Sweet Newcastle City Hall 6th March 1981
In 1979 Brian Connolly left Sweet. His alcoholism had become a problem and had started to affect the band’s music and performances. Sweet continued as a trio with Steve Priest and Andy Scott handling lead vocals, and Mick Tucker continuing on drums. Keyboard player Gary Moberley joined the group for live concerts. I saw the three piece Sweet at Newcastle City Hall in March 1981. Sadly the venue was far from full, which was a shame because this was a great show, very loud and rocky. The set was a mis of a few of the hits, and soke of the rockier album tracks. Based on a live recording of the tour rehearsals, it is likely to have been something like this: Ballroom Blitz; Burn On The Flame/Restless; Burning/Some Else Will; Two wont go; It makes me wonder; Hey mama; Love is like oxygen; Fox on the run; Done me wrong alright; Guitar solo; Action; Set Me Free; Drum Solo; Sweet FA
Sweet split at the end of the tour, playing their last gig in Glasgow on 20th March 1981.
In 1983 I saw Brian Connolly supporting Pat Benatar at Newcastle City Hall. At the time Brian was fronting his new band called Connolly’s Encore, which consisted of ex-Argent guitarist John Verity and Terry Uttley, bass player from Smokie. The next time I saw a version of Sweet, was when Brain Connolly’s Sweet played Sunderland Wearmouth Hall in the early 1990s. The line-up was Brian Connolly (lead vocals), Dave Farmer (ex Blackfoot Sue on drums), Gary Farmer (Dave’s younger brother on bass) and Steve Turner (guitar). The hall was packed and Brian and his band played pretty good versions of all the hits to the delight of a very drunk Saturday night student crowd.
In 1985 Andy Scott and Mick Tucker re-formed their own version of Sweet.
Brian Connolly and Mick Tucker both sadly passed away; Connolly in 1997 and Tucker in 2002. Andy Scott continues to front Sweet today; I saw them a couple of years ago at the Sage on a Xmas tour with Slade. Steve Priest fronts his own version of the band, which performs in the USA.
Posts Tagged ‘pop’
17 Sep
Sweet Newcastle City Hall 6th March 1981
16 Sep
Sweet Newcastle City Hall 2nd November 1973
Sweet Newcastle City Hall 2nd November 1973
“Are you ready, Steve? Aha.
Andy? Yeah! Mick? OK.
Alright, fellas, let’s go!..”
Sweet were a closet heavy metal band, but then you knew that already. Sure, they hit the UK singles charts with some pure (and great) glamrock pop songs, but if you took the trouble to turn those records over, the B sides featured some proper straight-on heavy rock. Determined to seek out the secret rock band hiding behind the glitter, I went along with a couple of mates, and 2,000 screaming girls, to see Sweet at Newcastle City Hall. It was at the height of their fame in late 1973, and the place was jam packed. Sweet came on stage to “The Stripper” music, and launched headlong into “Hell Raiser”. Their camp rock show didn’t let up for the next hour. What can I say? The girls screamed. Sweet played all their hits, and camped it up; seriously tongue in cheek. Wonderful.
Support came from Sun Chariot, according to the ticket (now who were they and whatever happened to them?)
Setlist: Hell Raiser; Burning / Someone Else Will; Rock ‘N’ Roll Disgrace; Wig-Wam Bam; Need a Lot of Lovin’; Done Me Wrong Alright; You’re Not Wrong for Lovin’ Me; The Man with the Golden Arm; Little Willy; Teenage Rampage; Rock ‘n’ Roll Medley: Keep On Knockin’ / Shakin’ All Over / Lucille / Great Balls of Fire / Reelin’ and Rockin’ / Peppermint Twist / Shout
Encore: The Ballroom Blitz; Block Buster!
The next time I saw Sweet was at Sunderland Locarno a few years later. I think it was around the time that they were in the charts with “Love is Like Oxygen”. By then their glam period had passed, and many of their teen fans had moved on. It was a rainy weekday night, and the ballroom was pretty empty. But, being the troopers that they were, Sweet put on another great performance.
“And the man at the back said
Everyone attack and it turned into a ballroom blitz
And the girl in the corner said
Boy, I wanna warn ya, it’ll turn into a ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz, ballroom blitz
It’s it’s a ballroom blitz, it’s it’s a ballroom blitz”
15 Sep
Mungo Jerry @ Darlington Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Festival 14th Sep 2014
Darlington Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Festival, Mungo Jerry 14th Sep 2014
Ray Dorset is Mr Boogie; a one man rhythm machine who has been rockin’ and rollin’ for over 40 years. Yesterday he brought his brand of rhythm ‘n’ blues to Darlington, where his band Mungo Jerry headlined the Darlington Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Festival.
The annual Darlo event takes place in venues across the town, with a main stage in the market square. Previous headliners have included The Pretty Things and Andy Fairweather-Low. The music runs from 1pm until 11pm and is organised in by Darlington Borough Council, Darlington Rhythm n Blues Club and Gasto Promotions.
I arrived in time to catch the Marcus Malone band who were playing some fine blues rock, and warmed the crowd up for the main event. The square was packed; everyone was in good spirits and enjoying the music on a chilly, but dry Sunday afternoon.
Just after 5 o’clock Ray Dorset walked on stage, strapped on his guitar, stamped his foot, and showed us all how he can still command a big crowd at an open air show, 44 years after he stole the show at the Hollywood music festival.
It’s 42 years since I saw Mungo Jerry rock the Friday night of the Reading festival, and I was looking forward to reliving some of the memories of that event and of Mungo gigs in the mid 70s at Sunderland Locarno. Today Mungo Jerry is Ray Dorset (of course, and as it always has been) on guitar, mouth harp and vocals, Jon Playle (bass), Mark David (drums) and Toby Hounsham (keyboards).
The set was a mix of blues, Mungo Jerry hits, and “Feels like I’m in love”, which was written by Ray Dorset and a big hit for Kelly Marie in 1980 (I’d forgotten that he’d written that one).They went down well with the audience in the market square; Ray was as energetic and funny as ever, getting the crowd to join in and sing along, which everyone did, particularly during “In the Summertime”. Great stuff. A good show from a real trouper, and it was great to see that him still rocking.
Setlist: Rock Me Baby, Rolling and Tumbling, Long Legged Woman Dressed in Black, You Don’t Have to be in the Army to Fight in the War, Lady Rose, The blues has got you?, Open up, Feels like I’m in love, In the Summertime.
14 Sep
The Style Council Newcastle City Hall 19th March 1984
The Style Council Newcastle City Hall 19th March 1984
Paul Weller formed the Style Council in 1983, along with his friend and keyboardist Mick Talbot, who was formerly of Dexys Midnight Runners and The Merton Parkas. I saw them perform three times; at this headline concert in Newcastle City Hall in 1984, as part of the Red Wedge tour at the same venue, and at Live Aid in Wembley Stadium in 1985. For me, the Style Council were musically the least successful of Paul Weller’s incarnations, sandwiched between the wonderful Jam, and his later, excellent solo work. By March 1984, and the time of this concert, the Style Council had been in the UK singles charts on four occasions with “Speak Like a Child”, “Money Go Round (Part 1)”, “Long Hot Summer” and “A Solid Bond in Your Heart”. Their single “My Ever Changing Moods” was in the chart at the time, giving them their fifth UK chart success.
The ethic of The Style Council was sound and honourable, aiming to produce perfect blue-eyed soul, tinged with right-on politics and sharp, (sometimes too, and embarrassingly) cool style. “They were socialists, vegetarian, didn’t drink, wore cool rain macs, colourful knitwear, expensive footwear and made some of the most brilliant modernist music ever. They also spoke out against the corrosive issues of the day, even if it meant the threat of commercial suicide” (from the Paul Weller website). For me, musically, well I felt it just didn’t quite work. That was perhaps because I’d enjoyed seeing the Jam so much on several crazy occasions. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this 1984 concert at the City Hall, but I also missed the power and passion of Weller’s previous mod combo. Support came from post punk new mod Scottish hipsters The Questions.
12 Sep
Sham 69 Sunderland Polytechnic Wearmouth Hall November ? 1978
Sham 69 Sunderland Polytechnic Wearmouth Hall November ? 1978
This was one awesome gig, for many reasons. It was the first time that Sham 69 had played in the North East, and musically, and in terms of popularity, they were riding high. They had hit the UK singles charts three times in 1978 with their brilliant terrace punk anthems “Angels With Dirty Faces”, “If the Kids Are United” and “Hurry Up Harry”. Sham 69 were the only band to rival the Pistols and The Clash in terms of raw punk power, and you didn’t get any more authentic than Jimmy Pursey who wore his punk credentials and his political views well and truly on his sleeve. Unfortunately, Sham had also gained a reputation for violence at their gigs, which often descended into fighting and riots. They attracted a group of right wing skins, although Jimmy’s politics were very much towards the left. And their followers were fanatical, the Sham Army followed them everywhere, up and down the country. Add to this the fact that this was a students only gig, and you just knew that there was going to be trouble.
When we arrived we ran the gauntlet of a group of punks and skins who couldn’t get in, were pretty unhappy and ready for a fight. Inside; the hall was far from full, the audience consisting of a mix of students, local rock fans, a few punks and skins who had somehow managed to blag their way in, and a heavy travelling contingent from the Sham Army.
Jimmy and Sham were brilliant, but there were fights throughout the night both inside and outside the hall. Lots of singalongs with skins jumping on stage and Jimmy sharing the mike with them. Great songs like “What Have We Got” (F**k All!) and “Borstal Breakout”. Everyone belted out “If Kids Are United”. Loads of beer flying about. Jimmy pleading with people to stop fighting, almost in tears. Electricity in the air; generated by the raw power of the punk music, and the danger and tension of the event. Amazing, happy days.
“What have we got? (Jimmy)
F**k All (Audience)
What have we got? (Jimmy)
F**k All (Audience)
They’ve taken everything
There’ll soon be nothing left
Soon we’ll be walking the street
With nothing on our feet
What have we got
What have we got
I’d like to buy a shotgun
Shooting MPs conservatives, communists
They’re all the bleeding same”
(What have we got, Sham 69, 1978)
11 Sep
Stealers Wheel Sunderland Polytechnic Wearmouth Hall 1973?
Stealers Wheel Sunderland Polytechnic Wearmouth Hall 1973?
Stealers Wheel are, of course, best remembered as the short lived folk rock act who featured the late, great and sadly missed, Gerry Rafferty and for the song “Stuck in the Middle with You” which hit the charts in 1973, and was featured as part of the soundtrack of the film “Reservoir Dogs”. The film brought the band back into the public eye, and introduced a new set of fans to their music. But there was much more to Stealers Wheel. They released three fine albums, and Rafferty’s fellow front man and old school friend Joe Egan was also an excellent song writer, with a deep soulful voice. Former Spooky Tooth-er, and soon to be Mott the Hoople-er, Luther Grosvenor (aka Ariel Bender) was also a member of the band for a short period during 1972 to 1973.
I saw Stealers Wheel live once when they played at Sunderland Poly Wearmouth Hall. It was around the time that “Stuck in the Middle with You” was in the charts, and the place was completely full, ram packed to the walls. I can’t be sure of the line-up at the time; I think it may have been during the period when Gerry Rafferty had left the band, and Joe Egan took over the role of front man and lead vocalist. I also think that Luther Grosvenor was in the band at the time. Stealers Wheel were nothing like I expected. They were much more a rock band, with very soulful, raucous vocals from Joe Egan, quite funky, and very LOUD. I remember having to leave the hall on a couple of occasions just to talk to mates, and because it was so loud, so packed and so hot. A great, under rated band, who deserve more recognition than they often receive.
8 Sep
Simple Minds Newcastle City Hall 3rd March 1984
Simple Minds Newcastle City Hall 3rd March 1984
By 1984 Simple Minds had reached mega status. They released their sixth album “Sparkle in the Rain”, which was a big major breakthrough commercial success for the band, reaching No 1 in the UK album chart, selling well around the world and becoming certified double platinum. I remember this City Hall gig sold out very quickly, and the concert was excellent; it felt like we were witnessing a band at their peak, and on the verge of major world wide success, the audience knew it, the band knew it, and it came through in the power, passion and perfection of their performance. This was easily the best Simple Minds concert I attended. Within the space of five years they had grown from a quirky engaging new wave band experimenting with electronica and rhythm, to a full blown professional pop pomp band, riding high alongside new romantic contemporaries like Duran Duran, and new classic rock outfits like U2.
Support for the City Hall concert came from Silent Running, a Northern Irish rock band, who emerged from the Belfast punk scene. 
However, all was not well in the Simple Minds camp. Jim Kerr: “We were knackered. We were desensitized. The band started to fracture. We were lads who had grown up together, we were meant to grow together, politically, spiritually and artistically. But we were getting tired with each other. There was an element of the chore creeping in. We were coasting and this whole other thing was a challenge.”
Setlist: Waterfront; Up On The Catwalk; Book Of Brilliant Things; Glittering Prize; The American; King Is White And In The Crowd; Speed Your Love To Me; Someone Somewhere (In Summertime); Promised You A Miracle; Big Sleep; New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84); Love Song
6 Sep
Sad Café Newcastle City Hall 1978 & 1980
Sad Café Newcastle City Hall 1978 & 1980
“For a few years in the late 70s and early 80s, Sad Café may just have been the best live band on the planet. Their charismatic and under-rated front man, Paul Young, was a mix of every great rock band leader you’ve ever seen but he had an energy and personality that was all his own and which put him ahead of the pack. The solid-as-a-rock rhythm section of Dave Irving and Des Tong, the guitar pyrotechnics of Ashley Mulford, and those virtuoso keyboards from Vic Emerson were pulled into shape by Paul’s right-hand man, Ian Wilson who added rhythm guitar and exquisite harmonies to the mix. At their commercial peak, their single “Everyday Hurts” sold 600,000 copies……” (From the official Sad Café website). High praise indeed. But it is true that Sad Café were a great live act.
I saw them a few times in concert in the late 70s and early 80s. The first couple of times I saw them was at Newcastle University and/or Newcastle Poly, not sure which. At the time, it must have been 1976 or 1977″ Sad Café had just formed and were slogging away, playing the university and ballroom circuit. They were fighting against the tidal wave of punk and to their credit, they kept at it, playing up and down the country, with their brand of rock’n’soul and a great front man in the late Paul Young. By 1978 they had gained sufficient following to headline concert halls and theatres, and I saw them play at Newcastle City Hall on 1st May 1978.
They hit the big time in 1979 with their third album “Façades” and the No 3 hit single “Everyday Hurts” which was massively popular. The Façades tour called at Newcastle City Hall on 21st March 1980 and this time the venue was full. Support came from a band called “The Out”.
Sad Café were a good solid live act, but didn’t quite make it into the big league of rock acts. They continued until 1990 with a changing line-up, and then went their separate ways. Vocalist and front man Paul Young sadly passed away, aged 53, in 2000. In 2012, the band was reformed by original member Ian Wilson, along with other former members.
“I saw the lamp light from your window
I didn’t think you were home, sitting there all alone
So I came up to your room to ask you why
Why did you hurt me so?
Why did you have to go, away?
…..
There’s one thing I can say, everyday, how I miss you, oh oh
Every day that I’m without you hurts just a little bit more than
Than I’ve ever been hurt before
Every day that I’m without you hurts just a little bit more”
(Everyday Hurts, Sad Café, 1979)
4 Sep
Kate Bush Hammersmith Apollo London 3rd September 2014
Kate Bush Hammersmith Apollo London 3rd September 2014
I never believed in my wildest dreams that I would ever see Kate Bush live in concert again. I felt lucky to have seen her during her one and only tour when it called at Sunderland Empire, and I was totally amazed when she announced her return, which seemed to come completely out of the blue a few months ago. Marie (like me an old trooper from the Empire concert) came along with Laura, David, Shauna and me to last nights concert.
From the moment Kate walked barefoot onto the stage last night, the crowd showed how much she has been missed. Fans have travelled from every corner of the globe to witness and be part of this second coming, “Before the Dawn”, and they made sure that Kate knew how much they love her, giving her standing ovations at the end of each of the first few songs. The first thing you notice is how strong her voice is, how well she looks, how confident, and how much she smiles. She seemed genuinely pleased to be there performing, and to see everyone.
The first set of six songs was the closest that the concert got to a “gig” with Kate performing a selection of songs from her career, including “Hounds of Love”; “Running Up That Hill”; and her more recent single “King of the Mountain”. Before the next segment we we given an unexpected interval, while a technical fault was sorted out, which added to the drama of the evening. 
By 9pm, fault rectified, we were all back in our seats to witness “The Ninth Wave”, which tells the story of a lady (Kate) lost at sea after her ship crashes. She fades in and out of life, fighting with the waves and evil skeleton fish, who fight to drag her under. She has an out of body experience as, ghost-like, she returns home to observe her husband and son (played by Kate’s real son Bertie) in their living room watching TV and having supper (toad in the hol, good choice 🙂 ). The coast guard drag her from the sea, only to lose her to the fish skeletons again. A helicopter hovers above us all, lights shining and swirling around the venue. The evil fish hold Kate aloft and carry her through the aisle and out a side entrance.
Ultimately she is dragged out alive, and the evil fish lose her, back to the earth and her life. All of this was staged in the most professional, artist and engaging way that you could imagine. Simply breathtaking.
After another interval we were treated to a performance of “A Sky of Honey”, from Aerial. This sequence also has strong links to earth and the environment. Kate plays the part of a bird-like woman who observes the actions of a 19th-century painter (played by Bertie) who is painting a scene of the sky and a strange quirky mannequin who follows her around throughout the piece (the mannequin also features on the cover of the programme; which you can see above). The performance features several birds; a white dove, a rooster, a seagull, and an evil black raven who attacks Kate, transforming her arm into a black wing. The story climaxes with Kate duelling with her guitarists who wear evil beak masks. Dark, moody, scary. The place went crazy, everyone on their feet. Kate was beaming.
For the encore she returned to sit alone at her grand piano and sing Among Angels. The band then returned for a joyous “Cloudbusting” with everyone singing along.
We left the Apollo at 11.20pm. The girl sitting to my right looked at me and simply said “Wow!”. Laura says it is the best concert she has ever seen. A very emotional experience in so many ways, lots of tears in the eyes moments.
Kate Bush might just be the greatest creative rock artist that we have.
Apologies for any typos, I have been typing this on the train home.
Setlist
Lily; Hounds of Love; Joanni; Top of the City; Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God); King of the Mountain
The Ninth Wave: And Dream of Sheep; Under Ice; Waking the Witch; Watching You Without Me; Jig of Life; Hello Earth; The Morning Fog
A Sky of Honey: Prelude; Prologue; An Architect’s Dream; The Painter’s Link; Sunset; Aerial Tal; Somewhere in Between; Tawny Moon; Nocturn; Aerial
Encore: Among Angels; Cloudbusting
The yellow slip of flimsy tissue paper is a piece of confetti; these were thrown over the audience early in the show. The confetti features an extract from “The Coming of Arthur” by Lord Alfred Tennyson, which is said to have inspired Kate Bush to write the Ninth Wave.
“Wave after wave, each mightier than the last,
Till last, a ninth one, gathering half the deep
And full of voices, slowly rose and plunged
Roaring, and all the wave was in a flame”
3 Sep
Feargal Sharkey Newcastle City Hall 9th February 1986
Feargal Sharkey Newcastle City Hall 9th February 1986
In 1982 Feargal was becoming tired of fronting Irish new wave post-punk posters The Undertones. So it was no more boy next door image, off with the pullover and jeans, and on with a trendy Armani suit, a Swatch watch (see later) and styled quiffed hair. Ad hey presto young Feargal was a fledgling pop star. And pop star indeed he was. Feargal’s debut single was “Listen to Your Father” which reached No. 23 in the UK chart in 1984. The track was a collaboration with members of Madness and he performed it on Top of the Pops with members of the nutty boy band. But his biggest hit came the following year when “A Good Heart” went to No. 1 in several countries including the UK. He also had a UK Top 5 hit in 1986 with “You Little Thief”, which was out at the time I saw him on tour. His debut album reached No. 12 in the UK Albums Chart.
I saw Feargal Sharkey at Newcastle City Hall in 1986. This was his Swatch tour, and an early example of tour branding and marketing tie-ins. The back cover of the programme declares “Feargal Sharkey Swatch tour. Music by Feargal. Time by Swatch”, alongside a picture of our cool hero sporting trendy shades and, of course, a neat black Swatch.
From the programme: “At first I didn’t feel it. I just sang. The difference later on was that I learned more about life. I now plough past experiences for songs, especially on my album where the songs are all bitter sweet. I’m now more of a manic singer than ever before. ……Feargal belongs on stage in front of an audience…..Ladies and gentlemen, Feargal Sharkey. The waiting is over”
The concert was good fun and focused on Feargal’s hits and debut solo album, along with some great covers including “When a Man Loves a Woman” and “It’s all Over Now”. He had quite a large band with a couple of backing singers and a small brass section. His mate and local north east hero Dave Stewart came on for the encore, very much the swaggering rock star. Support came from Fruits of Passion, a Scottish indie band.
The next time I saw Feargal Sharkey he walked past me, as he was wandering around the area in front of the stage at Live 8 in Hyde Park. By then he was very much the suited business man, and chair of the UK Government task force the ‘Live Music Forum’. In 2009 he was placed No. 56 in The Guardian’s MediaGuardian 100, which is an annual guide to the “most powerful people in television, radio, newspapers, magazines, digital media, media business, advertising, marketing and PR”. The boy from Derry has travelled a long way.
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