The Members Dunelm House Durham University Sat 16th Feb 1980
I saw quite a few bands at Durham University Students Union, which held student dances in Dunelm House during the 70s. The trouble was I usually paid at the door, and as result I have few ticket stubs to remind me of the bands that I saw there. I recall attending gigs there by Adam and the Ants, Curved Air, Slade, Climax Blues Band, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and probably many more that I have forgotten. This is one of the rare gigs that I do have a ticket stub for. The Members were “formed in Surrey, England, in the summer of 1977, …. and played at the Roxy and all the other Punk clubs on the London circuit. The original band – composed of Nicky Tesco (vocals), Jean-Marie Caroll (guitar), Nigel Bennett (guitar), Adrian Lillywhite (drums), and Chris Payne (bass) – was among the first to successfully blend reggae rhythms with punk’s attitude and aggression.” (from the Members’ official site). I saw these guys at least three times; at this gig, supporting Eddie and the Hot Rods at the City Hall and at the Reading Festival. Nicky Tesco was a great front man, who sang with a passion and really engaged with the crowd. Members’ music was a cross between punk and reggae which worked pretty well, and the hit single “The Sounds of the Suburbs” was played everywhere I went in 1979, when it reached No 12 in the UK charts, which was their biggest hit. The Members were good fun, although the only song that really sticks in my mind is “The Sounds of the Suburbs”, which was a favourite of mine “back in the day”. The Members have recently reformed although I don’t think Nicky Tesco is in the line-up. Still I bet its fun to see them again.
“Same old boring Sunday morning old mans out washing the car, Mums in the kitchen cooking Sunday dinner her best meal moaning while it lasts. Johnnys upstairs in his bedroom sitting in the dark, Annoying the neighbours with his punk rock electric guitar.
This is the Sound, This is the Sound of the Suburbs, This is the Sound, This is the Sound of the Suburbs !!!! 🙂 (The Members, 1979).
Posts Tagged ‘new wave’
25 Oct
The Members Dunelm House Durham University 1980
15 Oct
The Motors Newcastle Mayfair 1978
The Motors Newcastle Mayfair 1978
Airport! The Motors were a British pub rock band who got swept up in the punk scene and hit the charts with “Airport”, which was a number 4 UK hit single in 1978. They were formed in London in 1977 by former Ducks Deluxe members Nick Garvey and Andy McMaster together with guitarist and front man Bram Tchaikovsky, and drummer Ricky Slaughter. I saw them a few times around this period, notably at the Reading Festival and at Newcastle Mayfair. “Airport” was rising up the charts at the time of the Mayfair gig and the place was packed. These guys had learned their craft in the pub rock scene of London, and it showed. They were a slick and professional live rock band, with some catchy tunes. As well as “Airport”, their earlier single “Dancing the Night Away” was also pretty good. Bram left the band shortly after this, and went on to lead his own band. The Motors continued for a few more years until they folded in 1982. My poster programme (pictured) tells me that support for the Mayfair gig came from heavy rock band “Marseille” and young Glasgow band “The Jolt”.
“Airport, airport, You’ve got a smiling face, You took the one I love so far away, Flying away, flying away, Airport, airport, You’ve got a smiling face, You took my lady to another place, Flying away, flying away” (The Motors, 1978).
3 Oct
Martha and the Muffins Newcastle Mayfair April 1980
Martha and the Muffins Newcastle Mayfair April 1980
Martha and the Muffins appeared on the UK music scene in the late 70s, and reached the height of their popularity in 1980, with the success of their great fun single “Echo Beach”. The band is from Canada and a version continues to this day. They were considered new wave at the time and you could see that they were influenced by the B52s, and Blondie, among others. The Mayfair was absolutely packed to the walls for this gig, which was surprising given most people, including me, will only have known one song by the band. The band was led by two keyboard player vocalists who both called Marta (confusing or what ! :)); Martha Ladly and Martha Johnson. My memory is of a set of pleasant songs and major craziness, dancing and singing along by everyone for “Echo Beach”. I found a review of their gig at the Marquee, which was printed in Sounds at the time, and was a little luke warm: “Audience reaction throughout was remarkably appreciative considering the newness of band and material, and despite the overly polite, slightly incommunicative stance of the Muffins. You know what they say about art students. ‘Echo Beach’ came across the most confidently. “We don’t know if it really exists,” mused a Muffin, “but maybe it’s on stage tonight.”” (Betty Page, Sounds, 1 March 1980).
“Echo Beach” is one of those catchy songs that you can’t get out of your mind. Haven’t written this, that song is going to be rattling around in my head for the rest of today. “From nine till five I have to spend my time at work, The job is very boring, I’m an office clerk, The only thing that helps pass the time away, Is knowing I’ll be back at Echo Beach some day.
Echo Beach, Far away in time. Echo Beach, Far away in time” (Martha and the Muffins, 1979)
5 Sep
Little Bob Story The Rex Hotel Whitley Bay 1977?
Little Bob Story The Rex Hotel Whitley Bay 1977?
Its funny the things that stick in your mind. My mate Norm and I went to this gig around 35 years ago, and yet it is one of the gigs that we still talk about today. I can’t remember exactly when we saw Little Bob, but it was probably some time in 1977. Little Bob Story were a French rock’n’roll band who came over to the UK at the time of the pub rock boom, and then got caught up in the punk scene. They signed to Chiswick records and released an album, Off the Rails, and a few singles over here. Little Bob Story music was a blend of R&B, rock’n’roll and blues, and was quite Stones-influenced. They were often referred to as “The French Dr Feelgood”. Little Bob Story were fronted by singer Rogomme Roberto Piazza, who was a big guy, and the band name was often taken as his name. Their albums, and their live set, contained a mix of originals and classics such as “Lucille” (Chuck Berry), “I’m Crying” (Animals), and “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” (Bob Dylan). Live they were a pretty hot rock’n’roll act, and Roberto (or Little Bob) was a pretty great front guy. Norm and I certainly enjoyed the gig and, as I say, we still talk about it today. The Rex was host to many gigs throughout the 60s and 70s, and is a majestic hotel which sits on the sea front at Whitley Bay, in the North East of England. I don’t have a ticket stub for the gig as it must have been a pay at the door affair, but Norm did buy a badge which he snapped for me. Norm says “Long Live Leetle Bob!”.
3 Sep
Lords of the New Church Barbary Coast Sunderland 1983
Lords of the New Church Barbary Coast Sunderland 1983
The Lords of the New Church were a punk supergroup formed in 1982, by the late great (and totally crazy) Stiv Bators (The Dead Boys), Brian James (The Damned), Dave Tregunna (Sham 69) and Nick Turner (The Barracudas). Having seen The Dead Boys once or twice, and the Damned lots of times, this band seemed an attractive live attraction. The Barbary Coast was the latest incarnation of the old Boilermakers club, which is now North Shore, and part of the Sunderland University Students union. The Lords played in a small side room, not in the main hall, and the place was pretty empty. Their music was melodic punk / rock n roll, with a dark gothic psych tinge to it. Live they were a cross between The Damned and the New York Dolls, with Stiv a manic front man showing shades of Iggy, and no fear. Support came from Agent Orange, an American punk band.The Live lp has the following track list: New Church; Livin On Livin; Eat Your Heart Out; Russian Roulette; Fortune Teller; Open Your Eyes; Girls Girls Girls; Holy War; Apocolypso; New Church. I would guess that the set I witnessed that night will have been similar to this. From the rhapsody.com site: “Lords Of The New Church quickly established themselves as a must-see live act due to the wild, death-defying (literally!) stage antics of Bators.” From Wiki: “Bators had developed a fearless reputation in his Dead Boys days and continued such antics with The Lords, the most famous being the time he reportedly hanged himself during a show. Bator’s stunt went awry and he was pronounced clinically dead for several minutes.” Stiv died in Paris in 1990, after being knocked down by a taxi.
28 Aug
King Newcastle City Hall 1985
King Newcastle City Hall 1985
The Steps in Time tour
Big hair, Big colourful boots (and clothes) and a catchy hit song Love and Pride. That about sums up my memories of the band King. This was a band that quickly appeared from nowhere (it seemed), hit major success, and then they seemed to disappear just as quickly. Singer and front man Paul King developed a look which was described by his local newspaper the Coventry Telegraph as “like the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. But, hell, the girls loved him”. Paul King reappeared as a VJ on MTV and was on the TV quite a bit at the time. I recall the gig being good fun, although I also recall feeling a little out of place among loads of teenage girls screaming at Paul. And I was right down the front in the thick of it. The music was a mix of pop, dance and new wave. The ticket says the show also featured Special Guests, but I don’t recall who they were. 
From promo material of the time: “KING’s music makes use of many diverse and disparate influences – and they’re brought together with a heady power that puts “Love & Pride” right up there among the contenders. It’s not easy to describe their music – except to say that it’s a great danceable track that should work well with practically everybody. It’s got a really good and original feel and some excellent hooks that take no time at all in imprinting themselves on the brain – so provided you give it the plays it deserves – and it deserves a lot – KING could well have a massive debut hit. It’s been a long time since there was a band as original as KING with a song as good as “Love & Pride” – well now they’ve arrived and it could well signal the start of something big (and booted).”
26 Aug
Nik Kershaw Newcastle City Hall 1984
Nik Kershaw Newcastle City Hall 1984
Nik Kershaw was very busy in 1984. He released two albums, Human Racing and The Riddle and had five hit singles: I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me, Human Racing, Wouldn’t It Be Good, Dancing Girls, and The Riddle. I saw him at the massive Elton John show at Wembley stadium that summer, and on his winter tour, when he called at Newcastle City Hall. His backing band (who even had their own billing on the ticket!) were known as The Krew, and consisted of local lad, and old friend, Keith Airey on guitar, along with Tim Moore, Mark Price, and Dennis Smith. The tour was to promote The Riddle which is quite a strangely structured, but also very catchy song, which was a great favourite of mine at the time, and remains so to this day. 
I remember the place being packed and big singalongs for Wouldn’t it be Good and The Riddle :). Support act for the tour was Scary Thieves. I’m afraid I have no recollection at all of them! Wiki reports: Scary Thieves were a short-lived English 1980s New Wave band, best known for their 1984 hit “Tell Me Girl” and their 1985 hit “The Waiting Game”.
“Near a tree by a river, There’s a hole in the ground, Where an old man of Aran, Goes around and around, And his mind is a beacon, In the veil of the night, For a strange kind of fashion, There’s a wrong and a right, But he’ll never, never fight over you” (The Riddle, Nik Kershaw, 1984).
14 Aug
Patti Smith and Philip Glass The Poet Speaks Edinburgh Festival Aug 13th 2013
Patti Smith and Philip Glass Edinburgh Festival Aug 13th 2013
Laura, David, Shona and I spent a day at the Edinburgh festival yesterday. We travelled up primarily to see Patti Smith perform with Philip Glass in “The Poet Speaks”, a tribute to Allen Ginsberg. The main concert was at the Playhouse Theatre last night, however we were lucky enough to attend a small intimate “conversations with….” session with Patti and Philip yesterday lunchtime. We also took in a stand up show, and had a great, but very long day.
From the festival website: “Two of the pillars of contemporary music come together for an intimate evening of poetry, music and song in tribute to their friend, the great Beat Generation poet Allen Ginsberg. Punk poet and provocateur Patti Smith performs both her own and Ginsberg’s poetry, with accompaniment and solo pieces for piano from founding father of minimalism Philip Glass. Renowned as one of the originators of the Beat movement, Ginsberg’s raw, visceral poems, including Howl, Kaddish and Wichita Vortex Sutra, range from forceful fury to profound spirituality.” 
Our day started early, leaving shortly after 8am and driving up the A1 to Edinburgh, arriving shortly after 11am. We drove straight up the Royal Mile, and easily found The Hub, which is the central point for the International Festival and was also the venue for the first session that we were attending. We entered the main hall of The Hub, and took a seat at the front just in front of the stage. The red sofa in front of us was soon occupied by Patti Smith, Philip Glass and the Reverend Richard Coles (ex Communard, musician, broadcaster and priest). Richard was charged with questioning Patti and Philip who talked freely and with affection of their old friend Alan Ginsberg. It was fascinating to hear of the background to their relationship with Ginsberg, and how they came to start to perform his poetry. Patti revealed that it was Ginsberg who persuaded her to return to performing after the loss of her husband, and she also shared how she listens to Philip’s music while she writes. The pair took some questions from the audience before leaving to prepare for the evening’s performance. 
We spent the afternoon exploring some of the Fringe activities around Pleasance, and took in one stand-up act. The evening performance was at the Playhouse theatre at 8.30pm. Playhouse was packed for the event, which mixed Smith reading her own poetry, with that of Alan’s and Glass seated at a grand piano accompanied her. A collage of images, paintings and photographs from Ginsberg’s collection provided a backdrop to the performance. This was very different to the rock performance format which I am used to, but it was a very welcome change for me. I had a sense that I was witnessing a very special event. Patti started off with one of Ginsberg’s poems and then read some of her own writing; each performed with great spirit and passion. The pair then each performed their own short set. Patti read Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Land of Nod”, which she explained was her childhood favourite, and sang, along with her regular guitarist Tony Shanahan, “Dancing Barefoot”, old favourite “Pissing in a River”, and a great version of John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)”. Glass then held the crowd spellbound with three short piano pieces. The pair then closed the evening with some further readings. The crowd called them back for an encore of “People Have the Power”, which to be honest was ok, but didn’t quite fit with the evening, Glass having some obvious difficulty in making the switch to the boogie oriented bar piano which was required. A truly great and inspirational evening. We left the theatre around 10.10pm and headed back down the A1, arriving home around 1am.
12 Aug
Kissing the Pink Redcar Coatham Bowl 1983?
Kissing the Pink Redcar Coatham Bowl 1983?
I saw quite a few bands at Redcar Coatham Bowl in the late 70s and early 80s, usually on a Sunday night. I’m afraid I have no recollection at all of attending this gig, but I have a ticket stub, so I must have been there! Kissing the Pink were a new wave band on the early 80s, and I would guess that this gig will have been around 1983, when they released the album “Naked”. From wikipedia: “Kissing the Pink are a British new wave, dance and synthpop group from London. Their first single was “Don’t Hide in the Shadows”, made with Martin Hannett. After a series of near-misses, their single “The Last Film” reached the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart. Their album, Naked, reached No. 54 in the UK Albums Chart.” And the ticket is a nice shade of pink to match the band’s name 🙂
10 Aug
The Kane Gang Newcastle Mayfair November 1984
The Kane Gang Newcastle Mayfair November 1984
I saw The Kane Gang at Newcastle Mayfair in late 1984, when they were touring around the time of their “Small Town Creed” and “Closest Thing to Heaven” singles, both of which made the singles chart that year. The Kane Gang come from the North East, and featured two vocalists, Martin Brammer and Paul Woods and Dave Brewis on guitar. This was a home gig for them. My memory is of a soul revue type show, with a large backing band. Support came from Big Sound Authority. I found a setlist from a gig of that period: Loserville; Amusement Park; How Much Longer; Printers Devil; Small Town Creed; Closest thing to heaven; Gun Law; Brother Brother; Respect Yourself; Mighty Day. Just watched “Small Town Creed” on YouTube. Its a pretty fine song, and brought back some memories of seeing the two guys sing it. This band is largely forgotten, other than for “Closest Thing to Heaven” which was their biggest hit. A CD retrospective has recently been released which includes their entire recorded output, and had had pretty good reviews.
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