Iron Butterfly, Yes and Dada Newcastle City Hall 14th January 1971
This was the first time I went to a concert at Newcastle City Hall, and because of that, I have pretty strong memories of the evening. I was 14 years old, and very excited at the prospect of going to a concert in the big city that was Newcastle. This was the “Age of Atlantic” package tour, named after the sample album of the same name and featured Dada, Yes and headliners Iron Butterfly. And all this for just 10/- (50p in new money)! DaDa were first up and featured Elkie Brooks, her husband Pete Gage, and her singing partner Robert Palmer. They were a jazz-rock fusion band with lots of members, and a brass section. In a way they were an earlier, jazzier and expanded version of Vinegar Joe, Elkie and Robert’s next and much more successful band. I arrived at the City Hall early, excited at the prospect of seeing a concert there and watched Dada’s entire set, enjoying every minute. Next up was Yes, who I was already familiar with. This was the third time I had seen Yes in concert, the first two being as support acts for the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, and The Nice at gigs at Sunderland Empire. By the time of this gig, guitarist Peter Banks had been replaced by Steve Howe, and the rest of the line-up was Jon Anderson (vocals), Bill Bruford (drums), Chris Squire (bass) and Tony Kaye (keyboards). Rick Wakeman was to join the band later that year. They had just released the classic Yes album, and the set featured tracks from the new album and their previous two releases. 
I was a big fan of Yes at the time, and they were just great that night. I recall Yours Is No Disgrace, and The Clap as highlights. I was just blown away by Steve Howe’s performance of the latter song, and was fascinated by the semi-acoustic Gibson, complete with f holes, that he was playing. I remember the whole hall clapping along while he played. The song which most sticks in my mind was their version of Simon and Garfunkel’s America, which was simply majestic; almost symphonic. Yes went down well with the crowd; it was very clear that they already had a lot of fans and that they were on the verge of major success. I wasn’t familiar with Iron Butterfly and their material, having only heard In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, and its that song that sticks in my mind from the evening. I remember lots of guitar histrionics and showmanship. Iron Butterfly were good, but for me the best band of the night was Yes. I spent many further nights during the 1970s at Newcastle City Hall. It remains one of my favourite venues; long may it continue to host concerts by great rock band such as these three.
Posts Tagged ‘music’
16 May
The Icicle Works North East gigs in the 1980s
The Icicle Works North East gigs in the 1980s
I’d forgotten how many times I had seen The Icicle Works. Myself and a couple of mates were quite into them in the early 80s and they toured a lot. They arrived after punk with a sublime blend of psych pop. Love is a Wonderful Colour is a great single, and their concerts were, like the music, pretty uplifting experiences, with lots of swirling, jangly pop, very modern yet very 60s at the same time. 
The ticket stubs here are from a couple of gigs at Redcar Coatham Bowl (it could be three gigs actually as I am not sure if the two grey stubs are from the same gig), a gig at Newcastle Poly and a gig at Newcastle Mayfair. 
I may have seen them elsewhere; I have a feeling I saw them as a support act, but can’t be certain. Their gigs were always excellent, and they seemed a breath of fresh air at the time. I lost touch with them at the end of the 80s, and they split shortly afterwards. 
I know that main man Ian McNabb has been touring recently, and I really should catch up with him sometime. I’ve just watched The Icicle Works playing Love is a Wonderful Colour, and Youtube and it brings back all the memories of happy days. The dates of the gigs I attended seem to be: Sunday 1st April 1984; Friday 10th October 1986; Sunday 1st March 1987; Thursday 5th May 1988.
15 May
Eric Clapton Manchester Arena May 14th 2013 Fifty Years Further On Up The Road
Eric Clapton Manchester Arena May 14th 2013
Support from Gary Clark Jr
Great performance by Eric Clapton last night at Manchester Arena. The set was a mix of classics from throughout his career, featuring electric and acoustic sets and some great guitar work. I arrived at the Arena just after 7.30pm and Gary Clark Jr was on stage. Not wanting to disturb people, I watched some of his set from the back of the massive arena. His style was similar to Clapton and he delivered a pretty good set of blues songs to a full arena. His set was short and after a quick break Clapton was on stage just after 8.30pm. The short break gave me a chance to slip into my seat. I’d bought a ticket a couple of days before the show when some new tickets were released and managed to score a spot in the front middle block, ten rows from the stage. Its some years since I’ve been so close to the front at a Clapton show. Eric’s band is excellent, and features Paul Carrack this time around, and some excellent slide guitar from Greg Liesz. My own view is that Clapton has been on great form for several years now. His show represents the blends of style that he has engaged with over the years, from the blues guitar with which he made his name, through acoustic country/folk, and with a smattering of the secret crooner that has crept through over the years. Thinking of the latter (Eric the crooner that is) I remember the first time I saw Clapton at Hammersmith in 1974 he opened with Chaplin’s Smile, which I thought very strange at the time. Since then he has played quite a few standards, including tracks like The Folks That Live on the Hill, and Goodnight Irene, both of which feature on his latest album Old Sock. Now ten years ago, I would have cringed at hearing Clapton sing those songs. But now they have become some of the my favourites. I am not sure if it is because I am older, or because Eric has mellowed into an older jazz/blues singer; its probably a bit of both. But I drove down to Manchester listening to Old Sock, and really enjoyed it. Goodnight Irene featured in last nights set, and sounded just great. I’ve even got used to the acoustic version of Layla, and hold on I actually really like it! Highlights for me were a great version of Badge, which now returns to the song after the strange sudden ending which I always felt wasn’t quite right since I first heard in when I bought Goodbye Cream on the day it came out; Blues Power, a great song that I had all but forgotten, Crossroads, and closer Cocaine. Peter Kay (!) came on stage for the encore, encouraging us to shout for more, and joining Clapton for Sunshine of Your Love, playing a mock guitar made out of two shovels (which he played behind his head and with his teeth) and singing a couple of verses. Great stuff! Oh and I haven’t really mentioned Eric’s guitar playing! Actually it was excellent; probably not as full on as it used to be, and second guitarist Doyle Bramhall II takes quite a few of the solos (and he too is also excellent), but when Eric did turn it up as he did during Badge, Crossroads and the classics his playing was as great as I had ever seen. Indeed he was using tone, distortion, volume and wah wah to great effect and more than I have seen for some time. I was sharp out of the arena during the last song (sorry Eric, but I did have a 130 mile home, and it was getting of for 11pm) into the car park and off across the M62 and up the A1. I was back at 1am. A great gig from a true master who just gets better and better.. 
Setlist (something like): Hello Old Friend; My Father’s Eyes; Tell The Truth; Gotta Get Over; Black Cat Bone; Got to Get Better in a Little While; Come Rain or Come Shine (Paul Carrack on lead vocals); Badge. Acoustic set. Driftin’ Blues; Goodnight Irene; It Ain’t Easy (Paul Carrack on lead vocals); Layla; Tears in Heaven; Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out; Lay Down Sally. Back to Electric. Blues Power; Love in Vain; Crossroads; Little Queen of Spades; Cocaine. Encore: Sunshine of Your Love (with Peter Kay on crazy guitar); High Time We Went. Band: Doyle Bramhall II – guitar; Greg Leisz – pedal steel guitar; Chris Stainton – piano, keyboards; Paul Carrack – organ, keyboards; Willie Weeks – bass; Steve Jordan – drums; Michelle John – backing vocals; Sharon White – backing vocals.
14 May
The Inmates Redcar Coatham Bowl 1980
The Inmates Redcar Coatham Bowl 1980
I’d forgotten about this band, until I came across my ticket stub for a gig at Redcar Coatham Bowl in 1980. The Inmates (I’ve just checked and they are still playing to this day) are a garage rock band who based their style on 60s music such as the Pretty Things and the early Stones. I also had them catalogued alongside the Feelgoods and the Hot Rods in my own mind. In fact, Barrie Masters of the Hot Rods stepped in as lead singer for the Inmates for a short period when their singer Bill Hurley wasn’t well. I remember them as a great night out, and wondered at the time why they never managed to achieve greater success. A DVD entitled Back in History – Live 1980 showcases their live set from the same year as I saw them at Redcar and includes “You Don’t Miss Your Water,” “Jealousy,” “Talk Talk,” “So Much in Love”, “Talkin’ Bout You”, “Some Kinda Wonderful,” “The Walk” and their minor hit which was an ode to the Thames River, “Dirty Water.” The line-up of the Inmates was: Peter Gunn – Guitar, Vocals; Bill Hurley – Vocals; Ben Donnelly – Bass; Tony Oliver – Guitar; and John Bull/Eddie – Drums. Support came from local band The Carpettes, who I saw lots of times in the late 70s and early 80s. Happy days. I miss Sunday nights in Redcar.
13 May
Imagination Newcastle City Hall 1982
Imagination Newcastle City Hall
In the Heat of the Night Tour
Today I’m reporting on a pretty guilty pleasure, Imagination. I’d seen these guys on Top of the Pops and was, at the time, pretty impressed by them. I have to admit I quite liked the single Just an Illusion. So when Imagination came to Newcastle City Hall, I went along to see them. The show was quite over the top, and featured tracks from their first two albums. Looking at the programme today reminds of just how over the top these guys were. 
The cover of the programme shows them sporting the most outrageous togas, and inside there are pictures of the band wearing some very glam gear, including one of singer Leee in what looks like a glittery nappy. Imagination were actually pretty big for a short period. From Wiki: “Imagination were a three piece British soul and funk band, who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They had chart hits in 28 countries, earning four platinum discs, nine gold discs and more than a dozen silver discs around the world between 1981 and 1983.” The members were Leee John, Ashley Ingram and Errol Kennedy. Support for this gig came from the Techno Twins, who were a dance and techno act and were an influence on many bands who followed. Like many bands Imagination, and this gig, were very much of their time.
12 May
Iggy Pop Leeds Harewood House Rock the House Aug 31st 2007
Iggy Pop Leeds Harewood House Rock the House Aug 31st 2007
This charity open-air gig saw Iggy appearing with the reformed Stooges in the form of the Asheton brothers, Scott on drums and Ron on lead guitar, with Mike Watt on bass. Support came from Idlewild, The SUnshine Underground, Sons & Daughters, The Horrors, The Young Knives and the Dirty. It was 20 years since I had last seen Iggy in concert, and the added attraction of the reformed Stooges convinced me to go along to the gig. David and Laura also fancied it so came along with me. We arrived quite early for once and saw most of the bands. I remember being quite impressed by The Horrors, who played some pretty good rock n roll, quite punky with big hair. The event was not well attended, there can’t have been more than a few thousand there, in a venue that probably holds 20,000 or so.
Iggy was on usual manic form and it was great to hear the old Stooges songs again. The set was all Stooges material, no Iggy solo, including I Wanna Be Your Dog, TV Eye, 1969 and Real Cool Time. The show also included some songs from the new Stooges album The Weirdness. During No Fun Iggy invited the crowd to join him up on stage. Fans started climbing over the barriers and the stage was soon completely rammed with everyone jumping around and going crazy. The artist and the audience becoming one and the same. Good fun; a great gig.
Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons: Live on the 15th of August, 2006. Budapest, Sziget Festival. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Derzsi_Elekes_Andor
Setlist (something like): Loose; I Wanna Be Your Dog; T.V. Eye; 1969; Real Cool Time; Fun House; Skull Ring; Trollin’; My Idea of Fun; She Took My Money; I’m Fried; No Fun.
11 May
Iggy Pop Newcastle City Hall 1980 and 1987
Iggy Pop Newcastle City Hall 1980 and 1987
Iggy continued to have success in the 80s; everywhere I went I would hear “Lust for Life” being played. He also visited the UK a few times; I saw him twice at the City Hall during this period, in 1980 and 1987. The 1987 gig was around the time Iggy hit the charts with “Real Wild Child”, his cover of the old Johnny O’Keefe song. I remember these gigs as crazy nights with Iggy taking his stage performance to the limit, as he usually did. Support at the 1980 gig was the Psychedelic Furs, who had just released their first album. 
Iggy’s set contributed to draw from Stooges’ days and his solo releases. Although the ticket from the 1980 gig refers to Iggy as “Iggy Pop and the Stooges” his band didn’t contain member of the original Stooges. The next time I saw Iggy was around 20 years later, by which time he had reunited with the Stooges. I’ll write on that gig tomorrow. Setlist from 1987: I Got a Right; Real Cool Time; 1970; Gimme Danger; Some Weird Sin; Winners & Losers; Shades; Five Foot One; Real Wild Child (Wild One); Dirt; Down on the Street; The Passenger; Blah-Blah-Blah; Search and Destroy; Sister Midnight; Raw Power; Sixteen; I Wanna Be Your Dog; No Fun; I’m Sick of You; T.V. Eye;
10 May
The Fall York Fibbers May 9th 2013
The Fall York Fibbers May 9th 2013
Laura and I went to see The Fall last night at Fibbers in York. We had promised each other that we would attend a Fall gig as soon as the opportunity came, having missed the last couple of times they came to the north east. Laura was intrigued to see them because of their legendary status and because many of her friends are big fans, and for me it was a chance to catch up on a band that I hadn’t seen for 33 (!) years. I have to admit never quite getting The Fall. The only other time I saw them was at a gig at the Newcastle Tyne Theatre in 1980. So I felt it was definitely time to put that right. We arrived at Fibbers around 8pm as people were just starting to wander in. The support band …And The Hangnails are a local Yorkshire punk/blues outfit and warmed up the crowd well. They played a short set, starting at around 9pm. The Fall took to the stage around 10pm. I’d read some stories of Mark E Smith leaving the stage and singing some of the set from the dressing room, and mixed reports of recent performances. Last night Mark seemed to me to be on pretty good form. He snarled the vocals, and they were pretty incomprehensible at times, which I guess is par for the course. He seemed in quite a good mood, although he did leave the stage several times, returning pretty quickly on each occasion. The band all left after 7 or 8 songs, and we thought that they were not going to return, but they were soon back to play several encores. I can’t pretend to know their material but did recognise White Lightning, which the crowd all sang along to, and for which Mark was accompanied by another singer. Recent single Bury also went down well with Mark snarling and spitting out the words. Its always difficult to fully enjoy a gig when you aren’t familiar with the material, but I reckon that last night was a pretty good showing by The Fall. The crowd certainly seemed to enjoy it, and gave the band a good reception. I know that The Fall have some of the most committed fans of any band, and many will have travelled from far afield for last night’s gig. They won’t have been disappointed. I hope that the guy I chatted to earlier in the evening enjoyed it. He’d come quite far and had been a bit disappointed by a recent Fall performance at Clitheroe. Laura and I left during the encores just before 11pm and suspect we may have missed a song or two (now there’s a reason for going to see The Fall again 🙂 ). Got home around 12.30am. I think I’m starting to get them, and thinking about it, would like to see them again next time they play close by, but I really must listen to their material (which may be difficult as I see that they have released around 30 albums!). Setlist (from the Fall fansite): Victrola; Strychnine; Hot Cake; Chino; Sir William Wray; Hittite Man; Bury; Duped; Loadstones; Sparta; Kinder of Spines; Jetplane; Blindness. Not sure this is actually what was played. They certainly also played White Lightning and there may be a couple on that list that weren’t played.
9 May
Iggy Pop Newcastle City Hall September 1977 and Redcar Bowl
Iggy Pop Newcastle City Hall September 1977 and Redcar Bowl
My writing takes me to the letter “I” and I’m going to start by reflecting on my memories of Iggy Pop in concert. I’ve already written, when I covered David Bowie, about seeing Iggy at Newcastle City Hall with Bowie on keyboards in 1977. I’d also seen Iggy on the TV (was it on the Whistle Test?) throwing himself into the crowd and spreading peanut butter all over his torso at a late 60s gig in the USA. I’d read the reviews of his seminal, wild gig at the Kings Cross cinema (and regretted not going). I’d seen the Sex Pistols play the Stooges’ No Fun the year before, so knew a little about the Iggy legend and his impact on punk. The City Hall was barely half full for the Iggy/Bowie gig in March 1977. 
As I recall Iggy was good, but not as wild as usual. He was however back to play to a packed City Hall later in the year and went totally crazy, climbing all over the amps, rolling around the stage, with his trousers coming open. Support was the Adverts, who were also great, featuring TV Smith and Gaye Advert, and playing their singles Gary Gilmore’s Eyes and Bored Teenagers. A few years later I caught Iggy again at Redcar Coatham Bowl (with the Sex Pistols’ Glen Matlock on bass), he was smoking on stage and flicking lit cigarettes into the crowd (how times change…).
Iggy was totally crazy and seemed to have no fear at all in those days. There was always an edge of madness and danger around his gigs; you felt that the guy was totally out of control and that anything could happen. His craziness encouraged the crowd to do likewise with lots of stage invasions. He has taken stage invasion to its extreme in recent years, inviting the entire crowd to come up and join him when he plays No Fun! I found a published setlist from the City Hall in 1977 which seems a little short. I am sure he played more songs than this, including old Stooges favourites: Sixteen; Lust for Life; The Passenger; I Got a Right; Gimme Danger; Success; Fall in Love With Me; Neighborhood Threat; Nightclubbing. I saw Iggy a few more times and will write on those over the next few days.
8 May
The (Hammersmith) Gorillas Middlesbrough Rock Garden 1977
The (Hammersmith) Gorillas Middlesbrough Rock Garden 1977
The Gorillas made a name for themselves on the London pub rock circuit in the mid 70s, fronted by the manic Jesse Hector who had the most amazing sideburns, was totally crazy on stage and was, by all accounts, a larger than life personality. Jesse Hector formed the Hammersmith Gorillas in 1971 and their debut release was a cover version of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me”. In 1976, they played at the infamous Mont-de-Marsan Punk Festival in the south of France along with The Damned and Eddie and the Hot Rods. They were also getting rave reviews for their gigs in London. I’d read some of the reviews in Sounds and NME, so when we saw that they were playing at the Middlesbrough Rock Garden Marie and I went along. Roger Armstrong recalled their unforgettable live act in the press at the time: “This was rock and roll as she is spoken, yelled, ranted, torn apart and not quite put back together again.” At the time of this gig the Gorillas had released a single “Gatecrasher” and their album “Message To The World”. This was at the time of punk, and the band’s energy had many similarities with other bands of the time. The gig was poorly attended, but that didn’t stop Jesse and co from putting everything into the performance which was as crazy and energetic as I had expected. I always thought that the Gorillas deserved more success and Jesse certainly agreed, declaring The Gorillas to be “the future of rock music”. However, for whatever reason it wasn’t to be, and time passed them by. I’m pleased I got to see them this once, as they rarely played outside London. Hector now works as a cleaner at The Royal Geographical Society, and was the subject of a documentary film in 2008, A Message To The World (Wiki).
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