2 Tone Tour A Review NME 27th October 1979

Continuing the 2 Tone Tour theme for a while longer, I thought that I'd share this contemporary review with you that appeared in the UK's New Musical Express at the start of the tour. Again from the Stateside in Bournemouth, for the reviewer at least it was Madness that sparkled on the night, making The Specials look rather lacklustre.... would you believe it!?

Special thanks to MeAnIe for the clip(s). Cheers!

20 From '79 (4) Madness Stateside Centre Bournmouth 16th December 1979

Fresh from the high jinx of the '2 tone tour' that bundled all of the bright lights associated with Coventry's exceptional 2 tone label onto a coach for a 60's style review tour of almost 40 dates, the band here headlined in their own right supported by The VIPs.

2 Toners take the sea air on Brighton beach in 1979

By late 1979 success was assured for Madness and the opening years of the approaching new decade were theirs for the taking. By 1980 the Madness 'M' logo had appeared on exercise books, school bags and blazers like a rash!

Personally at the time I was listening more to the likes of Adam and the Ants and Gary Numan, but it was impossible to get away from Madness. I first saw them in Finsbury Park in 1994 and then a year or so ago when my daughter expressed a desperate need to see them.

Ramona at Bickling Hall, Norwich 2011

Madness have had their lean times, but from what I have heard, they are back on form with a back to basics album, Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da. For me though they reached their mature peak with 'The Liberty of Norton Folgate' and intense but brilliant album with its vivid musical depictions of East London.

'The Liberty of Norton Folgate' Madness

So here is that set from back in '79.

FLAC: http://rapidshare.com/files/302752409/Madness161279FLAC.zip

MP3: http://rapidshare.com/files/616287859/Madness161279MP3.zip

01 ONE STEP BEYOND
02 MISTAKES
03 BELIEVE ME
04 MY GIRL
05 SWAN LAKE
06 RAZOR BLADE ALLEY
07 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
08 TARZAN'S NUTS
09 MUMMY'S BOY
10 YOUNG & OLD
11 LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY
12 ROCKIN IN A(FLAT)
13 BED & BREAKFAST MAN
14 THE PRINCE
15 NIGHT BOAT TO CAIRO
16 MADNESS
17 LOLA
18 ONE STEP BEYOND

Incidently, this gig occured one week after a classic appearance on the hugely influencial UK TV music programme 'The Old Grey Whistle Test'.

'Night Boat To Cairo' by Madness

The Old Grey Whistle Test

December 1979

 

 

20 From '79 (3) The Members 'In Concert' 3rd March 1979

 

Here's a short radio broadcast from the BBC Radio 1's '70s/'80's series 'In Concert'. This may or may not be a complete set from The Members.

Considered by some to be a second division player in the punk league, however, they did have some great songs, not least 'Solitary Confinement and of course 'The Sound of the Suburbs' which neatly summed up the whole punk ethos in 3 minutes and 53 seconds. With the wonderful 'Off-Shore Banking Business' they tapped right into the reggae tinged punk that was so prevalent in the late '70's.

I never saw The Members play live. The nearest I got was seeing JC Carroll and Chris Payne do a couple of numbers at the Ruts film premiere, but in all honesty it wasn't very tight. No offence chaps! With Nicky Tesco unable to perform on stage with them, I'm not sure how well the reformed Members work, but please go and see them if they play in your town and judge for yourselves.

Anyway, here's The Members at their peak.

FLAC: http://rapidshare.com/files/3198595254/membersinconcert030379FLAC.zip

MP3: http://rapidshare.com/files/761887577/membersinconcert030379MP3.zip

01. Electricity
02. Sally
03. Frustrated Bagshot
04. Stand Up And Spit
05. Goodbye To The Job
06. The Sound Of The Suburbs
07. Solitary Confinement
08. At A Chelsea Nightclub

Also treading the boards on this night:

The Pop Group/ATV/Linton Kweski Johnson    Edinburgh University
The Only Ones   Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow
The Undertones/The Squares   Erics, Liverpool

Are We Not Pious?

Hee Hee!

Barry Spooner's goin' to Hell!

Hugh Cornwell Guilfest Stoke Park Guilford 15th July 2006

As a companion recording to the recently shared Stranglers set from the Sunday of Guilfest 2006 (here), here's an incomplete set from Hugh from the Saturday as broadcast on BBC Radio 2. Also included are a couple of interviews from the day.

FLAC: http://rapidshare.com/files/2836305830/HUGHGUILFEST06FLAC.zip

MP3: http://rapidshare.com/files/3418058408/HUGHGUILFEST06MP3.zip

Artwork: http://rapidshare.com/files/3598561778/HUGHGUILFEST06AW.zip

01. No More Heroes
02. Peaches
03. Always The Sun
04. Goodbye Toulouse
05. Interview With Janice Long
06. Interview With Stuart Maconie

 

Caz Campbell

Guilfest 2006

Rainbow Theatre 4th December 1981

Here's one that would have been posted on it's anniversary were it not for arriving back late from Ireland last night. However, no matter it is here now.

The band haven't played too many December gigs over the years. So, from the first leg of the La Folie tour.....

FLAC:
NEW LINK: https://we.tl/es5pxma6EU

Artwork:
NEW LINK: https://we.tl/0tkRvUzqes

1. Non Stop
2. Threatened
3. Just Like Nothing On Earth
4. Second Coming
5. The Man They Love To Hate
6. Meninblack
7. Who Wants The World
8. Baroque Bordello
9. Golden Brown
10. Tramp
11. Thrown Away

1. Bring On The Nubiles
2. Tank
3. Let Me Introduce You To The Family
4. Nuclear Device
5. How To Find True Love And Happiness In The Present Day
6. Duchess
7. The Raven

Guilfest, Guildford 16th July 2006

JJ & Baz

Guilfest, Stoke Park, Guildford

16th July 2006

I am very pleased now to be able to share this recent acquisition of mine. The reason is simple, this was one of the most significant gigs that I have been to in that it kick started the whole Stranglers thing off again after several (13 I think) years of disinterest on my part.

I have previously written about this gig here, but I don't mind repeating myslf on this one. On the day, the entire Andrews family were in attendance and what a fine day it was too. Blisteringly hot it took my best efforts to keep myself 'hydrated' with beer! Amongst the Stranglers fans present (most of whom were unknown to me by that time) spirits were high. There was a sense of celebration in the air for indeed for some, a celebration this was..... we had heard the recording of the Weston-Super-Mare gig a few weeks before and could not wait to hear the band as a four-piece once more. Paul Cooklin was smoking a cigar at the bar that was worthy of Churchill to mark the event! Paul and I were about to go full circle with this band.

'Dr Cooklin I Presume?'

Adrian after years in the wilderness with Paul Cooklin

Guilfest 16th July 2006

And so it was that with the shrill falsetto of Russel Mael of the brilliant Sparks out of the way and the strains of Donovan's Jennifer Juniper had evaporated in the heat of this most atypical of British summer afternoons, I was faced with the acid test (sulphuric acid of course). Would it be as good as I wanted (make that needed) it to be?

Any doubts on the matter disolved rapidly as Dave stroked his first keys in the intro to '5 minutes'..... then the bass kicked in... and then.... oh Jesus, the bass player's vocal. At that point in a sweltering Surrey field, I must have made the Cheshire Cat look like Jack Dee..... with a bellyful of beer and good company to boot, this surely was my very own Battersea Park!

Judge for yourself.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-O3FH3LyG8n

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-VwJyfaSIkc

1. Intro
2. 5 Minutes
3. Big Thing Coming
4. All Day And All Of The Night
5. Peaches
6. Long Black Veil
7. Strange Little Girl
8. Golden Brown
9. Always The Sun
10. Never To Look Back
11. Summat Outanowt
12. I've Been Wild
13. Lost Control
14. Duchess
15. Burning Up Time
16. London Lady
17. Dagenham Dave
18. No More Heroes

Interestingly, Hugh appeared on the bill, playing on the Saturday night. Headlining on the Sunday night was Billy Idol, and I'm pleased to say that whilst some punk feuds have bee laid to rest in the intervening years, the antagonism between The Stranglers and Idol still seems to have some heat left in it. I heard a story that after the Stranglers had come off stage and relaxing in the backstage area, one of Billy Idol's entourage entered and announced that 'Mr Idol would now like this area cleared!', to which JJ responded with something along the lines of 'Tell Mr Idol that if he wants us out of here he'll have to fuckin' do it himself!'

Idol went on to have some digs about hits from the stage during his set, but I didn't stick around.