Morrissey Newcastle 2004 & 2006, & Sunderland 2008
Although I saw The Smiths a few times in concert, I’ve only started going to see Morrissey solo since 2004, when he released the excellent “You Are the Quarry”, which is generally recognised as a return to form, and was his best selling solo album. Laura also started to take an interest in Morrissey and his music at that time. So we planned to go at see him at Newcastle City Hall on 7th September 2004. On the night Laura wasn’t too well, so David came along to the concert. This was my first time seeing Morrissey since I last saw The Smiths in the mid 80s, and to be honest I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The show was excellent, with Morrissey in a good mood, and the capacity crowd giving him a great reception. He played a selection of solo and Smiths songs, including several from “You Are the Quarry”. “First of the Gang to Die” is a favourite of mine. 
David, Laura and I then saw him again at Newcastle Arena on 4th December 2006. Morrissey and his band played well that night, but the cavernous Arena was far from full, and the atmosphere and sound quality were, as a result, not on par with the City Hall gig. We then saw him at a packed Sunderland Empire on 1st February 2008. We had seats in the upper circle and although we were looking directly down on the stage (almost on the top of Morrissey’s head !) we really enjoyed the concert. Since then Laura and I have seen him at his 50th birthday show at Manchester Apollo (which was simply amazing and one of the best gigs I have ever been to :)), at Middlesbrough Town Hall, at Manchester Arena and Glastonbury. I blogged about those gigs at the time, and will write about The Smiths when I (finally) reach the letter “S”. I’ve bought his autobiography for Laura for Christmas, and must get another copy so I can read it myself. 
Setlist Newcastle City Hall 2004: How Soon Is Now?; First Of The Gang To Die; Don’t Make Fun Of Daddy’s Voice; Shakespeare’s Sister; November Spawned A Monster; Munich Air Disaster 1958; Let Me Kiss You; Subway Train; Everyday Is Like Sunday; I Like You; Now My Heart Is Full; You Know I Couldn’t Last; How Can Anyone Possibly Know How I Feel?; Rubber Ring; I Have Forgiven Jesus; I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday; Irish Blood, English Heart. Encore: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.
Setlist Newcastle Arena 2006: Panic; First Of The Gang To Die; The Youngest Was The Most Loved; You Have Killed Me; Disappointed; Ganglord; William, It Was Really Nothing; Everyday Is Like Sunday; Dear God, Please Help Me; Let Me Kiss You; I’ve Changed My Plea To Guilty; In The Future When All’s Well; I Will See You In Far-off Places; Girlfriend In A Coma; Irish Blood, English Heart; Life Is A Pigsty; How Soon Is Now?; I Just Want To See The Boy Happy; The National Front Disco. Encore: Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want.
Setlist Sunderland Empire 2008: Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before; First of the gang to die; I just want to see the boy happy; Thats how people grow up; Mama lay softly on the riverbed; Death of a disco dancer; Sister I’m a poet; All you need is me; I’m throwing my arms around Paris; The Loop; The world is full of Crashing Bores; How Soon is now?; Life is a Pigsty; Why don’t you find out for yourself?; Stretch out and wait; Tomorrow; Something is squeezing my skull; Irish Blood, English heart; Please, please, please let me get what I want. Encore: Last of the famous international playboys.
Posts Tagged ‘R&B’
16 Dec
Morrissey Newcastle 2004 & 2006, & Sunderland 2008
10 Dec
Gary Moore concerts 1971 to 2007
Gary Moore concerts 1971 to 2007
I first saw Gary Moore live when he was in the Irish rock band Skid Row, at a gig at Sunderland Locarno in early 1971. I remember standing on the dance floor, right in front of the stage, close up to Gary. He was a young man of 18 then, and his guitar work was simply astounding. His technique mixed the feel and tone of great blues guitarists like Peter Green and B B King, with the flash and speed of Alvin Lee. You could also hear the jazz influences in Moore’s playing and in the music of Skid Row. There was another reason why Skid Row stood out from the crowd, and deserved much more success than they ever got, and that was manic bass player Brush Shiels. Brush has a mop of afro hair (guess that’s where his name came from), played a see-through perspex bass, and ran around the stage like the proverbial whirling dervish.
I saw the band once more, after Gary had left to be replaced by Paul “Tonka” Chapman, when they supported Curved Air at a gig at Newcastle City Hall. I saw Gary many more times over the years: in his own Gary Moore Band as a support act at the City Hall (I think it could have been on a bill with Stone the Crows), with Jon Hiseman’s Colosseum II at Reading Festival in 1976 and at a gig at Newcastle Poly, and with Thin Lizzy once or twice. I also saw him supporting Whitesnake on tour (his band was called G Force at that point) in 1980, and solo at Donington Monsters of Rock 1984.
The last time I saw Gary Moore was at a concert at Newcastle City Hall in . I went with a group of mates and we had seats right down close to the front of the stage. As usual Gary was on great form, squeezing some exquisite blues from his trademark Gibson Les Paul. I even managed to catch his plectrum :). From the 2007 programme: “Gary Moore is ackowledged as one of the finest musicians that the British Isles has ever produced. In a career that dates back to the 60s, there are few musical genres that he has not turned his adroit musical hand to, and has graced the line-ups of several notable rock bands, Thin Lizzy, Colosseum II and Skid Row to name but three.”
Typical Gary Moore set list from 2007: Oh, Pretty Woman; Hard Times; Trouble at Home; Since I Met You Baby; Midnight Blues; Eyesight to the Blind; Thirty Days; All Your Love (I Miss Loving); I Had a Dream; Too Tired; So Far Away; Empty Rooms; Don’t Believe a Word; Still Got the Blues; Walking by Myself. Encore: The Blues Is Alright; Parisienne Walkways.
Gary sadly passed away as the result of a heart attack, during the early hours of February 6, 2011. At the time, he was on holiday in Spain. He was 58. Another great talent sadly gone. Bob Geldof commented, at the time of his passing, that Moore was “without question one of the great Irish bluesmen. His playing was exceptional and beautiful. We won’t see his like again.” Thin Lizzy’s Scott Gorham added that “playing with Gary during the Black Rose era was a great experience. He was a great player and a great guy.”
9 Dec
The Damned Newcastle Academy 8th December 2013
The Damned Newcastle Academy 8th December 2013
Last night I continued in my attempts to relive my lost youth by going to see punk goth legends The Damned at Newcastle Academy. I last saw The Damned in concert in the late 80s, and I have been meaning to catch up with them for the last few years, but for one reason or another, I haven’t managed to do so. I was a big fan of this band back in the day. There was a sense of chaos, fun and theatre to a Damned gig; they were always quite different to the rest of the punk bands of the time. Their music blends rock’n’roll, punk, goth and psychedelia, and you can always be sure that Captian Sensible will be crazy and outrageous, which guarantees a fun night out for all. The line up of The Damned has changed many times over the years; the two remaining members are the Captain on guitar and vocalist Dave Vanium.
I arrived just in time to catch the end of support act The Ruts DC, who closed their set with the old favourite “In a Rut”. The Ruts are old mates of the Damned from the punk era; I particularly remember a manic Ruts gig at Durham Dunelm House where the Damned joined them on stage to much mayhem both onstage and off. The Damned came on stage around 9.10pm, Dave Vanium looking as cool as ever in his black Dracula / undertaker garb; this guy was goth before goth. First song was the eerie and dark Sanctum Sanctum. The set consisted of songs drawn from across their 10 albums, focusing mainly on that classic 70s and 80s period. The last few songs were pure classic punk nostalgia: Love Song; Second Time Around; I Just Can’t Be Happy Today; New Rose (“Is she really going out with him”) and closer Neat Neat Neat; they took me right back, and sounded just as good at they did when I first heard them. Their cover of “Eloise” was good to hear, as always. Its one of my favourite songs from the 60s; full of drama, passion and pathos. The Damned must have similar musical tastes to my own, they have covered quite a few songs which I consider to be classics; I am thinking of “Eloise”, Love’s “Alone Again Or” and Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”. The Captain seemed to be in a jolly mood, if a little reserved, he did explain that they had all been suffering from colds. I resisted the temptation of buying a Captain Kit, complete with red beret and round sunglasses, and a bargain at £10, with a signed (and quite obscene) Christmas card thrown in. I figured I probably wouldn’t suit the beret :). Great to see the old ones are still out there doing in, and doing so in style and with panache. Great stuff.
Setlist: Sanctum Sanctorum; Don’t Cry Wolf; Wait for the Blackout; Lively Arts; Silly Kids Games; History of the World; Ignite; Generals; Stranger on the Town; Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde; Plan 9 Channel 7; Eloise; Love Song; Second Time Around; I Just Can’t Be Happy Today; New Rose; Neat Neat Neat. Encore: To my shame I left at this point as I had promised to collect Laura (Apologies to Dave and the Captain). I bet they played Smash It Up and one or two others.
7 Dec
Meat Loaf Newcastle City Hall 1983 and 1985
Meat Loaf Newcastle City Hall 1983 and 1985
I first became aware of Meat Loaf when I saw the video of “Bat out of Hell” on the Old Grey Whistle Test in the late 70s. That video screening caused quite a stir for a number of reasons. First it was an epic 9 minutes long; much longer than the clips which were normally aired on the programme. And secondly the power and drama of the performance was unlike anything else around at the time. Yes it was very Springsteen-like in its arrangement and its story of the street, love and passion. But this guy just took the concept to an entire new level. Meat Loaf came crashing into our sitting rooms that night, singing his tale of love and the street, and anyone who saw it couldn’t fail to have been moved. The video caused such a reaction that Bob Harris had to screen it again the following week; and it was often requested over the months and years that followed. I remember being totally knocked out by the drama, theatre and passion of the song, by Meat Loaf’s epic performance and Jim Steinman’s arrangement. 
Steinman is on record as saying: “I never really saw classical music and rock ‘n’ roll as different. I still don’t. I grew up liking extremes in music – big gothic textures. I never have much regard for more subtle stuff. Dire Straits may be good, but it just doesn’t do it for me. I was attracted to William Blake, Hieronymus Bosch, I couldn’t see the point in writing songs about ordinary, real-life stuff….Meat was the most mesmerizing thing I’d ever seen…..He was much bigger than he is now, he was f***ing huge, and since I grew up with Wagner, all my heroes were larger than life. His eyes went into his head, like he was transfixed”
I didn’t get to see Meat Loaf in concert until 20th August 1983 when he featured as part of the Donington Monsters of Rock jamboree. The full line up on that day was: Whitesnake; Meat Loaf; ZZ Top; Twisted Sister; Dio and Diamond Head (pretty good eh :)). 
I then saw him play at Newcastle City Hall a month or so later on 26th September 1983, and again on 19th January 1985. I also saw the big man sing at the 22nd June 1985 Knebworth concert which had a line up of Deep Purple , Scorpions, Meat Loaf , UFO, Mountain, Blackfoot , Mama’s Boys, and Alaska.
Meat Loaf in concert was a magnificent piece of theatre, full-on drama and passion. Support on both occasions at the City Hall came from Terraplane, a pop rock band who would later morph into Thunder. The 1985 concert was also memorable for another reason: “1985. Meatloaf collapses on stage at Newcastle City Hall. 
He is taken by ambulance to the city’s Royal Victoria Hospital where he undergoes a 30 minute examination in the casualty department. Tour manager Robbie Johnstone later said, ‘Meatloaf collapsed onstage due to food poisoning contracted the previous evening, leaving his system completely dehydrated’”. The gig was rescheduled a month or so later and Meat Loaf returned to Newcastle on 8th February 1985 to play another great concert.
Typical set list from 1985: Bad Attitude; Dead Ringer For Love; Jumping the Gun; Midnight At the Lost and Found; I’m Gonna Love Her For Both Of Us; Paradise By the Dashboard Light; Nowhere Fast; Piece Of the Action; All Revved Up With No Place To Go; Modern Girl; Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad; Bat Out Of Hell.
“The sirens are screaming and the fires are howling, Way down in the valley tonight, There’s a man in the shadows with a gun in his eye, And a blade shining oh so bright, There’s evil in the air and there’s thunder in the sky, And a killer’s on the bloodshot streets, Oh and down in the tunnel where the deadly are rising, Oh I swear I saw a young boy, Down in the gutter, He was starting to foam in the heat” (Bat Out Of Hell, Steinman, 1977).
6 Dec
John Martyn in concert
John Martyn in concert
I saw the great John Martyn several times in the 1970s. The first time was at festivals; the Lincoln Festival in 1972, and then Reading 1973. I remember the Reading appearance well; John appeared early on the Sunday afternoon with the great Danny Thompson on bass. At that time John was very much the folk hippy troubadour, and the song that we all knew was “May You Never” which appeared on the “Solid Air” album. I also saw John Martyn at a concert upstairs in the Londonderry pub in Sunderland; it must have been in 1972 or 1973. By that point John was beginning to experiment with his echoplex, and he was just amazing. The sound of his voice and guitar echoed again and again, filling the room with layers of sound. It was tremendous and not what I was expecting at all. John was exploring the use of his voice as an instrument, intertwining it with his echoing guitar, and creating sounds unlike anything I have ever heard before. I googled to see if I could find any record of that gig, as it doesn’t appear on his gigography. The only thing I could find was a blog report by a guy who was also at the gig: “Saw JM only once – in Sunderland at the Londonderry Hotel. Brilliant evening where he wasn’t paid a lot but promised to come and play and kept his word. Arrived in Newcastle station from London and was picked up by John …. somebody and driven through to Sunderland. Walked in – set up in a flash an started to play. I sat 8 feet away and could not believe that he was better live than on disc. Rolled the guy a j and shared it while he played. Very quiet – came into our lives and went in a couple of hours – back on the train to London…..Singing in the rain will never sound the same as when he played it live – brilliant guitar playing accompanying as always. Doo doo doo doo doo dee doo doo doo dee do dee doooo!!!!”(John B) I’d almost forgotten that he played a great version of “Singing in the Rain”.
After that great gig at the Londonderry my memories are a little vague, I’m afraid. I remember going to a gig at Newcastle University in the lateish 70s and possibly one at Sunderland Poly and Newcastle Poly? I also found a report of a gig at Redcar: “1979-11-18 UK, Redcar (Teesside), Coatham Bowl. The place wasn’t full and he was swearing (like bigtime!)” (Ian Hepplewhite). “He came on stage pissed, then smoked the biggest spliff seen by mankind and was then too out of it to play. My friend ended up crying at our table because he was so disappointed with the performance..” (Ian Wallis). I also though I saw John at Redcar, but don’t recall the gig being as poor as that. All of those 70s gigs seem to blend into one now…..
The next time I definitely saw John Martyn was at a gig at Newcastle City Hall on the Glorious Fool Tour. His band was Jeff Allen, Drums; Danny Cummings, Percussion; Max Middleton, Keyboards; and Alan Thomson, Bass. The programme sums the gig up well: “Who can fill a hall with sound using just a guitar and an echoplex? Who wears natty suits, complete with braces? Who has gained ecstatic reviews for every album he has released in the last ten years? The answer to all these questions is John Martyn. His new album “Glorious Fool” will be eagerly awaited by rock fans, not least because producer and drummer is Phil Collins, with whom Martyn collaborated on his last album Grace and Danger, his final album for Island, after an eleven album run with that label.” The Support Act that night was a band called Bumble And The Beez.
I saw John once more before he sadly passed away. That was at a concert at the Sage Gateshead in 2007. John was playing the Solid Air album, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. By then his health was poor, and he had lost part of his right leg and was in a wheelchair. But his spirit and voice were still great, and the concert was simply spell binding. John sadly passed away two years after that gig, and we lost a unique spirit and talent.
Setlist from John Martyn’s 2007 Solid Air tour: Cooltide; Looking On; Dreams by the Sea; The Man in the Station; Over The Hill; The Easy Blues; Gentle Blues; Don’t Want to Know; May You Never; I’d Rather Be the Devil; Go Down Easy; Solid Air; Rock Salt and Nails; Never Let Me Go
5 Dec
The Monkees Newcastle City Hall 1989 and Newcastle Arena 1997
The Monkees Newcastle City Hall 1990 and Newcastle Arena 1997
Hey Hey We’re the Monkees! When I was a kid, we would play out in the streets all day. But there were two TV shows that brought us all running back home so that we could watch them. One was Batman (Ker Pow 🙂 ) and the other was The Monkees. We just loved to watch the crazy antics of Mickey, Davy, Peter and Mike, and listen to those great, just perfect, pop songs. Sadly I didn’t manage to see the Monkees in concert in their hey day; the first time I saw them was when they came to Newcastle City Hall in 1989. This was their first UK tour for many years, and it was great to see them live. That show featured three of the band; Mickey, Davy, and Peter. 
Mike often resisted joining them on tour, preferring to concentrate on his own music and other projects. They were back again in 1997; this time at the cavernous Newcastle Arena, and Mike Nesmith was there too. On both occasions the guys played all of their hits, and covered the many different aspects of their career. The Monkees were always a mix of pop, country, vaudeville, stage and dance, and their shows reflected that. I saw The Monkees once more, at the City Hall a few years ago, at a concert which once again featured Mickey, Davy, and Peter (no Mike), and I blogged on that show at the time.
Sadly, on the morning of 29 February 2012, after riding one of his horses, Davy Jones complained of chest pains and was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead of a heart attack, and we lost another of our teen heroes. The Monkees were often dismissed as a “manufactured band” but if you look at the legacy of those hit pop songs, and those great TV episodes, there was much more to them. 
They captured a sense of freedom, and made us feel that the world was ours and that if we wanted to we could do just about anything. Very much of the time, but for those of us who ran into the house to watch the show, pretty special.
Setlist from the 1997 Newcastle Arena show: Last Train to Clarksville; Circle Sky; Sunny Girlfriend; Mary, Mary; You and I; Randy Scouse Git; Shades of Gray; Zilch; You Just May Be the One; Oh, What a Night; I’m a Believer; Bach’s Two-Part Invention in F Major (Peter’s keyboard solo); Rio (Mike Nesmith song); Lucille; Since I Fell for You; Daddy’s Song; For Pete’s Sake; A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You; Goin’ Down; Your Auntie Grizelda; Valleri; Listen to the Band; Porpoise Song (Theme From “Head”); Daydream Believer. Encore: (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone; Pleasant Valley Sunday.
4 Dec
Marillion Newcastle Mayfair 1983 & Newcastle City Hall 1984
Marillion Newcastle Mayfair 1983 & Newcastle City Hall 1984
Marillion came along when we least expected it. They sneaked up on us in the early 80s, playing very unfashionable prog rock, which really shouldn’t have been successful given the mood of the time. But Marillion were true to the cause, and the beauty and depth of their music shone through. This ensured their success and popularity, which continues to this day, despite the departure of their charismatic front man Fish. The first time I heard Marillion, at the time of their first album “Script for a Jester’s Tear”, I was struck by the similarity to early Gabriel era Genesis. I heard shades of “Musical Box” and “The Knife” in their music, and of Van Der Graaf (perhaps “Refugees”); and yet they also had their own distinctive sound. Being a devotee of early 70s prog and Genesis, I made sure I saw Marillion when the “Script” tour called at Newcastle. If I remember right Marillion played the Mayfair on that tour, on the same night as my mate Dave and I were due to see Culture Club at the City Hall. 
No problem, the timings were such that we managed to catch both gigs, calling at the City Hall first to see Boy George and co (which was good fun), and then racing round to the Mayfair Ballroom for Marillion’s set. This meant we sadly missed ex Van Der Graaf front man Peter Hamill, who was the support act for Marillion. But hey you can’t have everything. We arrived just as Marillion took to the stage. Marillion were great that night; the Mayfair was packed and their intricate prog sound filled the ballroom. The set consisted of the Script album, and of course their single “Market Square Heroes”. Fish was amazing at the time, the Gabriel and Hammill influences clearly showing; but he had his own stage presence.
Marillion were back in Newcastle a year or so later to promote the “Fugazi” album, and played another great gig at the City Hall. The last time I saw the band was in 1985 at the Donington Monsters of Rock Festivl, where they were second on the bill to Z Z Top. By then the classic “Kayleigh” had been released, and it called for a major sing a long by the crowd. I haven’t seen Marillion or Fish since the 80s; both continue to gig regularly and retain a strong fan base.
Setlist for 1983 Script tour: Script for a Jester’s Tear; Garden Party; Three Boats Down From the Candy; The Web; Charting the Single; Chelsea Monday; He Knows You Know; Forgotten Sons; Market Square Heroes; Margaret. Setlist for 1984 Fugazi tour: Assassing; Punch and Judy; Jigsaw; Script for a Jester’s Tear; Emerald Lies; Chelsea Monday; Incubus; He Knows You Know; Fugazi; Forgotten Sons; Garden Party; Market Square Heroes
“Do you remember, chalk hearts melting on a playground wall? Do you remember, dawn escaped from moonwashed college halls? Do you remember, the cherry blossom in the market square? Do you remember, I thought it was confetti in our hair?” (Kayleigh, Marillion, 1985).
30 Nov
Paul McCartney and Wings Newcastle City Hall 14 December 1979
Paul McCartney and Wings Newcastle City Hall 14 December 1979
Come 1979 Wings were just mega popular. The single “Mull of Kintyre” had been a massive hit in the UK, giving Paul and Co the 1977 Christmas number one, and it was the first single to sell over two million copies in the UK. In 1979, Wings began a 19-date concert tour of the UK to promote their newest album, “Back to the Egg”. The tour called at Newcastle City Hall on 14 December 1979. Demand for the concerts was huge, with fans camping outside venues across the country to secure a ticket. My mate Dave and I were seeing Abba the night before tickets went on sale, and drove straight back from that gig to the City Hall where Dave joined the queue in the middle of the night to score tickets. The UK tour was originally planned to have been the first leg of a world tour, with stops in Japan, Europe, and America. 
However, it was actually Wings’ concert tour after McCartney was arrested for possessing marijuana in Tokyo. Wings’ lineup for the tour was Paul and Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, and new comers Laurence Juber, and Steve Holley. The set list once again comprised a mix of Wings, McCartney and Beatles classics, although there were not quite as many Beatles songs this time. Stand-outs for me were opener “Got to Get You into My Life” and the just beautiful “Fool on the Hill”. It was close to Christmas and they of course played “Wonderful Christmastime” and “Mull of Kintyre”. Happy days. Setlist: Got to Get You into My Life; Getting Closer; Every Night; Again and Again and Again; I’ve Had Enough; No Words; Cook of the House; Old Siam, Sir; Maybe I’m Amazed; The Fool on the Hill; Hot as Sun / Glasses; Spin It On; Twenty Flight Rock; Go Now; Arrow Through Me; Coming Up; Goodnight Tonight; Wonderful Christmastime; Yesterday; Mull of Kintyre; Band on the Run.
29 Nov
Paul McCartney and Wings Newcastle City Hall 16 September 1975
Paul McCartney and Wings Newcastle City Hall 16 September 1975
Two years after their last visit to the City Hall, and Paul McCartney and Wings were back to promote their new album “Venus and Mars”. Wings’ lineup for the tour was Paul and Linda McCartney, Joe English (drums), Denny Laine (vocals and guitar), and Jimmy McCulloch (vocals and guitar). They were joined for the tour by a brass and woodwind section. This time the set was much longer, and for the first time included five Beatles songs: “Lady Madonna”, “The Long and Winding Road”, “I’ve Just Seen a Face”, “Blackbird”, and “Yesterday”. Great! Denny Laine sang the Moody’s “Go Now” and Jimmy McCulloch sang “Medicine Jar”; a song that he contributed to “Venus and Mars”. I’d seen Jimmy previously with John Mayall, Stone the Crows and fronting his own band, but he still looked so unbelievably young. And so lucky to land a job with Paul McCartney. I was totally knocked out by “I’ve Just Seen a Face” which was performed acoustically. It remains one of my favourite songs from “Help” and it was sooo good to see Paul perform it that night. 
The set was a perfect mix of Beatles classics and new Wings songs. Probably one of the best times I’ve seen Paul McCartney, and it was particularly so because it was the first time that I’d seen him perform classic Beatle tunes (and complete with his violin bass). The tour was a massive success, taking Paul, Linda and the guys to Europe, the USA and Australia (and hence dubbed the “Wings around the World” tour). It returned to the UK and closed in London in 1976 (Wings over Wembley).
Just saw my mate Norm and he reminded me that Linda McCartney was giving out flowers (he thinks they were carnations) to fans down at the front of the stage. Norm was lucky and close enough to be given a few by Linda. He pressed them and kept them for some years, but they sadly disintegrated some years ago.
Setlist: Venus and Mars; Rock Show; Jet; Let Me Roll It; Spirits of Ancient Egypt; Little Woman Love; C Moon; Maybe I’m Amazed; Lady Madonna; The Long and Winding Road; Live and Let Die; Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me); Richard Cory; Bluebird; I’ve Just Seen a Face; Blackbird; Yesterday; You Gave Me the Answer; Magneto and Titanium Man; Go Now; Call Me Back Again; My Love; Listen to What the Man Said; Letting Go; Junior’s Farm; Medicine Jar; Band on the Run; Hi, Hi, Hi; Soily
28 Nov
Paul McCartney and Wings Newcastle City Hall 10th July 1973
Paul McCartney and Wings Newcastle City Hall 10th July 1973
My one big concert-going regret is never seeing the Beatles. I was just too young to have seen them in concert, being only 9 when they last toured the UK. So when Paul McCartney started to tour again, with his band Wings, I was determined to see him. However; I also missed the first time Wings played in the north east, which was a “secret” last minute gig at Newcastle University, McCartney and co simply turning up in a van and asking to play. A remember a girl at school coming in and telling me that her brother had seen Paul McCartney the night before (he was a student at Newcastle University), and at first not believing her. Anyway my first real opportunity to see McCartney in concert was on Wings 1973 concert tour which called at Newcastle City Hall on 10th July 1973. The tour was to promote the band’s new album “Red Rose Speedway” and the single “Live and Let Die” from the James Bond film of the same name. Wings’ lineup at the time was Paul and Linda McCartney, Denny Laine (ex Moody Blues; guitar and vocal), Henry McCullough (ex Grease Band; guitar), and Denny Seiwell (drums). The support group for the tour was the excellent Brinsley Schwarz who Paul and Linda asked to accompany them after seeing the Brinsleys perform at the London Hard Rock Cafe a few weeks previously. I hadn’t managed to get tickets for the show which had of course sold out immediately, but wasn’t going to let that stop me. So I went along to the City Hall on the night to try and score a ticket outside. After wandering around outside the venue for some time without having any luck and still being ticketless, a shifty looking guy came up to me and asked me if I needed a ticket for the show. I explained that I did, and he offered to get me into the venue if I paid him a few pounds. I don’t remember exactly how much he charged me but it wasn’t too expensive, not much more than face value. 
I gave him the money and he walked to the door of the City Hall with me, placing his hand on my shoulder. The doormen obviously had “an arrangement” with this guy and let me pass through. I’d been told that once inside I was on my own, ticketless, but that if I stood at the back of the hall I would be ok; which, indeed, I was. So I was in 🙂 !. Hence I do not have a ticket stub for this gig, but I do have the programme and a flyer promoting “Red Rose Speedway”, both of which reassure me that my memory is not playing tricks with me on this occasion. Wings set that night was quite short in comparison to later gigs I saw, and just seemed to fly over. I stood at the back of the City Hall almost not believing that I was actually seeing Paul McCartney in concert. The set was a mixture of Wings and McCartney songs and a couple of Denny Laine tracks. Stand-outs for me were Maybe I’m Amazed, Live and Let Die and Hi Hi Hi. I was surprised that they played the Moody’s “Go Now”, which was just great to hear. They also played Denny’s song “Say You Don’t Mind” which had been a hit in 1972 for Colin Blunstone. The closest that we got to a Beatles song was the encore, which was Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally”, which Paul used to play with the fab four. A great concert, and I was buzzing and on a high for days afterwards. Setlist: Soily; Big Barn Bed; When the Night; Seaside Woman; Wild Life; Little Woman Love; C Moon; Maybe I’m Amazed; My Love; Live and Let Die; Go Now; Say You Don’t Mind; The Mess; Hi, Hi, Hi. Encore: Long Tall Sally. Paul quote from the programme” “Performing hasn’t changed any since I last went out. It’s just a different band and different material. It could never change. Performing is performing. It’s still just you singing a song….”
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