Pick up the Pieces! The Average White Band were great favourites of mine 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 them as a tight rock/jazz outfit, who had some great classic singles such as the aforementioned “Pick up the Pieces”. The Average White Band split up in 1982 but regrouped after some years and have finally decided call it a day with: A Funk Finale – Farewell Tour 2024.
The publicity announced this farewell tour: “Average White Band, one of the soul and funk bands of all-time will bring their farewell tour to venues in 2024. The group will perform their biggest hits and fan favourites, such as US No.1 Pick Up the Pieces, Cut The Cake.…….Formed in London in 1972, the band – somewhat incongruously given their Scottish roots – took the influences of their R&B heroes such as Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Stevie Wonder, and Jazz greats Cannonball Adderley and The Crusaders, then developed their own authentic sound rapidly adopted by black audiences in the US, UK and worldwide.
The group’s consistently accomplished songwriting helped them to achieve several Gold & Platinum-selling albums and multiple Grammy nominations with Atlantic Records. Having remained a perennial fixture at top venues & festivals across the world for over 50 years, the Average White Band’s farewell tour is the not-to-be-missed last chance for multiple generations of fans to experience the musical energy and trademark sound of one of the world’s truly great soul bands.”
So, another band from my past touring for the last time. Well, of course I had to go along and grasp this one last chance of seeing an iconic band who successfully blended soul music with jazz, rock and R&B. Always difficult to categorise, the Average White band hailed from Glasgow and produced music which was uncharacteristic of their home city.
Two guitarists and vocalists Onnie McIntrye and Alan Gorrie remain from the original band, alongside a set of musicians who they have assembled over the years, including a black soul singer who now fronts the band. But Alan Gorrie was very much the bandleader, with his old friend and side kick Onnie McIntyre standing quietly to his left on guitar duties.
The Tyne Theatre was packed ready to say a last goodbye to this band. I can’t say I recognised many of the songs, but I greatly enjoyed the performance, and I was glad I took the opportunity to catch them one last time. Of course, I knew the aforementioned “pick up the pieces” and “cut the cake” but I had forgotten the great singalong “let’s go round again” which had the entire theatre audience up and dancing.
Many thanks to Jan for the photographs and to Chris for helping me manipulate the site stop
The concert was in two parts and the set list ran something like this:
Set 1: I Just Can’t Give You Up; The Jugglers; This World Has Music; You Got It; Person to Person; Keepin’ It to Myself; McEwan’s Export; T.L.C.; Cloudy; Work to Do.
Set 2: When Will You Be Mine; Walk on By; Cut the Cake; A Love of Your Own; Whatcha’ Gonna Do for Me; Atlantic Avenue; Put It Where You Want It.
Encore: Let’s Go Round Again; Pick Up the Pieces
A journey to York to see a classic band. It doesn’t get much better. The Crescent is a lovely community venue that presents some great acts. This is the nearest place in the North-East that 
I have seen Soft Machine a few times over the years since the early 1970s. The last time I saw them was at Kendal Arts Centre, another lovely venue. So, I figured it was time to renew my acquaintance with Soft Machine and their music.
The Crescent proudly announces the band thus: “Soft Machine is one of the greatest UK avant/jazz-rock bands of all time. Their work, from their earliest performances as a psychedelic band, who were contemporaries of, and shared stages with Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, all the way to being one of Europe’s best known ‘fusion’ bands has influenced several generations of bands, and continues to be name-checked by today’s hip experimentalists.
Whilst the line-up of Soft Machine may have changed many times since the heady days of the late 1960’s, the band’s spirit of musical adventure, and the ease with which it freely avoids being pigeon holed and can move from powerful progressive jazz fusion to atmospheric psychedelia to free improvised jazz-rock to ambient loop music continues to make it both unique and totally contemporary.”
Soft Machine were formed in mid-1966 by Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals), Kevin Ayers (bass, guitar, vocals), Daevid Allen (guitar; who would go on to form Gong) and Mike Ratledge (organ). The band members would change many times over the years with Mike Ratledge fronting Soft Machine up until the mid-1970s when guitarist John Etheridge joined and became front man. The current line-up features John Etheridge on guitar, Asaf Sirkis on drums, Theo Travis on saxophones and Fred Thelonius Baker on bass. We take our seats close to the back with a great view of the entire stage.
The concert starts at 8:15 p.m. and is in two parts. The music is, as expected, all instrumental, quite jazzy and moves effortlessly from guitar led tracks during which John Etheridge takes to the fore and flute or saxophone led tracks featuring Theo Travis. All pleasant, challenging, mood provoking with many twists and turns. Fred Thelonius Baker takes front stage for some thundersome bass during some tracks and new drummer Asaf Sirkis (who has only recently joined the band, stepping into the shoes of John Marshall a member since 1972) also takes some solos. After a short interval and time for a lovely double Drambuie, the band return to the stage.
The music draws heavily from the mid-70s period, but also features selections from their current album. They also take us right back to 1967 and the band’s first single “Joy of a Toy” written by Kevin Ayers. Fantastic. The whole evening is highly enjoyable and both Jan and Jackie agree that the music is pleasant and find some of the tracks slightly familiar. We have to leave for our train back to Durham just as the band return for an encore. Then our friendly taxi driver is waiting for us at Durham station. We arrive at 12:13 a.m. Back home around 1 a.m. Another great visit to a lovely venue in a lovely city.
Setlist (something like this): First Set: Penny Hitch; Open Doors; The Visitor at the Window; The Tale of Taliesin; Broken Hill; Fourteen Hour Dream; Gesolreut.
Last night I spent an evening in the company of 1960s legendary jazz rock band 
The Crescent is a lovely venue. It was a working men’s club, dating back to the 1920s. There is a great picture of the house band from those days on display in the entrance. We took a nice photograph of the picture. The Crescent has a friendly feel about it and it is great to be able to see a band up close in a small venue. It is a short 10 minutes walk from York station which we negotiated quite well, particularly over some cobbled streets which my wheelchair and I do not take well to! It holds around 250 people and was unreserved seating for the evening. When we arrived around 8 PM the venue was quite full but we managed to find a couple of seats for Elaine and Jan at the end of the second row and I took my place alongside them. We were informed that the band would be taking the stage at 8:30 PM and would play two sets with a short interval.
Now this was the 1969 incarnation of Colosseum (or as close to it as possible) but of course the founder, leader, the late great 
The website continued: “Colosseum came to fame in 1969 when the band led by legendary drummer Jon Hiseman released its debut album Those Who Are About To Die Salute You. The band soon caused a sensation with their powerful blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Their appearances at major rock festivals drew huge crowds and fans flocked to concerts as they performed epic works like the “Valentyne Suite” and “Lost Angeles”. More best selling studio albums followed, notably Valentyne Suite (1969) and The Daughter of Time is Truth (1970). Changes in personnel saw the arrival of the soulful Chris Farlowe, famed for his Sixties chart hit ‘Out Of Time’ and Clem Clempson, the young blues guitar virtuoso and vocalist and bass player Mark Clarke.”
After a short interval, just giving me time for another Guinness (just a half this time making a pint and half in total: very adventurous for me on an evening!), the band returned and treated us to more new and old Colosseum tracks. They began with a surprise. Clem Clempson started playing the introduction to “Out Of Time” and Chris joined in, as did the crowd. Chris told us “this is the first time, and will probably be the last that Colosseum perform that song!” Clem continued to tempt by playing the introduction to “Handbags and Gladrags” but Chris wouldn’t be drawn and they moved on to “proper” Colosseum material. This included the late great Graham Bond’s song “Walking in the Park” and Chris returning to the blues for “Stormy Monday”. In order to catch our train home we had to leave during the latter song. Checking the set list for the London show it looks like we missed the epic instrumental “Lost Angeles” and an encore of Jack Bruce’s” Theme from Imaginary Western”, a particular favourite of mine. Sad but train times had the better of us.
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