Genesis gigs in 1971 and 1972
I have been delaying writing on Genesis, because they were so important to me in the 70s, and I wanted to be sure that I do my memories, and this special band, justice. The first time I saw the band was on the Charisma package tour where they were joined by Van Der Graaf Generator and Lindisfarne for the princely sum of 30p. I have already blogged on that gig, where Genesis stole the show, as they would always do in those days. I saw Genesis several times in 1971 and 1972. They supported Mott the Hoople at a gig at Sunderland Locarno, and I also saw them as support for Lindisfarne at the City Hall (see programme) and at the Lincoln and Reading Festivals in 1972. The band were up and coming but they were also very much at the top of their game in many ways. During those years they released the classic albums “Nursery Cryme” and “Foxtrot”. Much of the set was drawn from “Nursery Cryme”, and I remember those songs best of all. “The Musical Box” and “The Return of the Giant Hogweed” were great stage favourites and would be preceded by long complex stories delivered in an enchanting, spell-binding and spooky manner by Peter Gabriel. “The Musical Box” was my favourite. Peter shaved the front of his head during this period, and also started to experiment with costumes. Steve Hackett would be sitting on a stool playing those intricate beautiful melodies, Tony Banks was wringing swirling, brooding sounds from his organ and Mike Rutherford would be quietly plucking away at his bass. Phil Collins was at the back on drums having recently joined the band, and providing backing vocals, and which were actually a very important part of their sound, which I didn’t realise until he was to become the front man a few years later.
The set would also feature the dramatic and fierce “The Knife” as encore, from their first “real” Genesis album Trespass, and later in 1972 new songs “Watcher of the Skies” (Peter would fly onto the stage as a weird bat-like creature) and the epic “Suppers Ready”, both from the “Foxtrot” album were introduced into the set. The set which sticks in my mind most of all is Reading 72. Genesis were featured on the Friday night of the festival, on a line-up headed by Curved Air and also featuring Mungo Jerry. It was a warm, calm evening and Genesis came on stage at dusk, just as it was getting dark. Their beautiful textured sound flowed across the field, and we were all silent, entranced by Peter’s stories and by his strong presence. The Musical Box story was my favourite: Cynthia kills Henry, by knocking off his head with a croquet mallet, and then finds his musical box in the attic. It was pure magic and they were easily the highlight of that night. A recording exists of that evening and shows that they played: The Knife; Twilight Alehouse; Watcher Of The Skies; The Musical box; The Return Of The Giant Hogweed. Pure magic. Genesis were to gain their most success a few years later, but it is those early gigs that stick in my mind. The band were at their most inventive, their most powerful, and their most potent in 1972 and 1972. You just had to be there to understand it. There was a simplicity, an innocence, a purity about them in those days. Magic.
Posts Tagged ‘music’
29 Jan
Genesis gigs in 1971 and 1972
28 Jan
Girlschool Newcastle City Hall 1981 & 1982
Girlschool Newcastle City Hall 1981 & 1982
I saw Girlschool at Newcastlte City Hall again in 1981 and 1982. 1982 was a busy year for the band. The band teamed up with Motorhead on the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” EP. The EP contained a cover of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates’ song “Please Don’t Touch” and two tracks where the bands covered each other, with Motörhead performing Girlschool’s “Emergency”, and Girlschool playing Motörhead’s “Bomber”. The two bands performed together on Top of the Pop as “Headgirl” playing “Please Don’t Touch”. I can remember the performance to this day; it was great pun, and so powerful. If you haven’t seen it go to Youtube, I’ve just played it and it still blows away the cobwebs today. The record reached No.5 in the UK Single Chart during February 1981; the biggest hit for both bands at the time. 
It was with this performance in my mind that I went along to see Girslschool at the City Hall in April 1981. A setlist from a BBC in Concert show of that year shows the band as playing the following songs: Demolition Boys; Tush (great cover of the ZZ Top song); Midnight Ride; Breakdown; Take it all the Way; The Hunter (not the Free song; pretty punky and a live favourite at the time); Nothing to Lose; Race with the Devil (yes the Gun song; an excellent cover); Emergency. Girlschool live were great, and very much of that time, a blend of punk, NWOBHM, and girl power attitude. The Newcastle metal hords loved them and always gave them a great reception. A girlschool gig consisted of lots of guy in denim jackets covered in the customary questions shaking their heads off and going crazy. 
The album Hit and Run was released in 1981, along with the title track being released as a single. Both were big successes with the album reaching No.5 and the single No.33 in the charts. I think support for the 1981 gig was AIIZ. The band also headlined at Reading in 1981. This was the first year I missed Reading for almost 10 years of attending the festival. I went along to the Newcastle Rock on the Tyne festival. I’ve never been to the Reading festival again, which I regret. Girlschool’s third album Screaming Blue Murder was released in 1982. It didn’t do so well as its predescor, and the line-up of the band started to change at this point. The 1982 Newcastle gig was, I think, the last time I saw the band. Time to put that right.
27 Jan
Girlschool Newcastle City Hall 1980
Girlschool Newcastle City Hall 1980
Girlschool came together in 1978, evolving out of a band called painted lady, and drawing from punk, classic rock, and NWOBHM. Girlschool’s original line-up was Kim McAuliffe, Enid Williams, Kelly Johnson, and Denise Dufort, and they released their first single Take it all away in late 1978. Lemmy of Motorhead took an interest in the band and in 1979 I saw them as support act on the Overkill tour. A year later they were headlining their own tour and I went to see them at Newcastle City Hall. Girlschool live were a raw hard rock band with the energy of punk and some of the speed and volume of Motorhead. 
I saw them quite a few times in the late 70s and early 80s; supporting Motorhead, and possibly Uriah Heep, then headlining at the Mayfair and three gigs at the City Hall. Girlschool released their debut album, Demolition, in 1980. The album also produced the singles Emergency, Nothing to Lose and a great version of the Gun song Race with the Devil. I think support act for this gig might have been Angel Witch, who were a great NWOBHM band fronted by a guy with long blonde hair who looked a little like Francis Rossi. They had a great song Angel Witch, and are still gigging today, as are Girlshool. The current Girlschool line-up features Kim, Enid and Denise from the original band. Kelly sadly died from cancer a few years ago. Another band who I should make the effort to see again!
26 Jan
Peter Green Splinter Group Redcar Bowl 1996
Peter Green Splinter group
When I was getting into music in the 60s I listened to a lot of white blues. Cream, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall and Ten Years After were never off my record player back then. My guitar heroes were Clapton, Alvin Lee, Frank Zappa and Peter Green. I would listen to Greeny and The Supernatural again and again, trying to learn how to play them on a cheap Zenta guitar. There was a feel and a tone about Peter Green’s playing which gave it an atmospheric quality unlike any of the other guitar greats of the day. And those early Mac singles: Albatross, Man of the World, Green Manalishi, Need your Love so bad; Black Magic Woman all classics. By the time I got to see Fleetwood Mac in the early 70s Peter Green had sadly gone on his well publicised journey into the wilderness of his own mind. The world had lost a guitar genius, and I truly thought we would never see him reemerge from his darkness. But, in the late 90s Peter did return to gigging as a member of the Splinter Group, coaxed out of seclusion by long time collaborator and fellow lead guitarist Nigel Watson, and with Cozy Powell on drums. I first saw the Splinter Group with my mate Will at a packed gig at Redcar Coatham Bowl. This was the first time that we had been to the Coatham Bowl to see a band for many years, and it was great that we were going go see a hero of ours. Peter and the Splinter group played a set which drew from blues classics and from his old Fleetwood Mac days. I am afraid my memory fails me as to the exact set, but I think they played Need your Love so bad, Oh Well, Albatross and Black Magic Woman. It was just great to see Peter and hear him play in such a small venue. I was quite apprehensive about the gig, and didn’t really know what to expect. Peter seemed to be in good spirits, and although at times it was clear that he was less than comfortable as a front man, glimpses of the old Peter Green came through from time to time, and his guitar playing was fine and at times as fluid and beautiful as ever. Nigel Watson was by his side, watching over him and at times stepping in to sing or take the lead guitar parts. A great gig. We saw Peter Green play again a few years later on a bill headed by John Mayall at Sunderland Empire. I also had a ticket to see him play at the Colne Blues Festival a couple of years ago, but sadly he pulled out as he was again unwell. I hope that Peter is doing OK and perhaps there will be a chance to see him again in the future.
25 Jan
Gordon Giltrap Newcastle City Hall November 1978
Gordon Giltrap Newcastle City Hall November 1978
Gordon Giltrap was back at the City Hall in November 1978, 8 months after his previous appearance. I enjoyed the March gig so much that I went along to see him again. By now he had released Fear of the Dark, which completed the trilogy of albums he had started with the “Visionary” album. From Gordon’s website: “Following on from the success of the chart single and album Perilous Journey, Gordon set out on a major tour with a full band to promote Fear Of The Dark. Fear of the Dark was the first of Giltrap’s hit albums, and it is easy to see why: layered guitars, keyboards and a string section to give it a lush sound. 
For an ex-folkie it is surprising that these albums didn’t draw on traditional music, like Oldfield did, but went for something a lot grander. The extra tracks on this album include a pretty fine version of Peter Green’s Oh Well, and the single version of Fear of the Dark.” I haven’t seen Gordon in concert since these gigs in 1978. He is still playing and touring, and is another artist to add to my list of people I need to see again. My memories of the gigs are of joyous symphonic prog rock, with amazing guitar from Gordon and a lot of keyboards. Most of the songs were instrumentals, which I would usually find boring, but the quality of the music was such that I stayed interested and entertained throughout.
24 Jan
Gordon Giltrap Newcastle City Hall March 1978
Gordon Giltrap Newcastle City Hall March 1978
Gordon Giltrap came out of the folk scene of the 1960s. In 1976 he released the album Visionary, based on the art and poetry of William Blake. He then formed the Gordon Giltrap Band which featured Gordon on guitars, Rod Edwards on keyboards, John Perry on bass, and Simon Phillips on drums. His March 1978 tour came between the Perilous Journey and Fear of the Dark albums, which completed his trilogy of largely instrumental albums. The concert was a showcase for Gordon’s considerable guitar skills. 
Gordon’s music mixed folk, classical and rock styles to create a form of symphonic progressive rock, in some ways similar to the work of Mike Oldfield on Tubular Bells. Giltrap also enjoyed chart success in the form of ‘Heartsong’ (from the album ‘Perilous Journey’ in 1977), the theme for the BBC TV’s long running ‘Holiday’ programme. Ritchie Blackmore is quoted as saying: “Anyone who asks me knows, that I think that Gordon Giltrap is one of the best acoustic guitar players in the world.He gave me lots of hints on how to approach the acoustic guitar as opposed to the electric guitar. He was always way ahead of his time. His concerts and playing are breathtaking. He’s also very witty, and I love the fact that he has not cut his hair!”
16 Jan
Gallagher & Lyle Newcastle City Hall 1979
Gallagher & Lyle Newcastle City Hall 1979
Support from Judie Tzuke
The last time I saw Gallagher in Lyle in concert was in 1979 at Newcastle City Hall. This was the “Lonesome No More” tour, and the band were supported by Judie Tzuke. Lonesome No More was Gallagher and Lyle’s eight studio album, and was to be their last. Certainly for me there was much more of a buzz around the up and coming special guest star in the making Judie Tzuke than the headlining duo. In fact Gallagher and Lyle split shortly after this tour. Interestingly Judie’s band of the time consisted of Mike Paxman (now Status Quo producer), John (Rhino) Edward (current Status Quo bass player) and Jeff Rich (former Quo drummer). Some pretty heavy Quo connections there! 
This was at the time of her debut album Welcome to the Cruise, which contained the hit single, Stay with me to Dawn. The hall was packed for her performance, which wasn’t often seen for a support act, as punters (including me) would usually frequent the bar until the main act took to the stage. Judie was just exquisite; Welcome to the Cruise contains some beautiful songs, and she was soon back at the City Hall as a headliner in her own right. Gallagher and Lyle went their own ways after this album and tour. They reformed last year for a few gigs in Scotland; if they play again this year I should try and get along to see them, particularly if they venture south of the border.
15 Jan
Gallagher & Lyle Newcastle City Hall 1976 and 1977
Gallagher & Lyle Newcastle City Hall 1976 and 1977
Does this one rate as a guilty pleasure? It certainly is closer to easy listening than heavy or classic rock. Gallagher & Lyle came out of the Scottish music scene with connections to Marmalade, and were members of McGuinness Flint, before going solo and having their own hits in the early 1970s. They also spent a short period as members of Ronnie Lane’s Slim Chance. They recorded a series of hits including I Wanna Stay With You, Heart On My Sleeve and Breakaway, and had some great songs, all of which featured in their concerts. I also recall them playing When I’m Dead and Gone. Gallagher and Lyle in concert guaranteed a night of good music. 
The tickets here are from gigs in 1976 and 1977 at Newcastle City Hall, and the programme is from the 1977 concert. The support act for the 1976 concert was Chris De Burgh. The programme tells me that the 1977 tour was in support of the Love on the Airwaves album, which was their sixth lp, and followed the massive success of the Breakaway album which stayed in the album chart for 35 weeks, and spawned three hit singles. Support for the 1977 gig was a band called Cado Bell, who hailed from Glasgow. 
Looking at the programme, I see that the lead singer was Maggie Reilly, who went on to sing Moonlight Shadow with Mike Oldfield. I often learn something each time I reflect on one of these gigs from the past; I wasn’t aware that I had seen Maggie Reilly, although having said that I may have seen her with Mike Oldfield. As well as these gigs I saw Ronnie Lane’s Passing Show tour, and Gallagher and Lyle were members of the band at that time. I also saw them as support acts for other artists. I saw Gallagher and Lyle once more in concert in 1979, again at Newcastle City Hall. I’ll reflect on that gig tomorrow.
13 Jan
Caravan Sage Gateshead Jan 12th 2013
Caravan Sage Gateshead Jan 12th 2013
For Girls Who Grow Plump 40th Anniversary UK Tour
Went to see Caravan at the Sage Gateshead last night. I can’t pretend to be a big fan, or to know much of their material but I enjoyed the gig much more than I expected. The set was drawn from “For Girls Who Grow Plump In the Night” and “Land of Grey and Pink” albums. The gig was in Hall 2, which is the smaller hall, and was packed with a very appreciative crowd of fans. I didn’t recognise any of the material; the only Caravan tracks I remember are “If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You” and “For Richard” Not being familair with a band’s material usually makes a gig boring for me, but I found last night pretty enjoyable. Caravan’s music has always been difficult to categorise, blending rock, prog, jazz, and folk. The latest line-up is original member Pye Hastings – guitar, vocals; Jim Leverton – bass; Geoffrey Richardson (who has been with the band since 1972) – guitar, viola, violin; Jan Schelhaas – keyboards and Mark Walker – drums, percussion. 
Some beautiful violin playing, and some nifty spoon antics, from Geoff, and Pye’s vocals held up well considering that he was suffering from the “lurgy”. The last track was the very long “Nine Feet Underground” which went down well with the crowd. A nice concert by a legendary band. list: Memory Lain, Hugh / Headloss; In the Land of Grey and Pink; Smoking Gun (Right for Me); The Unauthorized Breakfast Item; L’ Auberge du Sanglier / A Hunting We Shall Go / Backwards; The Dog The Dog, He’s At It Again; Golf Girl; Nightmare; Fingers in the Till; Chance of a Lifetime; Nine Feet Underground.
12 Jan
Gamma (featuring Ronnie Montrose) Newcastle City Hall 1981
Gamma (featuring Ronnie Montrose) Newcastle City Hall 1981
Support from Praying Mantis
Ronnie Montrose came with a strong rock pedigree, having started off as a session musician for top artists such as Van Morrison, then becoming a member of the Edgar Winter Group, and by 1974 he was fronting the great Montrose along with Sammy Hagar. I saw Montrose twice; once as support for Status Quo, and around the same time as the opening act at the Who’s 1974 Charlton gig. They were amazing; full-on rock with two classic tracks: Bad Motor Scooter, and Space Station No 5. By 1981 Sammy Hagar was fronting his own band, and Ronnie Montrose was leading Gamma alongside Glasgow-born singer Davey Pattison. Gamma arrived to tour the UK at the time of the emergence of the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal), and support act for the concerts was NWOBHM band Praying Mantis.
In the tour programme Ronnie Montrose describes Gamma as a “full-blown, high energy rock ‘n’ roll band” and that is exactly my memory of this gig at Newcastle City Hall. Some classic, loud, heavy rock and the bonus of Montrose classics Bad Motor Scooter, and Space Station No 5. I was sitting close to the front, and they were LOUD. The gig was not that well attended, as I recall, which was a shame, as they were a pretty hot rock act. Ronnie Montrose sadly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2012; he had been battling prostate cancer. I didn’t realise it until I checked things out for this blog, but I saw singer Davey Pattison a few years ago as the singer in Robin Trower’s band. My searching for Gamma facts also unearthed a setlist for the Birmingham gig of the tour: Ready for Action; Thunder and Lightning; Dirty City; Razor King; Space Station No 5; Skin and Bone; Rock The Nation; I Got The Fire; Voyager; Four Horseman; Mayday; Mean Streak; Something in the Air. Encore: No Tears; Bad Motor Scooter.
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