Sensational Alex Harvey Band on tour 1976
SAHB toured again in May 1976. I have a programme for the tour, which I think must have come from The Who concert that I attended at Charlton at the end of May 1976. SAHB shared the bill, headlined by The Who, with Little Feat, The Outlaws and Roger Chapman’s Streetwalkers. I’ll blog on that event when I come to cover The Who. I also have a vague memory of sneaking into the City Hall to see the encore of a SAHB gig at Newcastle City Hall that year. The band played two nights at the City Hall in early May as part of the tour, with support from Pat Travers. I didn’t buy a ticket (big mistake, in hindsight) as I knew I was going to see them at Charlton at the end of the month. I’d been out in Newcastle, and wandered along to the City Hall with a couple of mates. The gig was coming to an end and the doors were open to let people out. We wandered into the Hall and caught the band playing Delilah and The Faith Healer. The programme for the 1976 tour comes in the form of a comic book, complete with a free banger (see below) just like the ones that came free with our comics in the 60s. The cast was: The Teacher: Alex Harvey; The Actor: Zal Cleminson; The Punk: CHris Glen; The Buffer: Ted McKenna; The Professor: Hugh McKenna; Dr Killjoy: As himself. The story is Vambo v Dr Killjoy with, SAHB as superheroes saving the word through Vambo Rool! The story starts: “England is under the oppressive rule of Dr Killjoy – Sinister head of the Ministry of Boredom! His rule has ground the will from the people.” Vambo coming to the rescue…
Vambo, featured in the song Vambo Marble Eye, was a teenage punk and super hero of the future. When performing the song Alex would spray paint an imitation brick wall with the slogan ‘Vambo Rool.’ Alex and band were one of the best live bands around at the time, and certainly went down well with the Charlton crowd. I saw Alex and the guys once more after this tour, at the (very very muddy) Reading Festival 1977, which was their last live performance. Alex was reportedly not so well by that stage of their career, and it wasn’t their best gig, but still a strong point of the festival. I did see Alex once more in concert in 1980 and I’ll blog on that gig tomorrow. Typical setlist from the 1976 tour: Love Story, School’s Out, Tomahawk Kid, Isobel Goudie, Dance to you Daddy, Amos Moses, Framed, Midnight Moses, Vambo Marble Eye. Encore: Delilah, The Faith Healer.
Posts Tagged ‘heavy rock’
28 Apr
Sensational Alex Harvey Band on tour 1976
27 Apr
Sensational Alex Harvey Band Newcastle City Hall 1975
Sensational Alex Harvey Band Newcastle City Hall 1975
By the time of this gig SAHB had released four albums: Framed (1972); Next (1973); The Impossible Dream (1974) and Tomorrow Belongs to Me (1975). The band were at the top of their game and were selling out concert halls up and down the country. SAHB had graduated from playing the clubs to playing venues like the City Hall, but their show remained as crazy and intimate as ever. Seeing SAHB was very much a show, with Alex as Master of Ceremonies. The 1975 programme explains it well: “He [Alex[ class it simply a 1975 song-and-dance act, yet it inevitably comes off as something of a morality play. The show is often surreal, difficult to follow, but there emerges, beyond Harvey’s unadorned, solid presence (which suggest sailor, lion tamer, master of ceremonies) beyond the more defined roles (paperback detective, leather-jacketed, graffiti-scrawling, framed prisoner) and in paradoxical contrast to the blazing cynicism he projects, a clear and present appeal to sanity, to escape from the repression and yes, to respect for freedom. His warning: ‘Don’t pish in the water supply'”. 
Beneath all the show and bravado, Alex was a bit of a philosopher, and came over as an authentic, moralistic guy, a teacher, a role model, the older brother. He would tell us (in hos own words, also from the programme): “Dear Boys and Girls, As we start on our British tour – be good, don’t smash any windows or throw any rubbish. We look forward to seeing you because we love you and that’s why we don’t want you to get into any trouble, Love Alex xxxx”. So what we experienced in these concerts was part vaudeville, part morality lesson, part theatre, part madness, part proto-punk (and setting the scene for what was to come) and some great rock n roll music. We have never seen the like since and perhaps never will again. Yes it was that unique and ahead of its time. Setlist from 1975 (from Glasgow Apollo site): Faith Healer; Action Strasse; Tomahawk Kid; Give My Compliments To The chef; Delilah; The Tale Of The Giant Stone Eater; Vambo; Midnight Moses; Dance To The Music; Tomorrow Belongs To Me; Gang Bang; Framed
26 Apr
Sensational Alex Harvey Band: reflections of amazing gigs in the early to mid 70s
Sensational Alex Harvey Band gigs in the early to mid 70s
I first saw the Sensational Alex Harvey Band (or SAHB as they became to be known) at a gig at Sunderland Locarno. It must have been in 1972 or 1973, as it was at the time of the Framed album, and the band were unknown at the time. I was totally blown away by them; their name was correct; they were truly sensational. Their stage show was innovative, powerful and totally crazy; Alex was the ultimate frontman, having honed his craft with his soul band in the sweaty clubs of Glasgow and Hamburg. The guy had no fear, and took total command of the audience. And the rest of the band were also pretty sensational: Zal Cleminson playing the mad, evil guitarist in his white-faced pierrot make-up and suit; Chris Glen leering at us, wearing a codpiece on top of his jeams, and Hugh and Ted McKenna on electric piano and drums respectively. Framed is a very strong debut album, and the songs were great live: The Hammer Song; Midnight Moses; the epic tale of the Scottish witch Isobel Goudie; and St. Anthony. These are all great rock songs and the band performed them with a craziness, syncopation, and faultless choreography that no other band could match at the time. Framed was one of the last songs; it seemed like Alex was speaking the words directly to you. He would put a stocking over his head and fill his mouth with a bar towel. It was truly awesome to see them close up in a small ballroom, with a reasonably size, but by no means packed, crowd. There went down so well they were booked again and came back a few weeks later.
I then saw SAHB at Newcastle Mayfair, at Newcastle City Hall, and at several festivals: Reading 1973 (low down on the bill), Reading 1974 (headlining the Friday night), Buxton 1973, Knebworth 1974, supporting Yes at Stoke Football ground in 1975, supporting the Who at Charlton in 1976, and back at Reading in 1977. The Buxton and Stoke gigs stick in my mind for similar reasons. On both occasions Alex took control of a difficult crowd situation. At Buxton the festival was over-run by Hells Angels who were driving their bikes through the crowd, harrassing us all, and fighting amongst each other. When Alex took to the stage he negotiated with the Angels to behave themselves, talking directly to theie leader and telling him to get his guys to behave themselves. At the Yes Stoke gig, a fight broke out down near the front, and Alex jumped straight into the crowd and pulled the guys apart. As I said earlier, this guy had no fear, and was so impressive and captivating. Other memories are of them playing The Faith Healer at Reading and thinking how different it was, with the opening rhythms throbbing across the field, and of those great and off the wall covers. I can think of Del Shannon’s Runaway, the Osmonds’ Crazy Horses, Jethro Tull’s Love Story and Alice Cooper’s Schools Out. These songs all got the crazy SABH treatment. And then of course there was Delilah. There was truly no-one like the Sensational Alex Harvey band on a good night, and indeed every time I saw them in those early days were great nights! I’ll blog a little more on SAHB, and a few specific gigs over the next few days.
7 Apr
HRH Prog Fest Magna Centre Rotherham 6 April 2013
HRH Prog Fest Magna Centre Rotherham 6 April 2013
I won free tickets for the Prog fest at the Magna Centre yesterday, and drove down to Rotherham for this event with my mate Norm. The line-up was headed by Hawkwind, and featured a host of other prog-related acts including the Strawbs, It Bites, and Arthur Brown. We arrive at around 5pm just is time to catch Arthur Brown. Arthur is doing a great job of recreating the psych-tinged R&B which featured on his first album. His set is drawn largely from that album, and he fronts a new band of excellent musicians, including a great keyboard player and guitarist. He is also accompanied by a dancer, with whom Arthur engages in some crazy, comical moves. His voice is as strong as ever; the Crazy World lives on. After seeing Arthur and his Crazy World we nipped out to Ben and Jerrys in Meadowhall for a bite to eat, and returned in time to catch the end of It Bites’ set, including Calling All The Heroes.
The Magna centre is an intriguing venue for a rock festival. It is housed in a massive old steelworks, which in its day will have been at the heart of the Sheffield steel industry, and by day it is a visitor attraction showing the history of steelmaking. The festival took up much of Magna over this weekend with some festivals in one taking place: the Prog fest which was the reason for our visit and its companion AOR fest, both organised by HRH. Each festival had two stages: the Prog fest main stage was in the “Face of Steel” and stage 2 was in “Earth”. For the AOR fest the main stage was in the Big Hall, and the second stage was in “Fire”. Signing sessions took place in the “Fuel” restaurant: we headed their after It Bites, lined up and got a flyer signed by some of the members of Hawkwind (sadly Dave Brock did not come along 😦 ).
We then found our way to the strange little room, which was “Earth” at the other end of the venue, and watched a little of the acoustic Strawbs, before heading back to the “Face of Steel” for Hawkwind, who opened their set with my favourite “Master of the Universe”. It was really getting cold by now; the size of Magna, with massive high ceilings, means that it is probably impossible to keep warm now, although it will have been red hot in its day when it housed a furnace. Norm and I have experienced how cold it is before, when we went to see Hawkwind ay a fan club event a few years ago on a cold December night. We watched a little more of Hawkwind’s set and then decided to keep warm by moving around and visiting the AOR fest. The Main Hall was packed for Tesla who seemed an intriguing rock band. We then went up to “Fire” where we watched a couple of songs of Estrella. Then it was back round to Hawkwind again, passing “Earth” where Karnataka were playing. Hawkwind finished their set around 11pm with Damnation Alley from the Quark, Strangeness and Charm album. Hawkwind have been playing the entire Warrior at the Edge of Time album on their current tour, with dancers and light show. Apparently the stage at the Prog fest wasn’t big enough for the show, so Hawkwind decided to revert to a standard set. As it was getting late by the time Hawkwind finished and we had a two hour drive home we decided to pass on seeing Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash and heading for the M1 north. Got home 1am. The festival was fun, but the venue was FREEZING…..
25 Mar
The Black Crowes Manchester Academy 24th March 2013
The Black Crowes Manchester Academy 24th March 2013
This was the first night of the Black Crowes’ “Lay Down with No 13” world tour which sees them taking to the road again after a short hiatus. I’ve only seen the Crowes once before, when they appeared low down the bill at a Donington Monsters of Rock festival (which was headlined by AC/DC) in 1991. My friend John is a massive Crowes fan and goes to see them regularly in the USA, where he lives, and I figured it was about time that I went to see what all the fuss was about. I must admit to being a little nervous about driving to Manchester again, after the difficult drive that Laura and I had across the M62 when we went to see Johnny Marr at Manchester Ritz on Friday. And two long night drives in three days is a bit much for me now. But hey I had a ticket and really wanted to see this band, so I set off around 4pm to make sure that I arrived on time. As it happened the roads were clear and the drive was problem and event free, so I arrived at the venue early at 6.45pm after a short stop off at a service station. I joined a massive queue outside the Academy which is situated in the heart of the University quarter of Manchester. After a short and very cold wait I was in the venue which soon filled to capacity. The Academy is an all standing venue with no public balcony. I made my way to the front of the hall and got myself a spot pretty close to the stage. There was no support act and the Black Crowes came on stage, to a great roar from the crowd, around 8.15pm; shortly after the advertised time of 8pm. I must admit to knowing very little of their material although John gave me a DVD which I’ve watched and enjoyed. The first number was Jealous Again, which seemed familiar, and I recognised some of the better known songs such as She Talks to Angels and Thorn in My Pride. Apart from that much of the rest of the set was unfamiliar to me, but pretty enjoyable none the less. I lasted the first few songs in my spot near the front before I decided to have a coke and take in the view from the back of the hall. Black Crowes’ music shows lots of 70s influences; I could see shades of the Faces, the Stones, Humble Pie, the Allmans and Free in there, which can’t be bad. The band were on great form, with some great guitar work from Rich Robinson and newcomer Jackie Greene (this was his first gig with the band). Singer Chris Robinson has a wonderful soulful rock voice and seemed genuinely pleased to be back in the UK. The crowd, who were a mix of old hippy types and heavy rock fans lapped it up and sang along to many of the songs. There was a short acoustic set in the middle of the show. I enjoyed them as I knew I would, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen an American rock n roll act like this, but I would have liked to know more of the material. I was pleased to see Hard to Handle (which I remember seeing them play in 1991) and Hush as part of the encore. The set was around 2 hours, finishing at approx 10.15pm. I picked up a setlist online this morning, and see that the fourth song was Traffic’s Medicated Goo. To my shame I didn’t recognise it last night. A great gig. Thanks go to John for alerting me to the Black Crowes. The drive back was also uneventful; I got home around 1am. Setlist: Jealous Again; Thick N’ Thin; Hotel Illness; Medicated Goo; Sister Luck; Wiser Time; She Talks to Angels; The Last Place That Love Lives; Whoa Mule; My Morning Song; High Head Blues; By Your Side; Thorn in My Pride; Remedy; Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution; Soul Singing. Encore: Descending; Hard to Handle; Hush; Willin’
21 Mar
Sammy Hagar Newcastle City Hall 1982
Sammy Hagar Newcastle City Hall 1982
Support from Grand Prix
This was the last time I saw Sammy Hagar in concert. By 1982 he had released 7 solo albums, and was continuing to have success both in the UK and the USA. His solo career was to come to an end a couple of years later when he joined Van Halen. I saw Halen a couple of times with Dave Lee Roth as lead singer, but I never saw them with Sammy Hagar. Support for this tour, the Standing Hampton tour, came from Grand Prix who were 
“A British Pomp Rock band of high repute; coming to prominence during the NWOBHM era, but purveyed a slicker, AOR tinged melodic Rock that gave the act distinction amongst their more rustic counterparts.” (from ww.rockdetector.com). Grand Prix featured ex-Sad Cafe keyboardist Phil Lanzon, who is now in Uriah Heep (and who I saw last week at Stockton). Setlist from the Glasgow gig of the tour: Heavy Metal; This Planet’s on Fire (Burn in Hell); Plain Jane; Baby’s on Fire; I’ll Fall in Love Again; Trans Am (Highway Wonderland); Sweet Hitchhiker; Love or Money; Inside Lookin’ In; Can’t Get Loose; Rock ‘n’ Roll Weekend; I’ve Done Everything for You; Rock Candy; Space Station #5. Encore: Whole Lotta Love; There’s Only One Way to Rock; Turn Up The Music; Red / Satisfied
20 Mar
Sammy Hagar Newcastle City Hall 1980
Sammy Hagar Newcastle City Hall 1980
Support from US heavy metal band Riot
This tour was billed as the Loud and Clear tour. The original billing listed April Wine as the support act. If my memory serves me right (and it often doesn’t 🙂 ) April Wine dropped out as they elected to do their own headline tour, and they were replaced by US heavy metal merchants Riot. Sammy Hagar live was a full-on, raucous, high energy rock experience. Sammy had boundless energy and would run around the stage, slamming riffs out of his guitar. He would always give 110% and was great fun to see live. 
I found a setlist from 1980. I guess that the set at Newcastle will have been similar to this: Trans Am (Highway Wonderland); Love or Money; Miles From Boredom; Reckless; In the night; Young Girl Blues; Plain Jane; 20th Century Man; The Iceman; This Planet’s on Fire; Turn Up The Music; Red; Bad Motor Scooter. Encore: Bad Reputation; Space Station #5; Cruisin’ and Boozin’; Growing Pains. A live album exists from this period, which also includes some of the above songs. By the time of this tour Hagar had released 5 albums in 4 years, which is pretty good going. It was to be another couple of years before I saw him again at the City Hall.
19 Mar
Sammy Hagar Newcastle Mayfair 1979
Sammy Hagar Newcastle Mayfair 1979
Support from Def Leppard
I first saw Sammy Hagar when he was with Montrose. They were a great hard rock band, and supported Status Quo at Newcastle City Hall on a tour in the early 70s. They delivered a strong set and actually gave the mighty Quo a bit of a run for their money. I also saw them in 1974 when they played at Charlton football ground, as one of the support acts for the Who. Their most famous song was Bad Motor Scooter which was apparently the first song that Sammy Hagar wrote. Hagar split from Ronnie Montrose in 1975 and pursued a solo career, going on to some considerable success in the late 70s and early 80s. One of his most well known songs from that solo period was Red, on which he built his own style, leading to his nickname of The Red Rocker. I remember red programmes, red clothing, and red guitars all became part of his shows around that time. Hagar live was a full-on high energy hard rock experience, fast and loud. He would always play Red, Bad Motor Scooter and Space Station No 5. Great stuff. This gig at the Mayfair had the added attraction of up and coming NWOBHM band Def Leppard as support act. More Def Leppard memories here https://vintagerock.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/def-leppard-newcastle-city-hall-1980/
13 Mar
Status Quo Reunion Tour Manchester Apollo March 12th 2013
Status Quo Reunion Tour Manchester Apollo March 12th 2013
When I was growing up with rock music in the early 70s, there was a band who played great rock and boogies, put on amazing concerts, and released a sequence of great albums. They toured constantly up and down the country, and played at all the festivals. They were championed by John Peel, and wherever and whenever they played a loyal group of denim clad fans turned out and gave them the best reception that you could wish for. Sadlt somewhere over the years the members fell out, which resulted in acrimony and legal wranglings. The band reformed reformed with a couple of original members and started to tour again. They managed to regain some of their former glory, and many of us stayed with them, or in my case regained the faith and started to go and see them again. Over time the band lost the respect of the media and in the public consciousness the band became something from the past, and often the subject of some mockery. That band was (and is) called Status Quo.
Last night I saw that band again. I didn’t quite realise how important the event, or indeed the event was, until I got into Manchester Apollo last night. You could just feel the anticipation. This was the reunion we had all hoped for but we thought would never happen. The Apollo was packed to the rafters; these reunion gigs sold out quickly and more dates were added. The support band The Treatment put on a good show; they are a your rock band from the AC/DC mould with hints of glam. The crowd gave them a warm reception, but we were all there for one thing. To see the Frantic Four, the Mighty Quo reunited and ready to rock us like the old days. We had our doubts; would it still be the same? Was it really that good anyway? Could they still do it? After all these are older guys, and time must have taken its toll. The stage was set with a backdrop of the Hello album, the lights went down.
8.35pm. On the dot. As advertised. Jackie Lynott’s recorded introduction from the Live album roars out over the PA: “Is there anybody out there who wants to rock? Is there anybody out there who wants to roll? Is there anybody out there who wants to boogie? Tonight! We have the number one rock’n’roll band in the land! Will you welcome? The magnificent! STATUS! QUO!” And the curtain drops and it starts. The four are there and ready, standing in front of lines of AC30s and Marshall stacks. The first thing I noticed was the volume. And the clarity of the sound. And looking down from the slipper at the left side of the circle, the crowd are going crazy downstairs (all standing). The band all look well and they seem genuinely pleased to be together, old wounds have been healed, and they seem to be mates again. So it has finally happened. I got to see the original line-up again: cheeky Francis (didn’t he used to Mike in the days when I first got into this band?) Rossi, human rock rhythm machine Rick Parfitt, pure hard rocker bassist Alan Lancaster and solid powerhouse drummer John Coghlan. Much has been written about Alan’s ill health; well last night he seemed just fine and the fist few songs featured his vocals. I’d forgotten how important he was to the band. Important for his vocals, for his solid bass, and for maintaining the heavier and rockier side of the band. The opener was Juniors Wailing just as it was when I first saw Status Quo. Is it really 42 years ago since I first saw them? Where have all the years gone? Francis was on great form. Not as much cheeky chat as usual, but there was some, but great guitar playing. Slick, fluid and very loud. Rick looks slim and healthy with a new short hair cut and sporting a leather jacket. He kept the pace and the rhythm up throughout, sometimes it looked like he might explode. John Coghlan sat on a raised drumstool, twirling his sticks as he did in the old days. It felt right to have him and Alan back there, and I realised just how important John’s drumming was to the Quo sound. The set was drawn from the Live album, and the early 70s period, with a lack of the hits. No Caroline or Rocking All Over the World. Instead we got In My Chair, Backwater, Don’t Waste My Time, Big Fat Mama. This was a lean, loud, heavy rock n roll machine. It made me realise just how great the old band were in the 70s. Their old mate Bob Young joined them on mouth harp on Railroad and closing song (the Doors) Roadhouse Blues. The guy a couple of seats away told me that he had flown over from New York for the gig. I can’t express how good it was. Amazing; breath taking, emotional, and just good honest simple rock.
Setlist: Junior’s Wailing; Backwater; Just Take Me; Is There a Better Way; In My Chair; Blue Eyed Lady; Little Lady; Most of the Time; (April), Spring, Summer and Wednesdays; Railroad; Oh Baby; Forty-Five Hundred Times;Rain; Big Fat Mama; Down Down; Roadhouse Blues. Encore: Don’t Waste My Time; Bye Bye Johnny
5 Mar
Humble Pie Newcastle Odeon November 1974
Humble Pie Newcastle Odeon November 1974
The last time that John and I saw Humble Pie was at a gig at Newcastle Odeon in late 1974. I recall my friend Norm being there at the gig as well (will check with him; I did so and yes Norm was with me; he has a strong memory of sitting up in the balcony watching the band). On this occasion the band the 7.30 start time suggests that the band played one show, rather than customary two shows that bands often played when they called at the Odeon. I recall this as a good gig, with Marriott on his usual top form. For me Steve Marriott really came into his own at big, open air gigs. He seemed to draw power in his voice and his performance from a larger crowds. Support for this gig was McGuinness Flint. This was a later version of the band, with a line-up featuring Hughie Flint, Tom McGuinness, Lou Stonebridge and Dixie Dean. I remember them playing When I’m Dead and Gone, The programme says of Humblie Pie: “perhaps one of our hottest bans in the 70s, are also A&M’s most coloirful and illustrious soul childrenof the explosive 60s English rock n roll boom.” 
Sadly the band was to split up the following year. Humble Pie played a lot of gigs during their brief existence. Over 400 are documented in Jerry Shirley’s book from the August 69 debut at Ronnie Scotts to a show in Houston in March 1975.He believes this is about 70% of the total. Steve Marriott went on to play in the reformed Small Faces, which I saw a couple of times at Newcastle City Hall in the late 70s. I also saw Steve playing at a small venue in Sunderland shortly before he tragically died in a fire, which was on April 20th 1991. A bit like Paul Kossoff, Phil Lyonott and I am sure a number of others, Steve Marriott represents everything which is good and bad about rock and roll, tremendous talent, a huge ego, but the inability to deal with the fame and fortune rollercoster ride full of tremendous highs and depressing lows. Shame. Setlist for the gig at the Odeon was probably something like: Thunderbox; Four Day Creep; Sweet Peace and Time; The Fixer; 30 Days in the Hole; Let Me Be Your Love maker; C’Mon Everybody; I Don’t Need No Doctor. Thanks again to John for all his help with memories of Humble Pie and in writing the last few days’ posts.
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