Charlie Harper Spanish Hall, Winter Gardens Blackpool 5th August 2023

A little bit of Chaz tonight. Here is the irrepressible Mr Harper playing acoustically in Blackpool back in 2023. Tonight I am starting 'An Anarchy of Demons'.

Many thanks to Chatts for the share.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-NB5uzj7XO6

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-zz43vmuZiY

 

Generation X Top of the Pops Appearances 1977 - 1979 DVD

 

This is one that I put together over the weekend. Comprising the seven appearances that Generation X made on the UK's iconic music weekly, here we have Mr Idol and Co. curling lips and making guitar shapes with gay abandon. I have never pinpointed just what it is that I don't like about the band. There are not many of the first cohort of British punk bands that I do not appreciate wholeheartedly. It can't be that Billy disappeared across the pond to become a glam metal rockstar... the Clash embraced all things American and I have all of their albums. I just dunno.... answers on a postcard please.

Anyway, enough of my musical preferences or otherwise, this is a nice short collection. Unfortunately, the footage features Jimmy Saville briefly, but I think that it is not for me to censor the material, visitors to this page are old enough to know the despicable nature of the man and his deeds. In this respect, I always feel for the bands who had limited exposure on Top of the Pops but have now been cancelled (in the sense of repeats (and the BBC have pretty much been consistently repeating episodes of the show for the last 30 years or more) because they had the misfortune of being introduced by Saville. It does seem unjust that those bands should be denied repeat appearance fees etc just because they shared a few seconds of screentime with a sexual deviant.

Just close your eyes whenever you hear... 'Now then, now then boys and gals'...

DVD Image: https://we.tl/t-6L2tep0TIY

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-jHnj2th0W9

Sex Pistols Review Marquee London 12th February 1976 (New Musical Express 21st February 1976)

 

If gig reviews could obtain iconic status then this would be in the top 10. Fifty years ago this month Neil Spencer writing for the New Musical Express gave Sex Pistols their first review in the 21st February issue. The review related to a gig that took place on 12th February at The Marquee Club on London's Wardour Street, the headliners on the night were Eddie & The Hot Rods, the support, Sex Pistols. As was often the case, through the band's shambolic stage antics rather than through musicality, Rotten and Co. stole the show. Spencer's review gave us two quotes which are still cited today, half a century on... 'Don't look over your shoulder, but the Sex Pistols are coming' and 'Actually, we're not into music.... We're into chaos'. These words were sufficiently stirring to prompt two soon to be Buzzcocks to venture down to London to see for themselves what fuss was afoot. Within months 'punk rock' began to establish itself as the 'new music' when a scene started to come together in London and Manchester.

I have to say that on Friday night the TV was on and as we often do we were watching BBC Four and repeats of old episodes of Top of the Pops. The year was 1976 and the musical offerings being aired were dismal, horrible and turgid. It is only when you see and hear just how bad most music was by 1976 that it becomes possible to understand the seismic impact that the arrival of the Pistols had on young people.

And finally, much was made at the time of the unsightliness of Rotten, but I tell you some of the bands performing on Friday's Top of the Pops could have given him a given him a good run for his money in the beauty stakes (or lack of it)!

Tom Robinson and Adam Phillips Victoria Hall Theatre Old Harlow Essex 24th January 2026

 

3rd gig of the year and the great thing was that this one was pretty much on the doorstep. Having raved about a TRB gig last year I looked forward to this one very keenly, Tom acoustic with his TRB sidekick Adam Phillips. Old Harlow doesn't feature prominently in gig listings so the Victoria Hall Theatre was completely new to me, despite my having worked in Harlow for 23 of the last 31 years.

Tom explained that the night's set had been hastily rearranged on account of him removing the top of a finger in the course of preparing vegetables. The required five stitches put paid to the possibility of him playing guitar on this 10 date tour, thus a keyboard was swiftly brought in and the set reconsidered around his temporary digital limitations.

From my perspective this was no bad thing. Never having seen one of his acoustic shows, much of the set would be new to me either way. This was also something of a TRB light show. In the spirit of Tom's 'Introducing' section of his radio show, his TRB rhythm guitarist, Lee Forsyth Griffiths, opened with a handful of his own material. Then, 5 minutes later Tom himself ushered all out of the bar area as he was due to come on.

Opening with '(What If We Live To Be) Fifty' from his 1994 album 'Love Over Rage' it was lyrically reworked by Tom, now 75, to '(What If We Live To Be) Eighty', it was followed by 'Cold Cold Ground', a powerful piece addressing homelessness. Whether electric or acoustic, Tom Robinson's stance on injustice and inequality is consistent and unwavering a quality that for me at least makes him and TRB so important in such intolerant times. That is not to say that his shows are in any way maudlin or sermonising. Tom has an easy, self-depreciating style that frames the songs in the set with both humour and meaning.

Of course the hits were present and correct from '2-4-6-8 Motorway' to 'War Baby'. When it came to the audience participation singalong of 'Glad To Be Gay' Tom let on that sometimes he told reluctant elements in the audience that 'to sing along to 'Glad To Be Gay' you don't actually have to be... glad! 'Up Against The Wall' (with ukulele accompaniment.... I know, but it worked!) and 'Days That Changed The World', a reflective song looking back on the tumultuous days of punk, brought a great evening to an end.

On RAR Carnival in Victoria Park ('Days That Changed The World') :

'When Ziggy* got his big idea

And Slowhand** showed his cards

We rallied to the carnival

And partied in the parks

Fat Martin*** and his bullyboys

From marching were deterred

When black and white united in

The days that changed the world'.

* David Bowie appeared to give a Nazi salute upon his arrival at Victoria Station after his self-imposed Berlin exile (May 1976).

** Eric Clapton delivered an expletive laden racist rant on the stage of the Birmingham Odeon (August 1976) that resulted in the formation of Rock Against Racism.

*** Martin Webster - a National Front leader at the time of the Victoria Park rally.

Tom Robinson... man of the people!

Rock School Barbey Bordeaux 3rd February 2009

 

Here's one almost upon its 17th birthday from down Bordeaux way. A nice sounding recording. Thanks to the original Dime uploader (Linkerman?). Ian deputised on the drum stool for these French dates.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-jTQbSV4gpb

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-ysaGUunawO

The Undertones Rock City Nottingham5th December 2025

 

Here's a great sounding gig from the irrepressible Undertones from December when they played Rock City in Nottingham. The band here were captured on one of a handful of dates marking the 45th anniversary of the band's second studio album 'Hypnotised' delivered as part of a value for money 30 song set!

Many thanks to Chatts for the share.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-wvvvsSjMWx

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-Ss47iadGZ5

Hugh Cornwell Woodhorn Lane Music Festival 22nd July 2017

 

Here's one from Hugh with band from a three day fundraising event hosted by Ashington Football Club in Northumberland. Hugh headlined on the Saturday night. many thanks to Yesican for this one.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-3gAsB9mlc2

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-29khpfP2YO