mar
Rush Newcastle City Hall June 12th 1980: a dilemma and a culture “clash”
Rush Newcastle City Hall June 12th 1980: a dilemma and a culture “clash”
This was one of those nights were I was torn between two gigs. Rush were playing at Newcastle City Hall and The Clash were playing at Newcastle Mayfair on the same night. Now you couldn’t get two more different bands which made my dilemma all the more interesting. I already had a ticket for Rush, I was going with a group of mates, and the gig was sold out (in fact Rush played two sell out shows on this tour, as had become the norm for their visits), when The Clash gig was announced. I hadn’t missed a Newcastle gig by either band; what could I do? I decided to buy a ticket for The Clash and try and times things so I would see both bands. Now on the rare occasions I have tried to do this, it usually hasn’t worked out very well, and I’ve ended up not enjoying either gig that much. So on the night of the gig(s) I went along to the City Hall with my mates to see Rush. This was the Permanent Waves tour, and my mates were massive Rush fans who couldn’t believe that I would leave the gig early to see The Clash. But that is exactly what I did. The norm at The Mayfair was for the band to take the stage around 10pm at that time, so I watched around one hour or so of The Rush gig then quickly drove down the road to the Mayfair to see The Clash. Rush were at the peak of their success of the time, and the City Hall was packed with rock fans who lapped up the complex melodic rock and mystical lyrics that Rush are masters of. Very different to the fast punk energy that I was about to witness down at the Mayfair.
I arrived at the Mayfair ballroom just as The Clash had started the first song of the night. I always find it strange entering a gig late. Its like coming into a party uninvited when everyone is already drunk. Picture this. I enter the packed ballroom, having just left the sold out City Hall where everyone was sitting down listening intently to Rush, and The Clash are playing Safe European Home, and the place is going completely nuts. The atmosphere is electric, the air hot and sweaty. I stand on the balcony and wander around the place, taking it all in. The Clash were fast, loud, energetic and Strummer was amazing.
For once my aim of taking in two (very different) gigs on the same night worked, although I didn’t see that much of Rush, and couldn’t really get into their set as my mind was more focussed on getting my timings right in order to catch The Clash.
This was the last time that Rush played in Newcastle for 27 years, when they played at Newcastle Arena.
24 Mar
Rush Newcastle City Hall 24th April 1979
Rush Newcastle City Hall 24th April 1979
Newcastle City Hall. 24th April 1979. Mystical rock gods Rush come down from the skies once again to sing and play songs of gods, mythology and joy to the northern rock fans. We were hungry for music of the highest order, and that hunger could only be satisfied by our three superheroes. For nights the City Hall once again became a magical temple for the music of Rush. The god that is Geddy Lee amazed us with his soaring voice and his sweet bass rhythms. Twin guitar axe hero Alex Lifeson left us speechless, stunned by his virtuosity. And drum master Neil Peart, perched behind the biggest kit ever to grace Olympus drove the band and the rock textures forward. We cheered, we shouted, we sat in awe. We listened, we imagined, we dreamed. We talked about the magic of the event for weeks before, and months after. Support came from Max Webster.
Setlist: Anthem; A Passage to Bangkok; By-Tor & The Snow Dog; Xanadu; Something for Nothing; The Trees; Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres Parts I to VI; Closer to the Heart; A Farewell to Kings; La Villa Strangiato; 2112 Parts I to VII; Working Man; Bastille Day; In the Mood.
‘To seek the sacred river Alph
To walk the caves of ice
To break my fast on honeydew
And drink the milk of Paradise…’
I had heard the whispered tales of immortality
The deepest mystery
From an ancient book I took a clue
I scaled the frozen mountain tops of eastern lands unknown
Time and Man alone
Searching for the lost Xanadu
Xanadu…..’
(Xanadu, Rush).
23 Mar
Rush Newcastle City Hall 14th February 1978
Rush Newcastle City Hall 14th February 1978
By 1978 Rush has become massively popular with rock fans, and played two sold out shows at Newcastle City Hall on 14th and 15th February, 1978 with support from the Tyla Gang, fronted by ex-Ducks Deluxe “Godfather of Boogie” Sean Tyla. I attended the first night’s concert. From the tour programme: “Rush take approximately eight hours to set up their show for public viewing. It takes sixteen people in total to perform the necessary functions to convert an empty stage into a finely produced performance…..”Xanadu”: Any one who saw the band on the last part of our most recent.. British tour, will perhaps remember this one as having been featured in our show during this time, on the album it forms an eleven minute tour-de-force, and is certainly the most complex and multi-textured piece we have ever attempted. 
It also contains one of Alex’s most emotive and lyrical guitar solo’s, as well as a very dramatic vocal from Geddy….our immediate future is, of course, touring. We will be touring the United States and Canada extensively until February of 1978, when we plan to return to Europe for an extensive six week tour, encompassing all of Great Britain and continental Europe as well. … Our only hope is perhaps to contribute something enjoyable and important to those we meet along the way, and surely there are few things more enjoyable or more important than good music. If that’s all that Rush is, that’s all that we would be.” Rush were, and remain, very different to many other rock bands. They have always succeeded in producing music which is heavy, thoughtful, and musically intricate and perfect, blending elements of classic rock with prog. Their concert in 1978 was astounding, and many of my friends felt it was one of the best things they had ever seen. Setlist: Bastille Day; Lakeside Park; By-Tor & The Snow Dog; Xanadu; A Farewell to Kings; Something for Nothing; Cygnus X-1; Anthem; Closer to the Heart; 2112 Parts I – VII; Working Man; Fly by Night; In the Mood. Encore: Cinderella Man
22 Mar
Rush Newcastle City Hall 11 June 1977
Rush Newcastle City Hall 11 June 1977
I hadn’t heard of Rush at all when I first went to see them. I remember being surprised that this “new” Canadian rock band was headlining the City Hall. Of course, Rush weren’t new at all, and had already released several albums. Anyway, I went along to see them out of curiosity as much as anything, to find out what they were like. There was actually another reason that I went along to this concert, and that was to see support band Stray. I was a big Stray fan from the early 70s onwards and went to see them every chance I had. By 1977 Stray were coming to the end of the first part of the career, but nonetheless Del and the band played a storming set. 
Rush were touring to support 2112, and it came as a big surprise to me just how good they were. I was also surprised that a three piece band could be play such intricate musical, and that they could also rock and play so loud. The members were, as they remain today: Alex Lifeson (guitar), Geddy Lee (bass) and Neil Peart (drums). The other surprise was Geddy Lee’s high pitched vocals which took some getting used to. Rush opened with Bastille Day and the set included the epic 2112 suite, the wonderful Xanadu (which became a great favourite of all of us rockers in the late 70s) and the excellent Working Man and Finding My Way. I left the City Hall converted to Rush, and went to see them quite a few times over the next few years.
Setlist: Bastille Day; Anthem; Lakeside Park; 2112 Part I-VII: Overture; The Temples of Syrinx; Discovery; Presentation; Soliloquy; Grand Finale. Xanadu; Something for Nothing; By-Tor & The Snow Dog; The Necromancer; Working Man; Finding My Way; Fly by Night; In the Mood; What You’re Doing.
21 Mar
Rainbow Whitley Bay Ice Rink 8th September 1983
Rainbow Whitley Bay Ice Rink 8th September 1983
The next time Rainbow visited the North East it was to play in the cold and cavernous Whitley Bay Ice Rink, which was the venue of choice of bigger bands in the 80s, before Newcastle had an arena. This was now Rainbow MK VIIII (!) and the line-up was Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Roger Glover (bass); Joe Lynn Turner (vocals); David Rosenthal (keyboards); Chuck Burgi (drums). Support came from ex-Runaway Lita Ford.
Whitley Bay Ice Rink was a pretty awful venue for a rock concert. It held a lot of people but standing on top of an ice rink covered in wooden boards is not the best setting for a gig, and it was always soooo cold. 
However Rainbow’s performance made up for it. Ritchie was on excellent form, controlling his guitar and the band with strange almost magical hand gestures. A bootleg recording exists of the show. It was a long set by Rainbow standards, probably around two hours. Very loud and a storming performance. One of the best times that I saw Rainbow live. I think Ritchie’s strat was smashed into pieces, which he threw into the crowd, if I remember correctly. This was the last time I saw Rainbow. The next time I saw Ritchie it was back in Purple at their massive comeback show at Knebworth.
Setlist: Spotlight Kid; Miss Mistreated; I Surrender; Can’t Happen Here; Catch the Rainbow; Drinking with the Devil; Difficult to Cure; Power; Blues; Stargazer; Stranded; Death Alley Driver; Fire Dance; All Night Long; Maybe Next Time; Since You Been Gone; Encore: Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll
20 Mar
Rainbow Newcastle City Hall 23rd July 1981
A year had passed since Ritchie Blackmore and Rainbow last graced the stage of Newcastle City Hall, and things had yet again changed in the band. Graham Bonnet and Cozy Powell both resigned to pursue other projects following a very successful performance at the first Monsters of Rock festival at Donington. The new line-up was Rainbow Mk VII and featured Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Roger Glover (bass), Don Airey (keyboards), Bobby Rondinellu (drums) and Joe Lynn Turner (vocals). Their UK tour called at the City Hall for two nights, and I attended the first night, on 23rd July 1981. Support came from Rose Tattoo, an Australian hard rock and roll band, fronted by bald-headed and heavily tattooed Angry Anderson, who went on to major solo success with the power ballad “Suddenly”. I remember that there was quite a buzz about Rose Tattoo at the time, so I made a point of watching their set, and pretty good they were too.
By now I was getting used to the ever changing format of Rainbow, and I’d heard the single “I Surrender” which gave the band another big chart success. Joe Lynn Turner was another great front man and vocalist and took the band even further in the direction of classic AOR and even bigger success around the world. This was another amazing performance by Blackmore and the band.
Setlist: Land of Hope and Glory / Over the Rainbow; Spotlight Kid; Love’s No Friend; I Surrender; Man on the Silver Mountain; Catch the Rainbow; Can’t Happen Here; Lost in Hollywood; Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll. Encore: All Night Long.
19 Mar
Rainbow Newcastle City Hall 19th February 1980
Rainbow Newcastle City Hall 19th February 1980
It was now 1980, and Rainbow’s line-up had changed yet again. Blackmore had his eye on the commercial rock market, and wanted to move Rainbow’s music in the direction of more commercial straight ahead rock, away from their traditional “swords and sorcery” thematic. Ronnie James Dio was having none of this, so he was off, soon to join Black Sabbath. So the band morphed yet again. In came singer Graham Bonnet, last seen fronting The Marbles who hit the UK charts in the late ’60s with a Bee Gees penned pop classic “Only One Woman”. Bonnet has a great solid rock voice, with an amazing vocal range; although at the time I found it difficult to imagine anyone other than Dio singing Rainbow classics like “Man on the Silver Mountain”. But sing them Graham did, and he made a pretty good fist of it too. The line-up of Rainbow Mk V was Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Cozy Powell (drums), returning old Purple mate Roger Glover (bass), Don Airey (keyboards) and Graham Bonnet (vocals). 
The changing nature of the band didn’t seem to impact upon their popularity. If anything Rainbow were more popular, and once again sold out two nights at the City Hall. I attended the first night’s concert. Support came from NWOBHM band Samson featuring Bruce Dickinson (or Bruce Bruce as he was then). This concert displayed more shades of classic rock than the mystical dark elements on show during the Dio-era. It was a different type of gig, but no less enjoyable, and Blackmore was as on-fire as ever. The new formula had already paid dividends in the form of a massive hit single “Since You Been Gone”, which was followed by the almost as successful “All Night Long”.
Setlist: Eyes of the World; Love’s No Friend; Man on the Silver Mountain; Catch the Rainbow; Lost in Hollywood; Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll / Kill the King; All Night Long
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