tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80637632168878223952024-02-19T16:26:54.129+00:00Dreams of Stage Diving<b>Memories of the Mosh Pit</b>Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063763216887822395.post-48685905992768757462014-05-22T15:14:00.000+01:002014-05-22T15:20:28.549+01:00There Ain't Half Been Some Talented Bastards<b>Tribute to Ian Dury at Brixton Academy June 16th 2000</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6_xYq7v3jfO-KWz4yikHWD2bkLtMCg5e4qAdvEvVqsEkT3d0RmPckeZPxPdsDuDotrfLm24FsMqmBmQ3-oMdsj9472k3loKsrhIb2j59Vmsici_uMNEAyg8sJSgKpBi5-QsaoOBBtm4/s1600/DiamondGeezerWithTeeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6_xYq7v3jfO-KWz4yikHWD2bkLtMCg5e4qAdvEvVqsEkT3d0RmPckeZPxPdsDuDotrfLm24FsMqmBmQ3-oMdsj9472k3loKsrhIb2j59Vmsici_uMNEAyg8sJSgKpBi5-QsaoOBBtm4/s1600/DiamondGeezerWithTeeth.jpg" border="0" class="decoded" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6_xYq7v3jfO-KWz4yikHWD2bkLtMCg5e4qAdvEvVqsEkT3d0RmPckeZPxPdsDuDotrfLm24FsMqmBmQ3-oMdsj9472k3loKsrhIb2j59Vmsici_uMNEAyg8sJSgKpBi5-QsaoOBBtm4/s200/DiamondGeezerWithTeeth.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a>We'll be seeing <a href="http://www.theblockheads.com/">The Blockheads</a> at the <a href="http://www.willowmanfestival.co.uk/">Willowman Festival</a> in a few weeks and it reminded me of this amazing night 14 years ago. It's hard to believe it was really that long ago and obviously recollections are a little hazy now. As you can see from the setlist below there was a glittering line-up of vocalists to join The Blockheads in their tribute to Ian.<br />
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All credit must go to the band who performed with so many different singers and musicians that night, some with very little or no experience of singing with a live band but the professionalism of the band shone through as they remained tight throughout and gave all the performers their chance to shine in a tribute to one of the <a href="http://www.iandury.co.uk/">world's greatest poets</a>. <br />
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<b>Setlist:</b><br />
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Wake Up and Make Love With Me (Vocal: Denise Roudette)<br />
Clevor Trevor (Vocal: Wreckless Eric)<br />
What A Waste (Vocal: Chas Smash)<br />
I'm Partial To Your Abracadabra (Vocal: Mick Jones)<br />
Plaistow Patricia (Vocal: Lee J. Thompson)<br />
I Want To be Straight (Vocal: Tom Robinson & Wilko Johnson)<br />
My Old Man (Vocal: Suggs)<br />
Billericay Dickie (Vocal: Kathy Burke)<br />
There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards (Vocal: Humphrey Ocean)<br />
Mash It Up Harry (Vocal: Saffron (from Republica))<br />
Spasticus Autisticus (Vocal: Ingrid Mansfield-Oldham)<br />
Blackmail Man (Vocal: Keith Allen)<br />
Blockheads (Vocal: Mark Lamarr)<br />
Reasons to be Cheerful Part 3 (Vocal: Phill Jupitus)<br />
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (Vocal: Kirsty MacColl)<br />
Sweet Gene Vincent (Vocal: Robbie Williams)<br />
Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll (Vocal: Robbie Williams, B/V Ensemble)Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063763216887822395.post-32303019998976536562013-07-30T14:46:00.000+01:002013-07-30T14:46:02.057+01:00Oh Manchester, so much to answer for<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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More missing memories fail to reveal themselves and so we reach my last year at Manchester University with a fairly lacklustre bunch of gigs. There must have been more, though I was working a little harder on coursework so maybe not so many as I would have liked.<br />
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<b>Elti Fits and The Diagram Brothers at Manchester University 2nd February 1980</b><br />
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The John Peel Roadshow hits town. Despite playing great music he was never much of a 'DJ' on the radio and live he wasn't much cop either especially when there were serious problems with the sound or the equipment and his roadshowing had to be abandoned halfway through. I passed him a request for his radio programme but as I was elsewhere the following <a href="http://hangsuspended.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/come-for-party-come-to-make-sure.html">Monday</a>, I don't know if he played it.<b></b><br />
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<b>Echo & The Bunnymen at Manchester University October 4th 1980</b><br />
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On tour promoting <i>'Crocodiles'</i> supported by <i>The Sound</i>. An excellent gig all round, I was amazed that they could reproduce the music from the album so well live.<br />
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<b>Loudon Wainwright III at Manchester Free Trade Hall October 24th 1980</b><br />
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It'll have been Tim's idea that we go to this but I wouldn't have needed my arm twisting. A great writer and performer. Listen to <i>'A Live One'</i> if you can.<br />
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<b>Mike Harding at Manchester Free Trade Hall December 9th 1980</b><br />
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A folky christmas show.<br />
<b> </b>Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063763216887822395.post-23015624497245532013-02-20T14:38:00.000+00:002013-02-20T14:40:30.459+00:00Shakedown 1979<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I went to a lot of gigs in 1979, I seem to remember being out at least twice a week but as I've written before I haven't got a definitive list as it was a long time ago and I don't have all the ticket stubs any more. So here are a few more that I went to that I haven't blogged about already.<b> </b><br />
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<b>The Jam at Salford University May 8th 1979</b><br />
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They were supported by The Records, a band I had seen twice in 1978 on the <a href="http://hangsuspended.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/manchester-early-years.html">Be Stiff Tour</a>. That's three times too many that I've seen them.<b> </b><br />
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<b>The Pop Group at Manchester University May 19th 1979</b><br />
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Whilst I may no longer have the ticket for this gig<b>, </b>I at least have a momento. Over 20 years later whilst browsing in a second hand record shop in Greenwich I came across the <a href="http://dieordiy.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/good-missionaries-vibing-up-senile.html">'Vibing Up The Senile World' EP by The Good Missionaries </a>who were one of the support bands that night. It's not that great actually.<b> </b><br />
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<b>UK Subs at Manchester University October 10th 1979</b><br />
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I think I've probably still got a badge from this one somewhere.<b> </b><br />
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<b>The Inmates at Manchester University October 20th 1979</b><br />
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<b>The Specials at Manchester Apollo November 1st 1979</b><br />
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Not just The Specials, this was the 2-tone tour with Madness and The Selecter. It was as good as you'd expect it to be except for the power failure halfway through The Selecter's 'On My Radio'. The crowd sang on gamely after it all went quiet on stage but there are only so many times you can sing <i>'It's just the same old show on my radio'</i> before you realise the irony and fatigue sets in.<b> </b><br />
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<b>Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias at Manchester University Squat November 2nd 1979</b><br />
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Never Mind The Bullocks<b> -</b> A farce by CP Lee & John Dowie. If I could be bothered to go into the loft and dig out my University box, I could search out the programme for this. But why would I?<br />
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<b>The Cure at Manchester University November 21st 1979</b><br />
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They're very big now but they weren't then. They were very good though.<b> </b><br />
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<b>XTC at Manchester University November 28th 1979</b><br />
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It was all about Nigel that night.<b> </b><br />
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<b>John Otway at Manchester University December 5th 1979</b><br />
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I've got the ticket but I don't really remember the gig except for Tony buying a 'Cor Baby That's Really Free' badge. I've seen him countless times since and always try to fit him in at Glastonbury festival.<b> </b><br />
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<b>The Revillos at Manchester University December 13th 1979</b><br />
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They weren't The Rezillos any more which I guess must have been a contractual thing because they didn't look or sound any different.<br />
<br />Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063763216887822395.post-87660950005452983772013-02-20T13:46:00.000+00:002013-02-20T13:55:56.647+00:00Disharmony In My Head<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Following on from what was the <a href="http://hangsuspended.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/come-for-party-come-to-make-sure.html">greatest gig I ever went to</a> - a sentiment echoed by Andy Kershaw in his recent autobiography, except he saw The Clash a couple of days earlier than me in Leeds - I thought I'd deal with one of the greatest disappointments I ever went to. Given the number of gigs I've been to over the years there are bound to have been a few duff ones, one or two have been so bad I've <a href="http://hangsuspended.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/first-apollo.html">left early</a>, but I didn't have such high expectations of those as I did of this one.<br />
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It's <b>October 27th 1979</b> in Manchester and on the back of a host of 'hit' singles, <b>The Buzzcocks</b> are playing a hometown gig at <b>The Apollo</b>. Not only that though, supporting them they have <b>Joy Division</b> who have recently released 'Unknown Pleasures' to great critical acclaim. It should have been at the very least, the gig of the year. But it wasn't. The sound was a complete and utter mess and it completely ruined what should have been a fantastic night out. In fact they played two nights and I went to the first. People I knew went to the second night and it was great apparently as by then they'd sorted out the sound problems.<br />
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Since then, if a band is playing multiple nights at the same venue, I would never plump for the first over subsequent nights unless there were other factors to be taken into account. Sound(!) advice I thought until many years later a friend pointed out that if you went to the first and it was fantastic, then with any luck you'd be able to get a ticket to go again the following night. Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063763216887822395.post-50327725031456666682012-11-06T14:40:00.001+00:002013-01-28T15:35:45.755+00:00Come For The Party, Come To Make Sure <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've dealt with some of the gigs I went to as a student in Manchester and I'll go on to wrap them up in a final post at some time. But there's one gig that deserves a post all of its own. A gig so stupendous that I'll remember it forever. A gig that I only went to through the great kindness of a friend. I'm not one for making lists of the best gigs/singles/albums/bands etc. but if I were, this gig would be no. 1. It's never been surpassed.<br />
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"A friend of mine from the course got me this ticket and I wouldn't mind going but I think it would mean an awful lot more to you than it would to me." Thankyou very much to my old flatmate Tim Sheehy for some of the nicest words that were ever spoken to me. I don't know why I hadn't bought a ticket to go and see The Clash at Manchester Apollo on their 16 Tons Tour but I hadn't and now a good friend had supplied me with a ticket.<br />
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<b>The Clash at Manchester Apollo February 4th 1980</b><br />
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I wish I could say that I can remember every minute of it but after 30+ years, there's no chance. What I do remember is that it was loud, very loud, and my ears were still ringing from it 4 days later. This was probably the beginning of the end for my hearing as I now suffer from mild tinnitus in my left ear but I don't think I'd change a thing. I also remember the feeling of elation that stayed with me for the rest of the week as well and can still recall sitting in the luggage rack of the 192 bus on the way home afetr a fantastic night out. I wish I could have seen them earlier in their career and I wished I'd gone to see them again later but I'm happy that I had that one magical night from a band at the top of their form.Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063763216887822395.post-48493551163193581222012-03-14T12:43:00.000+00:002012-03-14T12:43:45.234+00:00Music To March To<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vrzvul6r8aM/T2CMkTqzBlI/AAAAAAAAAjY/16q1xCbNGxY/s1600/killingjoke.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vrzvul6r8aM/T2CMkTqzBlI/AAAAAAAAAjY/16q1xCbNGxY/s200/killingjoke.JPG" width="193" /></a></div>How on earth had I never seen Killing Joke before last night. They've been going over 30 years and I've been going to gigs for even longer. It's not like I'm a big fan or anything, I only own the first album, but surely our paths should have crossed at some point, at a festival maybe? But no, this was a first. <br />
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Support was provided by The Crying Spell and The Icarus Line. I missed the first due to the lure of <a href="http://www.sjf.co.uk/pubsandbars/about.php?id=21">The Bodega</a> and anyway I think 7:15 is really a bit early for watching a gig. Far better to have a couple of pints of decent beer (Pale Rider and Prince Bishop if you're wondering) before having to pay outrageous prices for fizzy piss in the venue (£4.05 for a pint of Gaymers!). <br />
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I got in just in time to see The Icarus Line, along with a handful of other punters. Not much of a draw but they did a fine job. They said they're from LA but sounded more like they were from Seattle crossed with Detroit. A lead singer who reminded me of Iggy Pop (but without the see through jeans fortunately), a bassist who knows how a bass should hang and a drummer who wanted to be Dave Grohl. <br />
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And so to the main event. I have a feeling that if this gig had been in London it would have been in the Electric Ballroom and it would have been goth central. But not in Newcastle, it was a fairly mixed crowd who seemed up for it. And so they should, the back line made it one of the most thundering, gut-thumping nights I've had since I went to an industrial techno night at The Rocket back in the 1990s. As I mentioned, I only have their first album so I only knew 3 or 4 of the songs but with a band that have found their niche and stick to it, I recognised them all. <br />
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A complete aural assault of a night out.Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063763216887822395.post-81172307075694335362011-12-15T15:45:00.000+00:002011-12-15T15:45:12.010+00:00Inflammable Material<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pE4sL6N-uuU/TuoVYSVxsmI/AAAAAAAAAfs/T8oyDGhDCIA/s1600/slf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" oda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pE4sL6N-uuU/TuoVYSVxsmI/AAAAAAAAAfs/T8oyDGhDCIA/s320/slf.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coming a little late to the punk scene, Stiff Little Fingers (named after a Vibrators’ song) followed in the footsteps of The Clash by writing overtly political songs, largely about “the troubles” in Northern Ireland. Their gritty sound also mirrored that of The Clash and they even included a reggae number on their first album but they were no copycat band and I loved them. If I could possibly put together a list of my favourite singles of all time, “Alternative Ulster” would be on it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stiff Little Fingers at Manchester Apollo May 28th 1979</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stiff Little Fingers at Manchester Polytechnic October ?? 1979</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stiff Little Fingers at London Astoria December 10th 1992</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stiff Little Fingers at London Forum March 25th 2011</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I first saw them at Manchester Apollo in 1979 and have seen them several times since. When moving from London up to Sunderland I needed a gig to say goodbye to the place and out of what was available, it seemed only fitting that I picked one of theirs. I was son inspired by them whilst a student that one of my course mates even managed to get me to pen a review for the student union newspaper - my one and only appearance in a journalistic capacity. It’s rubbish but here it is anyway:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NO BLOOD OR TEARS BUT LOTS OF SWEAT</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>When writing about a band like “Stiff Little Fingers”, several words immediately spring to mind such as ‘dead ace’ or ‘superb’. This was definitely the case on Tuesday night at the Polytechnic.</em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>“The Donkeys”, a Liverpool band of some repute played an excellent, but unfortunately 15 years too late, gig. The close harmonies seemed to have stepped straight out of the “Merseybeat” era and their rendition of “Please, Please Me” could easily have passed for the “Fab Four”.</em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Last time round, S.L.F. played the Apollo and have regretted it ever since but the Factory was too small & they didn’t know the Poly existed. The Poly is certainly the happy medium in both size & sound quality.</em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>S.L.F. charged straight into “Alternative Ulster” and from that moment on it promised to be a great night. They played a well balanced mixture of old & new songs & the new songs seemed to have more power, more depth & more musical ability than all the old favourites, without losing the S.L.F. identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the other songs off the new album are half as good as the ones they played, then it will certainly be a biggie. Finishing off with “Wasted Life”, S.L.F. left the stage to overwhelming applause, cheers & whistles.</em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>In the usual style of S.L.F., the encore was silly, the 1st song was stupid but superb & “State of Emergency” superb. Despite 5 minutes of cheering, they failed to return for a 2nd encore, but what a fantastic concert.</em></span></div>Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063763216887822395.post-67990683661692422742011-12-14T15:15:00.000+00:002013-07-30T14:47:30.454+01:00The First Apollo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish I’d kept all my tickets but inevitably, I wasn’t thinking ahead and as a young reckless student, these things get lost. But I went to loads of gigs during my three happy years in Manchester, it’s just a shame that I can’t remember them all. I’ve got quite a few tickets and I have memories of other gigs and have managed to track down dates on the internet so I’ll go through them here, a few at a time, and remember what I can.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boomtown Rats at Manchester Apollo 13<sup>th</sup> December 1978</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d always quite liked The Boomtown Rats despite them being rather too poppy for my taste. Having just had a hit with “Rat Trap” they undertook a “Seasonal Turkey Tour” to celebrate. A good night I’m sure and I think this was probably the first time I’d been to Manchester Apollo. It certainly wouldn’t be the last and was the venue for the best gig I’ve ever been to just over a year later.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elton John at Manchester Apollo April 25<sup>th</sup> 1979</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went back to Manchester early after the easter break just to go to this gig. I don’t particularly like what Elton turned into or the music he produced later on in his career but the early stuff stands up well. The gig started with just Elton on stage playing lots of great songs but the gig was transformed half way through when the most excellent percussionist, Ray Cooper joined him. Elton Started playing “Funeral For A Friend” with Ray Cooper joining in part way through, they then segued into “Love Lies Bleeding”. Absolutely stunning.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Judas Priest at Manchester Apollo May 15<sup>th</sup> 1979</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first gig I ever walked out of. A friend had a spare ticket and persuaded me to go with him, against my better judgement. Too much leather, hair and spandex for my liking and that was just the audience. I should have known what I was in for after the poodle headed, leopard-skin leotarded, support band, whoever they were, came on but I stayed to see the main act. I wish I hadn’t bothered.</span></div>
Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063763216887822395.post-84062674613795581402011-12-14T13:22:00.000+00:002011-12-14T13:22:02.447+00:00Manchester, the early years<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WHJT8cdklOU/TuihBLgA0RI/AAAAAAAAAfM/mvEX4ynH2nw/s1600/brianjames.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" oda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WHJT8cdklOU/TuihBLgA0RI/AAAAAAAAAfM/mvEX4ynH2nw/s200/brianjames.bmp" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I mentioned my university interview in Manchester in <a href="http://hangsuspended.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-world-turned-dayglo.html">passing</a>, well I did pass, they gave me a good offer and so I went. Why Manchester? I suppose I ought to say I was inspired by the course and the facilities and stuff like that but if the truth be told, it's in the north and so wasn't far for me to travel back home and being a big city was going to be a better source of good gigs than most other places I'd considered. (Actually to be fair, one of the maths professors had been to our 6th form and given a very interesting and entertaining talk on some of the quirkier bits of maths and that had a bearing on matters too)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My first gig was the Freshers' Ball. Whilst Manchester itself is known for being forward looking musically, unfortunately I'd chosen to go to UMIST which was overflowing with long haired engineers and hence the sort of bands booked by our Student Union weren't exactly my cup of tea. Lots of Dinosaur Rock, prog and folk. The highlight of the week for most UMIST students was the Heavy Metal disco on a Saturday, an event I never attended in all my 3 years at the place. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Consequently the Freshers' Ball on October 7th 1978 didn't exactly grab me when it turned out the band they'd booked was Fairport Convention but they’d also booked Brian James’ Brains as support. Having a bunch of folk rockers supported by the former Damned guitarist’s new band was a bit strange but I figured it was worth going to see the punks and then see how it went. Brian James went down like a lead balloon with most of the audience, though I rather enjoyed it of course, even if there was no real atmosphere in the place, except for the air of contempt and hatred emanating from the hairy folkies. As for Fairport Convention, I suppose it could have been worse. I liked at least one of their songs,<em> "Cruel Felicity",</em> but they did it as about their third number and the first couple hadn't inspired me, so after a couple more I left and went over to the Student's Union at Manchester University instead where I managed to get in to their Freshers’ Ball, though I have no idea who was playing.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N7xf1lj_rv8/TuihOYoYfJI/AAAAAAAAAfU/Vc-eno9eoPs/s1600/bestifftourposter.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N7xf1lj_rv8/TuihOYoYfJI/AAAAAAAAAfU/Vc-eno9eoPs/s320/bestifftourposter.bmp" width="201" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My second Manchester gig was a bit more of a success. Having missed the first Stiff records tour to see <a href="http://hangsuspended.blogspot.com/2011/10/something-better-change.html">The Stranglers</a> instead, I was chuffed when another tour was announced. It didn’t have the same calibre of artists as the first one but it was worth seeing and it was playing at UMIST as well. So I traipsed all the way up to the top of the Students’ Union building again on October 16th to watch the shambles that was the Be Stiff tour. (Actually it might not have been a shambles at all but as it was Stiff records it probably was).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The line-up was Mickey Jupp, Lene Lovich, Wreckless Eric, Rachel Sweet & Jona Lewie. From what I remember, Rachel Sweet’s backing band, The Records, were set up permanently on stage and each of the performers came on and did their stuff. Plus The Records got to play a set of their own (unfortunately). I’m sure that the original Stiff Live Stiffs tour was far superior but this was decent too and I liked it enough to catch it all again at Salford University on November 6th, bumping into Wreckless Eric beforehand in the pub.</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063763216887822395.post-63935006285347355252011-10-11T13:42:00.000+01:002011-10-11T15:13:15.676+01:00The Day The World Turned Dayglo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AjIEfHctI9E/TpQ4aMVI0zI/AAAAAAAAAaM/zWthInOg1gU/s1600/PGs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AjIEfHctI9E/TpQ4aMVI0zI/AAAAAAAAAaM/zWthInOg1gU/s320/PGs.JPG" width="206" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span class="messagebody"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Dark, dingy & sweaty it was almost everything that a music venue should be, the only thing that was missing was a bar. A completely dry venue (though nothing stopping you having a few Theakstons in the back bar of The Prospect beforehand) and yet it was still full of people having a great time. The stage wasn’t up to much either come to think of it, it was just a platform in the corner raised up about 4 inches above the “dancefloor”. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span class="messagebody"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Punk’s d-i-y ethic reached Harrogate in the form of PG’s club which was opened in 1977 by Paul Gerrett, former keyboard player of <a href="http://hangsuspended.blogspot.com/2011/09/to-urban-man.html">Wally</a>. It came at just the right time for me, I was 17 going on 18 and spending any spare time I had spinning choons on my dansette in my bedroom. Unable to get a licence from the local, very conservative, council Paul went ahead and opened a glorified youth club in the centre of town above some shops, over 2 floors. By day it operated as just a coffee bar but of course the music was better and they put on gigs in the evening whenever they could.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span class="messagebody"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">I possess no tickets for the place as I don’t think they issued them, just turn up and pay on the door. Consequently I have only a few memories of some of the gigs I went to there. I specifically remember seeing X-ray Spex and Wire and know that I went to see The Boys too but beyond that…</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span class="messagebody"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">X-Ray Spex at PGs in Harrogate on Saturday 22nd April 1978</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It was manic, by far and away the biggest attendance the club had ever had. They were just about to release “The Day The World Turned Gayglo” and were brimming with confidence, energy and defiance. The crowd was absolutely manic and started to encroach onto the very low stage and a line of regulars had to form a human chain at the front to protect the performers from the joyous, exuberant, hot, sweaty audience dancing their hearts out. (also <a href="http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=47405727211&topic=7023">here</a>)<br />
<br />
<span class="messagebody"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wire at PGs in Harrogate on Saturday 29th April 1978</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">In contrast, the following week was rather quiet. It was the day before the Rock Against Racism Rally in Victoria Park and a lot of the local youth were heading down there. I wanted to be there too as The Clash were playing but I had a university interview in Manchester on the Monday so couldn’t make it. But despite the small crowd, Wire were fantastic and I seem to remember they encored with 12XU which sent us all into a frenzy of pogoing.</span> <br />
<br />
I still prefer my gigs this way. OK, I've been to see bands at the NEC and I love Glastonbury but give me a small venue any day.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Brought to you by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F82EiIByqY">this</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YjvXCacjt4">this</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYLNO-0CLHo">this</a>.</span> </div>Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063763216887822395.post-4429251234562532972011-10-04T15:13:00.000+01:002011-10-04T15:13:01.395+01:00Something Better Change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dj2IOabOrXc/TosUJ69rpNI/AAAAAAAAAaE/vonoBiFTJhk/s1600/heroes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dj2IOabOrXc/TosUJ69rpNI/AAAAAAAAAaE/vonoBiFTJhk/s320/heroes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Stranglers – October 15<sup>th</sup> 1977 – Leeds Queens Hall</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By late 1977, I’d been to a few gigs but they’d all been in Harrogate and quite small but with my brother living at home after finishing university, I could travel further afield with him, without my parents worrying. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Saturday October 15<sup>th</sup> 1977 Leeds University was hosting the Live Stiffs tour with Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Wreckless Eric and Larry Wallis. Being a fan of the Stiff record label, I wanted to go but it wasn’t the only gig in Leeds that night. My favourite band at the time was The Stranglers and they were playing Queens Hall on the same night. It was one I couldn’t miss.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Support was provided by Manchester band, <a href="http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/drones.htm">The Drones</a>, and one of the few punk bands from Australia to make it over here, <a href="http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/saints.htm">The Saints</a>. Again, this gig was so long ago that I don’t remember very much. It was a dark, dingy venue and with all the punks around, a little scary. Everything was running late and so we had to leave before the end in order to catch the last train home but we left it as late as possible, running to the nearby train station clutching my souvenir t-shirt and just made it with seconds to spare. It was a shame missing the end of the gig but the alternative was catching a lift back with some schoolmates and I think 13 occupants is probably enough for a Mk II Cortina.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Considering that The Stranglers were my favourite band for so long and that up until 1981 I’d bought all of their singles, it’s surprising that I didn’t see them live again until they appeared at Guilfest in 2006. I’m not normally one for nostalgia and I wouldn’t normally have gone to see someone from my past but they really rocked, despite Hugh having left to concentrate on his solo work, which he was also performing at Guilfest that weekend.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I saw them again recently, the first band I saw in my new home town of Sunderland. And they pretty much still came up with the goods. It was a bit embarrassing that they’re still performing tracks like ‘Bring on the Nubiles’, I would have thought they’d have grown out of it, but all in all they still gave us a good night out. Just a shame that we got locked in the park on the way home.</span></div>Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8063763216887822395.post-25284861892330221362011-09-27T16:16:00.000+01:002011-09-27T16:16:05.448+01:00To The Urban Man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LdQ1Vnz3q7w/ToHoCI387tI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/Bp7_7DxxDqk/s1600/IMG_2659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LdQ1Vnz3q7w/ToHoCI387tI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/Bp7_7DxxDqk/s200/IMG_2659.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve been to lots of gigs over the years, well I have been around a long time, and in that time have accumulated a lot of tickets from said gigs. So I thought I’d go through them and blog about them and see what, if anything I can remember.</span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Given that it’s been a pretty significant part of my life, there are undoubtedly a lot of memories tangled up in that box of tickets and hopefully as I work my way through the box, many will come flooding back. Though given that live music has usually been accompanied by a fair amount of cider it remains to be seen what my recall will be like.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the moment I haven’t a clue what will come out as I start my journey through my life and whether or not it will be at all interesting. I don’t rate myself as much of a writer, I’m not much of a raconteur and my memory isn’t what it was but I’ll have a go and see what happens. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vmtq34BU8KM/ToHmNDdGMNI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/rnmaPLs-EzI/s1600/wally.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vmtq34BU8KM/ToHmNDdGMNI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/rnmaPLs-EzI/s320/wally.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So where to start? In the absence of any other inspiration, I suppose the beginning is a decent point, though I’m not entirely sure where that is. Almost certainly it was a band called <a href="http://www.wallymusic.co.uk/">Wally</a> and probably at the Harrogate Theatre on Sunday September 19<sup>th</sup> 1976. There’s a chance that I’d seen them before at some other venue in Harrogate, they played at the Royal Hall in December 1974, but I have no tickets from this era though I still have a poster for the Harrogate Theatre gig so let’s start there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what do I remember about the gig? Virtually nothing. I’m not sure if I went with anybody, though I can remember talking to Paul Crowther about it the following day at school. Apparently the music had hit the resonant frequency of the spring that had been inserted in place of his stomach muscles and had made him feel decidedly ill. I’m sure I enjoyed it and I know it was loud. Really loud. Having only experienced music on the Dansette in my bedroom or down at the youth club, the volume of my music listening had been pretty low, so seeing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a real band in a decent venue introduced me to the knowledge that there was a whole new dimension to music listening.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The date here is probably quite significant. I was 16 and punk was about to hit with a force. Wally themselves were a progressive folk rock band and I was listening to a lot of that sort of stuff but then The Clash and The Stranglers et al changed all that.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I saw Wally a few more times after that, once at the Adelphi Hotel and also at The Royal Hall (both in Harrogate) before they finally split up after 2 albums, in 1978. After the death of the original keyboard player, Paul Gerret (more of whom later), in 2008, they reformed for a tribute show in April 2009 and have continued to play occasionally and record new material. I haven’t seen them in their reincarnation, somehow going back 35 years like that doesn’t seem right to me, though I still occasionally listen to their albums. Good luck to them though.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There were certainly other gigs around this time. I took Claire Exley to see Steeleye Span at the Royal Hall and even have a visual memory of sitting up in the circle on the right hand side. Heavy Metal Kids played there too and I know I considered going to see them but can’t remember if I did. But all these are only mere dalliances with live music as I was about to get into punk and Paul Gerret opened his music venue, PGs, in Harrogate…</span></div>Sunny Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00185398006615995034noreply@blogger.com0