Gillan Newcastle Mayfair 5th Oct 1979
Support: Samson; Speedometors (according to the programme); Randy California (according to the ticket)
By 1979 the Gillan band had transformed into a much more rocky combo featuring Gillan (of course) on crazy, screaming vocals, the powerhouse man mountain John McCoy on bass, the charismatic Irish guitar wizard Bernie Torme, Colin Towns (from the Ian Gillan Band) on keyboards, and Mick Underwood (who I saw in Strapps as Gillan’s support act a couple of years before) on drums. The Mr Universe album had just been released. This was the Gillan line-up that was to become a familiar feature of festivals and concert halls for the next couple of years. And it was very much a band with three strong front men in the form of Gillan, John McCoy and Bernie Torme; all of whom had their own very different personalities and stage personas. McCoy would prowl around the stage, growling at the front rows of the audience. Torme mixed punk attitude with an almost glamrock image, and some amazingly flashy guitar heroics. I’m pretty sure I saw Bernie Torme once or twice fronting his own punk band, and I remember being quite surprised when he joined Gillan, but the mix worked well. Ian Gillan was the respected classic rock front man, shaking his long hair, and screaming out the vocals. 
Going along to a Gillan gig was a guarantee of a night of good fun; proper rock, loud music, some humour, some new songs and a few Purple classics. And at least once in the night, Ian would give out a scream that tore your ears apart and seemed to go on for ever. This gig presents yet another conundrum to tax my memory (which as usual fails me). The programme lists the support acts as Samson and the Speedometors, while the ticket says it was Samson and ex-spirit man and Hendrix disciple Randy California. I can’t recall who actually played that night. I certainly remember seeing Samson a few times. They featured Bruce Bruce (aka Bruce Dickinson and soon to be of Iron Maiden) on vocals, Paul Samson on guitar, and Thunderstick on drums, who word a mask and performed from inside a cage. John McCoy and Bernie Torme had both been members of earlier incarnations of the band. I don’t know who the Speedometors were, but they look pretty punky from the picture in the programme. I also saw Randy California a number of times, but I don’t recall if this was one of them. Its funny how doing this blog regularly brings up mysteries for me. I also note that the ticket calls the band the Ian Gillan band, rather than Gillan; and that the price was a bargain at £2 (in advance).
Posts Tagged ‘R&B’
17 Jan
Ian Gillan Band Middlesbrough Town Hall 15 May 1977
Gillan Middlesbrough Town Hall 15 May 1977
Support from Strapps
I didn’t realise how many times I’d seen Ian Gillan, or rather the band of his name; Gillan. I saw them at this gig at Middlesbrough Town Hall, twice at Newcastle Mayfair, four times at Newcastle City Hall, at least a couple of times at the Reading Festival, and at Donington Monsters of Rock. At the time of this Middlesbrough concert the band was called the Ian Gillan Band and the line up was Ian Gillan – vocals; Ray Fenwick – guitars; Colin Towns – keyboards; John Gustafson – bass; and Mark Nauseef – drums. The band was much more jazzy than the later Gillan, and they had just released the album Clear Air Turbulence. If you went along to Gillan concert you were always guaranteed a good fun night; some great (and very loud) classic rock, a few Purple songs, and some amazing vocals. Ian Gillan had an incredible range in those days, and would let out some unbelievable screams. The band often seemed quite tongue in cheek, and you got the sense that they didn’t take themselves that seriously. 
This was at the time of the emergence of punk, when you would imagine classic rock acts such as Gillan would struggle to fill their concerts, but heavy rock still has a strong following in the North East and there was a reasonably good turn out for this gig, which was in the main hall of Middlesbrough Town Hall. The set was drawn largely from their latest album with a few Purple classics; probably Child In Time (which was the title of the Ian Gillan Ban’s first lp), Smoke on the Water and Black Night. The members of Ian’s band came with a strong pedigree. John Gustafson had been in The Merseybeats and Quatermass; Mark Nauseef had been in Elf with Ronnie James Dio; and Ray Fenwick had replaced Steve Howe in The Syndicats. Colin Towns was the only member to stay with Ian in his next band Gillan, and is now a respected film composer. Support band Strapps also had links to Deep Purple: drummer Mick Underwood had been in Episode Six with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover in the late ’60s (and would later join Gillan), and their album was co-produced by Glover. Next I saw Gillan the band was very different, and the emphasis was much more on heavy rock. I’ll continue my recollections of Gillan gigs tomorrow.
16 Jan
Gallagher & Lyle Newcastle City Hall 1979
Gallagher & Lyle Newcastle City Hall 1979
Support from Judie Tzuke
The last time I saw Gallagher in Lyle in concert was in 1979 at Newcastle City Hall. This was the “Lonesome No More” tour, and the band were supported by Judie Tzuke. Lonesome No More was Gallagher and Lyle’s eight studio album, and was to be their last. Certainly for me there was much more of a buzz around the up and coming special guest star in the making Judie Tzuke than the headlining duo. In fact Gallagher and Lyle split shortly after this tour. Interestingly Judie’s band of the time consisted of Mike Paxman (now Status Quo producer), John (Rhino) Edward (current Status Quo bass player) and Jeff Rich (former Quo drummer). Some pretty heavy Quo connections there! 
This was at the time of her debut album Welcome to the Cruise, which contained the hit single, Stay with me to Dawn. The hall was packed for her performance, which wasn’t often seen for a support act, as punters (including me) would usually frequent the bar until the main act took to the stage. Judie was just exquisite; Welcome to the Cruise contains some beautiful songs, and she was soon back at the City Hall as a headliner in her own right. Gallagher and Lyle went their own ways after this album and tour. They reformed last year for a few gigs in Scotland; if they play again this year I should try and get along to see them, particularly if they venture south of the border.
15 Jan
Gallagher & Lyle Newcastle City Hall 1976 and 1977
Gallagher & Lyle Newcastle City Hall 1976 and 1977
Does this one rate as a guilty pleasure? It certainly is closer to easy listening than heavy or classic rock. Gallagher & Lyle came out of the Scottish music scene with connections to Marmalade, and were members of McGuinness Flint, before going solo and having their own hits in the early 1970s. They also spent a short period as members of Ronnie Lane’s Slim Chance. They recorded a series of hits including I Wanna Stay With You, Heart On My Sleeve and Breakaway, and had some great songs, all of which featured in their concerts. I also recall them playing When I’m Dead and Gone. Gallagher and Lyle in concert guaranteed a night of good music. 
The tickets here are from gigs in 1976 and 1977 at Newcastle City Hall, and the programme is from the 1977 concert. The support act for the 1976 concert was Chris De Burgh. The programme tells me that the 1977 tour was in support of the Love on the Airwaves album, which was their sixth lp, and followed the massive success of the Breakaway album which stayed in the album chart for 35 weeks, and spawned three hit singles. Support for the 1977 gig was a band called Cado Bell, who hailed from Glasgow. 
Looking at the programme, I see that the lead singer was Maggie Reilly, who went on to sing Moonlight Shadow with Mike Oldfield. I often learn something each time I reflect on one of these gigs from the past; I wasn’t aware that I had seen Maggie Reilly, although having said that I may have seen her with Mike Oldfield. As well as these gigs I saw Ronnie Lane’s Passing Show tour, and Gallagher and Lyle were members of the band at that time. I also saw them as support acts for other artists. I saw Gallagher and Lyle once more in concert in 1979, again at Newcastle City Hall. I’ll reflect on that gig tomorrow.
12 Jan
Gamma (featuring Ronnie Montrose) Newcastle City Hall 1981
Gamma (featuring Ronnie Montrose) Newcastle City Hall 1981
Support from Praying Mantis
Ronnie Montrose came with a strong rock pedigree, having started off as a session musician for top artists such as Van Morrison, then becoming a member of the Edgar Winter Group, and by 1974 he was fronting the great Montrose along with Sammy Hagar. I saw Montrose twice; once as support for Status Quo, and around the same time as the opening act at the Who’s 1974 Charlton gig. They were amazing; full-on rock with two classic tracks: Bad Motor Scooter, and Space Station No 5. By 1981 Sammy Hagar was fronting his own band, and Ronnie Montrose was leading Gamma alongside Glasgow-born singer Davey Pattison. Gamma arrived to tour the UK at the time of the emergence of the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal), and support act for the concerts was NWOBHM band Praying Mantis.
In the tour programme Ronnie Montrose describes Gamma as a “full-blown, high energy rock ‘n’ roll band” and that is exactly my memory of this gig at Newcastle City Hall. Some classic, loud, heavy rock and the bonus of Montrose classics Bad Motor Scooter, and Space Station No 5. I was sitting close to the front, and they were LOUD. The gig was not that well attended, as I recall, which was a shame, as they were a pretty hot rock act. Ronnie Montrose sadly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2012; he had been battling prostate cancer. I didn’t realise it until I checked things out for this blog, but I saw singer Davey Pattison a few years ago as the singer in Robin Trower’s band. My searching for Gamma facts also unearthed a setlist for the Birmingham gig of the tour: Ready for Action; Thunder and Lightning; Dirty City; Razor King; Space Station No 5; Skin and Bone; Rock The Nation; I Got The Fire; Voyager; Four Horseman; Mayday; Mean Streak; Something in the Air. Encore: No Tears; Bad Motor Scooter.
11 Jan
Georgia Satellites Newcastle Mayfair 1990
Georgia Satellites Newcastle Mayfair 1990
ROCK N ROLL!!!! The Georgia Satellites came as a breath of fresh air at the end of the 80s. They blended southern rock with old fashioned good-time rock n roll, and did it loud and fast with style. Their set was a mix of their own tunes, classic rock songs and some rock n roll standards. I remember this gig as loud, fast, and lots of fun. Their “hit” song was “Keep your hands to yourself” and they did a great version of “Hippy Hippy Shake”. I found a published setlist from 1989, which I would think gives an indication of what the band will have played at the Mayfair: I Dunno; Battleship Chains; Highway 61; Shake That Thing; Crazy; Don’t Pass Me By; The Myth Of Love; All Over But The Cryin’; Dan Takes Five; Another Chance; Bring Down The Hammer; Games People Play; Can’t Stand The Pain; Keep Your Hands To Yourself; Hippy Hippy Shake; Railroad Steel.
10 Jan
Generation X Redcar Coatham Bowl 1978
Generation X Redcar Coatham Bowl
Generation X were a breath of fresh air as a live band, fusing punk attitude with power pop tunes, and fronted by two powerful characters in Billy Idol and Tony James. Billy Idol was dynamite on stage; all peroxide hair, ego, curled lip and attitude. And Tony James understood that a good rock band had to build on our rock n roll heritage and not cast it all aside, as many his punk contemporaries tried. Generation X took the best of punk, T Rex, and Mott, blended in some pop hooks, and a little Elvis, and produced a band that was great fun. I saw them twice around 1978 and 1979, the line-up being Idol (vocals), Tony (bass), Derwood (guitar) and Mark Laff (drums). They weren’t the best band musically, and both of the performances I saw were pretty rough and raw, but there was an energy, image, and swagger about them that made their gigs enjoyable and memorable. The first time I saw them was at Newcastle University students union. At the time the local punk contingent held a lot of resentment and outright hostility towards students, partly because the punks saw the new bands as being “theirs”, and yet the gigs at the Students Union were “student only”. This led to confrontation at a number of gigs, in particular at the Clash White Riot tour gig in Newcastle, where punks were battling with students at the door in an attempt to gain entry. Quite a few punks from the town managed to get into the Generation X gig somehow, and there were some scuffles, and lots of beer being thrown about. The band played a short set, probably less than an hour, and finished with their then-current single “Ready Steady Go”. There was no encore, which incensed the punks. A chant of “Ready Steady F*** Off” started and the punks clambered onto the stage and started to wreck Generation X’s gear. The gig was good but the end was nasty, which soured the evening. The next time I saw them was much more fun. By this time they had released “King Rocker” and were living the part of being rock stars. Billy Idol was awesome and clearly thought he was Elvis, Tony James had his bass hanging down at his knees and was throwing rock star poses, and Derwood was wearing a Charge of the Light Brigade jacket and looking the biz. Mark Laff was at the back banging away and being Keith Moon. Great stuff. Bring back Sunday nights at Redcar Bowl and / or put me in a time machine and take me back to 1978.
Update 27 December 2021. Many thanks to Jimmy Burns (a.k.a. Punk Hoarder) who kindly provided me with an image of the poster for the Newcastle University concert. It brings back so many happy memories of a great, crazy night with my late wife Marie. We enjoyed so many early punk concerts together and many of them were crazy, manic and even dangerous. This was one of them and it brings back so many memories of people dancing on stage with the band (I think, although this could be my memory playing tricks!) And the nasty end when people started to try and smash up the bands gear because they didn’t return for an encore.
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.
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