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.
ROCK n ROLL
TRAIN STEAMS INTO SHILDON
Fans
of AC/DC and Thin Lizzy are in line for a special
night when two of the countries best tribute bands
play at Shildon Civic Hall on Saturday 29th September.
AC/DC GB and DIZZY
LIZZY will take to the stage to perform
all the well known classic tracks these two great rock
bands have recorded over the years.
DIZZY LIZZY, who hail from Birmingham,
have been praised by none other than Phil Lynott's own
mum, Philomena, saying “these boys are the closest
tribute to playing my sons music!” Enough said!
From Rosalie and The Boys are Back in
Town, to Waiting for an Alibi and Emmerald, DIZZY
LIZZY bring the iconic twin guitar harmony sound of
Thin Lizzy back to life and deliver a performance the
great man himself would be proud of.
AC/DC GB, from the North East of England
themselves, are highly regarded as one of the most
authentic tributes to the legendary Aussie rockers
“AC/DC” around. Years of dedication and their
meticulous attention to detail have ensured their
shows are as close to a real DC gig as it is possible
to get.
From the rasping vocals of Jono, to the
neck wringing, duck walking energy of Angus; the wall
of Marshalls, to the replica cannons..........be
prepared for an outstanding night of hard hitting
rock!
FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK.......WE SALUTE
YOU!!
Tickets £10 on the
night. Doors open
19:00hrs.
Show 19:45hrs
--------------------------------------------------------------------
DIPTON MUSIC
FESTIVAL
One day Music festival outside in the car
park of The New Plough Dipton on Sunday
26th August from 1pm through until
9.30ish the line up as follows;
Scott Kiers 1.10pm
to 2..00pm 50mins
Sofi Johnson
2.05pm to 2.55pm 50mins
Blue Diamond Duo
3.05pm to 4.05pm 60
mins
Fire Lady Luck Band
4.25pm
to 5.40pm 75mins
White Feathers duo
5.55pm to 6.55pm 60
mins
The Pretty Weeds Band 7.30pm
to 8.50pm 80mins
Here is a link to the New Plough facebook
page
https://www.facebook.com/TheNewPlough/
 CHANGES AFOOT AT GATESHEAD'S
MOST ROCKIN' PUB
If you are
planning on going to the
Three Tuns in Gateshead this weekend -
and shame on you if you are not! - then please double
check our Listings page as there have been a couple of
changes.
We are bang up to date as we get all our info straight
from Paul Tuns so be assured what you see on our
Listings page is defo what is on.
--------------------------------------------------
ROCK SOLID
RELEASE PROMO VIDEO
 Great to
hear from those solid rocksters featured on our Index
page. By way of an update, the band is still going
strong and coincidentally have just produced a short
promo video filmed at ‘The Office’ now the Queen
Vic.This is the link and Riffs urges you - and any
other wannabee North-East Rock bands - to check them
out on this stunning video - HERE
They are currently taking bookings for 2019, but
people can see them over the next few weeks at the
following venues:
Sunday 19th Aug - The Crook Hotel, (4pm)
Saturday 25th Aug - The Pelaw Inn
Sunday 26th Aug - The Mallard, Seaham (6pm)
Friday 31st Aug - The Penny Gill, Spennymoor
Saturday 1st September- The Mill House, Crook
Of course all of these dates are in Riffs Listings
page.
------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------
HAT-TRICK FOR
FLYING Vs AT ASHCON 2018
-------------------------------------------------------
NEWS JUST IN . . . Rising Sun in Crawcrook
has been taken over and cancelled all bands,
------------------------------------------------------------
Just
heard that The Market Tavern in Chester le
Street has cancelled all bands. Dave from
Rockers FM
tells us: 'I have received a
text from the management of the Market Tavern in
Chester le street that the new company no longer
will have bands on. We were booked to play there
this Friday so presumably all bands forthwith
will receive the same message. Cheers
Dave'
---------------------------------------------------------------
ROCK AND METAL OVERLOAD AT
HARTLEPOOL
 I
know only too well the lack of heavy Rock and Metal
bands that play at the clubs - and often you have to
suffer bingo between the bands - yes, believe it!!
So how cockahoop are we here at Riffs to be able to
shout about a Heavy Metal and Rock gig at
Hartlepool Supporters Club coming up Saturday
Sep 16. It features heavier than hell tribute
BLAKK
SABBATH, supporting
Newcastle-based RIFF RAFF.
A nice big stage - just gagging at the bit to hold
up those Marshall stacks. And what an intro do Blakk
Sabbath have!!!
The lads know how to tease and that long intro just
shows how much thought these lads have put into
their live show. Just check out this youtube video:
HERE.
Tickets
are just £8 / £10 available from ents24 (soz, but
you'll need to pay that dreaded 'booking fee'!!)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Apparently the Fizzyfish review from way back has stirred up some
great memories for many. Alan from the band got in
touch with Riffs to tell us that although the
exuberance and vitality for live gigs is still as
powerful as ever there has, however, been a few
changes to the band. I'll let Alan explain: 'We
also have a new bassist, Tony Gardiner, a
nice clean 30 year old from Stockton, he also
teaches bass, is grade 8 qualified and plays Jazz,
MU member and has even frequented the pit in musical
theatre productions…. but when pushed into a large
corner (he is very tall) spilled his guts and
admitted he loves rock and metal and had previously
played with the original Prog Metal band Tangent and covers band The
Hunter.
His first gig with us is at Josephs in Sunderland
August 25th and we are
confident he will help us pursue our touring of all
the region’s best venues.'
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------
Now it's those whacky
Fizzyfish
lads who gets the Riffs spotlight. Courtesy of Colin
Smoult, this review is from 2006...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
As
Lenny from Tubesnake said "looks
like it's gonna be a pretty decent
event." Tickets £5 from the venue or the Tubesnake
lads (also Tubesnake on Facebook). It's £6 on the
door. And if you don't mind paying another pound
then you can buy them online here: https://stanleyevents.nutickets.com/brock
------------------------------------------------------------
It’s
All In The Name!
 After many years, line ups
and gigs, NE/DC are evolving! After working hard
to establish themselves as one of the best
tributes to the legendary AC/DC in their
home area, the band have decided to re-brand
themselves as AC/DC
GB and find more gigs around the
country, as well as still playing their regular
haunts in the North East. The decision came after
consulting with various promoters, venues and
fans, who all agreed the “GB” logo gave the lads
more potential to break into new areas in the
tribute market. Rest assured, the musicianship and
performance will still be of the highest standard,
and the show will be greatly enhanced where the
venue size allows! The guys would like to thank
everyone who has loyally supported them as NE/DC,
and hope to see you all again very soon as AC/DC
GB! Check them out at www.acdcgb.co.uk,
or on FB.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not
to be put off by the poor support of the Glaxo Club
gig, those Borderland
guys have arranged another charity gig, it's on Saturday 13th October at Rainton
Meadows Arena Houghton Le Spring DH4 5PH. Fundraiser
for the Chris Snaith Fund (for Brain Cancer Research).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
More News just in . . . Not sure what is
happending at The Royal in Stanley as some bookings seem
still to be valid; best bet if you have a gig booked
there to check it is still on.
News just in . . . The Royal in
Stanley has changed hands and all current bookings
are off. No news as yet on whether the new owners will
be continuing the gig nights. Thanks to Alan
Fizzyfish for this info.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHAME ON THE NIGHT,
SHAME ON YOU
We regretfully have
to report that the Borderland
gig at Glaxo Club in Barnard Castle has had to
be cancelled due to poor ticket sales. This gig was
arranged to support those fearless North East Air
Ambulance guys who not only save lives multiple times
a week, but also risk their own. Borderland were quite
prepared to give of their time and energy totally for
free to support this worthwhile cause but, apparently,
the great people of Barnard Castle and surrounding
areas just don't feel the same. Don't know about you,
but here at Riffs we're hanging our heads in
shame..........
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THURSDAY IS THE NEW
MONDAY
Hard-working Ray, who sorts out the bands for The Red Lion in Norton,
Stockton-on-Tees, has been doing some
extra sorting of late as they are moving their band
nights from Monday to Thursday nights starting with DVD on August
2nd. Ray reckons he has contacted all the bands he needs
to but . . . just in case, and of course, to
let all the punters know . . . it's now Thursdays at the
Red Lion, and not Mondays..................
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Just heard from Paul Murdy who
tells Riffs he has taken over the Masons Arms in Blyth.
Apparently the booking 'diary' was less than useful
and, apart from bands he has been able to contact, any
other supposed bookings are no longer valid. So, if
you had a gig booked - or would like a gig at The
Masons Arms - then get in touch with Paul and he will
do his best to accommodate. Paul can be contacted on
Facebook 'murdy murdy'.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
GRUMPIES STILL
BELTING OUT
THOSE MUCH-LOVED CLASSICS
Nice to hear from those Grumpy lads who got such a kick
out of reading Val's review of a gig of theirs from way
back.
Still going strong, John pointed out that although
Graeme has now left the band, his boots have been filled
by John's son Liam who, at a mere 18, has "stepped up
to the mark and is doing a fine job".
Another band that never seems to have a bad night.
[Oh, and we notice that on the review we spelt Graeme
wrong (Graham). I do, at this very moment, have knife
poised ready to remove my little finger . . .]
[jpic from when the Grumpies graced the Stormin'
the Castle stage]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
RUSS TIPPINS / BIG
RIVER
HEAD THE WHEATSHEAF WHOPPA
 Local lads
Big River have
organised an all day Charity Event to raise funds and
awareness for Prostate Cancer UK.
One
of the Big River guys told Riffs: 'This is an
event we are organising because Alan, our lead singer,
was struck with the disease and had to have his
prostate removed, so this lies really close to his
heart. He was very lucky as he was diagnosed early but
some men are not that fortunate.'
We
are hoping for good tickets sales. Tickets have now been
released and can be bought here:
It's
at the Wheatsheaf in Durham Road, Birtley from noon
until 11pm and there will be so much going on that Riffs
pages are just not big enough to list them all!! There
are some great raffle prizes on offer, one of which is a
Cassidy electric guitar which has been given
specifically for an exclusive online raffle only. Look
at the top of the page; this is the link for that one: https://www.facebook.com/bigriveruk/
The legend that is Russ
Tippins, humble as always, points out
that he is, actually, not headlining, and hopes to be on
about 7. More importantly, he told Riffs "Really
looking forward to playing this fest. Big River are
sheer class and Alan personally asked me to be a part
of it. Bring it on"
And if you are thinking 'hmmm, not sure whether
to pop along to that one' can Riffs just list all
the performers (not to mention all the behind-the-scenes
peeps) who are giving of their time free of charge:
Lucy Upton
Dan Symmington
Peter Jameson
The Kingtones Duo
Dirt Monkey
Phil Sculthorpe
Russ Tippins
The Blarney Brothers
Lee Symons
Rebel Events
Big River
Nudge
And we must mention again Big River who have
managed to organise the whole kit and caboodle; many
sleepless nights included, I suspect lads?!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Now it's the Grumpy Old Men's turn
for our look back in time to 2008 when the band played
their usual blistering set, this time at Gateshead's
Three Tuns. Nice to see that a venue that was going so
strong and had such a good reputation ten years ago,
is not only going stronger than ever, but still holds
the acolade of being on many bands' list of the
place to play in the region. Mind you, same goes for
The Grumpies - still rockin' our venues around the
region with quality Rock classics.
------------------------------------------------------------
Gotta give a mega shout
out for those Borderland
guys who, we have noticed, are doing another gig for
charity - this time for the life-saving Great North Air Ambulance
- and y'know that means co-ordinating the gear,
getting it picked up and transported to the venue,
setting it all up, soundchecking, making
pleasantries with the staff who probably don't know
or don't care who they are, then after the gig the
guys strip down all their gear, pack it back into
the van and drive home - at God knows what ungodly
hour - and shall we tell you how much the lads get
for this - eh? D'ywanna know? Sod all. Not a bean,
zilchymundo. Nowt. But - they get something money
just can't buy - the respect of Riffs (and hopefully
a lot of you guys out there). So, Borderland,
apologies if we have embarrassed you but when some
bands grumble at how little they are getting paid
it's great to know there are lads like yourselves
willing to go that extra mile..............
Glaxo Club -
Barnard Castle, DL12 8DT Sat July 21
Contact Glaxo for tickets (we think
- still awaiting further info)
--------------------------------------------
Seems
to be a lot of apathy at the moment concerning
live gigs - we hear very little from bands - hence
we are re-visiting Riffs reviews from yesteryear.
But the publicity is here if bands want it. Tell
us why you're looking forward to a particular gig;
tell us why Bongo Bill on drums is nervous about
this gig; why Throaty the singer is wondering if
his voice will hold out till the last song; why
you turn down certain gigs but play others; what
pubs have you always wanted to play but never had
the chance.... the list is endless, but let us
know, and get your name on our News page. Whip up
some interest in your gigs for f*cks
sake!!................ But until you do, here's
another of Val's reviews from 2008, this one of
the brilliant Damage
Control...
--------------------------------------------------
An
update on Tubesnake,
as we recently highlighted Val's review of the
band in 2008 at the Pemberton Arms. One of the
few bands from way back when that are actually
still gigging today (gotta be doing something
right!). Val imparted some info that she gleaned
from frontman Len that they have, indeed, left
the 'funk' behind and also guitarist Tom. After
seven years Martin Craggs replaced Tom, and the
band has been gigging consistently for four
years with Martin on lead guitar. Len also adds
that they are 'still a tight unit and love
the gigs still.' I think that loving
gigging may be the secret to their success. Any
band that plays on 'auto' - hey, you know who
you are!! - can be sussed out by the audience in
minutes, and the fact that the Tubesters are
still rockin' our local gaffs proves just what
Len said. And may I copy a snippet from Val's
review:
'a band that is practically a north-east
tradition'. There's only a handful of
bands that you just know you're
gonna have a good night with - and Tubesnake is one of
them.
---------------------------------------------------------
The
Three Tuns in Gateshead are needing a band
for this Saturday 7th July. Anyone interested
please contact Paul on 07940715825 asap.
--------------------------------------------------------
YOUR CHANCE TO
PLAY ALONGSIDE RUSS TIPPINS
 The
all new Three Tuns Sheriff Hill BUSKERS kicked
off Wednesday 4th July hosted each week by none other
than RUSS TIPPINS.
Individuals, duos or full bands can play on the stage
where we have a full back line and in house PA.
Russ will also welcome
musicians or singers at all levels to join him on
stage. All welcome.
----------------------------------------------------------
Just
heard that Dr Browns in
Middlesbrough has cancelled all
live bands for the rest of the year. Apparently
the new tenants have not voiced any interest in
live bands so, to not mess about the already
booked bands, all live gigs have been stopped.
Thanks to Norm Force for this info.
------------------------------------------------------------
Local
Rockers Tubesnake
grace our Index page this time and we re-create
Val's review of the band from 2008 at the
Pemberton Arms . . .
-----------------------------------------------------------
The
pics on the Index page, and the following review,
are from when youngsters Razor
Sharp did a double header
with Remedy
back in 2008....(and after such a blistering gig,
whatever happened to Razor Sharp?)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
HEADLINER SOUGHT
FOR SATURDAY GIG
"We are organising a charity night in aid of
Prostate Cancer UK, on Saturday 15 September. The venue
is The Wheafsheaf, Birtley, County Durham.
The pub is hoping to have a marquee and hot
food on as it is an all day event.
We have all of the bands and performers
lined up be are missing the all important headlining
band to play the event out from 10-11pm. PA and backline
are supplied and we hope to feed the performers also.
You would be giving your time FREE OF CHARGE...
PEOPLE WHO KNOW, KNOW
Well, hello everybody
peeps, have we got a treat for you. If you are
into some original t-shirts and are embarrassed at
the ones that say "I love AC/DC (or whatever)"
then you will go ape-shit over what Bathroom Wall t-shirts
have designed. And, we can speak as we find cos
I have bought many of these over the years and
they are not only spot-on quality but are generous
in length (Val has just chipped in to say that
makes such a dfference to her...). My faves:  "Rosies
- where the girls ain't exactly pretty, and they
ain't exactly small", also: a picture of the
building in New York that was used for the cover
on Physical Graffiti, with just "St. Mark's
Place, New York". Satisfyingly subtle.
Brilliant; also a misty silhouette of Bon. And
there's so many more - Motorhead,
Lizzy, Ramones, Zep, Sabbath,
the list is exhausting. Click on their logo and
take a look. Oh, they also have a special offer
where if you spend £20 you get a fiver off. Use
code 'FIVER' when you check out. And it's free
postage when you buy 4 shirts or more. If you're
anything like me you fill your basket with such
great designs - then wonder how the hell you are
going to wear them all!!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Usually
get a great response from our readers (even both of
them sometimes) but surprised that not one person
has emailed regarding our request to hear from
someone at the Bullet
gig at Newton Aycliffe back in 2008. So, either
everyone was high and can't remember; everyone has
long since died; everyone has now got Alzheimer's;
no-one reads Riffs. Well, if it's the latter why am
I wasting my time?!!! Answers on a postcard to . . .
Whoa, just thought of the most obvious explanation;
no-one was there! It was a ploy by the Turbinia to
trick me and Val into thinking the place was heaving
by filling the venue with holograms..... Just knew
the answer would come to me..........
--------------------------------------------------------
COWBOY BLUES
FROM THE LEAM LANE DELTA
Hello from Gateshead based
Outlaw Country band The Loft
Boys. This is our new promo video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c69BMzDe268)
to support the launch of our new album: "Cowboy Blues From The Leam Lane
Delta'. We are launching the album with a live
set at The Schooner, South Shore Road, Gateshead
NE8 3AF, on Friday 6th July 2018 playing outdoors (weather
permitting) between 7pm and 9pm.
------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
We must mention that Frankies Cafe are doing
another gig for the `Daft As A Brush’ Charity on
Friday 7th September at the Lancastrian
Suite, Fed Brewery, in Dunston. More details nearer
the time....
---------------------------------------------------------
It's
The Dusty Tools
turn this time, pics on our Index page and here is the
review from - again, we think - about 2008.
--------------------------------------------
Sadly maddog music is closing
down.Clearance bargains sale this
Friday 22nd , Sat 23rd, SUNDAY 24th , Monday
25th.
Open to sensible
offers on great gear .Acoustic Guitars,Electric
Guitars, Amps , Cases ,Gig bags. - 39 West Row,
Stockton-On-Tees,
TS18 1BN Tel: 01642
673383
---------------------------------------------------------
Looks like the Masons Arms in Blyth has
shut. According to its Facebook page it is 'closed
until further notice'...
----------------------------------------------------------
Well, this time it's Bullet's turn to have their review on
show - the only problem is Val, in her infinite
wisdom, forgot to add the year to her review and
we have only the 16th of December. We think it may
be about ten years ago but not really sure, If you
were there then give us a shout....
---------------------------------------------------------
The superb Mississippi
Sheiks grace our
Index page at the moment, and we attach our full
review of their gig at the Lord Nelson in Stockton
on Tees back in 2008....
---------------------------------------------------
We are proud to host pics of Vendetta on our index page and here is
Riffs review from way back, at the Three Tuns
in Gateshead...
--------------------------------------------------
To coincide with the index
page pictures of
Alcatraz House Band at Houghton Buffs ten years ago,
we include Val's review from the gig....
-----------------------------------------------------
THREE TUNS
KEBAB FESTIVAL LAST WEEKEND
 Friday 25th to Sunday
27th May was
the Three Tuns, Sheriffs Hill, Gateshead, 8th Annual
Kebab Festival. A mind
boggling 12 different kebabs to choose from, served
on fresh warm kurdish naans with fresh salad and
lots of sauces. Great real ales and real ciders and
a superb live music line up; Friday 25th
1977
Saturday 26th Beyond
Blonde
Sunday 27th Ska-Toons.
Gorgeous kebabs to stuff your face
plus Punk, New Wave and Ska - it doesn't get
much better than this!! too
late - you missed it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-------------------------------------------------------
With the
Doyle boys featured on
our Index page, we had an email asking if we still had
the interview from 'way back' that Val did. Well, we
had a looksee and lo and behold we found it! From Feb
16, 2008. So, for your delectation, here it is;
---------------------------------------
Here
is a slice of Hartlepool’s one and only punky power
pop group DisGuise from 1977 with a song
inspired by seeing The Rezillos at
Middlesbrough Rock Garden. This recording is by the
mk2 line-up in which Jimmy McKenna on bass/vocal and
Peter Scott on guitar/vocals are joined by Newcastle’s
John Miller on drums, and was recorded by Steve
Thompson at Impulse Studios, Wallsend in January 1979.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUxnuQ6B--Q&feature=youtu.be
-----------------------------------------
Interesting
feedback from a highly-respected North-East
guy who
books bands for venues - if you're a band and someone leaves
you a message to get back to him,
it may just be a good idea to do so. Apparently,
many bands lose the chance of a gig cos they
just
don't bother to return his call. Go
figure...
--------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
THE RED LION, MOORCOCK AND BOOKING BANDS...
Just heard from Ray, late of The Red
Lion in Norton, Stockton, just to clarify some
points as there has been some ch..ch...ch...changes to
what we said originally; Ray is likely to be seen in
the Moorcock in Peterlee on Friday nights -
for no better reason than it's a bloody good night
there. Ian from the Moorcock is still booking the
bands for that venue, so no sweat any band that has a
gig there, there is NO changes there. Secondly,
although Ray is leaving the Red Lion, he may still be
booking bands for the new tenants cos, well basically,
he's bloody good at it, so why wouldn't he?!! Hope
that clears things up and for those who suspect that
Riffs got it wrong originally - just how very dare
you?!! You know we never make misteaks.
-------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
COME ON PEEPS, PLAY THE GAME
It takes some doing keeping
everything up to date here at Riffs and we
do our very best and we know that a lot of you
appreciate it. BUT, we are getting a growing number
of bands/venues changing their gigs once added and
uploaded and not letting us know. This does no-one
any favours - in fact it harms your venue, your gig
and our reputation - and that, as they say 'boils
our piss'. If you are down for playing a venue on a
certain date and then it is cancelled (for whatever
reason) then LET US KNOW. Do not wait for the
replacement band to inform us - because then,
in effect, we have TWO bands down for playing the
same venue on the same date. When this happens we
used to show both bands, but we decided that was not
helpful at all so now we show neither. Checking your
gig listing helps but it's surprising how many
bands/venues just don't bother. Riffs strives to be
as accurate as humanly possible but if we have a
query concerning a gig listing then I'm afraid we
have no option but to ignore that listing. We'd
rather not host it than to mislead our readers.
Not so long ago, Lara, from American Girl was
messed about by various venues one apocalyptical
weekend and had a string of alterations, amendments
and cancellations and apologised profusely to Riffs
for messing us about. As we said to Lara and we say
to you: 'You never mess us about by
letting us know, no matter how many times, of
alterations. You only mess us about when you
don't'.
|
This week in . . .
1960, Roy
Orbison had his first
No.1 single with 'Only The Lonely' and
his first of 33 hits. The song was
turned down by The Everly Brothers and
Elvis Presley so Orbison decided to
record the song himself.
1962, Bobby
'Boris' Pickett and the Crypt
Kickers started a two
week run at No.1 on the US singles chart
with 'Monster Mash', it became a No.3 in
the UK eleven years later in 1973. The
song had been Banned by The BBC as
they deemed it offensive.
1976, The Led
Zeppelin film 'The Song
Remains The Same', premiered in New York
City. The charity night raised $25,000
for the save the children fund.
1978, The Police
made their US debut at CBGBS, New York.
The trio had flown on low cost tickets
with Laker Airtrain from the UK,
carrying their instruments as hand
luggage.
1950, Born on this
day
(Saturday), Tom Petty, American singer and songwriter.
He was the
frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a
founding
member of the
late 1980s
supergroup the
Traveling
Wilburys
and Mudcrutch.
Tom Petty and
the
Heartbreakers
had the 1977
single
'American
Girl', the
1989 No.28
single 'I
Won't Back
Down', and the
1991 No.3
album 'Into
The Great Wide
Open'. With
the Traveling
Wilburys, the
1988 No. 21
single 'Handle
With Care'.
Petty has also
released a
string of solo
albums;
throughout
his career he
has sold over
60 million
albums. Petty
died on 2
October 2017.
1967,
The Bee Gees
were at No.1
on the singles
chart with
'Massachusetts',
the group's
first of five
No.1s. Engelbert Humperdink was at No.2 with ‘The
Last Waltz’
and Traffic
were at No.3
with ‘Hole In
My Shoe.’
1974, Al
Green
was taking a
shower at his
Memphis home
when his
ex-girlfriend
Mary Woodson
burst in and
poured boiling
hot grit over
him. She then
shot herself
dead. Green
suffered
second degree
burns.
2002, After a
15 year court
battle, New
York State's
highest court
ruled that the
Ronettes
did not have
the right to
share the
money earned
by their
producer Phil
Spector
through the
use of the
group's songs
in movies,
television and
advertising.
Citing a 1963
contract
signed by the
group, the
court also
substantially
reduced the
amount they
stood to gain
from royalties
on sales of
records and
compact discs.
1926, Born on
this day
(Thursday), Chuck Berry singer, songwriter and
guitarist.
Berry was one
of the
pioneers of
rock and roll
music, who
helped
developed
rhythm and
blues into the
major elements
that made rock
and roll
distinctive;
his lyrics
focusing on
teen life and
consumerism
plus his own
brand of
showmanship
became a major
influence on
subsequent
rock music. He
also had
surprise hit
in 1972 with
the UK and US
No.1 single
'My Ding A
Ling'. A major
influence on The Beatles and Rolling
Stones,
Berry's
'Johnny B.
Goode' was one
of the
examples of
music from
Earth sent out
to space.
Berry died on
18 March 2017
aged 90.
1961, Decca
records
released
'Crazy' by Patsy Cline. The ballad, composed by
Willie Nelson
gave Cline a
No.2 country
hit in 1962.
Nelson
originally
wrote the song
for country
singer Billy
Walker, but
Walker turned
it down. The
song's
eventual
success helped
launch Nelson
as a performer
as well as a
songwriter. It
spent 21 weeks
on the chart
for Cline, and
eventually
became one of
her signature
tunes.
1972, Creedence
Clearwater
Revival split
up following
the failure of
their most
recent album,
'Mardi Gras'.
After limited
success as a
solo act and
some legal
hassles with
Fantasy
Records, John
Fogarty would
have two big
hits in 1985,
'Center Field'
and 'Rock and
Roll Girls'.
John's brother
Tom Fogarty
died in
September,
1990 and the
surviving
members have
been touring
as Creedence
Clearwater
Revisited.
2001, Two
security
guards were
sacked after
refusing to
allow Bob
Dylan
into his own
concert. Dylan
who had
demanded that
security on
his 'Love and
Theft' tour
should be
tighter than
ever didn't
have a pass
when he
arrived
backstage.
2010, Auburn
University
graduate
student Justin
Havird named a
new species of
fish,
Lepidocephalichthys
zeppelini,
because the
fish's
pectoral fin
reminded him
of the
double-neck
guitar used by
Jimmy Page.
'I'm a big Led Zeppelin fan, and I was
listening to
them while I
was working on
the fish,'
Havird said. 'The
structure that
makes this
species unique
just reminded
me of the
guitar that
Jimmy Page
played'.
2015,
Patti Smith
was said to be
moved to tears
after a fan
returned a bag
of stolen
goods to the
singer, 36
years after
they went
missing. They
included a
shirt worn for
a 1978 Rolling
Stone cover
shot and a
bandana given
to her by her
late brother.
The items went
missing in
June 1979 when
a truck, which
was carrying
$40,000 in
amplifiers,
guitars and
other musical
equipment, was
stolen from
outside a
hotel after
Smith and her
band played a
show at the
Aragon
Ballroom in
Chicago.
Week
commencing
October
8
. . .
Week
commencing
October 1 . .
. 1957,
Although it
was banned by
some US radio
stations for
its suggestive
lyrics, The Everly Brothers had their first No.1
on the US
singles chart
with 'Wake Up
Little Susie'
(a No.2 hit in
the UK).
1965,
The Rolling
Stones, The
Spencer Davis
Group, Unit 4
Plus 2, The
Checkmates,
The Habit, The
End
and Charlie
Dickins
all appeared
at The Odeon,
Birmingham
during a UK
tour.
1966, Pink
Floyd
played their
first ever
"underground"
set when they
appeared at
All Saints
Hall, Notting
Hill, London.
1971, Music
publishing
firm, Arco
Industries
filed a
$500,000
dollar lawsuit
against
Creedence
Clearwater
Revival
singer John
Fogerty,
claiming that
Fogerty's song
Travelin' Band
"contained
substantial
material
copied from Little Richard's Good Golly, Miss Molly".
The suit was
eventually
dropped.
1996, 28 years
after its
creation, The Rolling Stones' Rock & Roll Circus
was finally
released. The
1968 event put
together by
The Stones
comprised two
concerts on a
circus stage
and included
performaces by The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull
and Jethro
Tull. John
Lennon
and Yoko
Ono
performed as
part of a
supergroup
called The Dirty Mac, along with Eric
Clapton, Mitch
Mitchell
and Keith
Richards.
It was
originally
planned to be
aired on BBC
TV.
2008,
Illustrator
and rock
cartoonist Ray Lowry died. He contributed
illustrations
for NME,
Punch, Private
Eye and The
Guardian and
designed the
artwork for The Clash album London Calling.
1971, Rod
Stewart was
at No.1 on the
UK singles
chart with
'Maggie May'
(first
released as a
B side to
'Reason To
Believe'). The
first of six
UK No.1s for
Stewart, spent
five weeks at
the top of the
chart.
1971, The
Who
played a
small, low-key
show at the
University of
Surrey,
Guildford,
with guest
John Sebastian
joining in on
harmonica on
‘Magic Bus’ ‘
the only
outside
musician ever
to jam with
The Who on
stage.
Backstage, the
group
celebrated
John
Entwistle’s
27th birthday.
1976, The
Sex Pistols
signed to EMI
records for
£40,000. The
contract was
terminated
three months
later with the
label stopping
production of
the 'Anarchy
In The UK'
single and
deleting it
from its
catalogue. EMI
later issued a
statement
saying it felt
unable to
promote The
Sex Pistols
records in
view of the
adverse
publicity
generated over
the last few
months.
1990, All four
members of The Stone Roses were each fined £3,000
after being
found guilty
of criminal
damage at
their former
record
companies
offices.
2008, Paul
McCartney (a
vegetarian for
30 years), was
said to be
furious when
he heard that
a Liverpool
branch of
McDonald's
restaurant
displayed his
picture,
accusing them
of using it to
attract
customers. Sir
Paul was
quoted as
saying "What
sort of morons
do McDonald's
think Beatles
fans are?"
Week
commencing
October
1
. . .
Week commencing September 24 . . . 1967,
The
Jimi Hendrix
Experience
recorded a
session for
the radio show
'Top Gear.' Stevie Wonder who was also appearing on
the show
jammed with
Hendrix.
1967,
Pink Floyd
appeared at
the Miss
Teenage
Brighton
Contest, Top
Rank Suite,
Brighton,
playing the
musical
interlude
during the
contest.
1972, During
sessions at
RCA Studios,
New York City,
David
Bowie
recorded 'The
Jean Genie',
which became
the lead
single from
his 1973 album
Aladdin Sane.
The track
spent 13 weeks
in the charts,
peaking at
No.2, making
it Bowie's
biggest hit to
date. The line
"He's so
simple minded,
he can't drive
his module"
would later
give the band
Simple
Minds
their name.
1978,
Australia’s
‘King of rock
'n' roll’ Johnny O’Keefe died aged 43 of a heart
attack. He was
the first
Australian
rock’n’roll
performer to
tour the
United States,
and
Australia’s
most
successful
chart
performer,
with 29 Top 40
hits between
1958 and
1974,.
O’Keefe’s 1958
hit, ‘Real
Wild Child’,
was covered by Iggy Pop in 1986.
1979, Buzzcocks, supported by Joy
Division
appeared at
the Odeon
Theatre,
Edinburgh,
tickets £2.50.
1979, Led
Zeppelin's
In Through The
Out Door was
at No.1 on the
US album
chart. Six
versions of
the cover were
released, each
depicting the
same bar scene
photographed
from one of
six different
angles.
2007,
Queen's
groundbreaking
promo for
their 1975 hit
Bohemian
Rhapsody was
named the best
music video in
a survey of
music fans.
Out of 1,051
adults polled
by O2, 30%
named the
six-minute
video (which
took only
three hours to
shoot and cost
a mere £3,500
to make),
their
favourite.
2010, A set of
John
Lennon's
fingerprints
were seized by
the FBI from a
New York
memorabilia
dealer who
intended to
sell them for
$100,000
(£62,621)
minimum bid.
The prints
were taken at
a New York
police station
in 1976 when
Lennon applied
for permanent
US residence.
The bureau
believed the
card was still
government
property and
was
investigating
how it landed
in private
hands.
2011, Starship's
'We Built This
City' was
named 'the
worst song of
the 1980s' in
a poll by
Rolling Stone
magazine. 'The
Final
Countdown' by
the Swedish
band Europe
came in second
and 'Lady in
Red' by Chris de Burgh was third. Also making the
top five were
Wham!'s
'Wake Me Up
(Before You Go
Go)' and 'The
Safety Dance'
by
Men Without
Hats.
1962, The
Tornadoes
were at No.1
on the UK
singles chart
with the
instrumental,
'Telstar'
(named after a
communication
satellite).
The track went
on to be the
first major
hit from a UK
act on the
American chart
also reaching
No.1.
1968, On the
first night of
a UK club tour
Led
Zeppelin
(billed as The Yardbirds featuring Jimmy Page)
appeared at
the Mayfair
Ballroom,
Newcastle upon
Tyne,
supported by Terry Reid's Fantasia, tickets cost 10/6.
The Mayfair
was a regular
venue for up
and coming
acts, Pink
Floyd, Mott
the Hoople,
Def Leppard,
AC/DC,
in fact
anybody who
was anybody
had all
appeared at
the club which
was demolished
in 2000.
1970, US
singer Janis Joplin was found dead at the
Landmark Hotel
Hollywood
after an
accidental
heroin
overdose.
Joplin had the
posthumous
1971 US No.1
single 'Me And
Bobby McGee',
and the 1971
US No.1 album
'Pearl'. She
was known as
"The Queen of
Psychedelic
Soul" and as
"Pearl" to her
friends,
Joplin remains
one of the
top-selling
musicians in
the United
States, with
over 15.5
million albums
sold in the
USA.
1975, Pink
Floyd
went to No.1
on the album
chart with
Wish You Were
Here. The
album featured
a tribute to
ex band member
Syd Barrett,
'Shine On You
Crazy
Diamond'. Also
No.1 in the
US. For one of
the shots on
the album's
cover, two
stuntmen were
used, Danny
Rogers and
Ronnie
Rondell, who were
dressed in a
fire-retardant
suit covered
by a business
suit.
Initially the
wind was
blowing in the
wrong
direction, and
the flames
were forced
into Rondell's
face, burning
his moustache.
The two
stuntmen
changed
positions, and
the image was
later
reversed.
1980, Winners
in the Melody
Makers readers
poll included Kate Bush who won Best female singer, Peter Gabriel won Best male singer, Best
guitarist went
to Ritchie
Blackmore,
Phil
Collins
won Best
drummer, Genesis won Band of the year, Best single
went to Pink Floyd for 'Another Brick In The Wall
(Part 2)' and
Saxon
won brightest
hope.
1999, It was
reported that
the sister of
Jimi
Hendrix
was planning
to exhume her
brothers body
and move it to
a pay-to view
mausoleum.
Other plans
for the new
site included
a chance for
fans to buy
one of burial
plots around
the
guitarist's
new
resting-place.
2005, Mike
Gibbins
drummer with Badfinger died in his sleep at his
Florida home
aged 56.
Badfinger had
the 1970 UK
No.4 & US
No.7 single
'Come And Get
It'. He had
also been a
member of The Iveys during the 60s.
2014,
Paul Revere,
organist and
leader of Paul Revere And The Raiders died
following a
battle with
cancer.
Between 1961
and 1971, the
band placed 15
songs on
Billboard's
Top 40,
including the
US Top 10 hits
'Kicks',
'Hungry',
'Good Thing'
and 'Him Or Me
- What's It
Gonna Be?'
1961, Phil
Spector
and partner
Lester Sill
released the
first single
on their new
label Philles,
The
Crystals’
‘Oh Yeah Maybe
Baby.’ A
little over a
year later,
they had a
No.1 hit with
‘He’s a
Rebel,’ and
soon after,
‘Da Doo Ron
Ron’ and ‘Then
He Kissed Me.’
1967, All six
members of The Grateful Dead were busted by
California
narcotics
agents for
possession of
marijuana at
the groups'
710 Ashbury
Street House
in San
Francisco,
California.
1970,
Pink Floyd
released their
fifth, and
first No.1
album Atom
Heart Mother
in the UK. The
original album
cover shows a
cow standing
in a pasture
with no text,
nor any other
clue as to
what might be
on the record.
Storm
Thorgerson,
inspired by
Andy Warhol's
famous ‘cow
wallpaper,’
has said that
he simply
drove out into
a rural area
near Potters
Bar, England
and
photographed
the first cow
he saw. The
cow's owner
identified her
name as
‘Lulubelle
III’.
1982, Peter
Gabriel
and Steve
Hacket
joined their
former band
mates in Genesis for a one-time benefit
performance at
The Milton
Keynes Bowl in
Buckinghamshire,
to help raise
money for
Gabriel's
WOMAD project
(World of
Music, Arts
and Dance).
1996, A Pearl Jam show in Hartford Connecticut
ended in a
riot when mass
fighting broke
out among the
30,000 strong
crowds.
2002, Adam
Ant escaped
a prison
sentence after
a judge ruled
that an
incident in
which he
threatened
drinkers with
a replica
pistol in a
London pub was
a result of
mental
illness. The
1980s pop star
had been
voluntarily
having
psychiatric
treatment
since the
incident.
2012, British
session
guitarist Big
Jim Sullivan
(born James
George
Tomkins) died
at the age of
71. Sullivan
started his
career in 1959
as a member of
Marty Wilde’s
band and when
Wilde bought
Sullivan a
Gibson Les
Paul guitar,
it was
allegedly the
first in
Britain.
Sullivan
taught future
Deep
Purple
guitarist Ritchie Blackmore to play guitar, as well
as helping Yes and Asia guitarist
Steve Howe on
his road to
success. He
featured on 55
No.1 hits, and
worked with George Harrison, Frank Zappa, Thunderclap Newman,
Love Affair,
Long John
Baldry,
Marmalade
and
The Tremeloes.
During Jimmy Page's session career, he (Paige)was
known as
‘Little Jim’,
to
differentiate
him from Big
Jim.
1965, Bob
Dylan
appeared at
Carnegie Hall
in New York
City. He
introduced his
new touring
band on this
tour, made up
of guitarist
Robbie
Robertson,
organist Garth
Hudson,
bassist Rick
Danko, pianist
Richard Manual
and drummer
Levon Helm.
They will
become known
simply as The Band.
1966, Jimi
Hendrix
appeared live
for the first
time when he
jammed with Cream at their gig at London Polytechnic.
Hendrix made
his official
UK live debut
a month later
on Friday 25
Nov 1966, when
the Jimi
Hendrix
Experience
appeared at
the Bag
O'Nails Club,
London.
1967, The
first edition
of Radio 1's
'Top Gear' was
aired.
Presented by
John Peel and
Pete Drummond
they featured
The
Move, Traffic,
Pink Floyd,
Tim Rose
and Tomorrow
featuring
Keith West.
1970, Jimi
Hendrix
was buried at
The Greenwood
Cemetery at
the Dunlop
Baptist Church
Seattle. Among
the mourners; Miles Davis, Eric Burdon, Johnny Winter and
members of Derek and the Dominoes.
1975, 39 year
old
Al Jackson,
drummer for Booker T. And The MGs, was shot and killed
by a burglar
at his home.
His wife was
questioned
about the
killing
because she
was arrested
in July for
shooting her
husband in the
chest during a
domestic
dispute. He
wasn't badly
hurt and the
charges were
dismissed when
his wife
claimed
self-defense.
Jackson had
returned home
to what police
described as a
botched
robbery
attempt.
According to
Jackson's
wife, an
intruder made
her answer the
door and then
threw her
husband to the
floor
demanding
money. Jackson
was forced to
lie face down
and then was
shot in the
back five
times. The
identity of
the culprit
remains a
mystery.
Booker T had
backed such
artists as Otis Redding, Al Green and Sam
and Dave.
2015, An
original tape
of The Beatles
performing at
The Cavern
Club in
Liverpool in
1962 was found
after 50 years
languishing in
a desk drawer.
It featured
the Fab Four
playing 'Some
Other Guy' in
September
1962, four
weeks before
their debut
single came
out. It was
recorded after
the group were
filmed for
Granada TV's
Know The
North, but was
never
broadcast.
Week
commencing
September
24
. . .
Week commencing September 17 . . . 1965,
The
Rolling Stones
performed at
the Gaumont
Theatre in
Hanley,
Staffordshire.
Also on the
bill were The Moody Blues, The Spencer Davis Group, The End
and
The Habits.
Bill Wyman
produced
singles and
the debut
album of The
End, for Decca
Records.
1974, Police
were called to
a
Lynyrd Skynyrd
and
Blue Oyster
Cult concert
after a fight
broke out
between two
sound
engineers. The
Skynyrd roadie
claimed that
the sound had
been
deliberately
turned off
during the
bands set.
2004, Mick
Jagger
held a press
conference
with
Dave Stewart
at Essex House
in New York
City, to
promote the
soundtrack to
the movie
Alfie. The
re-make of the
1966 film also
featured Joss
Stone, Sheryl
Crow and
Nadirah Nadz
Seid. The
track 'Old
Habits Die
Hard' from the
soundtack by
Mick Jagger
and David A.
Stewart won
the BFCA
Award, Golden
Globe, Sierra
Award and the
World
Soundtrack
Award.
2016, A
schoolboy from
Philadelphia
who skipped
class to meet
his musical
hero handed
his teacher an
absence note
with a
difference.
The
typewritten
note was
signed by Bruce Springsteen. Fifth-grader Michael
Fenerty met
the star at a
"meet-and-greet"
in the Free
Library of
Philadelphia
when
Springsteen
was in town
signing copies
of his new
autobiography,
Born to Run.
1961, Robert
Shelton wrote
a glowing
review of Bob Dylan's support slot at Gerde's Folk
City in the
New York
Times, calling
him ‘One of
the most
distinctive
stylists to
play Manhattan
in months’. On
the same day
Dylan played
harmonica at a
recording
session
produced by
John Hammond.
1971, On the
last night of
their first
ever Japanese
tour Led
Zeppelin appeared at
Osaka Festival
Hall. Near the
end of the set
the group
played a
medley of
songs during
an extended
version of
'Whole Lotta
Love',
including 'Let
That Boy
Boogie', 'I
Gotta Know',
'Twist and
Shout',
'Fortune
Teller', 'Good
Times Bad
Times' and
'You Shook
Me'.
1976, Enjoying
his own
birthday
celebrations
singer Jerry Lee Lewis accidentally shot his bass
player Norman
Owens in the
chest. Lewis
had been
blasting holes
in an office
door. Owens
survived but
sued his boss.
1989, While
travelling on
his motorbike
from Los
Angeles, Bruce Springsteen called in at Matt's
Saloon in
Prescott,
Arizona and
jammed with
the house
band. Bruce
played a bunch
of rock and
roll classics,
including
Elvis
Presley's
'Don’t Be
Cruel,' and
Chuck Berry's
'Sweet Little
Sixteen' and
'Route 66.’
Bruce also
donated
$100,000 to a
barmaid's
hospital bill.
1967, Working
on new songs The Beatles recorded various parts for
the new John
Lennon song ‘I
Am the
Walrus’, and
the new Paul
McCartney song
‘Fool On The
Hill.’ Lennon
received a
letter from a
pupil at
Quarry Bank
High School,
that mentioned
an English
teacher was
making his
class analyse
Beatles'
lyrics.
Lennon, amused
that a teacher
was putting so
much effort
into
understanding
the Beatles'
lyrics,
decided to
write in his
next song the
most confusing
lyrics that he
could.
1968, Pink
Floyd
appeared at
the Queen's
Hall in
Dunoon,
Scotland. Due
to bad
weather, all
the ferries to
Dunoon were
cancelled, so
Pink Floyd
hired their
own boat from
Gourock and
risked the
rough seas to
make the
crossing,
eventually
appearing in
front of 400
fans.
1979, Scottish
guitarist Jimmy McCullough died from a heroin
overdose in
his flat in
Maida Vale,
London, aged
26. Member of
Stone
The Crows,
Thunderclap
Newman
and Wings
(1974 to
1977). When
'Something in
the Air' by
Thunderclap
Newman went to
No.1 in 1969,
it made
McCulloch the
youngest
guitarist to
ever play on a
UK No.1
single, as he
was was just
sixteen years
old at the
time.
1986, Metallica
bass player Cliff Burton was crushed to death after
the bands tour
bus crashed
between
Stockholm and
Copenhagen.
During a
European tour
members from
the band drew
cards for the
most
comfortable
bunk on the
tour bus,
Burton had won
the game with
an Ace of
Spades and was
asleep when
the tour bus
ran over a
patch of black
ice and
skidded off of
the road. He
was thrown
through the
window of the
bus, which
fell on top of
him.
2008, Pink
Floyd's
manager Bryan Morrison died after spending over
two years in a
coma. Morrison
suffered
severe brain
injuries in a
polo accident
at the Royal
Berkshire Polo
Club in 2006,
and never
recovered. He
also managed The Pretty Things and was a music
publisher for
Syd
Barrett, The
Bee Gees,
Elton John,
The Jam, T-Rex
and
Wham!
1937, American
blues singer Bessie Smith died aged 43 after being
involved in a
car accident
while
traveling
along Route 61
outside
Memphis,
Tennessee. Her
1923 song
‘Downhearted
Blues’ was
inducted into
the Grammy
Hall of Fame
in 2006.
1961, The
Greenbriar
Boys
started a
two-week
residency at
Gerde's Folk
Club in New
York. The
opening act
was Bob
Dylan.
1965, At the
end of a
European tour
Roger
Daltry
knocked out Keith Moon resulting in the singer being
sacked from
The Who. The
band were
playing two
shows in one
night in
Denmark, when
an argument
broke about
between all
four band
members.
Daltrey was
reinstated the
following day.
1969, The
Beatles
released Abbey
Road in the
UK. The final
studio
recordings
from the group
featured two
George
Harrison songs
'Something'
(Harrison's
first A-side
single), and
'Here Comes
The Sun'. In
their
interviews for
The Beatles
Anthology, the
surviving band
members stated
that, although
none of them
ever made the
distinction of
calling it the
"last album",
they all felt
at the time
this would
very likely be
the final
Beatles
product and
therefore
agreed to set
aside their
differences
and "go out on
a high note".
1995, AC/DC
released
Ballbreaker
their 12th
international
studio album.
The album
which was
produced by
Rick Rubin,
featured the
return of
former drummer
Phil Rudd, who
had been fired
from the band
in 1983 as a
result of
drinking and
drug problems
and a fight
with founding
rhythm
guitarist
Malcolm Young.
2003, Singer,
songwriter Robert Palmer died of a heart attack
aged 54 in
Paris France.
He was a
member of Vinegar Joe and Power
Station
(with Duran
Duran members
Andy Taylor
and John
Taylor with
drummer and
former Chic
member Tony
Thompson). As
a solo artist
had the 1986
US No.1 &
UK No.5 single
'Addicted To
Love' and the
1988 hit
'Simply
Irresistible'.
2016,
Universal,
Warner
Brothers, Sony
and several
other record
labels filed a
law suit
against the
operators of YouTube-mp3.org, a service that allowed
its users to
remove audio
from videos
streamed on
YouTube. The
court action,
launched
against a
German
company,
alleged that
"tens, or even
hundreds, of
millions of
tracks are
illegally
copied and
distributed by
stream ripping
services each
month."
1964, The
Temptations
begin
recording 'My
Girl' which
went on to be
their first US
number one and
the first of
fifteen US Top
Ten hits.
1969, John
Lennon
recorded the
track 'Cold
Turkey', with
Eric Clapton,
Ringo Starr,
Klaus Voorman
and Yoko.
Lennon
presented the
song to Paul
McCartney as a
potential
single by The
Beatles, but
was refused
and released
it as a
Plastic Ono
Band single
with sole
writing
credits to
him.
1972, Black
Sabbath
released their
fourth studio
album, 'Black
Sabbath Vol.
4'. The album
which features
a monochrome
photograph of
Ozzy Osbourne
with hands
raised, taken
during a Black
Sabbath
concert was
originally to
be titled
'Snowblind',
after one of
several songs
referring to
the band's
cocaine use.
1975, Jackie
Wilson
had a heart
attack while
performing
live on stage
at the Latin
Casino, New
Jersey. Wilson
collapsed into
a coma
suffering
severe brain
damage.
Ironically, he
was in the
middle of
singing one of
his biggest
hits, 'Lonely
Teardrops' and
was two words
into the line,
"....my heart
is crying"
when he
collapsed to
the stage,
striking his
head heavily.
He remained
semi-comatose
for the nine
years until
his death in
1984, at the
age of 49. Van
Morrison wrote
the song
'Jackie Wilson
Said', covered
by Dexy's
Midnight
Runners.
1992, Two fans
were stabbed
and 20 arrests
were made
after trouble
broke out at a
Ozzy
Osbourne
gig in
Oklahoma City.
The sale of
alcohol at the
concert was
blamed for the
incident.
1999, Former
Rolling Stone
Bill
Wyman
became the
first major
artist to
release an
album on his
own
personalised
digital MP3
player. The
matchbox-sized
device with no
moving parts
was one of the
smallest of
its kind in
the world and
featured
encryption
software
designed in
the UK to
prevent
piracy.
2015, David
Gilmour's
fourth studio
album Rattle
That Lock went
to No.1 on the
UK album
chart. Gilmour
had been
writing the
material for
Rattle That
Lock over the
past five
years, though
he pointed out
that one piano
piece was
recorded 18
years ago in
his living
room.
Week
commencing
September
17
. . .
1968,
Led
Zeppelin
started
recording
their debut
album at
Olympic
Studios,
Barnes,
London. The
album took
only about 36
hours of
studio time to
complete at a
cost of around
£1,782, with
most of the
tracks being
recorded
'live' in the
studio with
very few
overdubs.
1969, During a
meeting in
London between
John Lennon,
Paul McCartney
and Ringo
Starr, Lennon
announced he
was leaving The Beatles.
1969, Blind
Faith
started a
two-week run
at No.1 on the
UK chart with
their
self-titled
debut album.
The only
release from
the Eric
Clapton, Steve
Winwood,
Ginger Baker
& Rick
Grech line-up
also reached
No.1 in the
US. Their only
UK gig was in
Hyde Park,
London on 7th
Jun 1969.
1970, Jim
Morrison
of The
Doors
was acquitted
on charges of
lewd and
lascivious
behavior, but
was found
guilty of
exposing
himself during
a concert at
The Dinner Key
Auditorium in
Coconut Grove
a year and a
half earlier.
At his trial
at the Dade
County
Courthouse in
Miami, Judge
Goodman
sentenced
Morrison to
six months
hard labor and
a $500 (£270),
fine for
public
exposure and
sixty days
hard labor for
profanity. The
sentence was
appealed, but
Morrison was
never brought
to trial, as
he would die
in Paris
France on July
3, 1971.
1975, 'Fame'
gave David
Bowie
his first No.1
in the US. The
song was
co-written
with John
Lennon.
Lennon's voice
is heard
towards the
ending of the
song repeating
the words:
"Fame, Fame,
Fame" from a
fast track,
through a
regular track,
to a slow
track, before
Bowie finished
the lyrics.
1976, The
first of the
two night 100
Club Punk
Festival,
Oxford St,
London,
featuring the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Sub Way Sect, Suzie
(spelling on
the poster), And The Banshees, The Buzzcocks, Vibrators
and Stinky
Toys.
Admission
£1.50.
1976,
AC/DC
released their
third studio
album 'Dirty
Deeds Done
Dirt Cheap'.
The album has
been certified
6x Platinum in
the United
States, which
means that it
has sold at
least 6
million
copies,
becoming the
third highest
sold album by
AC/DC in the
US after
'Highway To
Hell' and
'Back In
Black'.
1997, Pearl
Jam's
'Jeremy' video
was cited as
one of the
reasons
American
teenager Barry
Loukaitis had
snapped into a
violent rage
that left
three people
dead. Defence
attorneys took
the
unprecedented
step of
playing the
video in a
Washington
court.
2012, The
former north
London home of
the original
band members
of Pink
Floyd
was bought by
a Singaporean
developer.
Sham
Masterman, who
admitted not
being a big
fan of the
rock band,
bought the
Highgate house
and the one
next door for
£1.2m each.
Roger Waters,
Nick Mason,
Richard Wright
and Syd
Barrett had
all lived in
the house in
the 1960s. The
previous
owner,
lighting
technician
Mike Leonard,
was landlord
and friend to
the band and
even inspired
their earliest
name,
Leonard's
Lodgers.
1970, Jimi
Hendrix
was pronounced
dead on
arrival at St.
Mary Abbot's
Hospital in
London at the
age of 27
after choking
on his own
vomit. Hendrix
left the
message 'I
need help bad
man', on his
managers
answer phone
earlier that
night. Rumors
and conspiracy
theories grew
up around
Hendrix’s
death. Eric
Burdon claimed
Jimi had
committed
suicide, but
that’s
contradicted
by reports
that he was in
a good frame
of mind. In
2009, a former
Animals roadie
published a
book claiming
that Jimi’s
manager had
admitted to
him that he
arranged the
murder of
Hendrix, since
the guitarist
wanted out of
his contract.
1971,
The Who
scored their
first and only
No.1 album
with Who's
Next, the
bands sixth LP
release,
featuring
'Won't Get
Fooled Again'.
Cover artwork
shows a
photograph,
taken at
Easington
Colliery, of
the band
apparently
having just
urinated on a
large concrete
piling.
According to
photographer
Ethan Russell,
most of the
members were
unable to
urinate, so
rainwater was
tipped from an
empty film
canister to
achieve the
desired
effect.
2009,
Leonard Cohen
collapsed on
stage during a
concert in
Valencia in
Spain and was
taken to
hospital. He
was later
discharged
after doctors
told him he
had food
poisoning.
Cohen was in
the middle of
singing his
song Bird On
The Wire when
he fainted,
prompting the
band to stop
playing and
rush to help
him.
Week
commencing
September
10
. . .
1955,
Little
Richard
entered a New
Orleans
recording
studio to
begin two days
of recording.
Things were
not going well
so, during a
break, Richard
and his
producer Bumps
Blackwell went
to the Dew
Drop Inn for
lunch. Richard
started
playing the
piano in the
bar like
crazy, singing
a loud and
lewd version
of ‘Tutti
Frutti.’ With
only fifteen
minutes left
in the
session,
Richard
recorded the
song and
coined the
phrase,
‘a-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bam-boom.’
1968, Roy Orbison's house in Nashville burnt
down, his two
eldest sons
both died in
the blaze.
Orbison was on
tour in the UK
at the time of
the accident.
1968, The
first episode
of the comic
strip 'The
Archies'
was aired on
US TV. The
recording
group had
contributions
from Ron
Dante, Andy
Kim, Jeff
Barry and
others. Rock
mogul, Don
Kirshner (who
also brought
us The The
Monkees) was
put in charge
of the studio
group. The
following year
The Archies
started a
eight-week run
at No.1 on the
UK singles
chart with
'Sugar Sugar,'
becoming the
longest
running One
Hit Wonder in
the UK.
1971, During a
US tour Led Zeppelin appeared at Berkley Community Theatre, Berkley,
California.
Countless
major acts
have appeared
here,
including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Van Morrison, The
Kinks, Bruce
Springsteen,
Genesis, Elvis
Costello, The
Clash, Iggy
Pop
and David
Bowie.
1974,
Eric Clapton
scored a US
No.1 with his
version of the
Bob
Marley
song 'I Shot
The Sheriff'
which was
first released
in 1973 on The
Wailers' album
Burnin'.
Clapton's
version was
included on
his 1974 album
461 Ocean
Boulevard.
1981, The
Rolling Stones
played a
secret
pre-tour
warm-up show
at the Sir
Morgan's Cove
club in
Worcester,
Massachusetts.
Billed as Little Boy Blue & The Cockroaches, a
local radio
station
announced that
the Stones
were in town,
resulting in
the club being
besieged by
over 4,000
fans attempted
to get into
the 350-person
venue. Police
were drafted
in to control
the crowds,
which resulted
in eleven fans
being
arrested.
1984, David
Bowie
won Video of
the year for
'China Girl'
at the first
MTV Video
awards. The
song
co-written by
David Bowie
and Iggy
Pop
during their
years in
Berlin, first
appeared on
Pop's album
The Idiot
released in
1977.
1997, Over
2000 fans
watched Pete Townshend unveil a English Heritage
Blue Plaque at
23 Brook
Street,
Mayfair
London, to
mark where Jimi Hendrix had lived in 1968-69. Hendrix
was the first
pop star to be
awarded with
the plaque.
2005, HMV
stores in
Canada removed
Bob
Dylan
CDs from their
shelves in
protest at the
singer's deal
to only sell
his new album
in Starbucks
after he
signed an
exclusive
contract with
the coffee
giant. The
chain has
previously
boycotted CDs
by
Alanis
Morissette
and The
Rolling Stones
to complain at
exclusive
deals.
2005, The
newly
refurbished Grateful Dead's original tour bus went on
display at the
Volo Auto
Museum in
Volo,
Illinois. The
1965 Gillig
bus, which
Jerry Garcia
and the rest
of the Dead
dubbed ‘Sugar
Magnolia’, was
used by the
band on their
frequent tours
across the US
between 1967
and 1985. The
ceiling was
lined with
hundreds of
vintage rock
posters
featuring The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Janice Joplin
and others who
had visited
the bus.
2008, Iron
Maiden
singer Bruce Dickinson was one of the pilots who
flew specially
chartered
flights after
85,000
tourists were
stranded in
the US, the
Caribbean,
Africa and
Europe after
Britain's
third-largest
tour operator
went into
administration.
The singer,
who had worked
for the
airline
Astraeus for
nine years,
took up flying
during a low
point in his
solo career
after he quit
the band in
1993.
1960, A
campaign was
started in the
UK to ban the
American hit
'Tell Laura I
Love Her' by Ray Peterson. The song was being denounced
in the press
as likely to
inspire a
teen-age
"glorious
death cult."
The story told
of a lovesick
youngster who
drives in a
stock car race
to win the
hand of his
sweetheart. He
crashes and
just before
dying, groans
out the words
of the title.
1963, Graham
Nash
fell out of The Hollies van after a gig in Scotland.
Nash checked
to see if the
door was
locked, it
wasn't and he
fell out as it
travelled at
40 m.p.h.
1964, During a
UK tour two
dozen rugby
players were
hired as 'a
human crash
barrier' at a
Rolling
Stones
gig at the
Liverpool
Empire. The
'human chain'
disappeared
under a wave
of 5,000 fans
as the Stones
took to the
stage.
1969, The
first day of
the 3 day
Rugby Bag
Blues Festival
in
Warwickshire,
with Pink
Floyd, The
Nice, Taste,
Free, Third
Ear Band,
Ralph McTell,
Roy Harper,
King Crimson,
The Strawbs,
Edgar
Broughton,
Spirit of John
Morgan
and John
Martyn,
tickets from
12/6.
2015, Gary
Richrath,
lead guitarist
and songwriter
for
REO
Speedwagon
died at the
age of 65.
Richrath
recorded 12
albums with
the band
before leaving
in 1989 and
released his
own solo album
in 1992.
1968,
Working at
Abbey Road
studios on The
White Album, The Beatles recorded 'Helter Skelter'.
John Lennon
played bass
and honked on
a saxophone,
roadie Mal
Evans tried
his best at
playing
trumpet. Paul
McCartney
recorded his
lead vocal and
George
Harrison ran
about the
studio holding
a flaming
ashtray above
his head.
1972, Slade
were at No.1
on the singles
chart with
'Mama Weer All
Crazee Now',
the group's
third UK No.1.
Taken from
their album
'Slayed?'
1977,
David Bowie
appeared on Marc Bolan's ITV show, Marc, singing
‘Heroes’ as
well as a duet
with Bolan,
‘Standing Next
To You’, which
was
prematurely
terminated
when Bolan
fell from the
stage, much to
Bowie’s
amusement.
After the show
the pair
recorded demos
together which
were never
finished
because Bolan
was killed in
a car crash a
week later.
2008, A man
was charged
with assault
after an
attack on Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher during the
band's set at
the V Festival
in Canada.
Gallagher was
admitted to
hospital after
a man ran on
stage and
pushed him
over while he
played guitar.
Toronto police
said Daniel
Sullivan, 47,
had been
charged over
the incident.
A band
statement said
the guitarist
"fell heavily
on to his
monitor
speakers".
Week
commencing
September
3
. . .
1957,
Reet Petite'
by
Jackie Wilson
was released
for the first
time, it
became a UK
No. 1, 29
years later.
During a 1975
benefit
concert,
Wilson
collapsed
on-stage from
a heart attack
and
subsequently
fell into a
coma that
persisted for
nearly nine
years until
his death in
1984.
1968, Led
Zeppelin appeared at
Raventlow
Parken,
Nykobing,
Falster,
Denmark
supported by The Beatnicks and The
Ladybirds
(who were a
all girl
topless go-go
dancing
outfit). This
was the
group's third
ever live gig.
1977,
Guitarist Jimmy McCulloch left Wings
to help
re-form the Small Faces. McCulloch had played with
Paul McCartney
band on the
Venus and Mars
and Wings At
the Speed of
Sound albums,
as well as on
the Wings Over
America tour.
He died two
years later at
the age of 26.
Drummer Joe
English also
left Wings at
this time,
joining Sea Level.
1979, Led
Zeppelin scored
their eighth
UK No.1 album
when 'In
Through The
Out Door' went
to the top of
the charts for
two weeks. The
eighth studio
album by
Zeppelin, this
was their
final album of
entirely new
material.
1997, Derek
Taylor,
the for The Beatles, died aged 67. Taylor had been
responsible
for many of
the legends
surrounding
their career
and had also
worked with The Beach Boys and The
Byrds.
In 1967 he
helped
organise the
Monterey Pop
Festival
together with
Lou Adler and
John Philips.
He helped
launch the
Beatles
Anthology
trilogy in the
90s.
1997, 29 years
after the band
first formed,
Led
Zeppelin released
'Whole Lotta
Love', their
first ever
single in the
UK. The track
recorded in
1969 and
featured on
the bands
second album
was issued to
promote their
re-issued back
catalogue.
2002, Iron Maiden singer
Bruce
Dickinson
started his
new job as an
airline pilot.
The heavy
metal singer
qualified as a
£35,000 - a
year first
officer with
Gatwick based
airline
Astraeus who
took
holidaymakers
to Portugal
and Egypt.
2004, Led
Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant was guest of honour at the
unveiling of a
statue of 15th
century rebel
leader Owain
Glyndwr at
Pennal church,
near
Machynlleth in
Wales. Plant,
who owns a
farmhouse in
the area, had
donated money
towards a
bronze
sculpture of
the Welsh
prince.
2007, A
commemorative
plaque
dedicated to Don Arden and the
Small Faces
was unveiled
at 52–55
Carnaby
Street,
London,
Arden's former
offices. Arden
achieved
notoriety in
Britain for
his
aggressive,
sometimes
illegal
business
tactics and
looked after
the careers of
Small
Faces, the
Move, the
Electric Light
Orchestra
and Black
Sabbath.
He was the
father of
Sharon
Osbourne (and
father-in-law
of Ozzy
Osbourne).
1970, Jimi
Hendrix
made his final
live
appearance
when he
appeared at
the Isle Of
Fehmarn in
Germany. The
guitarist died
12 days later
on 18th Sept
1970 after
choking on his
own vomit.
1974, The
101 All Stars
(featuring Joe
Strummer),
made their
debut at The
Telegraph,
Brixton Hill,
London.
1990,
Tom Fogerty
rhythm
guitarist with
Creedence
Clearwater
Revival
died aged 49,
due to
complications
from AIDS
acquired
during a blood
transfusion.
During 1969
CCR scored
three US Top
Ten albums and
four Top 5
singles and
after leaving
CCR in 1971
Fogerty
released
several solo
albums.
2008, US rock
band Great
White
whose
pyrotechnics
sparked a fire
that killed
100 people,
agreed to pay
$1m (£564,000)
to survivors
and victims'
relatives. The
blaze began at
The Station
nightclub in
the US state
of Rhode
Island in 2003
when the
band's tour
manager shot
off
pyrotechnics
at the start
of the
concert. More
than 200
people were
also injured
in the blaze.
One band
member,
guitarist Ty
Longley, was
killed in the
fire. Tour
manager Daniel
Biechele
pleaded guilty
in 2006 to 100
counts of
involuntary
manslaughter
and was given
parole in
March after
serving less
than half of
his four-year
prison
sentence.
1966, Donovan
went to No.1
on the US
singles chart
with 'Sunshine
Superman', a
No.2 hit in
the UK. The
track featured
then Yardbird
and future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. The
song was
written for
Donovan's
future wife
Linda
Lawrence.
1970,
Arthur Brown was
arrested at
the Palermo
Pop '70
Festival in
Italy, after
he set fire to
his helmet
(during the
performance of
his hit
'Fire'), and
stripped naked
during his
stage
performance.
The singer
spent four
days in
solitary
confinement
before he was
released.
1977, Studio
engineer Keith Harwood was killed in a car crash
shortly after
he left a
recording
session with The Rolling Stones. Harwood was noted for
his work at
Olympic
Studios with David Bowie (Diamond Dogs), and The
Rolling Stones
albums It's
Only Rock 'n'
Roll and Black
And Blue. He
also
engineered a
number of Led Zeppelin albums, including Houses Of
The Holy,
Physical
Graffiti and
Presence. The
Rolling Stones
dedicated
their album
Love You Live
to the memory
of Harwood.
1982, The
three day US
Festival in
San
Bernardino,
California
took place
featuring, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, The Police, The Cars,
Talking Heads,
The Kinks,
Ramones, B52s,
The English
Beat, Gang Of
Four, The
Grateful Dead,
Pat Benatar,
Jackson Browne.
Apple
Computers
founder Steven
Wozniak
bankrolled the
festival.
2010, Mike
Edwards,
a founding
member of ELO, was killed in a freak accident when a
giant bale of
hay tumbled
down a hill
and crashed
into his van.
The 62
year-old
cellist died
after the
600kg bale
rolled down a
steep field in
Devon, smashed
through a
hedge and
careered on to
the road.
Edwards played
cello with
ELO, the
seven-piece
band led by
Jeff Lynne,
from their
first live gig
in 1972 until
he left in
January 1975.
He quit the
band in 1975
to become a
Buddhist,
changing his
name to Deva
Pramada and
making his
living by
teaching the
cello.
2017,
Walter Becker,
co-founder and
guitarist for
the band Steely Dan died aged 67. Steely Dan -
named after a
sex toy in the
book Naked
Lunch by
William
Burroughs -
released its
first album
Can't Buy a
Thrill in 1972
and had the
1973 US No.11
single
'Reeling In
The Years' and
nine other US
Top 30 hits.
Steely Dan's
'Two Against
Nature' won a
Grammy in 2001
for Album of
the year.
Becker had
produced
records for Rickie Lee Jones, China Crisis and
Michael Franks.
Week
commencing August
27
. . .
1963,
The girl trio
Angels
started
a three week
run at No.1 on
the US singles
chart with ‘My
Boyfriend’s
Back’. The
writers of the
song Bob
Feldman, Jerry
Goldstein and
Richard
Gottehrer were
a trio of
Brooklyn
songwriter/producers
who went on to
write the hits
‘Sorrow’ and
had the 1965
US No.11
single as The Strangeloves with ‘I Want Candy’.
1963,
The Ronettes
first entered
the US singles
chart with 'Be
My Baby' the
girl group's
only top 10
hit. Lead
singer,
Veronica
Bennett who
became Ronnie
Spector, took
producer and
ex-husband
Phil Spector
to court in
the late 1990s
for unpaid
royalties.
1968, The
Move, The
Pretty Things,
The Crazy
World Of
Aurthur Brown,
Orange
Bicycle,
Jefferson
Airplane,
Fairport
Convention
and Tyrannosaurus
Rex
all appeared
at the first
Isle Of Wight
Festival held
over two days.
Tickets 25
shillings.
1968, Decca
Records
released what
has been
called
The Rolling
Stones
most political
song, 'Street
Fighting Man',
written after
Mick Jagger
attended a
March 1968
anti-war rally
at London's US
embassy,
during which
mounted police
attempted to
control a
crowd of
25,000. The
single was
kept out of
the US Top 40
(reaching
No.48) because
many radio
stations
refused to
play it based
on what were
perceived as
subversive
lyrics.
1971,
The Rolling
Stones
plus the
father of
Brian Jones
filed a high
court writ
against ex
managers
Oldham and
Easton.
Claiming they
made a secret
deal with
Decca Records
in 1963 to
deprive the
group of
royalties.
1986, After
living
together for
10 years Bob Geldof married TV presenter Paula
Yates in Las
Vegas with Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon as the
best man.
Yates died of
a drug
overdose on
17th September
2000.
2004, Carl
Wayne the
singer with The Move died from cancer. They had the
1969 UK No.1
single
'Blackberry
Way.' Wayne
also worked
with The
Hollies.
2006, The
Times ran a
story on the
demands of
rock stars
when on tour.
Ozzy
Osbourne
insists on an
eye, ear, nose
and throat
doctor at each
venue. The Beach Boys require a licensed masseur,
Meat
Loaf
a mask and one
small tank of
oxygen. David Bowie requests that the dressing
room
temperature is
between 14c
and 18c and Paul McCartney must have a large
arrangement of
white
Casablanca
lilies in his
dressing room. Mick Jagger must have an onstage autocue
with the
lyrics to all
the songs, it
would also
tell him the
name of the
city in which
they were
performing.
2007,
Hilly Kristal,
founder of the
New York punk
club CBGB
died from
complications
arising from
lung cancer at
the age of 75.
Kristal was
credited with
discovering Patti Smith and the Ramones
and his club
became a
breeding
ground for
punk rock. The
New York City
venue, whose
full title
CBGB OMFUG
stood for
'country,
bluegrass,
blues and
other music
for uplifting
gourmandisers',
was originally
launched to
showcase
country music.
1976, The
Clash,
Buzzcocks
and the
Sex Pistols all
appeared at a
showcase event
at The Screen
On The Green,
Islington.
Organised by
Malcolm
Maclaren, this
was notable
for many
reasons
including, it
was only The
Clash's third
gig and the
first ever to
be recorded,
and is the
earliest known
(after the
Manchester
Free Trade
Hall concert
from April
1976) recorded
performance
and a rare
recording of
The Sex
Pistols with
Glen Matlock.
The cinema is
referenced
throughout
Adam and the
Ants' song
'Fall in' -
released as
the b side to
"Ant Music" in
1980.
1981, The two
day Rock on
the Tyne
festival began
in Gateshead
featuring Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, U2, Rory Gallagher, Doll By
Doll, Wang
Chung, Becket,
Dr Feelgood,
The Gingers
Nutters
(featuring Ginger Baker), Trimmer
and Jenkins
and Lindisfarne.
1967, British
music
entrepreneur
and the
manager of The Beatles, Brian Epstein was found dead,
locked in a
bedroom at his
London home. A
coroner's
inquest
concluded that
Epstein died
from an
overdose of
the sleeping
pill
Carbitrol. He
also managed
several other
artists
including Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the
Dakotas, Cilla
Black and The Remo Four. The first contract between
The Beatles
and Epstein
was auctioned
in London in
2008, and was
sold for
£240,000.
1990, Stevie
Ray Vaughan was
killed when
the helicopter
he was flying
in, hit a
man-made ski
slope while
trying to
navigate
through dense
fog. Vaughan
had played a
show at Alpine
Valley Music
Theatre, East
Troy,
Wisconsin with
Robert Cray
& His
Memphis Horns,
and Eric
Clapton.
Vaughan was
informed by a
member of
Clapton's crew
that three
seats were
open on a
helicopter
returning to
Chicago with
Clapton's
crew, it
turned out
there was only
one seat left;
Vaughan
requested it
from his
brother, who
obliged. Three
members of
Eric Clapton's
entourage were
also killed.
2004, Winners
at this years
Kerrang!
awards
included The Darkness for best British band and
best live
band, best
band on the
planet award
went to Metallica. Green Day were inducted into
the Kerrang!
Hall of Fame,
Lostprophets
won the best
single for
'Last Train
Home' and best
album went to
Muse
for
'Absolution'.
2004, Green
Day, The
Darkness, The
White Stripes,
Morrissey, The
Libertines,
Franz
Ferdinand, The
Hives, 50 Cent
(50 Cent was
booed off
stage after
being greeted
by a rain of
bottles thrown
at him and his
G-Unit crew as
they came
onstage), The Streets, The Vines, Soulwax, Dogs Die In Hot
Cars, The
Offspring,
Ash, Placebo
and Lostprophets
all appeared
at this years
UK Carling
Weekend in
Reading and
Leeds.
Week
commencing August
20
. . .
1965,
Security
guards at a
Manchester TV
studio hosed
down 200 Rolling Stones fans after they broke down
barriers while
waiting for
the band to
arrive for a
performance.
1970, Lou
Reed and the
Velvet
Underground
performed
together for
the last time
at the New
York Club
'Max's Kansas
City'. Reed
worked as a
typist for his
father for the
next two
years, at $40
per week.
1975,
Joy Division
singer Ian
Curtis married
Deborah
Woodruff, whom
he met while
still at
school, when
he was 19 and
she was 18.
They remained
married until
his death when
he hanged
himself in the
kitchen of his
house in
Macclesfield,
at the age of
23.
1980, The
Heatwave
Festival in
Toronto,
Canada took
place with Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, The B-52s, The
Pretenders,
Rockpile and
The
Rumour.
Tickets cost
$30, with only
50,000 people
attending the
festival lost
over $1
million.
Week
commencing August
13
. . .
Week
commencing
August 6 . . .Week
commencing
August 6 . . .1968,
After 58
episodes, the
final Monkees
TV show airs
on NBC. Since
the its
initial run,
almost every
major cable
network has
aired re-runs
of the show,
including a
popular stint
on CBS from
1969-1972.
1972, David
Bowie
played the
first of two
nights at the
Rainbow
Theatre on his
current
182-date Ziggy
Stardust world
tour.
1977, The
Sex Pistols
started an
undercover UK
tour as The
Spots (an
acronym for
Sex Pistols on
tour
secretly).
2005, A
life-size
bronze statue
designed by
Paul Daly of Phil Lynott was unveiled on Harry Street
in Dublin. The
ceremony was
attended by
his former
Thin Lizzy
band members
Gary Moore,
Brian
Robertson and
Scott Gorham.
Lynott who
died in 1986
aged 36 had a
string of hits
including
'Whiskey in
the Jar', 'The
Boys are Back
in Town',
'Jailbreak'
and 'Waiting
for an Alibi'.
1969, During a
North American
tour Led
Zeppelin appeared
at the
Hemisfair
Arena in San
Antonio.
Jethro Tull
and Sweet
Smoke were
also on the
bill. During
the show
Zeppelin
received abuse
from locals
due to the
length of
their hair.
1979, The
futuristic
satire film
'Americathon'
premiered in
Los Angeles
featuring Meat Loaf. The soundtrack included songs
by
The Beach
Boys, Nick
Lowe
and Elvis
Costello.
2004,
Rolling Stones
drummer Charlie Watts was being treated for throat
cancer after
being
diagnosed with
the disease in
June.
2007, Sixteen
solo
John Lennon
albums were
made available
to download on
iTunes for the
first time. A
deal was
approved by
the late
Beatle's widow
Yoko Ono
following a
lengthy legal
battle between
the band's
label Apple
Corps and
Apple Inc,
which owned
Tunes.
2012, American
musician Bob Birch died from an self-inflicted
gunshot wound
in his Los
Angeles home,
aged 56. Birch
was badly
injured in a
car accident
in 1995 and
since then
struggled with
constant
headaches,
dizziness,
vertigo, and
severe pain
throughout his
body. He
worked with Doobie Brothers, Bryan Adams, Lionel Richie, George
Michael, Eric
Clapton, B.B.
King, Phil
Collins, Keith
Emerson, Barry
Manilow
and Elton
John.
1964, US
singer
Johnny
Burnette
was killed in
a boating
accident on
Clear Lake
California,
aged 30. His
unlit boat was
struck by an
unaware cabin
cruiser, the
impact threw
him off the
boat and he
drowned.
Burnette
scored the
1961 US No.8
& UK No.3
single 'You're
Sixteen'.
1965, Sonny
& Cher started
a three week
run at No.1 on
the US singles
chart with 'I
Got You Babe'.
Sonny Bono is
said to have
been inspired
to write the
song to
capitalize on
the popularity
of the term
"babe," as
heard in Bob
Dylan's 'It
Ain't Me
Babe'.
1967, All UK
offshore
pirate radio
stations were
closed down
when the
marine
broadcasting
act came into
force. Radio Caroline continued to broadcast
until March
68.
1970, The
first day of
the three day
UK Yorkshire
Folk, Blues
& Jazz
Festival at
Krumlin,
Yorkshire took
place
featuring Atomic Rooster, Pink Floyd (who didn't
appear after
being fog
bound at Paris
Airport), The Kinks, Elton John, Mungo Jerry, Yes, Alan Price,
Georgie Fame,
Juicy Lucy,
Pretty Things
and The
Groundhogs.
Weekend
tickets, £3.
1988, Lead
singer, poet
and frontman
of Hawkwind
Robert
Calvert died
of a heart
attack. He was
a member of
Hawkwind from
1972-1979
during which
time he
co-wrote their
hit single
'Silver
Machine' and
directed their
Space Ritual
Tour.
1988,
Guitarist Roy Buchanan died after hanging himself
with his own
shirt in
Fairfax County
Adult
Detention
Center having
been arrested
for
drunkenness.
Buchanan
released over
15 solo
albums;
Jeff Beck
dedicated the
song 'Cause
We've Ended As
Lovers' to
Buchanan in
1975 on his
Blow by Blow
album.
2002, Dave
Williams lead
singer of US
heavy rock
band
Drowning Pool
was found dead
on the band's
tour bus
during Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest tour in Manassas,
Virginia. The
autopsy
concluded that
he suffered
from a form of
heart disease.
The bands
debut album,
Sinner, had
sold over 1
million copies
in the US
since its
release in
June 2001.
Week
commencing August
6
. . .
Week
commencing
July 30 . . .Week
commencing
July 30 . . .1959,
Four members
of The Platters were arrested after a gig in Cincinnati after being
found with
four 19 year
old women (3
of them
white), in
various stages
of undress.
The scandal
resulted in
radio stations
across the US
removing
Platters
records from
their
playlists.
1963, The
100th edition
of 'Thank Your
Lucky Stars'
was aired on
TV, with Cliff Richard, The Shadows, The Searchers, Brian
Poole and the
Tremeloes,
Billy J.
Kramer and the
Dakotas
and Alma
Cogan.
1963,
Acker Bilk,
Chris Barber,
Ronnie Ross,
Cyril Davies,
Long John
Baldry and
The
Rolling Stones
all appeared
at the third
Richmond Jazz
Festival held
over two days
in Richmond. A
weekend ticket
cost 20
shillings.
1969, During a
North American
tour,
Led Zeppelin
appeared at
the San Diego
Sports Arena.
Jethro
Tull were
the support
act.
2007, Anthony Wilson the music mogul behind some
of
Manchester's
most
successful
bands died
aged 57 after
suffering from
kidney cancer.
The TV
presenter and
entrepreneur
founded
Factory
Records, the
label behind New Order and the Happy
Mondays.
He was also
famous for
setting up the
Hacienda
nightclub in
Manchester.
1963, The Beatles
arrived in
Jersey in the
Channel Islands,
where they spent
the day
go-carting and
relaxing by the
pool at The
Revere Hotel
before playing
the first of
four nights at
the Springfield
Ballroom. Some
fans had found
out where they
were staying,
but they were
happy to chat
and be
photographed
with them.
1964, Rod
Stewart
made his TV
debut on 'The
Beat Room' as a
member of The
Hoochie Coochie
Men.
1965, Decca
records released
the Small
Faces
debut single
'Whatcha Gonna
Do About It.' It
peaked at No.14
on the UK chart.
1970, Steppenwolf,
Janis Joplin,
Paul Simon,
Poco
and
Johnny Winter
all appeared at
the Concert For
Peace at New
York's Shea
Stadium. The
concert date
coincided with
the 25th
anniversary of
dropping an
atomic bomb on
Hiroshima,
Japan.
1977, The
Police
appeared at The
Red Cow,
Hammersmith Road
in London,
admission was
60p.
1983,
Avant-garde
musician and
former backing
singer with David Bowie, Klaus Nomi, died at the age
of 39 of Aids in
New York City
aged 38. Nomi
was one of the
first
celebrities to
contract AIDS.
2007, Marilyn
Manson
was being sued
by a former band
member who said
he was owed $20m
(£9.8m) in
shared profits.
Stephen Bier,
who played
keyboards under
the stage name
Madonna Wayne
Gacy, claimed he
was not paid
properly over a
period of almost
two decades. In
legal papers
filed in Los
Angeles, Bier
claimed Manson
falsely told him
the band was not
making much
money and used
band money to
buy a $2m
(£980,000) home
and collect Nazi
memorabilia,
including coat
hangers used by
Adolf Hitler.
Week
commencing
July 30
. . .
1968,
The two day
Newport Pop
Festival took
place in Costa
Mesa, California
with Alice
Cooper, Canned
Heat, Chambers
Brothers,
Charles Lloyd
Quartet,
Country Joe
and the Fish,
Electric Flag,
James Cotton
Blues Band,
Paul
Butterfield
Blues Band,
Sonny &
Cher,
Steppenwolf
and Tiny
Tim.
Over 100,000 fans
attended the
festival.
2006, Arthur
Lee,
singer and
guitarist of the
influential 1960s
band Love,
died in Memphis at
the age of 61
following a battle
with acute myeloid
leukaemia. He
called himself the
"first black
hippie" and formed
Love in Los
Angeles in 1965.
Best known for the
critically revered
1967 album,
'Forever Changes.'
2002, After an
absence of 37
years, Bob
Dylan
returned to the
Newport Folk
Festival (now
known as the Apple
and Eve Newport
Folk Festival)
where he performed
a 2 hour show of
19 songs, wearing
a false beard and
a wig. Songs
played included:
Subterranean
Homesick Blues,
'Desolation Row',
'Positively 4th
Street', 'The
Wicked Messenger',
'Like A Rolling
Stone' and 'Mr.
Tambourine Man'.
2015, Former AC/DC
drummer Phil Rudd
pleaded not guilty
to breaching the
conditions of his
current home
detention by
drinking alcohol.
Rudd had been
under house
detention since
being sentenced
for drug
possession and
making threats to
kill in July of
this year. The
61-year-old could
face further
sanctions,
including jail
time, if the judge
decided he did
violate his
conditions.
1965, During a UK
tour, The
Rolling Stones
appeared at the
London Palladium
supported by The
Walker Brothers,
The Fourmost,
Steampacket
featuring Rod
Stewart
and Sugar
Pie Desanto
with The
Shevelles.
1969, The three day
US Atlantic City Pop
Festival took place
at the Atlantic City
race track with B.B.
King, Janis
Joplin, Santana,
Three Dog Night,
Dr John, Procol
Harum, Arthur
Brown, Iron
Butterfly,
Creedence
Clearwater
Revival, Little
Richard, Tim
Buckley, The
Byrds, Jefferson
Airplane, The
Mothers Of
Invention
and
Canned Heat.
Joni Mitchell
started to cry and
ran off stage in the
middle of her third
song because the
crowd was not paying
attention to her
performance.
1971, The Concert
For Bangladesh
organised by George
Harrison to aid
victims of famine
and war in
Bangladesh took
place at New York's
Madison Square
Garden. Featuring Bob
Dylan, Ringo
Starr, Billy
Preston, Eric
Clapton, Ravi
Shankar and
members from Badfinger.
Harrison had to
shell out his own
money to maintain
the fund after legal
problems froze all
proceeds. The triple
album release (the
second in a row by
Harrison), hit No.1
in the UK and No.2
in the US and
received the Grammy
Award for Album of
the Year.
2000, AC/DC
kicked off their 140
date Stiff Upper
World Lip Tour at
the Van Andel Arena,
Grand Rapids,
Michigan.
Week
commencing
July 23
. . .
1976,
Bruce
Springsteen
sued his manager Mike
Appel for fraud and
breach of trust. The
case dragged on for
over a year, halting
Springsteen's career.
An out of court
settlement was reached
the following year.
2001, Leon Wilkeson
bass player with Lynyrd
Skynyrd
was found dead in a
hotel room in Florida
aged 49. Skynyrd
scored the 1974 US No.
8 single, 'Sweet Home
Alabama' and the 1982
UK No.21 single
'Freebird'. Member of
the Rossington-Collins
Band.
1965, Dressed in Carnaby
Street threads, the ever
changing Bob
Dylan
plugged in for his
headlining set backed by
the Butterfield Blues
Band at The Newport Folk
Festival in Newport,
Rhode Island. Folk music
‘purists’ tried to boo
him off the stage, while
the rest of the audience
gave him an enthusiastic
response. It is usually
said that the reason for
the crowd's hostile
reception was Dylan's
'abandoning' of the folk
orthodoxy, or poor sound
quality on the night (or
a combination of the
two).
1969, The Seattle Pop
Festival took place at
the Gold Creek Park,
Woodinville, Washington.
Acts who appeared over
three days included Chuck
Berry, Tim Buckley,
The Byrds, Chicago
Transit Authority,
Albert Collins, Bo
Diddley, The Doors,
The Flock, The
Flying Burrito
Brothers, Guess Who,
It's A Beautiful
Day, Led Zeppelin,
Santana, Spirit, Ten
Years After, Ike
& Tina Turner,
Vanilla Fudge, Alice
Cooper
and The
Youngbloods.
1980, AC/DC
released their sixth
internationally released
studio album Back In
Black, the first AC/DC
album recorded without
former lead singer Bon
Scott who
died on 19 February 1980
at the age of 33. The
album has sold an
estimated 49 million
copies worldwide to
date, making it the
second highest-selling
album of all time, and
the best-selling hard
rock or heavy metal
album.
2003, Erik Braunn from
American psychedelic
rock band
Iron Butterfly
died of cardiac failure
at the age of 52. Braunn
was just 16 years old
when he joined Iron
Butterfly who had the
1968 US No.14 single
'In-A- Gadda-Da-Vida’.
Suspicion also surrounds
the bass player who was
reported to be working
on instant communication
and whose car was found
at the base of a cliff -
officially it was
'suicide'.
1977, Led
Zeppelin
drummer John
Bonham was
charged with assault after
a concert at the Oakland
Coliseum in California.
Bonham and band manager
Peter Grant had the help
of their bodyguard in
roughing up a security
employee at the venue.
After pleading guilty to
misdemeanors, the accused
settle out of court for
two million dollars. The
tour would eventually be
cancelled after Robert
Plant's son died a few
days later.
1979, Keyboard player with
The
Grateful Dead
Keith Godchaux died after
being involved in a car
accident aged 32. He
co-wrote songs with Lowell
George (of Little
Feat) and
was a member of The
New Riders of the
Purple Sage.
1994, The International
Astronomical Union named
an asteroid orbiting
between Mars and Jupiter
after Frank
Zappa who
had died the previous
December.
1995, Two R.E.M.
fans died at
Dublin's Slane Castle gig,
one drowned in the River
Boyne and the other was
allegedly pushed from a
bridge.
1996, Rob Collins,
keyboard player with The
Charlatans
died in a car crash, aged
29. Collins had been
recording keyboard parts
for the Charlatans 5th
album ‘Tellin' Stories’ at
a studio in Wales. An
investigation into the
accident showed that
Collins had consumed a
sizable amount of alcohol
and was not wearing a
seatbelt. He died from
head injuries on the
roadside shortly after the
accident having been
thrown through the
windscreen.
2009, On the afternoon of
tonight's concert at First
Energy Park, Lakewood, New
Jersey, Bob
Dylan was
picked up by a young
policewoman who had been
alerted of a man who was
'acting suspiciously'. The
police officer drove up to
Dylan, who was wearing a
blue jacket, and asked him
his name, but she did not
recognise him. When he was
unable to produce any
identification, Dylan was
driven to his hotel where
staff were able to vouch
for him. The incident
happened when Dylan
decided to go for a walk
in the afternoon while on
tour with Willie
Nelson who
were due to perform at the
local baseball stadium
with John
Mellencamp.
Week
commencing
July 16
. . .
1967, Pink
Floyd
appeared at The Beach
Ballroom, Aberdeen. The
venue is home to one of
Scotland's finest dance
floors - famous for its
bounce - which floats on
fixed steel springs. During
the 1960s The
Beatles (in
1963), Small
Faces and Cream
all appeared at the Beach.
1973, David
Bowie
released the single 'Life On
Mars', which peaked at No.3
on the chart. The track
which was first released in
1971 on the album Hunky
Dory, features guest piano
work by Yes
keyboardist Rick Wakeman.
The line "Look at those
cavemen go" is a reference
to the song "Alley Oop," a
one-off hit in 1960 for
American doo-wop band The
Hollywood Argyles.
2005, Founder member and
singer with The
Chi-lites,
Eugene Record died of
cancer. Had the 1972 US No.1
single 'Oh Girl' and 1972 UK
No.3 single 'Have You Seen
Her.' He also released three
solo albums.
2015, New research found
that a person's taste in
music may offer insight into
the way in which they think.
A study found empathetic
people preferred more
mellow, low-energy music,
while those who were
"systemisers" - people who
seeked to analyse patterns
in the world enjoyed punk,
heavy metal and more complex
music overall. Researchers
at Cambridge University,
England had recruited 4,000
participants and put them
through a series of
different tests.
1963, Jan
and Dean
started a two week run at No.1
on the US singles chart with
'Surf City', written by The
Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, with
the Beach Boys on backing
vocals. The single peaked at
No.26.
1968, Cream
started a four-week run at
No.1 on the US album chart
with 'Wheels Of Fire'. The
double album which consisted
of a studio and a live record
reached No.3 in the United
Kingdom.
1968, Jane
Asher announced
on the national British TV
show, Dee Time, that her
engagement to Paul
McCartney was
off. Paul reportedly was
watching at a friend's home
and was surprised by the news.
She was said to have inspired
many of McCartney's songs,
such as 'All My Loving', 'And
I Love Her', and 'We Can Work
It Out'. Jane went on to have
a career in films and
television as well as becoming
a successful author and
business woman.
1986, The film based on the
life of Sex Pistols bassist, Sid
Vicious, 'Sid
And Nancy' premiered in
London.
2008, John
Lydon denied
claims by Kele Okereke from
Bloc Party that he was
racially abused and attacked
by a member of the Sex
Pistols'
entourage at a music festival
in Barcelona. Okereke claimed
he had been attacked by
several men after approaching
Lydon backstage at the
Summercase festival. He said
the 'unprovoked' attack left
him with a split lip and
bruises. Lydon said: ‘I
feel very sorry for a man
that needs to lie about what
was a perfect evening.’
015, American country
musician, songwriter and
record producer Wayne
Carson died at
the age of 72 after suffering
congestive heart failure. He
co-wrote 'Always on My Mind'
(a hit for Elvis Presley,
Willie Nelson and others),
'The Letter' (recorded by The
Box Tops, Joe Cocker and Leon
Russell), and 'Soul Deep'.
2017, Linkin
Park lead
singer Chester Bennington died
aged 41. His body was found at
a private home, Bennington
apparently hanged himself. The
singer was said to be close to
Soundgarden
vocalist Chris Cornell, who
took his own life in May of
this year. Formed in 1996,
Linkin Park had sold more than
70 million albums worldwide
and won two Grammy Awards.
1959, Billie
Holiday died in a
New York City hospital from
cirrhosis of the liver after
years of alcohol abuse, aged 43.
(While under arrest for heroin
possession, with Police officers
stationed at the door to her
room.) In the final years of her
life, she had been progressively
swindled out of her earnings,
and she died with $0.70 in the
bank.
1965, King Records released
'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag' by
James
Brown, which went
on to sell over 2 million copies
and receive the Grammy Award for
best Rhythm & Blues
Recording. 'Papa's Got a Brand
New Bag' is considered seminal
in the emergence of funk music
as a distinct style.
1972, A bomb exploded under The
Rolling Stones
equipment van in Montreal,
believed to be the work of
French separatists. Angry fans
rioted throwing bottles and
rocks after 3,000 tickets for
the show turned out to be fake.
1979, Gary
Moore left Thin Lizzy,
during a US tour and was
replaced by ex Slick
& Rich
Kids guitarist Midge Ure.
1996, Chas
Chandler died
aged just 57 at Newcastle
General Hospital, where he was
undergoing tests related to an
aortic aneurysm. He had been the
bass player with The
Animals and
manager of Slade, Nick
Drake and Jimi
Hendrix.
1999, Kevin Wilkinson, drummer
with Howard
Jones hung
himself at home aged 41. He had
also worked with China
Crisis, Holly and the
Italians, Squeeze and
The
Waterboys.
2011, Bruce
Springsteen made
a surprise appearance at a
tribute to Clarence Clemons at
the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park,
N.J. The boss played a 45 minute
set to an intimate crowd of 400.
Clemons, who died on June 18th
of this year, was a prominent
member of Bruce Springsteen's E
Street Band, playing the tenor
saxophone with him since 1971.
Springsteen and Clemons had
first met at the Wonder Bar in
Asbury Park.
1966, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and
Eric Clapton formed Cream
the three piece group only lasted
2 years, leaving behind some
classic recordings including
‘Sunshine of Your Love,’ ‘Badge,’
‘Strange Brew,’ and ‘White Room.’
1967,
Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen,
Judy Collins, Janis Ian, David
Blue, Mike Settle, Tom Paxton
and Eric
Andersen all
appeared at the Newport Folk
Festival in Newport, Rhode Island.
1981, US singer-songwriter Harry Chapin,
who had success in the 70s with
'Taxi’, ‘W-O-L-D’ and a No. 1
‘Cat’s In The Cradle’, was killed
aged 38 suffering a cardiac arrest
while driving on a New York
expressway. His car was hit from
behind by a tractor-trailer,
causing the gas tank to explode.
1993, The first of the three day
Phoenix festival in England
started, featuring Sonic Youth,
Faith No More, The Black
Crowes, Julian Cope, Pop Will
Eat Itself, Radiohead, Living
Colour, Manic Street
Preachers, Pulp,
tickets £49.
2014, Blues guitarist Johnny Winter
died at the age of 70 in Zurich,
just days after playing at the
Lovely Days Festival in Austria.
Winter, who was instantly
recognisable by his long white
hair, worked with some of the
greatest bluesmen, producing
several albums for his childhood
hero Muddy
Waters - with whom
he won a number of Grammys.
Week
commencing
July 9 . . .
1958,
The
Quarrymen, featuring
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George
Harrison, John "Duff" Lowe on piano
and Colin Hanton on drums, recorded
a vanity disc at a small studio in
an electronics shop owned by a man
named Percy Phillips. The band
recorded 'That'll Be The Day' and
'In Spite Of Danger' in one take
each. With the names of the tunes
and the song's writers hand written
on the label, each band member was
to keep the 10-inch 78 rpm disc for
a week before passing it on. Both
recordings eventually ended up on
Anthology 1.
1973, A drunk driver killed Clarence
White of The
Byrds while he was
loading equipment after a gig in
Palmdale, California. White joined
The Byrds in 1968, after the group
had recorded 'Mr. Tambourine Man,'
'Turn! Turn! Turn!' and 'Eight Miles
High'.
1973, During a concert at the John
Wayne Theatre in Hollywood,
California,
Phil Everly smashed
his guitar and stormed of stage, Don
finished the set by himself and
announced that The Everly
Brothers had split.
This was the last that the duo
performed together for nearly ten
years.
1982, The movie premier for Pink Floyd's
The Wall was held at The Empire,
Leicester Square, London. The film
which centres around a confined
rocker named Floyd "Pink" Pinkerton
earned $22 million in its first year
and won two British Academy Awards.
2006,
Primal Scream singer
Bobby Gillespie had his nose broken
when he was attacked in a hotel bar
in Madrid in Spain. The singer had
to postpone a Top Of The Pops
recording due to the injuries.
2015, Arthur Cave, the 15-year-old
son of musician
Nick Cave, died after
a fall from a cliff in Brighton,
Sussex
1963, The
Rolling Stones played
their first ever gig outside London
when they appeared at The Alcove Club,
Middlesbrough, Cleveland, supporting
The Hollies.
1964, The
Animals went to No.1 on
the UK singles chart with 'The House
Of The Rising Sun.' Recorded in one
take, this was the first UK No.1 to
have a playing time of more than four
minutes.
1968, Black
Sabbath played their
first gig at a small backstreet Blues
club in Birmingham.
1969, Over 100 US radio stations
banned The
Beatles new single 'The
Balled Of John and Yoko' due to the
line 'Christ, you know it ain't easy',
calling it offensive.
1970, Three
Dog Night started a
two-week run at No.1 in the US with
their version of the Randy Newman song
'Mama Told Me Not To Come', which was
also a No.3 hit in the UK. The song was
first covered by Eric
Burdon on his first solo
album in 1966 and gave Tom Jones &
Stereophonics a No.4 hit on the UK
Singles Chart in 2000.
1977, Tonight saw the opening night of a
new punk venue, The Vortex Club, on
Wardour Street, London with Siouxise, Adam And
The Ants, The Slits and Sham 69.
1996, Jonathan Melvoin keyboard player
with the Smashing
Pumpkins died from a drug
overdose in New York City aged 34.
Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy
Chamberlin who was with Melvoin tried
but failed to revive him after
Chamberlin was allegedly advised by 911
operators to put Melvoin's head in the
shower. Several songs were inspired by his death,
including Sarah McLachlan's hit single 'Angel.' He was the
brother of Susannah and Wendy Melvoin of Prince and the
Revolution. Melvoin had also been a member of The Dickies.
2002, The funeral of The Who's
bass player John Entwistle took place at a church in The
Cotswolds. More than 200 mourners filed into the 12th
century church of St Edward in Stow-on-the-wold.
2014, Producer and drummer Tommy Ramone
(Thomas Erdelyi), from the influential
punk rock band the Ramones, died aged 65
following unsuccessful treatment for
bile duct cancer. He was the last
surviving original member of the Ramones
before his death. Erdelyi was also an
assistant engineer for the production of
the Jimi
Hendrix album Band of
Gypsys.
Week
commencing
July 2 . . .
1980,
Led Zeppelin
played their last-ever concert with
drummer John Bonham when they appeared
at Eissporthalle, West Berlin at the end
of a European tour. The set included:
'Black Dog', 'The Rain Song', 'Hot Dog',
'All My Love', 'Trampled Under Foot',
'Since I’ve Been Loving You', 'Kashmir',
'Stairway To Heaven' and 'Rock And
Roll'. They finished the show with a
17-minute version of 'Whole Lotta Love'.
2003, Darkness
released their debut studio album
Permission To Land which topped the UK
chart for four weeks. Five singles were
released from the album including ‘I
Believe in a Thing Called Love’, the
most successful, reaching No.2 on the UK
Singles Chart. The band won three BRIT
Awards in 2004 in response to the album,
Best Group, Best Rock Group and Best
Album. They also won two Kerrang! awards
in 2004 for Best Live Act and Best
British Band.
2005, Members of The
Hollies asked High Court
judge to jail one of their founder
members claiming bass player Eric
Haydock had flouted a court order made
in 1998 not to play under their name.
Haydock formed the group in Manchester,
England in the early 1960’s with Allan
Clarke and Graham Nash (who left in
1966). Haydock was working in a group
calling itself
Eric Haydock's Hollies.
2006, Syd
Barrett died from
complications arising from diabetes aged
60. The singer, songwriter, guitarist
was one of the founding members of Pink
Floyd, active as a rock musician
for only about seven years before he
went into seclusion. He joined Pink
Floyd in 1965 but left three years later
after one album. Barrett released two
solo albums before going into
self-imposed seclusion lasting more than
thirty years, with his mental
deterioration blamed on drugs.
1964, The
Beatles film A Hard Day's
Night premiered at The Pavilion in London.
Filmed during the height of Beatlemania,
and written by Alun Owen, the film was
made in the style of a mockumentary,
describing a couple of days in the lives
of the group.
1967, Pink Floyd
made their first appearance on Top Of The
Pops to promote their new single 'See
Emily Play'. A badly damaged home video
recording recovered by the British Film
Institute of this show was given a public
screening in London on 9th January 2010 at
an event called "Missing Believed Wiped"
devoted to recovered TV shows. It was the
first time any footage was seen of the
performance since its original broadcast.
1968,
Woburn Music Festival, Woburn Abbey, took
place. A two-day affair featuring Donovan, Fleetwood
Mac, Pentangle, The Jimi Hendrix
Experience, Alexis Korner, Family, Taste,
Tim Rose, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers,
Duster Bennett and Tyrannosaurus Rex,
two-day tickets were priced at £2.
1973, Queen released
their debut single 'Keep Yourself Alive'.
The track didn't make the charts.
2003, Skip Battin bassist and songwriter
with The Byrds
died of complications from Alzheimer's
disease (1965 US & UK No.1 single 'Mr
Tambourine Man'). Also played with New Riders Of The
Purple Sage and The Flying Burrito
Brothers.
1958, The Everly
Brothers held the UK No.1
position with 'All I Have To Do Is Dream.'
The Duo's first No.1 single was recorded in
just two takes and features Chet Atkins on
guitar. The song was written by the husband
and wife songwriting team Felice and
Boudleaux Bryant.
1969, Janis Joplin,
Led Zeppelin, Johnny Winter, Delaney and
Bonnie, Creedence Clearwater Revival,
Canned Heat, Joe Cocker, Blood Sweat
& Tears, Chuck Berry, Spirit,
Chicago and Paul Butterfield
all appeared at the two-day Atlanta Pop
Festival, Byron, Georgia.
1973, Slade
drummer Don Powell was badly injured in a
car crash in which his girlfriend was
killed.
1974, Despite the fact that they have the
No.4 song in the US with 'Rikki Don't Lose
That Number' and a current Platinum album
with Pretzel Logic, Steely
Dan's Walter Becker and
Donald Fagan play their final gig together
in Santa Monica, California. They would not
tour again for the next eighteen years.
1976, The Clash
made their live debut supporting the Sex Pistols
at the Black Swan, Sheffield.
1990, Paul Stanley from KISS
sustained neck and back injuries when he was
involved in a car crash in New Jersey.
2012, Bonhams of London
announced that Freddie
Mercury's black and
white harlequin stage costume had sold for
£22,500 at their Entertainment Memorabilia
sale. The harlequin costume was one of
Freddie’s most recognisable stage designs,
which he wore at a number of high-profile
concerts in the 1970s. Also a pair of
Freddie’s ballet pumps exceeded the pre-sale
estimate of £1,500 - 2,000, selling for
£4,000 to an overseas internet bidder.
Freddie had worn the white leather ballet
shoes during Queen's legendary Hyde Park
performance in 1976.
1967, A private party was held at the
Speakeasy Club in London, for The Monkees.
Guests included: John Lennon, George Harrison,
Paul McCartney, Dusty Springfield, Eric
Clapton, Lulu and all the members from Manfred
Mann, The Who and Procol Harum.
1969, Brian Jones drowned while under the
influence of drugs and alcohol after taking a
midnight swim in his pool, aged 27. His body
was found at the bottom of the pool by his
Swedish girlfriend Anna Wohlin. The coroner's
report stated "Death by misadventure", and
noted his liver and heart were heavily
enlarged by drug and alcohol abuse. Jones was
one of the founding members of The Rolling Stones
and in the early 60s used the name "Elmo
Lewis."
1971, American singer, songwriter and poet,
Jim Morrison of The
Doors was found dead in a
bathtub in Paris, France, the cause of death
was given as a heart attack. He co-wrote some
of the group's biggest hits, including ‘Light
My Fire’, ‘Love Me Two Times’, and ‘Love Her
Madly.’ On the 25th anniversary of his death
an estimated 15,000 fans gathered at Pere
Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France to pay
their respects.
1975,
Lead singer from Three
Dog Night, Chuck Negron,
was arrested at his Louisville hotel room on
the opening night of the bands tour and
charged with possession of cocaine.
1982, After a record breaking jump from No.33
on the UK singles charts,
The Damned's guitarist Captain
Sensible started a two week run at No.1 with
his version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein
song 'Happy Talk' from the 1949 musical South
Pacific.
2012, KISS
announced that they were set to release a
guitar size book containing unseen photographs
from their 40-year career. The limited edition
called Monster would have a $4,299 price tag
and at 3 feet tall, 2.5 feet wide, was
reported to be the largest music book ever
published.
1969, Thunderclap
Newman started a three week run
at No.1 on the singles chart with the Pete
Townshend produced track 'Something In The Air.'
Featured on the soundtrack for the movie, 'The
Magic Christian'. The single featured guitarist
Jimmy McCulloch who went on to work with Wings.
1969, Bassist Noel
Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell
quit The Jimi Hendrix
Experience after completing the
three-day Denver Pop Festival. Hendrix and
drummer Mitch Mitchell would later team with
bassist Billy Cox to form the short-lived Gypsy Sun and Rainbows,
who played at the Woodstock Festival.
1971, Queen
appeared at Surrey College. This was the group's
first gig with the line-up of Freddie Mercury,
Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon.
1980, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart from The Grateful Dead
were arrested on suspicion of starting a riot at
the San Diego Sports Arena after they tried to
interfere in a drugs bust.
1982, Nicky Headon of The
Clash was remanded on bail,
charged with stealing a bus stop worth £30 from
London's' Fulham Road.
1991, Axl Rose caused a riot to break out during
a Guns N' Roses
gig after leaping into the crowd to remove a
camera from a fan at the Riverpoint
Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights. Over 50 people
were injured and 15 fans were arrested.
2008, The gravestone of former Joy Division
frontman Ian Curtis was stolen. Cheshire Police
said his memorial stone was taken from where he
is buried in Macclesfield Cemetery. Officers
were appealing for anyone with information on
its whereabouts, detectives said the stone, had
the inscription ‘Ian Curtis 18 - 5 - 80’ and the
words ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’.
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