Bruce Springsteen Leeds Direct Arena 24 July 20
Unbelievable show by Bruce last night in Leeds. Leeds First Direct Arena is a brand new purpose-buily 13,500 seater arena sited right in the centre of Leeds. Last night was the first concert at the venue, although the official opening night is reserved for Elton John in September (or the Kaiser Chiefs! There has been some controversy and bad feeling as to who the actual opener is). The venue has an intimate feel about it, and reminded me of a much larger version of the Odeon and other types of cinema that I went to when I was a kid. There was a lot of anticipation for this gig. Indoor arena shows are rare events for The Boos these days, so fans travelled from all over the work for this concert. 
Tickets sold out in a few minutes and were selling for around £500 each on secondary sites, although prices from the many touts outside the venue were reportedly around £150 a pop. Bruce certainly lived up to the hype. He came on stage shortly before 8pm and played until after 11pm. The show featured lots of requests, taken from the sign waving fans down in the pit, some of whom had been queueing outside the venue for several days to secure a place down the front. Bruce put his heart and soul into the performance, thanking the fans, and naming individuals in the pit who have attended throughout the European tour. At one point he crowd surfed across the hands of fans down the front and later in the show he pulled a whole family (mum, dad, and 5 or 6 daughters) up on to stage to dance with him. The set was a mix of Bruce favourites and some lesser known tracks, delving far back into this catalogue. He played a great version of Credence’s Bad Moon Rising. Another highlight for me was Because the Night. The sound was very clear and loud. He showed us last night just what a rock show can be like. Its going to be a long time before any future visitor to the new arena tops it. Just incredible. 
I was lucky enough to witness Bruce’s first UK show at Hammersmith in 1975, and saw him a couple of times after that, at Newcastle City Hall and St James Park Newcastle. I then lost interest in him, and didn’t pick up on him again until around 10 years ago. Since then I’ve seen him at London O2, Dublin Point, Hampden Park, and Sunderland Stadium of Light. Last night was the best I’ve seen him since those early shows at Hammersmith and the City Hall, and I’m hooked again. Setlist: Roulette; My Love Will Not Let You Down; No Surrender; Something in the Night; American Skin (41 Shots); The Promised Land; Hungry Heart; Local Hero; Gotta Get That Feeling; Bad Moon Rising; Thundercrack; Wrecking Ball; Death to My Hometown; This Depression; Because the Night; Darlington County; Shackled and Drawn; Waitin’ on a Sunny Day; The Rising; Land of Hope and Dreams. Encore: Secret Garden; Atlantic City; Badlands; Born to Run; Dancing in the Dark; Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out; Shout. Encore 2: If I Should Fall Behind; Thunder Road.
Posts Tagged ‘pop’
25 Jul
Bruce Springsteen Leeds First Direct Arena 24 July 2013
24 Jul
Jethro Tull Newcastle City Hall 1982
Jethro Tull Newcastle City Hall 1982
The Broadsword and the Beast tour
The next time I saw Jethro Tull was in 1982 at Newcastle City Hall. They had just released The Broadsword and the Beast which was their 14th studio album. The line-up of Tull at the time was: Ian Anderson on vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, crazy dance and cocked leg; Martin Barre on wondrous electric guitars; Dave Pegg (ex-Fairport and friendly folkie) on bass guitar; Peter Vettese on keyboards; and Gerry Conway on drums. There was no support act, and the ticket made sure that we knew: “Please note. No support Jethro Tull on Stage 8pm prompt”. This was quite a theatrical show with lots of props and the band wearing medieval clothing. The set was a mix of old and new, with quite a few acoustic songs. I was still concerned about the folk influence at this stage, but enjoyed the show, as always. 
Setlist: Clasp, Hunting Girl, Fallen On Hard Times, Pussy Willow, Broadsword, Jack-In-The-Green, Seal Driver, Heavy Horses, Weathercock/Fire At Midnight/Flute Solo (including God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Bourée)/Sweet Dream, Flying Colours, Songs From The Wood, Watching Me Watching You, The Swirling Pit, Pibroch, Beastie, Too Old To Rock’N’Roll…, Aqualung, Minstrel In The Gallery, Locomotive Breath/Black Sunday, Cheerio
Thanks to Doug for the picture, which he took at this gig, showing Martin Barre in his best gear.
A bootleg recording of the Newcastle gig exists, often entitled “The Beastie of Newcastle”.
“Bring me my broadsword and clear understanding. Bring me my cross of gold as a talisman.
Bless with a hard heart those who surround me. Bless the women and children who firm our hands.
Put our backs to the north wind. Hold fast by the river.
Sweet memories to drive us on for the motherland”
(The Broadsword and the Best, Ian Anderson, 1982)
22 Jul
Jethro Tull Newcastle City Hall 1977
Jethro Tull Newcastle City Hall 1977
In 1977 Jethro Tull released Songs from the Wood, which was their tenth studio album, and the first of a trio of folk rock albums, the others being Heavy Horses. Of course, folk influences had always been apparent in Jethro Tull’s music, but on Songs from the Wood, they came to the fore. At the time I couldn’t quite get away with this change of style. I much preferred the rockier, blues-oriented side of Tull. Looking back this album and Heavy Horses were two of their best, and the 1977 tour was also excellent. There were also some line-up changes in the Tull fold. David Palmer, who had worked with the band from the early days as their orchestral arranger, joined as a full-time member of keyboards, and John Glascock joined on bass. Glascock was familiar to me, as I had seen him play alongside Stan Webb in Chicken Shack at some great gigs in the early 70s. 
The programme tells me that the support act for the 1977 tour was Leo Kottke, but I have no recollection of seeing him play that night. However, I do remember seeing Leo play at the Cambridge folk festival a couple of years earlier. He is a great acoustic guitarist who plays some amazing slide guitar on tracks like Vaseline Machine Gun. As you would expect, Tull’s set included a few songs from Songs from the Wood, along with old favourites. At the time I was very unsure about the new acoustic tracks, but songs like Jack-in-the-Green and Songs from the Wood stand up against some of Tull’s best. Setlist: Wond’ring Aloud; Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day; Jack-in-the-Green; Thick as a Brick; Songs from the Wood; Conundrum; To Cry You a Song; A New Day Yesterday (with flute solo including Bouree); Velvet Green; Hunting Girl; Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll, Too Young to Die; Beethoven’s 9th; Minstrel in the Gallery; Aqualung; Wind Up; Back-Door Angels. Encore: Locomotive Breath
21 Jul
Jethro Tull War Child tour Newcastle Odeon November 1974
Jethro Tull War Child tour Newcastle Odeon November 1974
Jethro Tull returned to Newcastle in November 1974, during the tour to promote the War Child album. Support for the tour was all-girl band Fanny. This time Tull had graduated to playing the massive Odeon theatre, which hosted a number of gigs in the early 70s and had a slightly larger capacity to that of the City Hall. Ian Anderson and co were at their pomp best at the time, and this album and tour saw them returning to straight songs after the concept albums Thick as a Brick and Passion Play. 
The single from the album was Bungle in the Jungle, which was quirky but also pretty catchy. If I remember correctly, Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond did a nifty version of (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window? during the concert, and the band was accompanied by a string quartet. This was classic Tull at their best. Setlist: Minstrel in the Gallery; Wind Up; A Passion Play (excerpt); Thick as a Brick; My God (including Flute Solo with Bouree); Cross-Eyed Mary; (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?; Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day; Wond’ring Aloud; Ladies; War Child; Sealion; Bungle in the Jungle; Aqualung; Back-Door Angels; Locomotive Breath; Hard-Headed English General; Back-Door Angels (reprise)
20 Jul
Jethro Tull Sunderland Top Rank 1972
Jethro Tull Sunderland Top Rank 1972
There is a story surrounding this gig. You won’t find it listed in any of the Tull gig histories on the internet, but it definitely took place, and I remember it well. I first heard of this gig directly from the local promoter Geoff Docherty. I was in the Rink (or Sunderland Top Rank to give it is formal name) buying tickets for another event, and Geoff was in there ay the same time. “I’ve got Jethro Tull coming in a few weeks time” he said. Now I already had a ticket to see Tull play at the City Hall in early 1972, as part of the tour that they were doing to promote their new lp Thick as a Brick (TAAB). The tour was already advertised, and the only North East date was the City Hall concert, so an extra Sunderland date prior to the tour didn’t seem very likely. But sure enough, posters advertising the gig with support Tir Na Nog soon appeared outside the Rink, and I bought tickets with a group of mates. Gigs at the Rink at that time tended to be on a Sunday night, and I think that was the case for this concert. The gig was obviously a warm-up for the TAAB tour. I returned my ticket for the City Hall (they would let you do that in those days, as long as they could sell it on), as I didn’t fancy seeing the band twice within a few days (big mistake, as it turned out). 
The night of the Sunderland gig came, and it was excellent. It was great to see Tull play in a relatively small ballroom venue, and I was right down the front, straight in front of Ian Anderson. The place was full, but not too packed. But the gig wasn’t quite what I had expected. First Tir Na Nog didn’t play. They were support for the main TAAB tour, but weren’t at this gig. And the other surprise was the set itself. I was expected an early run through of the Thick as a Brick album, but what we got that night was a Jethro Tull favourites set, which was great, but it also meant that I never got to see TAAB played live in its entirity until recently. The strange thing was the band had the stage set up ready for the TAAB show, with the telephone there ready to ring, but they didn’t perform any of the album. Anyway it was a great gig. Looking back I should have made the effort to go along to the City Hall as well. Not sure why I didn’t. Maybe it was sold out by that point, not that that usually stopped me. Oh well, writing this blog sometimes unearths regrets that I have about gigs that I missed, but hey ho such is life :). The line up of the band had changed since the last time I saw them with Barriemore Barlow replacing Clive Bunker on drums. Thanks to John for the scan of his poster and to Doug for the photograph of Ian Anderson, which he took at Newcastle City Hall some years after this gig.
19 Jul
Jethro Tull Sunderland Empire March 1971
Jethro Tull Sunderland Empire March 1971
Jethro Tull are a special band to me. They are one of those bands I grew up with. I was heavily into them in the early 70s, as were many of my mates, and Stand Up was an album that we listened to again and again. I remember marvelling at Ian Anderson on Top of the Pops, his mad crazy eyes staring at me through the TV, and his eccentric garb shocking my parents. Their early singles were classics. My favourites were The Witches Promise, Teacher and Sweet Dream. I first saw Jethro Tull in concert at Sunderland Empire on 20 March 1971, the day after their classic album Aqualung was released.I was 14 years old at the time. Early gigs are very important in shaping musical tastes for the rest of your life, and this one certainly did that for me. Tull played two shows at the Empire that evening, and I decided to go along to the late show with a few mates. We felt very grown up, being allowed to go to the “late” show, and felt sure that the band would play better at the second concert. We had good seats in the “slipper” to the left of the stage. Support for the gig was Steeleye Span, a newly formed folk-rock band, who delivered a pretty good set. But we were there to see our heroes Jethro Tull. By this relatively early point in their career, their line-up had already changed several times, and was Ian Anderson on flute and vocals, Martin Barre on guitar, Clive Bunker on drums, John Evan on keyboards and Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond on bass. I think they started with Nothing is Easy, and the set featured a number of Tull favourites, and some tracks from the Aqualung album. We were just blown away by Jethro Tull that night, and by Ian Anderson in particular, who is one of the most charismatic performers, and was at the height of his craziness in those days. And so started a lifelong obsession with this band. I have seen them quite a few times since that gig, and watched their line-up and their musical style change over the years. But in those days in the early 70s so many years ago for me and a group of mates, Jethro Tull were legends and were one of the bands that we returned to again and again. Published setlist from a gig in 1971: Nothing Is Easy; Aqualung; With You There to Help Me; By Kind Permission Of; Sossity: You’re a Woman; Reasons for Waiting; My God; Cross-Eyed Mary; Wind Up; Locomotive Breath; Hard-Headed English General; Wind Up (reprise)
14 Jul
The Rolling Stones Hyde Park July 13th 2013
The Rolling Stones Hyde Park July 13th 2013
When I walked out of the O2 in London in August 2007 after seeing The Rolling Stones at the end of the Bigger Bang tour I really thought I had seen them for the last time. Even I, as a life long Stones fan, couldn’t have imagined that they would be back five years later and that they would deliver a series of concerts which would easily match, and in some ways eclipse, their concert tours of the 70s and 80s. But as David and I walked out of Hyde Park last night I felt I had seen them do just that. In whatever way you measure it this 50 and Counting tour has been a massive success and the Stones legacy remains intact, nay enhanced, by the stunning performances that Jagger and co have delivered. I have had the privilege of attending three shows on the tour: the opening night at the O2 last November, their overwhelmingly successful Pyramid stage debut at Glastonbury a couple of weeks ago and the last night (for now? 🙂 ) of the tour in London’s Hyde Park, their home town and the setting for their iconic show of 1969.
I took the train down to London on Saturday afternoon and met David at Marble Arch at 6pm. I was staying at the Cumberland hotel just over the road. We had a drink in the hotel bar and then wandered over to the park. Jake Bugg was on stage as we made our way in through the crowds. The weather was hot, almost unbearably so; in fact this was the hottest day of the year so far. I’d been invited by Barclaycard to try out their new contactless wrist band which I had loaded with £20 to spend in the park. We spotted the Barclaycard Unwind stand and wandered over to ask which food outlets accepted payment through my wristband, and how we could access the Unwind bar. The lady assured us that most food stalls took it and directed us towards the bar which was behind the stage. Now our tickets were cheap (£100 ! 🙂 ) standard GA which didn’t actually allow access to the bar or the areas close to the stage. Still we followed her directions, and walked through a couple of gates without being challenged and ended up in the backstage bar and with access to the Tier 2 area close to the stage. Result! We had a burger and a coke each which just about used up the money on my wristband and found a spot to watch the Stones.
The Rolling Stones hit the stage around 8.30pm with Start Me Up. One thing struck me about the crowd last night. I would say the majority were in their 20s or 30s. Sure there were some old guys like me but not too many. And everyone knew all the songs and sang along and danced. This was much more a Stones crowd than at Glastonbury and you could feel the difference. The sound, the visuals and the atmosphere were all much better. No guest, but what we did get were Ruby Tuesday and Emotional Rescue, both of which I haven’t seen played for some time. For me the highlight of this tour has become Paint It Black along with Gimme Shelter and Sympathy For The Devil; but Ruby Tuesday was equally stunning last night with the whole place signing along. 
Oh and a mention for Doom and Gloom which is fitting in well and has become a favourite of my friend John. I voted for Street Fighting Man on the Stones website and was pleased to see them play it. You just can’t fault this band. They really are at the top of their game at the moment; Jagger is so fit and so confident; Keith is so cool and yep he does fluff some riffs now and then but hey he is Keef and he is allowed to now; anyway Ronnie more than makes up for any of Keith’s shortcomings and shines through as the musical backbone of the band along with Charlie who is just Charlie and who actually said Hello to the crowd last night. Oh and I can’t forget to mention Mick Taylor who must feel like the luckiest guy in the world right now and who pushed the band to greater heights in Midnight Rambler, which has also become a highlight of the tour. Which ever way you look at it this is the greatest rock band in the world. No question. As David and I left the park, the riff from Satisfaction still ringing in our ears my wondering started again. Could this be the last time? This time I think not.
Setlist: Start Me Up; It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It); Tumbling Dice; Emotional Rescue; Street Fighting Man; Ruby Tuesday; Doom and Gloom; Paint It Black; Honky Tonk Women; You Got the Silver (Keith); Happy (Keith); Miss You; Midnight Rambler (with Mick Taylor); Gimme Shelter; Jumpin’ Jack Flash; Sympathy for the Devil; Brown Sugar. Encore: You Can’t Always Get What You Want (with choir); Satisfaction
Thanks to David for the photographs
11 Jul
Joe Jackson 1981 and 1982
Joe Jackson 1981 and 1982
By 1981 Joe Jackson was doing the Jumping Jive. This tour called at Newcastle Mayfair, and saw Joe in a big band format with an album and tour which recreated 40s swing. It was an interesting and enjoyable gig, and very different from the Joe Jackson gigs I had previously attended. I went with my mate Gillie who was really into Joe and the Jumping Jive at the time. 
By 1982 Joe was back in the singles charts with the great Steppin’ Out, and touring with a new band. I caught his show at Newcastle City Hall in 1982. The ticket tells me that there was no support that night and that “the artiste” ie Joe) came on stage at 8.15pm. I can’t recall a lot about this gig, the early Joe Jackson gigs are the ones which stick in my mind. Songs like Is She Really Going Out With Him? and Fools in Love mixed new wave, pop and jazz in a stylish way like no other band at the time. This was the last time I saw Joe Jackson in concert. Joe’s visits to the UK have been less frequent in recent times. He’s another guy who I’d like to see again.
10 Jul
Joe Jackson 1979 and 1980
Joe Jackson 1979 and 1980
Joe Jackson was a cool guy when he emerged as part of the punk and new wave scene in the late 1970s. He hit the charts with his debut album Look Sharp! and the singles Is She Really Going Out with Him? and Its Different For Girls. And he wore the coolest Denson shoes, which can be seen on the cover of the Look Sharp! album. In those days you could pick up Denson winklepicker sidelacers and Chelsea boots for a few quid in sale shops. I wish I’d stocked up on them! All my pairs wore out many years ago. 
I remember the City Hall show as a great gig, playing the singles and the tracks from the album. I first saw Joe Jackson as support for a band called the Pleasers at a gig at Newcastle Poly. The Pleasers were an interesting band who modelled themselves on the Beatles and Merseybeat and yet had their own style. A typical Joe Jackson setlist from 1979: One More Time; Pretty Girls; Look Sharp; Friday; Sunday Papers; Baby Stick Around; Is She Really Going Out With Him; Fools In Love; Life Is A Bowl Of Cherries; Kinda Kute; Happy Loving Couples; I’m The Man; Throw It Away; Got The Time; Pressure Drop; Come On.
9 Jul
Elton John Brunton Park Carlisle 2007
Elton John Brunton Park Carlisle 2007
The tickets for this gig were a very kind present from work colleagues, when I moved on to another job. Laura came along with me to the gig which was another greatest hits set from Elton John. Support came from The Storys. This is my last post on Elton John. I have seen him in concert on one further occasion, at Darlington in 2008, and I have already blogged about that concert. In fact, its about time I saw him again; the concert at Leeds Arena in September looks tempting 🙂 
Setlist: Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding; The Bitch Is Back; Hercules; Madman Across the Water; Tiny Dancer; Daniel; Rocket Man; Honky Cat; Sacrifice; I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues; Burn Down the Mission; The Bridge; Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word; Bennie and the Jets; Philadelphia Freedom; Are You Ready for Love; Something About the Way You Look Tonight; Sad Songs; I’m Still Standing; Crocodile Rock; Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting; Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me; Your Song
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