“Hey, did you rock ‘n’ roll?
Rock on
Ooh, my soul
Hey, did you boogie too, did ya?
Hey, shout, summertime blues
Jump up (up, down) and down in my blue suede shoes
Hey, did you rock ‘n’ roll?
Rock on” (David Essex, 1973)
I guess it’s not cool to admit a liking for David Essex on a blog named vintagerock, so this should probably rate as a guilty pleasure. For me, my journey with David Essex started in 1973 when I first heard “Rock On”. There was something strange, intriguing about the song which drew me in. It was moody, quirky and I was a fan from then.
I first went to see David Essex at Newcastle City Hall in 1976 along with one of my mates. I recall us feeling a bit awkward at the gig, as the place was packed with screaming girls, and we were definitely in the minority. We went to the early 6pm show and had seats up in the balcony. David had hit the charts several times by this time, including two number ones: “Hold Me Close”, and “I’m Going to Make You a Star”. I had also seen him in the movies That’ll Be The Day and Stardust, in which he gave two great performances. The concert was a fun experience, with lots of hits, a great atmosphere, and some great pop songs.
The following year David toured again and called at Sunderland Empire. This time I went along to the concert by myself, largely to see the support act the Alessi Brothers (or simply “Alessi”), a duo of American identical twins, who had a UK hit at the time with the single “Oh Lori”, and with which I was quite taken. I bought a cheap seat up in the gallery, at the top of the theatre, and made sure that I got in early to see Alessi. And pretty good they were too. David Essex was once again fun and ran through all his hits.
“Essex made his first record, titled “And the Tears Came Tumbling Down”, for the Fontana label in 1965. He then toured with a band called ‘David Essex and the Mood Indigo’ for two years and released a further seven singles in the 1960s.” (From Wikipedia). I recall how he talked about playing the nightclubs in Sunderland in the 1960s. Now that would have been something to see. The guy is a legend.
It was 28 years until I saw David Essex in concert again, on a Once in a Lifetime bill with the late, great David Cassidy at Newcastle Arena in 2005. I must admit, it was the presence of David Cassidy that drew Marie and I along to this gig. We’d both enjoyed seeing him at the City Hall a few years earlier, and quite fancied seeing him again. I bought tickets as soon as they went on sale, and we ended up with front row seats in the first block.
The rest of the bill was The Osmonds (minus Donnie and Marie) and Les McKeown fronting his version of the Bay City Rollers. The gig was good fun, with the two Davids putting on the best show in my view and getting the best crowd reactions. Roll on 19 years, I am back to where I started in 1976 at Newcastle City Hall seeing David Essex again, 48 years since I first saw him in concert at the same venue. Magical. Lots of memories come flooding back.
From David’s website: “Internationally renowned singer, composer and actor DAVID ESSEX OBE has today announced a massive 20 date UK tour for August and September 2024 culminating at the London Palladium. This tour, his first since 2022, will see him perform much loved hits spanning over his entire repertoire.
David first shot to fame when he went to an audition for the London production of the musical Godspell and was chosen by enthusiastic US producers for the role of Jesus. He received major awards and some ecstatic reviews which saw him lead a cast at the Roundhouse and then at the West End for two years.” Just treated myself to an original programme from the West End run of the show featuring David Essex, Jeremy Irons, and others (see image).
“He has written, recorded, and produced albums that have sold millions of copies worldwide. He’s also had twenty-three Top 30 singles in Britain alone. These include the Grammy© nominated Rock On which not only topped the charts in Britain and the USA but sold over one million copies. Subsequent singles followed such as Lamplight, Hold Me Close and Gonna Make You A Star which made David a household name.”
I had forgotten just great a singer-songwriter he was and how many hits he had over the years. The performance was, as it always has been, impeccable with hit after hit. Each one bringing back so many memories. The guy is now 77 and still looks and sounds great. Particular favourites were “Lamplight”, “Oh What a Circus”, “A Winter’s Tale”, and, of course, where it all started “Rock On” which still is as strange, mystical, and moody as ever. David recalled how he wrote the song during the filming of That’ll Be the Day and had a wish to include it in the film. This didn’t happen, so he released the song as a single. The rest is history.
Back to the concert. Sure, his dancing may not be as hot as it was “back in the day” but the crowd loved it. Everyone was up on their feet dancing. For the encore we got “Hold Me Close”, and a version of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” (eh?). And then he was gone. Rock on David.
Many thanks to Jackie for the photographs and to Chris for manipulating the site.
Setlist: Beautiful Day: Lamplight; If I Could; Dangerous; Me and My Girl (Night‐Clubbing); Father and Son; Oh What a Circus; A Winter’s Tale; City Lights; Stardust; Imperial Wizard; Rock On; Here We All Are Together; Gonna Make You a Star; Silver Dream Machine.
Encore: Hold Me Close; You Really Got Me; It’s Gonna Be Alright; Missing You (Magic).
“And where do we go from here?
Which is a way that’s clear?
Still looking for that blue-jean baby-queen
Prettiest girl I’ve ever seen
See her shake on the movie screen
Jimmy Dean
(James Dean)” (David Essex, 1973)
I am entering this report for completeness really. I went to see Barbara Dickson recently and she played quite a few Beatles songs, mentioning that the Beatles have been an important part of her career, starting with her rendition of Beatles tracks for the musical John Paul George Ringo & Bert which I saw at Sunderland Empire sometime around 1974. So I searched on my blog for the musical and to my shame discovered that I had not done an entry for this. So here I am today rectifying this error.
From the 
It has been many years since I saw 
Barbara has appeared around the region many times over the years and I have always meant to go and see her but for some reason, I never did. As this was her farewell tour I figured I should go along and see what the lady was like in concert on this last opportunity. The Glasshouse announced the show: “Theatric. Passionate. A triumphant finale. Legendary Scottish singer, songwriter, musician and actress Barbara Dickson has announced her Farewell Tour with her full band. In her own words ‘I played my first headline tour with full band in 1977. Now, in 2024, I’ve decided to make this one my last. A memorable occasion and a suitable celebration is required. Come and join us to make this tour the most special of all.’ Throughout her career Barbara has achieved countless accolades including two Olivier Awards for her role in Blood Brothers and Spend Spend Spend plus she was awarded an OBE from Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II in 2002.”
The songs she performed were a mixture of her hits and some which harked right back to her folk club roots and were very traditional. A great performance with a wonderful mixture of tunes. Barbara was accompanied by an excellent band of musicians, including a guy who played a beautiful Scottish pipe. No photography was allowed. During the interval I purchased a couple of programmes and a tea towel! I also invested in a double Jack Daniels which always adds to the sense of occasion.
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