Posts Tagged ‘pop’

27 Nov

Vonda Shepard Fire Station Sunderland 9 October 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Vonda Shepard. Tagged: , , , .

A recent discovery in terms of music for me, and a great show for the Fire Station to score. I had not heard of Vonda Shepard, but after a little digging I soon realised just what a talent she is. This lady’s career is intimately entwined with the TV show Ally McBeal, which my late wife, Marie, used to love and we both watched it on TV regularly. This was really a great coup for the Fire Station to promote.

They announced the concert as: “Following the success of Vonda’s recent barnstorming UK tours which sold out venues across the country, Vonda will be returning to play a set of greatest hits and favourites from her many albums including her latest release, Red Light, Green Light with her full band.”

“Vonda first shot to fame through her long running appearances, performances, and musical accompaniment on the smash hit US TV show Ally McBeal. The theme song Searching My Soul reached the top 10 in the UK and Vonda released a series of Ally inspired albums which went on to sell a staggering 12 million copies worldwide. Including such favourites as Tell Him, Maryland, I Only Want To Be With You, Baby Don’t You Break My Heart Slow, Proud Mary, Walk Away Rene and You Belong To Me. This is one feel good evening filled with nostalgia not to miss!”

Vonda has said of her recent UK tours: “I had so much fun performing for my fans in the UK, it’s been a joy to reconnect with everyone and I can’t wait to come back and see everyone again”

“Vonda Shepard (born July 7, 1963) is an American singer, songwriter, music director, and actress. She is perhaps best known for her starring role as a fictionalized version of herself on the television series Ally McBeal (1997–2002), for which she recorded five soundtrack albums as well as the series’ theme song “Searchin’ My Soul”, which saw international commercial success.” (From Wikipedia) So I was actually seeing Ally McBeal in the flesh! It doesn’t get much better.

It was great to see another friend and ageing reporter there who clearly knew much more about Vonda and her career than I did. Shame on me. I was soon to find out how wonderful this lady is in performance. She looks great, has a lovely voice, and sat at a grand piano taking us through songs familiar and new (at least to me anyway). I was sitting at one side of the stage with a view to the back of Vonda. I asked if I could move across to the other side of the stage, which seemed to be unoccupied, and the kind Fire Station staff allowed me to do so.

A preshow pint of Guinness was called for. The concert was in two parts. To be honest I didn’t recognise many of the songs in the first half, other than the closer which was an excellent version of the Staple Singers “Respect Yourself”. A great song to start the interval and which enabled me to have my second drink of the evening. As usual, a double Jack Daniels (neat with ice) hit the spot just right.

The second set comprised many more gems which I recognised including wonderful versions of the Supremes “Someday We’ll Be Together”, the Four Tops “Walk Away Renée”, Betty Everett’s (and of course covered by Cher ) “It’s In His Kiss” and the closing song was one of my favourites, the punchy tune of Billie Davis’ “Tell Him”. By this point Vonda was up and dancing.

The encores were also magnificent choices: Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Want to Be with You” and Jo Stafford’s lovely “You Belong To Me”. A particular favourite of my friend. All of the above will probably have featured in Ally McBeal at some point. A magnificent performance by an equally magnificent songstress set in the fast-becoming heart of a vibrant music city, the Fire Station.

Great to connect with old friends and I promised to write a review for the Sunderland We’ar Shine A Light reporters network which I will do based on this blog entry. Many thanks to Jackie for providing the photographs and Chris for manipulating the site as always. Happy days.

Setlist: (something like this): Set 1: Maryland; The Wildest Times of the World; Shine Your Light; Dirty Laundry Line; Made of Rain; I Just Don’t Get It; I Know Better; To the Stars; Respect Yourself.
Set 2: Someday We’ll Be Together; Something About You; Someone You Use; The Sunset Marquis; Walk Away Renée; Another January; It’s in His Kiss; Hooked on a Feeling; Neighborhood; Baby, Don’t You Break My Heart Slow; Searchin’ My Soul; Tell Him.
Encore: I Only Want to Be With You; You Belong to Me.

25 Nov

Tom Robinson The Fire Station Sunderland 6 October 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Rob Green, Tom Robinson. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Tom Robinson and I go back a long way. The Tom Robinson Band are often overlooked when the history of punk and new wave is written. That’s a shame, because they were one of the best live acts of the period, and their songs contained all of the necessary political messages of the time. I first saw them live in the early days, probably 1977, at Middlesbrough Rock Garden. It was probably only about half full, and the punks and skinheads were very unsure as to how to take an openly gay singer but managed some quite nervous singing along to “Glad to be Gay”.

Tom Robinson must have had some nerve, it was quite a brave thing to do, to go out and sing that anthem in clubs packed with punk and skins, many of whom had strong right-wing views. I was impressed by TRB that night, although it was the first time that I was seeing the band, and I hadn’t heard any of the songs before, it was obvious that they were strong pop songs, with political messages and great hooks.

The first, and classic, line-up of the band was Tom Robinson (vocals, bass), Danny Kustow (guitar), Mark Ambler (keyboards) and Dolphin Taylor (drums). The other band members were all an important part of the mix, particularly Danny Kustow; his guitar playing was excellent and his passion, energy, and presence matched Tom’s. And they had a clutch of great tunes, many of which ended up on the first Tom Robinson album, which is one of the strongest debuts of the time.

Most people remember the big hit single “2-4-6-8 Motorway”, but there were better tracks on the album including the call to arms: “Up Against the Wall” and “The Winter of ’79”, the simply excellent catchy “Long Hot Summer” and title track “Power in the Darkness”. The big live favourites were the sing-along chirpy ode to a big brother “Martin” (just listened to it on YouTube and it sounds as good as it ever did) and “Glad to be Gay” which seemed to be playing everywhere I went in 1977 and 1978.

I saw the Tom Robinson band at a triumphant concert at Newcastle City Hall on 27th September 1978 and also at Reading festival 1978 and at Sunderland Mayfair on 28th March 1979. By the time of the Sunderland gig both Ambler and Dolphin had left the band, and things were never going to be the same. The Tom Robinson band split in 1979, shortly after the 1979 tour and the release of their second, and much less successful, album. Support at the City Hall gig was the excellent Stiff Little Fingers. In those days I would always watch support acts as they often went on to greater things.

The Fire Station website stated: “A tour of songs from the albums POWER IN THE DARKNESS and TRB TWO. The first Tom Robinson Band emerged amid the turmoil of late 70s Britain – in a time of punk rock, political unrest, and economic gloom. TRB became known for the hit single 2-4-6-8 Motorway, their vocal support of Rock Against Racism and for the anthem Sing If You’re Glad To Be Gay, which made the Top Twenty despite a ban by BBC Radio 1.”

“The original TRB consisted of Robinson on bass and vocals, drummer Dolphin Taylor, keyboardist Mark Ambler and their incendiary guitarist Danny Kustow – who died early in 2019 at the age of 63. They made just two albums – Power In The Darkness and TRB TWO and ended – like the Seventies – just as Margaret Thatcher swept to power. The current Tom Robinson Band will play a 23-date tour in October/November 2024 showcasing those first two albums, in tribute to the original band members. The setlist has been chosen by fans via an online poll [I was not aware of this!] and will include some album tracks from the era that have never previously been performed live.”

“Alongside Robinson on lead vocals and bass, the band features Faithless drummer Andy Treacey, guitarist Adam Phillips from the Richard Ashcroft Band, keyboard virtuoso Jim Simmons and Northern soul singer Lee Forsyth Griffiths on acoustic guitar. “45 years on,” says Tom “some of the original TRB lyrics – about division, injustice and uncertainty – still feel depressingly relevant in a world of Trump, Farage & Suella Braverman. I also owe a huge amount to the musicianship of Mark, Dolphin, and Danny back in the day. We’re hoping to do that early band – and the songs – full justice this Autumn.”

Support came from Rob Green who delivered a rousing performance which warmed the crowd up for the main act. But everyone was waiting for one thing. To see their hero from all those years ago. Would he be as strong and outspoken as ever? What would Tom Robinson 2024 be like? We were soon to find out. And we were pleasantly surprised. He looked and sounded great.

Roll-on almost 50 years since I first saw Tom Robinson and he sounds as passionate and uncompromising as ever. He spits out the vocals with as much rage as he did in 1978. He starts with (as you would expect) “2 – 4 – 6 – 8 Motorway”, followed swiftly by the anthem “Glad to be Gay” with everyone singing along just as was “back in the day”. The crowd knew all the songs.

And so those classic songs continued. Many told the story of Tom’s young life: “Grey Cortina” was about his car and the fun he had in it, “Martin” was about his brother. Everyone sang “Martin” back to him. They had obviously seen this guy before in the late 70s. I often wondered if the story of Martin was really true. “Long Hot Summer” is a classic pop song.

To summarise the guy recreated the music and the songs just as they were all those years ago. The crowd knew them all and sang them well. He seems as uncompromising and angry as he ever was. It is great that some things never change. And thus so it should be. Another great performer returns to this great hometown venue and puts on a magnificent performance.

Many thanks to Elaine for the photographs and to Chris for manipulating the site. Some of the pictures come from Wikimedia Commons and my old programme and LP.

Setlist included: 2-4-6-8 Motorway; Glad to Be Gay; Up Against the Wall; Grey Cortina; Ain’t Gonna Take It; The Winter of ’79; Martin; Power in the Darkness; Bully for You; Long Hot Summer; Blue Murder; Days of Rage.

“The British Police are the best in the world
I don’t believe one of these stories I’ve heard
‘Bout them raiding our pubs for no reason at all
Lining the customers up by the wall
Picking out people and knocking them down
Resisting arrest as they’re kicked on the ground
Searching their houses and calling them queer
I don’t believe that sort of thing happens here
Sing if you’re glad to be gay
Sing if you’re happy that way”
(Tom Robinson, 1976)

25 Nov

The South Stockton Arc 5 October 2024

Posted by vintagerock in The South. Tagged: , , , .

So, when the Beautiful South split up that was not the end for some of the band. In fact, the rest of the band continued, recreating all of those beautiful hit songs. And thus I was enticed down to Stockton Arc to see how well the south would check out. Carer Jan and I made the trip down to Stockton on a Saturday night to see The South.

The Arc website proclaimed the show thus: “The South are an impressive 9-piece band that features former members of The Beautiful South, including singer Alison Wheeler and lifelong sax player Gaz Birtles. They play the songs made famous by The Beautiful South and bring back the full flavour and arrangements with this exciting live band.”

“The South are keeping alive all those timeless songs such as A Little Time, Perfect 10, Rotterdam, Old Red Eyes is Back, Good as Gold, Don’t Marry Her, plus many more singles and album track; these songs span an impressive 20-year career starting way back in 1989!
Come on! Let’s Carry On… Regardless!”

And from the South website which explains the evolution even better: “When great British pop institution, The Beautiful South split in 2007, some members of the band didn’t feel ready to hang up their microphones or instruments just yet… Two years later, singers Dave Hemingway and Alison Wheeler, alongside lifelong members Damon Butcher (keys), Gaz Birtles (sax) and Tony Robinson (trumpet), came out of retirement and formed the 9-piece band, The South. And so The South embarked on their journey. Celebrating the Beautiful South legacy and great songs of their own, the band continues performing the classic songs.”

“Fast forward to 2017 and it’s all change. Dave Hemingway has announced his retirement from the live music scene, Damon Butcher now resides in Ireland thereby leaving the band and Tony Robinson has moved on to pastures new. It was time for The South to regroup and have a rethink. With the support from their amazing fans, they were encouraged to strive onwards. Right under their nose was an obvious choice. Up stepped long time sax player Gaz Birtles to take centre stage and take over the male vocal duties.”

Quite complicated. To summarise the female vocals are now taken up by former backing vocalist Alison Wheeler while the male vocals are taken on by saxophone player Gaz Birtles. And they do a pretty good job of it to. And so we get all of the classic chart singles: “A Little Time”, “Rotterdam”, “Don’t Marry Her”, “Perfect 10” and “You Keep It All In”. Of course it isn’t the same but hey it is a pretty damn good show which we both really enjoyed. Great to hear all those hits again.

Onward to see Paul Heaton at Newcastle Arena in the New Year. Thanks to Jan for the photographs and to Chris for manipulating the site as usual.

Setlist: From Under the Covers; One Last Love Song; A Little Time; Dumb; My Book; Blackbird on the Wire; The Lure of the Sea; The Table; Prettiest Eyes; Baby Please Go; Song for Whoever; Pretenders to the Throne; Old Red Eyes Is Back; Livin’ Thing; Rotterdam; Woman in the Wall; How Long’s a Tear Take to Dry; We Are Each Other; Don’t Marry Her; Perfect 10; You Keep It All In.

Encore: I’ll Sail This Ship Alone; Good as Gold (Stupid as Mud).

24 Nov

Nik Kershaw: The 1984 Tour The Fire Station Sunderland 4 October 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Nik Kershaw. Tagged: , , , , .

The Fire Station website announced this show: ”Step back in time to 1984 as Nik and the band hit the road celebrating 40 years since the release of Human Racing and The Riddle with both epic albums being played in their entirety! Nik Kershaw exploded onto the UK pop scene in 1984 as a solo artist. A string of global hit singles – including ‘Wouldn’t it Be Good’, ‘The Riddle’ and his biggest hit, ‘I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ – helped to propel him to 62 weeks on the UK Singles Chart through 1984 and 1985 – beating every other solo artist, together with performing at Live Aid.”

“After stepping out of the limelight to concentrate on writing and producing, Nik wrote Chesney Hawkes’s ‘The One And Only’ and has collaborated with Elton John (including writing and producing one of the songs on the Duets album), Sia, Gary Barlow and Bonnie Tyler , whilst continuing to release his own well-reviewed studio albums, featuring his distinctive voice and highly personal lyrics.”

Now it was actually in 1984 that I last saw Nik Kershaw at Newcastle City Hall. Nik was very busy during that year. I saw him at a massive Elton John concert 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 Sunderland lad, and old friend, Keith Airey on guitar, along with Tim Moore, Mark Price, and Dennis Smith.

The 1984 tour was to promote the album The Riddle. The song “The Riddle” is quite a strangely structured, but also very catchy song, a great favourite of mine at the time, and remains so to this day. I remember the City Hall concert being packed and big singalongs. I also saw him, for the last time until recently at the massive Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium in 1985. Happy memories.

And so to the present day and The Fire Station concert. Nik Kershaw looked very smart and very much the same as I remember him, perhaps the hair is a little greyer, but the guy is still full of energy and delivered a magnificent performance which was in two parts. The first set focused on the album The Riddle. The second set focused on the album Human Racing.

Although many of the songs were lost in the depths of my memories somewhere, several were familiar with me. My favourite “The Riddle” still has its lovely melody complete with fascinating twists and turns. “Wouldn’t it Be Good” was well as good (pun intended) as ever, as was “I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”. The guy still sounds great, and his backing band was excellent.

The encore finished with “The One and Only” which I had forgotten that Nik had written for Chesney Hawkes (I always thought that it was written by his father Chip Hawkes of the Tremelos). A great end to an impressive performance. The memories rolled back 40 years. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, particularly at my age.

Many thanks to Jackie for taking the photographs, to The Fire Station for another excellent night out and to Joanne for manipulating the site.

Setlist:
The Riddle Set: Roses; Know How; Wide Boy; City of Angels; Easy; Don Quixote; Wild Horses; You Might; Save the Whale; The Riddle.
Human Racing Set: Cloak and Dagger; Human Racing; Bogart; Dancing Girls; Shame on You; Gone to Pieces; Wouldn’t It Be Good; Faces; Drum Talk; I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Encore: When a Heart Beats; The Sky’s the Limit; The One and Only.

“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).

20 Nov

Fairground Attraction The Glasshouse Gateshead 3 October 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Fairground Attraction. Tagged: , , , , .

Another band I never got to see in back in the day. However Fairground Attraction reformed for one tour, so I figured it was time to put matters right and go to see the band. After all their smash hit “Perfect” is pretty great.

The Glasshouse website advertised the event thus: “Authentic. Enchanting. Captivating melodies and a timeless charm. Experience the long-awaited reunion of Fairground Attraction on their 14-date UK tour. After 35 years, all four original members unite to captivate audiences with their timeless hits.”

“There is no other band like Fairground Attraction – their use of the guitarrón (a large, Mexican acoustic bass), played by Simon Edwards, gives the bottom end of their records a warmth and character that combines with drummer Roy Dodds, Mark Nevin and Eddi Reader to create a charming acoustic antidote to all that is modern and digital.”

“I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be back together, making music again. I think we had all given up hope that it would ever happen a long time ago. It is almost spooky, as though we are ghosts, who have come back to life, but something happens between us when we play together; time evaporates, and it could all have been yesterday.” Mark Nevin

Well, I greatly enjoyed the event. The Glasshouse was quite full and the music excellent. Although I only knew one song, that is of course, “Perfect” it was a really good evening of entertainment. I have tickets to see Eddi Reader in the New Year at Sunderland Fire Station and look forward to that. Should be good.

Many thanks to Jackie for the photographs and Jan for manipulating the site. Apologies for the brevity of the review and those that follow but I really do need to work hard to catch up.

Setlist: (something like) A Hundred Years of Heartache; A Smile in a Whisper; Miracles; Hey Little Brother; The Simple Truth / The Wind Knows My Name; The Moon Is Mine; Sing Anyway; Comedy Waltz; Gatecrashing Heaven; Find My Love; Last Night (Was A Sweet One); Learning to Swim; Whispers; Sun And Moon; What’s Wrong With the World; Moon on the Rain; Clare; Fairground Attraction; Perfect; Beautiful Happening.
Encore: Allelujah; Walking After Midnight; Fear Is the Enemy of Love.

10 Nov

Dee C Lee Wylam Brewery 2 October 2024

Posted by vintagerock in D C Lee. Tagged: , , , , , , .

From memory, the last time I saw Dee C Lee was on the Red Wedge tour, when she was part of the Style Council. She also sang her own hit single “See the Day” which was a big favourite of mine. At the time she was the partner of Paul Weiler, who she went on to marry. They parted some time afterwards.
So I could not resist going to see her again at the lovely Wylam Brewery.

The Brewery announced the show: “Dee C Lee brings the Just Something tour to Wylam Brewery this October. Performing her first new record since 1998, this tour will feature a 9-piece live band – promising a captivating performance and unforgettable evening.” The concert featured the following artists: Dee C. Lee, Steve White, and Steve Edwards (the latter two singers were members of Lee’s band and also performed their own set).

This lady comes with some pedigree. She was born Diane Catherine in 1961. She was a backing singer for Wham!, then released her first solo single, “Selina Wow Wow”, in 1984. She started working with the Style Council, while continuing as a solo artist. So, I must have seen her with Wham! who I saw at Newcastle City Hall, Whitley Bay Ice Rink, and their final concert, entitled The Final, at Wembley Stadium. Happy days.

Soon, she worked with the Style Council and appeared on their debut album. Lee then released another solo single; the self-penned ballad “See the Day”. The single became a hit and peaked at No. 2 in the UK chart in December 1985, selling a quarter of a million copies in the UK alone, and earning Lee a silver disc.
And so, Jan and I went along to the lovely Wylam Brewery in Newcastle Exhibition Park. The venue actually is a brewery, and you can drink the ale straight from the barrel.

This included, as I recall, Guinness which tasted great, nice, and cold. We managed to get situated right in front of the stage and were treated to an excellent set of jazz, blues and soul delivered by none other than D C Lee herself, accompanied by an excellent band. Halfway through, the aforementioned singers Steve White and Steve Edwards took centre stage for their own short set.

The lady finished with (of course) “See the Day” which was an excellent finish to a great evening with a very underrated singer. Many thanks to Jan for the photographs and Margy for manipulating the site. I treated myself to a signed LP record (see picture).

Setlist: (something like) Anything; Back In Time; The Paris Match; How To Love; Walk Away
Encore: See the Day; No Time To Play.

1 Nov

Elkie Brooks The Long Farewell Tour Whitley Bay Playhouse 27 September 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Elkie Brooks. Tagged: , , , , , , .

A night of memories and reminiscences once again. This time I am in Whitley Bay Playhouse for another evening of music with none other than Elkie Brooks. As usual, I am going along to renew my acquaintance with a great performer who I last saw two years ago in Sunderland fire station. I have seen Elkie Brooks many times over the years. I first saw her when she was a member of the jazz/rock/blues fusion band Dada at Newcastle City Hall in 1971.

Dada were first on the bill below Yes and headliners Iron Butterfly. They were a large band (I think around 10 piece) with a brass section and Elkie singing as front person, alongside ultracool soul man Robert Palmer. I remember being very impressed by the overall power of the band and, in particular, by Elkie’s raucous blues/jazz vocals.

 

The next time I ran into Elkie was in the band Vinegar Joe. She had become the wild, gypsy front person, again alongside Robert Palmer on vocals. I was lucky enough to see Vinegar Joe several times during the early 70s at the Lincoln Festival, the Reading Festival, and local venues including (I think) Sunderland Locarno, Newcastle Mayfair and most notably supporting the legendary Free at Sunderland Top Rank. Vinegar Joe were quite a while raucous rock/blues band, and we all sat in awe of the force of nature that was Elkie. “They were an electrifying live act and quickly became a staple of the UK’s then-thriving university circuit.” (Louder than sound).

The next time I saw Elkie was headlining as a solo artist at Sunderland Empire Theatre. This was in the late 70s, and Elkie had become more of a middle of the road (and very successful) rhythm and blues singer hitting the charts with “Pearl’s a Singer”, “Sunshine after the Rain” and many other successful singles.
I didn’t see her for many years until a couple of years ago at Sunderland Fire Station. Similarly to that performance there is no support act, Elkie chooses to perform the entire show herself with a short interval separating two sets which blend her chart hits with jazz and blues classics.

The Playhouse advertised the concert thus: Having started her career in music in 1960, a remarkable 64 years of performing live, Elkie Brooks will embark upon her ‘Long Farewell Tour’.” So, is this really the end of Elkie Brooks performing on stage? The lady is 79 years old, after all, and I’m sure she has earned her retirement.

The night promises to be “A celebration of Elkie’s illustrious award-winning career in music performing some of her biggest hits including Pearl’s A Singer, Lilac Wine, Fool (If You think It’s Over) Don’t Cry Out Loud, Blues, Rock, Jazz & material from her eagerly anticipated new album. Joined of course by her incredible band. An exceptional performer with an unmistakable voice which has earned her the title of ‘British Queen Of Blues’. Elkie never fails to captivate her audience.” And we are reminded “Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to see a truly remarkable artiste on her ‘Long Farewell Tour’.” And after all she is ‘STILL ONE OF THE GREAT, BRITISH VOICES’ The Guardian.

Her voice has not lost any power, and the lady once again demonstrates how she is one of the UK’s greatest singers. She opens the show with a wonderful cover of Rod Stewart’s “Gasoline Alley”, and we are soon into the hits with “Fool (If You Think It’s over)”, “The Sunshine After the Rain”, “Lilac Wine” and “Pearl’s a Singer”. In between these classics, Elkie also belts out some tremendous covers including Screaming Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You” (magical), the Moody Blues’ lovely “Nights in White Satin”, “I’m Tore Down”, the great blues/rock classic covered by many including Eric Clapton, and Hendrix’s “Redhouse”.

The encore features a fantastic cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain”. By the end everyone is up on their feet, lots of dancing, and a standing ovation for Elkie, which is well deserved. A great night full of many memories. Happy days. Will this really be the end of touring for Elkie? It is, after all, billed as “the Long Farewell” so maybe there will be another chance for me to see her again. I hope so.
Thanks to Jackie for the photographs and Atalanta for manipulating the site. I treated myself to a signed programme from a past tour (see below).

Setlist: (something like) Gasoline Alley; Do Right Woman, Do Right Man; Warm and Tender Love; Fool (If You Think It’s Over); The Sunshine After the Rain; Don’t Cry Out Loud; Make You Feel My Love; I Put a Spell on You; Nights in White Satin; Lilac Wine; Red House; Pearl’s a Singer; I’m Tore Down; You Got Me Where You Want Me. Down
Encore: Long John Blues; Purple Rain; We’ve Got Tonight.

29 Oct

Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets The Fire Station Sunderland 26 September 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Los Straitjackets, Nick Lowe, Oliver Darling, Rockpile. Tagged: , , , , , , .

I have seen Nick Lowe many times over the years starting back in 1974. For three Saturdays in Summer 1974 a stage appeared in Sunderland’s Backhouse Park and a series of concerts were held. The park was filled with music from a host of local bands and headliners Jack the Lad, Brinsley Schwarz & Chilli Willi & the Red Hot Peppers. Local heroes Saltgrass played at each event and a grand time was had by all.

27th July 1974 Brinsley Schwarz: Brinsley Schwarz were stalwarts of the pub rock scene. This gig came towards the end of their career, and their line-up was Brinsley Schwarz, Ian Gomm, Billy Rankin, Bob Andrews, Nick Lowe, and Carlos Luna. They had just released their sixth and final album “The New Favourites of… Brinsley Schwarz” which featured Nick Lowe’s classic “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding”.

A few years or so later, and I went to see Dave Edmunds in concert, fronting his band Rockpile along with Nick Lowe on bass, Billy Bremner on guitar, and Terry Williams on drums. Dave Edmunds is often called the Welsh Wizard, and he sure is a wizard of rock ‘n roll, and Rockpile were one great rock band. They had some great songs: Here Comes the Weekend, I knew the Bride, Girls Talk, Queen of Hearts, and they all seemed so cool at the time. I recall the Redcar Coatham Bowl gig well. I went with my mate, and we were standing right at the front, a few feet away from Dave and Nick. Dave was fantastic and Nick was, well just Nick, “the Jesus of cool”.

I later saw Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe, again in Rockpile at Newcastle City Hall. I can’t remember much of this concert, but I do have a programme (see image) which shows Nick very clearly, resplendent in a yellow jumper. The next time I saw Nick was on The Stiff Tour in 1977 at Middlesbrough Town Hall and Newcastle Poly.

Now, the Stiff tours were a highlight of the late 70s rock calendar. These amazing events featured a selection of artists from Stiff records, travelling up and down the UK dropping into concert halls, university student unions and your local theatre. The first tour was known as the Live Stiffs Tour or 5 Live Stiffs and took place in late 1977. This first extravaganza boasted a stellar line-up of the new wave aristocracy with  a young Elvis Costello with his fine Attractions, Ian Dury, and the magnificent Blockheads, the crazy, wild and 100% authentic Wreckless Eric, The Jesus of Cool Nick Lowe (featuring rocker supremo Dave Edmunds) and ex-Pink Fairies, Motorhead (and great Lewis leather jacket) Larry Wallis. The tour called at Newcastle Polytechnic a couple of weeks later. I enjoyed the show so much, I went along again, this time with Marie.

Next to a very different festival/concert: “Oh God, Not Another Boring Old Knebworth,” said the posters. Line-up: The Tubes, Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, Boomtown Rats, Rockpile, Wilko Johnson’s Solid Senders. This was the second Knebworth festival to take place in 1978, following the Genesis / Jefferson Starship / Tom Petty gig earlier in the summer. I remember thinking it was a bit late in the year for an open-air gig and feared the worst from the weather, but actually it was ok on the day; quite fine.

I drove down with a group of mates. We camped and pitched our tents near a big generator (big mistake) which for some reason we didn’t really notice when we set up. However it was loudly humming all night and powering a massive floodlight which shone on our tents, so we didn’t get much sleep. The show was opened by the Boomtown Rats, Wilko Johnson who had recently left Dr Feelgood and was fronting his new band Solid Senders, and Rockpile featuring Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe. Once again, Nick played and stood quietly, cool as ever! These were class acts and a great start to the day.

The Tubes closed the festival with a massive crazy show. They were joined by Todd Rundgren for encores of “Baba O’Reilly” and “The Kids are Alright”, played in honour of Keith Moon who had died just two days before this concert. Zappa was also great, although I didn’t enjoy his performance as much as the concert I saw in Edinburgh the year before. His band had changed, and they played very few songs that I knew. Still, it was a good day with a varied, and very strong line-up, although the lack of a major league headliner resulted in a far from capacity crowd. You can just about see Nick’s name on the programme (pictured above).

So, Nick Lowe and I go back a long way. He, his songs and his base and guitar playing were the foundation for many great bands throughout the years. It is a long time since I last saw Nick in concert. Many years have passed. I didn’t really know what to expect. The Fire Station website advertised the concert thus: “In September, Nick Lowe will release ‘Indoor Safari’ – his first full-length album in eleven years. Consisting of twelve songs, including brand new originals, a couple signature deep-cut covers, and refitted versions of tracks previously released in nascent form as singles, the album represents a culmination of Lowe’s decade-long working relationship with those mysterious masked men – Los Straitjackets (Eddie Angel/guitar; Pete Curry/bass; Chris Sprague/drums; Greg Townson/guitar).” And yes, the band did wear masks and were pretty weird to be honest.

“The news comes amidst a busy summer calendar for Lowe with North American dates ranging from a run of Canadian shows with longtime compatriot Ron Sexsmith, to a top-billed appearance at Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival, a set at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY, and more surprises in store.  We’re excited to welcome Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets to Sunderland for a special visit as part of their UK tour!” Support came from Oliver Darling.

During the interval I met lots of old friends who I had not seen for some time in the bar. It was great to catch up after many years in some cases. It seemed like everyone I knew had turned out for this performance. Some of us reminisced about the concert in Backhouse Park 50 years ago! We had great seats, and I even recognised some of the songs: “Cruel To Be Kind”; “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” and the closer “I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock ‘n’ Roll)”. A truly class act.

Halfway through the set, the band, Los Straitjackets, who looked bizarre and almost scary in their masks played a western movie theme tune (imagine bonanza/the big country and the shadows on acid). The encore was again quite bizarre “Venus” (yes, the hit for Shocking Blue, that’s the one), followed by another (less bizarre) well-known song “When I Write the Book” by the legendary Rockpile.

Many thanks to Jackie for the photographs and Chris for manipulating the site.

Setlist:(Something like) So It Goes; I Went to a Party; Without Love; Lately I’ve Let Things Slide; I Live on a Battlefield; Love Starvation; Tokyo Bay; Los Straitjackets Theme from The Magnificent Seven; Kawanga!; Aerostar; Driving Guitars (Ventures Twist); High Wire Act; Trombone; House for Sale; Ragin’ Eyes; Somebody Cares for Me; Blue on Blue; Cruel to Be Kind; Half a Boy and Half a Man; (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding; I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock ‘n’ Roll)

Encore: Venus; When I Write the Book.

20 Oct

David Essex Newcastle City Hall 19 September 2024

Posted by vintagerock in David Essex. Tagged: , , , , , .

“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)

14 Oct

Marc Almond The Glasshouse Gateshead 15 September 2024

Posted by vintagerock in Alex Lipinski, Marc Almond. Tagged: , , , , , .

I first saw Marc as part of the duo Soft Cell at Kirklevington Country Club in 1982. Kirklevington Country Club (The Kirk) was a legendary venue in North Yorkshire which played host to Jimi Hendrix, Clapton, Joe Cocker, and many other bands in the late 60s. By the early 80s it was a very trendy night club. I went a couple of times, once to see Soft Cell and another to see Geno Washington.

The Soft Cell gig was great, coming not long after their number one hit with “Tainted Love”. The gig was sold out, but I went down with a couple of mates, and managed to blag our way in, can’t quite remember how. The place was ram packed and Soft Cell were excellent. You could sense then what a talent in the making Marc was. They had just released coach “Say Hello Wave Goodbye”. Their set was short, but spot on, wonderful atmosphere, and Marc was every bit a star. I remember manager Stevo standing in the crowd, watching his proteges from the dancefloor. A very special night. The next time I saw Marc was at Newcastle Mayfair. By now he had gone solo, was dressed heavily in leather and very much the melodramatic torch singer. Impressive stuff. That was in 1985.

It was many years before I saw Marc Almond perform again. The next occasion was a few years ago in the magnificent surroundings of York Minster at a Jethro Tull Christmas concert. Marc was a surprise special guest. He played a lovely rendition of “Bedsitter”, the aforementioned “Say Hello Wave Goodbye” and, revealing that he was a long time Jethro Tull fan, duetted with Iain Anderson and the band on “The Witch’s Promise”. Magical.

courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

From the Glasshouse website, advertising his appearance: “Captivating. Emotional. A journey through musical brilliance. Whether with his rich solo catalogue or during his time with the iconic Soft Cell, Marc Almond has always possessed a gift for introducing songs – some lesser known, others a little forgotten by time – to new audiences. 2024 marks the anniversary of Marc Almond’s 45th year in music and a career of breath-taking diversity that’s taken in chart topping pop, cutting-edge electronica, torch songs, orchestral ballads, French chansons, historical song-cycles, jazz, flamenco, Russian folk and much more. In the spirit of the new album, ‘I’m Not Anyone’  (out July 2024) the concert tour will consist only of cover songs.”

So, we were going to be in for a treat. Mark has a diverse and eclectic taste in music, and I felt sure that he would deliver for us some wonderful uplifting and challenging songs to match his intriguing, sometimes dark, emotional, and soulful voice, performance, and character. And I was not wrong. His set comprised some of my favourite songs, each of which brought back their own special memories.

Support was from Alex Lipinski. We arrived just as he was closing his set. He certainly warmed up the crowd for the main act. Now over to Marc Almond and his songs.

courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

“Elusive Butterfly”, I love this song both by Val Doonican (yes honestly) and the original version by Bob Lind. “Dream Lover”, I had the Bobby Darin single when I was a kid in the 60s and played and played it. Another magical choice. “How Can I Be Sure” made famous by the late great David Cassidy, I recall seeing David at a crazy concert at Newcastle City Hall where the ladies screamed throughout the song (my wife and I screamed with them). What a surprise. Then “The London Boys” by David Bowie, can it get any better? And yet it does. “If You Go Away”, from the original French by Jacques Brel. Yet another classic. “The Days of Pearly Spencer” by  David McWilliams, who I once saw at the City Hall supporting 10 cc. Another favourite song of mine.

More of my favourite songs follow. “Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart” on which Marc duetted with Gene Pitney (who sang the original). “Tainted Love” as heart stopping as ever. The original was by Gloria Jones who became Marc Bolan’s backing singer and then partner and sadly drove the car during the accident in which he sadly died. Dusty Springfield’s “I Close My Eyes and Count to 10”. Marc, you are one of the few individuals who can do this song justice. And indeed you did.

Oh, and I forgot to mention “Sebastian” my favourite Steve Harley song, which Marc sung in memory of the recently passed Steve. I saw Steve close the show with that song so many times. So touching. So poignant. Another Jacques Brel song “Jacky” made famous by the enigmatic and velvet voice of Scott Walker. All great choices, Marc. Thank you for sharing your songbook with us. Dark, passion, emotion, touching deep down into your (and our) soul(s).

Thanks to Elaine for the photographs and Chris for manipulating the site. Another entry complete. Many more to catch up on. Until tomorrow, or maybe the next day. Time will tell.

Setlist: I’m the Light; Gone With The Wind (Is My Love); Elusive Butterfly; Trouble of the World; A Woman’s Story; The Heel; The Boss Is Dead; Yesterday When I Was Young; What Makes a Man; I Have Lived; Terrapin; Dream Lover; One Night of Sin; How Can I Be Sure; The London Boys; Stardom Road; If You Go Away; Sebastian; The House Is Haunted; The Days of Pearly Spencer; Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart; Tainted Love; Jacky; I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten; I’m Not Anyone

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