Following on from
the unbelievable response I got from the last
two recent 'who is this band' pics. And I say
'unbelievable' because no-one - yes no-one -
emailed me! But am I saddened? [Well, yeah, just
a tad] but am I disheartened? [Well . . .] but
not to be deterred here is two more 'who the
fuck is this?' pics.................. any
ideas anyone? Anyone . . .?
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
https://youtu.be/jhUhw_J5ItE
------------------------------------------------------------------
True
to my word I've dug out these two pics of a young
band pictured at The Grand in Bishop Auckland
(possibly) way back when - so if anyone
knows who the band is, or when I took them (or why
I never labelled them properly) we can then put a
name to the band...
----------------------------------------------------------------
https://youtu.be/DkWRCv5HDjk
------------------------------------------------------------------
YES,
WE TAKE OUR OWN PHOTOS - ALWAYS HAVE
In
reply to a recent email we received: ALL photos
that accompany Riffs reviews (and indeed reviews
by The Seaham Silverback) are taken at the actual
gig - without exception. The reviews by myself and
Val all contained photographs that I took of the
band on that particular night. We do not snaffle
pics from other websites, Facebook or whatever to
enhance the review. If I ever use a photo in this
column (not the column on the right) for
illustrative purposes I always mensh that I nicked
it from somewhere else (other than if it was sent
directly to Riffs by the band/venue themselves).
Myself and Val always prided ourselves on
reviewing, photographing and writing the whole gig
ourselves. In fact, typing this has just reminded
me that I have scores (maybe hundreds) of
photographs that are unnamed and I may post some
on this column soon. Shame to have them gathering
dust.... I am trying to persuade Mr Silverback to
get armed with a camera so as to illustrate his
reviews with some exciting pics... I am working on
his review of
The 3 Colonels from last night
right now and should have it uploaded within a
couple of hours....
---------------------------------------------------------
Mucho gracias to Alan W from The Grand
in Bishop Auckland who recognised the single as 'Watcha Doin' To Me' by The Reds. Just
one more to go . . . this catchy little punk ditty
from the Seventies has bewildered me . . . does
anyone know who it is?
--------------------------------------------------------
HELP - I NEED SOMEBODY
Can anyone help me identify this
single . . . ?
------------------------------------------------------------
Well, it's that
time again - a look though Riffs' archives and see
what gems we have hidden away. How about a review of
Freeway from August 2008? You got it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Just a brief mensh for an upcoming gig at the Cluny 2
in Newcastle for 26th June when the Tom
Atkinson Band will be performing
there. Over a year since the lads performed at the
Cluny but they are all fired up for this upcoming gig.
Tom Atkinson - Guitar/Vocs; Paul Gowland -
Sax/Keys (Strictly Smokin’
Big Band); Stu Dawson - Bass (RJ Thompson, Preach Alaska);
Jeff Armstrong - Drums (Flakes,
Russ Tippins Band) include some
original music in their set along with covers of Zappa, Mahavishnu Orchestra,
King Crimson etc. Tickets are a fiver
and available from http://www.thecluny.com
I
did try to get a pic from Tom but, even though it
would paint a thousand words, words are all I have ('to
take your heart away').
..............................................................
BACK IN BUFFS
It's always
nice when something works out and
goes to plan - cos in life it most
often bastard well doesn't (what, me -
bitter?). So it was great to get an email from Robert from Heaton
Buffs concerning the BOSS gig from last
week. Not only was it a
virtual sell-out - just five
tickets left unsold [how's
that for honesty? He could
have quite easily told me it
was a sell-out] - but the lads
went down the proverbial
storm. I remember searching
Youtube for a video of the
band to highlight the gig
but found zilch (punk
band from the 70s I think)
but we can make up for it
now because kind ol'
Robert has sent me a link
to the very opening of the
band's set filmed live as
it happenerd
at the Buffs!
So
without further ado here is
BOSS just
seventeen years since
their last visit
at the Buffs - c'mon
lads let someone
else get a look in .
. .
------------------------------------------------------------
Bit of sadness for me last week -
lost a friend, a good supporter of
Rock. Introduced me to Rammstein
and Airbourne.
He was a great lover of German
lesser-known bands and I used to meet up
with him at Newcastle Arena,
or the Academy. A regular at
live pub gigs in
Redcar and was
a regular
at Dr. Browns in
Middlesbrough. Great
guy. He was given
the all clear for cancer
a few years ago and then
it
came back suddenly
just weeks ago with a
vengeance. Anyway Gaz,
here's Rammstein
for you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
 Listening to Rock on
internet radio today (which supports
the
age-old
question 'Why djs?')
and
on came Suzie Smiled
by Tygers of
Pan Tang and something
stirred deep inside
me, some distant memory of
reviewing that band many
moons ago.
A quick search of
Riffs archives and -
bingo! found it.
So, for your delectation
. . . (and yet again, I
mentioned the date [February
2], but not
the year, so if anyone
can help
out?....)
Wanna hear
what you missed? Suzie
Smiled
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Due to my throat
virus causing voice loss, my band Steeler can’t
play gig at Redcar Rugby Club tonight Sat 25-May -
Classic Rock covers band or similar is needed.
Contact Pete 07775922523.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Riffs has
just been informed that the gig at Heaton Buffs
this weekend - which we have down as
Boss (and I thought
was a Springsteen tribute) - is in fact a
rather special reunion of a band from the 90s.
As Robert from the club told Riffs: 'They were a
big deal on the club scene back in the 90s &
early 00s. They are doing a few one-off
shows with the original band line up; and of course
they are 100% live! We
have already sold 200 tickets, with only 50 left.'
Apparently, back in 2002, Boss did an outstanding
sell-out gig there and Robert is keen to duplicate
that success.
Check them out - and if
you fancy the gig - you've missed it!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
With
regards to the Riffs review of Phil Caisley's Dirty Dogs
featured below, Dave from the band has
been in touch to shed some light on exactly
when the gig took place and some info on what
has become of the band . . .
'The date of the review was the 12th February
2010. The Dirty Dogz
were in existence from 2009 until 2013 doing the north
east pub scene and the last gig was at Doctor Browns
in Middlesbrough on the 2nd November of that
year. Phil, in my opinion, is a great rock
singer and it was a good band although we were
certainly very punchy and could test the old ear drums
for volume. Keith John Dean on bass was replaced
by Ian Raine (played with DeeeXpus,
infinity, and lately, The Rising and
many others). The other guys are either not in
bands or between bands whereas I am working with my
brother in the ‘Graham
Henderson experience’.
To remind yourself of what we were like – here is a
link to a Youtube clip of us at the rock 4 All.
https://youtu.be/1LD2ouDwIKU
with keith on bass.
And here is a clip of my current band - (with
Ian Raine on Bass, now replaced by Duncan Sams).
https://youtu.be/u5ghYHhQvI4
Dave'
---------------------------------------------------------------
Another Riffs rave from the grave is featured below.
I know
it's from Feb 12th but Val never mentioned
which year! Possibly 2008. If
anyone has any better suggestions please
let me know . . .
---------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want it, here it is, come
and get it
Here at Riffs I
love to give publicity to live Rock bands - even more so if it
happens to be their first gig. Can imagine
it's quite a traumatic event and a lot
rides on that debut gig. But I am
saddened, I must say, that although publicity at Riffs is entirely
free and I really don't expect anything back,
that this
offer is not taken up more readily.
On a couple of
recent occasions upon
hearing of an approaching
first gig I have asked for
more info - a little blurb
about the band and hopefully
a pic or two - and I hear
nothing. Zilch. Zero. Nought.
Nil. Zippo. I'm
not losing out, but I
suspect that the band
and indeed the venue
would benefit from a tad
of extra publicity . . .
just saying.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I'M ONLY HERE FOR THE BEER
 Saturday
11th May was Houghton annual beer festival, a
charity event organised by the round table running
for several decades now. I’ve been going along for
the last 5 years or so; nice venue in Houghton
Colliery Welfare club and a decent afternoon out
with mates. However, every year there’s what is
loosely described as “live music” and without
exception it is awful. Last year we offered to pay
the organisers whatever they’d paid the “singer” to
get him off (they declined). There’s usually about a
dozen of us, all guys I know from various venues
where we go to see bands who have varied tastes from
blues to thrash metal to country, we all agreed this
year’s offering was, once again, abysmal. The band
was advertised as “an experienced function band”
doing stuff from Adele, Ed
Sheeran, Kings of Leon, Elvis, Buddy Holly Michael
Buble and Pharrell
Williams; half the stuff wasn’t
recognisable until half way through the song, the
instruments were out of tune and the singer couldn’t
carry a tune in a bucket. If the organisers read
this, get artists who can sing and/or play; Russ Tippins or Tempest would bring
people in, you’re close to driving people away.
Now, it
was a charity event and the band may have agreed
to play for free in which case they were worth the
money. Do I name and shame them? Houghton
Beer Festival 2019 afternoon session, will bring
up an answer, but the hope is that the organisers
will read this and either not bother with live
music on afternoons OR book someone who will
attract punters, not alienate them.
The
Seaham Silverback
--------------------------------------------------
The NE Street Band,
playing iconic songs from Bruce
Springsteen and The E Street Band
debuted at The Old Fox in Felling just
recently and we have added a link to some footage
here (only phone footage).
The band's website: https://www.nestreetband.co.uk
They are at the Amphitheatre in South Shields on
Thursday 6th June, 7pm-9pm for an evening of Bruce
Springsteen sounds, as part of the Summer Festival.
---------------------------------------------------------------
THE
PRIESTS OF THE TEMPLE OF ROCK
Bank holiday Monday gigs are a
gamble for venues, if it’s been a nice day and the
punters have been in the garden all day having a few
drinks, they tend to stay there, it’s also a school
night so folk tend to think better of going out.
However, The Force are one of those bands I’d walk barefoot
over broken glass to go and see regardless, they set a
standard that other bands in the North East aspire to
reach and Monday 6th May was no exception. An early
start gave an opportunity for those at work the
following day to get their 8 hours kip and it meant
the gear was pretty much in and checked by the time
the audience started coming in. There was a decent
turn out, but I was expecting the place to be rammed –
punters eh?
The
band opened with a couple of their own tracks before
setting off in a set that featured Rush quite
extensively with songs from Rainbow,
AC/DC, UFO, Montrose, Metallica, Scorpions and Thin Lizzy. It
would be wrong to try and pick out tracks that were
better than the others, because I didn’t hear a bum
note all evening and the sound was absolutely spot
on from the word go. The twin lead guitars in Thin
Lizzy’s “Emerald” were flawless, the guy I was sat
next to turned to look at me at the end of the track
and we were both thinking the same thing. Phil sat
down for “Bad Motor Scooter” with his Strat over his
knee and a bottleneck, first time I’ve seen him do
this, and it was excellent.
I’m
always staggered by the sheer professionalism of The
Force, I doubt there can be a Rock fan between the
Tees and the Tweed who hasn’t heard these guys, but
if you fall into that small number, get out and see
them, you’ll thank me.
The Seaham Silverback.
----------------------------------------------------
 SWEETS FOR MY SWEET . . .
The Sugar Bs
18-year reunion gig on march 30 at the Park Inn,
Hartlepool raised £700, split equally between Alice
House Hospice in Hartlepool and The Great North Air
Ambulance Service.
Details
can be found on Facebook here.
--------------------------------------------------------
The
Big Jug in Durham have ceased all live bands as of
now.
..........................................................................
New Plough Dipton have their annual
music festival on Sunday May 5 starting from 1.30pm
with finish 10pm; latest line up is as follows.
Details here
..........................................................................
LIGHTS, SMOKE, AND ROCK 'N' ROLL
I’ve been following Rock
Solid for over ten years now and
always look forward to every show, the gig in Houghton
Glendale was a welcome spot; right on the
doorstep. I saw them about January and since then
they’ve invested in a completely new LED lighting rig
with fancy rotating spots etc. On a night when the
condensation was running down the walls, the lack of a
few KW of heat from PAR cans was welcome for all
concerned. The Solids have used smoke machines for
years but they must have put new batteries in the
current model - the stage was like a war zone all
night. Our musical tastes are as varied as we are but
the Solid’s set-list dovetails in with my
predilections perfectly, kicking off with a couple of
Priest tracks then
running through AC/DC, Saxon,
Maiden, Purple, Rainbow, Ozzy and Rush - what’s not to
like?
One
of the reasons Rock Solid are so well received
has got to be their interaction with their audiences,
the guys always have time for a few words both on and
off the stage. Last night’s gig was their first in the
Glendale for 8 years (apparently) and there’s another
one in the pipeline for December this year, the room
was full and the club was selling beer like it was
going out of fashion. The crowd loved them and the
band gave every impression they were having a good
time. Events like this keep the Rock scene in the
North East vibrant, everyone’s coming away from the
night happy. Long live Rock`n` Roll!
The Seaham Silverback
On a personal
note, myself (Nige) and Val have always rated Rock
Solid as one of the best rock acts in the North-East
music scene but, alas, have not had the pleasure in
quite a few years, so it really pleased me to read the
Silverback's review to know not only that the lads are
still going strong after so many moons, but also that
they actually seem to be improving. But as Val has
said on numerous occasions: 'When
you've got it, you've got it'.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can't beat quality pie
 The Three Tuns
Gateshead hosts its 14th
International Pie Festival between
2nd May and 6th May.
Over 2000 pies, 100 varieties
including Veggie and Vegan options all served with
creamy mash, mushy peas and special house gravy £3.50.
Live music from Prism Pink
Floyd, The Grumpies, Wham Bam Thank You Mam,
The Russ Tippins Trio and The Beetles.
--------------------------------------------
'Probably
one of the most entertaining
nights I’d had this year'
It was grab-a-granny night down
in Houghton
Sports & Social on 20th
April with a 60s tribute band called FAB gracing the stage (No,
I’d never heard of them either). It had been a
scorching day so the wife and I headed down there
early to re-hydrate ourselves and the car park was
filling rapidly. Walking through the doors at 7.30 we
got one of the last tables available, clearly some
people knew something we didn’t. Bearing in mind we’re
both over 60, our presence lowered the average age of
the crowd which rather put me off, but I was thirsty
and I’d paid my entrance money, so sod it – we stayed.
The band gave a nod to the appearance of the bands of
the 60s era with suits, and even ties in the first
set, the Hofner violin bass a salute to Paul McCartney and the
numerous Beatles
tracks scattered through the set. Now the band weren’t
the best musicians or singers I’ve heard (but I’ve
heard a LOT worse) but they grabbed the crowd by the
scruff of the neck and shook them all night long. Any
empty space was filled with folk on their feet and
dancing almost from the off, tracks from The Beatles, Roy Orbison, The
Searchers, Swinging Blue Jeans, The Hollies and
Gerry and the Pacemakers
with the obligatory Ferry across the Mersey. It was
probably one of the most entertaining nights I’d had
this year.
If you’re looking for a band to span a big age group
or just for a fun party, I can’t recommend these guys
highly enough. [PS, my photos turned out crap. I
nicked this shot from the band’s Facebook page, I
can’t credit the photographer by name, so please
excuse the liberty].
The Seaham Silverback
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
CROOKFEST
2019 - MAY 5
 Crookfest is a annual may bank holiday rock music
festival held in the County Durham market town of
Crook with a variety rock styles performed by
cover/tribute bands across 3 stages inside large
marquees. The event takes place on Sunday 5th May 2019 in
the Millfield ground home of Crook Town AFC from noon
untill 11pm along with food and beer stalls a-plenty.
www.crookfest.co.uk
Rock Bands... Coda a Tribute to Led
Zeppelin, AC/DC-GB, Mane
Attraction, Circa69, Tubesnake, Edenthorn.
Punk Reggae
Ska... The Marley
Experience, The Sex Pistols Experience, Skapones,
Panic Report, The Me Mes, The Anarchists.
Indie Mod
80-90s... Revolver, ZEN, The
Baggy Mondays, Deeper Season, The Thieves,
Collaborators.
--------------------------------------------
Tempest in
Houghton
I must confess I’ve never been a big fan of artists
who use backing tracks - with the exception of
Russ Tippins -
they all seemed to lack the spontaneity of a full
line up. So when some friends recommended I go see a
duet called Tempest
featuring a guy on guitar with backing tracks and a
lass on vocals I was hesitant to say the least. I
couldn’t have been more wrong; Kaz & Ritchie are
2 of the nicest people you could want to meet and
deliver a widely varied set that has never failed to
impress.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Just
heard, courtesy of Alan Fizzyfish, that the Ship
Inn, Richmond has closed - whether temp or
permanent is unknown - so any bands with a
gig there will need to look elsewhere.
---------------------------------------------------------------
The Glendale
Rock nights are going down really well, the place
was packed and there was a good friendly atmosphere
in the place. I’d guess there was 80-ish in, punters
were coming in late and leaving as there were no
more seats, so the solution is going to be get there
early if you intend to go to a gig there. I’ve been
following Lock n Load
for a couple of years, I first saw them at beer
festival since when the line-up has gone through a
couple of changes. Dave, the current singer was
originally on drums and they had a girl on vocals
with legs up to her armpits, I’ve got to say she was
easier on the eye than Dave, but Dave’s vocals suit
the current set list down to a tee.
 Kicking
off with “Tie your mother down” they ran through
tracks from Whitesnake,
AC/DC, Bryan Adams, ZZ Top and Zeppelin in the
first set alone. Journey’s
“Separate ways” was always going to stretch the old
vocal chords and we’ve all heard it murdered on
numerous occasions but the band pulled it off like
it was another day in the office.
Now I’m regularly accused of being proper OCD
about the sound, balance and levels but I couldn’t
find fault with any of that from the word go, I was
much impressed with the guitar sound in particular
that captured Brian May’s tone for the opening Queen number, to Billy Gibbons choppy
fuzz, Bryan Adams
jangly intro on “Run to you” and Gary Moore’s
mournful sustain on “Still got the blues”. All from
1 guitar. Respect.
The band are a mix of ages, so some of the set
was written before they were born; now as an aging
rocker I applaud this tribute to the music I love,
but feel slightly sad that little of any musical
value seems to have risen to the top for young bands
to play. The second set picked up where the first
had finished with a bit of
Bon Jovi then the band threw in
“Nellie the elephant” to a rapturous greeting before
some more Whitesnake, AC/DC, Billy Idol and G&R
before finishing the night with “The Hunter” –
always gonna go down well in Houghton. A cracking
night all round, the band were happy, everybody I
spoke to had a great time and the club sold lots of
beer. Next up “The Force” on 29th of this month.
The Seaham SIlverback
----------------------------------------------------------------
 Steve Hutchinson
from South Shields has recently re-joined CLASSIC CLAPTON on
keyboards & backing vocals.
He was a member of Animals
2 for 6 years during the 1990s
alongside original members Hilton Valentine &
John Steel.
Currently he performs with heritage band Animals 3 and
also UK Legends.
He previously played with Classic Clapton from
2003 - 2005.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Looks like there is yet
another change of management and booking agent at
The Maggie Bank and all bands booked
by the previous team are once again cancelled. If
bands think they are playing there they should get
in touch with the pub to clarify the situation.
---------------------------------------------------------------
I
AIN'T AFRAID OF NO GHOSTS
That
little birdie that told Riffs what a crackin'
gig awaited anyone partaking of ghostly
goings-on at the Glendale last Friday has, we
are cock-a-hoop to say, put his money where his
mouth is [or should we say 'beak']. He not only
popped in to said establishment with some mates
but was good enough to write a quick appraisal
of the gig and sent it in to Riffs. So, without
further ado . . .
 'Last
Friday we went to see The Ghost Band at Houghton Glendale WMC.
For me this was a much anticipated gig, I’d
seen them at Philadelphia beer festival last
year playing a brief set and I was much
impressed by their choice of Blues/Rock and
the level of musicianship. Last night built on
that first impression as the band ran through
tracks from
Hendrix, Gary Moore, Jeff Healey, Tom
Petty, John Mayall and Free among
others. The guys I’d brought with me hadn’t
seen the band before and were captivated by
the whole show. In fact the entire evening
should have been videoed and distributed to
all bands in the region; 3 guys who aren’t
exactly in the first flush of youth had all
their gear brought in, connected and checked
in 20 minutes.
Climbing
off my high horse, I can recommend the Ghost
Band to anyone who appreciates good music played
well with the minimum distraction and gobshitery
between numbers.'
The
Seaham Silverback.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Just heard from Stormy
Phil that the Ship Inn at Benton is
now closed.
-------------------------------------------------------------
NURSES TO
WALK THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
 As
someone who has seen first-hand the absolutely
wonderful and caring work our beloved Nurses
do (and the amount of piss that Hunt Jeremy
takes) I have no hesitation in giving a big
shout out to the Valentines Night gig at
The Alexandra in
Grangetown,
Sunderland.
The palliative care nurses working in St
Benedicts Hospice in Sunderland are
walking the Great Wall of China - yes, they
are going to walk along the Great Wall of
China!!) to raise funds for St Benedicts
Hospice Charity.
Tickets are £6 available from The Alex, the
Hospice or just turn up on
the night and splash cash on the door. Please pop along and help
these wonderful people - oh, nearly forgot -
there's a jam-packed evening of live music
too!!!
The Wolcott Band
Exit Left
Joanne Wallace
Steve Ayther
----------------------------------------------------------------
GHOSTS
AT THE GLENDALE
A little birdie tells Riffs what a cracking little venue Glendale
Social Club in Houghton le Spring is, and
what a great night it should be this Friday when
The Ghost Band take to the stage. Birdie Dave goes
on to say: 'The
club have bands on every 2nd & 4th Friday
of the month. Normally no cover charge, cheap
beer and a nice clean club with loads of free
parking. It’s on the bus route too for those
who use public transport although I’m not sure
what time the local buses stop running. I’m just an interested punter
and have nothing to do with the club, but I
like to encourage and support anyone who is
prepared to get stuck in.'
----------------------------------------------------------------
CONSPIRACY
TO ROCK
 If you like your rock of the
hard and heavy variety check out Conspiracy Theory; a
new band making inroads into the north east
rock and metal scene. If you’re a bit
tired of seeing too many rock bands playing
the same old stuff, CT’s intention is to
do the songs that no-one else does. And that
doesn’t mean obscure material you’ve
never heard of, if you’re into rock and metal
you’ll know everything they do. From Rainbow to Dio, Whitesnake
to Purple, Maiden
to Priest, Uriah Heep
to Rush
or the guitar greats such as Schenker or Moore, you
won’t forget them in a hurry. With stellar
musicianship from highly experienced players
having cut their teeth in bands such as PowerAge, Ministry of
Rock, Black Rose and On The Rocks
you’re bound to have a night to remember. You
can catch them at Trillians, Newcastle
on Friday 22nd February, The Penny
Gill, Spennymoor Sunday 3rd March,
Acklam Steelies Club, Middlesbrough
Saturday 9th March or the Big Jug,
Durham on Friday 15th March.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOYS IN ACTION . . .
 One of the most enjoyable
things I like to do is to announce the birth
of a new band, and if they are a Rock band
with pedigree then space on Riffs is a must.
So without further ado let me announce . . .
STARZ,
who are a new rock covers band and include three of
the north east's top musicians who have decided to
play some songs that were a little different from
'the usual stuff'. The band features members from
bands such as Pistoleros,
Bryan Adams Experience, Black Rose (not
the TL one), The
Paul Rodgers Story, Stoneheart, American Girl
to name a few and are all well known throughout the
north east for putting on a great show. The set list
includes classic and modern punk rock (Sex Pistols/Green Day
etc), glam rock (T Rex /
Bowie etc), heavy rock (Motley Crue / Marilyn Manson
etc) soft rock (Van Halen /
The Cult etc) pop (Dead or Alive / Kinks
etc) plus plenty of great songs for those that want
to dance and some surprises including rock versions
of songs by Gary Numan
and the Bee Gees.
The band start gigging this month and you can
check them out here -
Sunday 13th - Vigilant Inn, South
Shields (7pm)
Saturday 19th - Holey Molies,
Skelton, Teesside
Sunday 20th - Times Inn, Seaham
Thursday 31st - Osbournes, Yarm
The full list of all Starz
gigs are on Riffs Gig Listings page, but for more
info about the band go to http:www.starzrock.co.uk
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Riding On The Crest Of
The New Wave fitted no-one better than Lene Lovich
who this year is celebrating the 40th
anniversary of ‘Stateless’, her debut album,
featuring cult hit 'Lucky
Number' by touring the UK in March 2019 and
is set to appear at Newcastle Riverside on the 8th
of March. The song was originally a 'b' side to 'I
Think We're Alone Now' but was reissued as an 'a'
side by Stiff in '79. Before joining Stiff Records (The
Damned, Devo, Ian Dury, etc), her early work
included performing in cabaret clubs as a London
go-go dancer, voice-over work recording screams
for Hammer Film Productions, and being the
lyricist for French disco artist Marc Cerrone
(including penning the sci-fi dance hit
‘Supernature’). Riffs has no further details
regarding the gig as yet.....
Now let's see if I can still fit into my old
'If It Ain't Stiff . . .' t-shirt....
--------------------------------------------------------------
Just had a heads up regarding
The Magnesia Bank in
North Shields; it appears the
booking of the bands is now being undertaken
by someone anew; and the usual confusion has
ensued, so it is most advisable that any band
who thinks they have a booking at that venue
to double check asap.
-------------------------------------------------------------
One of
the top AC/DC tribute bands that are on offer
to the good people of the North-East is surely Livewire.
They are getting a great reputation for their
annual shindig at Blackhall Colliery Community
Centre in Hartlepool and they have just announced
this year's gig - Saturday, Feb 23. It is a
stunning venue with two bars and easy free
parking. The band have purposely kept the price
the same as last year and also hope to keep the
same 300 capacity. Tickets on sale now £15 from
ents24.com or 07841 033579. The pic
above is from last year's gig at the Centre.
-------------------------------------------------
 It's always a breath of fresh air to
hear what other people think of the bands that
we have featured, not only in our very own
Riffs reviews, but also regularly in our
listings. And one of the great stalwarts of
the Rock brigade is the good ol' trusted and
reliable Rock Solid. Good friend of
Riffs Dave Fulton was kind enough to pen his
thoughts on the gig by that very band on
Boxing Day so, without further ado, here is
said review:
If it’s Boxing
Day, then Rock Solid must be playing in
Houghton. In a tradition that started in the
old Buffs club in Houghton (now a
Wetherspoons) probably 12 years ago or more,
the Solids have played to broadly the same
crowd of fans of proper Rock in a friendly
setting; this year in Houghton Sport &
Social club. Originally advertised as a
civilised alternative to turkey sandwiches
with the in-laws it continues to draw a good
crowd and this year was no exception. Kicking
off with “Tie your mother down” and running
through a compendium of 70s & 80s hard
Rock, the band played new stuff by Saxon &
Maiden along with perennial favourites by
Priest, Rainbow, Ozzy, Purple and AC/DC.
Playing as tight as I’ve heard them, this was
no nonsense Rock with well-balanced sound and
an easy rapport with their audience. How many
times have you gone to listen to a band and
they throw something into the set and you
think to yourself “Lord, it’s years since I
heard this” then you go home and dig out the
vinyl or raid the Pirate Bay and re-acquaint
yourself with the stuff? Saxon’s “Frozen
Rainbow” did that for me, and Priest’s cover
of “Diamonds & Rust” was another. How
fortunate we are to have such a back catalogue
of classic music to listen to, and bands like
Rock Solid who dig them out, rehearse them and
serve them up for our continued delight. Long
may it continue; catch the Solids again on
Good Friday, 19th April in Houghton Sports
& Social.
Dave
(we have used an old
pic of Rock Solid so many many apologies to the
band if the line up has in any way changed)
-----------------------------------------------------
 Coming
to the Hartlepool Supporters Club on Saturday
Jan 5 is The
Sean Webster Band
and our very own local lad Russ Tippins. Russ is a legend around the
North-East - and no doubt further afield - with
his ability to coax Metal mayhem from his guitar
one minute and soulful soothings the next. He
can fit into a Rock crowd with ease and yet his
intimate acoustic evenings are a joy to behold.
Worth the ticket price alone in our opinion; but
for those who would like to know a bit more
about the headliners, here are a few snippets of
what has been said about the Sean Webster
Band;
"The resultant impression I am left
with is a really superb album that manages to
effortlessly straddle the divide between Blues
and high quality AOR, interspersed with
splashes of Soul and Country."
NIGEL FOSTER - The Blues
Foundation
"Loving the album. I'll play
loads of tracks on my radio show over the
coming weeks."
PAUL LONG - Blues and
Roots Connections
"If you like a bit of bluesy
soulfulness, delivered with conviction and
great musicianship, Leave Your Heart At Door
will surely fit the bill. Just keep the
Kleenex handy".
IAIN CAMERON - Blues
Enthused
" I had a lovely day with this
Sean, such a breath of fresh air "
JON ASTLEY - Close To The
Edge Mastering
Tickets £15 / 17 from ents24
---------------------------------------
This Machine are back on the map with a new
website, Facebook page and also a new addition
to their line up.
Recently joining the band is Paul
Richardson, some of you may know him from Black Rose, Slip
of the Tongue, Destroyer
and also doing a mean Eddie Van Hailen in top
tribute band Van
Hailen UK.
Paul joins the familiar line up of
Norman, Tony, Le Sequel and the Hamster of Doom
to make This Machine a 5 piece again. Check out their revamped Facebook and
website (featuring blogs, videos and everything
else) at
www.thismachinerock.com
www.facebòok.com/thismachinerocks
To get a taste of the new
line up then watch the band live HERE
Last few gigs of the year are
14th Dec Peterlee Central
Club
15th Dec The Turbinia, Newton
Aycliffe
22nd Dec The Fat Ox, Whitley Bay
(special Christmas Show)
28th Dec The market Tavern, Bedlington
30th Dec The Queens Head,
Cullercoats
-------------------------------------------------------------
Very late change for tonight
(Friday 7th) at the Blacksmiths Arms,
Gosforth High Street as The Whole Hog
were unable to make the gig so facilitated
their replacement, who are Skullduggery
who will take their place.
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Next review to be
uploaded that was done back in 2008 will be -
hopefully - The
Kicks
--------------------------------------------------------------
'Ere's one for ya;
this review from back in 2008 (I think!) is of Wild Rumours
and was penned by Riffs' Val . . .
----------------------------------------------------------------
Don't know who these guys are - any idea
anyone?
--------------------------------------------
Michelle
Davies from Usworth and
Washington Gardeners Club has
contacted Riffs with gratitude not only for our
support, but also for the support of all you
local lads and lasses who gave so generously - the
club raised a mighty £1600 in aid of Help For
Heroes recently. Well done all you Usworth and
Washington peeps!!!!
----------------------------------------------------------------
Neon
Nights.
-----------------------------------------------
 ALICE
COOPER'S NIGHTMARE:
Alice in Sunderland The Mad Coopers Tea Party; Sunday
November 18th 3.00pm
The Alexandra Grangetown
Sunderland, Tickets £10.
A unique opportunity to
join the band up close and personal; we will be
performing all the Cooper greats with all the
usual theatrics and then join us for tea.....err
Cooper style :-)
There will be restricted
tickets sales available but you can pre book with
the band through our FB page and limited tickets
available from The Alexandra and St Benedicts.
So please come and join
us supporting St Benedicts.
------------------------------------------------------------
If you can stop laughing
long enough . . . anybody have an idea of who this
band is?
------------------------------------------------------
yeah,
I know this is not music-related but . . . this is
horrific, horrific stuff......
Dozens of
heavily-armed hunters rode into a national park
in Cameroon, butchered over 600 majestic
elephants, then hacked off their faces for their
tusks. Poachers have annihilated half of
central Africa’s last elephants. And no one's
been able to stop them.
Until now!
Brave investigators have gone undercover in
poaching rings in ten African countries,
and already more than 2,000 traffickers have
been jailed!
It’s awe-inspiring stuff, and it’s won awards, but
many funders are wary of going head-to-head with
organised crime. We may be the best community to
scale this extraordinary operation, fast.
Four elephants are killed an hour -- it’s a
race against time before we lose these gentle
giants forever. But if we each give now, this team
can expand to more countries, lock up more
kingpins and complicit officials -- and we
can ramp up campaigning to protect these beautiful
creatures and all of our vulnerable natural world.
Please log in to - Avaaz.org
and give a few quid.
If you wish to donate immediately (as Riffs did)
then go direct to the donation page
https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/hunt_the_hunters_redux_loc
------------------------------------------------------------
Another
review from 2008 here, this one at The Three
Tuns in Gateshead featuring punk stalwarts The Janitors
- courtesy of Riffs' Val.
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
MEGA
ROCK SATURDAY AT THE QUEEN VIC
Shame
we were told about this gig only today (Monday)
as we could have given you much more info than
the poster. However, we can't. Oh, we do know
it's for charity - but not which one! It was
only thanks to Paul from Millennium that we have
this info. And it's for this Saturday (13th)
from 1pm till midnight.
NB: If you are
putting on a gig that includes Rock or Metal
and you would like publicity then tell us
about it well in advance and we will do just
that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We now host a
review of Last
Minute, written in July of
- we think - 2008. We are reasonably sure the band
is still gigging to this day (please get in touch
lads if you are).
.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just heard from Alan
Fizzyfish concerning The
Royal in Stanley, seems they are all
at sixes and sevens with their booking diary - best
double check if you reckon you have a gig with them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Well,
don't know about anyone else, but I've had a good
ol' earful of Zeppelin
this month (Zeptember) - and I mean that in a good
way - cos I don't think there was a track up to Presence
that I have not only not listened to, but
re-downloaded in FLAC format. I realised initially
listening to Motorhead by Motorhead
off Motorhead that Mp3 just doesn't do it
- not on 11 with quality digital headphones it
certainly doesn't and I understand, I believe, I
do sort of get the impression, that dear ol' Lemmy
would sort of appreciate me hurtin mesel like, not
far off pain. Tinnitus is the price for all that
Rock and Metal; and I wouldn't change a damn
thing. But back to Zep. Great band, and poor Plant
has had some bad times in his life (yeah, and some
good times). That first album, just don't get sick
of it, every time I listen it's like the first
time. Recorded for less than sixpence, and the
lads were positively gushing with enthusiasm and
skill. Those first few albums were truly
inspirational and I just don't see how I could
have enjoyed my youth without them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The
brilliant Baz Warne fails at Elvis impression
Well,
being a lazy scrote of late I have not added any
reviews from way back, and as more than a few
people (wonder how many 'more' is, first off you
need to guess how many a 'few' is, then guage how
many 'more' is, then add them. I guess) have said
they liked them, even though one person said "I
don't see the point in hosting reviews from all
those years ago". But, when you think about
it, everything is in the past - it just depends
how far back you want to go. Mmmm, anyway,
this review (from Queen of cleavage) is of the
always-brilliant Baz
Warne.....Not too sure the date but
I guess could be 2008.....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Well, credit where
credit is due and we have just heard of another
bunch of selfless musicians who are giving of
their time - and of course, most importantly,
skills - to support a very much needed local
charity. When the lads found out the Activity Den
in Stanley was in dire need of some help, it
didn't take long for them to step forward with the
unanimous shout "Here we are - and we're ready
to Rock". So it is that The Straits UK are
giving of their best on Friday October 19
at the Angel Inn, Durham. Some local support would
be, to say the least, most appreciated . . . Oh,
and if you are in a generous mood, there will be
donations on the door.; please, don't be an old
stinge.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Upon us all a
little rain must fall"
"Just a big big thank you from
me and the boys from Big
River for running our FOC
Charity Fundraiser ad. The day was a great success
and we raised over £1500 for
Prostate Cancer UK. We had some great performers and
a vast array of volunteers to make the day the
success it was.
We are hoping to make it an
annual event so once again thanks guys".
----------------------------------------------------
SO
WHAT TIME IS YOUR BAND DUE ON - REALLY?
Call
me a finnicky fuckpig, but if your gig intends to
start around nine, please (and I don't really mean
that 'please') do not list your gig as starting
any earlier. It really boils my piss. Geddit?
Harks back to the
night I was really really poorly (oh yes, we're
talking proper Man Flu here) but I also really
really (there just has to be another word for
'really', there really must) wanted to see the
band. They advertised an 8.30pm start time so,
being a punctual little twat, I got there dead on
8.30pm. Forego the usual JD and bought a very week
orange and lemonade (eat your heart out Lemmy) and
anticipated an iminent appearance . . . and waited
. . . and waited . . . till at 9pm the band took
to the stage (a full eight hours later by my
flu-powered watch). So you can see why now it gets
on my proverbial tits when a band or venue
basically lies about what time the band is due on
stage just to, presumably, get the punters to buy
more drinks. Don't get me wrong, I can't STOP you
doing it - but at Riffs (and of course at no other
avenue in my life) I am in charge. So just see
where it gets you. Oh, and while I'm on can we
have a big cheer . . . well, I'm waiting . . . for
Paul Tuns in Gateshead
who has no qualms about being totally honest (does
anyone remember honesty? - another dying virtue)
and advertises his bands starting at 9.15.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Mick
from Overdrive
has contacted Riffs with the following info:
'Looks like The Royal
in Stanley have gone to last Saturday of the month
for bands. Just been in touch on FB so would advise
any bands booked there to do the same. Heard a few
stories so this might clear things up. New
management there so would
be good to keep this venue going.'
----------------------------------------------------------
Riffs has just received
an update to the Borderland gig on Sat Oct 13:
Please note admission to this event is
by ADVANCE TICKETs ONLY. Anyone interested in booking
tickets please contact David Snaith on 07789 774027 NO
LATER than Weds 10th Oct. The venue
has specified that no tickets can be available on the
door. Many thanks for your understanding.
No doubt by now those Borderland
guys will be saying: "where's our fuckin'
advert you promised
you lying Riffs shits?" And, y'know, I
wouldn't blame them, but you gotta believe, ya just
gotta believe that I am pretty busy and I do take my
time over some ads to get it right (well, what I
consider right anyway) and, after a few days, and
with the picture Borderland supplied, the ad is now
unveiled today - ta-dah.......... [always have
some rock blasting in my headphones when on my
pootah, and just finishishing this ad for
Borderland's charity gig while listening to . . . Bowie's
'Heroes' - now how apt is that?!!]. Here's
the ad.....
Mind you, looking at
that oh-so-sweet cutie in the pic, I just can't
imagine her saying "fuckin'".
Although . . .
------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 Riffs
is just getting a sniff of a very interesting Queen tribute
appearing at the
Benedictine Social Club Cramlington on Friday 9th
Nov.
They are going under the name Qween and include some
very accomplished musicians.
Tickets
not yet on sale but we understand them to be
around the six pound mark.
More as we get it . . . tap, tap,
tap, tap,.............
-------------------------------------------------------
BORDERLAND
IS NOT A UFO TRIBUTE
Funny
ol' day. Feel pissed on these painkillers, can
hardly type properly and am missing out gigs.
Shit, roll on op. Anyway, time to embarrass those Borderland
chaps cos have just typed in to October listings
not one but TWO
charity gigs they are undertaking that month. Well
done guys - wish there was something we can give
you - hey shit man there is - a boxed advert free
of charge for one whole month for whatever gig you
want is totally yours. That do ya?!! (hope so
cos we have fuck all else).
------------------------------------------
And if ya wanna hear
some Zep then Stormy
Monday (pic) on the 20th and
28th at the Black Bull Morpeth and the
Star Inn Newcastle respectively should do you
proud.
-------------------------------------------------------------
DANCING DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN
Well, it's Zeptember and, along
with Planet Rock,
we are celebrating in the way which only we can:
Every band that plays any Zep songs in their set
will be allowed to have their gig listing
highlighted in the special Zeptember
colour (I know, we couldn't believe it
ourselves!). But, as Riffs psychic abilities are
absolute zero, you must let us know what Zep tracks
you play and then we will highlight your
gig............And you may have noticed that the
month - Zeptember if we haven't already mentioned it
- culminates in a mega double bill with AC/DC GB
along with Dizzy Lizzy. Just a tenner at
Shildon Civic Hall. And not sure why we
mentioned that cos it's nothing to do with Zep.
Could be these strong painkillers which have a
weird side-effect of making one feel very very
drunk.
-------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to
'Gerry' who points out our pics on the Index page are
of Rattlesnake Road
and features a good pal of his playing Bass and
singing. His name is Stu Burlison and he is currently playing bass with the fabulous
George Shovlin’ and the
Radars he is also bassist / vocalist in Skullduggery along
with Fred Purvis.
Stu is very well
known and has also played with top bands Messenger, Brass Alley
and Under the Radar.
|
CELEBRATING THE SEVENTIES:
My
neighbours were just listening to
this......(they're a 1/4 mile away but i got
an awesome sound system!)
FACTOID: In 2000, Shaun Ryder’s Volkswagen
Corrado was found abandoned after being used as the
getaway car in an armed robbery on Harry Ramsden’s fish
and chip restaurant in Manchester. £7,000 cash was taken
in the robbery.
This week in . . .
1961
- Pat Boone
went to No.18
with 'Moody River'. A
tongue-in-cheek, heavy metal
"comeback" was attempted by Boone in
1997 with an album called 'In a Metal
Mood (No More Mr. Nice Guy)'.
1965 - The
Who, Solomon Burke, Zoot Money,
Cliff Bennett & The Rebel
Rousers, John Mayall's
Bluesbreakers, Spencer Davis
Group, Marianne Faithful, Long
John Baldry, The Birds
(featuring a young Ronnie Wood),
Dave Witting
and the Ray
Martin Group all
appeared at Uxbridge Blues Festival..
Tickets cost from 7/6 to 10/6.
1965 - The
Four Tops went to No.1
on the US singles chart with 'I Can't
Help Myself'. Lead singer Levi Stubbs
had not been satisfied with the
recording session and was promised
that he could do it again the
following day, but no other session
ever took place. The track that became
a hit was just the second take of the
song.
1974 - The Delinquents - a
band featuring Mick Jones (later of The Clash)
made their debut at the Students union
bar, Queen Elizabeth College,
Kensington.
2012 - The former accountant for Pearl
Jam was charged with 33 counts
of theft for allegedly stealing at
least $380,000 from the Seattle band's
management company. Rickey Goodrich
was accused of stealing hundreds of
thousands of dollars over the course
of several years, spending the money
on lavish family vacations, spa
treatments, life insurance and pricey
California wines.
1977 - Johnny
Rotten and Paul Cook
of the Sex
Pistols were stabbed and
beaten when they were attacked in a car
park outside a London pub. They objected
to the Pistols' anti-monarchist song
'God Save the Queen'. The next day,
another member of the Pistols, Paul Cook,
was beaten by a gang armed with iron
pipes.
1977 -
Fleetwood Mac went to
No.24 in the UK. Stevie Nicks has stated
she wrote the song at the Record Plant
studio in Sausalito, California, in
about 10 minutes.
1988 - 'Doctorin' The Tardis' by The Timelords
was at No.1 on the singles chart. The
Timelords were Scottish duo Bill
Drummond and Jimmy Cauty, who formed KLF. The
song was a mash-up of the Doctor Who
theme music, Gary
Glitter's 'Rock and Roll
(Part Two)' with sections from
'Blockbuster!' by Sweet.
1993 - A&M
Records chairman Jerry
Moss and vice-chairman Herb Alpert
announced they were leaving the company
they founded more than 30 years earlier.
They had sold A&M in 1990 to
Polygram for $500 million. Moss and
Alpert started the label in the garage
of Alpert's Los Angeles home in 1962.
The label was the home to such acts as The Police, Bryan
Adams, Joan Baez, Flying Burrito
Brothers, The Carpenters, Joe
Cocker, Supertramp and Herb Alpert &
the Tijuana Brass.
1954 - Guitarist Danny
Cedrone died following a
freak accident; 10 days after he had
recorded the lead guitar break on 'Rock
Around the Clock' with Bill Haley and His
Comets. Session player
Cedrone was paid $21 for his work on the
session, as at that time Haley chose not
to hire a full-time guitarist for his
group. Cedrone died of a broken neck after
falling down a staircase.
1971 - Carole
King went to No.1 on the US
album chart with ‘Tapestry’ for the first
of 15 consecutive weeks. The album
contained ‘It's Too Late’, ‘I Feel the
Earth Move’, ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’’
and ‘You've Got a Friend’. The cover
photograph taken at King's Laurel Canyon
home shows her sitting in a window frame,
holding a tapestry she hand-stitched
herself, with her cat Telemachus at her
feet.
1972 - The
Rolling Stones album Exile
On Main Street started a four-week run at
the top of the US charts. The double
album, regularly regarded as one of the
band's best, features 'Rocks Off', 'Rip
This Joint', 'Happy' and 'Tumbling Dice'.
1976 - Ian Dury
played his last gig with Kilburn and the High
Roads before starting his
solo career. The show at The Assembly
Hall, Walthamstow also had The Sex Pistols and
The Stranglers on
the bill.
1977 - After Jimmy
Helms pulled out of a gig
at Shoreditch College, the members of the
social committee decided to call upon
famous local, Elton
John who lived up the road
and ask if he would perform. Elton did the
gig for two bottles of wine.
2012 - Bruce
Springsteen played his
longest show when he turned in a
three-hour-and-48-minute, 32-song, set at
the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.
(This surpassed the previously longest
show, Dec. 31, 1980 at the Nassau
Coliseum, Long Island, New York, which
clocked in at 3:43).
Week
commencing June
10
1962
- The Konrads
(featuring Dave Jay later to become David Bowie)
made their live debut when they played at
Bromley Technical School in Kent.
1964 - The Rolling
Stones paid £1,500 in return
air fares from America back to the UK to
honour a booking made a year earlier for
£100 at Magdalen College Oxford. Local group
The Falling Leaves
were the support act, and the Stones’ bass
player, Bill Wyman, had to use one of the
Oxford band’s amplifiers because of a
malfunction with their equipment.
1966 - The Beatles
made a surprise live appearance on the UK
television program Top Of The Pops
performing 'Paperback Writer' and ‘Rain’. It
became The Beatles' last live musical
television appearance, with the sole
exception of the June 1967 worldwide
transmission of ‘All You Need Is Love’.
1967 - Pink Floyd
released their second single 'See Emily
Play' which was written by original frontman
Syd Barrett. The slide guitar work on the
song was done by Barrett using a plastic
ruler.
1967 - The three day Monterey Pop Festival
in California began. All the proceeds went
to charity when all the artists agreed to
perform for free; the 'Summer of Love' was
born. The festival saw the first major US
appearances by The
Who, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.
Also on the bill:
The Byrds, Grateful Dead, Otis Redding,
Simon & Garfunkel, The Steve Miller
Band, Canned Heat, The Mamas & the
Papas, Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo
Springfield and The Electric Flag.
John Phillips, of The
Mamas & the Papas wrote,
'San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In
Your Hair)' to promote the festival, which
later became a hit for Scott McKenzie.
1970 - Mungo Jerry
were at No.1 on the singles chart with 'In
The Summertime'. It went on to become the
best selling single of 1970 spending seven
weeks at No.1 and was a hit in 26 other
countries. The UK release was a maxi-single
playing at 33 rpm.
1973 - Suzi Quatro
had her first UK No.1 single with the Nicky
Chinn & Mike Chapman song 'Can The Can'.
10CC
were at No.2 with 'Rubber Bullets' and Fleetwood Mac
at No.3 with 'Albatross.'
1984 - Frankie
Goes To Hollywood had their
second No.1 single with 'Two Tribes.' It
stayed at No.1 for nine weeks making Frankie
Goes To Hollywood the first band to have
their first two singles go to the top of the
chart - even though none of the band
actually played on either of these records.
During this run the group's previous single
'Relax' climbed back up the charts to No.2.
1989 - The first day of the three-day
Glastonbury Festival took place featuring Van Morrison, Elvis
Costello, Throwing Muses, Pixies, All
About Eve, Hot House Flowers, The
Waterboys, Suzanne Vega and Fairground Attraction.
Tickets cost £28.
1991 - England-born singer Vicki Brown
died of breast cancer aged 50. She is best
known for her membership of both The Vernons Girls
and The Breakaways,
and as one of the UK's most enduring backing
vocalists. She appeared on many hits
including The Jimi
Hendrix Experience version of
'Hey Joe', Petula
Clark's hit, 'Downtown', The Who's
Tommy – film soundtrack, George Harrison's
Cloud Nine. She was the first wife of singer
and musician Joe
Brown and mother of the
singer Sam Brown.
1996 - Rage
Against The Machine, Beastie Boys,
Smashing Pumpkins, Fugees, Red Hot Chili
Peppers, John Lee Hooker, Beck, Sonic
Youth, Yoko Ono, De La Soul
and Richie Havens
all appeared at the two-day Tibetan Freedom
Concert, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco: A
sell-out crowd of over 100,000 made it the
largest US benefit concert since Live Aid in
1985.
1999 - Screaming
Lord Sutch was found dead
after hanging himself. The singer turned
politician was 58. He was the first
long-haired pop star-boasting hair over 18
inches long and the self-styled lord (real
name David Sutch), was Britain's
longest-serving political leader, standing
in nearly 40 elections.
2016 - Meat Loaf was
rushed to hospital after collapsing on stage
during a concert in in Edmonton, Canada. The
singer was performing his hit, 'I'd Do
Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)',
when he dropped his microphone and fell to
the floor.
1969 - During a short 5 date UK tour Led Zeppelin
appeared at The Free Trade Hall, Manchester,
supported by Blodwyn
Pig and
The Liverpool Scene. The flyer
for the tour stated: 'Come & take off,
levitate with the Led Zeppelin album'.
1977 - The Sex
Pistols held a party on a boat
as it sailed down The River Thames in London.
The Pistols performed 'Anarchy In The UK'
outside The Houses Of Parliament resulting in
members from the party being arrested when the
boat docked later that day.
2016 - Led Zeppelin's
guitarist Jimmy Page
denied stealing the riff to 'Stairway To
Heaven' when he took the stand at a copyright
trial in the US. The band were accused of
lifting the opening guitar line from 'Taurus',
a 1968 track by the band Spirit. Page
testified that he had never heard the song
until people started posting comparisons
online a few years ago. Page admitted to
owning several Spirit albums, but only
remembered buying two of them, neither of
which contained Taurus. Under questioning, he
conceded that he did own a copy of the band's
self-titled debut, on which the track appears,
but could not recall how it came to be part of
his collection.
1964 - The Manish Boys
(featuring David Bowie) auditioned for
Opportunity Knocks.
1977 - Led Zeppelin
played the last of six sold out nights at
Madison Square Garden, in New York City during
their 11th and final North American tour. The
3-hour set included: The Song Remains The Same,
Since I’ve Been Loving You, No Quarter, Ten
Years Gone, 'Stairway To Heaven', Whole Lotta
Love, Rock And Roll and When the Levee Breaks.
1986 - Three fans died during an Ozzy Osbourne
gig at Long Beach Arena, California after
falling from a balcony.
1989 - Pete De Freitas
drummer with Echo And
The Bunnymen was killed at the
age of 27, when his motorbike collided with a
car.
2012 - Ringo Starr's
birthplace in Liverpool was saved from the
threat of demolition. The house, a run-down
three-bedroom Victorian terrace, was one of 400
buildings marked for demolition in the Dingle
area of Liverpool, but Beatles fans and city
residents had successfully lobbied to save the
house, along with 15 others in the area. The
Liverpool City Council has agreed to give locals
the opportunity to fix up the properties.
2016 - Irish rock guitarist Henry McCullough
died after never fully recovering from a severe
heart attack he had suffered four years earlier.
He recorded with Paul
McCartney and Wings, featuring on
the hit James Bond theme, 'Live and Let Die' and
'My Love', the solo for which he made up on the
spot in front of a live orchestra. He was also a
member of Spooky Tooth
and The Grease Band.
1969 - The Rolling Stones
held a photo call in Hyde Park to introduce new
guitarist Mick Taylor. The 20 year-old former
member of John Mayall's
Bluesbreakers made his live debut
with The Stones the following month at a free
concert in Hyde Park, London.
1975 - Peter Frampton
played the first of two nights at the Winterland
Ballroom, San Francisco, California. Recordings
from these two shows were used as part of his No.1
double album 'Frampton Comes Alive'. It became the
best-selling album of 1976, selling over 6 million
copies in the US and Frampton Comes Alive! was
voted "Album of the year" in the 1976 Rolling
Stone readers poll. It stayed on the chart for 97
weeks.
2017 - Anita
Pallenberg, the model and
actress best known for her relationships with
members of the Rolling
Stones, died at the age of 73.
Pallenberg was the girlfriend of Brian Jones but
left him for fellow Rolling Stone Keith Richards.
She was also alleged to have had an affair with
Mick Jagger while they were making Nicolas Roeg's
1970 film Performance,
in which it was alleged that she played out
sexual scenes in the film 'for real' (out-takes of
these scenes apparently won a prize at an
Amsterdam adult film festival).
When Richards heard the rumours, he apparently
took to sitting in his car outside the house where
the film was being shot. This atmosphere led to
The Rolling Stones missing out on recording the
musical soundtrack.
1964 - During an evening session Bob Dylan recorded
Mr. Tambourine Man at Columbia Recording Studios in
New York City. This was the first session for the
Another Side Of Bob Dylan, which saw Dylan recording
fourteen original compositions that night. The Byrds later
recorded a version of Mr. Tambourine Man that was
released as their first single and reached No.1 on
both the US & UK Chart. The Byrds' recording of
the song was influential in initiating the musical
subgenre of folk-rock, leading many contemporary
bands to mimic its fusion of jangly guitars and
intellectual lyrics in the wake of the single's
success.
1967 - Pink Floyd
played two gigs in one day, the first at the College
of Commerce in Hull, and then at The Blarney Club,
Tottenham Court Road, London.
1978 - The Rolling Stones
released Some Girls, their first studio album
recorded with Ronnie Wood as a full member. The
album cover was designed by Peter Corriston and
featured The Rolling Stones in garish drag alongside
select female celebrities and lingerie ads. The
cover immediately ran into trouble when Lucille
Ball, Farrah Fawcett, Liza Minnelli (representing
her mother Judy Garland), Raquel Welch, and the
estate of Marilyn Monroe threatened legal action.
1998 - The Ronettes
appeared in the Supreme Court of New York for their
lawsuit against producer Phil Spector. The Ronettes,
whose hits included 'Be My Baby' and 'Walking In The
Rain', claimed that Spector had breached the group's
34-year-old contract by paying the members no
royalties since 1963. Although The Ronettes went on
to win the case, the New York State Court of Appeals
overturned the decision in October 2002, saying that
the contract the Ronettes signed with Spector in
1963 was still binding.
Week
commencing June
3
1963
- The Crystals'
'Da Doo Ron Ron' peaked at No.3 on the US singles
chart. Produced by Phil Spector, who used a
multi-track recording system to build the song layer
upon layer to achieve a result that become known as a
"wall of sound". Backing musicians include Glen Campbell on
guitar, Leon Russell
on piano, Hal Blain
on drums and Nino Tempo
on sax.
1967 - Procol Harum
were at No.1 on the singles chart with 'A Whiter Shade
Of Pale' the group's only No.1. In 2004 the song was
named the most played record of the past 70 years.
More than 900 recorded versions by other artists are
known.
1970 - Deep Purple
had their van and equipment impounded by East German
police while on an European tour, after mistakenly
driving too close to the border.
1989 - At a Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior's press
conference, vegetarian Chrissie
Hynde claimed that she once firebombed
a McDonalds restaurant. The following day a McDonalds
in Milton Keynes was firebombed and Hynde was
threatened with legal action.
2003 - Led Zeppelin
were at No.1 on the US album chart with their triple
live album How The West Was Won, the band's seventh US
No.1 album. The performances were from the band's 1972
tour of the United States, recorded at the LA Forum on
25 June 1972 and Long Beach Arena on 27 June 1972.
1966 - Roy Orbison's
first wife, Claudette, was killed when a truck pulled
out of a side road and collided with the motorbike that
she and her husband were riding on in Gallatin, Texas,
she was 25.
1970 - Syd Barrett
played his first gig at the Extravaganza 70, at London's
Olympia Hall, since leaving Pink Floyd, backed by a
band that included his old friend Floyd guitarist David
Gilmour. Barrett baffled the audience (and his
musicians) when he abruptly took off his guitar during
the fourth number and walked off stage.
2003 - Keyboard player with The
Animals, Dave Rowberry died aged 62. He
replaced Alan Price who left in 1965. The Animals had
the 1964 UK & US No.1 single 'House Of The Rising
Sun'.
2017 - The site of the 1969 Woodstock
music festival was officially recognised for its place
in history when Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced
that Bethel Woods Center for the Arts had been placed on
the National Register of Historic Places.
1964 - During a photo session, Ringo
Starr was taken ill suffering from
tonsilitis and pharyngitis, days before a world tour was
about to start. After a last-minute phone call from George
Martin, session drummer Jimmy Nichol rushed over to EMI
Studios, where he and The Beatles ran through six songs
from their tour repertoire in a quick rehearsal. Nichol
replaced Ringo and became a Beatle for eleven days.
1967 - The Doors
'Light My Fire' was released in the US, where it went on
to be No.1 on the singles chart two months later. When The
Doors were booked to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show they
were asked to change the line "girl, we couldn't get much
higher", as the sponsors were uncomfortable with the
possible reference to drug-taking. The band agreed to do
so, and did a rehearsal using the amended lyrics; however,
during the live performance, lead singer Jim Morrison sang
the original lyric, after which they were informed they
would never appear on the Ed Sullivan show again.
1968 - Valerie Solanas shot Andy
Warhol and art critic and curator Mario
Amaya at Warhol's studio in New York City. Solanas had
been to see Warhol after asking for the return of a script
which had, apparently, been misplaced. Warhol was
seriously wounded in the attack and barely survived.
1970 - Deep Purple
released their fourth studio album 'Deep Purple In Rock'.
This was the first album to feature the classic Mk II
lineup of - Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover,
Jon Lord and Ian Paice.
1970 - The Kinks Ray Davies
was forced to make a 6,000 mile round trip from New York
to London to record one word in a song. Davies had to
change the word 'Coca-Cola' to 'cherry cola' on the band's
forthcoming single 'Lola' due to an advertising ban at BBC
Radio.
1977 - Bob Marley & the
Wailers released Exodus. The album featured
the hits, 'Jamming', 'Waiting In Vain', 'Three Little
Birds' and 'One Love'. In 1999, Time magazine named Exodus
the best album of the 20th century.
Week
commencing May
27
1959
- The first edition of Juke
Box Jury aired on the BBC. The
show's host, David Jacobs, lead a revolving
panel of guests in critiquing the week's top
record releases. Although the songs were never
played in their entirety, the four judges gave a
verdict on whether each would be a "hit" or a
"miss".
1966 - During a 12 hour session at Abbey Road
studios, The Beatles
added overdubs on 'Yellow Submarine', with John
Lennon blowing bubbles in a bucket of water and
shouting "Full speed ahead Mister Captain!"
Roadie Mal Evans played on a bass drum strapped
to his chest, marching around the studio with
The Beatles following behind (conga-line style)
singing "We all live in a yellow submarine."
1967 - The Beatles
released Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,
in the UK. Recorded over a 129-day period
beginning in December 1966, the album is widely
regarded as one of the greatest of all time and
was the first Beatles album where the track
listings were exactly the same for the UK and US
versions. As of 2011, it has sold more than 32
million copies worldwide, making it one of the
best-selling albums in history.
1973 - Former Soft
Machine drummer Robert Wyatt
broke his spine after attempting to leave a
party by climbing down a drainpipe and falling
three stories. It left Wyatt permanently
crippled and confined to a wheelchair.
1977 - Bob Marley and
The Wailers played the first of
four nights at the Rainbow Theatre in London.
There were six nights booked at the Rainbow, but
the last two shows were cancelled due to a
serious toe injury Marley received (in a
friendly football game with French journalists
just before the tour's start in Paris).
Subsequently the tour's second leg in the United
States was postponed and then cancelled.
1981 - The first issue of the Heavy Metal
magazine Kerrang!
was published as a special pull-out by UK weekly
music paper Sounds.
AC/DC had the front cover plus
features on Motorhead,
Girlschool and Saxon.
1991 - American soul singer David Ruffin died
of a drug overdose. After taking a large amount
of cocaine Ruffin passed out, a friend drove him
to a hospital in Philadelphia, where he later
died. With The
Temptations, had the 1971 single
'Just My Imagination' and 'My Girl' (which
Ruffin sang lead vocals). Solo, 'Walk Away From
Love').
2007 - Contemporary musicians recorded their own
versions of songs from the
Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album to
mark 40 years since it was released. Acts
including Oasis,
Travis, The Fray, Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight,
Bryan Adams and The Magic Numbers
all worked with Geoff Emerick - the engineer in
charge of the original 1967 sessions, using the
original analogue 4-track equipment to
demonstrate the techniques employed for the
recording at Abbey Road studios in 1967.
2017 - The sale of Jerry
Garcia's favourite guitar, Wolf,
raised millions of dollars for a civil rights
group when an auction of the custom-made guitar
fetched a total of $3.2m (£2.5m). It was bought
at a New York charity concert by Brian Halligan,
CEO of marketing group HubSpot and a lifelong
fan of the band - or a "Deadhead". The money
raised would go to the Southern Poverty Law
Centre.
1962 - The Beatles
played the last night of a 7-week run at the
Star-Club, Hamburg, West Germany. During their
residency they would play for four-and-a-half
hours on weekdays and six hours on Saturdays, with
some songs lasting over 20 minutes to fill out the
time.
1966 - Filming began on
The Monkees first TV series. The
Monkees' first single, 'Last Train to Clarksville'
was released in August 1966, just weeks prior to
the TV broadcast debut. In conjunction with the
first broadcast of the television show on
September 12, 1966 on the NBC television network,
NBC and Columbia had a major hit on their hands.
1968 - Working on what will become The White
Album, The Beatles
added overdubs of bass and vocals on ‘Revolution’.
After numerous overdubs have been added, the final
six minutes of the song evolved into chaotic,
jamming, with Lennon repeatedly shouting "alright"
and Yoko Ono speaking random phrases. The jam
becomes the basis for ‘Revolution 9’, and this
session is the first that Yoko attends.
1976 - The Who gave
themselves a place in the Guinness book of Records
as the loudest performance of a rock band at 120
decibels, when they played at Charlton Athletic
Football ground.
1977 - The BBC announced a ban on the new Sex Pistols single
'God Save The Queen' saying it's "in gross bad
taste". And the IBA issued a warning to all radio
stations saying playing the single would be in
breach of Section 4:1:A of the Broadcasting act.
Officially the single reached No.2 on the UK chart
- but many insist that it was prevented from
showing as No.1.
1993 - Sister Lovers, 18
Wheeler, Boyfriend and Oasis appeared
at King Tuts in Glasgow. Creation Records boss
Alan McGee who was in the audience declared
after seeing Oasis, 'I've found the
greatest rock 'n' roll band since The
Beatles'. McGee had missed a train at
nearby Queen Street station, and decided to
head to Tuts to kill time before the next one.
He signed Oasis to his Creation label.
2004 - US guitarist
Robert Quine was found dead of a
heroin overdose in his New York City home. Worked
with Richard Hell And
The Voidoids (1977 album 'Blank
Generation' features the track 'Love Comes In
Spurts') and Lou Reed,
Brian Eno, Lloyd Cole, Marianne Faithfull, Tom
Waits and They
Might Be Giants.
1965 - The Beach Boys
started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles
chart with 'Help Me Rhonda', the group's second US
No.1. The recording session was interrupted by the
Wilson brothers' drunken father, Murry, who arrived
at the studio to criticize the Boys enthusiasm. The
recording reel continued to record the
confrontation, which still circulates among fans.
1967 - The Move, Cream,
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, Zoot
Money, Geno Washington and The Ram Jam Band
all appeared at the Tulip Bulb Auction Hall in
Spalding, Lincoln. Pink Floyd were only a support
band and played in a corner of the shed with a white
sheet behind them with the coloured oil shining onto
it. Tickets cost £1. The poster advertising the show
promised a 'Knockout Atmosphere'.
1971 - The Rolling Stones
started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles
chart with 'Brown Sugar', from Sticky Fingers. The
first single released on Rolling Stones Records, it
was the bands sixth US No.1, and a No.2 hit in the
UK. The songs lyrics, which are essentially a
pastiche of a number of taboo subjects, include:
interracial sex, cunnilingus, slave rape, and less
distinctly, sadomasochism, lost virginity, and
heroin.
1971 - Three dozen Grateful
Dead fans were treated for
hallucinations caused by LSD after they unwittingly
drank spiked apple juice served at a gig at San
Francisco's Winterland.
 1977 - Manchester band Warsaw (later to
become Joy Division)
made their live debut supporting The Buzzcocks at
The Electric Circus, Manchester.
1997 - Singer songwriter
Jeff Buckley disappeared after
talking a swim in the Mississippi River, his body
was found on 4th June 1997 after being spotted by a
passenger on a tourist riverboat.
1999 - Skeletal remains were found by photographers
looking for old car wrecks to shoot at the bottom of
Decker Canyon near Malibu, California. Based on
forensic evidence the remains were Philip Kramer
former bassist with rock group Iron Butterfly, who
had disappeared on his way home from work on
February 12, 1995. His death was ruled as a probable
suicide.
1966 - All four Beatles
spent the day with Bob Dylan
in his room at the Mayfair hotel in London watching
rushes of D.A. Pennebakers's forthcoming documentary
film, Dont Look Back, which covered Dylan's 1965
concert tour of the United Kingdom.
1973 - Pink Floyd’s
The Dark Side of The Moon was on both the UK and US
album charts. It remained in the US charts for 741
discontinuous weeks from 1973 to 1988, longer than any
other album in history. (After moving to the Billboard
Top Pop Catalog Chart, the album notched up a further
759 weeks, and had reached a total of over 1,500 weeks
on the combined charts by May 2006).
1976 - The Allman Brothers
Band temporarily disbanded after Greg
Allman testified against Scooter Herring, his personal
road manager, who was charged with drug trafficking.
Herring was subsequently sentenced to 75 years in
prison. An album of previously unreleased live
material was issued later in the year under the title
'Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas'.
1983 - The four day US Festival '83' took place in
California, featuring The
Clash, U2, David Bowie, The Pretenders, Van Halen,
Stray Cats, Men At Work, Judas Priest, Stevie
Nicks, Willie Nelson. INXS, Joe Walsh, Motley Crue
and Ozzy Osbourne.
Over 750,000 fans attended the festival.
1983 - Rapidfire
appeared at Gazzarri’s On The Sunset Strip, in Los
Angles. Rapidfire featured singer Axl Rose, who was seen
for the first time by guitarist Slash,
who was in the audience.
1957 - Buddy Holly and the
Crickets released their first record,
'That'll Be The Day.' A UK No.1 and US No.3 hit. The
song had its genesis in a trip to the movies by Holly,
Allison and Sonny Curtis in June 1956. The John Wayne
film The Searchers was playing. Wayne's frequently-used,
world-weary catchphrase, "that'll be the day" was the
Inspiration behind the song. It was also the first song
to be recorded by The
Quarrymen, the skiffle group that
subsequently became The
Beatles.
1964 - Eleven boys were suspended from a school in
Coventry for having Mick Jagger
haircuts.
1999 - Winners at the Ivor Novello song writing awards
included Rod Stewart
who won a Lifetime Achievement Award. Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers won
songwriters of the year and Chrissie
Hynde won outstanding contribution to
British Music.
2010 - Dozens of AC/DC
fans needed treatment after complaining of burning eyes
during a concert on the runway of Wels Airport, Wels,
Austria. Around 150 fans had to be treated. Doctors
found that the fans showed allergic reactions to bark
mulch spread at the venue - the runway of Wels Airport -
to avoid the soil getting too muddy after hours of
massive rainfall.
Week
commencing May
20
1964
- Marianne
Faithful recorded the
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards song 'As
Tears Go By', accompanied by future Led Zeppelin
members Jimmy Page on guitar and John
Paul Jones on bass.
1966 - The
Beatles recorded 'Yellow
Submarine' at Abbey Road studios in
London. Recovering from a case of food
poisoning, producer George Martin missed
this recording, EMI engineer Geoff
Emerick worked on the session. The track
features John Lennon blowing bubbles in
a bucket of water, shouting "Full speed
ahead Mister Captain!"
1968 - US blues artist Little Willie John
died in prison after being convicted of
manslaughter. Co-wrote and was the first
to record 'Fever' (covered by Peggy Lee
in 1958), and 'Need Your Love So Bad'
covered by Fleetwood
Mac. James Brown
recorded a tribute album 'Thinking Of
Little Willie John... And A Few Other
Nice Things'.
1969 - John
Lennon and Yoko Ono began
an eight-day 'bed in', in room 1742 of
The Hotel La Reine Elizabeth, Montreal,
Canada, to promote world peace. They
recorded 'Give Peace a Chance' in the
hotel room (Petula Clark can be heard on
the chorus). The song was credited to
Lennon & McCartney, even though Paul
had nothing to do with the record.
1972 - The first day of the four day
festival 'The Great Western Express'
near Lincoln featuring The Faces, Joe
Cocker, Humble Pie, Slade, The
Groundhogs, Ry Cooder, Don McLean,
Brewers Droop plus a
special appearance by Monty Python.
1972 - The
Edgar Winter Group went
to No.1 on the US singles chart with
'Frankenstein', the band's only US No.1,
it reached No.18 in the UK. The group
featured ex McCoys
guitarist Rick Derringer. In live
performances of the song, Edgar Winter
further pioneered the advancement of the
synthesizer as a lead instrument by
becoming the first person ever to strap
a keyboard instrument around his neck.
1979 - 'Sunday Girl' gave Blondie
their second UK No.1 hit single. The
track was taken from the group's
'Parallel Lines', which went on to
become the biggest selling album of
1979.
1995 - The
Rolling Stones played two
semi-acoustic concerts at the Paradiso
Amsterdam over two days. Keith Richards
later said that the Paradiso concerts
were the best live shows the Stones ever
did. The venue is housed in a converted
former church building that dates from
the nineteenth century, subsequently
squatted in 1967 by hippies who wanted
to convert the church into an
entertainment club. Artists who have
recorded concerts at the Paradiso
include Joy
Division, Willie Nelson, Phish,
Nirvana, The Cure, Lenny Kravitz,
Nick Cave, Dave Matthews
and Amy
Winehouse.
2015 - US authorities were investigating
the death of blues legend B.B. King
after two of his daughters claimed he
was poisoned. Karen Williams and Patty
King said the musician had been given
"foreign substances to induce his
premature death" by his business manager
Laverne Toney. King died in his sleep at
his Las Vegas home on 14 May of this
year, aged 89.
2016 - A set of stamps celebrating 50
years of Pink
Floyd were unveiled by
the Royal Mail. The ten stamps, which
would be available the following month,
marked five decades since the band
turned professional. The collection
included the band's most famous album
covers as well as live performance
shots.
1965 - Blues harmonica player, singer and
songwriter, Sonny
Boy Williamson died in his
sleep. Van Morrison, Aerosmith, The Who,
The Animals, Yardbirds and Moody Blues all
covered his songs. According to the Led Zeppelin
biography Hammer of the Gods, touring the
UK in the 60s, Sonny Boy set his hotel
room on fire while trying to cook a rabbit
in a coffee percolator.
1967 - Procol
Harum's 'A Whiter Shade Of
Pale' entered the chart for the first
time, where it went on to become a No.1
hit. 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' became the
most played song in the last 75 years in
public places in the UK (as of 2009). The
first video for the song was shot in the
ruins of Witley Court in Worcestershire.
Directed by Peter Clifton whose insertion
of Vietnam War newsreel footage caused it
to be banned from airplay on Top Of The
Pops. The band subsequently made another
video.
1969 - The Who
and Led Zeppelin
appeared at the Merriweather Post
Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland, USA. This
was the only time the two groups ever
appeared together, with Zeppelin opening
the show. On the tickets Led Zeppelin was
spelt Lead Zeppelin.
1997 - Bob Dylan
was diagnosed as suffering from
histoplasmosis pericarditis, a fungal
infection of the lung, and was admitted to
hospital he stayed until June 2nd. Having
just turned 56, Dylan later admitted:
'I really thought I'd be seeing Elvis
soon'. Treated by drugs and rest,
Bob was back on the road only 10 weeks
later, for 22 American and Canadian shows.
2005 - The Alameda County Sheriff's Office
in California announced that it was
officially closing the stabbing case of
Meredith Hunter, the 18-year-old American
who was killed at the 1969 Rolling Stones
Altamont Free Concert. Investigators,
concluding a renewed two-year
investigation, dismissed the theory that a
second Hell's Angel took part in the
stabbing.
1960 - The Everly
Brothers started a five week
run at No.1 on the US singles chart with
'Cathy's Clown', which also spent seven
weeks at No.1 in the UK. It became the
Everly Brothers' biggest hit single and
their third and final US chart topper,
selling eight million copies worldwide.
1970 - The
Grateful Dead played their
first gig outside the US at 'The Hollywood
Rock Music Festival', in Newcastle under
Lyme.
.
1978 - Bruce
Springsteen and the E Street Band
kicked off their 117 show Darkness Tour at
Shea's Buffalo, in Buffalo, New York.
1979 - Due to a record company dispute, Tom Petty
was forced to file for bankruptcy owing
$575,000 (£338,235). A long-running battle
with his record company followed.
1982 - The UK Musicians
Union moved a resolution to
ban synthesizers and drum rhythm machines
from sessions and live concerts fearing that
their use would put musicians out of work.
1992 - A statement issued by Freddie Mercury's
attorneys stated that Mercury had bequeathed
the majority of his estate (£10 million -
$17 million) to his long-time friend Mary
Austin.
2006 - The King of Sweden presented the
surviving members of
Led Zeppelin with the Polar
Music Prize in Stockholm recognising them as
"great pioneers" of rock music. Robert
Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were
joined by the daughter of drummer John
Bonham, who died in 1980. The Polar Music
Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson,
manager of Swedish pop group ABBA who
named it after his record label, Polar
Records.
2014 - The parents of a camera assistant who
was killed after being hit by a train while
shooting footage for a biopic about Gregg Allman
were suing the musician and the film's
producers. The case claimed film-makers
"selected an unreasonably dangerous site for
the filming location" and failed to take
actions to adequately protect the crew.
1958 - Jerry Lee
Lewis arrived at London's
Heathrow Airport to begin his first British
tour, along with his new bride, 14 year old
third cousin, Myra. Although advised not to
mention it, Lewis answered all questions about
his private life. The public's shock over
Lewis' marriage marks the start of a
controversy leading to his British tour being
cancelled after just 3 of the scheduled 37
performances.
1971 - The Rolling
Stones album 'Sticky Fingers'
started a four-week run at No.1 on the US
charts, the group's second US No.1 album. The
artwork for Sticky Fingers which, on the
original vinyl release featured a working
zipper that opened to reveal cotton briefs,
was conceived by American pop artist Andy
Warhol. The cover, a photo of Joe
Dallesandro's crotch clad in tight blue jeans,
was assumed by many fans to be an image of
Mick Jagger. The album also features the first
usage of the "Tongue and Lip Design" designed
by John Pasche.
1991 - Wil Sinnott
from The Shamen
drowned while swimming off the coast of La
Gomera when he was pulled under by strong
currents. The Shamen were in Tenerife filming
a video for their new single 'Move Any
Mountain.'
2002 - Adam Ant
appeared at The Old Bailey in London charged
with possession of an imitation firearm. Ant
(Stuart Goddard) had been arrested in January
after an altercation at The Prince of Wales
pub in London when a bouncer refused to let
him in.
2011 - Four dead dogs in 'sealed containers'
were found in the Tennessee home of former KISS guitarist
Vinnie Vincent
during an investigation that led to his arrest
on charges of assaulting his wife. Vincent, a
member of Kiss from 1982 to 1984, was released
after posting $10,000 bond after his arrest by
the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department.
1964 - Rudy Lewis
of The Drifters
died aged 28 under mysterious circumstances the
night before the group was set to record 'Under
the Boardwalk'. Former Drifters backup singer
Johnny Moore was brought back to perform lead
vocals for the recording session.
1966 - Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of The Who grew
tired of waiting for John Entwistle and Keith
Moon to arrive for their gig at the Ricky Tick
Club in Windsor, so they took to the stage with
the bass player and drummer of the local band
that opened the show. When Moon and Entwistle
finally arrived in the middle of the set, a
fight broke out, with Townshend hitting Moon on
the head with his guitar. Moon and Entwistle
quit the band (and rejoined a week later).
1966 - Bob Dylan and The Band
played at the ABC Theatre in Edinburgh. Some
members of the audience were unhappy with Dylan
‘going electric’, and attempted to overpower the
band by playing their own harmonicas.
1969 - Led Zeppelin
started three days of recording and mixing
sessions at A&R Studios in New York City,
which included the recording of 'Heartbreaker'
and various other parts for new tracks for the
group's forthcoming second album. The band were
under pressure to finish sessions for their
second album so they could release it in time
for the Autumn market.
1972 - T Rex
were at No.1 on the singles chart 'Metal Guru',
the group's fourth and final No.1. They also had
the No.1 album with 'Bolan Boogie'.
1998 - Tommy Lee from
Motley Crue
was sentenced to six months jail after being
found guilty of spousal abuse.
1998 - Black Sabbath drummer
Bill Ward
was taken to hospital in London after suffering
a heart attack during a band rehearsal.
2013 - Ray Manzarek,
keyboard player and founder member of the The Doors died
aged 74. Manzarek, who had suffered from bile
duct cancer for many years, died in a clinic in
Rosenheim, Germany, with his wife and brothers
at his bedside. He formed The Doors with lead
singer Jim Morrison in 1965 after a chance
meeting in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.
2015 - The Rolling
Stones played a surprise gig at
the 1,300-capacity Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles
during which they performed the entire Sticky
Fingers album. The audience included Jack
Nicholson, Bruce Willis, Harry Styles, Leonard
Cohen and Patricia Arquette.
Week
commencing May
13
1960
- American DJ Alan Freed
was indicted along with seven others for accepting
$30,650 in payola from six record companies. Two
years later, he was convicted and given a
suspended sentence and a $300 fine.
1967 - The Beatles
held a press party at manager's Brian Epstein's
house in London for the launch of the Sgt. Pepper
album. Linda Eastman was hired as the press
photographer.
1976 - Rolling Stone
Keith Richards crashed his car near
Newport Pagnell, after falling asleep at the
wheel; marijuana and cocaine were found by the
police resulting in another fine for the
guitarist.
1978 - Dire Straits
released their first major label single 'Sultans
Of Swing', recorded on a £120 budget. The song was
first recorded as a demo at Pathway Studios, North
London, in July 1977, and quickly acquired a
following after it was put on rotation at Radio
London.
1979 - Eric Clapton held
a party at his Surrey house celebrating his recent
marriage to Patti Boyd. Clapton had set-up a small
stage in the garden and as the evening progressed,
Paul McCartney, George
Harrison and Ringo Starr ended
up jamming together along with Clapton, Ginger Baker,
Denny Laine
and Mick Jagger.
The all-star band ran through old Little Richard and
Eddie Cochran
songs.
1980 - Ringo Starr
and his future wife were involved in a car crash
less than half a mile from where Marc Bolan was
killed, the car was a write-off but Starr and Bach
were not seriously injured.
2010 - 'Stairway To Heaven' was named the UK's
favourite rock song in a survey by listeners to
radio station Absolute Classic Rock. Led Zeppelin had
two other tracks in the top 10; ‘Whole Lotta Love’
was voted at No. 4 and ‘Rock 'n' Roll’, from the
group’s fourth album, was at No. 7.
2013 - A guitar played by John
Lennon and George
Harrison sold for $408,000 at
auction. The custom-made instrument, built in 1966
by VOX was bought by an unidentified US buyer in
New York. Harrison played ‘I Am the Walrus’, on
the guitar in a scene from Magical Mystery Tour in
1967. Lennon used it in a video for 'Hello,
Goodbye' later that year. After playing the
guitar, Lennon gave it as a 25th birthday present
to Alexis "Magic Alex" Mardas, a member of The
Beatles' inner circle in the 1960s.
2016 - John Berry,
a founding member of rap group Beastie Boys
died at the age of 52. Berry originally formed the
four-piece hardcore punk band, the Young Aborigines
in 1978 who later became the Beastie Boys.
1963 - The first Monterey Folk Festival took place
over three days in Monterey, California. The
festival featured Joan
Baez, Bob Dylan and Peter Paul and Mary.
The 1967 Monterey Rock festival is remembered for
the first major American appearances by Jimi Hendrix and The Who as well as
the first major public performances of Janis Joplin. It
was also the first major performance by Otis Redding in
front of a predominantly white audience.
1967 - The Tremeloes
were at No.1 on the singles chart with their version
of a Four Seasons
song (the B-side to Rag Doll), 'Silence Is Golden',
the group's only UK No.1.
1975 - Led Zeppelin
played the first of five sold-out nights to 17,000
fans at Earls Court Arena, London. The set list
included: Rock And Roll, The Song Remains The Same,
The Rain Song, Kashmir, No Quarter, Going To
California, Dazed And Confused, Stairway To Heaven,
Whole Lotta Love, and Black Dog. Tickets cost £1 -
£2.50 (I was there! Most
memorable moment was when I was heading to my seat
and heard this almighty thunderous deafening
explosion - found out a few seconds later Bonham
had tapped one of his drums!! No noise limits in
those days. - Nige).
2013 - Bob Dylan
was made an honorary member of the American Academy
of Arts and Letters. Dylan, who was unable to attend
the New York ceremony, said he felt "extremely
honoured" and "lucky" to be admitted. Dylan's
induction was decided by a vote of the Academy's 250
members.
1962 - B Bumble and the
Stingers were at No.1 on the UK singles
chart with 'Nut Rocker.' The instrumental was based on
Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker Suite.'
1966 - The Beach Boys
released the classic album Pet Sounds. Pet Sounds has
been widely ranked as one of the most influential
records ever released and has been ranked at No.1 in
several music magazines lists of greatest albums of
all time, including New Musical Express, The Times and
Mojo Magazine. In 2003 it was ranked No.2 in Rolling
Stones 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list (Sgt.
Pepper's came first).
1969 - Pete Townshend
spent the night in a US jail for assaulting a man
during a Who gig at The Fillmore East. What Townshend
didn't know was the man who jumped onto the stage was
a plainclothes policeman trying to warn the audience
that a fire had broken out. The Who guitarist was
later fined $30 for the offence.
1970 - Crosby Stills Nash
& Young went to No.1 on the US
album chart with 'Deja Vu'. The album featured three
Top 40 singles: 'Teach Your Children,' 'Our House,'
and 'Woodstock'. In 2003, the album was ranked number
148 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500
greatest albums of all time.
1976 - Patti Smith
made her UK debut at The Roundhouse, London. The
American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist
became a highly influential component of the New York
City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album
Horses.
1977 - The London Evening Standard reported that Led Zeppelin singer
Robert Plant had been arrested at Atlanta Airport for
being drunk and pulling a knife. Since Plant was at
his home in Wales at the time of the incident, the
person arrested was a man impersonating Plant and the
British paper ran an apology the following night.
1965 - Bob Dylan's
single 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' peaked at No.39 in
the US charts, giving Dylan his first US top 40 hit. John Lennon was reported
to find the song so captivating that he didn't know how
he'd be able to write a song that could compete with it.
1976 - The Rolling Stones
went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Black And
Blue', the group's sixth US No.1 album. The band's first
studio album released with Ronnie Wood as the
replacement for Mick Taylor featured the hit 'Fool To
Cry'.
1981 - Former Sex Pistol John
Lydon's band Public
Image Ltd performed a show at New York's
Ritz Club posing behind a video screen while the music
was played from tapes. They were showered with missiles
and eventually booed off stage.
1982 - Asia went to No.1 on the US album chart
with their self-titled album. It spent a total of nine
weeks at No.1 and became the best-selling album in the
US for the year 1982. The supergroup included former
members of several veteran progressive rock bands,
namely bassist/vocalist John Wetton (formerly in Mogul Thrash, Family, King Crimson,
Roxy Music, Uriah Heep, U.K. and Wishbone Ash), guitarist
Steve Howe (formerly in Yes),
keyboardist Geoff Downes (of Yes
and The Buggles)
and drummer Carl Palmer (formerly in The Crazy World of Arthur Brown,
Atomic Rooster and Emerson,
Lake & Palmer).
1992 - Barbara Lee
of the Chiffons died
from a heart attack the day before her 45th birthday.
Had the 1963 US No.1 single 'He's So Fine.'
2001 - Brian Pendleton
of The Pretty Things
died of cancer aged 57 (1964 UK No.10 single 'Don't
Bring Me Down'). The bands 1974 album Silk Torpedo was
the first album release on Led Zeppelin's own label Swan
Song.
Week
commencing May
6
1958 - The
Everly Brothers started a
four-week run at No.1 in the US with 'All I Have To
Do Is Dream'. Written by the husband and wife
songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, the
track was recorded in just two takes.
1963 - Bob Dylan
walked out of rehearsals for the US TV Ed Sullivan
show after being told he couldn't perform his song
'Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues' due to it
mocking the US military and segregation. CBS
officials asked Dylan to substitute it for another
song, but the singer reportedly said: 'No, this
is what I want to do. If I can't play my song, I'd
rather not appear on the show'.
1965 - Wilson Pickett
recored the soul classic 'In the Midnight Hour' with
studio musicians Steve Cropper and Al Jackson of the
Stax Records house band, including bassist Donald
"Duck" Dunn. The song was composed by Pickett and
Steve Cropper at the historic Lorraine Motel in
Memphis where Martin Luther King, Jr. would later be
assassinated in April 1968.
1967 - Pink Floyd
appeared at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, giving
a special concert for 'Games For May - Space Age
Relaxation For The Climate Of Spring'. This was
reportedly the first show to include loudspeakers
placed at the back of the hall to give a 'sound in
the round', ie quadraphonic, effect. The sound
system, developed by EMI technicians, was stolen
after the show and not recovered for some years.
1967 - 'Jimi Hendrix Experience' was released in the
UK. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest
debuts in the history of rock music. The album
features Jimi Hendrix's
innovative approach to songwriting and electric
guitar playing which soon established a new
direction in psychedelic and hard rock music.
1968 - Brian Jones
made his final live appearance with The Rolling Stones
when they appeared at the New Musical Express Poll
Winners Concert at the Empire Pool, Wembley. Jones
drowned while under the influence of drugs and
alcohol after taking a midnight swim in his pool, on
3rd July 1969 aged 27.
1977 - After being dropped by both EMI and A&M
records in less than 6 months, Virgin records
announced they had signed
the Sex Pistols.
1981 - Meat Loaf
filed for bankruptcy with debts of over $1 million.
2000 - Thieves stole the gates to Strawberry Fields
the Merseyside landmark immortalised by The Beatles song.
The 10' high iron gates were later found at local
scrap metal dealers in Liverpool.
1963 - The Rolling Stones
recorded the Chuck Berry song 'Come On', at Olympic
Studios, London. This the bands first release was
issued on the 7th June 1963 by Decca Records.
1969 - Led Zeppelin
made their first appearance on the UK album chart when
the band's debut album charted at No. 6, going on to
spend 71 weeks on the UK chart. It entered the US
chart the following week at No. 10. Recorded in around
36 hours, the album is now considered one of the most
important debuts in rock, creating an entirely new
interpretation of the Rock And Roll genre, with
groundbreaking musical styles and recording
techniques.
1970 - David Bowie
was awarded an Ivor Novello Award for Best Original
Song 'Space Oddity' which he performed that night
accompanied by the Les Reed Orchestra. The event was
transmitted live via satellite to venues in America,
France, Spain, Australia, Holland and Venezuela. Bowie
would later revisit his Major Tom character in the
songs 'Ashes to Ashes', 'Hallo Spaceboy' and
'Blackstar'.
1986 - Falco was
at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Rock Me
Amadeus.' Falco became the first-ever Austrian act to
score a UK and US No.1 hit single and the first German
speaking artist to achieve a No.1 on the US charts.
Falco died of severe injuries received on 6 February
1998, when his Mitsubishi Pajero collided with a bus
in the Dominican Republic. It was later determined
that the bus driver was speeding, for which the driver
served three years in prison. His estate claims he has
sold 20 million albums and 15 million singles, which
makes him the best selling Austrian singer of all
time.
 
2013 - A two-year degree in heavy
metal music was branded an "easy
option" by education campaigners. The foundation
degree was being offered by New College Nottingham.
The course, which was due to start later this year,
would include modules on the music business, the
history of heavy metal and its role in films and video
games and would show students how to compose and
perform heavy metal songs.
2018 - Scottish singer, songwriter, guitarist Scott Hutchison from
indie band Frightened Rabbit
was found dead near South Queensferry, Scotland.
Hutchison was last seen at 1am on the 9th May leaving
a hotel in South Queensferry and later tweeted 'Be
so good to everyone you love. It's not a given. I'm
so annoyed that it’s not. I didn't live by that
standard and it kills me. Please, hug your loved
ones', followed by 'I'm away now. Thanks'
prior to his disappearance.
1966 - The Mamas & the
Papas started a three week run at No.1 on
the US singles chart with 'Monday Monday', it made No.3
in the UK. The group was reported
as saying they all hated the song. The
Mamas & the Papas won a Grammy
Award for Best Pop Performance by a
Duo or Group with Vocal for this song.
1967 - Pink
Floyd appeared at The
Mojo Club, Tollbar, Sheffield, opened
and owned by Peter Stringfellow. Acts
who have also appeared at the club
include Stevie
Wonder, John Lee Hooker, Rod
Stewart, Ike and Tina Turner, The
Who, Small Faces and Jimi Hendrix.
1971 - 'Moonage Daydream' was released
as a single by Arnold
Corns, a band formed by
David Bowie
the name of which was inspired by the
Pink Floyd
song 'Arnold Layne'. This was one of
Bowie’s side projects and something of
a dry run for Ziggy Stardust. The song
later reappeared on Ziggy Stardust in
a new version with updated lyrics.
1972 - The
Rolling Stones released
the second album on their own label,
Exile On Main Street, featuring two
hit singles, 'Tumbling Dice' and
'Happy'. In 2003, the album was ranked
No. 7 on Rolling Stone magazine's list
of the 500 greatest albums of all
time, the highest of any Stones album
on the list.
1974 - Led
Zeppelin held a party
at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York
City for the launch of their new label
Swan Song. Other label signings
included Scottish singer Maggie Bell
(whose album Suicide Sal was the
labels fourth release). British
supergroup Bad
Company also attended.
1978 - 90,000 tickets were sold in
eight hours for Bob
Dylan's forthcoming
London dates at Earls Court.
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