Alison Moyet Newcastle City Hall 1984
Alison Moyet is one of our best soul/R&B singers. Her voice has great range, and a soulful, bluesy feel. I have seen her live four times; once with Yazoo (I will write about that concert when I eventually get to covering the letter “Y” which still seems a long way off right now), at the Sage a few years ago in a concert with Michel Legrand (I have already written about that gig), at Live Aid, and on her first solo tour in 1984 in a concert at Newcastle City Hall. At the time of the 1984 tour Alison had just released her first solo album “Alf” which contains the great singles “All Cried Out” and “Love Resurrection”. The album and those singles were the first signs that Alison was more than just a pop singer, and her strong soul and R&B voice were really starting to emerge. The programme tells us that she was influenced by Janis Joplin, and you could see this side of her starting to come through.
She is of course still successful 30 years later. In those years she has sung many different song, in many different styles. Alison said at the time (from the programme): “Oh, I don’t see myself as a great singer…I’d just like to see myself as an all-rounder. I couldn’t stand just to do one style. I want to do it all. One day I’m going to shock everyone and do a Jack the Lad song. [? strange choice :)] I don’t see any necessity to limit yourself to one thing at all. I’d just get frustrated. Variety’s the spice of life and all that and I believe I can sing anything. If I sang folk you’d think I’d come right out of that period. If I sang jazz you’d think I’d been brought up on that. If I sang r’n’b you’d think I’d lived with that all my life. I just adapt well. I just think that whatever you sing you’ve got to really believe it. If I’m singing a song I can make myself feel really sad….I can make myself cry by singing.” Support for the 1984 tour came from Person to Person.
Posts Tagged ‘R&B’
26 Nov
Alison Moyet Newcastle City Hall 1984
25 Nov
Bob Dylan 24th Nov 2013 Blackpool Opera House
Bob Dylan 24th Nov 2013 Blackpool Opera House
This was my first visit to Blackpool, and it was for a pretty special occasion. Laura and I were going to see the one and only Bob Dylan in concert at the Blackpool Opera House. This was my 16th Bob Dylan concert experience, and Laura’s second. For the first time, I’d struck real lucky and managed to score front row seats. I bought the tickets the minute that they went on sale, and was amazed to find that we were sitting right down front :). We set off for Blackpool around 3pm and arrived just before 6pm, after a nice drive over the A66 and down the M6. I could see the Blackpool tower lit up from miles away as we drove in. The Opera House was quite easy to locate, being part of the Winder Gardens Complex, right in the centre of town. We ran into some old friends, had a chat about Dylan, and there was just time for a quick Italian meal before show time. We also spent a little time hunting for a stick of Blackpool rock to take back for Marie, but everything was closed on a Sunday night, so we sadly failed in that task. Dylan is on a short tour of the UK, calling at Glasgow, Blackpool and the Albert Hall; playing three nights at each venue. This is his first visit to Blackpool, and it seemed a little strange, but very welcome choice. Actually having said that, it does sort of fit. There is a feeling of old grandeur about Blackpool, a mix of greatness, tradition and the past, yet a validity within the present; all of which sits well with the legend that is Dylan. I can imagine him wandering the streets and arcades. I wonder if he did ….?
Last night was the final night of Dylan’s three consecutive shows in the venue. The Opera House is a lovely ornate hall, which holds just short on 3,000 people, and reminded me of the Odeon cinemas I would visit as a kid. Its a small intimate venue, compared to the arenas which Dylan normally plays when he comes to the UK. In recent concerts, Dylan has been playing a lot of tracks from his latest album, Tempest, with a few classics thrown in; so Laura and I knew what to expect.
Dylan and his band came on stage at 7.30pm prompt without any introduction. The opening song was “Things Have Changed”, a song from the film Wonder Boys, which was released as a single in 2000. It was clear from the start that Bob was on good form and in good voice, and the sound was crisp and clear from where we sat (there had been reports of poor sound on the first night in Blackpool). It was great to have such a close and unobstructed view of Bob and his Band. Dylan alternated between standing at the mike centre stage (no guitar this tour), and playing a small grand piano which was to stage right. His band are excellent and feature three guitarists; Stu on acoustic rhythm, Charlie on electric lead, and Donnie on pedal steel, mandolin, banjo and violin. On the last couple of occasions I’ve seen Bob Dylan in concert, his voice has sounded stronger than it has for many years. He seems to have a settled into a deep, snarling raspy groove, not unlike Tom Waits. This gives the songs a dark, bluesy feel. There is more emotion in his voice, you know that he means every phrase.
The set was, as expected, drawn largely from Tempest. I have the album, and have played it a number of times, but I can’t say that the songs are yet familiar to me. However, last night they sounded good, as did old favourites “She Belongs to Me”, “Tangled up in Blue” and “Simple Twist of Fate”. The encore was a great version of “All Along the Watchtower” with a slower, moodier arrangement than the usual rockier version that Dylan has been playing recently, and a new song “Roll on John”, which is about John Lennon. This was a surprise, as the last song has been “Blowing in the Wind” on other nights of the tour. The crowd cheered loudly when he started “Roll on John”; its a crowd favourite already and the end of each verse was the cue for another cheer. Bob spoke to the crowd only once, to announce the intermission. He seemed in a good mood and quite animated at times, with some staccato leg movements while he was at the mike, and some little twists while at the piano. A great performance, by a legend that just continues to please. The show finished around 9.45pm, and we were home shortly before 1am. 
Setlist: Things Have Changed; She Belongs To Me; Beyond Here Lies Nothin’; What Good Am I?; Duquesne Whistle; Waiting For You; Pay In Blood; Tangled Up In Blue; Love Sick. Intermission. High Water (For Charley Patton); Simple Twist Of Fate; Early Roman Kings; Forgetful Heart; Spirit On The Water; Scarlet Town; Soon After Midnight; Long And Wasted Years. Encore: All Along The Watchtower; Roll on John.
Bob Dylan – vocals, piano, harp. Band: Tony Garnier – bass; George Recile – drums; Stu Kimball- rhythm guitar; Charlie Sexton – lead guitar; Donnie Herron – banjo, electric mandolin, pedal steel, lap steel, violin
“Doctor, doctor, tell me the time of day; Another bottle’s empty; Another penny spent; He turned around and he slowly walked away; They shot him in the back and down he went.
Shine your light, move it on, you burn so bright, roll on John.
From the Liverpool docks to the red light Hamburg streets; Down in the quarry with the Quarrymen.”
(Bob Dylan, Roll On John, 2012)
8 Nov
Man Leeds New Roscoe 2008
Man Leeds New Roscoe 2008
Man reformed in the 1980s and continued to play with (as usual) continually changing line-ups throughout the 90s. The legendary guitarist and Man mainstay Micky Jones suffered a brain tumour in 2002, and was replaced in the band by his son George Jones.
The last time I had seen Man had been in 1976, and I figured I should make the effort to see them again. So when they announced a short tour in 2008, I decided to take the short drive to Leeds to catch their gig at the New Roscoe. The Roscoe is a pub venue on the outskirts of Leeds city centre, which features bands several nights a week. The Man band line up of 2008 featured Micky’s son George Jones on guitar; long standing member Martin Ace on bass and vocals; Martin’s son Josh Ace on guitar and vocals; 70s member Phil Ryan on keyboards; and Bob Richards on drums. I had a seat right in front of the stage, and I excited and looking forward to seeing Man again. I was quite nervous, not really knowing what to expect; I wasn’t disappointed. The set that night drew from right across the entire Man catalogue, reaching back to their first 1969 album, and the early single “Sudden Life”, which took me back. The song is very much of its time; very 60s, quite trippy/psych and yet George Jones brought a freshness to it. George’s guitar playing was simply excellent and the new line-up a credit to the Man band legacy. It was great to hear old favourites such as “Many are Called but Few Get up” and the encore “Bananas”. The set also featured quite a few tracks from the 2006 album “Diamonds and Coal” which I enjoyed, even though they were unfamiliar to me. No “Spunk Rock” which was disappointing; but hey you can’t expect to get everything you wish for. A great gig, which brought back so many fond memories and reminded me of how great the Man band were in the 70s.
Setlist: Love Your Life (1971); Something is Happening (1975); Diamonds and Coal (2006); All Alone (2006); Sudden Life (1969); Man of Misery (2006); Victim of Love (2000); Manillo (1971); Many are Called but Few Get up (1971); Freedom Fries (2006); Romain (1971); Shit on the World (AKA It Is As It Must Be; 1969). Encore: Bananas (1972)
When Micky Jones passed away in 2010 rock lost one of its greatest guitarists. Whenever I think of Man I picture Micky with his cherry red SG, playing Spunk Rock.
A split (which from reports was apparently quite bitter) occurred within the Man band camp shortly after the Leeds gig I saw in 2008. George Jones continued with his own band Son of Man, and Martin Ace has continued with the Man band name. Martin currently fronts a version of Man which features himself, Phil Ryan, his son Josh Ace; James Beck on guitar; and Rene Robrahn on drums. This line-up has just played some dates in Germany.
An annual Micky Jones memorial concert, organised by George, is held in December in Swansea. This year’s concert is the third and features the All Star Band (featuring George Jones), Deke Leonard’s Iceberg and guests.
7 Nov
Man Newcastle City Hall 1976
Man Newcastle City Hall 1976
This Man tour was in support of their 11th studio album The Welsh Connection. The line-up had changed again with John McKenzie taking over on bass from Martin Ace, and Phil Ryan rejoining on keyboards. Stalwarts Deke Leonard and Micky Jones, and Terry Williams on drums made up the rest of the line-up for the tour. Support came from Australian singer/songwriter Glen Cardier. This was the last time I was to see the Man band for some 30 years, and the last time I experienced the great Micky Jones in concert. By the end of the year the band had split as a result of internal wranglings, playing their final gig in Slough on 16 December 1976. The band were quoted at the time as saying that they “would never, ever, be one of those bands who reformed in a futile attempt to recapture past glories”……However, they did reform in the 80s.
Set list: Let The Good Times Roll, 7171551, Hard Way To Die, Something Is Happening, The Welsh Connection, Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, The Ride And The View, C’mon, Out Of Your Head, Born With A Future, Many Are Called But Few Get Up, Bananas. Encores; Romain, Spunk Rock. Thanks to Mitch for the setlist.
I saw Man once more, at a gig in Leeds at the New Roscoe pub venue a few years ago. I’ll write about that gig tomorrow.
6 Nov
Man Newcastle City Hall 1975
Man Newcastle City Hall 1975
Note Mann spelt incorrectly on the ticket again 🙂
I remember this gig very well for two reasons. The first was because of the appearance of the late great exponent of West Coast psych guitar John Cipollina from Quicksilver Messenger Service, who joined Man for the entire UK tour. I was a big fan of the Quicksilver song “Fresh Air” and also a Man fan, so seeing Cipollina with the Man band was too good an opportunity to miss. The other reason I remember this gig was to do with the vantage point fro which we watched the show. I went along to the concert with one of my mates, and we ran into another guy I knew, who had a technician job at the City Hall, and was operating the lights that night. He took us way up into the roof, to a little room at the back of the hall, where he shone a massive spotlight down onto the stage. While he worked the spot light, we looked down on the band playing. The view wasn’t great actually, but it seemed fun, and pretty cool, at the time to be way up there with a spotlight guy. The combination of Man and Cipollina worked well that night with some great guitar work from both Micky Jones and from his west coast hero.
Support came from ‘A Band Called O’ who Mitch recalls: “went down very well with the City Hall audience. Their main set finished with the Humble Pie song Red Light Mama Red Hot and they came back for an encore.” I remember seeing Band Called O a couple of times; I think I may have seen them at Sunderland Poly. They were a pretty good live band. From Wikipedia: “A Band Called O were a band from Jersey. Originally known as “The Parlour Band”, playing progressive rock, they renamed to “A Band Called O” and later to “The O Band” for a further albums with UA. Despite issuing five albums, and being championed by John Peel, they had no chart success; but were a popular live act.”
Man Set list: 7171551, Hard Way To Die, Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, Hard Way To Live, The Storm, Somebody’s Calling, Codine, Razorblades and Rattlesnakes, Many Are Called But Few Get Up, Bananas. Encore; Romain. No Spunk Rock! I must have been disappointed that night 😦 Buffy St Marie’s Codine and Babe I’m Gonna Leave You both featured in early Quicksilver setlists. I was secretly and niavely hoping that they would play “Fresh Air” but sadly it wasn’t to be.
The London gig was recorded and released as the Maximum Darkness album. The tour and the album both deservedly received rave reviews at the time. Andy Childs wrote in Zigzag in 1976: “Maximum Darkness was recorded live at the Roundhouse on May 26th and is probably the best live album we’re going to hear this year, not just for Cipollina’s frequent bursts of imaginative playing, but because of Man themselves who show up superbly – the best I’ve heard from them in a long time.”
I never did get to see Quicksilver Messenger Service, but I did get to see founder member David Freiberg sing “Fresh Air” with Jefferson Starship last year.
Many thanks to Mitch for the setlist.
5 Nov
Man Spring Tour 1974 Newcastle City Hall
Man Spring Tour 1974 Newcastle City Hall (note misspelling of Man on the ticket 🙂 )
Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics on the road
Come 1974 and Deke Leonard returned to Man, and they released their 9th album Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics. The small four sided tour programme for this tour has details of the planned set, commenting on every song. I don’t usually do this but I thought I’d reproduce the text from the programme below as it documents the Man band’s thoughts on each of the songs that they played on the tour.
“Terry: This is it. Another tour off on the road. Old faces, new faces. Old numbers, new numbers. Old gigs, new gigs. This is just a bit of info on some of the numbers we will be doing each night:
Spunk Rock: Old time favourite and stomper. This has been on record in many different disguises over the years. It first appeared on “Two ounces of plastic with a hole in the middle” then it became the 20 minute live track on the Greasy Truckers album. Then it sneaked its way into “Jam Up Jelly Tight” on the Back Into The Future album and its still going strong.
Bananas: “I like to eat bananas; ‘Cos they got no bones; I like marijuana; ‘Cos it gets me stoned”. What more can one say? Maybe one of the biggest favourites with audiences on our gigs in Britain today.
Romain: The good old shuffle. A story about a gig we had the misfortune to play in Belgium. Deke: This bastard of a cop picked in two young kids and Martin (Ace, that is) tried to help by pulling the cop’s head off – he nearly did. Terry: Romain was the cop’s name. Martin was badly beaten up and taken to gaol. We managed to get him out just in time for the gig by calling the Mayor of Ostend who just happened to be the promoter. When we eventually got home they landed us with a bill for 3 days pay because Romain was off sick. Now isn’t that a sad story? Micky: Not really – we never did pay!!!
C’mon: C’mon was caused by drugs. Deke: Extremely dangerous ones.
Blown Away: This is a song from the last Help Yourself album (return of K Whaley) and is a song about feeling desolate which is something most of us feel now and then. That’s all.
Hardway to live: ….is a song about what a hard way it is to live, and 7171/551 is a very private song, so I don’t want to tell you what it’s about.
Scotch Corner: …..is about a man we met who was on his way to the Lake District to commit suicide. He looked like a turtle. The place we met him was a transport cafe at Scotch Corner.
Four Day Louise: …..feels like its the kind of song we’ll play till we die, or split up, or something.
Taking the Easy Way Out Again: ….is about us. Something we try to do all the time.
The last three numbers are on the new album Rhinos, Winos and Lunatics.
Deke: If an unidentified number appears, do not panic – it’ll just be us having a jam. If any of the above numbers crumble it’ll give you the opportunity to study the effects of panic on the band’s faces. In this situation pretend nothing has happened……we’re going to have a lot of fun together. Have a good time. Luv. The Man Band”
The programme tells me that support came from Chris Darrow from the USA Kaleidoscope and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, although I can’t recall seeing him.
The line-up of the Man band for this tour was Micky Jones – Guitar, Vocals;
Deke Leonard – Guitar, Vocals; Malcolm Morley – Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals; Ken Whaley – Bass; Terry Williams – Drums, Vocals.
I remember that I went to this gig with a group of mates and that we all thoroughly enjoyed it. Favourites were Bananas, which we all went around singing afterwards, and of course Spunk Rock. I saw Man again a couple of months later in the summer of 74 at the pure hell which was the Buxton (endurance) Festival, where they played a great set on the Friday night prior to Mott the Hoople’s headlining appearance. I’ve included a scan of the page which features Man from the Buxton programme. I’ve blogged separately on the full horror of the Buxton experience. Thanks to John for the scan of his poster from the Rhinos tour.











