Great British R&B Festival Colne August 26th 2013. Chris Farlowe, Climax Blues Band, The Pretty Things, and Wilko Johnson
Marie and I spent the bank holiday Monday afternoon at the Great British R&B Festival, which is held each year in Colne, Lancashire. Yesterday afternoon’s line-up was particularly strong, featuring Chris Farlowe, Climax Blues Band, The Pretty Things, and Wilko Johnson on the International Stage which is in the Municipal Hall on the main street.
The Norman Beaker Band opened the proceedings at 2pm. Or rather the proceedings were actually opened by the crazy compare, wearing a fluorescent suit and hat. The guy did a great job on introducing the bands, changing his suit and hat throughout the day, getting more and emore outrageous as the day went on. Norman and the guys played a couple of songs before they were joined by Chris Farlowe. It’s a few years since I saw Chris. His voice was as soulful as ever, and the years haven’t diminished his energy or style. They played a set of favourites including Stormy Monday Blues; Tough on you, Tough on me; The Small Faces’ hit All or Nothing, and Handbags and Gladrags. They closed with (of course) his big hit Out of Time. The guy remains a master of R&B. Pure class and a great way to start the day.
Next up was The Climax Blues Band. Now if its a few years since I saw Chris, it’s even longer since I saw these guys in concert. In fact I think the last time I saw them was probably I the mid 70s. The line-up has changed many times over the years, with no-one remaining from the early days of the band. The current band continues the Climax traditional of recreating an authentic Chicago blues sound. We slipped out for something to eat,but got back in time to catch the end of their set, including their hit single Couldn’t Get It Right. 
The Pretty Things are a big favourite of mine, and they never let me down. The current line-up of the band features originals Phil May on vocals, tambourine and maracas, and Dick Taylor on guitar, along with long standing Pretty Frank Holland on guitar and mouth organ. They started the set with a couple of old R&B tunes, and the classic Cries From the Midnight Circus. Phil then explained that, although it was a blues festival, they had to play something from their classic album S F Sorrow. So next up was S F Sorrow is Born and She Says Good Morning. The three front men then switched to acoustic mode to sing a couple of old blues: Come on in my Kitchen, and Little Red Rooster, featuring some excellent slide guitar from Dick, growling vocals from Phil and great blues harp courtesy of Frank. These guy know how to sing the blues, and they just held the place spellbound. Then it was back to their old rock roots for Mona, and Midnight to Six Man. Great stuff. The Pretty Things were swiftly followed by the great Wilko Johnson. Wilko’s situation has been well documented, and his recent appearances have apparently all been joyous celebrations of his music and legend. Thankfully Wilko is still able to play and, in his own words: ‘It seems that I am still being spared the final onslaught of my terminal cancer. As the memory of the Farewell Tour recedes I am feeling again the desire to get up on stage and do my thing while health allows – so it is that I have decided to make some festival appearances during during the summer’. 
He had asked specially to play at the festival, having done so several times in the past, and everyone present yesterday was delighted to see him. First Wilko was presented with an award for British Blues legend, he then started his set with the Feelgood’s song All Through the City, and also included the Feelgood classics Going Back Home, Roxette, Back in the Night and She Does It Right. The crowd clearly love the guy, and it was a very emotional show, with Wilko strutting his stuff back and forth across the stage, chopping away at his telecaster with those familiar riffs. Its many years since I’ve seen Wilko in concert and I felt privileged to have the opportunity to do so once more. I must also mention Norman Watt-Roy whose bass playing was simply stunning. Again, its many years since I’ve seen Norman perform, probably since I he was with Ian Drury and the Blockheads. The encore was a very emotional Bye Bye Johnny, with everyone waving Bye Bye to Wilko. The crowd were on their feet for a full 5 or 10 minutes after he finished, giving him a real standing ovation. Strong stuff.
We left after Wilko’s set, and drove back up north to pick Laura up and then return home.
Posts Tagged ‘rock n roll’
27 Aug
Great British R&B Festival Colne August 26th 2013. Chris Farlowe, Climax Blues Band, The Pretty Things, and Wilko Johnson
24 Aug
Kris Kristofferson Edinburgh Playhouse 2007
Kris Kristofferson Edinburgh Playhouse 2007
Kris Kristofferson is a truly great singer songwriter. Marie and I went to see him in solo acoustic concert at Edinburgh Playhouse around 6 years ago. The guy just stood, a solitary figure, alone on the stage with his acostic guitar and sang those great, simply, country songs. You forget how many classics he has written, and I was surprised how many I recognised. Me and Bobby McGee is of course my favourite. I could listen to him sing it all night. But then there was Help Me Make It Through the Night, and For the Good Times. And you know when he sings Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down, he is singing of his own hard times and his experiences with the demon alcohol. The guy is a legend and sings straight to you, straight from the heart. I can’t help compare him with his contemporaries Dylan and Willie Nelson. Those guys have bands and a big show. Kris is at the other end of the spectrum. Stripped down, just an old guy with his guitar, singing his songs with a level of authenticity and honesty which can captivate an entire concert hall. I once saw Pete Seeger do a similar thing in front of 2000 people with just his songs and a banjo. A different context I know, but there’s something about a man with a bunch of good songs. Untouchable.
Typical setlist: Shipwrecked in the Eighties; Darby’s Castle; Me and Bobby McGee; Here Comes That Rainbow Again; The Best of All Possible Worlds; Help Me Make It Through the Night; Casey’s Last Ride; Nobody Wins;Stranger; Enough for You; Billy Dee; From Here to Forever; Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again); Jesus Was a Capricorn; Come Sundown; The Heart; Just the Other Side of Nowhere; Jody and the Kid;The Pilgrim, Chapter 33; To Beat the Devil; The Promise; Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down; The Silver Tongued Devil and I; For the Good Times. Encore: Thank You for a Life; Moment of Forever; Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends; Why Me
22 Aug
Kid Creole and the Coconuts Newcastle City Hall 1983 and 1985
Kid Creole and the Coconuts Newcastle City Hall 1983 and 1985
I saw Kid Creole and the Coconuts twice more, on their 1983 and 1985 UK tours. Looking back on this guy and his crazy band, makes me wonder why they weren’t a bigger success. You can see lots of influences in Kid Creole’s show, and it turn, he must have influenced lots of people. There are shades of James Brown, Sly Stone, Prince, and crooners like Frank Sinatra.
From the Kid’s official site: “Kid Creole and the Coconuts were born out of the burning embers of the brilliant and legendary Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band. August Darnell (Kid Creole) claims to have had a vision of the band in a nightmare while walking down Fifth Avenue in New York City. Born in the Bronx, Darnell is a man of multiple cultures, legends and personalities.” 
“For over 27 years Kid Creole and the Coconuts have been entertaining sellout crowds around the world. Inspired by Cab Calloway and the Hollywood films of the 30’s and 40’s, the Kid fills out his colorful zoot suits with style and grace, dancing onstage with his inimitable, relentless and self-proclaimed cool. The Kid is suave, smooth, self-centered and secure. A legend in his own mind. His talent for self-adoration, though, is equally matched by his brilliance as a songwriter, social commentator, and lyricist.” And the guy was an early example of world music, with a multi-racial band, and a fusion of jazz, big band, and south american rhythms. 
Setlist from a show of the period (probably from 1983): Turkey Trot; Going Places; I’m A Wonderful Thing, Baby; Mr. Softee; Loving You Made A Fool Out Of Me; Say Hey! Ain’t You Heard The News; Don’t Take My Coconuts; Annie I’m Not Your Daddy; No Fish Today; Que Pasa; Table Manners; Dear Addy; Stool Pigeon; Gina Gina; Imitation; Maladie D’amour. 
The song I remember most from the 1985 show is Endicott, which was a minor hit in the UK. Like most of the Kid’s songs, this told a story. Endicott was the perfect husband: “Endicott’s up by 5 o’clock, Endicott’s givin’ it all he got, Endicott’s job is six to nine but, Endicott’s home by nine o five, Endicott helps to cook the steak, Endicott helps to wash the plates, Endicott puts the kids to bed, Endicott reads a book to them. And the Kid’s girl would ask “Why cant you be like Endicott?” The Kid’s answer was: “Cause I’m free, Free of any made-to-order liabilities, Thank God I’m free, Cos it’s hard enough for me, to take care of me, oh-oh”. All of this would be played out as part of the show, with one of the Coconuts taking the part of the Kid’s girl. Great, fun stuff.
21 Aug
Eminem Bellahouston Park Glasgow August 20th 2013
Eminem Bellahouston Park Glasgow August 20th 2013
Laura and I are going to see Eminem at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow. Laura is really excited, and I am sort of looking forward to it, but I’m a little nervous about it. Will I be the oldest there?
DF Concerts boss Geoff Ellis said, “We’re delighted to announce Eminem as the first major act for Glasgow Summer Sessions. His performance at T in the Park and his previous stadium show at Hampden were spectacular, so this gig will be one of the events of the year”
I’ll report back as soon as I am able (ie after I have woken up, as I’ll be back late; its a long drive from Glasgow!).
Update: Just got up; we got home just before 2am. Well it was a strange night and yes I think I was definitely the oldest there. Laura declared it “amazing”. Eminem took to the stage around 9pm appearing from behind a white curtain, to a massive roar from the crowd. He then proceeded to play loads of songs from his back catalogue, doing shortened versions, usually one verse and the chorus, of many of his songs. Fraid I am not familiar with much of his stuff, but I did really enjoy the show. The park was absolutely packed, and many of the crowd were a little worse for wear to say the least. I’ve never seen so many mobile phones raised, so many arms waving and so many people up on the shoulders of others. The rain was pouring down, but that didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm. I recognised the well known songs: Slim Shady, Stan and encore Lose Yourself. Eminem was flanked by his MC who did a lot of talking to the crowd, and fat to the back of the stage, up on platform, hid the backing band, the guitarists making their way down a couple of ramps to the front of the stage to take solos. The light show was amazing. It was just a great show, and I finally understood what this guy is all about, and why he remains so massive.
But there was also a heavy and menacing atmosphere about some parts of the crowd. Although the vast majority of the fans were just having a good time, a small number were clearly on the edge and looking for trouble. We saw a pretty nasty fight on the way out. And as we drove out of the car park a very drunk girl jumped into our car. Laura and I managed to persuade her to get out, but then a drunken guy opened the door and tried to jump in. I talked to him and managed to push him out and tried to close the door, but then he pushed his foot into the car and started to kick me, hitting me on the shoulder. A few people pulled him out. It was over in a minute or so and there was no damage done, but I’m afraid it soured the evening for us. We drove off and got home safely. I’m sure that it was just a one off and we were unlucky. In fact the majority of the fans we saw seemed in good spirits and just having a good time, but the incident shook us up, and it’ll take me a few days to get over it.
Setlist: Survival; Won’t Back Down; 3 a.m.; Square Dance; Business; Kill You; White America; Mosh; No Love; Just Don’t Give a Fuck; Criminal; Cleanin’ Out My Closet; The Way I Am; Fast Lane; Lighters; Airplanes, Part II; Stan; Sing for the Moment; Like Toy Soldiers; Forever; ‘Till I Collapse; Cinderella Man; Love the Way You Lie; My Name Is; The Real Slim Shady; Without Me; Not Afraid. Encore: Lose Yourself
20 Aug
Kid Creole and the Coconuts Newcastle City Hall 1982
Kid Creole and the Coconuts Newcastle City Hall 1982
I don’t recall how I first became aware of Kid Creole and the Coconuts. I guess I heard one of the early hits like “I’m a Wonderful Thing, Baby or Stool Pigeon on the radio, and I must have seen them on Top of the Pops. What I do remember is going along to see them in concert at Newcastle City Hall, not knowing what to expect, and being totally blown away by their show. And show was the right word for it. The music was difficult to categorise; blending a variety of styles and influences, including Latin American, South American, and Caribbean music alongside remnants of the big band era. And a crazy, super stylish and funny front man in the form of our hero August Darnell, aka Kid Creole, his foil, side-kick and the brunt of his jokes Coati Mundi, The Coconuts who were a glamorous trio of female backing vocalists, and a full band. The persona of Kid Creole was “inspired by … the Hollywood films of the 30s and 40s, the Kid fills out his colourful zoot suits with style and grace, dancing onstage with his inimitable, relentless and self-proclaimed cool.” (KidCreole.com). 
Kid Creole was to be “the larger-than-life central figure in a multi-racial, multi-cultural musical carnival.” (Sire Records, 1992). If you think of the Mardi Gras combined with 40s zoot suits, rock n roll, theatre and great humour, you might start to imagine what these guys were like live. The NME reported at the time that their live shows “were among the most propulsive and enchanting of the period”. I went home with the Latin beats ringing in my ears, and a new hero in the form of the Kid! I saw this band twice more, and each time was an equally crazy and fun occasion. Although they seem to have been largely forgotten, back “in the day” there was no one touch them for out and out, over the top, theatrical rock n roll fun. Actually, maybe there was; Mari Wilson and the Wilsations come to mind; but that’s a story for another day’s blog.
18 Aug
The Kinks Newcastle City Hall 1979 and 1981
The Kinks Newcastle City Hall 1979 and 1981
The Kinks returned to a more familiar rock and pop format with the album Sleepwalker in 1977, ending their string of concept albums and accompanying tours. This album was followed Misfits (1978), Low Budget (1979) and Give the People What They Want (1981). One further Kinks hit single was yet to come in the form of Come Dancing, which reached No 12 in the charts in 1982. The line-up of the band also changed, with John Gosling and John Dalton leaving. The core of Ray and Dave Davies, and Mick Avory on drums continued; Jim Romford (from Argent) joined on bass, and he was to stay with the band for the remainder of their career. I saw The Kinks twice during that period, at gigs at Newcastle City Hall in 1979 and 1981. Both concerts were glorious affairs, with Ray, Dave and the guys returning to playing the hits. 
By the late 70s The Kinks were starting to get the respect they deserve, with new wave bands like The Jam covering David Watts, The Pretenders singing Stop Your Sobbing, and rock band Van Halen including You Really Got Me in their live set. But nothing beats seeing The Kinks themselves play You Really Got Me, Lola or Waterloo Sunset. The latter song has always been my favourite, but didn’t always figure in their live set, although I did see them play it a couple of times. 
The Kinks continued to play until 1996. Their last years were spent largely in the USA, where they continued to have success. The 1981 gig was that last time I saw them, which is of some regret for me. I remember they played a concert at Middlesbrough Town Hall in the mid-80s, which I sadly missed. I would love Ray and Dave to make things up sufficiently to play together again. Seeing The Kinks just one more time would be wonderful. I’ve seen Ray solo many times in recent years, and I see Dave has been touring in the USA (how about some UK dates please Dave?), but nothing is like seeing the two brothers together, playing those classic tunes. Come on guys, one more time please.
17 Aug
The Kinks Newcastle City Hall 1976 Schoolboys in Disgrace
The Kinks Newcastle City Hall 1976 Schoolboys in Disgrace
In 1976 The Kinks toured to present another concept album “Schoolboys in Disgrace”. This was another in a series of concept albums which started with Village Green Preservation Society in the late 60s and continued through the mid 70s. The line-up of the Kinks at the time was the same as I had seen in 1975, and they were again augmented by a brass section, and backing vocalists. The story of “Schoolboys in Disgrace” is as follows: “Once upon a time there was a naughty little schoolboy. He and his gang were always playing tricks on the teachers and bullying other children in the school. One day he got himself into very serious trouble with a naughty schoolgirl and he was sent to the Headmaster who decided to disgrace the naughty boy and his gang in front of the whole school. After this punishment the boy turned into a hard and bitter character. Perhaps it was not the punishment that changed him but the fact that he realised people in authority would always be there to kick him down and the Establishment would always put him in his place. He knew that he could not change the past but he vowed that in the future he would always get what he wanted. The naughty little boy grew up… into Mr Flash.” (Ray Davies, 1975). 
Mr Flash had appeared before in the Kinks stories, as the villain from The Kinks’ rock opera Preservation. The front cover of the album, and hence of my copy of the programme shown here, was illustrated by Colin ‘Mickey’ Finn, a London illustrator, who also created the two delivery men characters used in the dire Straits video ‘ Money for Nothing’. The tour presented the album in its entirety, with use of visuals and props, and was great fun. The song that sticks out for me is “Jack the Idiot Dunce”, which I thought was great fun at the time. I’m not sure who portrayed the idiot dunce on the tour; possibly Dave. In 1978 the Finnish band Kontra had a number one hit in Finland with the a cover of the song. As with the 1975 tour, I don’t recall them playing any old favourites. I managed to find one setlist which suggests that they played the whole album, with “Money Talks” from Preservation 2 (which also features Flash) as an encore. Setlist: Schooldays Overture; Jack the Idiot Dunce; Education; The First Time We Fall in Love; I’m in Disgrace; Headmaster; Hard Way; The Last Assembly; No More Looking Back; Schoolboys Finale. Encore: Money Talks.
16 Aug
The Kinks Newcastle City Hall 1975 The Soap Opera
The Kinks Newcastle City Hall 1975 The Soap Opera
In 1975 The Kinks toured their concept album “The Soap Opera”. This was one in a series of concept albums which started with Village Green Preservation Society in the late 60s and continued through the mid 70s. The line-up of the Kinks at the time was Ray and Dave Davies on vocals and guitars; John Dalton on bass; John Gosling on keyboards; and Mick Avory on drums. They were also augmented by a brass section, and backing vocalists. This was very much a Ray project, and met with mixed critical reviews. The Soap Opera explores the relationships between stardom and “ordinary life” It (from Wiki) “tells the story of a musician named Starmaker who changes places with an “ordinary man” named Norman in order to better understand life. Starmaker goes to live with Norman’s wife Andrea and then goes to work the next day, getting caught in the rush hour. 
He works 9 to 5, then goes down to the bar for a few drinks before making his way home. He then is greeted by Andrea whom he tells is “making it all worthwhile”. By this point Starmaker has lost his grip on reality, and he doesn’t know who he is anymore. In the end he settles down with Andrea, accepting that he is now just “a face in the crowd”. The album finishes by saying that although rock stars may fade, their music lives on.” It has been suggested that the story of Starmaker and Norman is the story of Ray himself, trying to understand what it means to be “a star”. The tour presented the album in its entirety. I don’t recall whether they played any other Kinks tracks at all. The setlists that I have managed to find suggest not. I went with a group of mates and I do remember that we all enjoyed it and found it quite fun, but also pretty heavy going, quite silly in parts and somewhat confusing. Setlist: Everybody’s a Star (Starmaker); Ordinary People; Rush Hour Blues; Nine to Five; When Work Is Over; Have a Drink; Underneath the Neon Sign; You Make It All Worthwhile; Ducks on the Wall; (A) Face in the Crowd; You Can’t Stop the Music. I’m not sure who the support act was; I saw an advert for another date of the tour which suggested that it may have been Care Society, who were Tom Robinson’s early band, and were on Ray’s Konk label.
15 Aug
The Kinks Newcastle City Hall 1972 and Sunderland Locarno 1973
The Kinks Newcastle City Hall 1972 and Sunderland Locarno 1973
The first time I saw the Kinks was at a gig at Newcastle City Hall in the early 70s. I think it must have been in 1972, as it was around the time that the single “Supersonic Rocket Ship” was in the charts. I seem to recall that the support act was local band The John Miles Set. The Kinks live at that time were a glorious ramshackle affair. They often arrived a little worse for wear, but it was obvious that they were having great fun on stage. I saw them again shortly after this, at a gig at Sunderland Locarno, where the place was absolutely packed and Ray and Dave were very drunk. The Kinks were playing a selection of their old hits, and some rock n roll classics, at the time. I found a setlist from a BBC in concert show in 1973 . The songs played were: Victoria; Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues; Dedicated Follower Of Fashion; Lola; Holiday; Good Golly Miss Molly; You Really Got Me; All Day And All Of The Night; Waterloo Sunset; Village Green Preservation Society. I would guess that the sets that I witnessed at the City Hall and in Sunderland will have been similar to this. My favourite song was always Waterloo Sunset, and it remains one of my favourites to this day. Sadly I don’t have a ticket stub for either of these gigs as they were both “pay on the door” affairs. I remember that Ray was wearing a silver lame jacket at the City Hall gig, and that he threw it into the crowd at the end of the show. I was sitting upstairs and was so jealous of the people down the front who were fighting over the jacket, which was torn to shreds. Happy days. I didn’t realise at the time just how important and influential a band the KInks were. But then I guess thats often the way. They were certainly a fun band to see; in many ways I would see similarities in their performances to those of the Stones and the Faces during the same time period. I’ll spend the next few days reminiscing about some later Kinks gigs that I attended in the remainder of the 70s and the early 80s, starting with the concept tours “Soap Opera” and “Schoolboys in Disgrace”.
13 Aug
Kaiser Chiefs Leeds Millennium Square 29th April 2006
Kaiser Chiefs Leeds Millennium Square 29th April 2006
I went to this gig with David and Laura. We had listened to the Kaiser’s album a lot, and when they announced a concert in Millennium Square in their home town of Leeds, we decided to buy tickets. The gig sold out straight away, and a second night was added. Support came from ex-Blur guitarist, Graham Coxon and a curious Japanese band, Polysics. The Kaisers burst onto the stage from behind a massive red velvet curtain and kept the energy levels high throughout their performance. 
They started with ‘Everyday I love you less and less’ and the crowd just went crazy. Front man Ricky Wilson, was on top form, working the crowd and generally going crazy. David stayed on in Leeds, met up with some old mates and went to see the Kaisers again at their second night in the Square. I picked up a copy of FanNaNaNaNaa, the official Kaiser Chiefs fanzine (From the House of Kaiser: I Predict a Riot) (see scan to left). Setlist: Everyday I Love You Less and Less; Highroyds; I Predict a Riot; Sink That Ship; Modern Way; Born to Be a Dancer; You Can Have It All; Learnt My Lesson Well; Put Me on the Cover of Your Magazine; Na Na Na Na Naa; Saturday Night; Heat Dies Down; Caroline, Yes. Encore: Take My Temperature; Not Surprised; Oh My God
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