Posts Tagged ‘punk’
3
Jan
Posted by vintagerock in AC/DC. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, heavy metal, music, pop, prog rock, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. 4 comments
AC/DC: Back in Black tour; Newcastle City Hall 4th November 1980
For Those about to Rock tour; Newcastle City Hall 5th October 1982
After the great nights at the Mayfair, it was difficult to imagine How AC/DC could make any sort of return after the sad passing of singer Bon Scott. When the Back in Black tour was announced, however, the tickets sold out immediately, such was the loyalty of their fans. Everyone was waiting to see how new singer Brian Johnson would shape up. Brian hails from Newcastle, and had already had a taste of fame with local band Geordie, who had enjoyed a couple of chart hits.
I saw Geordie quite a few times at local venues around the North East. They were basically a fun rock band, who would guarantee you a good night out in a local club, but to be honest they were nothing particularly startling. They’d grown out of the local workingmen’s club circuit. I picked up their first two lps at the car boot (see cover of second lp) but don’t play them. But Brian has a strong rough voice, and I could sort of see how he might fit into AC/DC. So I was looking forward to seeing them with interest, not quite sure what to expect.
My memories of the Back in Black gig, which I saw on 4th November 1980 (ticket above; programme left), are entirely positive. I remember the stage set, which was one of the biggest backline of stacks and amps that I had ever seen. It was also the first appearance of the bell, hanging above the stage. I also remember the gig as being very, very loud. From the start it was clear that the guys were out to impress and prove themselves; and prove themselves they did; in spades. Coming back after the loss of a strong, charismatic front man can make a band try that extra bit harder. I’d seen a similar thing happen before when Deep Purple came back with David Coverdale replacing Ian Gillan on the Burn tour, and in a different way, Genesis on Trick of the Tale tour with Phil Collins on vocals after the departure of Peter Gabriel. In both cases the bands came back with renewed power, backed up by a strong lp with great new songs and blew the crowd away. The same was true of AC/DC in 1980. Back in Black is a classic album, and many of the songs remain in their concert set to this day. That night in the City Hall the power, and the passion, were there as before, but in a different way. Angus was, as ever, manic, a twisted evil schoolboy. Brian Johnson rose to the occasion; his squealing vocals worked and he Angus worked the stage together. The setlist was something like: Hells Bells; Shot Down in Flames; Sin City; Back in Black; Bad Boy Boogie; The Jack; Highway to Hell; What Do You Do For Money Honey; High Voltage; Whole Lotta Rosie; You Shook Me All Night Long; Let There Be Rock.
AC/DC were back at the City Hall in 1981 and 1982. I missed the 1981 show; I’m not sure why, possibly because I’d seen them at the Donington Monsters of Rock festival that year (separate report to follow) and figured I was AC/DCed-out at the time. I was back in the City Hall on 4th October 1982 to see them again (ticket right; programme below). Again, a good gig.
The setlist for 1982 tour was something like: Hells Bells; C.O.D.; Shot Down in Flames; Sin City; Shoot to Thrill; Back in Black; Bad Boy Boogie; Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution; Highway to Hell; Let’s Get It Up; Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap; Whole Lotta Rosie; Let There Be Rock. Encores: You Shook Me All Night Long; For Those About to Rock (We Salute You). The 1982 concert was the last time that AC/DC played the City Hall. From there on in, they played in arenas, festivals and, more recently, stadiums. Their next visits to the region were gigs in Whitley Bay Ice Rink and Newcastle Arena, both pretty soulless sheds. More recent tours have sadly missed the North East completely, which is somewhat surprising, given the band’s following in the North East and their new singer’s local connection. I’ll report on their 1986 Whitley Bay Ice Rink show tomorrow.
2
Jan
Posted by vintagerock in AC/DC. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, heavy metal, music, pop, prog rock, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. 13 comments
In many ways AC/DC and Newcastle Mayfair were made for each other. Friday nights at the Mayfair in the 1970s was one of the best rock nights I’ve ever experienced, and at that time AC/DC were one of the new breed of upcoming heavy rock bands. They became a great favourite at the venue in the late 70s; the Newcastle crowd took to AC/DC and the feeling was obviously mutual. I remember their shows at the venue as some of the best I have ever seen there, or anywhere else. I was lucky enough to attend all of their shows at the Mayfair, other than when they played for two nights at the venue, in which case I went along to one of those nights.
AC/DC first played Newcastle Mayfair on March 4th 1977. This was a standard “pay at the door” Friday night, there was no need for advance tickets. This was the third time that I’d seen the band. The support act was Jenny Darren, whose name seems familiar, but I can’t remember watching her. We may have gone into the venue late. The programme (left) has the same outer cover as the 1976 programme; however the inner pages are different. As time moved on, and AC/DC became more and more popular, they were packing the place for two night runs. I look back on all of those shows with some considerable fondess; they were nights of great, loud rock music in a relatively small venue the like of which I may never see again.
AC/DC were back at the Mayfair on October 14th 1977. This time, as well as the Mayfair gig I also went to see them at Middlesbrough Town Hall on this tour (see ticket stub). At that time many bands played both Newcastle and Middlesbrough, which gave me a chance to see them twice at local gigs on the same tour. I can still picture Bon Scott walking through the crowd in the lovely old hall in the Town Hall; Angus on his shoulders, still playing his guitar.
The band were next at the Mayfair on May 5th 1978 (programme to left). The support act for this tour was British Lions, a band formed by members of Mott the Hoople (Buffin, Morgan Fisher and Overend Watts) and Medicine Head (John Fiddler). As a Mott fan I must have gone along early to catch them, but I have no memory of doing so, or what they were like. The Powerage lp was released around this time, and Whole lot of Rosie was establishing itself as a firm favourite with the crowd. Punk was becoming well established at this time, and the Mayfair was also booking many new wave acts, but Friday night remained mostly a heavy rock night, and AC/DC were the perfect band for the venue.
By 1978 they were a very big rock band and they returned to the Mayfair to play for two nights on November 2nd and 3rd 1978. I attended the gig on the first night (ticket to right). Support came from Blazer Blazer.
This time advance tickets were sold for the gigs, which both sold out. The programme for the late 1978 tour is to the left. A typical setlist from 1978 was something like: Riff raff; Problem child; Hell ain’t a bad place to be; Rock and roll damnation; Bad boy boogie; Whole lotta rosie; Down payment blues; The Jack; High voltage; Let there be rock; Encore: The Rocker
The band were due back at The Mayfair for a further two nights in October 1979. The tickets all sold out in advance, by postal application, as I recall. A fire took place in the venue as the band were loading their gear for the first night (Thursday), and as a result the gig was postponed. The fire wasn’t too big, and not much damage was caused, so the Friday night concert went ahead as planned, with new upcoming rockers Def Leppard as support. The Thursday night gig was rescheduled and took place on January 25th 1980.
Sadly this was to be the last time the great Bon Scott played at the Mayfair, and was his penultimate concert. Three weeks later, he was dead, having passed away in his sleep after a heavy nights drinking. I was lucky enough to be at both of those last Mayfair gigs, and recall the band being on top form. Recordings exist of the second gig, and are apparently pretty good quality.
At the time, we all viewed Bon as irreplaceable, and thought we had seen the last of the band. However, another Newcastle was to come (enter Brain Johnson; ex Geordie). Tomorrow I’ll go back to the Back in Black tour and the move from the Mayfair Ballroom to Newcastle City Hall.
1
Jan
Posted by vintagerock in AC/DC, Reading festival. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, heavy metal, music, pop, prog rock, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. 2 comments
I’m going to start my 2012 concert blogs with some memories of AC/DC in concert. I’ve seen this band around 15 times over the years, and have never ceased to enjoy them. I’ve chosen AC/DC to start my 2012 blogging for no other reason than alphabetical, as they were the first band I came to in my book of tickets. It’ll take me the rest of the week to cover the AC/DC concerts I’ve attended, starting today with a couple of early UK gigs in 1976. I saw AC/DC for the first time at the Reading Rock Festival that year. I’d read good reports of the band in Sounds magazine, who were promoting their first UK tour, The ‘Lock up your Daughters Summer Tour’, and I was eagerly looking forward to seeing how they shaped up live. So my mates and I all made a point of being in the field when they took the stage late on the Sunday afternoon (August 29th 1976) sandwiched between Brand X and Sutherland Brothers and Quiver. I remember we all thought they were pretty good and, along with Rory Gallagher and The Enid, they were the highlight of the weekend. I remember being both amazed and amused by Angus who, dressed in his trademark school uniform ran about the stage like a madman, while playing some pretty mean guitar.
Having enjoyed the set at Reading I was definitely interested in seeing AC/DC again. So when they came to North East to play at Newcastle University students union, I bought tickets and Marie and I went to the gig which was on November 13th 1976. I’d bought their lp High Voltage by this time, and was heavily into some of the tracks, particularly Live Wire and Its a long way to the top. High Voltage is a classic rock album and features many of the bands best songs, some of which remain in their set to this day. Newcastle University dances were held at that time in a ballroom at the top of a flight of stairs above the refectory in the students union, and Marie and I often went along there to the gigs, which were usually held on a Saturday.
My memories of the gig are few, although I do remember that they were really great. Bon would take Angus on his shoulders in those days and run around the crowd. When he did so that night, some idiot threw a full pint of beer over Angus. Angus was absolutely soaked, but kept on playing. Happy days. Pretty sure that they started with Live Wire. As always I bought a programme (see left).
A typical AC/DC setlist from 1976 drew heavily from the High Voltage lp, included a few covers, and was something like: Live wire; Rock and roll singer; Jailbreak: She’s got balls; The Jack; School days; Rocker; TNT; Its a Long Way to the Top (if you want to rock and roll); High voltage; Baby Please don’t go.
Tomorrow I’ll continue my AC/DC memories by posting something about the great nights I spent with them at the sadly missed Newcastle Mayfair ballroom.
17
Dec
Posted by vintagerock in Slade. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, prog rock, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Slade at Koko in London December 18th 2011
I spent some great nights in the company of Slade in the 70s and early 80s. In their heyday Slade were, without question, one of THE great live acts. Their shows were always very loud, very wild and great fun. My first Slade experiences were in Sunderland Locarno, and at the Lincoln festival in 1972 where they were one of the highlights of the weekend. I saw them in a sold out Newcastle City Hall at the peak of their success, and then in their wilderness years in a half empty City Hall and in small clubs such as Middlesbrough Rock Garden. I was also lucky enough to be at the Reading festival in 1980, where Slade were a last minute replacement for Ozzy Osbourne, and took the place by storm. That Reading set signalled a return to popularity, this time as a heavier rock band. The last couple of times I saw Slade were in the early 80s at the City Hall (sold out again) and Sunderland Polytechnic Wearmouth Hall. I must have seen them around a dozen times, including a great night at Sunderland Empire (the front row seats collapsed under the weight of the crowd), and low down the bill at one of the Donington Monsters of Rock festivals.
The current incarnation of the band features guitarist Dave Hill, drummer Don Powell and a couple of new members. No Noddy Holder or Jim Lea. To be honest I wasn’t too sure what to expect, and thought twice about whether to take the plunge and go and see them. A few things made me decide to make the trip to London for this show. Firstly, Slade shows in the UK are few and far between now; they seem to play mostly in Germany, where they retain a strong following. Secondly, this show sees them returning to the Music Machine, which (now called Koko) is a venue which they played several times in the 70s and 80s, so there was a sense of homecoming about the gig. Also this was a charity gig in support of the Lord Taverners, with all monies going to a good cause. Finally, this is the closest that I’m likely to get to seeing Slade again, Dave Hill was always a great showman, and Don Powell a great drummer, so why not? Reading the Slade forum, it seems that many members were, like me, going along to this show after a long time away from the band. It was also being filmed for DVD, which always makes things a little bit special. On balance I was looking forward to the gig as a way of returning to my memories, and saying thank you to Dave and Don. This will have to be enough for me, until a full Slade reunion happens, if it ever does. On that subject, recent reports suggest that Noddy may be coming round to the possibility (less so Jim I think), so never say never. If it ever does happen, you can count me in, for sure. And if not, well the Koko gig will just have to do for now. Reflecting further on the current line-ups of classic rock bands, I realise that in the past week I have seen Status Quo (two original members) and Uriah Heep (one original member), and that both are still great and remain true to their own rock legacies. Also, The Hollies and Yes continue with new vocalists and do pretty well, and I have enjoyed them in concert this year. So why was I so apprehensive of seeing Slade without Noddy? I guess it says something about the power that Noddy Holder had as a vocalist, and the presence that he had on stage.
On the night if the gig I took a walk from my hotel to the venue, which didn’t take me too long. I stopped off for a drink in the pub over the road from Koko, which was full of Slade fans. A Noddy lookalike was sporting a mirrored top hat and a tartan suit, and another had a Dave Hill haircut and an inflatable guitar. I made my way over to Koko, which was starting to fill up. At around 7pm DJ Mike Read took to the stage to introduce the band. He also showed a video of charity work of the Lord Taverners. A few moments later Slade took to the stage, starting off with We’ll bring the house down. The set was, as expected full of hits, all played well; it was great to hear them all again (my only gripe: I thought it could have been a bit louder). The singer did a good job, his vocals were strong and pretty true to Noddy, although he left much of the talking to Dave Hill, who has clearly become the front man. It is very clear that this is Dave and Don’s band. Dave was on great form, clearly enjoying himself, running about the stage, getting the crowd to sing along and playing some great guitar. The place was pretty full, and the crowd was really up for the occasion, giving the band a great reception. During Mama weer all crazee now Dave strapped on his Superyob guitar (is this a new one? pretty sure Marco from Adam and the Ants has the original?). The set finished with Get down and get with it, and the encores were My oh my; Cum on feel the noize; and the inevitable Merry Xmas everybody. Mike Reid came back on to close the evening wearing Dave’s old stage jacket which had just been auctioned for £250 (a bargain). It was great to see them again for old times sake, but it did make me realise how good a full reunion could be.
Setlist: We’ll bring the house down; Take me bak ‘ome; Lock up your daughters; Far far away; Everyday; Look wot you dun; Red hot; Coz I luv you; Run runaway; M’Hat M’Coat (Dave Hill guitar solo); I hear ya calling; Gudbuy t’Jane; The bangin’ man; Mama weer all crazee now (with drum solo); Get down and get with it
Encore: My oh my; Cum on feel the noize ; Merry Xmas everybody
I hate printed tickets
27
Nov
Posted by vintagerock in Cheap Trick, Deep Purple. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gigs, heavy metal, music, pop, prog rock, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Deep Purple (with 38 piece orchestra) and Cheap Trick Glasgow SECC 26 Nov 2011
Norm and I drove up for this great gig last night. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen Deep Purple. They haven’t visited the north east on the last couple of tours, and for one reason or another I wasn’t able to travel to see them. This tour was however especially tempting with the double attraction of Cheap Trick as special guest, and the 38 piece orchestra which was accompanying Deep Purple. I waited until the last minute to decide whether or not to go, however, because I was little unsure about the weather at this time of year. As the weather was ok we decided to go.
We arrived at the SECC at around 6.30pm, and managed to score a couple of tickets from a guy outside of the venue for £60 for a pair, which was a snip as face value would have been £90, plus the dreaded booking fees. The seats were pretty good too,l in the centre block about 12 rows back.
It’s a long time since we last saw Cheap Trick at Newcastle Mayfair in the 70s. I’d forgotten just how good there are and how many great catchy tunes they have. Rick Nielson is still as crazy as ever and Robin Zander still looks great. They were on stage around one hour and the set included: Stop This Game (Mind Choir): Dream Police; Need Your Love; California Man (The Move song); If You Want My Love; I Want You to Want Me; Surrender; Good Night. I managed to get one of the many plectrums that Rick threw out into the crowd. Rick’s vibe neck guitar looks pretty cool.
I hadn’t been sure about how the big orchestra would work alongside Deep Purple’s rock classics. I needn’t have worried; it was absolutely great. Great set, some long solos but the two hours that they were on stage seemed to pass in no time at all. They started with Highway Star, and the set include some of my favourites: Lazy, Strange Kind of Woman, When a Blind Man Cries, Woman from Tokyo. They finished with Smoke on the Water, and the encores were Hush, and Black Night. Ian Gillan looks really fit, and he was singing well although he clearly finds it difficult to get some of the high notes and can’t scream like he used to. Roger Glover always looks like he is having great fun. Don Airey seems to fit perfectly with the others now, and played excellently. Its good to see a local Sunderland lad doing so well. In fact all of the band seemed to be really enjoying themselves. It was great to see them again, and the classics sounded fresh, with the orchestra adding new depth to the arrangements. This was the best time I’ve see them play for many many years. Great stuff.
The drive back was pretty tricky but uneventful, through torrential rain and high winds. We got home around 2.15am.
Deep Purple setlist: Highway Star; Hard Lovin’ Man; Maybe I’m a Leo; Strange Kind of Woman; Rapture of the Deep;Woman From Tokyo; Contact Lost (Guitar Solo); When a Blind Man Cries; The Well Dressed Guitar; Knocking at Your Back Door; Lazy; No One Came; Perfect Strangers; Space Truckin’; Smoke on the Water
Encores: Hush; Black Night
ticket
Rick Neilson plectrum (thanks Rick)
20
Aug
Posted by vintagerock in Edgar Broughton. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, prog rock, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Edgar Broughton The Duchess York 18 Aug 2011
Edgar Broughton has been a hero of mine since I grew up with rock music in the late 60s and early 70s. I caught the Edgar Broughton Band live several times at festivals (Reading, Buxton) and locally (Sunderland Mecca, Newcastle City Hall). Edgar was always outspoken, passionate and totally committed to the alternative cause, and to be honest I found him somewhat scary onstage those days. Willy and I went to see the Broughton Band at Sheffield Boardwalk when they reunited a few years ago, and they hadn’t lost any of their power. Sadly I didn’t manage to make it over to the Spirit of 71 stage at Glastonbury (there was too much mud, and it was too far from our campsite), but I promised myself there and then that I would make up for it by going along to this show in York.
On Thursday night I saw a very different side to Edgar Broughton. The show had been billed as a special one-off performance entitled “Castaway”. Edgar had promised us, through his blog, that “it will be very different from what you might normally expect from me though it will include a lot of vintage material”.
This was my first visit to the Duchess, which is a great little venue right in the heart of the lovely city of York. I managed to find my way through the small windy streets and, after driving around a little to find a parking spot, took a seat towards the back of the venue. The crowd was small but attentive, comprising those of a similar advanced age, and with several Broughton Band t-shirts on show.
The stage was set with a single chair and two acoustic guitars. Edgar came onstage around 8.30pm and launched into some beautiful acoustic picking, which developed into a wailing chant-like song, setting the tone for the evening. Edgar explained to us that “many of my songs are dark, and I make no excuse for that”. The set was a mix of new songs, old Broughton band favourites, and a few poems. It was a great evening; something different; special and to be remembered. For Almost dancing Edgar used his Blackberry to provide the “tick tock” which accompanied the poem, and the droning backing for “a small psalm” was also provided by the same technology (which let him down and switched itself off a couple of times!). Red Star is a relatively new song written about the Brixton riots; Edgar explained how he had been singing it in a house in London as part of one of his Fair days pay for a fair days work shows, and as he left London was in flames and the riots had started. Green Lights sounded great with a simple arrangement and acoustic guitar. Soldiers of the Light was, explained Edgar, written for his brother Steve. Poppy, always a favourite of mine since I saw the Band play it in the early ’70s, closed the first set.
In the second half we all chanted a drone note while Edgar chanted on top. He explained that the Christmas song had been debuted at the Micky Jones (Man) benefit in Wales. Old favourites Evening over the Rooftops and Hotel Room were given the Edgar solo treatment; both sounding as fresh as they ever did. The show closed with a reprise of the dark chanting wail that had opened the show.
Everyone seemed to genuinely enjoy the evening, including our host, who thanked us for coming along to share the experience with him. He had planned to record the event; but had forgotten to give the recording gear to the sound guy!. I really enjoyed it, and was glad that I made the trip. I’d seen a different, gentler side of Edgar, somewhat removed from the fiery wild hairy guy in a karate suit of the early 70s. And no Out Demons Out; but that was fine because it wasn’t that sort of night. The angry challenging guy is still there and he is still (as he says on his site) “Hoping to do what I can – I lean to the left – aiming to do what is right”. The drive home was pretty uneventful, although it was teaming down with rain. I left the Duchess around 10.50pm and was back home around 12.30pm.
Setlist:
arabesque the re-mix > all fall down > speak down wires > almost dancing tick tock > a small psalm > red star > green lights > the god light pop (a reading from the instantanium) > soldiers of the light > there’s a hole in it > poppy
Intermission
i want to lie (in a cool dark room) revisited > we chant > say you love me > christmas song > ice on fire > evening over the rooftops > my salvation > hotel room > six white horses > Arabesque and yoik
Edgar Broughton website
Edgar’s blog, including a poem which he performed on the evening
Link to the programme for the evening
programme and ticket
14
Aug
Posted by vintagerock in Faces, Ian McLagen, Small Faces. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Ian McLagen The Cluny Newcastle 13 August 2011
David and I went to see Ian McLagen of the Small Faces and Faces fame at the Cluny last night. It was great to see a legend playing in an intimate setting. Mac has just completed a set of dates with the Faces, and is out, along with the bass player from his Bump band Jon Notarthomas, touring the clubs of the UK and Ireland, before returning to Texas, where he now lives. His set consists largely of his own songs from recent albums, along with a Small Faces song and a few Faces songs.
He arrived on stage shortly after 9pm and started the set on his own with a song written for his old mate Ronnie Lane, Hello Old Friend. This was followed by Loverman and Been A Long Time, both songs from his recent albums. His keyboard playing is spot on and he looks and sounds great, his rough vocals sounding not unlike his former band mate Rod Stewart. He was soon joined by Jon Notarthomas on bass and gave us the Small Faces B side Get Yourself Together; a song which he explained he had forgotten, until he was reminded of it by Paul Weller.
Faces songs Cindy Incidentally, which Mac wrote with Rod and Ronnie Wood, and Glad and Sorry, a Ronnie Lane song, were also played. One of the encores was The Faces Debris, from A Nods as Good as a Wink, another Ronnie Lane, written for his dad. The set was littered with great banter with the audience and some snippets of stories, including one about Keith Moon, a pink Rolls Royce with speakers on the outside (!), an inflatable doll, and a mad midnight drive through Glasgow in the 60s on a Small Faces/Who tour. Its great to have the chance to see a legend in a small club setting. He also promised more Faces dates in 2012 and said that they should try to get to Newcastle for a show; I would love to see that come true.
Ian McLagen website
ticket
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4
Aug
Posted by vintagerock in Laura Smith. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. Leave a comment
Laura sang at this event in the Other Rooms Newcastle, along with a group of your singers and DJs. Some great talent on show, many thanks to Generator for organising this.
24
Jul
Posted by vintagerock in Foot Village, P J Harvey, Portishead. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gig, gigs, music, pop, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. 1 comment
Portishead and P J Harvey at I’ll be your Mirror London
Laura currently declares Portishead to be her favourite band, and I’ve quite fancied seeing Polly Harvey for some years so this lineup, coupled with the All Tomorrows Parties brand (ATP were promoting this event), made this in-door festival something worth going to. We took the train to London and dropped our things off at the usual Kings Cross Travelodge, and made our way to the venue for around 7pm. First stop was the merchandise stall, where Laura bought a festival t-shirt and was also recognised by the members of Foot Village who had played earlier in the day. Shift-Static supported Foot Village at the Head of Steam in Newcastle a couple of years ago, so Laura was delighted that the band still remembered her (and her shoes!). We then made our way to the Great Hall. The Alexandra Palace is a lovely venue, and has hosted many legendary events in the past including Pink Floyd’s 1968 Technicolour Dream and Zeppelin in the 70s.
P J Harvey came on stage promptly at 7.45 and played to a tightly packed hall. We were sat on the disabled platform, which was to the left of the stage and gave us a good view of the proceedings. Her set was unfamiliar to me, and was drawn largely from her latest album. Dressed all in black, she has a strong voice, and certainly went down well with the crowd. OK but not quite as epic as I had expected. She was on stage for about one hour, and after she had finished the hall emptied while people explored the other halls.
At around 9.30 Portishead took the stage, by which time the hall had filled up again. They delivered an excellent set. Beth’s vocals were amazing, as was the guitar work. Great use of dynamics and a very crisp, loud sound with great psychedelic 60s-ish visuals.
Portishead finished at 11pm prompt and we made our way back to our hotel via the shuttle bus to Wood Green and the tube, which all worked very well. We were back watching the TV and the sad news about Amy Winehouse by midnight.
Portishead setlist: Silence – Mysterons – The Rip – Sour Times – Magic Doors – Wandering Star – Machine Gun – Nylon – Over – Glory Box Chase The Tear – Cowboys – Threads – – – Roads – We Carry On
programme
ticket
24
Jul
Posted by vintagerock in Judas Priest, Queensryche. Tagged: concert, concerts, folk, gigs, heavy metal, metal, music, pop, punk, R&B, rock n roll. 1 comment
Judas Priest Newcastle Metro Arena 20 July 2011
I went along with a group of mates (Will, Will’s on Jack, Ter and Ritchie) to see Judas Priest last week. Priest are part of our collective youth; a band that we all went to see lots of times throughout the 70s and early 80s. This tour, the Epitaph tour, has been billed as their last world tour, so we all figured that we should catch them this time. Ter, Will and I saw the Priest a few years ago at the arena, and were looking forward to this one. Support came from Rival Sons(?) and Queensryche, who are one of Ter’s favourites, so we made sure that we arrived on time for them. Queenrsyche lived up to Ter’s memories, but it was the main band that we had all come to see. Priest came on stage around 8.45 and launched into a set whch covered, as promised, something from every album in their 40 year career. So we got favourites such as Victims of Change and their great covers of Diamonds and Rust and The Green Manalishi. Singer Rob Halford left the singing entirely to the crowd for Breaking the Law. Quite a few good songs were missing; why no Ripper? In some ways, Priest have become almost a parody of themselves, with lots of chains and metal on display and Rob Halford taking a number of costume changes, each one being completely over the top. And the music is super crafted metal, with great guitar from Glen Tipton and a new guy (K K Downing retired just prior to the tour) and incredibly strong vocals and screams from Rob. Rob still rides his Harley onto the stage, and we all still lapped up the old rockers. Great stuff from a great band; it’s sad that this may have been the last time we will experience the Priest. We all went home fully satisfied; they don’t make bands like this any more.
Setlist: Rapid Fire; Metal Gods; Heading Out to the Highway; Judas Rising; Starbreaker; Victim of Changes; Never Satisfied; Diamonds & Rust; Dawn of Creation; Prophecy; Night Crawler; Turbo Lover; Beyond the Realms of Death; The Sentinel; Blood Red Skies; The Green Manalishi; Breaking the Law; Painkiller
Encore: The Hellion; Electric Eye; Hell Bent for Leather; You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’; Living After Midnight
I hate printed tickets
programme
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