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A NIGHT
AT THE BIDDULPH
 By all accounts Qween
UK played a blistering set last night (20th
April) to another sell-out
crowd, at Biddulph Town Hall in Stoke,. Rob
kindly shares a comment made to him by a Queen fan:"My oh my oh my...what have I just witnessed at Biddulph Town Hall. I've been a Queen fan since the early 70s and been lucky enough to see our man, Freddie, in concert. Right up to his last with Queen at Knebworth. Now it's Adam and he's doing a pretty cool job. I've seen lots of Queen tribute bands but you guys.. WOWSER. How do you do it. What a phenomenal performance. I applaud you Sirs. Thank you for keeping memories of Freddie fresh and real. And you threw in Brighton Rock.. Thank you guys. Thank you 🤘😎🤘👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍👍 Over these 50 years of Queen, there's one song I've never seen live...Drowse...wink wink... Biddulph Town Hall is now officially Biddulph Town I Want It Hall.. Take care guys.. Hopefully see y'all soon Regards, Dave Sherratt" Qween UK have one May date in our Listings (The Forum in Northallerton on the 25th) and their June dates have just been added. -----------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------
 Judas Priest
released their 19th studio album,
'Invincible Shield' in early March. As
vocalist Rob
Halford admits, there are no
"set agendas" when they're working on
new music together.
It's a philosophy that allows them to travel through their history as a group while constructing new albums. The result is songs that honor numerous eras throughout their illustrious career while also charging into unexplored territory. Halford recently discussed the
process of making Invisible Shield. He dug deep
to discuss the present, and he shared exciting
plans to expand the band's first two albums, Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings of Destiny. "I
can't say too much about them," he
laughed. "Just stay tuned for more!"
What are some of the first songs that you heard for this new album? How did that influence the path that you took lyrically? "That’s a really cool question, because anything can happen at a Priest writing session. We don’t have any kind of set agendas during the process of making an album. It’s not like, "Today we’re going to full on" or "Today, we’re going to pull back and go ballad-y." It really is very much instinctive. That’s probably, maybe because of the uniqueness of this band, in that respect. If there are any rules in rock 'n' roll — there shouldn’t be rules in rock 'n' roll, it should be chaos. But as a result of that, this is the band that can be “Painkiller” one minute and then you’re “Turbo Lover” in the next. That’s the pureness, I think, of who we are as writers. I tell you, it’s a good question, because in my mind, I’d like to be able to think, “Oh, this day, we did this song” and “This day, we did that song.” But it just all flows. It’s a very, very natural process with that writing experience, which has still been two guitar players and a singer. I’ve always felt that’s played its benefits for this band over the decades. So there it is, you know? It’s very much an open situation. Anything is on the table. Nobody says, “That’s not going to work.” We see everything through and then we figure out what’s worthy."  "Crown of Horns" sticks out
as a song that allows you to shapeshift in those
ways and work in a really interesting way
melodically that's Judas Priest, but different.
Many bands find it hard to break out of their
usual box."Some bands are very comfortable with that approach. I’m not going to name names, but they do what they do really well. Because they’ve defined themselves so particularly well, there’s a feel that, oh yeah, they sound like so and so. Well, that’s definitely so and so. They’ve become so meshed in their stylistic art of music that they claim it uniquely for themselves. That’s fantastic, you know. But with Priest, it can go anywhere — and that’s what it’s done with Invincible Shield. The opening sequence of “Panic Attack,” people were going, “What is that synth-y guitar? Are we going Turbo all of a sudden?” Then the drums come in — what is this? And then, the engine fires off. The metal power starts to scream and oh my God, that’s Priest. So there are also definitions in our world that I think we claim for ourselves and that our fans look forward to, besides the adventures like “Crown of Horns.” Those types of individual displays somehow correlate to make a completely fresh new album from Judas Priest." How did you end up writing "Giants in the Sky" for Ronnie James Dio and Lemmy Kilmister? "I always start to put the words on towards the back end. I need the material, the information — the musical information. So that’s why I sit down with a blank piece of paper and a pencil, terrified. “My God, what am I going to say?” It’s wonderful how if you keep an open mind — and again, because of the repertoire of Priest lyrically and how anything can happen — I don’t know where I was that day, but I was thinking about the important value of radio. I love my rock 'n' roll radio. It’s part of every band’s gateway to the world. Whether it’s terrestrial or it’s extraterrestrial in space or the cloud, it’s radio and that’s so important. My personal love affair with radio is as strong as it ever was. I was thinking about the incredibly good, beautiful things that radio has done for music since day one. Then, Ronnie and Lemmy seep in and I’m thinking, “Wow, why am I thinking of ‘giants in the sky,’ where did that come from?” "Giants in the Sky"! Sometimes, musicians are a weird bunch. I’ve always said it’s a little bit of a curse when you can’t sleep at night because you’re making songs up in your head. You know, you’re actually making songs while you’re lying there with your head on your pillow. But that’s what happened with these words. I’m thinking about our dear friends Ronnie and Lemmy and all of the other beautiful people that we’ve lost — they’re still alive and coming across on the radio airwaves, or the internet airwaves in the format of radio presentation. That’s how that song developed. It’s just a beautiful love letter to all of our friends that are in a different place, but they’re still alive every day of the week."  People
forget now that Judas Priest wasn't always such
a familiar presence on the radio."I had an email today, again, as we’re speaking, from a really great team of people who are working on Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings of Destiny. They said, “Oh my God, we just found a radio version of ‘Rocka Rolla’ that the label at the time tried to get you on the radio in America.” They did this edit of “Rocka Rolla,” which I haven’t heard yet — I’m going to listen to it after we’ve chatted. Even way back then in 1974, 50 years ago, Priest was trying to get into that channel, because of the endless opportunities that radio gives for bands. You fast forward and it really wasn’t until probably around the British Steel era, obviously with “Breaking the Law” “Living After Midnight,” that fully connected us in the radio sense, particularly in the United States. Every band, even now, you’re looking for that connection where your music can be played to somebody, whether they’re going to work in the car or coming home from work or they’re out on a date or just driving around. That unique environment, particularly when you’re driving, it used to be exclusive to America. Because when I was a young person growing up in England, we didn’t have radio in the car. We had one radio station, and they sure didn’t play rock 'n' roll. This continuing important correlation in music, to have that really strong reference to radio, is vital." You mentioned those first two albums, which have always felt underrated in the Priest catalog. "They’re the starting point. I tell you what is amazing, is the vastness between the two records. Rocka Rolla and then Sad Wings of Destiny. That second album seems like it’s coming 20 years later, the way that the band suddenly evolved after that first experience in a professional studio with a producer and all of the components that you need to make a great record. That’s the first time we’d made an album. It’s the same with any band. I’m not sure if the feelings are still the same, but we were banging into things, going, “What is that and how does that work?” “What happens if you press this button?” All of that curiosity that I think is important for bands to have in the recording sense. It was profound for us with Rocka Rolla. We learned very, very quickly what to do in the studio. The difference between Rocka Rolla and the writing, from that album to Sad Wings, is absolutely vast. They are important albums. This is the birth of heavy metal more than anything else." What did it mean to you guys to work with producer Rodger Bain on those early albums? "It was thrilling, because we loved Sabbath then as much as we do now. They’ve been friends of ours for as long as Priest has been together. To have the opportunity to work with Rodger was just unbelievable. I don’t know how the connection happened. But we were there with him and he steered us through the process of putting together the first parts of the life of Priest on record." When it comes to the live shows, you've been candid about your need to adjust certain songs to account for where you are now vocally. How does that affect your approach to making albums? When you're writing melodies now, how much do you think about that?  "I have to be very careful
with it. Because, you know, music is a headspace
experience anyway, emotionally. I’m aware of
where I am with my vocal abilities now. But I’ve
tried to not let that dissuade me from taking a
leap. I’ll give you a perfect example: When we
finished tracking the vocals for “The Serpent and the King”
— we did that particular vocal here in Phoenix,
and Andy [Sneap] and Richie [Faulkner] were
here. We’re listening to the track and I’m
going, “This track is really roaring, but the
voice just isn’t connecting with the ferocity of
the instrumentation. I said, “I’m just going to
go in there and try and go for the ‘Painkiller’ voice and
let’s see what happens. If I land in a heap on
the floor, it is what it is.” [Laughs]
But I went in there, and again, it’s that “let
it go” thing or “Feel the force, Luke.” As a
musician, your best performances happen when
you’re not thinking about your performance. If
you start to think, the thoughts intrude on the
performance. I did that, and we got it down in
two takes. I sat back and we listened to it, and
we put that high performance in the original
performance, and it was like a metal marriage,
as far as what we were trying to achieve. As I’m
sure you’ve heard, there are two distinctively
different vocal performances on that song. If
you’d told me that’s what I had to do, you’ve
got to do it that way, I’d probably have said,
“I can’t do it.” But because it happened on the
spur of the moment without any thought
intrusion, we were able to get the job done."------------------------------------------------------------------ WHO'S NEXT   Well, that came as
a surprise (said the actress to the Bishop).
Getting a batch of photographs from Thursday's gig
at the Black Horse in
Monkseaton where the recently disbanded Whodlums got back together just for one
night, to give of their time and abundant skills
for Cancer Research to support venue manager
David, to what we now understand was a full house.
Bucket girls [think you
could have come up with something a bit more
suitable, Nige!] for the night (pic
left) Danielle and Karen, and photographer Christine, really sewed
up the night beautifully. Karen was the
Communication Facilitator
[what, you mean she sent you stuff?] as
well as trying to get as many people as possible
to leave with empty pockets. (Cancer is like
Putin, it's not going to give up, needs stopping).
Danielle was doing the same and, as Karen
explained: "We honestly missed out on a lot as
we were collecting in the bar and lounge. Spent
most of the night trying to get through the
crowds - at a snail's pace - it was so hot and
incredibly rammed." But on to the band, can't expect poor ol' Karen to give a running commentary but she did manage to tell Riffs: "Nige, it was packed. Couldn't move - the atmosphere was electric. The band nailed crowd favourites such as Won't Get Fooled Again, Pinball Wizard...etc". Her overall thoughts of the night: "Band were outstanding and everyone had a fabulous night. John, Steve, Andy and Pete were all on top form. Don't know how much was collected yet." No comment from Christine, but I know all too well, getting good pics is not easy - and requires a lot more concentration than one might imagine. A pat on the back for all three girls who worked harder than Paula Vennells toilet is going to, the night before she gives evidence.... Very last word from Karen today (the day after the night before): "Me feet are killing me!"         ------------------------------------------------------------------ Bad news concerning the Clover and Wolf in South Shields: all gigs are cancelled from "immediate effect". Thanks to Norm Force for this info. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Due to cancellation, Stormy Monday are now available 19, 20 or 21st april - ring phil on 07974907130. ALL NOW SORTED. ------------------------------------------------------------------ GET READY FOR THE FIZZY . . .   Always surprises me, and I
know it shouldn't, just how many selfless people
we have here in the North-East. We go straight
from the WHODLUMS
playing entirely for free at the Black Horse in
Monkseaton this Thursday, in aid of a cancer
charity, to those Rockin' wildmen FIZZYFISH playing
at Darlington's Cleveland Sports and Social Club
in aid of 'Family Help' later on this month on
Saturday, 27th. Again, these lads are going out of
their way to give something back. Singer Alan
always makes Fizzyfish's gigs memorable but I have
a sneaky feeling that this night the punters will
be treated to something exceptional. Tickets not
only include a band that messes with your ears and
your eyes, but also Pie and Peas Supper and a
Dessert. It's a ticket-only event so don't leave
it too late. This pic, with Alan hyping the
out-of-control crowd, was taken at The Grand in
Bishop Auckland - quite a while ago I must confess
(and if you look closely you can also see Riffs'
Val thrusting herself into the pic).For those who love the deets: that t-shirt that Alan is wearing he actually purchased in Kansas, while watching Kansas! And if that isn't interesting enough [don't tempt me], he actually sang in a Kansas tribute band while over there. ------------------------------------------------------------------  Lovers of live music certainly have nowt to complain about looking at our Listings page. The biggie next month is Crookfest and don't hold off too long in getting your tickets. But before then we have an astounding choice on Thursday April 11. Not only are the Mod Men THE WHODLUMS getting ready to blow the roof off the Black Horse in Monkseaton, but also we've just been informed by Jeff from the Rolling Stones tribute THE STONES STORY that there's something rather special going down at the Schooner in Gateshead on that very same night. I can't help but tell you [if only we could stop you] that I started to salivate when putting together the above advertising graphic. Seems only five minutes ago that the Stones Story crept on to the North East music circuit and here we are what seems like minutes later they are in massive demand and are even now taking bookings from festivals, pubs and clubs into 2025. But back to the present - this next Thursday gig is at The Schooner in Gateshead where, we understand, Thursday nights are becoming quite the attraction, as Promoter Carole books some interesting bands - "local and international blues, original, Americana and world musicians" - but also pulling in the punters is some rather tasty nosh [can you just say food, or grub, or something else....]. Gotta tip the hat to Carole, a way to a man's live music pocket is through his stomach [yeah, cos that's a saying]. Late booking for the Stones lads (no doubt heard about the food) and I let Jeff have a few words concerning the night in question: "We have great music and great food free of charge. In addition there is a great array of real ales on tap. The Stones Story are honoured to be appearing. You can't always get what you want, but you can get free sausage and chips and 90 minutes of classic Rolling Stones hits . . ." Couldn't put it better myself. ------------------------------------------------------------------ THE WHODLUMS REUNITE FOR ONE UNIQUE GIG  Now, usually, when I get
info of a charity event for the Listings page, it's
the date, the band, the venue and what or who it's
in aid of. "What's wrong with that?" I hear
you shout in unison. Nothing, absolutely nothing.
But, as we are aware, there's always more 'behind
the headlines' so to speak. Thankfully, it's local
Promoter [and one of Riffs
photographers at Crookfest don't forget] Karen, putting together the
event who has given Riffs some background on this
special gig. Now, some may know, some don't [yeah, you didn't, did ya Nige?]
that the Who tribute THE
WHODLUMS called it a day just a couple of
months ago after many years together - leaving
behind a loyal following. These are the guys who
have been praised by none other than Mr Roger 'swing that mic' Daltry
no less! [What,
Roger Daltry from THE WHO praised The Whodlums?].
Yes. [Now I'm impressed]."So what occasion has brought these guys to pick up their guitars and play - just like yesterday?" I hear you ask [in unison?] oh, of course. Dave, the manager of the Black Horse in Monkseaton, the fine establishment where this unique and one-off gig is to take place, has sadly been diagnosed with cancer. It is terminal. Dave is in his 40s. Dave loves the Who [a man with exquisite taste, I see] and expressed a desire to see the Whodlums. Karen has contacts with the band and before you know it - voila - the gig is on. Not only that, the whole kit and kaboodle is benefiting a cancer charity. And, unlike some other 'charity' gigs, the band will not be receiving one little copper coloured penny for all their efforts. It's got to be stressed that after this gig, all that gear goes back in storage gathering dust. So get yerselves along for a piece of history - and be sure to stuff your well-earned into the bucket that will be ably proferred by none other than Karen herself. I forgot to add it to the poster [well, what a surprise] but the start time is 8pm. Oh, and it's totally FREE entry. Get there in good time to soak up some of that good ol' Mod atmos. Thursday, 11th April - that's next week. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 
 Yeah, okay, we can all hazard a guess at
the aim of AC/DC UK, but
just in case some may think it's a Bon Scott era
tribute, it's not. Geordie geezer Brian Johnson is the focus of
this fine act to appear in the
Crookfest 24's Top Tent at
5pm, and we host a few pics from their website. They
have a fairly impressive pedigree and I shall quote
directly from the band's own website: "AC/DC-UK
are one of the world's leading tributes to the
mighty AC/DC, they found their first incarnation
well over a decade ago. Since then the band have
established themselves as one of the globe's
forerunners in the tribute scene, being invited to
play many internationally renowned stages. The band
has now played in over 20 countries worldwide, at
legendary festivals and venues to thousands. Notable
shows include multiple sold out nights at Glasgow's
O2 ABC, located only yards from where the historic
"If You Want Blood" Album was recorded; Sold out
nights at Liverpool's Cavern club which The Beatles
graced; a slot at Graspop Metal Meeting on the 7,500
cap metal dome stage playing after Iron Maiden;
Stone Free at the Millennium Dome, closing the
Indigo stage after Alice Cooper; the Main Stage at
Denmark's Herning Rocker in front of a sold out
15,000 capacity directly before headliner's
"Nephew"; and Bospop, with headliner Santana."
One fascinating fact concerning 'Angus' from the band, or Graham as he is known offstage, is that he hails from West Auckland. 
 And while we're on with
Crookfest, we must mention another Rockin'
local band who hope to set the bar and give the
AC/DC lads something to beat. BORN
VILLAINS deliver some sharp, raw sounds
that should satisfy Rockers and Punk lovers alike.
That's ten minutes past three in the Top Tent. Pics from their website.
------------------------------------------------------------------
The popular Crookfest is
back! Sunday 5th May
Organiser
Marshall is proud to offer "something for everyone".
It's not all Rock, all Pop, Ska, Hip Hop (heaven help
us), but he has gone out of his way to purposely have
a line up that includes a wide variety of genres.He exclusively told Riffs: "A lot of folks hesitate when they see a band on the line up that doesn't appeal (ie "not ganin to that coz they have Artic Monkeys on"). Now, I think this is because most One Day fests are themed like Rock or Blues or Ska or Punk etc, so they take one look at Crookfest and it doesn't compute." So what's your solution to this? "What I do is book something for everyone and I place bands in a pattern across the 3 stages so people can follow what they like all day, not having to endure somthing they don't care for. The guys and girls that come every year know this, but those that haven't tend to criticise the line up rather than appreciate it." So the idea is, if you are not fussed at the band in one tent, you can mosey on over to one of the others and catch something different. It takes me back to when Val 'dragged' me to a Ska gig (now I'm a self-confessed Rock and Metal head) I was not fussed about and certainly wouldn't have gone of my own volition but, after just a few numbers, I was really into it and the band (wish I could remember who they were) gave a brilliant, lively and entertaining performance. So Marshall may just have something. You could well come away surprised with yourself! Oh, and Riffs is covering this year's event. We are gonna try and get as many pics as possible so, well . . . pose your ass off for the camera!!  Pic from a previous Crookfest. Soz, but forgot who took the pic!! [There's no truth in the rumour that after this photo there was a charity collection for the guy in the Bon Jovi t-shirt] ------------------------------------------------------------------
 ------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday
5th May Crookfest '24 All-Dayer 11.45am - 10.30pm Top Tent: Bon Jovi Forever, AC/DC-UK, Mardy Bums, Born Villains, JD and the Woodsmen; Scooter Tent: C-Collective, Copperhead, Revolver, Eli, Riverain, Ded Wrongenz; Bar Tent: The Button Band, ABBA Goldz Duo, Mickey Glamz, Barkin Billy and the Scrapyard Dogs, Mark Elivs Nixon, Jay R Mad for Ska. Tickets £20/£25 https://www.crookfest.co.uk/ ------------------------------------------------------------------
Rammstein sued by
synthwave duo
'Ninja Cyborg' for plagiarism  Ninja Cyborg, hailing from France, claimed that the German giants stole their song "The Sunny Road," which came out in 2018, for the 2019 song "Deutschland." The Rammstein track was featured on their 2019 untitled album. The French group alleges that Rammstein took the guitar riff, in particular, from their song, and sought out the advice of legal musical expert Richard Dubugnon at the Paris Court of Appeal to see if they had a case in the matter, according to DayFR Euro. On March 27, Dubugnon stated that “without a doubt” Rammstein "voluntarily borrowed the riff and other melodic elements" from Ninja Cyborg's "The Sunny Road," adding that there are “too many similarities" and it is plagiarism "without a doubt." Ninja Cyborg Were Apparently Accused of Plagiarizing Rammstein by fans. The report by DayFR Euro further adds that the members of Ninja Cyborg, Marc Botté and Martin Antiphon, were accused of plagiarizing Rammstein by fans online first, even though "The Sunny Road" came out months before "Deutschland" did. They claim the accusations started sometime in 2020. “I don’t like Rammstein and I don’t listen to this group,” Botté told Le Nouvel Obs. “I created that riff. I knew very well that I hadn’t plagiarized them.” Ninja Cyborg's First Case Against Rammstein Was Dismissed in 2021. The duo attempted to file a suit against Rammstein back in 2021, but it was dismissed. They appealed the case and requested the assistance of a music expert, thus the court appointed one to the case in 2022. “We want this piece to be recognized as ours and that we no longer spend our lives as artists perpetually justifying ourselves,” they declared to Le Nouvel Obs. As a result, the musicians will use the conclusions of Dubugnon during the first hearing before the Intellectual Property Chamber of the Paris Judicial Court on Sept. 10, 2024. The Sunny Road ------------------------------------------------------------------ All tickets for the Queen UK gig at Biddulph Town Hall on Saturday April 20th have now been sold. Always a great atmosphere at a full house so it looks like there will be hundreds of satisfied punters. ------------------------------------------------------------------  Just one of the
bands on offer at Hallelujah 4. Limited Tickets now on sale (see
poster below)
------------------------------------------------------------------ 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Cover band needed Saturday 30th March for Heaton Buffs Club. Must play commercial pop/rock covers, no hard rock or blues etc. contact@heatonbuffs.com or 07960861198. POSITION FILLED ------------------------------------------------------------------ HARTLEPOOL STEELIES CLOSING FOR APRIL RENOVATION  I'm aware this advert (left) is way in
advance, but I've just finished it for Tommy at
South Durham Social (he uses the
graphic to print off posters and also for his
webpage) which, as it happens, is being
completely renovated during April so it will be
closed and no gigs will be happening until May 3. An exceptional line up, our very own GRUMPIES go down a storm at this Hartlepool venue, and I also notice that Tommy has acquired - all the way from the good ol' US of A - WESTBROOK with SWAMP TEA. He's kept the door charge down to a fiver, too. Great VFM. ---------------------------------------------------------- "The best new band I've seen in the last five years"   I'm hoping some of you may
recall that in a recent review by our very own Seaham
Silverback (well, I say 'recent', it may be a while
ago now) he stated, concerning North-East band Giroscope: "I’d
walk barefoot over broken glass to see them again."
Well, true to his word he's got his chance this Sunday
(17th) at The White Lion in Houghton le Spring at 6pm.
I won't add the passage from Mr Silverback's email
that I was going to, as not everyone will see the
funny side. Suffice to say that if Mr S does find any
broken glass at this establishment, he is still
willing to walk over it.---------------------------------------------------------- YARMAGEDDON (Legends of Rock) -
SUNDAY (March
3 - final day)
All pics courtesy of Christine
Watson and Karen
Gibson (now back from Yarmouth and recuperating!): Sack Sabbath, ELO Encounter, Bon Giovi
      ELO ENCOUNTER  
    BON GIOVI (Well, s'pose someone had to pick the short straw) 
 
 And that's it, the last band pics from this mega four-day Legends of Rock - YARMAGEDDON - where our two local heroes Karen Gibson and Christine Watson bravely threw themselves to the front of the stage down in Great Yarmouth to get some pics purely for Riffs readers. Really hope you appreciate it. Taking photographs, GOOD photographs is like driving - it takes some concentration, and if you're not concentrating, you're gonna crash. Having them pin-sharp is not, I repeat, not a priority, it's all about composition and showing the band off to their best. I think the girls should be commended. Karen has earned a plug on this News page to push what she does (promotes venues and books bands, gets gigs - at short notice if necessary, and probably other stuff too), but we'll get all that info when she comes off her high (I mean a Rock high of course). And if you have a venue that is putting on a big Rock show then let Riffs know about it and, who knows, you could get the girls doing a feature on YOUR big occasion..... ---------------------------------------------------------- YARMAGEDDON (Legends of Rock) -
SATURDAY (March
2)
All pics courtesy of Christine
Watson and Karen
Gibson (still rockin' their heads off down there
in Yarmouth): Fleetwood Bac, Ian Dury and the
Blackheads, The Kinks Experience, Foo Forgers,
Rainbow in Rock,
Jimi
Anderson Group
 
 IAN DURY AND THE BLACKHEADS    
 THE KINKS EXPERIENCE  
 FOO FORGERS 
 RAINBOW IN ROCK 
 JIMI ANDERSON GROUP 
 
 Just one more day to go. If Karen and Christine can stand the pace, brace yourselves for some more pics from the last day of Legends of Rock - Sunday. ---------------------------------------------------------- YARMAGEDDON
(Legends of Rock) - FRIDAY (March 1)
All pics courtesy of Christine
Watson (Rock Bottom, Maet Live)
and Karen Gibson (Twister, Hi On Maiden)
 "Seventeen a nature's queen,
You'll know what I mean"
    "Just one sweet kiss on your clay cold lips" 
   MAET LIVE
    
 TWISTER
  HI ON MAIDEN   
 Again, a massive appreciation from Riffs to Christine and Karen for going out of their way to not only take these photographs, but also to email them to Riffs so quickly, so our readers get to see these pics before the sweat has even dried on the band members bodies [calm down now, calm down]. -----------------------------------------------------
Well, true to her word, KG has forwarded
some excellent pics to give Riffs readers a flavour of
what went down on the Legends of Rock four
day Yarmageddon
extravaganza way down in Yarmouth. She is there for
the whole four days and sent in some of the bands she
experienced yesterday (Thursday Feb 29). Karen has
sent:
THURSDAY BANDS: THE UPBEAT BEATLES, SLADE UK, TELEGRAM SAM and MR SPANKEY AND THE HIPTHRUSTERS. 
 SLADE UK
 TELEGRAM SAM
    MR SPANKEY AND THE HIPTHRUSTERS 
 We have no right to expect, of course, but with any luck and Karen's good heart, we may have some more pics from Friday's offerings...............Oh, and she has just asked for pics credit to be shared with Christine Watson. We duly oblige. ----------------------------------------------------------
A MESSAGE FROM TONY AT ST. PETER'S
SOCIAL BAR IN NEWCASTLE
"Due to rising costs and a lessening of trade we have been forced into making cutbacks on our usual Sunday night's entertainment. To ensure we still have LIVE entertainment each week bands can only be booked on a bi-weekly basis, ie LIVE BAND one week, LIVE DUO or SOLO artiste the following, this will not at this time affect Bank Holiday weekends, when natural trade is usually higher. If you want to ensure that you have live entertainment to attend on a regular basis going forward we and others similar to us need YOUR SUPPORT. All bands that are currently booked (if not already contacted) will be offered alternate dates for this coming year's calendar, if this cannot be achieved, they will become 1st on list for next year’s gigs. This message does have a positive side; I now need LIVE Duos and SOLO Artistes to fill the gaps that unfortunately have been created. I also have a suggestion to ANY up and coming Bands, Duos, Solo Artistes struggling to get gig time, I can offer you a gig FREE, but you would have to raise your own monies from charging a fee to attend, if takings are OK I would add financial support to your efforts. This can be done in our Bar, or Concert Room dependent on sales and/or your needs, most days apart from Sunday. Interested? Need more info? Got something to say? ALL emails will be answered discreetly, any doubts or thoughts, answered privately, your thoughts are more than welcome, either positive or negative, we need to know what's good and what's NOT, to keep live music alive." Info@stpetersclub.co.uk TONY Use it or lose it. ------------------------------------------------------------------
OH MY
GOD - IT'S YARMAGEDDON!!!
Don't
wish to put any undue pressure on the North-East's
most hardworking blonde promoter, but Riffs has high
hopes of some yummy pics and possibly a write up of
some of the scrumptious bands on offer down there in
Yarmageddon land. KG is busy
packing her bags for a gruelling [every minute's a
pleasure, Nige] four day Legends
of Rock
mega weekend+, which boasts an astounding array of
superb Rock and Metal bands, including originals,
tributes and covers. Karen has promised no alcohol,
no substances and no naughtiness (although I suspect
she may have had her fingers crossed) so she can
give full concentration to the job in hand. So let's
hope she does the business and can give Riffs a
flavour of just what was on offer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - The Day I Was There (a fan's story)  The February 1981 issue of Musician magazine has Bruce Springsteen on the cover. Inside, in a twelve-page interview, the rock star discusses his music, his concerts, and his experience with fame. On one page the interviewer asks Springsteen, whose popularity is rapidly growing, if he can still walk down the street without being recognized, and Springsteen responds with a story: "The other night I went out. Went to the movies by myself, walked in, got my popcorn. This guy comes up to me, real nice guy. He says, ‘Listen, you want to sit with me and my sister?’ I say, ‘All right.’ So we watch the movie [laughs]. It was great, too, because it was that Woody Allen movie Stardust Memories, about a famous director who’s beleaguered by his fans and this poor kid says, ‘Jesus, I don’t know what to say to ya. Is that the way it is? Is that how you feel?’ I say, ‘No, I don’t feel like that so much.’ And he had the amazing courage to come up to me at the end of the movie and ask if I’d go home and meet his mother and father. I said, ‘What time is it?’ It was eleven o’clock, so I said, ‘Well, OK.’ So I go home with him; he lives out in some suburb. So we get over to the house, and here’s his mother and father, laying out on the couch, watching TV and reading the paper. He brings me in, and he says, ‘Hey, I got Bruce Springsteen here.’ And they don’t believe him. So he pulls me over, and he says, ‘This is Bruce Springsteen.’ ‘Aw, g’wan,’ they say. So he runs in his room and brings out an album, and he holds it up to my face. And his mother says [breathlessly], ‘Ohhh yeah!’ She starts yelling, ‘Yeah!’ She starts screaming.  And
for two hours I was in this kid’s house, talking
with these people. They were really nice. They
cooked me up all this food, watermelon, and the guy
gave me a ride back to my hotel a few hours later."Springsteen got most of the details right, except for the city: he thought it was Denver, Colorado, but it was St. Louis, Missouri. And though it’s true that the mother didn’t believe he was Bruce Springsteen, it wasn’t the album cover that convinced her. Only after she’d examined Springsteen’s American Express card did she finally accept his identity. But all the rest is true; especially regarding the ‘real nice guy’ who invited Springsteen to sit with him and his sister then took him home and served him watermelon. That guy was my friend Steve. Steve and I were both raised in the heavily Jewish, upper-middle-class suburb of Ladue. We went to the same elementary school, but we weren’t friends then. Steve was popular and known for his jokes. I was a shy girl who had only one close friend. In the spring of our sixth-grade year, Steve was absent for several weeks. Rumour had it that he was in the hospital. Finally a teacher reported that Steve had diabetes. None of us really knew what this meant, but we passed the word diabetes back and forth like a medicine ball. When Steve returned, he looked the same as he had before, so we stopped talking about it. In ninth grade Steve and I had adjacent lockers. Whenever I went to deposit my books, I’d see him holding court with a group of people, going on and on in mock seriousness about, say, the difference between a Steak ’n Shake Steak burger and a Dairy Queen Brazier Burger. For Steve, daily existence consisted of a series of absurdities, and his role was to expose them. He poked fun at everyone and everything, including himself. His disarming and self-effacing humour transcended the social divisions in high school, and everyone from the jocks to the debate-clubbers stopped by his locker for a bit of banter. Of all the subjects Steve liked to expound on, music was his favourite. His father owned a music store in north St. Louis, and Steve knew every band, singer and song on the rock scene. I, on the other hand, listened to only the top ten on KXOK. I even had a poster of teen idol David Cassidy on the door of my locker. Every time Steve passed me in the hall, he’d belt out Cassidy’s Partridge Family hit ‘I Think I Love You’ with exaggerated emotion. I was drawn into Steve’s inner circle and soon began spending time with him after school and on weekends. We played in pickup softball and soccer games, cruised around in his red Bonneville convertible listening to music on his eight-track-tape player, and in the winter went sledding on Mrs Cave’s hill. Nobody had ever set eyes on Mrs Cave, and rumours circulated about her: Widow? Spinster? Witch? One night, standing at the bottom of her hill, we noticed a lamp burning in her third-floor window. ‘Go on,’ Steve dared me. ‘Knock.’  It
was there, with Mrs Cave’s mansion looming behind
us, that we first kissed. From that moment on, Steve
and I were a couple. I never did knock on Mrs Cave’s
door.In 1973 Bruce Springsteen released his first album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., and Steve bought a copy. ‘You’ve got to hear this guy,’ he would tell anyone who stopped by his locker. Most of us didn’t get it. Springsteen was not singing typical pop or rock songs. He was narrating long, rambling stories about growing up on mean streets that could not have been more different from our manicured cul-de-sacs. Granted, his stories were packed with colourful characters, but his music was a far cry from the fluff that the Carpenters and others were offering on the radio. ‘Blinded by the Light’ came the closest to something we could snap our fingers to, and still we’d get lost in its winding lyric. Except for Steve. He memorized every word to every Springsteen song. I can still see him driving and singing ‘For You,’ his face pinched and red. Springsteen’s restless yearning spoke to him. Perhaps this should have been my first clue that Steve had his own restlessness brewing beneath the surface. After high-school graduation Steve and I headed in different directions, but we remained close. I went to a small school in Colorado. Steve enrolled in Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. We talked often that first year, and in the spring he hitchhiked to Colorado and surprised me with a visit. We never defined the rules of our relationship while living apart, but it was obvious that neither of us was ready to call it quits. When we returned to St. Louis that first summer, we resumed our usual pastimes, which included my listening to Steve sing along to Springsteen albums. Born to Run had just come out, so he had a whole new repertoire. As Springsteen’s fame grew, the singer gave no sign of selling out. ‘He’s really a nice guy,’ Steve told me again and again. This fact was important to him. In the spring of my sophomore year in college, I squeezed into the phone booth at the end of the dormitory hall and listened as Steve spoke to me from Israel, where he’d gone over spring break. Between the bad connection and the noise in my dorm, I could hear only bits and pieces. The gist of it was that he was not returning to school after spring break. He wanted to stay and study under the auspices of a program called Aish HaTorah (Fire of the Torah). Founded in 1974 by the American rabbi Noah Weinberg, Aish HaTorah began as a learning center whose activities included reaching out to wandering Jewish souls and delivering them back to their roots via study and observance of ritual. I had never considered Steve a wandering soul, and the idea of him wanting to immerse himself in religious study seemed absurd. Surely his cynicism would prevent him from committing wholeheartedly to the irrational demands of religion. But then again, I realized, it can be difficult to live a life in which one’s only sacred belief is that nothing is sacred. In our correspondence Steve began referring to God as ‘G-d’ and ‘Hashem,’ and Israel as the ‘Promised Land.’ His letters were sprinkled with Hebrew and signed with his new name: Shlomo Zalmon. Most disturbing to me was the absence of any words of affection. I got a queasy feeling that I was losing him to a competitor far more daunting than any college coed. Steve – or Shlomo – finally returned after finishing his studies in the yeshiva. Bearded and wearing a hat and a tallit with the traditional fringes (tzitziot) hanging at his sides, he backed away when I stepped forward to hug him. (Orthodox Jewish men are forbidden to touch any woman but their wife.) That single gesture marked the end of our relationship, as I had known it. At first I tried arguing Steve out of his newfound faith, but he was unshakable, and the distance between us grew. Then I adopted a different approach: Perhaps if I found my own faith, the two of us could stay together. If nothing else, I might understand Steve’s transformation better. And maybe an Orthodox life would provide me with the same answers he had found. I spent a year walking to an Orthodox synagogue every Sabbath, learning Hebrew and the prayers, and practicing the daily rituals. I even studied Torah with a Rabbi. But invariably I’d come up against a rule that I just did not get. (Why couldn’t I tear toilet paper on the Sabbath?) It wasn’t that I didn’t understand Orthodox Judaism; it was that I couldn’t accept it. In order to observe the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, one has to have faith that every word of the Torah is God-given. It was I, and not Steve, who was too cynical.  Still
green in his devotion, Steve tried to convince me
that this was the right way for every Jew to live.
He pushed, I pulled, and we finally came to an
unspoken acceptance of each other’s choices. We
would still be friends. We just wouldn’t touch.Steve made many other changes in his life: He kept kosher. (Because his family wasn’t observant, this meant eating all his meals on disposable Styrofoam plates.) On Friday nights he slept at Orthodox families’ homes. And since listening to female singers was prohibited, his musical tastes narrowed. But Springsteen, with his all-male E Street Band, remained OK. In October 1980 Springsteen was scheduled to perform two nights at the Kiel Opera House in St. Louis. Steve got tickets to the sold-out Saturday show from a connection through the family’s music store. The Thursday before the concert Steve called to ask if I wanted to accompany his sister and him to see Stardust Memories. I don’t remember why I said no. I think I just didn’t feel like going to a Woody Allen movie. This, of course, was the movie where Steve saw Bruce Springsteen standing at the concession counter with a rolled newspaper under his arm. Steve told me later that, when he realized Springsteen had come alone to the theater, he thought, maybe he wants company. What do I have to lose? I will never get this chance again. So he approached him, and they ended up sitting together. While watching the movie, Steve began to feel guilty: Was he the sort of obnoxious fan the film depicted? Springsteen assured him that it wasn’t the case; in fact, he was enjoying himself. Steve relaxed, and when the movie was over, he offered to drive Springsteen back to the hotel. First, though, he wanted to introduce him to his parents. What Springsteen did not mention in that Musician interview is that while they were in the car, Steve, with his felt hat and his tzitziot dangling down the sides of his jeans, slipped a bootleg tape of one of Springsteen’s concerts into his eight-track player and began to sing. At one point he turned to Springsteen in the passenger seat and asked him to help out with the chorus. For those of us who had spent countless hours in Steve’s front seat, listening to him sing Springsteen songs, this is the best part of the story. When Steve and his sister walked into their parents’ house with Bruce Springsteen in tow, they found their father sprawled on the couch in a sleeveless undershirt and slippers, watching television. Their mother was sitting at the kitchen table in a housedress. In high school Steve’s mother had been known as ‘the short mom with the big mouth.’ She was funny and generous, but she was not afraid to speak her mind, and she refused to believe that this man standing in her living room was Bruce Springsteen. So she made him pull out his wallet and show her his credit cards. After that, they talked, and she served him watermelon. ‘You seem like a nice boy,’ she told him, and she asked if he was a good son. He told her about his family and, as he was leaving, asked if she wouldn’t mind calling his mom in California and telling her that he was doing fine. (Because this request sounds so un-celebrity-like, I called Steve’s mother recently to confirm it. It’s true: she did call Springsteen’s mother, and for the next couple of years they corresponded through cards). Steve invited Springsteen to Sabbath dinner the following night and told him to bring his band mates – especially his Jewish drummer, Max Weinberg. But they had to play their first concert at the Kiel Opera House that Friday night. Springsteen did, however, give Steve a dozen tickets and backstage passes to his Saturday-night performance. In the Musician interview, Springsteen concludes the story this way: ‘And I went back to that hotel and felt really good because I thought, ‘Wow (almost whispering), what a thing to be able to do. What an experience to be able to have, to be able to step into some stranger’s life.’ ‘  Steve
invited me, and a group of his friends to accompany
him to the concert. We were sceptical of his story
at first. It’s not that we didn’t trust Steve. Maybe
we just couldn’t believe that, every once in a
while, life could actually meet our expectations: a
fan can meet his favourite singer, and that singer
can turn out to be a really nice guy.Sitting in the center of the concert floor, we sang and clapped but, as much fun as we were having, we were still waiting for proof of Steve’s story. As it turned out, we didn’t have to wait long. Midway through the concert, Springsteen leaned into the microphone and dedicated the next song to his new friend Steve. When the concert was over, we all hurried backstage, and I shook Springsteen’s hand and mumbled something about enjoying the show. The rest is a blur. After that Steve’s life resumed its inevitable uneven course. His father died the following year, and not too much later Steve began to struggle with his diabetes. In and out of the hospital, he underwent dialysis, a kidney transplant, a heart bypass, and eye surgery. On October 11, 2003, Steve died. The last time I saw him, he was completely worn down, but he never wavered in his religious faith. I still think of that night when Springsteen dedicated a number to Steve in front of thousands of concertgoers. The song was ‘The Promised Land.’ Sometimes even worldly moments can be holy. Read more in the book 'Bruce Springsteen – The Day I Was There' which features over 400 accounts from fans who have witnessed a Bruce Springsteen live show. From late 60s concerts in New Jersey right through to his marathon three hour plus shows from recent times. Available in print and as an eBook on Amazon, iTunes and Google Play. ----------------------------------------------------------------  Bon Scott 1946 -
Feb 19, 1980
---------------------------------------------------------------- GOING, GOING . . . GONE.  eBay has, of course, come an awfully long way since 1995, when 28-year-old software developer Pierre Omidyar, who had previously worked for Apple Computers, sat down to write the code that would eventually evolve into what we know as eBay. Originally called AuctionWeb, the site began with the listing of a single broken laser pointer. Though Pierre had intended the listing to be a test more than a serious offer to sell at auction, he was shocked when the item sold for $14.83. Pierre knew that he’d created something big as soon as he contacted the winning bidder to ask if he understood that the pointer was broken. “I’m a collector of broken laser pointers,” came the reply. I would guess that most of you have used eBay at some point to either buy (something you’ve been on the lookout for ages for) or sell (something that has no use to you any more, but you were hoping some sucker out there would pay you over the odds for). And over the years the site has sold all sorts of music-related items. George Michael used the site to sell his luxury 3.9i Vogue Range Rover. I do hope George was honest in the description of the vehicle. A few dints here and there from his minor bumps, a few ‘hot rocks’ on the driver’s seat. The car boasted a “massive stereo” alongside “three massive amps under the rear seat and CD changers.” The nice thing is all the money raised from the sale was donated to charity. Still in the automobile section: In 2007 the King of Rock and Roll’s 1965 Cadillac Eldorado convertible was sold on eBay for $119,900 by US motorcar firm Daniel Schmitt & Co. Elvis himself co-designed the car which until the sale was the property of the Elvis Presley Museum in Las Vegas. The Cadillac was finished with over 40 coats of gold pearlescent paint. But before placing a bid, beware. Elvis never actually got to drive the car, as he died before it was finished. A while back, Rhett Hutchence, the younger brother of deceased INXS frontman Michael, landed himself in big trouble when selling some of the singer’s private belongings on eBay. The 44-year-old Aussie put various items up for sale to help with his move from the land of Oz to the Netherlands to be with his 28-year-old girlfriend. INXS fans were angered when they discovered he was flogging a private fax sent by Michael Hutchence to his then-girlfriend, singer Kylie Minogue. People say that eBay attracts nutters. Really? On what grounds are you basing this? The fact that a lump of chewing gum masticated by pop star Britney Spears sold for $263 after it was scraped off the floor of a London hotel where she had stayed. Or how about N-Sync fan Kathy Summers, who spent $3,154 to own a piece of French toast partially eaten by her idol Justin Timberlake in 2006. Summers stated her plans for the memorabilia would be to “probably freeze-dry it, then seal it… then put it on my dresser.” Did you know that the Pink Floyd song ‘Arnold Layne’ was about a guy who used to steal ladies’ underwear from washing lines? Well, he needn’t have bothered. Singer Cher sold her bra in 2007 for an undisclosed amount of money (which went to charity). And a couple of years back some guy paid $3,000 for a jewelled bra which Shakira wore on her Oral Fixation world tour in 2007. If only Arnold had used eBay. Some auctions are sensible: In 2004, the Detroit studio where Eminem recorded ‘My Name Is’ went up for auction on the website. Studio 8, in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale, was listed in eBay’s commercial property section for 30 days, with a minimum bid of $215,000. In 2008, a US music aficionado sold his collection of more than three million vinyl albums, singles and compact discs to an eBay buyer from Ireland for just over $3 million. An eBay spokeswoman said the sale was one of the highest ever for the online auction site. In 2019, David Gilmour’s guitar collection set several auction records when nearly 130 instruments went up for bid at Christie’s in New York. The former Pink Floyd frontman’s most iconic instrument, the so-called Black Strat, fetched $3,975,000. Other items sold included a 1954 Fender Stratocaster with the serial number 0001, which was used on the recording of “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2” went for over $1.8 million, a 1958 Gretsch White Penguin went for $447,000, and a 1955 Gibson Goldtop Les Paul, also used on “Another Brick” sold for $447,000. Christie’s declared all to be “world auction records.” Some auctions are stupid: The front door of Ozzy Osbourne’s childhood home in Birmingham went up for sale after the current owner was fed up with fans defacing it. Ali Mubarrat, who now owned the house in Lodge Road, Aston, said that over the years it had become a pilgrimage destination for Ozzy fans. So he removed it from its hinges and placed it on eBay. Water that was said to have been left in a cup Elvis Presley once drank from was sold for $455. The few tablespoons came from a plastic cup Presley sipped at a concert in North Carolina in 1977. Because everyone needs a toilet that formerly belonged to a celebrity, Henry Kolty put exactly that up for auction in 2005 after purchasing a home formerly owned by Grateful Dead singer Jerry Garcia. The loo eventually sold for $2,550. However, the toilet (and other items for sale such as two other toilets and a dishwasher used by Garcia) was stolen before the transaction could be completed. And finally: In August 2010, a man from Arizona sold an “air guitar” on eBay for $5.50. The seller claimed that it was used once at a Bon Jovi concert... Bon Jovi, the strap-ons of music. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- Six Very Expensive Music Videos (and a cheap one)  Madonna “Die Another Day” is the theme to the James Bond film of the same name. The total production costs for the video were over $6,000,000, making it the second most expensive music video ever. You wouldn’t want to meet Madge down a dark ally. Released in December 1993, Guns N’ Roses video for “Estranged” is the third and final part of an unofficial Del James trilogy of videos (preceded by “Don’t Cry” and “November Rain”) from the Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II albums. The estimated budget was $4 million. The music video for “Freeek!” incorporates a futuristic theme including Cyborgs and sophisticated technology set in a Blade Runner-esque world but with a more sexually aggressive tone. George Michael had little change left from his $2m budget. In 1984, the Duran boys spent a staggering $1m making the video for “Wild Boys” the most expensive ever at the time. The video featured singer Simon Le Bon, strapped to a spinning windmill which dunked his head beneath the water with each revolution. Lifted from their 1994 album Voodoo Lounge, “Love Is Strong” became the lowest charting first single ever for The Rolling Stones. Costing just over $1m to produce, at least Mick and the boys get to meet some very tall (and nice looking) girls as they walk the streets. 'Vienna' was Ultravox's 1981 dramatic electronic track that caught the imagination of the public, and became the group's biggest hit. The music video, directed by Russell Mulcahy, clearly was inspired by The Third Man. It cost over £6,000, which was rather expensive at the time. And to finish off, a video which won three major awards at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards: “Praise You” by Fatboy Slim, which reportedly cost only $800 to produce. This video was shot guerrilla-style without permission from the owners of the property in front of puzzled onlookers outside a movie theatre in Westwood, California. -------------------------------------------------------------- "IT'S NO.1, IT'S TOP OF THE POPS"  On 26th July 2006, the final
edition of
Top of the Pops
was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London.
Just under 200 members of the public were in the
audience for the show, which was co-hosted by a
veteran disc jockey. Classic performances from the Spice Girls, Wham!, Madonna
Beyonce and Robbie
Williams featured in the show,
alongside The Rolling
Stones who were the very first band
to appear on Top of the Pops on New Year’s Day in
1964, televised from the BBC studios in Manchester.Those early years brought all the rising stars into our living rooms: The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks, The Who, The Troggs, and any act from the other side of the pond would always end up on TOTP. The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops – they all were featured. Initially, acts performing on the show mimed to their latest record but in July 1966, just after the show had been moved to London from Manchester, and after discussions with the Musicians’ Union, miming was banned. After a few weeks during which some bands’ attempts to play as well as on their records were somewhat lacking, a compromise was reached whereby a specially recorded backing track was permitted — as long as all the musicians on the track were present in the studio. The TOTP Orchestra, led by Johnny Pearson, augmented the tracks when necessary. This arrangement continued until 1980. The show was originally intended for a short run, but ran for over 42 years; during its heyday in the 1970s, it attracted over 15 million viewers each week. Sadly, due to the BBC’s wiping old pop music programmes to save money on videotape, out of the first 500 episodes (1964–73) only about 20 complete recordings remain in the BBC archives. The programme gave us some memorable moments: When All About Eve performed a ‘live’ dubbed version of ‘Martha’s Harbour’ in 1988, owing to a studio technical error the taped vocals were broadcast without the band being able to hear them, resulting in the TV audience hearing the recorded version of the song, while the band members sat motionless on screen waiting for their cue to begin. While performing their 1982 hit ‘Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)’, Dexys Midnight Runners were seen performing in front of a projection of the darts player Jocky Wilson instead of soul singer Jackie Wilson. Opinions differ as to whether this was deliberate or accidental. When Rod Stewart and The Faces appeared playing ‘Maggie May’ they were joined by their staunch supporter DJ John Peel – miming the mandolin part that was played by Lindisfarne’s Ray Jackson on the record. Near the end of the song, Rod and the Faces begin to kick around a football – despite the fact that the music can be still heard playing in the background. Never mind the artists, here come Pan’s People. The only reason the majority of the male population tuned into the show every Thursday night wasn’t to see the latest poptastic tune – it was to drool over the girl dancers in the skimpiest of outfits. In an era before pop videos they danced to songs whose original artists were not available to perform them live. The girls had nicknames such as “Babs”, “Flick” and “Dee Dee”. After Pan’s People TOTP gave us more dancing girls: Ruby Flipper, Legs & Co. and Zoo. Some acts would send up the whole scenario – The Stranglers drummer played his kit facing the wrong way; when Oasis mimed to their hit ‘Whatever’ in 1994, one of the cello players from the symphony orchestra was replaced by rhythm guitarist Bonehead, who clearly had no idea how the instrument should be played. On Nirvana’s only performance on the show, Kurt Cobain “played” his guitar with his fingers inches away from the frets while drummer Dave Grohl danced around for most of the performance. The last show was broadcast on 30th July 2006, and it didn’t go out with a bang, more of a sad whimper. There was little support for this iconic show which saw the cream of classic Rock and Pop but now just reflected the sad state of the UK music scene. -------------------------------------------------------------- ROSEDENE NIGHT RAISES £1814 FOR RED SKY FOUNDATION  The
Wakeman gig wasn't the only outstanding success on
Saturday just gone (20th). If you remember it was
the night The Rosedene in Sunderland were hosting
a charity event in support of Red Sky Foundation
to get defibrillators rolled out in the area. The
gig was very ably headlined by those versatile
Rock and Punk lads FOUR
LETTER WORD, and supported by
Eves Apple and Gary Bennett who, it must
be mentioned, all gave of their time, effort and
considerable skills totally and completely free.
Red Sky Foundation contacted Michael from Four Letter Word with
their appreciation of the evening raising a very
respectable
£1814. As Michael told Riffs "Good
going for a single night event in a pub." He
continued "Chuffed
to bits and it means a 2nd defibrillator
will be installed at a location of Steve's
family's choosing in the locality." This
one-off charity gig was in loving memory of
Stephen Shotton,
the brother-in-law of Phil Riley, drummer
with Four Letter Word.
If it wasn't for the help of a
defibrillator, his family would have been
denied precious time with him but very sadly
Steve passed.Michael appreciates it's a joint effort to put on an event like this, as it relies on so many people - not least people actually turning up! "So much hard work went into this event and we'd like to thank everyone that came along and gave support - Unbelievable generosity." -------------------------------------------------------------- WAKEMAN AT WASHINGTON - WHO KNEW?  Snipett
of info just arrived from the Seaham Silverback
concerning the Adam
Wakeman
(son of Rick) gig at Washington Arts Centre on
Saturday Jan 20 (no, neither did we). According to
Wikipedia [hey, don't judge, it may be right this
time] Adam is currently in Ozzy
Osbourne's band as keyboardist and rhythm
guitarist. By all accounts he was "outstanding" at
Washington. As Mr Silverback reflects: "It was
one of those 'wish I'd known' moments." Not
only that, he goes on: "This isn’t the first time
he’s played there and apparently he’ll be playing
there again." Slightly miffed that Washington
Arts Centre kept this so quiet and never even told
Riffs about it. Surely free publicity should be used
at every opportunity....Mr Silverback has vowed to let Riffs know as soon as he becomes aware of Adam's return. -------------------------------------------------------------- NEVER TOO OLD TO ROCK!  Last minute gig for a band that doesn't
mind being tagged with: "the oldest band in the
North?" The Stones Story tonight (Sunday 21) at the Crown and Cannon, Winlaton with an early start of 7pm. "Well Nige, if we're not the oldest, certainly must be in contention for one of the most hard working" states Jeff from what he now informs me is down to a 4-piece. We have the latest pic of the band [left] and, if you must know . . . left to right: 72 73 67 66. Riffs says, just like the Stones, age is irrelevant - if ya got it, ya got it. With six decades to choose from, every track they play is someone's favourite . . . -------------------------------------------------------------- Brass Neck tonight (Sun 21) at St Peter's Social Bar in Newcastle is cancelled. They are rebooked for "in the very near future". -------------------------------------------------------------- MASSIVE THREE DAY FESTIVAL - LAST DAY TODAY!! Tyneside Americana Blues Festival three-day extravaganza all this weekend (last day today - Sunday 21) in North Shields is now open to walk-ins. Organiser Stephen has had extra tickets printed due to demand so that more people can enjoy the weekend. Cracking value for money. Check out the Listings page for bands and details. FINISHED NOW --------------------------------------------------------------  Really disappointing news has come our way concerning the much-anticipated 'Alice Cooper's Nightmare Theatre of Death' on February 10 at Blackhall Community Centre. Due to "health reasons" the gig has had to be cancelled. ------------------------------------------------------- Just a bit of news in from the Seaham Silverback: Looks like Alexanders Palace are off the road due to the loss of two band members. No further info at this time. ------------------------------------------------------- FOUR LETTER WORD SUPPORT DEFIBRILLATOR ROLLOUT  Local
Rockers [and Punksters, don't forget Punksters] Four
Letter Word
are pleased to announce a charity gig in loving memory
of Stephen Shotton.
Steve was the brother in law of Phil
Riley, drummer of Four Letter
Word. If it wasn't for the help of a
defibrillator, his family would have been denied
precious time with him, but very sadly Steve passed.Four Letter Wrod will be playing The Rosedene, Ashbrooke in Sunderland on SATURDAY 20TH JANUARY They will be joined by Soloist Gary Bennett and a great band - Eves Apple. Proceeds are to go to The Red Sky Foundation which promotes and places defibrillators into local communities and the aim is to raise as much money as possible to help this worthwhile organisation. This is a special and very personal outing for Four Letter Word and, as singer Michael explains: "It's our way of giving something back in memory of Steve." The band, Gary Bennett and Eves Apple are receiving no fee whatsoever for this event. All the time, effort and arranging, they are supplying totally free of charge. Michael continues: "Please come along and enjoy this free event! We give thanks to some amazing organisations, and there is a fabulous raffle prizes - with more are to come!" There is a QR code on the poster for donations if anyone so wishes. --------------------------------------------------------------- KEITH RICHARDS – The World’s Most Elegantly Wasted Human Being  2. In his autobiography, Keith said he once cleared a hotel room of unwanted guests by getting a gun out and firing it through the floor. 3. During 1993, Keith Richards adopted a stray cat in Barbados which he named Voodoo, he dubbed the terrace of the house, “the Voodoo Lounge”, which is where the name of the Stones’ 1994 album was taken. 4. From September 1950, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were classmates at Wentworth Primary School in Dartford, Kent. 5. In 1976 when Keith Richards arrived two and a half hours late for a UK court appearance, on drug and driving charges, he blamed his late arrival on the fact that his trousers had not been returned from the cleaners on time. 6. In his “Life” autobiography, Richards reckons that on average, he slept only two nights a week for many years of the Stones’ glory years. “This means that I have been conscious for at least three lifetimes,” he calculated. 7. On the night of the infamous 1967 Redlands drug bust, Keith was so far gone on LSD that when the police arrived at his Sussex country mansion, he mistook them for uniformed dwarves, welcoming them in with open arms. 8. A heavy smoker since his teens, we worked out that smoking a packet a day of Marlboros, Keith has smoked over half a million cigarettes! Venting his anger at smoking bans he said: “It’s a bit of a drag because you’ve got to freeze your balls off to light a cigarette. You’ve got to go outside. It’s draconian, social, politically correct bullshit.” 9. Keith Richards recorded the rough version of the riff for “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” in a hotel room. He ran through it once before falling asleep. He said when he listened back to it in the morning; there was about two minutes of acoustic guitar before you could hear him drop the pick and “then me snoring for the next forty minutes”. 10. Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood supported Led Zeppelin at the Knebworth Festival in 1979 in The New Barbarians. 11. 'Perirehaedulus Richardsi' is a species of prehistoric trilobite named after Keith Richards. 12. Richards was almost crushed by a pile of heavy books. He was in his home library, standing on a chair to reach a book about Leonardo da Vinci’s study of anatomy when he slipped. Many tomes came pouring down on top of him. The accident resulted in three broken ribs for Richards and a tour postponement for the Stones. 13. In 1974, Keith Richards was nominated ‘The World’s Most Elegantly Wasted Human Being’ by the New Musical Express. 14. According to Keith Richards’s autobiography, ‘Life’, “Ruby Tuesday” was written about his then girlfriend Linda Keith. Linda had taken up with Jimi Hendrix, and had got involved with drugs. She left Keith, and he tried to get her back. 15. Keith Richards’ 1953 butterscotch Fender Telecaster is nicknamed “Micawber”, after a character in Charles Dickens’ novel David Copperfield. One of his main stage guitars, its used to play “Brown Sugar“, “Before They Make Me Run” and “Honky Tonk Women”. 16. It was reported that publisher Little, Brown and Company paid an advance of $7.3 million for Keith’s memoir “Life” after seeing a ten-page extract. 17. Keith says he got the music bug aged at just three years old. His favorites were Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Big Bill Broonzy and Louis Armstrong. 18. Keith has stated that he and Jagger wrote the lyrics for “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” while staying at Richards’ country house, where they were awoken one morning by the sound of gardener Jack Dyer walking past the window. When Jagger asked what the noise was, Richards responded: “Oh, that’s Jack – that’s jumpin’ Jack.” 19. As a choirboy Keith Richards sang in a trio of boy sopranos at, among other occasions, Westminster Abbey for Queen Elizabeth II. 20. During the 1944 Nazi bomb raids over London, Richards and his mum evacuated to a region that was out of the line of fire. When things died down, they returned to find that some of their neighbors had been killed and that baby Keith’s cot had been blown up by V-1 bomb. 21. Rolling Stone magazine said Keith Richards has created “rock’s greatest single body of riffs”, and named him the 4th greatest guitarist of all time. 22. He once nearly burned down the Playboy Mansion. At a party in the 1970s, he and sax player Bobby Keys accidentally set fire to a bathroom. 23. Keith Richards played bass with John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell in The Dirty Mac for The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus TV special, filmed in 1968. 24. Keith Richards is an avid reader with a strong interest in history and owns an extensive library. An April 2010 article revealed that Richards yearns to be a librarian. 25. As a boy, Keith Richards was a Boy Scout. 26. He’s coined a name for his preferred tipple. According to the man himself, “Whiskey wasn’t agreeing with me anymore. The old body couldn’t take it. Brandy is a killer, and wine is best with food, so somehow I settled on this.” His recipe is 2 oz. premium vodka. 1 oz. of orange soda and plenty of ice. Keith calls it Nuclear Waste. 27. Keith Richards made a cameo appearance as Captain Teague, the father of Captain Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp), in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, released in May 2007, and won the Best Celebrity Cameo award at the 2007 Spike Horror Awards. 28. During the making of 1972’s Exile on Main St., mostly recorded at Richards’s rented villa Nellcote in the south of France, Richards and Pallenberg were deep in the throes of heroin addiction. Richards had a penchant for passing out, sometimes with the needle still in his arm or – on one occasion – a lit cigarette in his hand. The bed went up in flames, and Richards and Pallenberg woke up just in time to escape. 29. Richards is known for loving shepherd’s pie. He demands it on tour. 30. In April 2006, on holiday in Fiji, Keith suffered a head injury after falling out of a tree; he subsequently underwent cranial surgery at a New Zealand hospital. The incident caused a six-week delay in launching the Rolling Stones’ 2006 European tour. 31. In 2008 fashion house Louis Vuitton unveiled an advertising campaign featuring a photo of Richards with his ebony Gibson ES-355, taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz. Richards donated the fee for his involvement to the Climate Project, an organisation for raising environmental awareness. 32. Nellcôte, which was leased during the summer of 1971 by Keith Richards, and used for recording sessions for their Exile on Main St. album, had previously served as the headquarters of the local Gestapo during the Nazi occupation of France in the early 1940s. 33. After the Rolling Stones signed to Decca Records in 1963 their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, dropped the ‘s’ from Richards’ surname believing ‘Keith Richard’ in his words ‘looked more pop’. In the early 1970s Richards re-established the ‘s’ in his surname. 34. His grandfather ‘Gus’ Dupree gave him his first guitar. 35. Richards, along with Mick Jagger and numerous other guests, sang on the Beatles’ 1967 TV broadcast of “All You Need Is Love”. 36. Richards has been tried on drug-related charges five times: in 1967, twice in 1973, in 1977, and in 1978. 37. Keith has worked with Tom Waits on three occasions: Waits’ album Rain Dogs (1985); co-writing, playing and sharing the lead vocal on “That Feel” on Bone Machine (1992); and adding guitar and vocals to “Bad As Me” (2011). 38. As the guitarist revealed in an interview, then confirmed in his autobiography ‘Life’, he once snorted the ashes of his dad. “The truth of the matter is that after having Dad’s ashes in a black box for six years, because I really couldn’t bring myself to scatter him to the winds, I finally planted a sturdy English oak to spread him around,” Richard wrote. “And as I took the lid off of the box, a fine spray of his ashes blew out on to the table. I couldn’t just brush him off so I wiped my finger over it and snorted the residue. Ashes to ashes, father to son.” 39. When it was published in 2010, ‘Life’ was showered with critical acclaim from all quarters, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd anointed Richards “the consummate gentleman.” 40. Keith Richards’ beach-front Caribbean holiday home at Parrot Cay Resort in the Turks and Caicos Islands is available for rent, at £35,000 a week. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ROLLING STONES ISSUES "CEASE AND DESIST" NOTICE TO 'THE STONES STORY' BAND  Yep, looks like the Rolling
Stones don't like anyone using
the tongue and lips logo (left) and if you do, prepare
for a letter from their attorneys! Our local tribute
to this iconic band fell foul of this just this
weekend (13/14 Jan) and, as you would if you are a
tribute to these fine and musically gifted gentlemen,
removed the offending graphic immediately.As THE STONES STORY became more well known, they received requests from venues and festivals for videos, bios, images, etc so they set up a website and dedicated email. Hence https://thestonesstory.com/ (still under construction) and stonesstoryinfo@gmail.com. Jeff from the band (the Stones Story, not The Rolling Stones!) told Riffs:"Within a few days of going live and putting a few pictures and images up, we received an email concerning trademark infringement!" Riffs has also been there, albeit a while ago now. But I digress. Jeff continued: "At first I thought it was a scam or someone having a joke but after a bit of googling we discovered Parker Advocaten do indeed act for The Rolling Stones company Musidor B.V. who own the TL (Tongue and Lips) logo. They requested that we voluntarily agree to remove any logos as the suggestion was that we were connected with The Rolling Stones. Not wanting to get on Mick and Keith's wrong side we obeyed instructions, removed any logos and got a very nice thank you from The Rolling Stones via Parker Advocaten." Drama averted. But Jeff has made a point: "It's quite flattering to think that Mick and Keith felt threatened by five old guys from the North East!" "We're not angry." --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- DID YOU KNOW . . . Before becoming famous, Jimi Hendrix recorded singles with Don Covay & the Goodtimers, Frank Howard & the Commanders, The Isley Brothers, Little Richard, Mr. Wiggles and the Wigglin’ Men as well as American film actress Jayne Mansfield. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Whole Hog are now
available Friday 12 January or Saturday 13
January. Please ring 07880746648
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Led Zeppelin – Australia 1972  The group had built up a loyal following down under with their first four albums all making the top 3 on the Australian charts (both Led Zep II and III reached No.1). The plan for this tour, which commenced on February 16 and concluded on February 29 1972, was for the group to stop off en route at Singapore for a concert on February 14, but the local authorities refused their entry due to local laws banning males from wearing long hair! Led Zeppelin received rave reviews for this tour and black and white footage of some of their concert at Sydney on February 27 were filmed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, some of this footage was later made available on the Led Zeppelin DVD, released in 2003. The tour: 16th Feb 1972 Led Zeppelin made their Australian live debut when they kicked off a six-date tour at the Subiaco Oval, Perth. Police battled with over 500 fans who rammed locked gates trying to get into the concert. Over 4,000 fans stood outside the venue without tickets. 17th Feb 1972 Police raided the Scarborough Hotel in Perth, Australia where all the members of Led Zeppelin were staying after their debut live performance in the country the night before. Police woke all the members and searched their baggage and belongings but no drugs were found. Jimmy Page told a local paper: “They came into our rooms and started abusing us – they were very rude”. 18th Feb 1972 Memorial Drive, Adelaide. Zeppelin had brought to Adelaide the largest PA system seen in Australia to produce what was expected to be the loudest rock show ever heard. 20th Feb 1972 Led Zeppelin played an afternoon show at Kooyong Tennis Courts, Melbourne to over 15,000 fans. Zeppelin were forced off the stage near the end of the show after a rainstorm developed suddenly at this outdoor venue, but returned to finish the set. 24th Feb 1972 Led Zeppelin appeared in front of over 20,000 fans at the Western Springs Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand, the group’s first ever gig in New Zealand. News reviews the next day reported the band could be heard over 5 miles from the Stadium. 27th Feb 1972 Led Zeppelin appeared at Sydney Showgrounds, over 25,000 fans attending the show. [video from this night linked to top pic] 29th Feb 1972 On the last date of an Australian tour Led Zeppelin played at the Festival Hall in Brisbane. On the 20th anniversary of the original release of Led Zeppelin IV, it was announced that ‘Stairway To Heaven’ had logged up an estimated 2,874,000 radio plays (back to back, that would run for 44 years solid). As of 2000 the song had been broadcast on radio over three million times. --------------------------------------------------------------------------  Lemmy
Kilmister 1945- Dec 28, 2015
--------------------------------------------------------------------HATE TO SAY WE TOLD YOU SO . . .   . . . but the Deeks Christmas night at Heaton Buffs on Saturday 16th
not only went down a storm "It was another
cracking night" enthused Robert
from the venue, but they also entered into the
Christmas spirit by wearing Christmas jumpers
on stage. And Riffs has
exclusive pictures to prove it! "It was
the busiest night of the year so far" said an
ecstatic Robert. ELO,
Sting, Supertramp, Eagles, even the Boomtown Rats were
played with consummate ease."It was a fantastic night with a proper club band", explained Robert. "The Deeks [aka Deek The Juice] have been playing at the Buffs since the mid 90s and they never disappoint. Over 200 people turned out to see them on Saturday, and I think that speaks volumes about the band". As The Seaham Silverback enthused in his review of the Deeks in June of this year . . . "Harmonies were unmatched by any local band I have seen" and "I cannot recommend them highly enough". "This was entertainment - not just a couple of sets of Rock classics". The Deeks have just two gigs in the pipeline at present: December 31st: Grindon Broadway Club, Gordon Road, Sunderland at 8pm. Door charge. January 1st: Charles Atwood Club, Wolsingham at 7pm. £10 tickets from club. As Robert from Heaton Buffs concludes: "They will be back on next year, so if you haven't already seen them, come along to the Buffs and see a proper band on the big stage, playing top class live music." Gotta let Robert have the last word: "We handled the juice - but can you?" https://www.facebook.com/deekthejuice/ --------------------------------------------------------------------
Quick
mensh for the Qween UK
gig recently at the Westovian - another sellout!
Check out our Listings page for their next gig. Dec
26 at Hartlepool.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
As in previous years Riffs
will be open all over the Christmas period for amends,
additions, deletions - even News items. The first five
floors will be roped off and only the top floor will
be in use. Emails concerning the Listings page will be
handled by tantalising Tracy. Curvy Candy will be
handling the News page, and Val, as in previous years,
will be manning the phones - although after last
year's complaints from the cleaner concerning empty
gin bottles and Celebrations wrappers - it has not yet
been agreed whether visitors will be allowed access
this year.
----------------------------------------------------------------
LOVE 'EM OR HATE 'EM, THESE ARTISTS HAVE A HEART OF GOLD Taylor Swift Taylor Swift supports a variety of charitable organizations and good causes. just a few of them include Hands on Nashville, The Wyomissing, the Community Foundation of middle Tennessee, and the PA school district with a gift of $100k for rebuilding a kids playground called Kids Kingdom. Elton John Elton John donated around $38 million in 2016 alone to a variety of charities. His Elton John Aids Foundation has been going strong helping in the battle against HIV and Aids for more than two decades. Rihanna Rihanna fundraising has brought in more than $5 million. In addition to this, the star has a fondness in her heart for the people of Malawi, so she works hard to raise awareness for the need to help with health and education needs in the country through the Clara Lionel Foundation. Beyoncé Beyonce supports a whopping 27 different charities with her time and with her money. She's made donations to local churches, charities for the homeless and supported housing projects to bring in low income homes for families in need. Garth Brooks Garth Brooks supports a non profit corporation that is known as Teammates for kids, which is co-founded in 1999. The foundation is a conduit for making donations to non profit charities that serve children, particularly in the areas of health, education and for those kids within the inner cities who need support. Dr. Dre Dr. Dre donated ten million dollars for the purpose of erecting a performing arts center at the local high school. Sean "P.Diddy" Combs Sean Combs has been working on the Magnet School to offer college preparation classes at no charge for low income kids. Gwen Stefani Singer Gwen Stefani supports LGBT causes as well as supporting events that donate the proceeds to the American Red Cross. She's also involved in movements that help to raise funds for women who are vulnerable and in need of empowerment. in 2011, she donated a million dollars to the effort called Save the Children for their Earthquake Tsunami aid after the catastrophe struck the island nation. Alicia Keys Alicia Keys took the time to go to the Philippines to work helping the young survivors from the Villamor Air Base. She gave out coloring books and crayons and talked with the victims of the tragedy, being there with her presence and her physical support in their time of great need. Lil Wayne Lil Wayne donated funds that helped to build a park in New Orleans. He's also got a heart for the people of Haiti and he has made big donations to supply clothing for the children in need there. He's also made donations to purchase health care equipment for his fans in addition to supporting the victims of Hurricane Katrina with a two hundred thousand dollar donation for rebuilding a park and ensuring that it was done in grand style. Barbra Streisand Barbara Streisand donated more than a million and a half to help fund charities that deal with women's cardiovascular research and education through the Cedars Sinai hospital and many other organizations which are completed through her own Barbara Streisand Foundation. Chance The Rapper Chance the Rapper established the new Chance Arts and literature Fund for starters. In addition to this, he's raised millions of dollars in donation for the Chicago public School system. Ariana Grande Ariana Grande is the celebrity singer who is responsible for organizing the One love Manchester concert. She did so after the May 22nd bomb detonation that killed over 20 who were leaving one of her concerts. She raised an estimated $13 million. One Direction The former boy band One Direction got together as a team and raised money to help those who are afflicted with cancer for the Stand Up to Cancer campaign. They raised more than a quarter of a million dollars in the event which was held prior to the break up of their group. They also supported other worthy causes such as Greenpeace, Sport Relief and Comic Relief campaigns. Willie Nelson Willie Nelson joined forces with John Mellencamp and Neil Young and they put together a concert that they called Farm Aid. It raised over $45 million and it helped many farm families to keep their homes and their livelihoods. Bruno Mars Bruno Mars raised money through his 24K Magic World Tour and donated $1 million to help with the problems with the water source in Flint Michigan with the lead poisoning in the water. Nicki Minaj Nicki Minaj gives of her time to help a tiny village in the country of India. She's also been known to help some of her fans who are in need of help paying for their college tuition and she even opened a charity for this purpose. She's responsible for providing the village she supports with free education, a computer center and clean water through her financial donations. Justin Timberlake Justin Timberlake has donated around $3 million to the Shriner's Children's Hospital and also participated in a golfing event to raise money for charity. He also donated his CMA guitar to a USO charity to be auctioned off for a worthy cause. 2 Chainz 2 Chainz raised an estimated $2 million to be donated to families in need of furniture, rent and other things. He's also flat out bought vehicles for families who were victims of catastrophe. Justin Bieber Justin Bieber helped to raise over a million dollars to help in the effort to supply much needed aid for the victims of the catastrophic typhoon that hit the Philippines. Basically, whatever money you have, spare some for someone who is desperate for help..................... ------------------------------------------------------------ A THOUGHT FOR CHRISTMAS: Pleasing everyone is nigh on impossible. Pissing everyone off? - piece of cake. --------------------------------------------------------- DARE YOU ENTER . . . The Theatre of Death?!!!  After
putting on some of the region's most prestigious
shows - most being a sell-out and featuring the
cream of what the North-East (and beyond) has to
offer - Riffs has managed to twist organiser Graeme Young's arm to
give us a few words. Riffs was, again, pleased to
be asked to whip up an advert for Alice Cooper's Nightmare
to be held at Blackhall Community Centre on
Saturday Feb 10. Tickets always go fast for
Graeme's gigs so get in there quick.Here's what he had to tell us about his latest offering: "After a long line of top rock Tribute bands including Livewire, Van Hailen, Deep Purple in Rock , AC/DC GB, Maiden U.K., Strangers In the Night, etc., it’s now the turn of Alice Cooper's Nightmare and supreme Rock Covers band “New Breed Revolution“ to take to the stage at this popular live rock venue. It is set to be a magical night as Alice Cooper's Nightmare brings his Theatre of Death with all ghastly goings on. At just £13 a ticket, this is not to be missed." ------------------------------------------------------------------ Classic Clapton Farewell Concert  CLASSIC
CLAPTON, the Eric Clapton Tribute Band featuring
frontman Mike Hall, will be performing at Sage
Gateshead (now
called The Glasshouse International Centre
for Music). This is
likely to be the final concert by the full
Classic Clapton band. In future Mike intends to
continue with acoustic shows and the occasional
gig by the 'After Midnight' band.The band was formed in 1985 as
After Midnight and for many years performed
throughout the North East doing a variety of
covers of classic rock songs. In 2000 they
began touring the UK as an Eric Clapton tribute
band. They called the show "CLASSIC
CLAPTON". This will be their fifth
appearance at this venue. There are
very few tickets left for this show.
They will be performing at Sage Gateshead on Saturday 2 December. Doors open 7.30pm, band on stage 8pm. A few tickets priced £20 are still available from the box office: 0191 443 4661 and also online at www.theglasshouseicm.org. They will perform all of EC's classic songs including Wonderful Tonight, Crossroads, I Shot The Sheriff, Cocaine, Lay Down Sally and of course Layla! There will even be an “UNPLUGGED” segment. https://www.facebook.com/events/1397519524117443/?ref=newsfeed http://www.classic-clapton.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TYNESIDE AMERICANA BLUES FESTIVAL CULLERCOATS CRESCENT CLUB: JANUARY 19, 20, 21 
 I think one glance at the line up and the posters here you can see just how much work has gone into organising this. Stephen has explained to Riffs that he has had overwhelming response from bands willing to play. He told Riffs: "I've had 112 bands contact me for a gig and as soon as I got a few big names, the rest just came pouring in." He is most insistent, though, that  he
wants local punters to enjoy what's on
offer. "I've got people from Sweden,
Germany, etc. travelling to the
North East. Loads
from Scotland,
North West
England,
Yorkshire,
Lancashire too.
But I don't want
local fans to miss
out, as the
tickets are
selling fast."
Not only that, but
single handed he's
boosted tourism in
the area. He
continues: "Yes,
these ticket
buyers are needing
somewhere to stay,
hotels are doing a
great trade."He says though, that the three gigs are definitely ticket only, no walk-ups. Mainly, he says, because "There'll be no space anyway. Which is why I want our North-East punters getting in." There is also a VIP PASS available which includes a stack of goodies (see poster pic left) and a Photo Shoot wth Eric Bell, Martin Turner, John Verity, etc. Enquiries to johntate321@aol.com. To buy tickets for the event: https://tickets.matterpay.com/s/crescent-club. For enquiries: StephenjDonnelly61@gmail.com Cullercoats phone number: 0191 2802625. And Riffs has designed a poster for the event which I have posted on the Listings page. This poster will be updated with any and all amends - as will the Listings page. It is inevitable that bands will pull out and others will take their place. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tyneside Americana Blues Festival: January 19-21. Details coming very soon..... ---------------------------------------------------------------------   Riffs'
local man on the ground - the Seaham Silverback -
was out and about at the weekend although, by his
own admission, it's been a while due to
"Foreign holidays, illness, band cancellations
and a load of shite being booked by local
venues". His highlight was THE DEEKS at Hetton
Big Club last night (Nov 3) ["well where's the
review?" I hear you shout in unison]. No
review as Riffs already has several - a couple of
which penned by our very own Val from a while back
when they were THE DUSTY TOOLS - and we never like
to show favouritism (I've added a review from
June this year (left)). Suffice to say that
these guys are shit hot, top of their game and
show so much skill live, sometimes it's damn
embarrassing just to be among so much talent. Even
though it was quiet at the weekend, The Deeks
always pull a decent crowd. "There was at
least a 50% increase in numbers in the club" continues
the Silverback, "and the people I spoke to
were mighty impressed with the performance".
Why they don't have gigs coming out of their ears
Riffs just can't understand. Although as the
Silverback explains: "Venues are in a strange
position on the lead up to Christmas, money can
be tight and there’s works parties on, so
there’s no guarantee that the punters will come
to your shows, the bus strike can’t be helping
anyone but the taxi firms (they tell me you
can’t get a taxi for love nor money after 6.00pm
these days). ‘Twas ever so, everything seems to
conspire against you."Wish we could wave a magic wand so that every quality band gets the gigs they deserve - all Riffs can say is: If you book 'em, we'll shout about 'em. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 Riffs blatant advertising bit:
Just a tenner
each for these boxed ads. A bloody steal you
must admit!!
(Supplied as a jpg so you can use it for posters, flyers or post on your facebook page, webpage etc.) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------  On
the 6 October 1959 Jerry
Keller was at No.1 on the singles
chart with “Here Comes Summer” and became one of
the first one-hit wonders, Keller later went on to
be a vocalist for television jingles throughout
the 1970s and 1980s.They say every living person on the planet is here for a reason — and if your reason just happens to be adding your name to that much-discussed list of one-hit wonders, then so be it. The description on Wikipedia is a little harsh: “A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success.” Well, there are worse ways to earn a living. And like everything in life, some one-hit wonders are better than others. In this modern age we don’t even notice one-hit wonders; we don’t really pay close attention to the charts anymore. What’s at No.1 this week? Anybody know? Anyway, here are a few examples, and let’s start with Jerry Keller. “Here Comes Summer” is not a bad song; in fact, for the time a good song. Jerry did okay; he also co-wrote “A Man and a Woman”, which was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Engelbert Humperdinck, Johnny Mathis and José Feliciano, so he must have made a few bob there. Jerry also became a much sought after session singer for television jingles throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Let’s leap into the ’70s for a bit of “Kung Fu Fighting”. Carl Douglas released the single in 1974, at the cusp of a chopsocky film craze, and topped both the British and American charts, winning the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Selling Single. The song was originally meant to be a B-side to a song called “I Want to Give You My Everything”. Douglas recorded “Kung Fu” in just the last ten minutes of a three-hour recording session — in only two takes. It eventually went on to sell 11 million records worldwide. Now that’s what I call a good day’s work. I think we have a trend developing here. You’ve noticed most of these tunes are incredibly annoying. And this one’s going to stick in your head: Oh, Mickey, you’re so fine You’re so fine you blow my mind Hey, Mickey Hey, Mickey Oh, Mickey, you’re so fine You’re so fine you blow my mind Hey, Mickey Hey, Mickey “Mickey” was a 1982 smash for choreographer Toni Basil. Basil had changed her name from Kitty to Mickey (because she was fond of The Monkees’ Mickey Dolenz after meeting him on the set of their movie Head as a choreographer), and gave herself a place in the list of one-hit wonders. Gabriele Susanne Kerner is a German singer and actress who rose to international fame in 1983 with the song “99 Luftballons”, re-recorded in English as “99 Red Balloons”. Better known by her stage name Nena, she was a very attractive young lady who would perform the song surrounded by a stage full of … balloons. This is a good song enabling Nena to become a huge star in Europe, releasing solo albums and has hosted several TV shows. But there are numerous one-hit wonders that, even today, remain very popular. See how many you remember . . . Ricky Valance: Tell Laura I Love Her B. Bumble and the Stingers: Nut Rocker The Crazy World of Arthur Brown: Fire Zager and Evans: In the Year 2525 Matthews Southern Comfort: Woodstock Typically Tropical: Barbados Billy Swan: I Can Help Althea and Donna: Uptown Top Ranking Brian and Michael: Matchstick Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs Joe Dolce: Shaddap You Face M/A/R/R/S: Pump Up The Volume Maybe the most recent one-hit wonder is “Macarena,” the Spanish dance song which uses a type of cave rhythm sung by Los del Rio about a woman of the same name. It was ranked the “#1 Greatest One-Hit Wonder of all Time” by VH1 in 2002. It’s one of those songs that sticks in your head all day — so I’m sorry if you’ve just sung it out loud, this will stay with you until you go to bed. We’ve had some other novelty one-hit wonders: Rick Dees’ “Disco Duck”, related to the disco craze of the 1970s, C.W. McCall’s “Convoy”, and ”Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies. And now to a favourite — Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit In The Sky”. Greenbaum had previously been a member of psychedelic jug band Dr. West’s Medicine Show and Junk Band. With that great guitar riff, hand-clapping and spiritual lyrics, “Spirit” has been used in countless films (Apollo 13, Wayne’s World 2), many advertisements and television shows. It’s also been covered by many acts including Doctor and The Medics, who also took the song to No.1 with a version in 1986. It was also recorded by a band called The Cheaters, although their version reached only No.84 on the chart, not even high enough to give them a mention in the Guinness Book of hit singles. It could’ve been their only No.1 hit — and then they would’ve joined the ranks of the other one-hit wonders. -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Magnesia Bank, North Shields has closed its doors indefinitely from immediate effect (apparently for building work to be undertaken). Also, just in . . . .The Black Horse Monkseaton Whitley Bay are looking to fill Friday nights with Rock bands. It may make sense for all of the bands that now have been cancelled to contact Black Horse via Facebook. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- PAY ON DOOR NOW AVAILABLE  -------------------------------------------------------------------------  The Trillians Newcastle gig
tickets are £26.35. (And no, Riffs didn't design
the poster, cos if we did we wouldn't have put
an apostrophe in 'Trillians').
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Performance was faultless"  Just
heard from John Mitten concerning the
Metal Militia and Tyne
Maiden gig at Blackhall Welfare Hall on
Saturday 14th. Always nice (not to mention
helpful!) to get feedback on gigs. This is
what John had to say:"The night was a great success, top marks to Metal Militia on their performance, it was faultless. Tyne Maiden can also be really proud of themselves on their performance, even though they were nervous beforehand, once on stage the nerves were forgotten. There was a good crowd and they really enjoyed the night. Many thanks to Graeme Young for organising the event, and to the sound crew who got the sound perfect. Not bad for a little village. Let's try and keep music live. Looking forward to Feb 2024 for the Alice Cooper tribute night. J.M." Nice to note that John gave a mensh to the sound crew. Not just good, not even great, but "perfect". I mean, everything hangs on the sound. Without that, what ya' got?! [Pic not from the night, just from MMs website] -------------------------------------------------------------------  We
have news of a music venue just opened in Co
Durham. Riffs understands it is a cafe during the
day & acoustic, roots, blues, folk &
original music venue at night (shades of CBGBs).
The full address is The White Room, 15
Station Road, Stanley, DH9 0JL. According to
contact Rico, they have "Lots
of top quality musicians booked & looking
forward to welcoming people through the doors."
By all accounts not a large venue and, because
of this, all gigs will have a cover charge due to
limited capacity and the existing licensing
agreement.I did try to get a list of gigs but "there are too many to list" was the reply. But you can check 'em out here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/white-room-events. Which looks to me like it's ticket only and no walk ups. If anybody has been and would like to let Riffs know what it's like, please do. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hey, hey, ya got me rockin' now"  Well, the saying "Best
laid plans . . ." can be no more accurate
than applied to the unveiling of the Stones
tribute THE
STONES STORY. Their
much-anticipated first gig in September of this
year was usurped (in a good way) by their
appearance at the prestigious Stevestock
which was offered to them and they
gratefully accepted, and then as their 'first gig'
approached the band was laid low by the dreaded
Covid virus. The lads - well, I say lads, but
these guys have all 'been there, done that' and
know their craft inside out, and not only don't
hide their age but are damn proud to have that
wealth of experience that cannot be gained any
other way."Each one of us has over 50 years gigging experience" admits Jeff. In fact, these guys are nearly as old as the Rolling Stones themselves - now how's that for commitment?! John Watchman Guitar and Vocals, 71, ex Love Affair, Tommy Morrison Band, Yellow, Oddballs. Geoff Lincoln Bass, 66, ex Young Bucks, Kathryn Tickell, Caffreys, Flying Vs. George Defty Drums, 72, Ex everybody! Geordie, Tommy Morrison Band, 747, Brass Alley, Caffrey, worked with Paul Rodgers. Eric Booth Vocals and Harmonica, 72, ex Off The Wall (22 years!) Jeff Grant Guitar and Vocals, 65, 1/2 ex Flying Vs, Oddballs. Jeff from the band has been in touch with Riffs with some background info, so I'll let Jeff take it from here...  "It's
taken a long time for John and I, one time Oddball guitar
slingers, to find musicians who can reproduce
the sounds of The
Stones classic hits and they
were hiding in plain sight really! George and
John have been friends and played in bands
together since their teens, Geoff and I played
together in The
Flying Vs and Eric and I were
members of the Henry's
Swing Club Open Mic House Band.
We aim to get as close to the original single or
album versions as we can using the right
instruments and tunings. We've spent weeks
rehearsing the show and our first gig is at
Secret Garden, Seaton Delaval on Saturday 28th
October followed by a trip to one of our
favourite venues The Maggie Bank for an
afternoon gig on 29th. The following week we are
at Teal Farm, Washington and gigs are coming in
all the time at pubs and clubs around the
region. The time is right for a good Stones tribute
in the region. There's currently a lot of
interest in The
Rolling Stones following the
release of their first studio album in 18 years
with 'Hackney Diamonds'. We are hoping to get
the first single 'Angry' into our set for the
first gigs. And it's certainly a lot cheaper to
come and see us rather than the real thing -
which I can attest to, having been in the golden
circle at 2022's Hyde Park concert! Like The Stones we
are all "pensioners" and we are all playing
better than we've ever done. It just goes to
show age is no barrier in rock!"Contact: Jeff on 07966545670 or DM Jeff at The Stones Story FB ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Just an update on the REGENESIS gig coming up for the Three Tuns in Gateshead next Friday - 13th - Paul is now throwing open the doors to walk-ins. Not only that, but he is not charging any more than the £10 ticket price, so this way it is fair, and everyone at the gig has paid the same amount. This gig is creating quite a hubub and I suspect those doors won't be open for too long..............   "I
was lucky enough to be at ReGenesis’ Empire
Shepherds Bush gig, hearing them faultlessly
execute some of our most difficult material.
In addition to being nice guys, ReGenesis are
extremely gifted musos in their own right."Steve Hackett – guitarist, Genesis Could it be the North-East's best-kept secret that one of the (if not THE) best Genesis tribute bands are playing the Three Tuns in Gateshead in just a week?!! (Friday 13th). Well, a big slap on the wrist for landlord Paul who informed Riffs of this gig only today - Friday 6th - and that tickets, at just a tenner, are still on sale for this prestigious REGENESIS gig. When you have no less than Steve Hackett calling the band "faultless" then surely this gig is a must for any Genesis fan. As the band have been going for over thirty years I seriously suspect it's gonna be one of those gigs where you expect a lot - but receive even more. REGENESIS ARE: Tony Patterson – Vocals and flute Nigel Appleton – Drums, backing vocals and 12 string guitar Nick Loebner – Bass, bass pedals, 12-string guitars Stewart Colley – Lead guitar Doug Melbourne – Keyboards and backing vocals Roger Binyon – Sound Rick Hicks – Lighting Oh, and for anyone not having been to the Three Tuns before, it's easy to find (right on the crossroads) and plenty of parking. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, it's that time of year again [hey, well done Nige, new you stil had it in ya']. I've just been through the Bands Websites and contact info page to see if everything is up to date, clearing out all unused or dead links. Couple of links which weren't working which surprised me are FM and T.Rox. If either of those bands can let me know of the correct links I will add them asap. All other non-working sites have been deleted. If you think you have been deleted by mistake just let me know and I will re-instate. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------  ---------------------------------------------------------------- "Exchange the cold days for the sun"  Readers
will be no doubt relieved to note that Terry's
bargain coach got him and his entourage to sunny,
sunny Spain recently with no problems whatsoever.Indeed, those few gigs morphed into seven and went so exceptionally well that he has been begged to return asap. Not surprisingly, as this is the guy who our very own North-East legend Russ Tippins spoke about so highly. And if Russ waxes lyrical about anybody then you'd be a fool not to take notice. And talking of taking notice, Stevestock attendees will have surely noticed Mr Gorman's guest spot on the Sunday afternoon where he was ably accompanied by no less than Ian Douglas, sax player from Mojo Hand. "He made it so different" enthused Terry. To date Terry has four gigs in October (see poster, left) but if any more crop up you can be sure they will be highlighted on Riffs Listings page. But don't expect to see Terry in the run-up to Christmas as he will be entertaining the Spaniards and ex-pats alike. Our loss, without a doubt. Oh, the tank, ya wanna know about the tank? Yeah, it has crossed my mind too............. ----------------------------------------------------------------  -----------------------------------------------------------------  Full House
play Frankie Miller - a marvellous and suitable
tribute. Headlining Hallelujah 3 on Friday Oct 27th
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------  Bit of
slip-up with Qween
UK's gig this
coming Friday (29th) as the lads forgot to let
Riffs know it was even happening!It is now showing on our Listings page, so any interested parties for this Middlesbrough gig need to get tickets booked rather sharpish as their last gig was sold out many weeks in advance. Rob from the band assures me that there are only a few tickets left for this gig and, as seems to be happening more often than not, he is expecting a full house - which always ensures a magnifico performance from the band. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subterranean Homesick Blues  On 13th January 1965, the first day of recording sessions for Bob Dylan’s 'Bringing It All Back Home' album was held at Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios in New York City. Dylan recorded what became two classic tracks — “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, and “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.” “Subterranean Homesick Blues” became Dylan’s first Top 10 hit on the singles chart. Allso a US Top 40 hit, peaking at No.39 on the Billboard Hot 100. But the track is probably best known for its innovative film clip (which first appeared in D.A. Pennebaker’s documentary, Dont Look Back). Dylan came up with the idea of holding up cue cards with selected words and phrases from the lyrics, and the clip was shot in an alley behind the Savoy Hotel in London. The cue cards, which were written by Donovan, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Neuwirth and Dylan himself, have intentional misspellings and puns throughout the clip: for instance, when the song’s lyrics say “eleven dollar bills” the poster says “20 dollar bills.” The clip is one of the first “modern” promotional films, a forerunner of what later became known as the music video. Dylan became a huge influence on The Beatles, especially John Lennon and later Bob and George Harrison became very close friends. Other acts acknowledged having felt Dylan’s influence include Pete Townshend, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Nick Cave, Patti Smith, Syd Barrett, Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits. More than 3,000 artists have covered Dylan songs, and his influence can still be heard today in modern music — just listen to Mumford & Sons. Dylan’s influence wasn’t just for budding pop stars. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak initially bonded over their mutual obsession with Bob Dylan, the former an obsessive collector of Dylan concert bootlegs from the early electric period of 1965 and 1966. Just think, no Bob Dylan — no Apple! Jobs’ biographer has stated that Dylan’s words “struck chords of creative thinking” in Jobs, who finally met Dylan when the singer was playing near Palo Alto in October of 2004. “We sat on the patio outside his room and talked for two hours,” said Jobs. “I was really nervous, because he was one of my heroes, and I was also afraid that he wouldn’t be really smart any more, but I was delighted. He was everything I’d hoped.” Dylan’s own thoughts on Jobs have not been recorded. They met up the next time that Dylan came through town, and Jobs told him that his favourite song was “One Too Many Mornings,” only for Dylan to play it that night. “He’s one of my all-time heroes,” said Jobs. “My love for him has grown over the years, it’s ripened. I can’t figure out how he did it when he was so young.” Dylan has played over 3,000 concerts, covering all corners of the globe, and has released over 40 albums. Finally, if you are in any doubt as to Dylan’s continuing relevance, bear in mind that a recent song is Adele’s version of “Make You Feel My Love,” a great song, but not written by her, as many assume. Yes, it’s another one of Bob’s — from his 'Time Out Of Mind' album. ----------------------------------------------------------  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HAND OF FATE  That
fickle finger of fate strikes again - this time
it's with the much anticipated second gig of the
Rolling Stones tribute,
THE STONES STORY which was planned for this Friday
at the West Moor Club in Newcastle.Covid, despite little mention on the news, is still alive and wreaking havoc and has struck down a band member. They are, as you would expect, doing the right thing and taking utmost precautions. The gig will not now go ahead but as soon as they get back on their feet we will let you know........... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Whole Hog are now available on 15 / 16 / 17 September. Tel 07880 746648. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  click on poster for
details.........
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ IT'S ONLY ROCK N ROLL . . .  No
sooner than I'd uploaded the News page with the
below story on Stevestock
with Tommy
and the Oddballs and The Stones Story replacing
a couple of bands that had pulled out, than Jeff
from the Stones
Story gets in touch with many apologies
for not getting in touch sooner and some info on
this new band about to hit our live music venues.
Their first gig was all set to be the West Moor
Club in Newcastle on the 15th of this month but,
as you have now gathered, Karen has managed to
snaffle them up for this Saturday when they are
squeezed in between headliners The Whodlums and third on
the bill, The Nutopians.
I asked Jeff that, bearing in mind they had no
shortage of songs to choose from, just what era of
the Stones repertoire would the band be covering?
"We'lll cover the first song they did (Chuck Berry's Around and Around) through to the present day in roughly chronological order and try and include all the hits. Brian Jones era, the Mick Taylor years, then on to the Ronnie period." I
did mention that you were not exactly spring
chickens, will this be a help or a hindrance for
you? "We just hope the audience will enjoy and accept five old blokes rocking away on stage lol!" So you're not anxious at all? Any last minute nerves for Saturday? "We're all experienced having been playing since the 60s/70s but yeah, we are all a bit nervous about this first one. We've been in rehearsals a few weeks, meshing together. The lads are pros so it's been going really well. If we mess something up we'll just do what The Stones do - carry on and play our way out of it. Sometimes it's good to do a seat of the pants job!l" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- STEVESTOCK ALL SORTED AND READY TO ROCK I don't think it's much of a secret to bands or promoters just how difficult, complicated and stressful it is to put on an 'event' which includes numerous bands. Thankfully, this weekend's Stevestock 2023 has only two replacements - Tommy and the Oddballs stepped in when Big River pulled out, then just Wednesday of this week The Vs pulled out and were replaced by new kids on the block (although all seasoned musicians) The Stones Story (whom Riffs contacted over four days ago now for a piece we were doing to publicise the band on this very page, but got no reply!). Less work for me. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, the replacements mean a quick update of all publicity material and thankfully this was handled quickly and expertly by promoter KC (sans Sunshine Band) and everything you see should be totally bang up to date. So I think you will agree, just a fiver for any of these three days is a snip - even more so when you realise that EVERY SINGLE BAND PLAYING GETS NOT ONE PENNY. Your hard-earned fiver goes straight to the Bay Food Bank in North Shields for people who really just don't know where their next meal is coming from. After some quality rocking you can sleep soundly in your bed knowing you have done your bit. Just remember to toss the odd food item into that charity basket at Aldi, Lidl and no doubt other supermarkets. Oh, and there is no basis to the rumour that Terry Gorman will be playing an acoustic version of Ace of Spades. [so why mention it?]. Just to make it clear. [But if he's not playing it then what's the point of mentioning it?] So people won't be disappointed. [You may need professional help...] Just received today (Thursday) from promoter Karen this exclusive-to-Riffs video taken at Bay Food Bank so you can see exactly where your donation is going and how much it is appreciated..... HERE  The Whole Hog are available on Friday 8th September and Saturday 9th September. Tel 07880 746648. now sorted -------------------------------------------------------------------------- SORRY, WHAT WAS THAT? The Metallica classic 'Enter Sandman' topped a list of songs with misheard lyrics, while Mick Jagger was named as the singer people struggle most to understand. A survey of 1,000 Americans by WordFinder also suggested that 65% of people, on discovering they’ve been wrong for years about a favourite song, decide they prefer the incorrect version. “Enter Sandman” came on top overall with 70% of listeners believing the line “Exit light, enter night” was actually “Eggs and light end all nights.” 52% heard The Beatles sing “I get high, I get high, I get high” on 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' rather than the real words “I can’t hide, I can’t hide, I can’t hide.” Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' came next: “With the lights out, it’s less dangerous / Here we are now, entertain us” heard as “With the lights out, it’s Las Vegas / Hear me all now, entertainers”. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "This was a show
- this was entertainment""The set-up is the best I've seen" "Harmonies were unmatched by any local band" "I cannot recommend them highly enough" "Pristinely clean sax with a wonderful dirty sound" Catch The Deeks: Saturday, September 23: Shotton Comrades Club, Potto St, Shotton Colliery, Durham, DH6 2QJ cc Saturday, September 30: Steels Social Club, Peacock St West, Sunderland, SR4 6LQ cc -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "We're off to sunny, sunny Spain . . . " TERRY GORMAN SETS HIS SIGHTS ON SPAIN FOR AN IRISH DOUBLER  As, according to Terry's claim
he won't be sleeping 'til Tan Hill (ya' all
haven't been paying attention have ya?) he's had
oodles of time to put the final touches to
arranging the tour bus ("lick o' paint and
it'll be as good as new, Nige") to Fwenter
. . . Fortuentr . . . Spain for his double
nighter at Murphy's Bar
in Corralejo. It's Friday 15th and
Saturday 16th of September.No more seats are available and, contrary to persistent rumour, he will not be supplying food and drink for the journey - that's entirely up to the happy throng to arrange their own sustenance for the 24-28 hour [takes a swift peak at the bus] 36-52 hour journey. Mr Gorman is also, by all accounts, gaining a robust reputation for his own self-penned numbers which seem to be as, or even more, popular than his covers. No quote was forthcoming, but his ultra-wide smile said it all. Mr Gorman is also rumoured for a special guest slot at Stevestock weekend (8, 9, 10 Sep). Promoter Karen confirmed "We'd be honoured to have him on, we're hoping we can squeeze him in on the Sunday, around 1.30pm." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Crookfest line-up for 2024 now on website www.crookfest.co.uk ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "WE WANT YOU TO PLAY A GIG - BUT WE AIN'T PAYING YA". "WHAT? FUCK THAT!" That, thankfully, was not the reply from bands who are playing for Stevestock 2023. So Riffs is giving a big shout out to the following top local bands who are, very graciously, going to the trouble of collecting all their gear, travelling to the Salt Market Social in North Shields, humping their gear on to the stage, setting it up, sound-checking and then awaiting their turn to please the crowd - for absolutely FREE. They will receive not a single penny. Zilch, zero. In fact, it's gonna cost them to play the gig! They are all doing this to support The Bay Food Bank in North Shields for people who just don't know where their next meal is coming from. 'There but for the grace of God'. We can do our bit though - get along (Fri Sat Sun, Sep 8, 9, 10) fork out a measly fiver and enjoy some crackin' live music. FOUR LETTER WORD / STONEY BROKE / THE ZOINKS / THE STAX BROTHERS / THE WHODLUMS / THE STONES STORY / NUTOPIANS / FM / TOMMY AND THE ODDBALLS / THE BRIT PACK / LITTLE PECULIAR / CATARACT. Well done lads, always room here for you at Riffs. See Riffs Listings page for details. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A SPACE ODDITY  On
20th June 1969,
David Bowie recorded ‘Space
Oddity’, recorded at Trident Studios, London. The
track went on to become a No.1 when re-released in
1975. Written about the launch of Major Tom, a
fictional astronaut; Bowie
would later revisit his Major Tom character in the
songs “Ashes to Ashes”, ‘Hallo Spaceboy’, “New
Killer Star” and “Blackstar”.Davy Jones had released a string of singles – the former singer with The Konrads and The King Bees had seen his debut single, “Liza Jane”, credited to Davie Jones and the King Bees, sink without trace. Then came “I Pity The Fool”, then another one, which no one can remember, and then his fifth unsuccessful single release, “Do Anything You Say”. ‘Maybe it’s my name’, he thought, dissatisfied with his stage name as Davy (and Davie) Jones, which in the mid-1960s invited confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees, Bowie then re-named himself after the 19th-century American frontiersman Jim Bowie and the knife he had popularised. So then came his April 1967 solo single, “The Laughing Gnome”, utilizing sped-up Chipmunk-style vocals. Now David himself would have admitted, this was probably a mistake. Let’s leave that one there. Because of his lack of commercial success, Bowie was forced to try to earn a living in different ways. He featured in a Lyons Maid ice cream commercial but was rejected for another by Kit Kat. Then intended as a vehicle to promote the singer, a 30-minute film featuring performances from his repertoire, “Love You Till Tuesday”, was made. Although not released until 1984, the filming sessions in January 1969 led to unexpected success when Bowie told the producers, “That film of yours—I’ve got a new song for it.” He then demoed the song that would provide his commercial breakthrough. “Space Oddity” was released later in the year to coincide with the first moon landing. “Space Oddity” was released on 11 July 1969 five days ahead of the Apollo 11 launch, to become a top five hit.  In
a 2003 interview with Performing Songwriter
magazine, Bowie explained:
“In England, it was always presumed that it was
written about the space landing because it kind
of came to prominence around the same time. But
it actually wasn’t. It was written because of
going to see the film 2001, which I found
amazing. I was out of my gourd anyway, I was
very stoned when I went to see it, several
times, and it was really a revelation to me.”Its also worth remembering that some very accomplished musicians played on the original single release, namely the late Mick Wayne (guitar) – Terry Cox, ex-drummer for the big jazz-folk band Pentangle – the great Herbie Flowers on bass (“Walk On The Wild Side”, “Diamond Dogs”) – and the now legendary Rick Wakeman on Mellotron and piano (the first time he played with Bowie). Bowie is in fine singing voice and played guitar and stylophone. Yes, stylophone – a miniature stylus-operated synthesizer – if you’ve never seen one, it consisted of a metal keyboard played by touching it with a stylus, it was really a kids toy. Australian entertainer Rolf Harris had made it famous, but after Bowie cleverly utilised it on his first hit record, he ended up advertising the things. “As used by David Bowie”. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scientists Name One Of The 'Nastiest Sea Creatures Ever' After Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister  Certainly, for such a cold-blooded killer (and, indeed, crocodiles are literally just that), you'd have to reach into the darkest depths of heavy metal to find a name that's worthy of its subject. Scientists have done just that, as the late Lemmy Kilmister is now the namesake of the feared Lemmysuchus Obtusidens, the Natural History Museum announced. Kilmister used to be something of an L.A. elderstatesman, as he was a fixture on the Sunset Strip (even after its glory days had flown past). The Rainbow Bar even erected a statue of Kilmister after his passing. Lemmy was a certifiable legend, and so is Lemmysuchus Obtusidens, who apparently inspired fear across the land. "With a metre-long skull and a total length of 5.8 metres, it would have been one of the biggest coastal predators of its time," Michela Johnson, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh, told the museum. The museum adds that the creature used to prowl the shallow sea waters of what would become modern-day Europe, and that it had a broad snout and large blunt teeth that were used to crush prey that had shells (like turtles). Lucky for us, Lemmysuchus Obtusidens is no longer around today; it had existed about 164 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic Period. The creature's new name is owed to Lorna Steel, a curator at the museum and, apparently, a dedicated Motörhead fan. "Although Lemmy passed away at the end of 2015, we'd like to think that he would have raised a glass to Lemmysuchus, one of the nastiest sea creatures to have ever inhabited the Earth," said Steel. The new name came after researchers determined that fossils belonging to Lemmysuchus Obtusidens were wrongly categorized; some of the bones actually belonged to a close relative to the crocodile. After this confusion was cleared up, scientists concluded that the crocodile should be given a new name. The picture above is, obviously, a rendition done up by the museum. If you look close you'll see that the pattern on the crocodile's head is stylized after Motörhead's Snaggletooth logo. That's pretty metal. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Just in case anyone was thinking
of having a mosey on down to Holey Molies in Skelton
tonight (Sat 5th) to see the Ultimate Whitesnake show
- without a booking - then please don't as you
will be left outside, probably in the rain!It's a completely sold out show and we have been reliably informed it's a strictly no standing show with table booking only. Expect some quality musicianship - not to mention a great visual show. Not that that matters cos you didn't book a table so you're not going. Looooooserrrrrrrs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Advance
notice of a special gig coming up for the Forum
in Darlington on Saturday November 18th. Marco Mendoza (Former Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy). With support from Silent Thieves and The Maginot Line. One of the most sought after and respected bassists in the world, Marco began to make a name for himself working for Bill Ward, formerly of Black Sabbath, before working with Thin Lizzy and John Sykes in the 1990s. In the 2000s, Marco made North East acquaintances, recording with David Coverdale and touring with Whitesnake, as well as working with Ted Nugent, Dolores O’Riordan and spending another period with Thin Lizzy, during which time Michael Lee of Darlington was also in the Thin Lizzy lineup. More recently Marco was a member of the Dead Daisies and has also toured with Journey. Marco has released four solo albums, including Live for Tomorrow (2007), Casa Mendoza (2010), Viva la Rock (2018) and New Direction (2022). Tickets £15 - or £16 door. https://theforumonline.co.uk/events/marco-mendoza/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ‘Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.’    
--------------------------------------------------------- SNAKES ALIVE - Raucous Rockers reunite for 20th Reunion gig  Baby
Rattlesnakes are: Adam Barnes
(vocals); John Saunders (lead
guitar); Chris Sterling (bass);
Kallie Wolstenholme (drums).Well, it's been a wait, but some would say "well worth it" - Riffs has received some info from the Baby Rattlesnakes (c'mon you must remember the earlier article). It's a good look at those insane, heady days of a thriving Rock/Punk/Metal scene in the North-East which seems criminally far too long ago. The band haven't played for twenty years and, by all accounts, they seem to have mimicked the untouchable Rock Solid inasmuch as that after a long layoff they got back together, expecting days, weeks of hard rehearsals to get back to where they were - only to discover that after a couple of songs they realised they sounded, surprisingly or no, "still bloody good!" "As soon as we started rehearsing the old songs I couldn’t believe how good the band sounded", commented Baby Rattlesnakes singer Adam Barnes. “We’ve all been through a lot during the last 20 years but rock music’s still the common thread that ties us together." But I'm jumping ahead a tad here, let's go back in time a bit (cue wavy lines and spooky music) . . . Tony Blair was six years into his decade-long run as PM. Sir Bobby Robson led Newcastle United to a third-placed finish in the Premier League. The Darkness had just released their debut album 'Permission To Land'. (glances over to my CD collection only to realise it isn't there anymore and everything is on mp3 or FLAC). But for fans of the North East’s underground rock scene, 2003 will always be remembered as the year that hatched riotous four-piece Baby Rattlesnakes.  Twenty years down the
line and the former Kerrang!
Battle Of The Bands winners and Trillians
favourites are back! The gig they said would
never happen will! With support from
fast-rising folk rocker Katie Grace
and indie rockers Late
Fix.Frontman Adam Barnes is promising one hell of a party. “It’s free, there’s food and it’s family friendly,” said the former professional basketball star and Baby Rattlesnakes founder. “When I realised it was almost 20 years to the day that we played our first gig I got in touch with the lads who were part of the last Baby Rattlesnakes line-up. They were up for giving it another crack and when we got back together everything just clicked." "We dreamed of signing a record deal - now we'll be chuffed if we can sign the odd poster" Older and wiser no doubt? “Oh, and we’re a much better band than we were 20 years ago" continued Adam. Older and wiser? I wouldn’t go that far. Older and wider, maybe! But you can’t beat experience and as soon as we started rehearsing the old songs I couldn’t believe how good the band sounded. "Once upon a time we dreamed of signing a record deal and seeing the world. Now we’ll be well chuffed if we can sign the odd poster and see our mates!” During the mid-noughties Baby Rattlesnakes opened up for The Quireboys, Electric Eel Shock, Antiproduct and more, as they built a loyal North East fanbase. A successful tour of the West Midlands in 2004 led to rumours of that fabled record deal and further UK shows. But it never quite happened for the riff-fuelled reptiles and after a series of single and EP releases the hotly-tipped Rattlesnakes went out in a typically raucous blaze of glory. “As soon as Adam floated the idea of an anniversary show I was up for it,” said guitarist John Saunders, a long-time member of the hugely successful tribute band Fu Fighters. “I caught up with our old manager at a festival in Lincoln earlier this summer and we started to reminisce about the old days. We both agreed it wasn’t time to put Baby Rattlesnakes to bed. We’ve been rehearsing really hard as we don’t want to let anyone down — including ourselves. There’s no point doing this is we don’t do it properly and this is the tightest we’ve ever sounded.” “Our drummer Kallie’s bringing along his bandmates in Late Fix and we can’t wait to see Katie Grace. She’s just won the Alan Hull award and it sounds like it could be her last show in the North East for a while before she moves down to London.” Entry to the Baby Rattlesnakes reunion show is free. Gateshead’s Downcast Studios August 12: Doors are at 2pm. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Due to cancellation Heaton Buffs require a band Saturday 5th August. No heavy rock or blues please. theheatonbuffs@gmail.com 07960861198 ----------------------------------------------------------------- JBLZE – Led Zeppelin Evening featuring Jason Bonham ASTOR THEATRE, PERTH - 5TH APRIL 2023  As the house lights dimmed and the final cannons from AC/DC’s ‘For Those About to Rock’ faded into the distance, Bonham & his band strode on to the stage with beaming smiles and a hint of cheeky joviality – this was a going to be a fun evening… I could smell it in the air. Tonight was a night of hits, bits and B-sides – songs we love, and songs we don’t get to hear as often as we would like… especially live.  The
eclectic crowd buzzed and bustled with
excitement as ‘Immigrant Song’ opened the
evening, lead vocalist James Dylan
effortlessly delivering as Plant himself
would have. ‘Good Times Bad Times’ continued
to keep the crowd well and truly in warm-up
mode as a loud cheer embraced the room with
Bonham teasing us with those Zep trademark
drum fills made so famous by his father.‘Over the Hills and Far Away’ was masterful dispatched before we got the first of many interludes with Jason, donning mirror sunglasses, telling us stories of the past, heartfelt and at times amusing tales of his father, John. Jason began by explaining that he had been approached a few years back with the idea of starting a Led Zeppelin tribute band. “But why would I want to do that? I’ve just played with the real thing?” referencing his playing with the band at the 2007 reunion. But 13 years ago the idea became reality when JBLZE was born. “We play these songs for you guys and because everyone in this room has a love for Led Zeppelin and I’m so blessed to be able to represent the Bonham name. We play these songs from the heart.”  ‘Ramble On’ was the
first of the sing-a-longs, with Bonham
challenging Perth to be the best singers on
the tour. “I want to go to the other cities
and tell them they sound great…but not as
good as Perth!” Cue loud cheers and a
challenge set. ‘The Rain Song’ and ‘Thank You’
continued to delve into the Zep songbook
and it’s at this point I will stop telling you
all the stories we heard so as not to spoil
them for you but listen out for the one about
Grandma Joan and Jerry the Trumpet player –
its a hoot!The band were now in full flow with multi-instrumentalist Alex Howland jumping between Les Paul Gold Top, mandolin, keyboards and acoustic guitars. Lead guitarist Jimmy Sakurai and bassist Dorian Heartsong helped reproduce the sound that has captivated audiences with some of the greatest songs ever written. ‘Going to California’ gave Bonham a chance to rest, but not for long as he stood behind the kit filming the Perth crowd from his phone while mouthing the lyrics word perfect, as he encouraged more audience participation. Howland got to shine on the spellbinding ‘No Quarter’ even though we were informed the keyboards he was using weren’t the same as what they were expecting to take on this leg of the tour. “Don’t worry. He’s a professional,” beamed Bonham. Another song, another tale… ‘My dad was walking to the pub when he told Jimmy (Page) that he had this idea for the opening of a song.” ‘Kashmir’ has one of the bands most memorable of riffs and I never knew it was one of Bonzo’s ideas! But I do now.  ‘Stairway
to Heaven’ lifted the crowd to an even higher
stay of extasy with Sakurai
making his dual neck guitar weep during ‘that’
solo. “We don’t need to walk off and do
all that encore rubbish do we? Do you want
us to play some more?” Did he need to
ask? Of course not. Is there a better way to
end a night of incredible musicianship that
‘Whole Lotta Love’ and ‘Rock and Roll’? I
think not.If you're a die-hard fan of Led Zeppelin (and live in Oz) and haven’t got tickets yet, then why not? If you enjoy a night of high quality entertainment delivered by exceptional musicians with wonderful tales from the past then get along to JBLZE at a venue near you. Sean Bennett [Article and all images courtesy of The Rockpit online magazine] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE TUBE  On 27th January 1984, Madonna made her first appearance in the UK when she appeared on the Channel 4 TV music programme The Tube performing her new single “Holiday”. The show was broadcast live from the Hacienda Club in Manchester. The Tube (which was normally broadcast live from Tyne Tees TV studios in Newcastle upon Tyne) was by far the most exciting music show since Top Of The Pops. And for one night only the whole show was coming live from Manchester’s best club, The Hacienda. The show, which was first aired on 5th November 1982 and ran until 1987, was fronted by Jools Holland, the former keyboard player from Squeeze, and Paula Yates, and was named after the plexiglass tunnel which led down into Studio Five at Tyne Tees TV, the place where a lot of the stars from the 80s subsequently appeared. Holland, who had quit Squeeze to pursue a solo career, had branched out into TV as well. His hit and miss, laid back style worked a treat and, backed with his vast musical knowledge, Holland held the show together. He later achieved notoriety by injudiciously using the phrase “groovy fuckers” in a live early evening TV trailer for the show, causing the show to be taken off air for three weeks as a result. And then there was Paula Yates: young, naughty, cheeky and very sexy. Yates, who had posed naked for Penthouse magazine in 1978, had become a music journalist, writing a column called “Natural Blonde” in the British weekly music paper Record Mirror. She became a fan of The Boomtown Rats and their lead singer Bob Geldof, with whom she became involved and who fathered her first three daughters. Yates later met Michael Hutchence when his group INXS appeared on the show. Recalling that first meeting, Yates said that she had essentially interviewed Hutchence’s crotch and he had invited her back to his hotel room. Geldof and Yates divorced in 1996 after she and Hutchence became an item, it all becoming rather messy, with the whole episode played out in the British tabloid press. The list of acts who appeared live on The Tube reads like a Who’s Who of 80s music: Tina Turner, The Cure, U2, INXS, REM, Bon Jovi, The Smiths, Iggy Pop, Dire Straits, The Pretenders, The Cramps, Tears For Fears, Culture Club and Wham! all appeared between 1982 and 1987. The Tube provided a turning point for many new acts who appeared, bringing their music to the masses. Amongst them, U2, Paul Young, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and The Proclaimers, to name a few, all saw giant leaps in their careers after being on the show. What made The Tube great was the edgy style of the presenters and live performances from three or four artists each week. Throw in some shambolic interviews, bits of comedy and you had great TV. So what of the two presenters? Sadly Yates was found dead at her home in London in 2000 of an accidental heroin overdose. The coroner ruled that it was not a suicide, but a result of “foolish and incautious” behaviour. Jools Holland continued his music career - releasing albums and touring with the Jools Holland Big Band – and got another gig on TV, presenting the eclectic music program “Later… With Jools Holland”, which has been on British TV since 1992. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL  “Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2” was an instant hit, released on November 16, 1979, and selling 340,000 copies in five days. A week later, it was No.1, remaining there for five weeks, and by January 1980 had sold over a million copies. In 1980, Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall, (Part 2)” started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart. The song received a Grammy nomination for Best Performance by a Rock Duo or Group, but Floyd lost to Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind.” It topped the US singles chart for four weeks from March 22, 1980, and was number 1 in Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal and West Germany, reaching the Top 5 in a further eight countries. It also hit number 1 in South Africa, after which it was banned, on May 6, 1980, when black school children used it to condemn educational apartheid in Soweto. Co-producer Bob Ezrin had suggested “Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2” as a single with a 4/4 beat, but since the song has just one repeated verse, engineer Nick Griffiths, at Pink Floyd’s Britannia Row Studios in London, was asked to find some children to add colour to the second verse. In a 2009 interview with Guitar World, Ezrin explained that, having produced “School’s Out” with Alice Cooper, he “had a thing about kids on record.” Griffiths accordingly contacted Alun Renshaw, Head of Music at Islington Green School, who provided the schoolkids. According to Nick Mason, Griffiths was asked originally just to provide two or three kids singing in “a rather pathetic voice.” Griffiths was a fan of Todd Rundgren who had, on his double album Todd, recorded a live audience singing one of his song’s choruses in New York, and then taken the tape and overdubbed another whole audience singing the harmony in San Francisco. The song was “Sons Of 1984,” which dovetails rather neatly into the Wall album’s themes. At any rate, Griffiths was allowed to record a much larger group of schoolkids, which he did, in the 40 minutes he was allotted by the school. David Gilmour plays the solo on a vintage 1955 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top guitar, originally played directly through the mixing desk and the recording subsequently played back through an amplifier in the studio, to be re-recorded with more ambience. The solo is given extra weight and tension by the contrasting and changing chords of the keyboards underneath the guitar. David Gilmour’s guitar solo, without any of his trademark tremolo or distortion, is a masterpiece of rhythmic precision, a fluid exposition of surefooted interlinked riffing, virtually a masterclass in how to play a solo – and it was the first take. “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” is one of three Pink Floyd songs included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, curated by Jim Henke. The others are “See Emily Play” and “Money.” Don’t you just love it when a song like this travels the world and affects peoples lives, makes people think about change, makes people realize they can do better, or try and improve their life for good? This had to be a good thing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- My Generation – Why Don’t You All F-Fade Away  On
Oct 13th 1965, The Who recorded
‘My Generation’ at Pye studios, London. When
released as a single it reached No.2 on the
chart, held off the No.1 position by The Seekers ‘The
Carnival Is Over’. Roger Daltrey would later
say that he stuttered the lyrics to try to fit
them to the music. The BBC initially refused
to play the song because it did not want to
offend people who stutter.‘My Generation’ was named the 11th greatest song by Rolling Stone on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and 13th on VH1’s list of the 100 Greatest Songs of Rock & Roll. It’s also part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for “historical, artistic and significant” value. High praise indeed. And it deserves it; the song is 3.19 of pure energy and attitude. When you hear ‘My Generation’ you hear the Who on their way to becoming one of the great British rock groups. The song went through various stages as they tried to perfect it. Written by a 20-year-old Pete Townshend, it began as a slow song with a blues feel, and at one point had hand claps and multiple key changes. The final product was at a much faster tempo than the song was conceived; it was the Who’s manager Kit Lambert’s idea to speed it up. Like all great songs from a group defining their sound and feel, all four members made valuable contributions. Townshend who reportedly wrote the song on a train is said to have been inspired by the Queen Mother who is alleged to have had Townshend’s 1935 Packard hearse towed off a street in Belgravia, London because she was offended by the sight of it during her daily drive through the neighbourhood. Why don’t you all f-fade away (Talkin’ ’bout my generation) And don’t try to dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin’ ’bout my generation) I’m not trying to cause a big s-s-sensation (Talkin’ ’bout my generation) I’m just talkin’ ’bout my g-g-g-generation (Talkin’ ’bout my generation) Various stories exist as to the reason for Roger Daltrey’s distinctive vocal delivery. One is that the song began as a slow “talking” blues number without the stutter. Another reason is that it was suggested to Daltrey that he stutter to sound like a British mod on ‘speed’. It is also proposed, albeit less frequently, that the stutter was introduced to give the group a framework for implying an expletive in the lyrics: “Why don’t you all fff… fade away!” However, producer Shel Talmy insisted it was simply “one of those happy accidents” that he thought they should keep. ‘My Generation’ features one of the first bass solos in Rock history. John Entwistle used a new-on-the-market Danelectro bass to play it, but after he kept breaking strings trying to record it, the bassist ended up recording his parts on his trusted Fender Jazz bass.  Drummer Keith Moon’s contribution to the song? Well, he played like he always did – like the complete madman that he was. And it sounds superb. In a 1987 Rolling Stone magazine interview, Townshend explained: “‘My Generation’ was very much about trying to find a place in society. I was very, very lost. The band was young then. It was believed that its career would be incredibly brief.” In 1965 Daltrey claimed he would kill himself before reaching 30 because he didn’t want to get old. He continued to perform the song, explaining that it is about an attitude, not a physical age. The performance of “My Generation” on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in America was another defining moment in the television comedy series. As they often did during that period, The Who destroyed their instruments at the conclusion of their performance. However, a stagehand, at the request of Keith Moon, had overloaded Moon’s kick drum with explosives. When they were detonated, the explosion was so intense that Moon was injured by cymbal shrapnel and bandmate Pete Townshend’s hearing was permanently damaged. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEEKS DIDN'T DISAPPOINT  Well, as honest as the
day is long, I must admit that Riffs was
eagerly looking forward to The Silverback's
review of THE
DEEKS at Hetton Big Club Friday
23rd June. Myself and Val caught the previous
incarnation of what eventually would become
The Deeks - The
Dusty Tools - on no less than two
occasions (in 2008) at the same pub in the
same year - yes, they were that good. Val
penned both reviews, which I have included
here to give some background to where the band
is now. Thankfully, they have lost none of
that special 'something' that made the band
what they were (and are). Riffs is so sure any venue who books THE DEEKS will not regret it, that we are offering a totally FREE boxed advert to advertise the gig. No strings. You can contact The Deeks via their Facebook or direct on 07963 851961. [Riffs didn't take the above pic, we stole it from their Facebook page - but I think the band won't mind].
 ------------------------------------------------------------------ THE VERY WORST SONG - EVER On 24th November 2003, “Agadoo” by Black Lace was named the worst song of all time by a panel of music writers. The song peaked at No. 2 on the UK charts in 1984. The worst song ever? Well, one of the worst songs ever — it’s all subjective. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. Total Guitar magazine voted Celine Dion’s rendition of the AC/DC track “You Shook Me All Night Long” as the world’s worst cover ever, but someone somewhere probably thinks Celine did a great job with the song! A few years back research in the US found that songs get stuck in our heads because they create a ‘brain itch’ that can only be scratched by repeating a tune over and over. Songs such as the Village People’s “YMCA” and the Baha Men’s “Who Let The Dogs Out” owe their success to their ability to create a ‘cognitive itch’, according to Professor James Kellaris of the University of Cincinnati College of Business Administration. Those songs that do stick in your head by default are always the most annoying. They don’t create a pleasant experience as say “Born In The USA” does or “Strawberry Fields Forever.” These horrible repetitive little ditties just drive you bonkers. And to add insult to injury they always seem to make the top of the charts and stick around for ages. Which proves that some people don’t find them that annoying. We all love lists and there’s been plenty about ‘the worst song ever’. “MacArthur Park” by the Irish actor Richard Harris topped a poll a while back; Although not a brilliant tune, there's far worse. How about Paul Anka’s “(You’re) Having My Baby”, which was voted worst song ever by CNN.com and “Heartbeat” by Miami Vice star Don Johnson? We have a theme breaking out — actors trying to have pop hits. Telly Savalas, Bruce Willis, David Soul, Clive Dunn, Benny Hill all had massive hits… that were rubbish! But hang on, the one actor who has made some good records but has never troubled the charts, the master of space-time travel and all things Trekkie — Captain Kirk. Have you ever heard William Shatner’s version of Pulp’s “Common People”? It was on his 2004 album Has Been, in which he delivers the songs in a spoken song-poems way. His first album The Transformed Man, released in the late ’60s, became a cult classic. Bill gave us dramatic readings of Shakespeare interspersed with dramatic readings of the lyrics of songs such as “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Mr Tambourine Man”. Well, there have been so many dreadful songs that have been huge hits, whose to say what’s good and what’s bad. Anything by Irish group Westlife? Most of the contestants from X Factor? Anything by Cher? A Mick Jagger solo album? I dare you to put this lot on your iTunes playlist and get through the day. “The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)” – The Cheeky Girls “Long Haired Lover From Liverpool” — Little Jimmy Osmond “My Heart Will Go On” — Celine Dion “Ebony and Ivory” — Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder “Wannabe” — The Spice Girls “Can I Touch You There?” — Michael Bolton “Macarena” — Los Del Rio “Ice Ice Baby” — Vanilla Ice “Barbie Girl” — Aqua “I’m Too Sexy” — Right Said Fred All the above are highly annoying, but for many, one song goes far deeper than any one-off comedy hit…Ladies and gentlemen, I give you arguably the worst song ever: Chris de Burgh’s “The Lady In Red”. ------------------------------------------------------------- 
------------------------------------------------------------------ I realise the following is not music related but it just tickled my fancy, so thought some readers may get a laugh out of it... THESE ARE ACTUAL COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY "THOMAS COOK VACATIONS" FROM DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS: 1. "They should not allow topless sunbathing on the beach. It was very distracting for my husband who just wanted to relax." 2. "On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food." 3. "We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish." 4. "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our own swimsuits and towels. We assumed it would be included in the price." 5. "The beach was too sandy. We had to clean everything when we returned to our room." 6. "We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as white but it was more yellow." 7. "It's lazy of the local shopkeepers in Puerto Vallartato close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during 'siesta' time -- this should be banned." 8. "No-one told us there would be fish in the water. The children were scared." 9. "Although the brochure said that there was a fully equipped kitchen, there was no egg-slicer in the drawers." 10. "I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local convenience store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts." 11. "The roads were uneven and bumpy, so we could not read the local guide book during the bus ride to the resort. Because of this, we were unaware of many things that would have made our holiday more fun." 12. "It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England. It took the Americans only three hours to get home. This seems unfair." 13. "I compared the size of our one-bedroom suite to our friends' three-bedroom and ours was significantly smaller." 14. "The brochure stated: 'No hairdressers at the resort.' We're trainee hairdressers and we think they knew and made us wait longer for service." 15. "When we were in Spain, there were too many Spanish people there. The receptionist spoke Spanish, the food was Spanish. No one told us that there would be so many foreigners." 16. "We had to line up outside to catch the boat and there was no air-conditioning." 17. "It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel." 18. "I was bitten by a mosquito. The brochure did not mention mosquitoes." 19. "My fiancée and I requested twin-beds when we booked, but instead we were placed in a room with a king bed. We now hold you responsible and want to be re-reimbursed for the fact that I became pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I WANT MY MTV  On 16th December 1993, MTV aired Nirvana’s “Unplugged”
session for the first time.The album featured an acoustic performance taped at Sony Music Studios in New York City on November 18, 1993. Nirvana played a set list composed of mainly lesser known material and cover versions of songs by The Vaselines, David Bowie, Meat Puppets (during which they were joined by two members of the group onstage) and Lead Belly. MTV Unplugged in New York was the first Nirvana album released in the wake of the April 1994 suicide of singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and has become the group’s most successful posthumous release, selling five million copies in America by 1997. It also won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 1996. MTV Unplugged was hailed by critics as proof the band was able to transcend the grunge sound they were commonly associated with. Nirvana did the right thing; they didn’t just belt out the hits, but made an effort and it paid off. Some acts do the ‘unplugged’ thing better than others. Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Paul Simon, R.E.M., Sting, Lauryn Hill all turned in great performances, while some other acts didn’t fare so well. Need to rejuvenate your career? Too old to fit into the MTV format? Last album didn’t sell as well as expected? Get me the producer of that unplugged show thingy, let’s get him on there. When you look at the list of acts that have appeared on the show from 1989 until the present day, I’m sure plenty of that went on. At its peak, MTV Unplugged was THE music show to be on. You could play all your biggest hits….unplugged! The direct inspiration for the series came in the decade immediately preceding the creation of the MTV program. The catalyst was a series of highly publicized “unplugged” performances that occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first of these was the June 1979 appearances by Pete Townshend at The Secret Policeman’s Ball, a series of benefit shows in London for human rights organization Amnesty International. It was at these shows that the usually electric guitar-wielding Townshend was persuaded by benefit producer Martin Lewis to perform his hits “Pinball Wizard” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” on acoustic guitar. The first rock artist to perform in an “unplugged” mode on MTV was Jethro Tull who appeared on November 17, 1987 as an acoustic trio. XTC performed acoustically in May 1989, and Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora performed “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Wanted Dead or Alive” during the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. The very first MTV Unplugged show was recorded in New York on 31 October 1989 and featured Squeeze, Syd Straw (whatever happened to Syd?) and Elliot Easton, followed by The Smithereens and Graham Parker a couple of weeks later. By the end of 1990 The Allman Brothers Band, Aerosmith, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Don Henley, The Black Crowes, Elton John and Crowded House had all made appearances on the show. Whatever happened to MTV? Here was this channel playing back-to-back videos - the brainchild of Monkee Michael Nesmith (explaining his concept as “a new kind of TV that played videos 24 hours a day, like a radio station.” Nesmith had found his market). Some videos were better than others — but to watch these mostly expensive, well-shot music videos was a treat. But now, MTV is a long way away from breaking any new bands or new acts. Reality TV is the name of the game. Over its first year on the air, MTV struggled to win over advertising clients and record labels alike, poor ratings threatened to crush MTV before it could even get off the ground. With their backs to the wall, MTV execs made a power move, calling on the most legendary name in advertising. Soon after, George Lois delivered a pitch for a campaign that would send Music Televison into our homes. The slogan couldn’t have been simpler: “I Want My MTV!” ------------------------------------------------------------------- Update on the New Breed Revolution / Godzz of Wor gig for June 23 at the Saltmarket - it is now CANCELLED. ------------------------------------------------------------------- GODZZ OF WOR HAVE JUST BEEN ASKED AT THE VERY VERY LAST MINUTE (4.32pm) TO FILL IN TONIGHT - SUNDAY (4th) - GODZZ OF WOR AT THE OLD FOX IN FELLING - GET ALONG AND ENJOY THE NOIZE!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW BREED OF GODZZ  Baz, from one of the hardest working local bands on the circuit, tells Riffs of a rather interesting gig coming up on Friday 23rd. It's not easy to peruse our Listings page without coming across the powerhouse trio that is Godzz of Wor. Baz explains: "Luckily both Jim and myself are canny gig getters and soon found ourselves with a pretty busy year's worth of dates. With the economic downturn we actually thought that venues would be disappearing faster than snow flakes in the summer but found ourselves playing in a lot of surprising new venues."  The masters of the ZZ Top sound, these mature guys can lend their hands to practically any style of Rock they wish, so they jumped at the chance to be on the same bill as heavy Rockers New Breed Revolution - "Must admit I'm looking forward to this, we know the New Breed players but never shared a stage before" Baz tells Riffs. He adds: "We'll be putting a more rock set together for this one but expect our usual quirky humour. Not sure what we will actually be playing but I'd expect a bit of Lizzy, Free, Hendrix, Ted Nugent, Pat Travers - maybe even AC/DC - not our normal genre". A little known fact is that Godzz of Wor feature members from Venom, Cronos, Groundhogs, Eric Bell, Paul DiAnno, Gypsy, Bluesburglars and original Iron Maiden. And whille we are flying the genealogical flag, New Breed Revolution can boast players from Tygers of Pan Tang, Blitzkrieg and Acid Reign. So for an evening of quality Rock, Blues and the odd surprise, it looks like you'll need to travel a fair way to get better value for money. "We rarely play the North Shields, Whitley Bay area, most venues that we appear in seem to be in South Shields, County Durham and Sunderland areas, so here's a good chance to catch us in action". Both bands are playing the Saltmarket Social, 1 Liddell St, North Shields NE30 1HE on Friday 23rd June. Tickets are available from www.Fatsoma.com/saltmarketsocial and cost £8 (or, if you want to be pedantic - £7 plus £1 booking fee). £8 door. 7pm-11pm. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 
------------------------------------------------------ THREE MINUTE HEROES  Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” was 2.08. Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be The Day”, 2.16, the bulk of early Beatles’ hits were all just over two minutes. Those two to three minutes can transport you to another time and place. What is loved about seven-inch singles is the sound quality and the warmth, and also that they’re physical, they’re not throwaway. When you download music, you rarely listen to the track over and over again, whereas most singles have been played hundreds of times. Here is a great example of a classic pop single, in 1978, United Artists released The Buzzcocks single “Love You More”, which at one minute 29 seconds was at the time the second shortest single ever released. (Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs 1960 hit “Stay” was the shortest hit at one minute 28 seconds). The Buzzcocks like other punk and new wave groups were rebelling against ‘dinosaur rock’ and the excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. They created fast, hard-edged music with an emphasis on short and punchy songs, delivering everything they needed – in around two minutes. We had the Ramones, Blondie, Sex Pistols, The Clash and more. In December 1976, the English fanzine Sideburns published a now-famous illustration of three chords, captioned “This is a chord, this is another, this is a third. Now form a band.” The 3-minute single had remained the standard during the 1960s when the availability of microgroove recording and improved mastering techniques enabled recording artists to increase the duration of their recordings. In 1968 songwriter Jimmy Webb shattered the standard three-minute format with “MacArthur Park” which exceeds seven minutes length. Then everyone was at it, even The Beatles succumbed when they released “Hey Jude” as a single – at seven minutes 20 seconds! The golden age of the single was on 45s in the 1950s and early 1960s in the early years of rock music. Starting in the mid-sixties, albums became a greater focus and more important as artists created albums of uniformly high quality and coherent themes, a trend which reached its apex in the development of the concept album. Seven-inch sales peaked in the UK in 1979, when a staggering 89 million of them were sold. It’s become a dying art form, which is a shame. Let’s face it, when you hear Susan Boyle striking up the band; you know you’re in for a long night. -----------------------------------------------------------------  TOP GROSSING TOURS The worldwide concert industry generates about $8 billion each year in revenue with the top 25 single artist concerts alone grossing about $360 million. More people are going to concerts and ticket prices are also rising as a whole. For artists, touring is the way to make money. You get to travel and promote yourself as a brand and it is the best way to show yourself off to new fans that might not have heard of you otherwise. Now more than ever major concert tours translate to mega bucks for superstar artists who otherwise earn only fractions per digital song download or stream. To help ensure arena and stadium sellouts, today’s stage sets and audio-visual razzle-dazzle must go bigger than ever, which means obscenely high productions costs that are passed on to ticket buyers. Here are the Top 10 Grossing Tours… ever. Ed Sheeran: ÷ Tour 2017-19. 255 shows. Total gross $775,046,937. Attendance 8,796,567. The ÷ Tour (pronounced ‘Divide Tour’) in support of his third studio album kicked off on 16 March 2017, in Turin, Italy ending on 26 August 2019, in Ipswich, England. The one-man show set world records for the highest-grossing concert tour and the most tickets sold by a tour. It also became the most attended tour of all time with over 8.5 million having attended in 43 different countries. Several shows were postponed in April 2017 after Sheeran broke both arms and a rib after crashing his bicycle near his home in Suffolk. U2: 360° Tour 2009–11 110 shows. Total gross $736,421,584. Attendance 7,272,046 Sponsored by BlackBerry and in support of the group’s 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the concerts featured U2 playing ‘in the round’ on a circular stage, allowing the audience to surround them on all sides. To accommodate the stage configuration, a large 170-ton, $40 million four-legged structure nicknamed ‘The Claw’ was built above the stage. The Claw was so enormous that it took two days to dismantle. It was reported that this tour cost $750,000 a day to run as three separate models of the biggest stage in rock history traveled around the world. The group of individuals involved in this tour clocked in at over 250, and that doesn’t include all of the staffers working for the vendors involved on the tour. U2 to gave €9m of tour profits to charity. Guns N’ Roses: Not in This Lifetime… Tour 2016-19 159 shows. Total gross $563,300. Attendance 4,377,126 The tour’s name is a reference to a 2012 interview in which Axl Rose, when asked about when a potential reunion would happen, responded “not in this lifetime.” It brought together the classic Guns N’ Roses line-up with Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan, marking the first time since the Use Your Illusion Tour in 1993 that the three performed together. The set was designed by Phil Ealy. They built a 71-foot (22 m) wide main stage including band risers, LED staircases made with P9 LED video tiles, LED fascia and amp stacks, and a self-climber piano lift used for Rose’s performance of ‘November Rain.’ Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams Tour 2016–17. 114 shows. Total gross $523,033,675. Attendance 5,389,586 Launched to support their seventh studio album A Head Full of Dreams, the tour visited stadiums and arenas across five continents. A staple of the set list was a segment of the show known as the “Fan Dedication Song”, where a song was requested by fans through social media service Instagram, for Coldplay to play on the night. A live album, Live in Buenos Aires, covering the tour, which was recorded during the last show in La Plata, as well as a concert film, Live in São Paulo, filmed around the world was later released. Roger Waters: The Wall Live 2010–13. Total shows 219 Total gross $458,673,798. Attendance 4,129,863 The tour was the first time the Pink Floyd album The Wall has been performed in its entirety by the band or any of its former members since Waters performed the album live in Berlin 21 July 1990. The touring version of Pink Floyd’s The Wall was one of the most ambitious and complex rock shows ever staged. It is estimated that the tour cost £37 million ($60M) to stage. Waters, a pacifist, incorporated an increased emphasis on the show’s anti-war message, and he requested fans to send him pictures of loved ones who have died as a result of wars. AC/DC: Black Ice World Tour 2008–10. 167 shows. Total gross $441,121. Attendance 4,846,965 In support of their fifteenth studio album Black Ice this became the last tour with founding AC/DC member and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who left the band in September 2014 due to ill health (Young died on 18 November 2017) and was also the last tour with long-time drummer Phil Rudd who was charged in November 2014 for hiring a hitman to murder someone and possession of drugs. This was also the last full tour to feature long-time lead vocalist Brian Johnson as he left the band halfway during the Rock or Bust World Tour due to hearing problems. The Rolling Stones: No Filter Tour 2017–19 44 shows. Total gross $415.609.064. Attendance 2,290,871 The Rolling Stones first toured North America in 1964 playing 11 shows and opening the set with ‘Not Fade Away’. Over 50 years later in late March 2019, it was announced that Mick Jagger would be receiving surgery to replace a valve in his heart, forcing The Rolling Stones to postpone the 17-date North American leg of the tour. The procedure took place on 5 April 2019 in New York, with Jagger making a full recovery and returning to touring in the summer this time opening the shows with ‘Street Fighting Man’. Metallica: World Wired Tour 2016–2019 139 shows.Total gross $414,450. Attendance 4,055,397 230 crew would construct the three giant metal scaffolding systems that made up the backdrop to the show, leapfrogging each other from city to city. As one stage was being played on, the next gig’s stage was being built, and the previous show’s was being trucked to the venue after that with seventy-five trucks carrying everything for the tour. Flamethrowers known to the crew as the “big guns” shot flames 65ft into the air from the very top of the scaffold towers. Stadiums didn’t have enough power to feed the Metallica show, so they carried six generators with them – making enough power for 185 houses for a day. Madonna: Sticky & Sweet Tour 2008–09 85 shows. Total gross $407,713,266. Attendance 3,545,899 Staged to promote Madonna’s eleventh studio album, Hard Candy, The Sticky & Sweet Tour broke many records in terms of its ticket sales, commercial gross and audience attendance. During the second leg, two workers constructing her stage at Stade Vélodrome in Marseille were killed when the roof of the stage collapsed. The tour comprised of over 250 travelling workers, 69 guitars, 12 trampolines and 100 pairs of kneepads. Pink: Beautiful Trauma World Tour 2018-19. 156 shows. Total gross $397,300. Attendance 3,088,647 The Beautiful Trauma World Tour became the second highest-grossing tour of all time by a female solo artist. Pink who would start the show with ‘Get the Party Started’ trained as a competitive gymnast between the ages 4 and 12 and would entertain the crowds with various highflying stage antics during the tour. The Beautiful Trauma World Tour played in North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia where the singer played nine sold out nights at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. ------------------------------------------------------------ 'NEVER MIND THE
BOLLOCKS' DEFINED A GENERATION -
AND REMAINS EVERY BIT AS RELEVANT TODAY  When they first came
together in the summer of 1975, the Sex Pistols had no
intention of releasing an album. ‘It
was like: ‘Oh God. Isn’t that just
showbiz?’ vocalist Johnny Rotten
recalled. ‘But then it came to look
like nobody wanted us to do it – so then
we were fully committed.’For a group who only released one proper album, the Sex Pistols made one hell of an impact. Their timing was perfect. The media had a field day and couldn’t keep those dirty little punks off the front pages of the papers. The good citizens of the British Isles were feeling patriotic; we were about to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II, marking the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne. But these little buggers came along to ruin the whole thing! Never Mind The Bollocks… was born amid the bloated pomp of progressive rock, a movement whose musicians could not have been further removed from the original Pistols line-up of Rotten (vocals), Steve Jones (guitar), Glen Matlock (bass) and Paul Cook (drums). Indeed the band’s ideology hinged on being everything that supergroups like Emerson Lake And Palmer were not. Early rehearsals in rented buildings were suitably chaotic, with the band fumbling through old Who numbers. The group eventually found themselves a permanent HQ in London’s Denmark Street and tightened up their sound by recording a series of demos in ‘76, produced by Chris Spedding. By this point they were gigging regularly and starting to write their own material with subjects ranging from the ‘blank generation’ clarion call of ‘Pretty Vacant’ to the snarling first single, ‘Anarchy In The UK.’ It was a failed attempt to lay down the latter track with live engineer Dave Goodman that prompted the Pistols to employ the production team who would ultimately bottle the anarchic genius of Never Mind The Bollocks. Engineer Bill Price had the experience to keep the band’s unforgiving sound on the straight and narrow, while producer Chris Thomas’s work with Roxy Music was deemed a major plus-point. ‘If we went in with some heavy metal noise merchant producer,’ Rotten says, ‘it would have been a catastrophe.’  In fact, Bill Price and
Chris Thomas
ended up producing separate tracks
themselves, as he told Mix Online in
2000. As a staff engineer at Decca’s
West Hampstead studios in the mid-’60s,
Price had
recorded a string of worldwide hits for Tom Jones and
Engelbert
Humperdinck, before moving to
AIR Studios in London’s Oxford Street,
then reviving the fortunes of Wessex
Studios in Islington in the mid-1970s.
As well as the
Pistols, Price also worked with
The Clash
and The
Pretenders, as well as Pete Townshend, Elton
John, the Jesus and Mary Chain
and Big Audio
Dynamite, among others. Price explained
how he and Chris
Thomas wound up with a joint
production credit, without it ever being
clear who did what:‘It was totally down to [Pistols manager] Malcolm McLaren. Chris was hired by Malcolm to do a series of singles... I was hired by Malcolm to do a series of album tracks. Life got slightly complicated because I did a few album tracks that Chris remade as singles. Also, Chris started a couple of tracks, which got abandoned as singles, which I remade to be used as album tracks. On quite a large number of songs, when we’d finished the album, we had two versions of the song. We went to the cutting room at least three times with different running orders. I couldn’t quite understand why Malcolm kept chopping and changing between different versions of different songs. It slowly dawned on Chris and me that Malcolm was trying to slip between two stools and not pay Chris or me. So we said, ‘I’ll tell you what, Malcolm. Whatever’s on the Sex Pistols’ album, it was either done by me or Chris, and you can pay us and we’ll divvy it out amongst our little selves.’  Price
also tells of the time the band arrived
at the studio, the same day they had
signed to A&M Records: ‘Sometime
in the afternoon the band arrived at
Wessex in a Daimler limousine, the
sort the Queen uses. Everybody had a
bottle of A&M’s vodka in their
pockets. Unfortunately, it was just at
the time when the primary school next
door to Wessex was on a break. The
combination of seeing Johnny Rotten
in a Daimler limousine was just too
much for these primary-school kids.
The headmistress came out and started
screaming at them to get in and get
away from these dreadful Sex Pistols
characters, and Johnny
Rotten treated this lovely
lady to quite a lot of verbal relating
to right-wing dictators and farmyard
animals. She started strutting around
the playground screaming, ‘Call the
police!’ etcetera, etcetera.‘I was working in Studio One, but I tucked the band into Studio Two, out the back, and awaited the arrival of the police in Studio One. They arrived at the front door of Wessex, and I ushered them, complete with their body armour, into Studio One. I launched into the standard, ‘This is how a recording studio works’ lecture as if they were a group of Japanese tourists and, believe it or not, they were quite interested. A couple of coppers played guitar, one was a drummer, if I remember rightly. Eventually, the sergeant, who presumably was not a musician, got fed up and said, ‘Let’s get out of here.’ They completely forgot about the Sex Pistols. I walked back into Studio Two, where we’d put the band, and they were just sleeping like babies. Empty vodka bottles still in their hands.’ ‘Anarchy In The UK’ was nailed in three takes. The rest of the album was recorded in fits and starts over the summer of ‘77, as waves of controversy crashed around the band in the tabloids, and record deals came and went. Matlock had left in March, but his replacement – the iconic but inept Sid Vicious – spent much of the recording period in hospital. This, along with Sid’s musical failings, left Jones to play bass on the album (bar Anarchy In The UK), the guitarist simply playing an octave below his guitar riffs, thus creating what Thomas called the ‘panzer division’ sound that defines the record.  Talking about the
album to Classic Rock in 2012, guitarist
Steve Jones
said: ‘I think we were a great band
because we played great. I think we’re
a great band live. There‘s a chemistry
thing that happens. Besides all the
hype, John‘s
original lyrics and his vocal style
back then, it was totally unique but
still rocked for sure. A lot of people
took music and imagery in another
direction and that was because of the Sex Pistols.’Upon its original release in 1977 it may have been the notoriety surrounding the Sex Pistols that propelled the album to No.1 in the UK. Nearly 30 years later, however, it’s the attitude and intelligence of the songwriting that resonates. From the social paranoia depicted in ‘Holidays In The Sun’ (written after a trip to Berlin – at that time still divided by the Wall), to the grisly lyric of ‘Bodies’ (inspired by a girl who turned up on Rotten’s doorstep with an aborted foetus in her bag), Never Mind The Bollocks is anything but the neanderthal bluster its detractors claim. It defined a generation – and remains every bit as relevant today. |
CELEBRATING
ROCK AND METAL:  PLAY REALLY LOUD!! ON THIS DAY . . . |
