NEWCASTLE CITY HALL

GLORY BE – in conversation with stand up comedian Gavin Webster

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(pic. Gavin Webster, Centurion bar, Newcastle. Alikivi Sept. 2025)

I first met Gavin back in 2021 where we are today in the Centurion bar in Newcastle Central Station. He talked about being brought up in Blaydon during the 1960s and breaking into alternative comedy in the early 90s.

I missed out on the workingmen’s club circuit. But there was still a buzz for the whole comedy scene. I’ve been doing this for 33 years, I’m 56 now.

We talked about TV shows we watched as kids – Wheeltappers and Shunters Club, The Comedians and Minder.

It was great. It seemed there was chaos and a caper everyday down London. I wanted to move down there and get to know these types of people, hustling and bustling during the days, loved it.

Scene from Sunday for Sammy in 2018.

In 2004 I was at Newcastle City Hall watching an afternoon of Geordie entertainment. Sunday for Sammy concert was organised by Auf Wiedersehen Pet stars Jimmy Nail, Tim Healy and Lindisfarne drummer Ray Laidlaw.

Among the TV, theatre and music talent on stage was AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson ripping into Nutbush City Limits. A great afternoon. Played to packed houses the show returns to Newcastle every two years.

Yeah about 20 years ago I done a Sunday for Sammy show at Newcastle City Hall. Originally, I think Ray Laidlaw phoned me up about it. I really enjoyed it. In fact, I done it twice, the first time was with the lads from Viz. There was myself, Simon Donald, Simon Collier plus a couple of actors and I think the boxer Glenn McCrory done a part. We done a Sid the Sexist sketch. The next time I done my stand-up routine.

There were two shows. A matinee and a show in the evening. The matinee went well and at the later show I went on early because I had another show to do at The Stand in Newcastle. I had played the City Hall with 2,500 people there, a full house, but only about a dozen people turned up at The Stand. That has happened twice in my career.

At the Edinburgh Fringe in 2003. It was a benefit gig for an HIV/AIDS charity at the 3,000 seater Festival Theatre on Nicholson Street. It was a star studded line up and I did a 10 minute slot. My parents came up for the day. After the show I took them down to my other gig where only 11 people turned up. You get brought down to earth with a bump.

My agent at the time told me to go to the Oranji Boom Boom Club in London as it’s a good place to go, people get down there. I played the club on a Wednesday night and did a good decent job, worked hard, took it seriously. But in front of only a dozen people. However, a few year later I done some TV work on Channel Four and the producer came up to me and told me that he saw me at the Oranji Boom Boom Club.

During the past few interviews I’ve asked how do you survive in the arts?

Sometimes it’s been tough. I met a shock jock type of comedian from Australia his father was very rich. He was well supported. He would tell wild stories about how people walked out of his gigs. Now if I done that, I wouldn’t be able to pay my rent. It’s alright if you have unlimited funds coming in.

There has been times without work but I get by. I’ve done some voice over work, small comedy/drama parts. I’ve been in two Ken Loach films. I had speaking parts in I, Daniel Blake and Sorry I Missed You.

I done some of the animal voices on a children’s TV show called Walk on the Wild Side with Jason Mamford. We recorded that in a studio in Wardour Street, London. The set up is you watch the video on the big screen and read through the script. I got to write some of season three. Sarah Millican done it, Jon Richardson, Rob Gilbert, Mark Benton – loads of comics done voices on it.

I totally understand when some actors can end up working in shops and restaurants cos you need a regular income or you can end up skint. Actors need TV shows like Eastenders and Emmerdale. The films and voice overs don’t happen all the time – stand up has kept me going.

What am I doing now? I do a pod cast called Bazookaaah, small stand-up tours, regular gigs at Edinburgh Fringe and the Tyne Theatre in Newcastle. This new show on 21 November is called Glory Be its Gavin Webster. It’s stuff from Edinburgh with some new stuff that I’ve added. I always write a new show every 18 months or so.

Last time at Tyne Theatre was January 2024. For this show I arranged it and done a deal with them just for the one night so it’s not a massive commitment for them. Really looking forward to it.

Alikivi   October 2025

Link to podcast >>> Bazookaaah Number 37

Link to previous interview >>>

CRACK ON with North East comedian Gavin Webster | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE

Sunday for Sammy >>>

Sunday for Sammy | Supporting young creative talent in Tyneside

SHORT CUTS – The Jam & The Specials

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The music world has always had its fair share of myths, legends and hell raising antics. The time Ozzy bit the head off a dove or was it a bat? Well both actually. According to reports one was in a record company office the other was live on stage. He also snorted a line of ants. The list is endless for the Oz.

I came across a gaffer tape incident involving a music journalist and Killing Joke, as I was trying to find out who the journalist was, where and when it happened – if it did! I read a few other short stories with North East connections

This one taken from the 1993 book ‘Our Story’ by Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler from The Jam.

‘The Vapours profited greatly from Bruce and The Jam. They became regular touring companions which lay them open to the usual barrage of pranks and abuses. While on stage, Paul, Rick and Bruce took great pleasure in taping their personal effects to the roof of their dressing room. But the main butt of jokes was Vapours tour manager, Tony Newman’.

‘He was once dispatched with instructions to purchase copies of each weeks Melody Maker, Sounds and New Musical Express. The unfortunate soul came in for some gleeful ribbing when he returned with 16 copies, one for each member of the party. ‘Plonker!’ cite Rick and Bruce in unison.

The headline band decided Mr Newman, who is remembered as looking like a natural victim in the Woody Allen mode, had ‘spent far too long trying to ingratiate himself with us’. He was promptly gaffer taped to a chair outside the Swan Hotel in Newcastle’.

Also taken from the same book…’It was still Paul who suffered from the worst excesses of fandom. On one occasion his sartorial elegance nearly cost him his life. Having taken to wearing the long, college scarf featured in many latter day photo sessions, he had probably never considered the garment a possible lethal weapon’.

‘Stepping out of a doorway in Newcastle, two enthusiastic fans made a grab for the scarf from either side of him. Consequently, Paul found the breath being sucked out of him as he tried to ward off his admirers. It was a neat analogy for his state of mind’.

The band appeared on the first episode of live music show The Tube filmed in Newcastle and broadcast on Channel 4. ‘Of all The Jam’s television appearances this one, which took place on 5th November 1982, was arguably the most important. The announcement of the split had become public knowledge just a few days previously’.

In ‘Ska’d For Life’ by Specials bassist Horace Panter he talks about recording and playing live…’There’s a kind of etiquette at rock gigs. The audience at say, Newcastle Mayfair, will behave in a certain way towards different bands. The security staff will know their limits and the crowd will be aware of this. You behave yourself, you have fun. You misbehave, and something else happens – generally something you don’t like. These are unwritten rules. This is why venues like Newcastle Mayfair keep putting on shows. There is a system. It works’.

He recalls the mayhem surrounding a gig on the American tour in Palo Alto.

’Frank has a stand up row with the PA crew, and Neville has had enough and wades in with his fists. He then grabs a mike stand and hurls it at half a dozen guys that are still having a go at Frank by the monitor desk. Fists fly, but it’s soon over, and we retire to the dressing room, where Jerry and Terry destroy furniture, fixtures and fittings’.

‘Nev has lost a tooth and has a nasty gash over his right eye. Rico leaves, never to return. We get back to the hotel in subdued mood only to find reception closed and the crew without their room keys’.

‘This is ‘bar room blues band’ country and I don’t want to sound egotistical, but I can’t help feeling that we are achieving nothing playing here in the suburbs. It reminds me of my days in ‘Breaker’ playing workingmen’s clubs in Sunderland and dreaming of a record contract. It doesn’t work. Two more gigs and we’re out of here. The novelty has worn off. It’s now a slog’.

‘When recording ‘More Specials’ in 1980 at Horizon Studios I got a call from the office in London. They had received a letter from the mother of a teenage boy who had been in some kind of accident. He was in intensive care in Gateshead’.

‘The letter said that the lad was a mad keen Specials fan, and a message of encouragement would help enormously. I said I’d see what I could do, but the vibe at the studio was not conducive to brotherly love, and the plight of a distraught mother seemed to be a different universe compared to the ‘I don’t see why Dammers says his songs are better than mine’ and ‘we should make decisions as a band and not have one person calling the shots’ that sort of rubbish that people were starting to come out with’.

‘After a couple of weeks, I eventually got a cassette of rough mixes together and wrote a few lines of encouragement. A while late I got a letter back from the mother in Gateshead, thanking me for sending the tape, but she had buried her son a fortnight previously. The tape had arrived too late’.

‘This had a deep impact upon me and made me question an awful lot about who I was and what I was doing with my life. I was part of the most influential pop group of the day, I was doing what I had only been able to dream about a few years ago’.

If you’ve got a story to add just get in touch.

Alikivi   March 2025

Research >>>

‘Ska’d for Life’ – a personal journey with the Specials by Horace Panter (2007)

‘Our Story’ by Bruce Foxton & Rick Buckler (1993)

SHORT CUTS –  Lynott v Chandler

/ Alikivi

The music world has always had its fair share of myths, legends and hell raising antics. The time Ozzy bit the head off a dove or was it a bat? Well both actually. According to reports one was in record company offices the other was live on stage. He also snorted a line of ants. The list is endless for the Oz.

I came across a gaffer tape incident involving a music journalist and Killing Joke, as I was trying to find out who where and when it happened – if it did! I read a few other short stories with North East connections.

Chas Chandler, (bass) The Animals

Following on from the last post which featured Lemmy and Jimi Hendrix is a short story about Phil Lynott and Chas Chandler. Sadly, both deceased now, Phil and Chas were two of music’s huge characters. A snapshot of their achievements featured in earlier posts on this site. (links at the bottom)

I never saw Thin Lizzy in concert the only time I caught them live was in the studio of live music show The Tube broadcast on Channel Four in 1983. Other bands booked that night were JoBoxers, Thompson Twins and Pat Benatar reflecting the shows policy of booking a diverse range of music.

Guitarist John Sykes led the charge for Lizzy’s blistering performance of Cold Sweat, they played a few more songs including The Boys are Back in Town and if my memory is not too fuzzy a track not broadcast which I think was Whiskey in the Jar?

‘The Rocker – Phil Lynott’ by writer Mark Putterford is packed with stories of Thin Lizzy’s leader and talisman. One that stood out was about the time Lynott came up against a very angry Chas Chandler.

At the time Newcastle born former Animals bassist Chandler was managing a very successful Slade. In 1972 Lizzy supported Slade on their UK tour. A contributor to the book was booking agent Chris O’Donnell who recalls that tour.

‘That Slade tour was a really important one in the development of Lizzy as a live band, and particularly in the overall development of Phil as a performer. It made Phil realise what was expected of him. Slade were huge at the time and they would go on stage and absolutely slaughter the audience night after night with incredibly powerful performances. It was far removed from what Lizzy were doing at the time’ recalls Chris.

On the 22nd November the tour landed at the Top Rank in Sunderland, tickets were £1.00, however the opening night was at Newcastle City Hall on 3rd.

Chris added ‘On the opening night at Newcastle Phil was standing there mumbling as usual, looking at the floor and being all introverted, and someone threw a bottle at him. This shocked Phil because he thought he’d done a perfectly adequate set. But then Chas Chandler came in the dressing room afterwards and really ripped into the band’.

“Either you wake your ideas up or you’re off the tour. You’re here to warm the kids up not send them to sleep! What the hell do you think you’re doing standing there looking at the floor? You haven’t even got your act together. Sort yourselves out”.

‘Phil was devastated. He’d never been criticised so directly before, and to hear it from someone as well respected as Chas – the man who discovered his hero Hendrix! – was the worst aspect of all’ added Chris. ‘At the next show the band made a big effort to improve their presentation, and performance wise I don’t think they ever looked back’.

More short stories with a NE connection will be added soon including Jimi Hendrix, The Jam and The Specials.

Alikivi   March 2025

Research >>>

The Rocker – Phil Lynott by Mark Putterford.

Links to Chas Chandler & Phil Lynott >>>

HOME NEWCASTLE – snapshot from the life of musician, manager and record producer Chas Chandler 1938-96. | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE

LOVER, FIGHTER, HELLRAISER – The Rise & Fall of Phil Lynott 1949-1986 | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE

HEY HO LETS GO RADIO – in conversation with radio presenter Keith Newman

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I listen to all styles of music it’s been a constant through my life. Even when you’re sad there are tunes that can pick you up. I’ve seen bands like Crass the more abrasive side of punk but I love the power pop as well. I may be a big punk rock fan but also love ABBA… explained Radio Northumberland presenter Keith Newman. We talked about his passion for music and the special moments when you are a teenager blown away watching your first concerts and meeting a band.

Thanks to local historian Steve Elwood for the advert taken from the Evening Chronicle.

It was May 79 and The Dickies were doing a signing session in HMV, Newcastle. Banana Splits was their latest single and they were signing copies. I nicked off school to get there it seemed like everybody else had the same idea cos it was rammed with queues of kids to see the band.

HMV had a big window at the front and with all the pressure of the kids pressed up against it, it smashed into the shop – and me with it.

Police were called, the kids scattered – I never got me autographs. But it was on the telly and my mother saw it and I got knacked. Years later when interviewing Stan Lee from The Dickies I mentioned the HMV incident and he couldn’t believe I was there. We got on great after that.

Actually, the first band I saw was The Dickies at Newcastle Mayfair, most anticipated gig was first time for the Ramones at Newcastle City Hall.

Keith on stage with the Village Idiots.

In 1980 we formed a punk band called The Village Idiots, we rehearsed in a portacabin in Leazes Park, Newcastle. We played three gigs in all, shouting and screaming, we couldn’t play – it was just noize.

Our first gig was on a bill with four other bands playing for the patients in Prudhoe Mental Hospital. Before going on we were interviewed live for Hospital radio. When I told the interviewer the name of the band his face dropped and quickly cut us off. Subsequently we were banned off the radio – a very punk thing to do.

We opened for Total Chaos at The Garage in Newcastle it was a real punk venue. Total Chaos were a proper band and we were on with them – couldn’t believe it! Thing is I remember we were bad but now I get some people saying yeah I was at that gig and The Village Idiots were great. I say no we weren’t. We were crap. Really we were.

It’s a strange thing…three gigs and immortality…we’re down in folklore! There’s even a photograph of us in the book about North East bands Closest Thing to Heaven. After the Idiots I joined a band called Damian – and they could play. Very goth, Iggy Pop – Lou Reed sounding – we also had two female backing singers.

I also run a PR company called Highlights PR and how I got started in radio was through a business contact. Ultra Radio were based in Ashington and I asked to be punk DJ. That went well until the licence ran out so myself and another DJ, Stewart Allen, formed Radio Northumberland 15 years ago.

It’s only on the internet at the minute although plans are to go DAB next year plus we’ve just moved into a new studio in Alnwick. We’re always looking for some sponsorship to help with the costs – anybody out there just get in touch.

The show New Wave with Newman has built up a decent following. It’s live every Monday night where I play Ramones, Undertones, Skids those types of bands. 1979 was my favourite year for music.

The show also showcases a lot of local bands, its great to see their development, Slalom D from Sunderland have done really well after releasing two albums and playing Rebellion Festival in Blackpool.

The show not only gives me the chance to play the music I love but to meet my heroes. The first interview I did was Jake Burns from Stiff Little Fingers, then The Dickies – I even took Stan Lee shopping in Newcastle for a new ipad.

Keith and Marky Ramone.

But the one that got me really nervous was with Marky Ramone. I found he was doing a DJ set in Newcastle. He was so cool and recorded a few spoken intro’s that I used on my show ‘Hi this is Marky Ramone from the Ramones and this is ‘Sheena is a Punk Rocker’. Fantastic.

I first saw them in 1980 at Newcastle City Hall and bought the t-shirt from the gig which I never took off. I remember next day I was going to a corner shop in Forest Hall to get me ma’s tabs – yep we could in those days – and I could see a coach outside. As I got near it pulled away.

I went in the shop and the assistant said ‘eeh see those lads on your t-shirt – they’ve just been in here. They were Americans asking for milk and cookies’. I couldn’t believe it I ran outside but the coach was away up the street.

For years I wondered if it really was them so when I talked to Marky I asked him about it and he told me Johnny Ramone had OCD and after every gig he had to have milk and cookies.

I also interviewed CJ Ramone on zoom and that was interesting how he talked about the legal wranglings about getting a percentage of the merchandise. Another Ramone drummer I talked to was Ritchie, I arranged to meet him before soundcheck and we caught up in an Italian restaurant. He was really nice we chatted for an hour. The kitchen staff and waitress were Ramones fans so they came over – yeah it was great he was really easy going and signed my albums.

Thing is I’ve interviewed Skids, Undertones and Baz Warne from The Stranglers – just loads of these supposed to be nasty punks – when they were all really nice to talk to. Martin Metcalfe from Goodbye Mr McKenzie was the latest. I rate them as a good band.

What does music mean to me? I just love music. I do the radio, I do the Tyne Idols Bus Tour, I do a lot of PR work with bands like Eddie and the Hot Rods and music festivals – that’s me bread and butter. Yes, music has been important in my life not just for relaxation but for work.

It’s also good to see when friendships are formed through the radio show. We have listeners in Scotland, Teesside and Cumbria, and strangely the most popular area is Sunderland. There are listeners now in USA and Canada – probably folk who used to live in the North East.

There are a lot of shows on Radio Northumberland where you hear the authentic Geordie voice which a lot of listeners like. Yes we’re really grateful to the people who tune in.

www.radionorthumberland.com

http://www.highlightspr.co.uk

www.tyneidols.com

Alikivi   October 2024

BLOOD TIES for the GODFATHERS OF THRASH – RAVEN

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After 50 years in the business what gets you up in the morning?

It’s in our blood. We love being on the road and the whole process. But it’s really all about those few hours on stage. We may have been doing this for 50 years but believe me, it never gets old and we never take it for granted. We are incredibly lucky and humbled by the fact that we get the opportunity to go out and play our music all over the world! …explained Chief headbanger John Gallagher (bass & vocals)

Released in June 2023 All Hell’s Breaking Loose is Raven’s latest and 15th album.

The new album has been received incredibly well, possibly the best reviews ever and the fan reaction has been equally manic!

This year the trio are preparing for a road assault on the USA and Europe. Sharing the UK bill are Girlschool, that will bring back memories from 1982 when Raven opened?

Yeah looking forward to the UK dates in February. It’s a triple headliner with Girlschool and Alcatrazz so that’s gonna be fun as we are all mates and of course we’ve toured with Girlschool a few times!

What songs are on the set list – any surprises?

We are slotting in more new songs as we go and hope to add at least one or two oldies that we’ve either rarely or never done live too.

Are there any venues/cities that you haven’t played before?

We’ll hit the usual stomping grounds of Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, London, Birmingham and Southampton – which I think we only did once before in 1982 which was with Girlschool!

Following that is the US tour in March through to May which will be a stormer and Japan at the end of May followed by a brace of Euro festivals!

Check the official website for albums, merch & tour dates >

https://ravenlunatics.com/

Alikivi    January 2024

TO THE MOON with L.A. composer/producer Richard E

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“I’ve been living in Los Angeles since 2010 after marrying my LA woman, Sheila. I was born in Yorkshire but from the age of 10 grew up in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. Then went to art college in Newcastle where I spent a good portion of my grant on seeing as many bands as I could at the City Hall”.

Richard E, Newcastle City Hall tickets.

“1979 was a great year for me. Finally getting out of small town Newton Aycliffe to live in Newcastle for a year doing a foundation course in art and design. I just dived right into the music scene and saw as many bands as I could”. 

“Penetration I loved, Pauline was my punk crush! And they were local heroes who lived in a town 5 miles down the road. Roxy Music were supported by a band called The Tourists featuring a certain Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox! “

“The Jam were the only band to force security to let the kids actually dance in the aisles. They were usually very strict at the City Hall, but Weller took them on, mid set, and somehow made it happen”. 

“I wish Punilux had done more. I bought Puppet Life when it came out. I included it in one of my recent radio shows, it still sounds so fresh. I also got to be at an epic concert that year that wasn’t in Newcastle. Led Zeppelin at Knebworth!”

Richard is composer/producer for award winning band Annabel (lee), which he created with his American wife, singer, lyricist and composer Sheila Ellis.

Their debut album released in 2015 on Ninja Tune Records won the UK’s Dead Albatross Music Prize, chosen from over 700 releases in the UK and Eire.

“During lockdown I had the time to record my first solo album harking back to my roots fronting a post punk, indie rock band in London in the late 80s” said Richard. 

Hoochmongers press shot 1990.

“I was moved to start writing my own songs again to express my discontent with world events over the past few years, encompassing rock, post punk, electronic and psychedelic influences”.

“The album features bass guitar on four tracks by David J ex- Bauhaus / Love & Rockets who became a friend after hearing a track by Annabel (lee) on LA’s independent radio station KCRW. I was also lucky enough to get David Bowie’s pianist Mike Garson to play on The Great Showing.”

Richard added “The video for my debut solo single was officially released on November 17th. Some people have said it has a Floydian vibe, and I felt myself once it was finished it made me think of George Harrison jamming with the Floyd”.

“ Jon Dalton, who you have previously interviewed on this site plays on the track and will be in my live band. I’m also producing his new album. Jon can be seen in the video playing his spacey guitar part in a very interesting way!”

Richard E – To The Moon 

Contact >

https://annabel-lee.bandcamp.com/album/if-music-presents-by-the-sea-and-other-solitary-places

Alikivi    November 2023

PROFESSOR ROCK with Sunderland computer scientist & music blogger Peter Smith

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Does a day go by without listening to music? It runs through yer veins. Addiction to music is a feeling everyone reading this site knows, and the person who this new post is about has it bad.

‘I’ve finally come clean and admitted to myself that I’m totally addicted to going to rock concerts. I’ve also realised that all attempts at treatment are futile, and anyway I don’t want to be cured!’ said Peter.

‘This blog is part of my treatment, creating a permanent record of gigs that I’ve been to. I try to remember as much as I can about them which is difficult as my memory is not good these days’.

‘It takes me back to the late 60s early 70s and includes concerts by Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, T Rex, Kate Bush and events such as Reading Festivals, Donnington Monsters of Rock and Live Aid. I’ve attended around 2000 gigs since 1969’ explained Peter.

The music blog started in 2011 (link below), and includes great reviews and stories as well as being illustrated with a collection of Peter’s ticket stubs.

First, a bit of background to Sunderland born Peter Smith. Peter graduated in Computing and Mathematics from Sunderland University in 1978, by 1981 he completed a PhD.

He went on to hold a number of positions at the University spending 11 years as a lecturer before being made professor in 1992. Not stopping there he became Dean of Computing and Technology from 1999 until 2007.

Peter has written hundreds of academic papers and books as well as speaking at conferences worldwide. In 2012 he retired from the University and was made Emeritus Professor.

Despite a severe spinal injury in 2016, Peter continued his life’s work and being a massive music fan, also found time to publish numerous papers and books on music venues, classic rock and punk bands.

In July 2022 Sunderland University commemorated his contribution to academia, awarding him with an Honorary Doctorate of Technology. Is that enough for ya’?

I started listening to music in the ‘70s and going to gigs in the ‘80s – they were great times and I know how lucky we were to see fantastic bands. Who do you consider your most memorable gigs?

‘Best gigs were Live Aid in Wembley Stadium 1985, I have so many great memories of that day. Queen’s performance is often rated as the greatest live performance by any band. Freddie certainly commanded the crowd that day’.

‘U2 weren’t far behind them with Bono showing how great a front man he was. For me, however, the highlights were The Who and David Bowie, as I was, and remain, a big fan of both acts’.

‘There was Led Zeppelin at Sunderland Locarno in 1971. I remember Zeppelin came on stage quite late, and the crowd immediately rose to their feet and surged to the front, forming a terrible crush’.

‘I remember a guy trying to take a photo of Robert Plant and the bouncers waded into the crowd to get his camera. Robert intervened, and told the bouncers to leave off the guy to a great cheer from the crowd’.

‘I was right down the front close to the band. I could almost touch them, the atmosphere was electric’. 

‘I also remember great gigs from the Sex Pistols at Whitby in 1975, David Bowie at Newcastle City Hall in ‘72, Rolling Stones at Newcastle in ‘71, The Who played Charlton football ground in 1974 and Abba at Stafford in 1979’.

On your blog you talk about seeing North East bands Geordie, Angelic Upstarts, Brass Alley, Lucas Tyson, Penetration and Tygers of Pan Tang.

There’s a review of a gig by Punishment of Luxury at the Dunelm House, Durham, what can you remember of that night?

‘This gig at Dunelm House came quite early in their career before they had released any recorded material, and was probably one of the first times I saw them.’

‘I do recall seeing Punishment of Luxury several times in 1978 including a packed gig at Newcastle University canteen, and supporting local punk heroes Penetration at the City Hall’.

‘Punilux as they were often called, were quite quirky and unique in their approach. Although their music undoubtedly grew out of punk, their spiky staccato art-rock had much more depth to it, and their performances were very theatrical, strange and in some ways scary, with use of masks and dance’.

What other North East bands have you seen?

‘Last Exit, Sting’s first band, were excellent, Penetration the best North East punk band, I found Prefab Sprout quirky and great, Lindisfarne always magnificent and now we have Sam Fender who is exciting, plus many others’.

What changes have you seen in the live music scene since attending your first gigs and now ?

‘The growth of custom-built arenas. Sadly fewer concerts are held in small venues. However, my hometown Sunderland now has its own great venue The Fire Station’.

For  live reviews including Slade, Queen, Genesis, The Clash, Van Halen, Sex Pistols, The Who and zillions more check out Peter’s excellent music blog at: https://myvintagerock.com/

Alikivi   September 2023

LIGHT ‘EM UP with former Lighting Tech & Stagehand Par Can 2/2

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Part two of the interview with Lighting Tech & Stagehand Par Can. Any other venues you worked at stand out?

Madison Square Gardens – oh Lord above. I did the arena upstairs and downstairs was the Felt Forum. Both times the New York State Circus had cages in the building where they kept animals when they weren’t on the road. The smell…you could imagine!

The Manchester Belle Vue had a similar animal circus thing, I saw Peter Frampton and Parliament there and you got this faint whiff of dung. Like the person in front having really bad B.O.

Wembley Arena was easy enough to get in and out off but back in the day it had a reputation for rubber rigging. I remember putting Queen in there in 1980.

When the ‘fly swat’ lighting pods with follow spots went up and down they weren’t smooth like they should be, they bounced…up, up, up. Same when they came down…boing, boing, boing. Yeah that was rubber rigging.

Philadelphia Spectrum was bad, a lot of iconic venues you read about as a kid it’s disheartening when you find they are horrible places. It was always known as the RECTUM !

There was an arena that The Tubes were doing, might have been Minneapolis? No it was Duluth. Next door was a car museum and next to that was a freezer plant because the place was also an ice rink.

Now they used ammonia to pump under the ice rink to freeze it, it was a whole complex – America is all bigger and better apparently!

After the gig during load out warning lights started flashing, horns started screaming. Next thing everyone’s choking there had been an ammonia leak “Everybody out”.

Fire brigade made it safe but your eyes were burning, you’re choking, felt as if you were gonna throw up from your feet. Not gonna forget that one in a hurry.

Newcastle City Hall

I started at Newcastle City Hall in October 1977 and it was all the older guys who’d been there a while. Then slowly but surely, the Sheelz (South Shields) Mafia landed – Dave Ainsley, Dave Linney, Ian Rylance, Gary Lilley, Alan Armstrong and Kev Charlton who once tried on Phil Lynott’s leather pants and he couldn’t get them past his thighs.

Kev was thin himself in those days. We were rolling around in hysterics it was so funny. It showed how skinny Phil Lynott was.

Colin Rowell was the manager and it was rare for him to just leave us overnight to crack on with stuff – but he knew we’d get up to no good. Rush in 1979 comes to mind.

There was a big plastic bin full of ice cubes lying around so we took it up through the roof into the rigging points which looks onto the stage.

One of the lads was looking for us, Dave Ainsley, he was walking across Rush’s stage which was covered in a lovely white shag pile carpet, he shouted “Where are you” as the ice cubes went flying down on him… never thinking ice cubes from 45 feet up could have knocked out… or worse !

When Thin Lizzy played the City Hall me and Kev Charlton ‘acquired’ some pyro and at 6am went up in the old empty projection room on the roof.

We set alight to the pyro, a white mushroom cloud went up and started drifting towards John Dobson street. We ran downstairs when there was a bang on the stage door.

“Morning officer” we said “Never heard nothing we’ve just been asleep”. Somehow we got away with that one.

Another night Mr Plod visited again about 2am “What’s going on in there?” We’d been on the stage and turned on the City Hall organ thinking we were playing Phantom of the Opera.

Looking down on the stage from the balcony to the ‘Biggest production in the City Hall’ Van Halen 17 June 1980.

One night we found a small tunnel on the side wall panels near the seats. We all crawled along on our hands and knees to see where it went. We ended up in next door’s building – the City Baths.

So obviously we got our kit off and swam about – well what else would ya’ do?  Unfortunately we must have triggered an alarm so we scurried back to the hall with our clothes under our arms!

The tunnel led to a number of turning points and they went on for a fair distance, some were blocked off by a fence. I’m sure they led all over the city. Once we ended up at a fenced off exit all the way in the Ouseburn Valley !  Took almost an hour to crawl each way !!

Back then it was great, so much fun. Nowadays after spending hours putting them together they don’t let the crews watch the show.

We didn’t do it because we were Meccano freaks, we did it because we were hanging around with the gear, the musicians, to see bands we would never dream of paying to see – Weather Report at Newcastle City Hall was one such band.

Me and Kev Charlton were sitting on the drum riser before soundcheck, Jaco Pastorius came in and sat at the drums. Thwack, thwack, leading with the left, leading with the right, giving it six nowt. We were astounded.

Then he gets up and another guy comes in on drums, believe it was Pete Henderson. Then Jaco Pastorius picks up a fretless bass and starts playing. The sounds they created were amazing. Kev and I were mesmerised.

We did follow spots for the comedian Billy Connolly and one joke had me and Kev laughing so much that we couldn’t keep the follow spot steady. Billy said “Geordies, pissed again”! The whole audience turned to look up at us.

What impact did the road have on your life today?

Until 1990 I never saw that career ending, I came back to the UK got married and had a beautiful daughter. But touring for months at a time isn’t compatible to a home life. So eventually got my hair cut and got a proper job – boy have I regretted that ever since.

How did it affect my life? It got me around a lot of the world several times, lived in America, and to this day I’ve still got an amazing amount of friends I met and worked with because of that time.  Some of them, not many, are still on the road today.

Alikivi    August 2023.

Link to 2017 interview –

BACKLINE – interview with former Stage Hand and Lighting Designer PAR CAN | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST CULTURE (garyalikivi.com)

LIGHT ‘EM UP with former Stagehand & Lighting Tech, Par Can 1/2

/ Alikivi

For music concerts staged in small clubs or huge enormodomes a crew have to load the gear in, set it up, operate it during the show, break it down and load it all back out again then onto the next venue. And if you’re on tour, repeat that for days, weeks or months.

Newcastle born Par Can was a former stagehand at Newcastle City Hall, on The Tubes touring crew, worked for Bette Midler, Queen, The Cure, and American rock giants Van Halen with ‘the largest production ever in the City Hall’.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the show with Par Can who looks back at his time on the crew.

I guess like every local Geordie kid in the seventies I was football obsessed. Then I heard Alice Cooper’s Caught in a Dream, I’m Eighteen and other tracks from Love it to Death.

Then I started buying music paper Sounds every Wednesday, that’s where I first saw pictures of Alice Cooper – wow what the hell is this?

The Kard Bar in town sold hippie oil, pop and rock posters. With my friends we used to go on Saturday and spend our pocket money.

My parents were fine with my bedroom being covered in Alice Cooper posters, including the ceiling. It was when I put up a picture of the New York Dolls that they got worried!

I can’t say music means everything these days – but it did back then. I used to hang around the stage door at Newcastle City Hall and one day, it was a Mott the Hoople gig, helped a roadie with a piano (interview with Par Can 20 Nov 2017 link below).

I got more involved in music and hanging around the City Hall, so my mother had a word with City Hall Manager Bob Brown.

Then one day in October 1977 I turned up at 9am to work. My first ever stage crew gig paid me £7. The band on that night were Wishbone Ash. Next day was Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet band.

I blagged my way into working for a lighting company in London run by The Tubes manager, after that I ended up following the band on their first ever UK tour.

Newcastle City Hall

Did any venues stand out when on tour around the UK & USA?

Newcastle City Hall is always gonna be the venue it’s where I saw every band I wanted to see growing up, except Led Zeppelin.

But I suppose the only thing that stops Newcastle being the venue is the loading in and out. It was bad back when we did it. It isn’t much better now they have extended the stage door. Why someone doesn’t make that whole load in/out more efficient is beyond me.

There is a beautiful theatre in America, the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, to me that was like the City Hall. The only problem with that one is that the trucks had to reverse down an alley to get to the front door.

If you can imagine two blocks of buildings with the Orpheum literally being the sort of stop gap at the end of the alley. It wasn’t wide enough for two trucks so you had to reverse one at a time.

To load in you had to go through the front doors, through the foyer, turn left into the theatre and then down the space between the seats and onto a ramp leading to the stage. A bad one to load in and a pain in the arse to load out at midnight.

However, it will always be one of my absolute fave halls, ALWAYS a great atmosphere… just like the old lady or even the old Glasgow Apollo.

Par Can on stage at the Glasgow Apollo.

Edinburgh Odeon when that was still open was a lovely place. Trucks loaded in across a backyard then straight onto the stage.

The ceiling of the Odeon was studded with little bits of mirror that looked like star constellations and it had recesses in the walls with statues – a really beautiful theatre. Only 1800 capacity and perfect for The Tubes.

It had a stage door phone which was a direct line to the pub opposite; The Bucleuch Arms.  You would send your order and 10 minutes later, barmaids would be carrying trays of drinks to the stage door.

Birmingham Odeon was a good one although the trucks had to reverse down a sloping alley, not ideal but the theatre itself was fabulous.

Load in was through a door onto quite a big stage. Around 2500 capacity, but another one they went and shut down.

Manchester Apollo was an easy load in load out, didn’t much care for that place, although it was right next door to a lovely pub called The Apsley Cottage.

The Tubes did a series of smaller shows towards the end of ‘81 and one of them was called Uncle Sams in Nantasket Beach in Hull Massachusettes.

The two trucks were parked back to back in front of this three storeyed cube building, the bus was on the opposite side of the street.

We got out the bus went through the doors and oh my God it was like the stairway to nowhere !  It seemed to go on and on. Every piece of gear had to go up this concrete staircase of around 100-150 steps.

The show finishes 11pm you’re tired after a long day and you’ve got to load the gear out – how the hell nobody fell down those stairs carrying amp racks and the sound desk.

Glad I was a lampie – although that was bad enough. There are lots of venues that are horrible but that Uncle Sams has got to be the worst… on second thoughts, Mr C’s Rock Palace in Lowell MA was a REAL toilet… urgh !!

One of the best was the Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, it was directly opposite the Winterland Ballroom. The joy was it had a revolving stage.

The Tubes did two shows there in September ‘83, MTV filmed both nights. You can watch it on You Tube. You catch me when I had my long blonde hair then, wandering along the stage. Near the intro a phone rings and manager Chopper Borges shouts out “Par Can”! “What” I reply in Geordie.

The revolving stage was perfect for The Tubes. They would be on stage with backs towards the audience, combing hair putting on make-up, then Kenny Ortega the choreographer would shout ‘showtime, showtime’ and the band would line up in their business suits.

The stage would revolve and there is all the gear, as they walked onto the static lip at the front of the stage. What an amazing start to the show…any show!

At the end the stage would revolve and you would see the band starting to get undressed and a curtain would pull across the entire front of the stage. Marvellous.

Read part two packed with more stories from Par Can.

Alikivi    September 2023.

Link to 2017 post –

BACKLINE – interview with former Stage Hand and Lighting Designer PAR CAN | ALIKIVI UK : NORTH EAST CULTURE (garyalikivi.com)

LOVER, FIGHTER, HELLRAISER The Rise & Fall of Phil Lynott 1949-1986

/ Alikivi
Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy, Black Rose tour 1979 Newcastle City Hall. pic Paul White.

Phil Lynott played the cool, sexy, rock star. The hot shot gunslinger with studded wrist band and clenched fist. The Rocker. But he was dead by 36. What happened in the last few years of his life?  

Thin Lizzy had been around since the early seventies releasing a number of successful singles including Whisky in the Jar, Rosalie and Waiting for an Alibi, and top 30 chart albums including Black Rose, Renegade and the imperious, Live and Dangerous.

The double album produced by Tony Visconti (Bolan/Bowie/Morrissey) in 1978 reached number 2, staying in the UK charts for over a year. Many critics label the record as one of the greatest live albums.

Although I never saw them in concert, I was in the Newcastle audience when they appeared live on Channel Four’s music show The Tube on 28th January 1983.

I remember watching a blistering version of Cold Sweat from the Thunder and Lightning album. The boys were back in town and at the top of their game. Or so I thought.

In comparison, I later watched a videotape of the show and thought the dressing room interview with Lynott was awkward and dull, he looked fragile. Was this the beginning of the slow decline for the Irish rock legend?

The TV show was only the second appearance of new guitarist John Sykes, formerly of Whitley Bay heavy metal band, Tygers of Pan Tang. His first gig was a few days earlier on BBC’s Sight & Sound concert – talk about being hoyed in at the deep end!

Lynott was more than happy with Sykes. He could see a new future for Lizzy. Cold Sweat entered the UK charts and another TV slot was scheduled for Top of the Pops.

But the band were dropped from the running order after a drunken Lynott was reported to have told the producer to ‘fuck off’ – twice.

Morale was low and cracks appeared amongst the team. Lizzy found themselves slowly falling apart through health and personal reasons. Eventually a split was announced.

1983 UK tour dates

So what was left ? The Thunder and Lightning UK tour included two dates at Newcastle City Hall, with a night at London’s Hammersmith Odeon and a reunion of past Lizzy guitarists, Brian Robertson, Gary Moore and Eric Bell.

“It was chaos” said Bell. “A mess if you listened to what was being played. It was a turning point in my life, after that I never wanted to hear those songs again. I suppose it was a good way of burying Thin Lizzy forever”.

Roadie for the band Peter Eustace explained “On the crew we all thought Phil was scared of success. Once you’ve arrived where do you go? And all you know is that these young guns are breathing down your neck”.

The future, well the ‘80s, belonged to the new chart soundz ! from the likes of Depeche Mode and Duran Duran. While a rejuvenated Queen, and soon to be Irish legends, U2, both benefited from Live Aid. Meanwhile, Lizzy struggled to play a few more dates in Ireland and Japan.

Their last UK show was headlining the Reading festival in August ‘83. The curtain came down on their final live performance in Nuremburg, Germany on 4th September, sharing a bill with Saxon, Motorhead and Whitesnake.

Fellow Irishman and Boomtown Rat songwriter Bob Geldof said “Phil couldn’t imagine a life not in leather trousers, with a limousine taking him to work every day”.

In 1984 a zoned out Lynott appeared on ITV’s Breakfast Show talking about his new band, Grand Slam, but also about his problems as a heroin addict.

He resolved to work hard, in rehearsals he drilled the band for eight hours a day earning him the nickname ‘Sergeant Rock’. Had the thunder returned?  

The band toured extensively throughout the UK and what seemed like victory soon turned into disaster as no major label offered them a recording contract. The industry was backing off.

In 1985 old friend Huey Lewis – from the News – spent time with Lynott recording in a San Francisco studio, but the old swagger wasn’t there. A delicate and tired Lynott only managed a couple of vocal tracks.

Although he did manage a UK chart hit in June ‘85 with Out in the Fields when he paired up with another old friend and former Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore. Cutting out management, Lynott made a direct deal with the label and received £5,000 in cash for being on the record.

But his darkest days were ahead with long days and weeks spent at his London home in dressing gown and slippers not answering calls or seeing friends.

Then out of the blue a charity concert was arranged to be played in front of a world-wide TV audience, it was made for the return of Thin Lizzy.

Live Aid saw The Who, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin reforming for a one off gig. But Lynott wasn’t asked. Did fellow Irishman and organiser Bob Geldof stay away knowing of his problems?

Co-organiser, songwriter & former Lizzy touring guitarist, Midge Ure said…

”To our dying shame neither Bob nor I even thought about asking Phil to put Lizzy together for Live Aid. If he had been in a healthy state that could have been the Queen moment for them – ‘The Boys are Back in Town’ – at Wembley? Jesus, can you imagine?“

“Why didn’t we do it? Was it that psychologically we had already given Phil up as gone? It’s something that will stay with me for the rest of my life’.

There were rumours that Lynott was to play Jimi Hendrix in a biopic of the guitarists life, but nothing came of it. In the studio he was working on recording solo material.

Phil Lynott’s final public appearance was in December 1985 when he travelled to Tyne Tees TV studio in Newcastle to record a Christmas special for pop programme Razzmatazz, he performed his solo single Nineteen.

Ironically the presenter was David ‘Kid’ Jensen, the DJ who had championed the band in the early seventies. Also on the programme were Slade, who Lizzy had opened for back in the early days. Back when the fight was being won.

At home Lynott was visited by hangers on, pushers and gofers. He ended up surrounded by people, but very alone. In court on a drugs charge he was called ‘a drugs victim and a trajedy’ by his own solicitor. His close friends wondered where did he go? The musician, the poet, the man they loved.

Sadly, on 4th January 1986, Phil Lynott died of kidney, liver and heart failure. One of his close friends said “Phil didn’t die of a heart attack, he died of a lifestyle”.

Alikivi   July 2023

Research:

Phil Lynott: The Rocker by Mark Putterford.

Cowboy Song: The authorised biography of Philip Lynott by Graeme Thomson.

Thin Lizzy official website.