MUSIC MY WAY
The First Period of Gig-Going
Live in Leicester
So the first section of this article was aimed to explore how my musical tastes spread so wide, with an aim to leading on to my passion for live music, which has been a passion since September 1969. To this day… albeit with a break for personal reasons… so this chapter will relate to the first period of gig-going in Leicester, which started after failing to hear Dylan at the Isle of Wight.
I did keep a diary of all the gigs I went to… sadly that is no longer available, but I would give worlds to be able to reconstruct a full list of bands and artists I saw in this period it would be a long list indeed… and by going through my record collection and researching festival bills I have been able to remember around 450 of them… a small fraction of the total… and this is not meant to cover all, not even most of the gigs I saw… not even all of the major artists… but the gigs that loom large in my memory, whether for good or ill reasons… and some of the emotions around them which informed the development of my musical taste to where it is now…
This is not meant to be chronological… or in any way logical… but just a set of memories and emotions and hopefully shedding some light on my apparently schizophrenic musical tastes!!… This section will concentrate on gigs in and around Leicester….I will however start at the beginning…
As a rider... all of the images in this section are taken from the internet. None are my photographs and I would gladly credit the various photographers if I knew who they were.
JETHRO TULL
So once home form the holiday where I didn’t hear Dylan I high tailed it to the De Montfort Hall Booking Office to buy up a raft of tickets… and the first gig I was to go to was on 23rd October 1969, at De Montfort Hall… where to be honest all of my earliest gigs were…
I arrived in good time for the gig and if memory serves me right had a coke before taking my seat… I was still fairly insecure and shy, and was a tad taken aback by getting into conversation with the guy next to me.. .this was my first proper gig as an adult and I didn’t know what to expect… so was feeling not only shy but a tad nervous about things… would I be expected to dance or anything?… I desperately hoped not…
So, first on stage was TERRY REID fronting a three piece band… I knew just one of his records at this stage so hadn’t much of an idea what to expect… and I remember nothing at all about his set. This was my first band and had no idea what was good, bad or indifferent in terms of live shows… I remember nothing of them, so I guess it wasn’t that inspiring!!
I was to see Terry Reid some 55 years later in a small club… he was now more a story teller throwing in a few songs… entertaining but I think a bit curmudgeonly off stage
After Terry on came the SAVOY BROWN BLUES BAND… I knew nothing of them other than seeing the name in the Melody Maker… but in a forlorn attempt not to look like a gig virgin claimed to have seen them elsewhere… again, all I remember was the singer wearing a large top hat…
I had enjoyed the first two bands though couldn’t have said if they were any good! They certainly haven’t had a lasting impression…
Finally.. .headliners time… I knew quite a bit of JETHRO TULL’s music from John Peel and having at least one album… and they really created a lasting impression… I am pretty sure that the line-up at the time was Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, Glenn Cornick and Clive Bunker… not quite the original line up from the first album as Mick Abrahjams had baled out to be replaced my Martin Barre.
The band went through their paces, doing most of the familiar material and I was by now fully relaxed into the concert spirit… and thoroughly enjoying it…
The band were quite static while Anderson… with unruly long hair flowing, tattered dressing gown/coat swirling and the now familiar stance on one leg while playing the flute, was a riveting front man… as far as I can tell the sound was top class, as all the instruments were clear and Anderson’s voice strong and clear over the top of it.
I went to the gig unsure about things, a tad nervous, but left having thoroughly enjoyed the experience and having progressed from liking what i’d heard of Tull to being a devout fan…
I was now a devout fan of live music… and looking forward to the next gig
AsI said earlier, my first batch of gigs were all formal affairs at De Montfort Hall.. but as my lust for live music, and different music, grew and grew, I was soon venturing out to different venues, One of the first other venues I frequented was the Queens Hall at Leicester University, and it was not long before I got to see what was reckoned to be one of the best, and loudest live bands on the planet… So, on Saturday 18th April 1970 it was with an air of excitement that I set off for the University to see The Who. My internet research shows the gig as on Sunday 19th, with in brackets, possibly it was on the 18th!. It was beyond doubt on the Saturday… because I remember the events of the weekend vividly.
On arrival I wandered to the bar and and got a drink.. I suspect it was whatever bitter was on tap, and hung around while I drank some of it before going up to the concert hall. I there I spotted a friend and went to sit with him… we chatted a bit but there was an excitement in the air… there were two temporary rickety wooden towers, one each side of the Hall topped with lighting equipment… temporary cables strung from there along the walls to the stage and more kit on stage than I’d ever seen before… and I was now a seasoned gig goer!!…
My first disappointment of the night was learning that Viv Stanshall had played a support set, actually earlier than the advertised start time… not to worry… the Who were about to come on…the buzz in the hall was palpable, the whole audience sitting cross legged on the floor.. .cramped as hell because there were actually too many people in there… and thoughts turned briefly to “what if… “ but of course “what if’s” doing happen so the excitement was mingled with nervous tension… the Who in the last couple of years had been the darlings of Monterey and Woodstock… and they were about to take the stage here in this small, hot, sweaty, small hall.. .seemed unbelievable…
At the appointed hour the band bounced onto he stage and the mighty roar from the crowd as they came on was soon drowned by the thunderous opening of “Young man Blues”… however much the music drove you to moving, there was no chance… we were packed in too tightly to move!!
The set followed the usual pattern… “Young Man Blues”, “Subsitute” “Shakin’ All Over” and “Summertime Blues”.. the band then paused for breath as Pete spoke briefly about “Tommy”… they were going to play the whole piece in one without pauses.. that was what we were there for and as the sweat poured and cramp grew.. there was a glow of joy.. the opening had been ear splitting, the power hardly describable.. you have to experience that to fully understand it… and that 15 or 20 minutes had such a mighty impact on me, and I think everyone, and cemented for me a passion for “serious rock music”
As Tommy started you could see the band were on song… the audience fully committed to the show and it was just awesome… I cant recall how far into “Tommy” we had got, I think it was fairly early on, went the rear doors opened and a bunch of maybe 50 maybe more, maybe less, Hells Angels walked in, just walked over the seated audience and started dancing… Daltrey calmly announce “a bunch of old fashioned rockers have come in” and they howled back “We’re the fuckin’ Angels” people were getting kicked in the face as their dancing grew wilder… then some scaled the lighting towers to dance up there… The band looked worried… very worried… stopped playing and begged the Angels to settle down and enjoy the music… they demanded the band quit playing this hippy rubbish and play rock’n’roll… so they reprised “Shaken all Over” and “Summertime Blues” then said they were going back to “Tommy”…
By now the Angels on the lighting towers had thrown the lighting gear down onto the audience… the injured couldn’t get out and the joyful excitement of earlier had turned to fear… but we hung grimly on hoping the band would continue… which against enormous odds, they did… for a while… until the band felt it unsafe to continue, for themselves and their audience… looks were exchanged and Daltrey walked off into the wings… Entwistle was calmly unplugging his bass putting it in the case and generally packing his kit up… Moon, irrepressible as ever kept drummimg… tossing his sticks up in the air, catching them and tossing them, hard, at the angels who were by now going berserk.. .volleys of bottles and glasses were being thrown at the people in the balcony.. .anyone close to an Angel was probably being beaten.. when we saw an Angel mount the stage and run at Pete, with something glinting in his hand.. .not sure what but suggestions were a knife or bottle… Pete had already been hit and was bleeding from a head wound.. he looked furious.. and simply swung his guitar round his head and brought it down string side down across the Angels face…
That was the last moment I saw in the Hall as I was making my way out.. .shaking… scared and horrified… but unhurt… untouched other than by the glorious power off that first part of the set which I treasure to this day…
As I got into the foyer the Police were going in in numbers, with their dogs… I dont know what happened in the hall then.. but outside was a war zone… people sitting looking dazed.. many bleeding… many seemingly with broken noses, one young girl with a lump of glass in here cheek being consoled by a sobbing boyfriend..
I’d seen some kind of hell unleashed on a concert gig.. it was genuinely frightening… I walked dazedly back towards town and had two brandies in the Marquis Wellington before going for my bus home… Did this carnage put me off live music, rock music… did it hell.. I’d felt the power and glory of a master rock band in full flight and it was intoxicating… however often I’ve seen the Who since, that first four numbers that night is a beacon of how wonderful, how powerful, how uplifting music can be…
As for the venue itself, it was a new experience to be in a small packed room, sitting on the floor packed in like sardines…with the buzz of excitement in the air and and a band about to come on and play… the feeling of anticipation and excitement is totally different to sitting in formal rows in a concert hall… it was a great feeling which I sought to experience again and again.
WISHBONE ASH
So having now fully embraced the live rock’n’roll scene in concert halls and colleges, and the folk scene in the many folk clubs around the city, it was inevitable I would have embraced the joys of the club/pub circuit… in particular the glories of the Friday night hippie/undergrounmd/prgressive/otherwordly nights of the Il Rondo ballroom… I cant remember when I first went… but early 1970… and no-0one is clear how and when it closed… there are so many theories of when and who was the last band, but the more you research the more these theories are discredited… anyway, my first gig at the Rondo was I am sure a voyage of discovery… no idea what to expect inside… no idea who the bands playing were (I love that)but inside it was a warm friendly place, welcoming… seductive… once in, you became a regular hanging out with there same bunch…
I know I missed the greatest days of the place, in the mid-60’s the Il Rondo hosted, among others, the Stones, The Who, Taste, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall, Cream among others, but when I was going most of the bands were well worth the visit, and one or two outstanding…
The earliest of these outstanding bands was Wishbone Ash, touting their forthcoming debut album..which dates the gig to the back-end of 1970… I had seen them early in the year supporting Deep Purple but the fact I had totally forgotten that by the Il Rondo gig suggests they didn’t make a lot of impression… but that was then…
This Friday the band… Martin Turner, Ted Turner, Andy Powell and Steve Upton… were high on the new album and out to impress… and they did that in style… utilising twin lead guitars, normally the trademark of Southern Rock, the band tore through the material on the album… indeed extended versions of some of the pieces, and they rocked like mad… this club tour and the quality of the album propelled the band to national fame, and henceforth they were a headline concert band. Much as I enjoyed, indeed raved about the album, it was polished and did not in any way match the rawness of the live show… indeed I dont think I’ve ever seen a rock band deliver an album that matched the live performance. In a live setting there are echoes and sounds through the room that can shake your bones… and they cant be replicated on a recording, perhaps this is why I would alway take a live gig ahead of a recording any day.
Next time the band were in town I was there to see them headlining at De Montfort Hal… they were recording the gig for a dreaded live album.. (I’ll consider them more fully later.)… in fact only one song actually appeared on an album, and it was pretty average fare… in fact the whole gig was pretty average… they had become slicker, more polished… and that along with being on a much bigger stage and being much further, physically, apart they had lost the raw energy and attack that was so outstanding at the Il Rondo… success and polishing does not necessarily improve a band… I saw them several times after this gig and they never recaptured the spark and fire… and indeed quality… of that Il Rondo gig.. a definite voice for the club circuit.. .hungry bands working their butts off… it is fair to say however, not every band playing the club was great then,(or now!), or even has potential.. but a good many had!!
THE NICE
So, I have looked at the four main venue types available to the live music buffs in Leicester, and given some hints about the kind of impact that had the different venues had… as my gig going grew I was buying more and more albums but had already realised that I’d rather see an average live gig than here a perfect album… regardless of genre…and back in the late 60’s/70’s music, in the contemporary popular field was evolving quickly but you could still see clear demarcations between genres…folk and country music were always around, but in the pop fields we had ‘\pop” music, rock, progressive and psychedelic… which was a fairly limited genre… so lets now have a look of some of the gigs that left a lasting impression on my me whilst growing up loving live music…
So… I had a ticket and I was thrilled to be going to see something very different in the progressive field… and band now without a guitar player since Davey O’List jumped ship… featuring keyboards, bass and drums… a fairly unique line up… and a band playing classical music and singer/songwriter pieces in a powerful rock styling… the NICE were in town…
On entering the hall the atmosphere was charged… there was anticipation and excitement a-plenty and a packed crowd sitting in neat formal rows… a totally unsuitable setting for this type of music… but none the less it was what we were used to… and didn’t seem alien at the time… and strangely the Hall’s big organ high above the stage was clearly seen not shrouded in back stage curtains
A band on the face of it being Keith Emerson, keyboard player and showman supreme with a drummer and bass player… the latter handling the limited vocals through he show… yes… Keith proved his mettle as a performer /showman but Blinky and Lee were critical the this band… supreme musicians in their own right who played their hearts out with energy and style matching Keith’s.
The band were absolutely supreme that night… playing a mix of light classical music, songs by the like of Dylan and Tim Hardin as well as some of their own quirky original pieces and during the show it came clear why the organ was not covered over as Emerson ran up the steps to play the organ… and cracked into the familiar strains of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue before the band kicked in and Keith returned to his Hammond to continue…
As the show built and built Emerson’s theatricals began to take on a more central role rocking the keyboards back and forth, stabbing them with long knives and producing wild exotic howls and fractured melodies as Blink and Lee played on as though their lives depended on it…
With the crowd reaching fever pitch the band finally finished their set and were cheered to the echo… the only decision left would be whether to play “America” or “Rondo” for the encore… most of the audience called for both… but time did not permit and the band powered into “Rondo”
I knew many of the pieces played from hearing them played on the radio and albums and loved them.. .but the power and majesty of hearing them played in extended form at concert volume lifted them to another level… a spiritual level way above anything that comes over on vinyl… clearly demonstrating the superiority of the live performance to hearing it on record…
This gig had so much to offer… superb music… superb showmanship…great excitement… a total vindication of the quality of live music… and left me with a buzz… a feeling and a joy that lasted for ages, and I treasure my memories of that night to this day, and the albums are among my most played still…
RICK WAKEMAN
Dont run away with the impression that every gig was as exciting and glorious as those already discussed… so were memorable for other, less flattering reasons…
I had seen Rick Wakeman a fair few times both with the Strawbs at the IlRondo and with yes at De Montfort Hall and there is no denying his brilliance as a keyboard player… though I enjoy Emerson’s work more, Rick is a far more versatile, subtle and talented musician… but talent and ability doesn’t always tell the whole story on the concert platform.
Knowing Rick’s undoubted ability and ambition to deliver quality product I was optimistic for something very special… after all he was touring with a stellar band and one of his “concept\” shows. The hall was buzzing as we took our seats and there was pregnant pause as the hall lights went down… before the spotlights pick out Rick at his bank of keyboards.. and the crowd roared their approval..
As the music started the audience settled back to be impressed… at a rock concert you should be settling in to be thrilled… excited… to be impressed somehow feels clinical… and that sums up the evening…
The band played technically well but with no sense of excitement or joy… more these are the notes on the score, I’ll just play them… and Wakeman himself.. technically gifted but he looked totally disinterested.. even bored.. perhaps the tour was too long, I don’t know, but the overall feel of the band was flat, disinterested and mechanical… and the disinterest on stage affected me, and many others, which I why I wan’t on my own leaving by the interval.
Having heard a fair bit of Wakemans’ music on record I feel it it displays the same polish and total lack of spark or excitement as the live version
Technically excellent music played technically well… but so soul-less, so lacking excitement and commitment that it came over as nothing but over blown pretentious self indulgent crap… the classic case of however technically good it is, without a fire in the belly and sense of commitment and joy it is only a partial performance… wholly unsatisfying to me, and I suspect to the band, and this performance was instrumental in my total loss of interest in this so-called “progressive” genre of music.
COUNTRY JOE McDONALD
Some gigs you look forward to for ages and ages…. and the the expectations build and the show can fall flat on its face because it could never reach those heights. Others you just don’t have time to build up like that, and sometimes you feel you are being rooked and the show is nothing like you were told…
This gig was in early 1971 I think and of the latter sort…one evening I was wandering through town when I bumped into a good mate, Jock, the madcap dodgy geezer, part time DJ, part time promoter that I’d got to know hanging out in the record shop…the one run by Terry, and perhaps the hippest shop in town…
Anyway, after the usual greetings Jock asked if I was going to the University for the gig the next day… I said I didn’t know there was anything on!!.Jock made a kinda Scottish “Wheesht” sound and told me they had Country Joe McDonald on the next day.
Now, I knew Jock well enough… didnt believe a word of it… assumed he was touting tickets for an unknown mate of his… after all, it wouldn’t be the first time… so I put it out of my head for the time being. As the next evening drew close I thought I’d go along and support him anyway… so duly rocked up at the University in good time for the apparent 8.00 pm start… My first surprise was the price of admission… 25pence!!… so obviously this was a Jock scam… again…
I got a beer and wandered into the Queens Hall where a few people were sitting spread out and went and sat with Jock and a couple of others… we passed a hugely enjoyable hour with a couple of beers and a nice dodgy smoke, so I was feeling quite relaxed when a figure with a guitar wandered on stage… I believe he was called Raymond Tissier, or something like that… and in my mind that confirmed that this was a Jock scam. To say this guy was not outstanding would be an understatement… he played blues and to be honest was not too good… still for 25p, a natter with Jock and the guys and a nice smoke I felt the evening well spent.
I had noticed that the stage curtains were drawn leaving just a quite narrow apron at the front… unusual at the University… anyway as this hapless blues player walked off to a Luke warm reception on walked another guy. Placed the mic centre stage and announced give us 10 minutes and we’ll be back with Country Joe… surely not I thought… but after a few minutes onto the stage walked Country Joe MacDonald… toting an acoustic guitar.. He raised a hand.. .shouted “gimme an F”… Which the 50 or so of us did with glee… he said “Thank you” and kicked into “Entertainment is my business”… and for the next 75 minutes Joe treated us to a selection of classic Fish and Joe solo songs, including the wonderful “Who am I” and a fair chunk of Robert W Service, via songs from his “War War War” album… he ended with the glorious instrumental, “Colours for Susan” and as he finished said “Give us 15 minutes and we’ll play you some electric music”
So then around 11.30 the curtains opened to show a full band set up and they came on… with no preamble Joe did the “Fuck” cheer to the audiences delight…and “Fixin to Die Rag” The band was not the Fish, they had long ago finished, but a new band he referred to as the Magic Band… there were barely 50 of us there to witness this show… the air was rich with grass smoke and the music a heady mixture of rock and psychedelics which rocked wonderfully and toyed with the braincells… I believe they played most of the first few albums plus other stuff… and finally quit the stage at around 3.00 am…
I was lucky enough to see Country Joe another 3 times after this, but nothing could ever match this absolutely scintillating thrilling magnificent performance.. it was an evening I treasure to this day… and you will never feel like on that night listening to the records… this was alive live music… sure there were some mistakes along the way… but feel of the music… unforgettable… something that could never be recorded… a special night that came virtually out of the blue.
EMMYLOU HARRIS
Emmylou Harris had developed a cult following working with Gram Parsons, and after his death set out as a solo artist with her own band behind her… as I recall she had released the one album when she came to England with the band… all I knew was the superb song “Boulder to Birmingham”, which I loved, and there was a new album, “Elite Hotel” being promoted on the tour, which was scheduled to play De Montfort Hall
This was a country artist and at this time female country singers were not the highest on my priority list, but Emmylou had developed quite a reputation so of course I wanted to go to check it out.
I confess I was not champing at the bit to go to this gig, but met friends at the Hall and as we settled into he seats there was a warm ambience in the room, a feeling grew in me that I had been missing out a bit and the whole audience was impatient to see and hear Emmylou…
Country music comes in many forms, from the old timey Maddox Brothers, thorough the rock’n’roll stylings of Johnny Cash to the bland pop tripe put out by the likes of Taylor Swift and Shania Twain… but Emmylou and the Hot Band offered something totally different… a new departure… genuine old time country music, fused with rock’n’roll sensibilities and a sprinkling of pure magic… unique…
When she hit the stage with the Hot Band I was sucked up in the excitement of the crowd, and as the band swung into their show you couldn’t miss the brilliance of the band… after all the band were all legendary musicians in the country/rock’n’roll fields, including James Burton, Emory Gordy, Glenn D Hardin, Rodney Crowell, Hank de Vito and John Ware… cv’s including playing with both Gram and Elvis Presley… the band rocked like crazy in a pure country rock way throughout, blistering playing and totally joyful… but when Emmylou sang… there was electricity in the air, the hairs on your neck stood up as your jaws dropped… what a voice!!… stunning…strong and joyful in the uptempo numbers and sweet and soothing in the ballads…
I wasn’t prepared for what we saw and heard that night… the performance was totally life affirming… joyful, beautiful soothing… a total joy. A real affirmation of the joys of quality country music and no-one left the room that night without a deep rooted joy and a warm glow in the heart and mind…
Emmylou seemed to arrive from nowhere, and with the presence of a truly awesome Hot Band totally conquered… you just can’t get a buzz like that from a record, however superb “Elite Hotel” is… the emotions and joy in the room that night were a class above… and so started a love for Emmylou and a resurgence of interest in americana/country music
I had heard this band several times on John Peel and always loved them… quirky as they were… so when they were booked into the Il Rondo there was no way I was going g to miss this one… and in the event the band delivered a fine set and an experience you will never get on record… a live gig is more than music… it is a total experience, and if it is good it affects you in many positive ways… not often this way though, but it is something I won’t forget!!
On entering the hall wondering just what to expect I saw the bands instruments and kits on the dance floor in front of the stage, and the stage bare… different!! When the band appeared, they took up their positions on the dance floor and a further group of people appeared on the stage… assorted dancers, mime artists and who knows what…
There must have been a good 15 people in solved in playing the show, and the music excellent… more or less as aI had expected from listening to Peel, but the dancers, mimes and the rest were absolutely riveting… throughout this rag bag of hippies, weirdos, and barmpots were generating an air of relaxed joie de vivre that warmed the heart… I really dont recall anything of the music, other than it was hugely enjoyable in such a wonderful ward atmosphere… was there a deal of grass smoke in the air? I suspect yes but cant be sure… certainly had that sort of vibe!!…
Towards the end of the set several of the immense and musicians had picked up hand drums, tambourines or whatever and announced their last number as being a march… and march they did, the whole lot of them…to their percussion…
The Il Rondo is not big enough for such a thing, especially as the band wanted the audience to march with them… so they asked if there was anywhere nearby we could al go to do this piece justice… some 100 yards from the Il Rondo is Leicester’s Clock Tower.. at that time isolated as the centre of a major traffic roundabout liking the main east/west and north/south routes through town… so the band, dancing, singing, playing percussion played their love march along Silver Street to the Clock Tower with the audience dancing and singing along with them… the forming a circle dancing happily round the tower…
It was at this point that things took a down turn as blue lights and voices of censure and authority clamped down and railroaded everyone back to the Il Rondo… the band were taken inside where I understand they were given a hard time and charged with causing a breach of the peace… the audience were corralled in a small area opposite.. and given a decidedly forceful lecture before being sent on our way.
This had been a real event.. a great concert with a bonus of dancers and mime artists performing behind the band… great vibes, joy and fun… this is very much the spirit of rock’n’roll… little wonder the audience continued to smile and grin and chat to each other while the law were doing their thing…
Hugely memorable night… great vibes, great fun and a hugely underrated band…
LYNYRD SKYNYRD
Ethically I have recently pondered a conflict in my love of Southern Rock… The American Civil War was fought over several causes, but very much about slavery practiced in the South… now, as a hippy, non-racist/non-violence ethic we should have supported the Union for ending this barbarity… but go to any gig by Skynyrd, The Band, The Allmans, Little Feat and the rest there were countless confederate flags and banners, as well as hats and face paint in the audience… al being cheered!!…
Could be supporting a nation fighting for its way of life… could be a protest against the current American regime (anti-Vietnam War feelings) or simply the love of what to me is a sublime form of music…
However… I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd two or three times at De Montfort Hall… and the gigs tend now to merge… I know one show they had Golden Earring as support… I’d seen them as a one trick pony (Radar love)but was so wrong.. they were a blistering good live band.. much as I knew and loved Skynyrd’s music I wondered if they could top this…
So through the audience the talk about how good Earring were and changed to cant wait to see Skynyrd…
But if memory serves correctly I am about to talk about the next performance by Skynyrd rather than that one…
The house was full… before the show the sweat was already breaking out… it was hotted the atmosphere electric… everyone was on edge as the minutes ticked away to the start… then the lights went down to a huge whoop from the audience…and the band we’re on stage.. These guys come to play some powerhouse rock and roll, no more no less.. and they went straight into the show… the tempo was high from the off and just built and built… the whole audience was moving.. sweating.. stomping while the band played their asses off blowing us away with their virtuosity, power and pure charisma… confederate flags and banners were prominent and before long everyone in the balconies and gallery were on their feet dancing and stomping… you wondered if the balconies would stand up to this treatment!! (They did!)
Eventually when you thought things couldn’t get better… they did as the band cracked into “Southern Man”.. kind mixed feelings because this is a highlight, but we know there is only one more song to follow it… “Southern Man” had taken the atmosphere off the scale and then in a brief pause Ronnie announced “We’re gonna play this as best we can for Duane”… and we were into “Freebird” always a tour de force guitar work out for the three pickers…and tonight was magnificent…
Ronnie walked to the edge of the stage and bent in to talk to someone in the audience… and a young lad may 10 or 12 wearing a confederate hat was housed onto the stage and onto Ronnie’s shoulders and he prowled and danced around the stage with the young lad proudly flying a confederate flag above his head… moment like this raise a fabulous gig up another level…the sort of thing you just don’t imagine
Skynyrd delivered a truly outstanding show that night… Ronnie carrying the lad with the ‘fed flag lifted it to something else… as the band finished and took their leave there was a feeling in the room that we had seen something very special… we had!!
You can’t capture that power and emotion on record!!
Funny thing is .. as often as I saw the band in those heady days, I t was only in the last couple of years I discovered Ronnie always performed barefoot!!
It’s nice when you have been in madly in love with an artist for years, then find you wife loves her work as well!!.. Such is the case with Melanie. So when her name appeared on the listings for De Montfort Hall it was a given we’d be there.. .in fact this gig was the second time I’d seen Melanie that week, but that didn’t diminish my excitement and impatience to get to the gig…
On the night we arrived unfashionably early, which was ironic as Melanie didn’t!
Being a Melanie gig there were flowers and candles in evidence and feeling of love and good vibes filling the room a low hum of conversation rather than the usual din!
At showtime it was announced that Melanie was late… reasons beyond her control.. but would be on stage as soon as possible. Sighs of disappointment but it didnt break the wonderful mood in the room… and knowing what we were about to see I was just feeling very excited and happy…
Eventually the house lights went down and Melanie walked out to an ecstatic reception.. I don’t normally consider how an artist looks other than the overall look of the show… but when Melanie appears, as a male, she takes your breath away… she is absolutely gorgeous, long dark hair flowing down her back and wearing a loose dark red floor length gown… absolutely stunning… my heart took flight to her… she started by apologising for being late and said she would make up for it… and boy did she do that.
She started playing then that voice filled the room… the audience transfixed from the first moment.. and she ran through just about every song we knew… Melanie is an underrated songwriter, you don’t often hear her songs covered, but they range from the twee almost childlike songs, though strongly political pieces and somer rather philosophical pieces, all delivered in a uniquely Melanie way, both t each with as different vocal styling.. the twee songs are delivered with a gentle almost childlike voice, many are sung very tongue in cheek and others with unbelievable power… but all sung with passion and that glorious voice
She can make you laugh, as in “Psychotherapy” where she giggles along with the audience, eyes twinkling.. other songs, of a more personal nature are sung with total empathy and passion, however tender the lyric she will hit huge notes and full force… and songs like “Tuning My Guitar” and ”Close to it All” (which is the same them as Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” but told more succinctly and clearly in a beautiful 3 minute song) can bring you to tears… and in fact did!!
She has some huge songs such as “Shine the Living Light”, “Candles in the Rain” and “Peace will Come”m which are delivered majestically, with unbelievable power and passion… and the voice fills the room… and I suspect the power and volume fills the surrounding area too… but she remains in total control… and until you have sat to watch Melanie and heard Brian Jones’ lines “Goodbye Roo bay toos day” fill your head and heart you haven’t lived…
Music is an emotional thing… it can make you dance, sing, any old thing… but the very best music… be it rock, folk, jazz, classical or whatever will just grab your heart and mind until it is part of you and you are part of it… during a Melanie concert I have laughed… been awestruck… overwhelmed… and reduced to tears 0n the same night… that is the power and beauty of a live performance… Little wonder I love the woman still, even though her light shone less brightly in her later years I have the memories of 4 absolutely wonderful concerts to warm me
As an aside, having seen bands like the Who, Deep Purple, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the like on many occasions… Melanie in full voice with just an acoustic guitar is a s loud as any of them!
Melanie finished late.. very late… she made up for the delay by delivering a marathon set which ran us through every emotion… but more than anything else… she shared love and peace with us… it was beautiful… and that smile… those glittering eyes… I was with my wife this night, but it was Melanie I was in love with!!!
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART
The Captain came to De Montfort Hall with the Magic Band
Who at that time were : Don Van Vliet- Vocals, Harp, along with Bill Harkleroad (Zoot Horn Rollo) - Guitar, Alex (Pyjama)St Clair - Guitar, Mark Boston (Rockette Morton) - Bass/guitar, Roy Estrada (Oregon) - Bass and Art Tripp (Ed Marimba) - Drums
The Captain, and the band, were a mystery, I had thrilled to their weird almost deconstructed music on Peel’s programme and heard interviews with Don Van Vliet and he came over as a fascinating guy…. But beyond that, what they would do live, if indeed they could replicate that glorious cacophony live was not a given… so it was with a feeling of anticipation, excitement and some trepidation that I took my seat on the second row just off centre…
No-one will say the Captain has a great singing voice.. he rasps, croaks and shrieks the lyrics while the band do their stuff behind him… it shouldn’t work but they rock like crazy, Don’s vocals, bluesy, rocky and throaty, suit the material and music perfectly… I can fully appreciate people hating his music… but if it grabs you it is addictive and wonderful… this grabbed me from the off…
There were some of the shorter crisp pieces that were so familiar from Peel, and some long maybe improvised, chaotic, pieces which built and built and rocked like mad… albeit in an at times disjointed manner… but no mistake… I was really hooked on this band… they were different, eccentric, wild… I have since read that the totally deconstruct music and put it back together in almost impossible ways.. the roots are blues and rock, but there is some Jazz in there two… and above all there is the cloaked, top hatted figure go Captain Beefheart prowling the stage growling, roaring and snapping out the lyrics… totally intoxicating.
They played “Electricity” which was the first thing I heard on the radio and loved and live was phenomenal… a bit later they did “Abba Zabba” , almost a nonsense song… I was singing the Abba Zabba refrain with gusto when Don looked down… caught my eye… smiled and put his thumb up… a real connection!!
Finally the band finished their exhausting, bizarre and totally magnificent show and retreated tot he wings as the audience screamed and bayed for more…
Eventually the captain walked out… solo… and coaxed “You want More?… You really want more? The crown was unified…Yes… so he wrapped the cloak close around him, grinned, and whistled the old song “More” for a couple of minutes before vanishing for the last time…
“More” was the them song form the 1962 Italian film “Mondo Cane” and had been popularised by Bobby Darin
This had been surreal… was it a dream?… no, but it was the most different gig I’d ever seen and totally mesmerising… I still love the man and his music
FACES
In their day the Faces may well have been the best good time rock’n’roll band on the planet.. though since those heady days when the band were firing Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood have got so far up themselves you cant take them seriously though the late great Ronnie Lane remains a favourite… but I’m talking about the Faces…
They played an outdoor gig at Leicester Poly, maybe 1972, where a stage had been built out from a maybe 2nd floor balcony overlooking a quadrangle…
The gig was sold out… and many at the doors baying to get it still… it was a lovely warm evening, the air full of fun and good
vibes when Atomic Rooster came on to deliver an excellent warm up set.. through which Vince Crane was begging the organisers to let the people outside come in.. it was already packed like sardines…
Rooster got a well merited good reception from an audience happy to lap up the fun, vibes and rock’n’roll… and as they finished the organisers broadcast Tom and Jerry cartoons on a screen to the side of the stage… one “Two Musketeers” set in France and had the whole audience singing “Allouette, chantez Allouette” along with the cartoon… yes.. spirits were high, anticipation high… and to be honest much of the audience rather high
Eventually to a roast of approval the Faces hit the stage… at this time Rod was still a great blues rock singer, he Ron and Ronnie big personalities who took their music seriously, but with a real sense of mischief and fun… so through the rock’n’roll their was a wonderful sense of fun… laughter.. like the moment in “Country Comfort” where Ron Ronnie and Rod repeatedly give full vent to the chorus… Rod turned to Woody with a grin and said something, Woody grined and turned to Ian and Kenny at the back… then suddenly it was just Plonk Lane belting out the chorus acapella by himself… it took him a while to realise.. then he looked sheepish, the everyone was laughing as the band carried on with the song…
That was the mood for the whole gig… cracking rock’n’roll music… fun, laughter and high spirits… eventually a guy came on stage and told Rod it was time to end.. the band looked at each other and quit… thanked the audience and trooped off… The audience bayed for more and they duly returned.. Rod pointed out this is not an encore, its the rest of our set.. no idea who that was that told us to finish… the guy was somewhat reviled among the audience and achieved legendary status as “Striped Shirt”
The band finally finished their set and encore and went… the audience was in super high spirits… when the Faces hit it they were a stunning rock’n’roll band, full of fun, very showy and massively entertaining…
One of those rock’n’roll bands whose albums are close to the feel of a live show… close, but no match!!
RORY GALLAGHER
The only time you get a surprise from Rory Gallagher is the first time you see him… you know what a great player he is… but to see him live, the energy… the joy… the electrifying brilliance of his performance set the blood racing…
So this wasn’t my first time seeing Rory.. nor indeed the last.. I didn’t see many bands more often than Rory… and he delivered the same brilliant high energy exciting fun show every time… maybe the hardest working musician and almost certainly the most consistently high quality.
So, whenever you went to see Rory you knew you were in for a great night… so you toddle along to De Mont full of the joys clutching your ticket safely… as you reach there hall there are crowds milling around outside and a feeling of real well being in the air… as you get into the hall the mood shifts slightly… you get your first glimpse of the stage… ready for the band, and the excitement rises imperceptibly… go to the bar and get a pint.. if memory serves me rightly at sell out rock shows it was two halves in last cups… you down the first quickly then stand in the corridor along with everyone else chatting… always looking towards the stage… then there is the 3 minute warning and the bars corridors and areas empty as the hall fill to capacity… it’s already hot you can feel the excitement as a physical thing… there are cries and chants of “Rory Rory” all around… and Rory wasn’t one for gimmicks, flash and the rest… at the appointed moment he bounds on to ear splitting cheers… as always dressed in denim jeans, check worksheet, denim jacket and boots… with the mass of long hair haloing his face and spreading down his back… .
Rory is also old school… he will often start with “ Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen” or something similar before looking at thesis musicians and with a nod blaring into the first piece… frequently “Messin’ with the Kid” followed by “Laundromat”.
He bounces around, with a look of glee and ecstasy on his face, you know this is what he is here for, to play his butt off for the audience and he does just that… the vocals are great but occasionally falter due to the energy he is burning, but the guitar playing is faultless… fluent, exciting, rock’n’roll with heavy blues overtones and unfaultering… Rory had a reputation, whether deserved or not I dont know, of not taking soundcheck too seriously, but whenever you see him the sound is immaculate…
His song introductions are generally short and too the point.. often breathless!! At some point he will pick up an acoustic guitar and play a couple of old times blues songs on his own… the performances are so authentic you wonder what would have happened had he concentrated on that style… but after a couple of pieces the band, and the battered beloved Stratocaster are back as Rory take=s the temperature up a few more degrees… the again… a change of direction as he picks up a Mandolin to deliver “Going to my Home Town” which invariably has the remains people sitting on their feet clapping along as he proves you can rock’n’roll with an acoustic mandolin… this was a fairly long extended piece with the audience clapping with the rhythms to make a great percussion backdrop but after that it is back to the Stratocaster to the end of the show… and the pace and power just continues to intensify…
Eventually it is “Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen”… a pause.. then a yell of. “Did you ever…. “ and the audience is bouncing at that as Rory delivered his regular closer… “Bullfrog Blues”. This song has been covered by countless people in folk, country or rock mode, but I think everyone will agree Rory does the definitive version…
So, another gig finished… we file out with huge smiles… sweat dripping… and walk slowly back to the bus… head and heart ringing with Rory’s guitar genius… whether “straight” or slide the man is a phenomenal… As ever Rory has delivered an impeccable set of blues/rock, full of energy, full of joy, and full of immaculate playing.
There are many theories on who is the greatest musician on whatever instrument… and with guitars there are the likes of Julian Bream, Segovia, Hendrix, Beck, Verlaine and many others… but if you’ve seen a Gallagher gig….you will know as a guitarist, as a showman, as a performer he was in a class of his own… for me.. the greatest rock guitarist we’ve ever seen
MOTT THE HOOPLE : BONZO DOG DOO-DAH BAND : JOE COCKER & the GREASE BAND : SPIRIT
I wasn’t planning to look at a full gig like this… but this bill recently came up in conversation and it has stuck in my mind.
My first and last, visit to the Top Rank night clubfoot a totally out of character with the establishment show. My usual venues were De Montfort Hall, University & Poly, Folk Clubs and Il Rondo so it was with a certain trepidation I went to the Top Rand fearing that the audience would be predominantly night-clubbers who are regulars at such events… but while queueing to get in my fears were receding as I was among a bunch of long haired youth dressed in either head to toe denim (me!) Or flamboyant flowing hippy garb… this was my kinda crowd and all was well…
When I got in the downstairs was already fairly full is I decided to take a table on the edge of the balcony to be entertained by some pretty fines tunes on the sound system before the first band came on.
Up first were Mott the Hoople…I’d heard of them, but knew nothing of them other than that they were building a reputation… so it was a with open ears I heard the band. Most enjoyable set, rocking but musical and rhythmic including a bunch of originals and a few interesting covers such as “You Really Got Me” (Kinks) “At the Crossroads” (Sir Douglas Quintet) and “Laugh at Me” (Sonny Bono). As opening act it is almost customary that they didnt get the attention they merited.. .indeed talking to a guy after the show he said “It’s a shame no-one danced to Mott the Hoople… they Were good”… yes, I agree, though I was not a dancer!!
I had high hopes however that Mott would develop into a fine band… sadly they lost all sense of direction with association with Bowie and via glam rock took to hard rocking and high pretension… in fact I twice saw the band in later years and each time they cut the gig short in anger because people weren’t up dancing… for me, another promising start but potential not fulfilled.
After a short break the stage revolved revealing the set up for the Bonzo’s… I knew the Bonzo’s music well, but couldn’t imagine what they would do live… so it was with a mix of excitement and anticipation I awaited the entry of the band…
On they came… and completely conquered… delivering Bonzo classic after classic… as the show progressed there were stuffed gorilla, robots blowing bubbles, showers of feathers and heaven knows what… you just can’t imagine this stuff from the records.. A Bonzo gig is more then aq concert, it is a theatrical masterclass in lunacy and fine music.
At one point the band took a back seat while Viv sat on a stool and delivered a hilarious section of ”Sir Henry at Rawlinson’s End”… during this piece a girl returned and sat back down at the front… Viv indicated the band to stop…walked to the front of the stage and looked down at the girl and said”I hope you’ve washed your hands” before resuming the piece where he broke off…
I dont recall the set but know all the classics were there… and that the likes of “Urban Spaceman” and “Canyons of your Mind” were especially well received.
As an aside, I saw the Bonzo’s 40th anniversary tour, when they played “Big Shot” (Ade Edmonson & Phil Jupitus had replaced the late Viv) we reached the line ”Have you got a light Mac” and the whole audience called out “No, but I’ve got a dark brown overcoat”… a moment of magic 
As the Bonzos finally quit the stage, in a state of carnnage, the whole stage revolved and the new stage was set for the Grease Band.
I loved Joe Cocker and the Grease Band… they were developing into a major act after storming Woodstock, and I was looking forward to seeing them… however after the Bonzos smashed it and left their stage knee deep in debris I was wondering how Joe and the band would fare…
No need to worry… no frills, no gimmicks just high class rock music from the Grease Band and throaty soulful bluesy rock vocals from Joe Cocker… somewhere the band transcended what had gone before and simply delivered an outstanding set of Cocker magic. 
Finally, a band I knew by reputation but no other way… Spirit… though guitarist Randy California and bald headed drummer Ed Cassidy had already won reputations as major players on the west coast scene so it was with some intrigue and excitement that I waited for the band… even though we were deep into the early morning by now the anticipation and excitement was still palpable…
So delay was short… and Spirit appeared to a great reception… I wondered very much what would they be like… and it was soon clear they were an exceptional band… California a master showman and terrific guitar player and Cassidy a supreme drummer… both took longish solos… the Bain of the average rock show… but both proved exceptional….the band looked on the verge of greatness, but only 6 months later they played there last ever gigs at the Fillmore East… such a shame… who knows what they could have achieved
TOM PAXTON
So, last in this section, maybe my third ever gig, Tom Paxton was playing DeMontfort Hall at the back end of 1969
Tom was an early hero, I had seen one of the cool kids at school carrying Tom’s first album (Rambling Boy) and the cover appealed… so I bought a copy… and happily I loved it… and with the classic songs like “Last thing on my mind” “Cant help but wonder where I’m bound” and the like made the album a standout out… in fact one of the rare albums I got that my mum liked… and often complained if I played it at meal times as she couldn’t eat and sing along!!
My excitement was intense seeing Tom due to De Mont later in 1969, I was obviously going to go… and surprise surprise, mu mum wanted to come along as well… she moved that album
So on the day, off I went full of excitement and joy to see Tom, though slightly confused by having my mum along. As we reached the Hall the crowds were streaming in, and in part due to his triumph at the Isle of Wight… he blew Dylan away…. The crowd was very much of the hippy “long hair” species… my mum was reluctant to go in with this audience and hovered nervously away from the doors.. suddenly, in the crowd heading to the entrance she saw a gentleman in a dog collar… a vicar… which convinced her she was ok to go in… so in we went and took up our seats… I was full of excitement… this was I think the first solo singer-songwriter I had been to see, so a new experience, yet listening to an artist I admired…
Tom ambled onto the stage and as he stood and greeted the audience…smiling… he had everyone in the all of his hands… the man has charisma, charm, warmth and talent to spare… and for the next couple of hours it was like sitting in a comfortable living room being entertained by a good friend… the warmth of this man spreads over the audience like a blanket and he sings his songs and tells his tales in such a relaxed way… not that everything in his set is lovey dovey… Tom is a brilliant writer with a real social conscience and sense of humour… I think it was Tom I first saw quoted as saying “if you want to make a serious point, make it with a joke and smile”… and his songs cover a range of emotions… the love songs for Midge, his wife, and for his daughters Jennifer and Katy… he writes philosophical songs, biting political songs and comic songs, many of which have a real cutting edge and a strong social comment…
The man weaved magic over a couple of hours… and I am sure my mum and the Vicar both loved it as much as the rest of us…
I’ve seen Tom countless times since… and each time he has been a delight… charisma, warmth, charm and pure brilliance… he is a special performer
FAMILY
Probably appropriate to end this with memories of Leicesters finest… Family. They started out locally as the Farinas and evolved into a psychodelic based rock band with “Scene through the Eye of a Lens” and the album, “Music in a Dolls House”
By the time I got to see them Ric Grech had left dutring man American tour to be replaced by John Wieder and original founder Jim King had been sacked for unreliable behaviour to be replaced by Poli Palmer.
However… the first time I saw them, featuring Chapman, Whitney, Townsend, Werider and Palmer they had moved on from the psychedelic trappings,, inspired by Dave Mason and become a fully fledged rock band, with definite hints of blues and jazz in there… the bands peak period I think…
The band powered through their set, based, I think, around the “Family Entertainment|” album. The band were hot, rocking the hall though the visual focus was almost entirely on Roger Chapman as he prowled the stage, barked out his powerful bluesy vocals and trashed tambourines in epic style..
It must have been been the next visit to De Montfort Hall, promoting the “A Song for Me” album when Ric Grech re-appeared and guested, it memory serves me rightly, duetting with either Palmer or Wieder on a rocking jazzy fiddle duet during the epic “A Song for Me"
As ever Chapman was at his mercurial best and his treatment of tambourines showed no sign of mellowing as the band delivered another superb set…
I got to see the band many times, through countless line-up changes, before they called it a day… Chapman and Whitney returned to De Montfort Hall fronting the Streetwalkers… who produced an electrifying performance which was captured on an epic live album
Always loved Family.. .whatever line up changes they went through, they continued to evolve and deliver exciting high powered live shows…
SOME OTHER RANDOM MEMORIES
The list of bands I saw was huge… I wish I could remember more…this last section is a bunch of random memories… some bands who created a reputation… blew a reputation… others intrigued and many left some great memories behind them…
As great fan of Roy Harper I was delighted to see his first live performance after his apparently sheep induced illness… Roy is known as an irascible character not above abusing members of the audience…as ha sat on his stool and said “Hello”… the whole audience started bleating… and it lasted several minutes!!… was he confounded.. no, he was laughing out loud
John Martyn played the Polytechnic…sitting on a stool accompanied by Danny Thompson on bass… he was relaxed, playing beautifully with that Scots slurred drawl floating above the playing, the audience all sitting transfixed… quiet… loving the performance when John face curled up.. He said “I swear I can smell marijuana smoke in here… it’s not right.. I’m not playing another note until you share it with me” at which point around four guys approached him to share their joints… after a drag, John smiled and carried on where he had left off
I saw Chris DeBurgh at De Montfort Hall.. he cleared the room in about 3 songs… he was awful!
Nick Drake in the same hall was already a legend.. Loved his records and his legacy… but ye gods as a live performer he was as bad as it gets… never communicated, spent an age tuning (I’ve since been told 8 minutes) without a word…
Mungo Jerry played the University… and Ray Dorsets roadie kept going on to tune his guitar for him…
The Stones played Granby Halls… they were good but the main discussion is around whether Eric Clapton jammed with them or not… he did!!… my memory is that he came on for the encores… Keith picked up a bass… but no-one knows what Wyman did and there is no consensus to what they played with Eric.. we all have different memories and no Internet source has so far given a conclusive answer!!
I got to see both shows by the Who at Granby Halls.. the first time they had used the blinding spotlights from behind the stage… fabulously effective and two outstanding performances
Camel were one of the most underrated bands of the period… always delivered a great show and their “Snowgoose” remains a total classic.
I went to see Martin Carthy at the Couriers Club… this occasion he didnt show up… no reason… so we were given free entry the next week… on arrival Martin was sitting on the steps to the stage…Rex announced that Martin had phoned in the week to apologise.. there had been a confusion and his tour manger gave him the wrong date for the gig…so Martin got up and did a floor spot of around an hour for free… not even expenses.. .a true gentleman as well as magnificent artist
Another Country Joe gig at the University saw him encoring with he said some country dances… so the audience got into groups while Joe played “The Hokey Cokey”… mind you the body parts he was getting us to put in and out were definitely not the bits our parents would have known!!.. But great fun
Then there was John Mayall sitting on the tailboard of his truck outside DeMontfort Hall… handing guitars to people and teaching them some of his songs…
Some bands came along with a modicum of reputation and success, before or after… but were terrific… such as Stackridge, Quiver, Skid Row, Stray…
Some surprise great performances I saw at DeMontfort Hall must include Cliff Richard, Leo Sayer and Gilbert O’Sullivan
Others came along and ultimately bored me to tears (and apologies here to some friends who I know love these bands) but this is just my opinion based on live performance… Eric Clapton Band (he never recaptured his abilities beyond Yardbirds/Mayall/Cream and was bland going through the motions on routine well played bland boring material)) Yes (pompous and pretentious} Genesis (simply dull) ELP (hugely irritating) Bill Nelsons Red Noise (just that… a noise!) Moody Blues (too loud to allow the subtleties of the music show)
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