ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN - Marryat Hall - 4 May 1982
This was a really cool gig.
It was so relaxed, it almost seemed like it was a band rehearsal, as if they just fancied playing tracks without a prepared set list.
Great atmosphere too, with lots of good music blasting out of the sound system before the band took stage.
There was one glitch on the night, however, and that was the support act who didn't go down very well.
They were a short-lived Dundee band called Just Little Boys.
This was a pay-at-the-door job, so no ticket stub to display.
The above items are taken from local fanzines and the music press.
My brother snapped the Marryat Hall door.
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It was so relaxed, it almost seemed like it was a band rehearsal, as if they just fancied playing tracks without a prepared set list.
Great atmosphere too, with lots of good music blasting out of the sound system before the band took stage.
There was one glitch on the night, however, and that was the support act who didn't go down very well.
They were a short-lived Dundee band called Just Little Boys.
This was a pay-at-the-door job, so no ticket stub to display.
The above items are taken from local fanzines and the music press.
My brother snapped the Marryat Hall door.
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MIKE OLDFIELD - University - 13 April 1980
I was at a gig in Glasgow on Friday, a gig in London on Saturday and so this Sunday gig here rounded off 3 gigs in 3 days.
It was a touch surreal seeing Mike Oldfield play in Dundee as he had a "reclusive superstar" reputation, so this was a bit special.
The show was flawless, the sound was superb and the evening had a calm chill-out kind of vibe, which made it nice and easy-going after a rather hectic, but enjoyable weekend.
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It was a touch surreal seeing Mike Oldfield play in Dundee as he had a "reclusive superstar" reputation, so this was a bit special.
The show was flawless, the sound was superb and the evening had a calm chill-out kind of vibe, which made it nice and easy-going after a rather hectic, but enjoyable weekend.
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EDDIE & THE HOT RODS - Caird Hall - 2 March 1978
This gig was a rather lively affair with 3 young bands presenting 3 variants of pop.
Top of the bill was Eddie & The Hot Rods with their energetic punkish-style of pop. In the vocalists case the energy was quite physical as he clambered about all over the stage, jumping on top of the speakers, doing somersaults and generally turning the stage set into his own playground!
The songs were decent, so he got away with it, much to the crowds enjoyment.
The 2nd support act, Radio Stars, were also rather frisky with their brand of dynamic pop.
Squeeze were the first band on and managed to liven up the crowd with their catchy pop tunes.
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Top of the bill was Eddie & The Hot Rods with their energetic punkish-style of pop. In the vocalists case the energy was quite physical as he clambered about all over the stage, jumping on top of the speakers, doing somersaults and generally turning the stage set into his own playground!
The songs were decent, so he got away with it, much to the crowds enjoyment.
The 2nd support act, Radio Stars, were also rather frisky with their brand of dynamic pop.
Squeeze were the first band on and managed to liven up the crowd with their catchy pop tunes.
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QUEEN - Caird Hall - 13 December 1975
Queen were at No1 in the charts with "Bohemian Rhapsody" when they played the Caird Hall.
They actually started the show with the operatic middle section of Bohemian Rhapsody - this was a pre-recorded tape played over the speakers, with the lights turned out. Then when the song got to the rock guitar part of the tune, flash bombs went off, the lights came on and the band appeared in amongst the smoke playing the well known riff.
Quite an intro!
They played a good selection of tunes from past albums, as well a some new material from the Night At The Opera album.
Very entertaining on the night. Great to hear and see them do the tracks live.
Mr Big was the support act.
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They actually started the show with the operatic middle section of Bohemian Rhapsody - this was a pre-recorded tape played over the speakers, with the lights turned out. Then when the song got to the rock guitar part of the tune, flash bombs went off, the lights came on and the band appeared in amongst the smoke playing the well known riff.
Quite an intro!
They played a good selection of tunes from past albums, as well a some new material from the Night At The Opera album.
Very entertaining on the night. Great to hear and see them do the tracks live.
Mr Big was the support act.
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JONATHAN RICHMAN & THE MODERN LOVERS - Fat Sams - 5 August 1984
This was a Dance Factory organised gig at Fat Sams, and a very enjoyable night out it was too.
You can't help but like Jonathan Richman. He has quite an endearing personality, and his tunes are sweetly simple but very effective. Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
He was rather amusing too when he kinda acted out a couple of songs, and his band provided the perfect backing.
A splendid way to spend a Sunday summer evening.
No ticket stub for this one. It was a pay at the door job.
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You can't help but like Jonathan Richman. He has quite an endearing personality, and his tunes are sweetly simple but very effective. Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
He was rather amusing too when he kinda acted out a couple of songs, and his band provided the perfect backing.
A splendid way to spend a Sunday summer evening.
No ticket stub for this one. It was a pay at the door job.
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801 - University - 4 November 1977
801 were formed in the mid 70's by 2 members of Roxy Music - Eno & Phil Manzanera.
Eno then departed to do other projects, so 801 became Phil's baby.
They were a kind of art-rock / college band and made a couple of albums.
The Uni gig was rather tasty. Phil created lots of interesting sounds on guitar with all sorts of effect gadgets, which helped take the rock based tunes off the cliched path a bit. A few flirts of experimental soundscapes from the keyboards too.
Support act was Keith Christmas.
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Eno then departed to do other projects, so 801 became Phil's baby.
They were a kind of art-rock / college band and made a couple of albums.
The Uni gig was rather tasty. Phil created lots of interesting sounds on guitar with all sorts of effect gadgets, which helped take the rock based tunes off the cliched path a bit. A few flirts of experimental soundscapes from the keyboards too.
Support act was Keith Christmas.
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AZTEC CAMERA - Teazers - 4 November 1982
This venue (complete with candles on the tables) was the main home of Dundee's "Dance Factory" before Fat Sam's opened.
Aztec Camera were fresh on the scene and starting to get noticed after their hit single "Oblivious" charted.
Main man, Roddy Frame, who was still a very young whippersnapper at the time, was quite a flashy guitarist I recall. Not in a Jimi Hendrix way, but it showed through in his choice of chords and his solo runs. Quite sophisticated for bright & breezy pop songs.
Anyway, it was an enjoyable evening of upbeat sparkly tunes.
Support act was Dundee band, The Swing Club.
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Aztec Camera were fresh on the scene and starting to get noticed after their hit single "Oblivious" charted.
Main man, Roddy Frame, who was still a very young whippersnapper at the time, was quite a flashy guitarist I recall. Not in a Jimi Hendrix way, but it showed through in his choice of chords and his solo runs. Quite sophisticated for bright & breezy pop songs.
Anyway, it was an enjoyable evening of upbeat sparkly tunes.
Support act was Dundee band, The Swing Club.
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GENESIS - Caird Hall - 13 January 1977
I remember this gig was a bit of a surprise because Genesis were generally considered by us locals to be "too big" to play in Dundee. As a result, a queue formed at the ticket office the day before they went on sale.
So here they were indeed in our wee toon, and a superb night of tuneful prog rock was had.
Their light show was just as impressive as the band and set a different atmosphere for each song. Sheets of white light, moody red ambience, dry ice, spooky green spotlights, strobes, yellow sunshine, laser beams, the lot!
Bass pedals would rattle the walls of the hall, hyperactive drumming would mesmerise, mellow acoustic strumming would relax, guitar effects would excite and keyboard skills would impress.
It was mostly material from their previous 2 albums, with a nice occasional dip into their back catalogue to sing along to along the way.
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So here they were indeed in our wee toon, and a superb night of tuneful prog rock was had.
Their light show was just as impressive as the band and set a different atmosphere for each song. Sheets of white light, moody red ambience, dry ice, spooky green spotlights, strobes, yellow sunshine, laser beams, the lot!
Bass pedals would rattle the walls of the hall, hyperactive drumming would mesmerise, mellow acoustic strumming would relax, guitar effects would excite and keyboard skills would impress.
It was mostly material from their previous 2 albums, with a nice occasional dip into their back catalogue to sing along to along the way.
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DOLLAR BRAND - Bonar Hall - 27 February 1984
I wasn't sure what to expect at this gig because although I knew of Dollar Brand (aka Abdullah Ibrahim), I never had any of his albums.
He sat at a grand piano, expressionless, played a set of tunes I was not familiar with, and it was all pretty intense.
Also, Carlos Ward on sax & flute, made occasional appearances when cued, but he kept himself in the background mainly.
The audience gave him a big ovation at the end, and in return, he stood on stage an applauded the crowd.
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He sat at a grand piano, expressionless, played a set of tunes I was not familiar with, and it was all pretty intense.
Also, Carlos Ward on sax & flute, made occasional appearances when cued, but he kept himself in the background mainly.
The audience gave him a big ovation at the end, and in return, he stood on stage an applauded the crowd.
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ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS - Caird Hall - 14 January 1979
At this stage in his career Elvis was still quite a skinny songster, but behind the image lay a big talent, and we got an instant reminder when he started the show off with "Watching The Detectives".
After that the chart hits just kept coming!
This tour was to promote his "Armed Forces" album so there was plenty new material too.
There were 2 support acts on the night.
Richard Hell & the Voidoids from the USA. One of the early punk pioneers.
Also, big haired Manchester poet John Cooper Clarke. Urban grit with wit.
I think we got our £2.50's worth!
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After that the chart hits just kept coming!
This tour was to promote his "Armed Forces" album so there was plenty new material too.
There were 2 support acts on the night.
Richard Hell & the Voidoids from the USA. One of the early punk pioneers.
Also, big haired Manchester poet John Cooper Clarke. Urban grit with wit.
I think we got our £2.50's worth!
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THE EURYTHMICS - Barracuda - 27 February 1983
I saw Annie & Dave in 1979 when they were in The Tourists, and then when they became The Eurythmics in the 80's I remember some people seemed surprised at their radical change.
I didn't see anything drastic in it at all, I just viewed it as the pair keeping up with the times, musically and fashion-wise.
Their image matched their music perfectly, and with a good set of strong pop songs, it was easy to see why they went on to be chart regulars.
'Sweet Dreams' was in the charts when the Eurythmics played at the Barracuda. Some of the crowd chose to just stand and watch the gig, and others opted to dance the way through it.
A nice upbeat evening of pop fun!
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I didn't see anything drastic in it at all, I just viewed it as the pair keeping up with the times, musically and fashion-wise.
Their image matched their music perfectly, and with a good set of strong pop songs, it was easy to see why they went on to be chart regulars.
'Sweet Dreams' was in the charts when the Eurythmics played at the Barracuda. Some of the crowd chose to just stand and watch the gig, and others opted to dance the way through it.
A nice upbeat evening of pop fun!
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U.F.O. - Caird Hall - 10 February 1979
Back to heavy metal basics with UFO, who put on the perfect kind of rock performance that wasn't an over-the-top stageshow, or an overdone guitar indulgence.
The band were refreshingly streetwise, no macabre nonsense or medieval fantasies, just down to earth cranked up power riffs mixed in with catchy compositions.
That's all that was needed to enjoy this evening of loud rock music..!
Support act was Liar.
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The band were refreshingly streetwise, no macabre nonsense or medieval fantasies, just down to earth cranked up power riffs mixed in with catchy compositions.
That's all that was needed to enjoy this evening of loud rock music..!
Support act was Liar.
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PETER GABRIEL - University - 27 February 1980
This was a very unexpected gig that managed to slip through under the radar of the music press.
Peter Gabriel had already announced the tour dates, which consisted mainly of big city concert halls, and I already had a ticket for his Edinburgh Odeon show on 1st March. However, there was a gap in the Scottish section of the tour schedule, so Dundee University got in touch with Gabriel's management, the outcome of which lead to them arranging this gig at the last minute.
I then decided to squeeze this gig into my own schedule too!
As for the gig itself... the audience actually sat on the floor, and as usual, the hall lights went out just before the band were due to appear.
There was then a bit of a commotion at the main hall doorway and when the crowd turned around to see what was going on, in came Peter Gabriel through the door carrying a large spotlight and made his way through the audience to get to the stage.
It sure caught everyone by surprise!
He was quite athletic live too, energetically leaping around all over the stage during the performance.
The set was a mix of new album tracks and past material, with the band making a great job of the variety of music styles played.
Also, this was a rare example of me being familiar with a support band. It was an act called Random Hold, and I already had their album in my collection, so I knew their set-list too!
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Peter Gabriel had already announced the tour dates, which consisted mainly of big city concert halls, and I already had a ticket for his Edinburgh Odeon show on 1st March. However, there was a gap in the Scottish section of the tour schedule, so Dundee University got in touch with Gabriel's management, the outcome of which lead to them arranging this gig at the last minute.
I then decided to squeeze this gig into my own schedule too!
As for the gig itself... the audience actually sat on the floor, and as usual, the hall lights went out just before the band were due to appear.
There was then a bit of a commotion at the main hall doorway and when the crowd turned around to see what was going on, in came Peter Gabriel through the door carrying a large spotlight and made his way through the audience to get to the stage.
It sure caught everyone by surprise!
He was quite athletic live too, energetically leaping around all over the stage during the performance.
The set was a mix of new album tracks and past material, with the band making a great job of the variety of music styles played.
Also, this was a rare example of me being familiar with a support band. It was an act called Random Hold, and I already had their album in my collection, so I knew their set-list too!
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SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND - Caird Hall - 3 May 1975
What a show it was. It wasn't just going to see another rock band, it was going to witness a spectacle.
As soon as Alex stepped on stage dressed like a pirate punk and the pulsing throb intro to "Faith Healer" started, you were hooked.
Alex acted out a lot of the material. For example he would grease back his hair and put on a leather rocker's jacket for the song "Framed", then he'd dress like a B-movie detective for "Man In A Jar". He'd also use props such as a blackboard, a brick wall behind the band to spray graffiti on, etc.
The rest of the band would join in too when it was time to do their zany dance routine during "Delilah".
The contrast in SAHB songs were quite extreme, sometimes scary sometimes funny, serious one minute cartoonish the next, gritty then sophisticated, tales from the street then off on a flight of fantasy. When you dared take your eyes off Alex, you would then be mesmerised by guitarist Zal, dressed like the Riddler & Joker from Batman, pulling faces and clowning around while his Gibson SG cut through you like a butcher's slicer.
A great band...and a great nite out for us "boys & girls" (what Alex called the audience)!!
Incidentally, the colour picture of the band is the official poster I purchased from the merchandise counter at the gig.
The support act was Skyband.
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As soon as Alex stepped on stage dressed like a pirate punk and the pulsing throb intro to "Faith Healer" started, you were hooked.
Alex acted out a lot of the material. For example he would grease back his hair and put on a leather rocker's jacket for the song "Framed", then he'd dress like a B-movie detective for "Man In A Jar". He'd also use props such as a blackboard, a brick wall behind the band to spray graffiti on, etc.
The rest of the band would join in too when it was time to do their zany dance routine during "Delilah".
The contrast in SAHB songs were quite extreme, sometimes scary sometimes funny, serious one minute cartoonish the next, gritty then sophisticated, tales from the street then off on a flight of fantasy. When you dared take your eyes off Alex, you would then be mesmerised by guitarist Zal, dressed like the Riddler & Joker from Batman, pulling faces and clowning around while his Gibson SG cut through you like a butcher's slicer.
A great band...and a great nite out for us "boys & girls" (what Alex called the audience)!!
Incidentally, the colour picture of the band is the official poster I purchased from the merchandise counter at the gig.
The support act was Skyband.
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THE ASSOCIATES - Fat Sams - 10 March 1985
This home gig for Billy Mackenzie turned out to be a really good night.
Fat Sams was packed and there was a great buzz inside.
The Associates were pretty energetic, sometimes even frantic sounding when they did a couple of tunes in what seemed like, turbo mode!
It was all evened out though by the dynamism of Billy's performance with his vocals literally packing a punch from the speakers.
There were new tracks from the latest album mixed in with their well known chart hits as well a few older tracks.
Around halfway through, the band introduced guest backing singers called Die Zwei, who were from Germany. The duo were both dressed in black and accompanied the band on a couple of songs.
The evening was kept upbeat all night by Billy's cheery persona, and needless to say, it was a superb gig.
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Fat Sams was packed and there was a great buzz inside.
The Associates were pretty energetic, sometimes even frantic sounding when they did a couple of tunes in what seemed like, turbo mode!
It was all evened out though by the dynamism of Billy's performance with his vocals literally packing a punch from the speakers.
There were new tracks from the latest album mixed in with their well known chart hits as well a few older tracks.
Around halfway through, the band introduced guest backing singers called Die Zwei, who were from Germany. The duo were both dressed in black and accompanied the band on a couple of songs.
The evening was kept upbeat all night by Billy's cheery persona, and needless to say, it was a superb gig.
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BOOMTOWN RATS - Caird Hall - 6 October 1979
The Boomtown Rats transformed themselves rather speedily from the punk style band they were in '77 to the commercial pop act they had become by '79.
They did still show signs of their punk past by the boisterous energy they displayed on a few songs, but the main chunk of the show was a more professional performance.
All their chart hits were in the setlist of course, much to the enjoyment of the enthusiastic crowd, and stating the rather obvious, Bob Geldof was the centre of attraction throughout the show.
An upbeat evening of gritty pop music.
Support act was Protex.
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They did still show signs of their punk past by the boisterous energy they displayed on a few songs, but the main chunk of the show was a more professional performance.
All their chart hits were in the setlist of course, much to the enjoyment of the enthusiastic crowd, and stating the rather obvious, Bob Geldof was the centre of attraction throughout the show.
An upbeat evening of gritty pop music.
Support act was Protex.
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BOW WOW WOW - University - 4 December 1982
The band took to the stage after being introduced individually, the music started up along with lots of dry ice, then singer, Annabella, appeared in the midst of it and got the evening off to a smart start.
She was sprightly all through the show and the bands tunes were rhythmic new wave pop songs, a couple of which were known chart hits.
At the end of the show the pyrotechnics had the final say, as the band bowed out to an array of indoor fireworks.
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She was sprightly all through the show and the bands tunes were rhythmic new wave pop songs, a couple of which were known chart hits.
At the end of the show the pyrotechnics had the final say, as the band bowed out to an array of indoor fireworks.
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ARGENT - Caird Hall - 23 October 1975
It was a slightly unusual situation because, although I specifically went to see Argent, I didn't actually have any of their records in my collection. The support act, however, I did have an album of..!!
Argent were really good live. The setlist had a few prog-rock style tunes, a couple of slower melodic songs and of course, their well known upbeat chart hits.
Quite a lot of hair swishing going on too, on stage and in the crowd!
The support act was Dirty Tricks, a heavy rock band. Plenty metal riff tunes that livened the hall up.
They also had a large image of their album cover as the backdrop, the vinyl LP which I had in my rack at home.
A good double dose of mid 70's rock music.
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Argent were really good live. The setlist had a few prog-rock style tunes, a couple of slower melodic songs and of course, their well known upbeat chart hits.
Quite a lot of hair swishing going on too, on stage and in the crowd!
The support act was Dirty Tricks, a heavy rock band. Plenty metal riff tunes that livened the hall up.
They also had a large image of their album cover as the backdrop, the vinyl LP which I had in my rack at home.
A good double dose of mid 70's rock music.
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HEY! ELASTICA - Fat Sams - 1 April 1984
The evening got off to a rather gloomy start when the DJ announced the news that Marvin Gaye had been shot dead.
Anyway, after a couple of hours of dancefloor action, the band took to the stage.
I remember seeing Hey! Elastica in a Dundee pub a couple of years earlier when they hadn't yet signed a record deal, but now after a few singles and the release of their debut album, the band were getting lots of attention.
They were a dancey pop group, but leaning more towards the underground scene than the commercial charts.
The band performed a lively set that kept the dancefloor busy.
Unfortunately, the band then split up soon after this tour.
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Anyway, after a couple of hours of dancefloor action, the band took to the stage.
I remember seeing Hey! Elastica in a Dundee pub a couple of years earlier when they hadn't yet signed a record deal, but now after a few singles and the release of their debut album, the band were getting lots of attention.
They were a dancey pop group, but leaning more towards the underground scene than the commercial charts.
The band performed a lively set that kept the dancefloor busy.
Unfortunately, the band then split up soon after this tour.
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NAZARETH - Caird Hall - 10 March 1980
An evening of Scottish rock music - old school style.
I had lost interest in Nazareth around the mid 70's, and wasn't familiar with their new 80's material at all.
What got me going along to the gig in the first place was the fact that ex SAHB guitarist, Zal Cleminson, had joined the band, and so I was rather curious to hear how he fitted in.
Turned out to be a great night.
Zal gave Nazareth an added extra bite to their sound, and although they played a few new tracks, there were plenty of older songs in the set that I recognised from the 70's.
So it was nice to hear those golden oldies one more time.
Around halfway through, vocalist Dan surprised the crowd by bringing on bagpipes and giving them a blast!
Glad I popped along to the gig.
Metal band, Saxon, were the support.
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I had lost interest in Nazareth around the mid 70's, and wasn't familiar with their new 80's material at all.
What got me going along to the gig in the first place was the fact that ex SAHB guitarist, Zal Cleminson, had joined the band, and so I was rather curious to hear how he fitted in.
Turned out to be a great night.
Zal gave Nazareth an added extra bite to their sound, and although they played a few new tracks, there were plenty of older songs in the set that I recognised from the 70's.
So it was nice to hear those golden oldies one more time.
Around halfway through, vocalist Dan surprised the crowd by bringing on bagpipes and giving them a blast!
Glad I popped along to the gig.
Metal band, Saxon, were the support.
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999 - College of Technology - 23 September 1977
999 played punk style music but didn't have the spiky haired, safety pin look - they dressed just kinda like college kids.
The band played a fairly fiery batch of songs which had them speedily blazing through their setlist.
Some of the crowd took to it, and some didn't.
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The band played a fairly fiery batch of songs which had them speedily blazing through their setlist.
Some of the crowd took to it, and some didn't.
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GALLAGHER & LYLE - 27 February 1978
This definitely wasn't a gig to rush down to the front of the stage and jump about. No, it was an evening to settle down and make yourself comfortable in your seat.
The music was gentle and laid-back in the main, without being banal and boring.
The band played flawlessly, the show had an easy-going flow and I even recognised a few of the their chart hits, even if I didn't have any of their records in my collection.
It was all very pleasant and civilised like.
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The music was gentle and laid-back in the main, without being banal and boring.
The band played flawlessly, the show had an easy-going flow and I even recognised a few of the their chart hits, even if I didn't have any of their records in my collection.
It was all very pleasant and civilised like.
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MISTY IN ROOTS - University - 15 October 1982
I'd seen Misty In Roots a couple of times before in Edinburgh and so it was great to see them play this local gig.
They were one of the best reggae bands around at the start of the 80's, really rootsy without being cliched.
The band made some brilliant recordings and it was just as brilliant hearing the songs live.
I danced most of the night away, and there are not many acts who managed to do that!
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They were one of the best reggae bands around at the start of the 80's, really rootsy without being cliched.
The band made some brilliant recordings and it was just as brilliant hearing the songs live.
I danced most of the night away, and there are not many acts who managed to do that!
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THIN LIZZY - Caird Hall - 3 May 1980
Thin Lizzy's main man, Phil Lynott, popped into the pub where I was drinking just before the gig, and when it was time to depart for the concert, it seemed like the entire pub emptied.
I had seen the band play in Glasgow the previous year, so kinda knew what to half expect in Dundee, although they had a new guitarist on board, 80's Snowy White replacing 79's Gary Moore.
It was indeed a similar night of robust rock music.
I wasn't actually up to date with the bands latest material so quite a few tracks were new to me but they did play songs from their back catalogue that I recognised.
It was a sort of, no nonsense, let's crack on with the music to get the joint rocking type of setlist. Nothing too flashy or theatrical.
Then it was back to the pub after the gig.
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I had seen the band play in Glasgow the previous year, so kinda knew what to half expect in Dundee, although they had a new guitarist on board, 80's Snowy White replacing 79's Gary Moore.
It was indeed a similar night of robust rock music.
I wasn't actually up to date with the bands latest material so quite a few tracks were new to me but they did play songs from their back catalogue that I recognised.
It was a sort of, no nonsense, let's crack on with the music to get the joint rocking type of setlist. Nothing too flashy or theatrical.
Then it was back to the pub after the gig.
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BILLY COBHAM'S GLASS MENAGERIE - Bonar Hall- 1981
I don't have my ticket stub for this one, or indeed the exact date, but the gig took place in 1981.
The evening got off to a slightly embarrassing start when one of the organisers came on stage to introduce the band and said "...will you welcome, Billy Connoll...er...um...Billy Cobham".
Yes, very nearly an intro for the Scottish comedian, but he managed to correct his wording just in the nick of time!
Anyway, Glass Menagerie played a pretty hot set of jazz on the night.
Most of it had a 70's jazz/fusion kinda of feel with added touches of funk and rock in the mix.
Much of the rock element was because of Mike Stern's output. He had a Strat that sounded like a heavy metal guitar and he looked the part too.
His playing was wonderful mind you.
Michal Urbaniak was playing an instrument called a lyricon which was a bit like a clarinet synthesiser!
The entire band were great musicians and there were plenty of solo moments to remind everyone. Nobody overdid it either, including drummer, Billy Cobham.
So yeah, a really terrific evening of contemporary jazz.
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The evening got off to a slightly embarrassing start when one of the organisers came on stage to introduce the band and said "...will you welcome, Billy Connoll...er...um...Billy Cobham".
Yes, very nearly an intro for the Scottish comedian, but he managed to correct his wording just in the nick of time!
Anyway, Glass Menagerie played a pretty hot set of jazz on the night.
Most of it had a 70's jazz/fusion kinda of feel with added touches of funk and rock in the mix.
Much of the rock element was because of Mike Stern's output. He had a Strat that sounded like a heavy metal guitar and he looked the part too.
His playing was wonderful mind you.
Michal Urbaniak was playing an instrument called a lyricon which was a bit like a clarinet synthesiser!
The entire band were great musicians and there were plenty of solo moments to remind everyone. Nobody overdid it either, including drummer, Billy Cobham.
So yeah, a really terrific evening of contemporary jazz.
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BE BOP DELUXE - Caird Hall - 6 February 1977
Be Bop Deluxe first appeared on the scene in that transitional mid 70's period in music - after glam rock and before punk, so journalists were unsure how to categorise them as the band were too clean cut to be a full-on rock outfit but not commercial enough to be a pop group, so they generally got classified as a college band or art rock band.
Mind you they did actually have a couple of chart successes, their most known one being "Ships In The Night", which they played live.
Having released around 4 albums by 1977, the gig was mostly made up of album track material, highlighting the guitar skills of main man, Bill Nelson.
A nice tidy workout.
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Mind you they did actually have a couple of chart successes, their most known one being "Ships In The Night", which they played live.
Having released around 4 albums by 1977, the gig was mostly made up of album track material, highlighting the guitar skills of main man, Bill Nelson.
A nice tidy workout.
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BHUNDU BOYS - Fat Sams - 13 July 1986
This was a scorching gig. Both band performance-wise and summer heat-wise.
The Bhundu Boys brought their brand of African Jit Jive to town and blazed their way through a spellbinding set.
It was dancey, fluid, upbeat, fast-paced and colourful.
It seemed almost like a night out in Zimbabwe!
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The Bhundu Boys brought their brand of African Jit Jive to town and blazed their way through a spellbinding set.
It was dancey, fluid, upbeat, fast-paced and colourful.
It seemed almost like a night out in Zimbabwe!
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GENESIS - Caird Hall - 24 April 1980
Knowing that 1980 was to be my final year going to see big named bands in concert hall venues, I decided go see Genesis again 3 days later in Glasgow, as a last hurrah sort of thing.
This Dundee gig here though was a sell out and so Genesis were still a major draw even well into the new wave era.
The band by now had a different line-up to their previous visit in 1977 and their music had been trimmed down to size somewhat. 4 minute tracks now rather than 15 minute epics!
They even "introduced" an extra band member - a drum machine. As if 2 drummers wasn't enough! It fitted in well though with their new sound.
So yeah, Phil Collins was in charge, an amusing front-man who occasionally acted out some of the tracks, had a bit of fun interacting with the audience and was pretty energetic in general, as well as running to and from his drum kit throughout.
The music was a mix of new album material and older classics from their back catalogue.
The lightshow, smoke machine and lasers were all still in full effect too.
A nice entertaining evening.
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This Dundee gig here though was a sell out and so Genesis were still a major draw even well into the new wave era.
The band by now had a different line-up to their previous visit in 1977 and their music had been trimmed down to size somewhat. 4 minute tracks now rather than 15 minute epics!
They even "introduced" an extra band member - a drum machine. As if 2 drummers wasn't enough! It fitted in well though with their new sound.
So yeah, Phil Collins was in charge, an amusing front-man who occasionally acted out some of the tracks, had a bit of fun interacting with the audience and was pretty energetic in general, as well as running to and from his drum kit throughout.
The music was a mix of new album material and older classics from their back catalogue.
The lightshow, smoke machine and lasers were all still in full effect too.
A nice entertaining evening.
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BIG COUNTRY - Teazers - 12 Apr 1983
This was quite a boisterous night.
Big Country had that guitar sound which was instantly recognisable - like 500 fiddles plugged into a stack of amps at an electrified ceilidh..!!
The material was catchy melodic chorus based tunes, all of which were played with passion.
It sure whipped the crowd up into a sweaty frenzy - in a tartan army kinda way!
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Big Country had that guitar sound which was instantly recognisable - like 500 fiddles plugged into a stack of amps at an electrified ceilidh..!!
The material was catchy melodic chorus based tunes, all of which were played with passion.
It sure whipped the crowd up into a sweaty frenzy - in a tartan army kinda way!
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ULTRAVOX - Caird Hall - 14 November 1982
I had a couple of Ultravox albums back in the 70's, but I never got round to seeing them live during that era.
I did, however, see their keyboard player, Billie Curry, in 1979 when he was in Gary Numan's band.
So I went along to this gig at Caird Hall to catch the band's new incarnation featuring Midge Ure.
It really was SO 80's, in a cliched formula way.
The stage set had an architectural style layout that looked a bit like a scene from the movie, Metropolis, with each band member placed on separate plinths. The entire set was painted grey, as was the PA system which blended in perfectly.
From this grand design, the band took the cue to present Ultravox in its latest "big production" format.
They played their set well enough, all very polished and professional. Every move they made gave the impression that it had all been clinically rehearsed.
The tunes were rather excessive and theatrical, as if each song was specifically made with thought of extravagant promo videos in mind.
So, although it was still an OK gig, the tracks and stage show were just too overblown for it to be the same band.
At the end of it all, the Ultravox I liked in the 70's, were far more interesting musically.
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I did, however, see their keyboard player, Billie Curry, in 1979 when he was in Gary Numan's band.
So I went along to this gig at Caird Hall to catch the band's new incarnation featuring Midge Ure.
It really was SO 80's, in a cliched formula way.
The stage set had an architectural style layout that looked a bit like a scene from the movie, Metropolis, with each band member placed on separate plinths. The entire set was painted grey, as was the PA system which blended in perfectly.
From this grand design, the band took the cue to present Ultravox in its latest "big production" format.
They played their set well enough, all very polished and professional. Every move they made gave the impression that it had all been clinically rehearsed.
The tunes were rather excessive and theatrical, as if each song was specifically made with thought of extravagant promo videos in mind.
So, although it was still an OK gig, the tracks and stage show were just too overblown for it to be the same band.
At the end of it all, the Ultravox I liked in the 70's, were far more interesting musically.
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NATIONAL HEALTH - University - 7 November 1976
This was my first ever gig at the University and I got in for free because my uncle was caretaker. We arranged to meet at the entrance, and I was let in OK.
After this one, the rest of my Uni gigs were done the proper way, either by buying a ticket or getting signed in and paying at the door.
Anyway, I was really looking forward to seeing National Health as they were a fairly new discovery for me.
I had been reading about the band in the music papers and they seemed worthwhile checking out. I don't think they had released any records at this point.
The only member I was familiar with back then was drummer Bill Bruford.
It was a great gig. The band were really hot, music-wise. Jazz-rock in the Canterbury scene mould. Technical compositions with odd time signatures, played in such a way that it was thrilling to listen to.
Fine stuff indeed.
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After this one, the rest of my Uni gigs were done the proper way, either by buying a ticket or getting signed in and paying at the door.
Anyway, I was really looking forward to seeing National Health as they were a fairly new discovery for me.
I had been reading about the band in the music papers and they seemed worthwhile checking out. I don't think they had released any records at this point.
The only member I was familiar with back then was drummer Bill Bruford.
It was a great gig. The band were really hot, music-wise. Jazz-rock in the Canterbury scene mould. Technical compositions with odd time signatures, played in such a way that it was thrilling to listen to.
Fine stuff indeed.
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RORY GALLAGHER - Caird Hall - 14 January 1977
This turned out to be Rory Gallagher's first gig of the tour on UK mainland, by accident!
He was scheduled to start the tour in Aberdeen the night before, but bad weather forced his flight from Ireland to be cancelled, and so Dundee became the opening night of the tour.
Gallagher was a superb guitarist of course. He didn't really follow music trends. He didn't deploy any gimmicks or present a flashy stage show.
His style was, no nonsense blues-rock to get the audience rocking!
So with sleeves rolled up, distressed Strat strapped on, he sweated buckets playing a variety of raw rock & blues numbers that went on for around 2 and a half hours.
An excellent night's work.
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He was scheduled to start the tour in Aberdeen the night before, but bad weather forced his flight from Ireland to be cancelled, and so Dundee became the opening night of the tour.
Gallagher was a superb guitarist of course. He didn't really follow music trends. He didn't deploy any gimmicks or present a flashy stage show.
His style was, no nonsense blues-rock to get the audience rocking!
So with sleeves rolled up, distressed Strat strapped on, he sweated buckets playing a variety of raw rock & blues numbers that went on for around 2 and a half hours.
An excellent night's work.
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THE REZILLOS - College of Technology - 3 March 1978
I've seen the Rezillos and Revillos in both these name formats, and this gig here was the band in their first incarnation.
A bit of a hoot the Rezillos were.
They played a kind of trashy sci-fi punk style of music that almost became a genre in its own right.
Their tunes were fast and jagged. The band image was like comic strip characters and their stage show was highly animated.
The songs went down well with the crowd, triggering the student sense of humour.
Rezillos ended their set with "Ballroom Blitz", the early 70's glam rock track by Sweet.
Coincidentally, the Tech disco "Deepwater Disco", played the same track on a fairly regular basis, so this tune probably got 2 blasts that night!
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A bit of a hoot the Rezillos were.
They played a kind of trashy sci-fi punk style of music that almost became a genre in its own right.
Their tunes were fast and jagged. The band image was like comic strip characters and their stage show was highly animated.
The songs went down well with the crowd, triggering the student sense of humour.
Rezillos ended their set with "Ballroom Blitz", the early 70's glam rock track by Sweet.
Coincidentally, the Tech disco "Deepwater Disco", played the same track on a fairly regular basis, so this tune probably got 2 blasts that night!
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SLADE - Caird Hall - 1 May 1974
This was my first ever gig!
I was still at school and quite a few of my class mates had tickets too, so there was a good buzz leading up to it.
1974 was pretty much the final year of glam-rock, and I had been into the scene from the start, around 1970.
I had all of Slade's records in my collection and it was great to hear some of those chart singles live on the night.
For instance, they started the concert with "Take Me Back 'Ome".
Their setlist also included a couple of new tracks, "Everyday" was one, then a few album tracks from their back catalogue and other live faves.
The band were so LOUD, my ears were hissing for a couple of days afterwards!
Slade put on a really entertaining show and were very good at interacting with the audience.
Halfway through the concert, they had a look-a-like contest, to find out who in the crowd looked most like one of the band members.
The winner was such a clone of Noddy, the rest didn't stand a chance. He even had the same bushy sideburns!
The crowd had actually rushed down to the front of the stage at the beginning of the gig, but near the end of the show, the crush got so out of hand, a couple of kids ended up in hospital.
The police were called too and they prevented Slade doing an encore.
This, along with hundreds of pounds worth of damage to the seating, became newspaper headlines in the UK press next day, not only just the local press.
I now no longer have my ticket, but the colour photo above was taken at this very gig.
Slade live was a whopping action-packed introduction to live gigs!
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I was still at school and quite a few of my class mates had tickets too, so there was a good buzz leading up to it.
1974 was pretty much the final year of glam-rock, and I had been into the scene from the start, around 1970.
I had all of Slade's records in my collection and it was great to hear some of those chart singles live on the night.
For instance, they started the concert with "Take Me Back 'Ome".
Their setlist also included a couple of new tracks, "Everyday" was one, then a few album tracks from their back catalogue and other live faves.
The band were so LOUD, my ears were hissing for a couple of days afterwards!
Slade put on a really entertaining show and were very good at interacting with the audience.
Halfway through the concert, they had a look-a-like contest, to find out who in the crowd looked most like one of the band members.
The winner was such a clone of Noddy, the rest didn't stand a chance. He even had the same bushy sideburns!
The crowd had actually rushed down to the front of the stage at the beginning of the gig, but near the end of the show, the crush got so out of hand, a couple of kids ended up in hospital.
The police were called too and they prevented Slade doing an encore.
This, along with hundreds of pounds worth of damage to the seating, became newspaper headlines in the UK press next day, not only just the local press.
I now no longer have my ticket, but the colour photo above was taken at this very gig.
Slade live was a whopping action-packed introduction to live gigs!
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XTC - College of Technology - 27 January 1978
I can remember the rave reviews XTC were getting in the music press back then.
Their debut album and live shows were both receiving top marks.
So I made my way through the snow to the gig and was expecting something special - but I'm afraid I just couldn't get into their groove on the night.
I understood what they were trying to do, with their punchy presence and energetic tunes, but their ideas didn't seem to be fully formed.
You could tell there were good ideas in there but somehow most just seemed rather sketchy, too rushed, disjointed and didn't really gel to make for pleasant listening.
They sounded a more like school kids rehearsing, not quite ready for the college circuit.
So that was a bit unexpected, especially after the glowing write-ups.
I still kept an eye on XTC as they developed though, and it was around about their 3rd album over a year later that I did get into their groove, so I did actually end up with a few of their albums by the mid 80's.
I never felt the need to backtrack on their first couple of records!
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Their debut album and live shows were both receiving top marks.
So I made my way through the snow to the gig and was expecting something special - but I'm afraid I just couldn't get into their groove on the night.
I understood what they were trying to do, with their punchy presence and energetic tunes, but their ideas didn't seem to be fully formed.
You could tell there were good ideas in there but somehow most just seemed rather sketchy, too rushed, disjointed and didn't really gel to make for pleasant listening.
They sounded a more like school kids rehearsing, not quite ready for the college circuit.
So that was a bit unexpected, especially after the glowing write-ups.
I still kept an eye on XTC as they developed though, and it was around about their 3rd album over a year later that I did get into their groove, so I did actually end up with a few of their albums by the mid 80's.
I never felt the need to backtrack on their first couple of records!
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BUZZCOCKS / JOY DIVISION - Caird Hall - 8 October 1979
Joy Division were the warm-up act but they received a rather cold, unresponsive reaction on the night - just sporadic applause really.
I liked the electronic drum sound used on a couple of tracks, and of course Ian broke out into his fidgety dance style as the set progressed, which was rather eye-catching.
PA problems didn't really help their cause though.
By the time Buzzcocks took to the stage the hall had filled up a bit more
With guitars cranked up, they powered their way through a boisterous set of punky tuneful songs.
It wasn't long before the crowd ran down to the front of the stage to absorb the energy swirling around the room.
Plenty classic album tracks mixed in with some pop hits - and quite a lively evening it turned out to be.
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I liked the electronic drum sound used on a couple of tracks, and of course Ian broke out into his fidgety dance style as the set progressed, which was rather eye-catching.
PA problems didn't really help their cause though.
By the time Buzzcocks took to the stage the hall had filled up a bit more
With guitars cranked up, they powered their way through a boisterous set of punky tuneful songs.
It wasn't long before the crowd ran down to the front of the stage to absorb the energy swirling around the room.
Plenty classic album tracks mixed in with some pop hits - and quite a lively evening it turned out to be.
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SOFT HEAP - Royal Hotel - 10 December 1979
This gig took place in one of the hotel's lounge suites rather than in their dancehall, so it was pleasantly intimate.
I knew in advance that they were a jazz-rock outfit but the friend I was with didn't know anything about them. So the band had only been playing for around 10 minutes when my friend declared he'd had enough, and decided to depart!
I stayed for the full show however, and really enjoyed it.
Lots of intricate interplay with complex time signatures.
Plenty free-form improvisation with excellent musicianship on display.
Top notch workouts by the band and when time to solo.
A bit of a feather in the cap for Platform who organised it.
Delighted to have caught the band in action.
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I knew in advance that they were a jazz-rock outfit but the friend I was with didn't know anything about them. So the band had only been playing for around 10 minutes when my friend declared he'd had enough, and decided to depart!
I stayed for the full show however, and really enjoyed it.
Lots of intricate interplay with complex time signatures.
Plenty free-form improvisation with excellent musicianship on display.
Top notch workouts by the band and when time to solo.
A bit of a feather in the cap for Platform who organised it.
Delighted to have caught the band in action.
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BUDGIE - Caird Hall - 17 April 1976
I never had any records by Budgie in my collection before I went to this gig - I really only popped along to the show out of curiosity.
I'd seen their name appear in the music papers fairly regularly but still wasn't familiar with their sound, so got myself a ticket.
Much to my surprise, I didn't take to them at all.
They just seemed to be a kind of composite of other bands rather than have their own identity, music content-wise.
Fairly standard rock cliches that reminded me of other acts.
The lead guitarist had his moments but the singer was really weak, so was his personality - not a good rock persona at all.
So although I didn't feel the need to depart before the end, I also didn't feel the need to add any of their records to my collection afterwards either.
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I'd seen their name appear in the music papers fairly regularly but still wasn't familiar with their sound, so got myself a ticket.
Much to my surprise, I didn't take to them at all.
They just seemed to be a kind of composite of other bands rather than have their own identity, music content-wise.
Fairly standard rock cliches that reminded me of other acts.
The lead guitarist had his moments but the singer was really weak, so was his personality - not a good rock persona at all.
So although I didn't feel the need to depart before the end, I also didn't feel the need to add any of their records to my collection afterwards either.
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PAUL HAIG - Fat Sams - 3 August 1986
A top quality gig - Paul Haig on fine form, as was his band.
The music still had that Josef K edginess but had now developed into a more powerful melodic structure with his songs increasingly catchy.
It was kinda funky and kinda funny - the amusement later being supplied by Billy MacKenzie who appeared near the end of the set to add a touch of vocals and indulge in a bit of humorous banter with the crowd.
Paul's latest album at the time was called "The Warp Of Pure Fun" and he managed to turn the title into an entire evening of entertainment.
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The music still had that Josef K edginess but had now developed into a more powerful melodic structure with his songs increasingly catchy.
It was kinda funky and kinda funny - the amusement later being supplied by Billy MacKenzie who appeared near the end of the set to add a touch of vocals and indulge in a bit of humorous banter with the crowd.
Paul's latest album at the time was called "The Warp Of Pure Fun" and he managed to turn the title into an entire evening of entertainment.
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U.F.O. - Caird Hall - 17 December 1979
Another evening of loud rock music to make the ears hiss afterwards!
I'd already seen UFO in action earlier in the year and so I knew what to expect on the night.
Nothing theatrical with their presentation - just no nonsense, energetic hard rock to get everyone off their seats.
The singer was wearing a shirt & tie which made him look like he was in a new wave band, so at least they were keeping up with the times rather than be stuck in an early 70's metal monsters mould.
There was an extra element of interest to the gig with local metal crew, Colossus, supplying the support, and it was them who actually got the crowd running down to the front of the stage.
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I'd already seen UFO in action earlier in the year and so I knew what to expect on the night.
Nothing theatrical with their presentation - just no nonsense, energetic hard rock to get everyone off their seats.
The singer was wearing a shirt & tie which made him look like he was in a new wave band, so at least they were keeping up with the times rather than be stuck in an early 70's metal monsters mould.
There was an extra element of interest to the gig with local metal crew, Colossus, supplying the support, and it was them who actually got the crowd running down to the front of the stage.
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THE JAGS - Tech College - 7 June 1979
The Jags played angular, choppy, power-pop music that sounded like a cross between XTC & Elvis Costello.
Tight and full of bite, they managed to drive their way through an energetic but tuneful set.
Having said that, the songs were kinda typical new wave based rather than particularly innovative.
Nevertheless, a good night's work and an appreciative audience.
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Tight and full of bite, they managed to drive their way through an energetic but tuneful set.
Having said that, the songs were kinda typical new wave based rather than particularly innovative.
Nevertheless, a good night's work and an appreciative audience.
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