Genesis Reading Festival 1973
By 1973 Genesis were headlining the Sunday night at the Reading festival. They were also recording “Selling England by the Pound” which many believe to be their best album. The 1973 festival featured some classic performances from some great acts including Status Quo, Rory Gallagher and The Faces, but the band of the weekend for me was definitely Genesis. I do remember one Reading festival where the song “I Know What I Like” was being played, or sung, everywhere you went. I went with a group of friends from Sunderland, one of whom sang that song all the time throughout the entire weekend. We were all fascinated by its quirky lyrics, and I still don’t quite understand the reference to the lawnmower. This may have been Reading 73, or perhaps Reading 74. They tend to all blend together in a blur these days 🙂 
“Selling England” includes sone great tracks such as “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” and “Firth of Fifth”, but I don’t recall whether these were played at Reading. Published reports suggest that the set was old favourites and similar to that of the previous year. I seem to recall that they played “I Know What I Like”; I think I can remember us all singing along, but published setlists suggest otherwise, and I know that my mind plays tricks with me these days. One thing I am certain of is that this was another classic Genesis performance, with clever use of theatrics and props, such as a pyramid coming down from the top of the stage and hovering about Peter Gabriel’s head. The set was probably something like: Watcher of the Skies; The Musical Box; Supper’s Ready; ? I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) ?; The Return of the Giant Hogweed; The Knife. The Knife was always the encore in those days, and I always looked forward to it.
Posts Tagged ‘prog rock’
30 Jan
Genesis Reading Festival 1973
29 Jan
Genesis gigs in 1971 and 1972
Genesis gigs in 1971 and 1972
I have been delaying writing on Genesis, because they were so important to me in the 70s, and I wanted to be sure that I do my memories, and this special band, justice. The first time I saw the band was on the Charisma package tour where they were joined by Van Der Graaf Generator and Lindisfarne for the princely sum of 30p. I have already blogged on that gig, where Genesis stole the show, as they would always do in those days. I saw Genesis several times in 1971 and 1972. They supported Mott the Hoople at a gig at Sunderland Locarno, and I also saw them as support for Lindisfarne at the City Hall (see programme) and at the Lincoln and Reading Festivals in 1972. The band were up and coming but they were also very much at the top of their game in many ways. During those years they released the classic albums “Nursery Cryme” and “Foxtrot”. Much of the set was drawn from “Nursery Cryme”, and I remember those songs best of all. “The Musical Box” and “The Return of the Giant Hogweed” were great stage favourites and would be preceded by long complex stories delivered in an enchanting, spell-binding and spooky manner by Peter Gabriel. “The Musical Box” was my favourite. Peter shaved the front of his head during this period, and also started to experiment with costumes. Steve Hackett would be sitting on a stool playing those intricate beautiful melodies, Tony Banks was wringing swirling, brooding sounds from his organ and Mike Rutherford would be quietly plucking away at his bass. Phil Collins was at the back on drums having recently joined the band, and providing backing vocals, and which were actually a very important part of their sound, which I didn’t realise until he was to become the front man a few years later.
The set would also feature the dramatic and fierce “The Knife” as encore, from their first “real” Genesis album Trespass, and later in 1972 new songs “Watcher of the Skies” (Peter would fly onto the stage as a weird bat-like creature) and the epic “Suppers Ready”, both from the “Foxtrot” album were introduced into the set. The set which sticks in my mind most of all is Reading 72. Genesis were featured on the Friday night of the festival, on a line-up headed by Curved Air and also featuring Mungo Jerry. It was a warm, calm evening and Genesis came on stage at dusk,  just as it was getting dark. Their beautiful textured sound flowed across the field, and we were all silent, entranced by Peter’s stories and by his strong presence. The Musical Box story was my favourite: Cynthia kills Henry, by knocking off his head with a croquet mallet, and then finds his musical box in the attic.  It was pure magic and they were easily the highlight of that night. A recording exists of that evening and shows that they played: The Knife; Twilight Alehouse; Watcher Of The Skies; The Musical box; The Return Of The Giant Hogweed. Pure magic. Genesis were to gain their most success a few years later, but it is those early gigs that stick in my mind. The band were at their most inventive, their most powerful, and their most potent in 1972 and 1972. You just had to be there to understand it. There was a simplicity, an innocence, a purity about them in those days. Magic.
25 Jan
Gordon Giltrap Newcastle City Hall November 1978
Gordon Giltrap Newcastle City Hall November 1978
Gordon Giltrap was back at the City Hall in November 1978, 8 months after his previous appearance. I enjoyed the March gig so much that I went along to see him again. By now he had released Fear of the Dark, which completed the trilogy of albums he had started with the “Visionary” album. From Gordon’s website: “Following on from the success of the chart single and album Perilous Journey, Gordon set out on a major tour with a full band to promote Fear Of The Dark. Fear of the Dark was the first of Giltrap’s hit albums, and it is easy to see why: layered guitars, keyboards and a string section to give it a lush sound. 
For an ex-folkie it is surprising that these albums didn’t draw on traditional music, like Oldfield did, but went for something a lot grander. The extra tracks on this album include a pretty fine version of Peter Green’s Oh Well, and the single version of Fear of the Dark.” I haven’t seen Gordon in concert since these gigs in 1978. He is still playing and touring, and is another artist to add to my list of people I need to see again. My memories of the gigs are of joyous symphonic prog rock, with amazing guitar from Gordon and a lot of keyboards. Most of the songs were instrumentals, which I would usually find boring, but the quality of the music was such that I stayed interested and entertained throughout.
24 Jan
Gordon Giltrap Newcastle City Hall March 1978
Gordon Giltrap Newcastle City Hall March 1978
Gordon Giltrap came out of the folk scene of the 1960s. In 1976 he released the album Visionary, based on the art and poetry of William Blake. He then formed the Gordon Giltrap Band which featured Gordon on guitars, Rod Edwards on keyboards, John Perry on bass, and Simon Phillips on drums. His March 1978 tour came between the Perilous Journey and Fear of the Dark albums, which completed his trilogy of largely instrumental albums. The concert was a showcase for Gordon’s considerable guitar skills. 
Gordon’s music mixed folk, classical and rock styles to create a form of symphonic progressive rock, in some ways similar to the work of Mike Oldfield on Tubular Bells. Giltrap also enjoyed chart success in the form of ‘Heartsong’ (from the album ‘Perilous Journey’ in 1977), the theme for the BBC TV’s long running ‘Holiday’ programme. Ritchie Blackmore is quoted as saying: “Anyone who asks me knows, that I think that Gordon Giltrap is one of the best acoustic guitar players in the world.He gave me lots of hints on how to approach the acoustic guitar as opposed to the electric guitar. He was always way ahead of his time. His concerts and playing are breathtaking. He’s also very witty, and I love the fact that he has not cut his hair!”
14 Jan
Greenslade Newcastle City Hall 1974
Greenslade Newcastle City Hall 1974
Greenslade were formed by Dave Greenslade left Jon Hiseman’s Colosseum. The members of Greenslade were: Dave Greenslade – keyboards; Tony Reeves – bass guitar and double bass; Dave Lawson – keyboards and vocals; and Andrew McCulloch – drums and percussion. By the time of this gig in 1974 they had released three albums: Greenslade (1972); Bedside Manners Are Extra (1973); and Spyglass Guest which reached 34 in the UK charts in 1974. Greenslade were a keyboard and synth-led proggy rock band, with heavy use of melletron. A group of us went to this concert. I remember the set as being largely instrumental, and quite heavy prog stuff. Their lp covers were pretty neat with cool Roger Dean illustrations. I also saw Greenslade play at the Reading Festival in 1973.
13 Jan
Caravan Sage Gateshead Jan 12th 2013
Caravan Sage Gateshead Jan 12th 2013
For Girls Who Grow Plump 40th Anniversary UK Tour
Went to see Caravan at the Sage Gateshead last night. I can’t pretend to be a big fan, or to know much of their material but I enjoyed the gig much more than I expected. The set was drawn from “For Girls Who Grow Plump In the Night” and “Land of Grey and Pink” albums. The gig was in Hall 2, which is the smaller hall, and was packed with a very appreciative crowd of fans. I didn’t recognise any of the material; the only Caravan tracks I remember are “If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You” and “For Richard” Not being familair with a band’s material usually makes a gig boring for me, but I found last night pretty enjoyable. Caravan’s music has always been difficult to categorise, blending rock, prog, jazz, and folk. The latest line-up is original member Pye Hastings – guitar, vocals; Jim Leverton – bass; Geoffrey Richardson (who has been with the band since 1972) – guitar, viola, violin; Jan Schelhaas – keyboards and Mark Walker – drums, percussion. 
Some beautiful violin playing, and some nifty spoon antics, from Geoff, and Pye’s vocals held up well considering that he was suffering from the “lurgy”. The last track was the very long “Nine Feet Underground” which went down well with the crowd. A nice concert by a legendary band. list: Memory Lain, Hugh / Headloss; In the Land of Grey and Pink; Smoking Gun (Right for Me); The Unauthorized Breakfast Item; L’ Auberge du Sanglier / A Hunting We Shall Go / Backwards; The Dog The Dog, He’s At It Again; Golf Girl; Nightmare; Fingers in the Till; Chance of a Lifetime; Nine Feet Underground.
6 Jan
The Groundhogs Darlington Arts Centre 2007
This is the last of my Groundhogs postings, and concludes my coverage of the 40 something times I have seen the band. I’ve seen the Hogs a few times since this 2007 gig, but I’ve already blogged on those gigs, as and when I attended them. In 2007 Tony McPhee reformed the Groundhogs again, with Dave Anderson on bass and Marco Anderson on drums. The first chance I got to see the reformed band was at a concert in Darlington Arts Centre in 2007. I went along with my mate Will. This was the last time we visited the Arts Centre. The lovely venue has sadly now closed, as a result of funding cuts. The Hogs played in the intimate Green bar venue and gave us a set of classic tunes. I recall Tony inviting a young lad up onstage with him. The young lad was celebrating his birthday that day, and will certainly have had a day to remember. Some footage from this gig is on Youtube. I’ve enjoyed blogging about The Groundhogs, and look forward to seeing them in 2013, which is their 50th year.
5 Jan
Tony McPhee and Joanna Deacon 2005 and 2006
Tony McPhee and Joanna Deacon 2005 and 2006
When the Groundhogs split in 2004, Tony McPhee concentrated on his solo career, playing and singing the blues with his partner Joanna Deacon. The duo released an album Blues at Ten, which was well received by fans and critics, and toured in support of the album. I saw Tony and Joanna twice during this period, once at South Shields Customs House and a second time at the Barrels Alehouse in Berwick upon Tweed. The South Sheilds show showcased tracks from Blues at Ten with Tony on acoustic guitar, alongside Tony playing electric for a couple of Groundhogs numbers. I went along with my mate Will; we had good seats right down the front and enjoyed the gig. I recall that they played the following from Blues at Ten: Messin’ My Mind; Strange Place; Oh Death (which Tony used to sing with Jo Ann Kelly); Better Off With The Blues; Don’t You Feel My Leg; and Graveyard Blues. Tony also toured with Alvin Lee and Edgar Winter on a Classic Legends of Rock tour in 2004, which we caught at Newcastle Tyne Theatre. Tony was the opening act, and played a few acoustic songs. 
The Barrels Alehouse is a pub in the Centre of Berwick, with a tiny cellar room which holds music nights. Tony and Joanna played there in 2006, and Marie and I took the opportunity to see them. It was great to see them perform so close up and in such an intimate setting. The cellar room can’t hold more than 50 or 60 people; it was like seeing someone in your front room. The set was again drawn from Blues at Ten and a good time was had by all; as they say. Tony was to reform the Groundhogs in 2007. I’ll blog on a gig from that year tomorrow, which will take me to the end of my Groundhogs journey (for now 🙂 ).
4 Jan
The Groundhogs Original Line Up reunited 2003/4
The Groundhogs Original Line Up reunited 2003/4
In 2003 the unexpected happened and the original, classic, Groundhogs line-up of Tony T S McPhee, Pete Cruikshank and Ken Pustelnik reformed. It was great news that the guys had decided to play together again, and I was lucky enough to see them twice when they came to the North of England. The first occasion was at the Maryport Blues festival, where they shared the bill with Zoot Money, and a couple of other acts, on a hot Sunday afternoon in July 2003. This was my first visit to the festival, and really enjoyed it. Since then I have returned to Maryport Blues a couple of times. 
David came along and took some photos. It was great to see the original line-up again after 30 years. The bands played in a large marquee down by the harbour (this was before the festival moved to its more recent home up at the Rugby Club). Their set was quite short on this occasion, and consisted of the classic songs.The next year I had the chance to see the original line-up again. David was studying in Leeds at the time, so I took the opportunity to go and visit him, and then we both went to see the Groundhogs at a great venue called the New Roscoe. The New Roscoe is close to the centre of Leeds, and has live gigs almost every night. 
The set was drawn from the first four albums; Scratching the Surface, Blues Obituary, Thank Christ for the Bomb and Split, and included all the classics: Split 1, Split 2, Groundhog, Eccentric Man, Mistreated, Still a Fool, Garden and, of course, Cherry Red. Ship on the Ocean and Soldier may also have featured at the Roscoe gig. Tony was playing as well as ever, with some serious soloing. At the Roscoe gig, I can recall lots of use of the whammy bar, and Tony running his hands up and down the neck of his strat. The support act was a young band called Shearwater, who played a set of rock classic. 
We got to the venue early and claimed a couple of seats close to the front, for a good view of Tony and the band. David was on camera duty again. The Leeds crowd gave the Groundhogs a great reception and called them back for a couple of encores. The last encore was Time, which I don’t recall ever seeing them play live before. In 2004 the Groundhogs split. However, this wasn’t the end.
3 Jan
The Groundhogs Washington Arts Centre 1985 & 1990, Whitley Bay Dome 2000
The Groundhogs Washington Arts Centre 1985 & 1990, Whitley Bay Dome 2000
I continued to follow Tony McPhee and the Groundhogs throughout the rest of the 1980s, and into the 90s, although I probably didn’t see them as many times in later years as I had done in the 70s and 80s. During this period I recall attending a couple of gigs at Washington Arts Centre, a gig at Sunderland Alexandra, and a couple at Newcastle Trillians Rock bar. The line up for the first time at Washington Arts Centre was Tony, Alan Fish and Mick Kirton, and it took place in the larger hall downstairs (and was pretty packed). I remember lots of idiot dancing to Cherry Red. I also seem to recall seeing a gig with Eric Chipulina in the band at Washington, in the smaller upstairs room. 
The line-up of the Groundhogs was forever changing during this period, with drummer Mick Jones sharing his duties as drummer with Stan Webb’s Chicken Shack, which confused me, as I often saw him in both bands at the time. Their recorded output was also quite confusing with a number of live album releases including: Extremely Live; Hogs on the Road; Groundhog Night… Groundhog Live; and a DVD Live at the Astoria. The latter DVD was recorded in 1998 and features the line-up of Tony, Eric Chipulina on bass, and Pete Correa on drums. 
Their live set on the DVD, and in the late 90s would be something like: Shake For Me; Eccentric Man; 3744 James Road; I Want You To Love Me; Split Part 1; Split Part 2; Mistreated; Still A Fool; Cherry Red; Groundhog Blues; Down In The Bottom. The third ticket here comes from a gig at Whitley Bay Dome in 2000. The Dome was part of the old Spanish City funfair, and was home to quite a few gigs for a time, including a great show by Robert Plant and his Priory of Brion. I was soon to get another chance to see the classic line-up of Tony, Peter Cruikshank and Ken Pustelnik, when they reunited in 2003. I’ll blog on that part of my Groundhogs gig saga tomorrow.
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