Camel Newcastle City Hall 1978
Support Michael Chapman
I was back in the City Hall again in 1978 to see Camel, with support from Michael Chapman. This tour was to promote the Breathless album, and the set included tracks from the new album, as well as a medley of tracks from the Snow Goose album. I remember being quite pleased to hear the Snow Goose material. This was to be the last tour with founder Peter Bardens in the line up. 
Support Michael Chapman seemed to be gigging constantly throughout the 70s. I must have seen him support many different artists. Michael deserves a separate mention: I’ll blog on him tomorrow. Setlist: Earthrise; Unevensong; Song within a Song; The Sleeper; Summer Lightning; Tell Me; La Princesse Perdue; Skylines; Echoes; Never Let Go; One of These Days I’ll Get an Early Night; Lunar Sea. The Snow Goose Medley: Rhayader Goes to Town; Sanctuary; The Snow Goose; Flight of the Snow Goose; Preparation; Dunkirk; Epitaph; La Princesse Perdue; The Great Marsh. Encore: Air Born
Posts Tagged ‘gigs’
25 Jul
Camel Newcastle City Hall 1978
24 Jul
Camel Newcastle City Hall 1977
Camel Newcastle City Hall 1977
I didn’t get fully into Camel until after their breakthrough Snow Goose album. I’m not sure why I didn’t pick up on them earlier; I did see them at the Reading Festival in 1974 and 1976 but they weren’t fully on my concert-going radar until 1977, when a group of us went to see them at Newcastle City Hall. This tour was in support of Rain Dances, which was their fifth album. 
Although I always enjoyed seeing Camel in concert, I was never as familiar with their material as I was with that of contemporaries like Yes and Barclay James Harvest. My recollections of Camel are of a progrock band with excellent musicianship; and sets which were largely instrumental, and quite orchestral in nature. My other recollection was that I sometimes confused them in my own mind with Frampton’s Camel, who I saw supporting Humble Pie around the same time. Setlist: First Light; Metrognome; Unevensong; Rhayader; Rhayader Goes to Town; Preparation; Dunkirk; Fritha Alone; La Princesse Perdue; Tell Me; Song within a Song; Skylines; Highways of the Sun. Encore: Lunar Sea; Rain Dances. Encore 2: One of These Days I’ll Get an Early Night; Never Let Go
23 Jul
Dr John The Sage Gateshead 22 July 2012
SummerTyne Americana Festival 2012
Dr. John and The Lower 911 featuring Jon Cleary
Plus support Phantom Limb
Dr John took to the stage around 8.45pm last night to close the SummerTyne Americana Festival 2012 at the Sage Gateshead. The Sage was buzzing with crowds who were taking in the music which was taking place in all three halls, and on the concourse. Dr John’s concert was the highlight of the weekend (for me anyway!) and took place in the larger Hall 1. I had been preparing myself for the gig by playing my old vinyl copy of his 1969 debut lp, Gris Gris, which introduced Malcolm John “Mac” Rebennack, Jr to the world as Dr John The Night Tripper. Gris Gris combines voodoo rhtyhms with psychedelic rock and New Orleans R&B, and features the song I Walk on Guilded Splinters which had been covered by many artists including Humble Pie and Marsha Hunt. Today Dr John retains some of that image, taking to the stage with his voodoo walking stick, dressed in a sharp blue suit, wearing a cap and his hair hanging in a plat at the back. 
His six piece band featured Jon Cleary, who is a New Orleans style R&B headliner in his own right, on keyboards and occasional guitar. The rest of the band included saxophone, trombone, bass, guitar, and drums. The stage was set with Dr John’s organ and grand piano taking centre stage alongside each other, a stool between them, allowing the Dr to quickly switch between keyboards, and to play both at the same time, which he did once or twice. The set was much more R&B and blues, than voodoo, although flashes of the latter crept in at times, as did New Orleans Mardi Gras. Dr John’s band is just excellent, with each musician great in their own right, and each getting the chance to solo. 
The lady trombone player was particularly outstanding. I recognised some, but my no means all of the songs, and was impressed by Dr John whose singing and playing were just superb. The Dr is a real cool dude, who led his band through a set of songs which would be at home as much in a smokey New Orleans bar, as in a concert hall. The set included his “hit” song Right Place, Wrong Time, and a series of standards, for example: St James Infirmary, Let the Good Times Roll, Making Whoopee. A great set, although I was disappointed that he didn’t play I Walk on Guilded Splinters. I had to leave during the encore to pick Laura up. Setlist included (I have missed a few that I didn’t recognise): Locked down; Down the road; I been Hoodood; Right place wrong time; Let the good times roll (Dr John on guitar); St James Infirmary; Jon Cleary song; Ice Age; Big shot; Making whoopee; Now that you got me; That’s life?; Revolution; Goin’ back to new Orleans; Mardi Gras day. Encore: Such a Night
22 Jul
Elvis Costello Sunderland 1980; Newcastle 1981 and 1982
Elvis Costello Sunderland Mayfair 1980
Very few of the top punk and new wave bands came to Sunderland, as most bands tended to call at Newcastle and/or Middlesbrough for their North East gigs. So when a punk act did come it was a big event. My 1981 the old Sunderland Locarno (or “Mecca” as it was more commonly known) had been renamed The Mayfair, taking the same name as its Newcastle counterpart. Sunderland Mayfair regularly featured heavy rock acts, and one or two punk / new waves bands also crept on to the schedule. The place was absolutely jam packed for Elvis Costello. I remember being down the front on the dance floor and being squashed and pushed all over the place. 
The next time I saw Elvis was a year later in 1981, when he was back at the City Hall. Elvis was incredibly prolific in the early years of his career. By the end of 1981 he had released 6 albums and 17 singles, and the vast majority had climbed high in the charts; an incredible achievement. This meant that he has a vast catalogue of songs to choose from in concerts, and his sets just got longer and longer over the years, often featuring in excess of 30 songs, which is some going, and certainly set him aside from many of his punk contemporaries. His shows were a great mix of high energy new wave, catchy jangly pop, beautiful moving ballads, with a classic cover thrown in every now and then. 
Costello was back at the City Hall a year later, at the time of the Imperial Bedroom album. 
The last time that I saw Elvis at Newcastle City Hall was some thirty years ago, in 1982. Support that evening came from The Bluebells, who were to hit the charts with Young at Heart a couple of years later. I saw Costello at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium, and then lost touch with his work. Reflecting back on these gigs has made me realise just how good he is, and I’ve promised myself that I will make every effort to see him when he comes to the Sage Gateshead in 2013.
21 Jul
Elvis Costello Newcastle City Hall 1979
Elvis Costello Newcastle City Hall 1979
Support Acts: Richard Hell; John Cooper Clarke
Elvis Costello was back at the City Hall in early 1979 fronting a great triple bill, with Richard Hell and the Voidoids and John Cooper Clarke as support acts. I’d seen Richard Hell as support for the Clash at Newcastle Poly, and John Cooper Clarke popped up quite often as a support act in those days. Both acts were well worth watching, of course. Richard had been a member of Television and, briefly, the Heartbreakers, and was known at the time for his signature tune “Blank Generation” and for “inventing’ ripped, safety-pinned shirts. John Cooper Clarke was a revelation in those early punk days. His rapid, caustic humour delivered in that greater Mancunian drawl always went down well with the Geordie crowd. Songs (are they songs?) such as “I Don’t Wanna Be Nice”; “Psycle Sluts 1&2” and “(I Married a) Monster from Outer Space” stick in my mind even to this day. 
Elvis Costello had kept on turning out those classic hit singles in the year since his last City Hall performance. “Oliver’s Army”; “Accidents Will Happen” and “Radio Radio” were all new to the set this time around. The set was much longer with two extended encores. I’ve just played last song “part Girl” on Youtube to remind myself how great Elvis was in those days. I must also mention Elvis’ band The Attractions, who were a very important part of his sound. Local guy Bruce Thomas played with Paul Rodgers in the 60s, and I saw him several times in the very under-rated band Quiver. The other members were Steve Nieve on piano and Bruce Thomas (whoo I’d previously seen with Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers) on drums. Setlist: Goon Squad; Hand In Hand; Oliver’s Army; (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?; Green Shirt; The Beat; Accidents Will Happen; Lip Service; This Year’s Girl; Lipstick Vogue; Watching The Detectives; Big Boys; You Belong To Me – including a line from The Last Time; Pump It Up. Encore 1: (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea; Mystery Dance; Radio, Radio. Encore 2: No Dancing; Party Girl
20 Jul
Unveiling of Alan Hull memorial plaque Newcastle City Hall 19 July 2012
Unveiling of Alan Hull memorial plaque Newcastle City Hall 19 July 2012 
A Newcastle City Memorial Plaque was unveiled today outside Newcastle City Hall to celebrate the life of Alan Hull, who died in 1995. Lindisfarne played at the City Hall over 100 times, and their Christmas concerts were part of the annual festivities for many of us during the 70s and 80s.
I was aiming to go along to the unveiling this morning, but was in a meeting at work which ran late, so I missed the actual unveiling. I did, however, make it through just in time to catch the end of a short set by Ray Jackson. Ray performed after the unveiling, on a small stage set up outside the entrance to the City Hall. A crowd of around 100 had gathered outside the City Hall for the occasion. Ray Jackson and the band, which consisted of Ray, Dave Hull Denholm and Ian Thomson on double bass, played: All Fall Down; Clear White Light; Lady Eleanor; Fog On The Tyne.
I spent some time today running through my own memories of Alan Hull and Lindisfarne. Things I remember are; Sitting at the back of the City Hall stage in the early 70s watching Lindisfarne take the crowd through songs from the first couple of albums; everyone singing along; we can swing together. Clear White Light; the encore; Sunderland Rink, standing on chairs with a group of friends from school; at the back of the ballroom; everyone just mental; we sang and sang. Standing with a group of mates; on top of our home made shack/tent; at the Lincoln Festival 1972; Lindisfarne were one of the highlights of the weekend. Going to the Alan Hull solo concert at the City Hall in the mid 70s; he played lots of songs from his solo lps; Pipedream and Squire. Marie and I singing along to Run From Home; standing on a table; a packed Redcar Coatham Bowl; 1978; the single high in the charts. Lots of Christmas concerts at the City Hall. There were many more highlights, but the one memory which really sticks in my mind is Alan standing centre stage alone, spotlight on him, at the City Hall singing Winter Song. Just beautiful. “When Winter’s shadowy fingers first pursue you down the street; And your boots no longer lie about the cold around your feet; Do you spare a thought for summer whose passage is complete; Whose memories lie in ruins and whose ruins lie in heat; When winter….. comes howling in.”
19 Jul
Elvis Costello Newcastle City Hall March 1978
Elvis Costello Newcastle City Hall March 1978
Support Mickey Jupp
I’d seen Elvis Costello on the Stiff tour, and was really into his early singles and his image. He quickly graduated to playing concert halls, and this was the first of many times that he has played at Newcastle City Hall. His success was pretty rapid, and that clutch of early singles is impressive. Within a year he had delivered two ace albums and the singles Less Than Zero, Alison, Red Shoes, I don’t want to go to Chelsea, and Watching the detectives. Amazing when you think of it. His image then was very distinct; a strange nurdy mix of Buddy Holly, Hank Marvin, and yet still very cool. On stage he was sharp, stuttering, passionate and totally enthralling. I really enjoyed seeing Elvis Costello in the late 70s and early 80s, and haven’t been to see him for some time. I missed his recent visit to Newcastle, but note that he is returning to the region next year to play at The Sage Gateshead, and have promised Laura that we will go along this time. Reminiscing about my early Elvis concert experiences has made me realise just how great he was, and I am sure still is, so I look forward to see him next year. I’ll post a few more recollections on early Elvis gigs over the next few days. Setlist: Waiting For The End Of The World; No Action; This Year’s Girl; Night Rally; (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes; Hand In Hand; Less Than Zero; The Beat; Lip Service; (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea; Pump It Up; Lipstick Vogue; Watching The Detectives; You Belong To Me; Mystery Dance; Miracle Man
18 Jul
The Clash Newcastle City Hall 1982
The Clash Newcastle City Hall 1982
Support: Nod The Geordie Poet (?!)
The Clash returned to Newcastle in 1982 to play two nights at The City Hall. By this time The Clash were starting to disintegrate. Topper Headon had left to be replaced by Terry Chimes, and it was the beginning of the end for the band. They had just released Combat Rock. Although my ticket shows the gig as having taken place in May 1982, all of the gig listings show the gig as actually being in July 1982. I guess the tour must have been rescheduled. I remember a group of us went along to the gig, and that we were sitting pretty close to the front. I don’t think the venue was full. I remember the gig being ok, but not on the same level as earlier Clash gigs that I’d seen. This was the last time I saw The Clash.
17 Jul
The Clash Newcastle Mayfair June 12th 1980
The Clash Newcastle Mayfair June 12th 1980
Support Joe Ely
(And a trip to the City Hall to see Rush)
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. I already had a ticket for Rush, I was going with a group of mates, and the gig was sold out, when The Clash gig was announced. What a dilemma for me! 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 big Rush fans who couldn’t believe that I would leave the gig early to see The Clash. But thats 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 of The Rush gig then drove down the road to the Mayfair to see The Clash. By then I had missed support act Joe Ely. In fact I arrived in the venue just as The Clash had started the first song of the night. I always find is strange entering a gig late. Its like coming into a party uninvited when everyone is already drunk. Picture this. I enter a packed ballroom, The Clash are playing Safe European Home, and the place is going nuts. I stood on the balcony and wandered around the place, taking it all in. The Clash played much longer that night than the previous times I’d seen them. Of course by 1980, they had a much larger repertoire of songs to draw from. They were great as usual, but I didn’t see as much passion and energy as at the Newcastle Poly gig a couple of years before. I thought the gig dragged at times, but picked up towards the end, and the place went nuts when they finished with White Riot. So my aim of taking in two gigs on the same night sort of 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. Setlist: Safe European Home; Jimmy Jazz; Revolution Rock; The Guns of Brixton; Train in Vain; London Calling; Spanish Bombs; (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais; Somebody Got Murdered; Koka Kola; I Fought the Law; Jail Guitar Doors; Hit the Road Jack; Police and Thieves; Clampdown; Stay Free; English Civil War; I’m So Bored With the U.S.A.; Complete Control; Armagideon Time; Tommy Gun; London’s Burning; Capital Radio; What’s My Name; Garageland; White Riot.
16 Jul
The Clash Newcastle Polytechnic Oct 28 1977 and Dec 2 1978
The Clash Newcastle Polytechnic Oct 28th 1977 and Dec 2nd 1978
Support acts: Richard Hell and the Voidoids (1977); The Slits (1978)
The Clash came back to Newcastle later in 1977, and again in 1978. I only have vague ![_DSC3340 [CROP2][LR]](https://myvintagerock.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dsc3340-crop2lr.jpg?w=257&h=257)
memories of the 1977 gig, and can’t be certain that I attended, although I think I did. I remember there was trouble and some fights at one, and maybe both, of the gigs. I read somewhere that Richard Hell had a firework thrown in his face. I have very vivid memories of the 1978 gig. By 1978 The Clash were massive, and the gig sold out almost immediately. I also bought tickets for their gig at Middlesbrough Town Hall, but sold them to a couple of mates so that I could go and see The Jam at the Mayfair that night. That night at Newcastle Polytechnic I saw something different in The Clash. It was as if they had moved up couple of levels, and were now a confident, and great rock band, rather than another punk act. The place was packed, with everyone standing on chairs and tables. I think they started with Safe European Home; I do remember that they were just stupendous. I also remember being particularly impressed by Mick Jones guitar work, and when he took the lead for Stay Free, which remains one of my favourite songs to this day. This was the best time that I saw The Clash, and the night I realised that there were a major rock band. I remember saying to Marie that, on that night, for me they were up there with The Who and Zeppelin as one of our best live rock acts.
Blog entry updated on 23rd of June 2020. I recently wrote a chapter for a book about The Clash (Smith, 2017). I have enclosed a short extract below which relates to these gigs. I have also taken the opportunity to include some great photographs which Mark kindly send me of both The Clash and Richard Hell.
![_DSC3349 [CROP2][LR]](https://myvintagerock.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dsc3349-crop2lr.jpg?w=288&h=288)
“The Clash returned to Newcastle later in 1977, and again in 1978. There was violence and fighting at both gigs. Both gigs took place at the Students’ Union of Newcastle Polytechnic. Both were weekend gigs, party nights for the students. Admission was once again “students only,” which was a source of anger and violence, and in direct contravention of the tour policy which “guaranteed access to non-college students” (Gray 2003). Richard Hell had a firework thrown in his face at the 1977 gig, which took place a few days before bonfire night. These were crazy nights of excitement, violence, clashes between rival gangs and excellent rock music. “The gigs were mayhem,” recalls Johnny Green: “never seen anything like it in my life” (Gray 2003). A member of The Slits urged the crowd to “wreck the place” (Newcastle Journal, 2011).
I have very vivid memories of the 1978 gig. By 1978 The Clash were established, popular and the darlings of the music press, and as a result the gig sold out almost immediately. There was much anticipation for the concert. The students had come to see what punk rock was all about, and fans to experience their new rock heroes. The local people, those who managed to gain entry, were there to spit at the band and (for some) to fight with the students. The group of people outside were trying to force their way in, getting angrier and angrier, and ended up waiting outside to attack students as they left. At the 1977 gig a fan tried to pull Mick Jones off stage, damaging his Les Paul Junior (Gray 2003).![_DSC3343 [CROP][LR]](https://myvintagerock.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dsc3343-croplr.jpg?w=237&h=237)
Although I enjoyed the gigs, I was scared on both occasions. I had very long hair and looked out of place at a punk gig. The fact that the gigs took place in a students’ union building added a level of safety. I could blend in with the students, although I was also the subject of taunts from local punks. It was leaving the venue which was the most frightening aspect of the evening. We had to run the gauntlet of a large group of punks and skinheads who, having been denied access to the gig, were determined to vent their anger and frustrations on students, many worse the wear from alcohol, leaving the hall. Some people were seriously hurt. A heavy police presence minimised the violence and the danger and we survived both gigs unscathed.
![_DSC3376 [CROP][LR]](https://myvintagerock.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dsc3376-croplr.jpg?w=203&h=203)
The Newcastle Journal (2011) reported the 1978 gig as an example of the “harum-scarum days of punk rock” where “hundreds of drunken youngsters” had “fierce scuffles” and “specially trained security guards with dogs and walkie-talkies” tried to keep order inside and outside the venue.”
Gray, Marcus (2003), The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town, London: Helter Skelter.
Journal, The. (2011). Reuniting the wild women of punk rock, The Journal, Newcastle 23rd February 2011.
Smith, P. (2017). An Analysis of The Clash in Concert: 1977 to 1982, in Cohen, S and Peacock, J (eds.), The Clash Takes on the World: Transnational Perspectives on The Only Band that Matters, Bloomsbury, pp 27 – 44.
Many thanks once again Mark for your great photographs, and for allowing me to use them to update my blog posts.
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