A Happy New Year to one and all. My thanks to everyone who has visited Darren’s music blog during 2023. As usual an eclectic mix of musical genres feature in this year’s top ten most viewed posts of the year – from blues to classic rock, to prog, to goth, to punk, to new wave, to folk – and much more in between! Here’s to 2024 which will mark ten years since I first started this blog back in March 2014.
1. So farewell to Butlin’s Rock & Blues weekends, Skegness 13-15 January 2023
For more than a decade an out-of-season trip to Butlins has been a fixture in my diary at least once each year: numerous trips to Minehead for the Giants Of Rock weekends, several trips to Skegness for the Great British Folk Festival and a handful of additional trips to the same resort for the Rock & Blues weekends. But now it was finally all coming to an end. My review of the final ever Rock & Blues weekend.
2. Live review: Francis Rossi – ‘Tunes & Chat’ at White Rock Theatre, Hastings 3/6/23
Always quite a Quo fan since being a young teenager, I’d originally booked to see Francis Rossi on his ‘I Talk Too Much Tour’ back in 2020. Covid came along and that got rescheduled and then cancelled altogether but Rossi finally made it to Hastings’ White Rock Theatre on his follow-up tour, ‘Tunes and Chat’.
3. Goth without the gloomy bits: five cheerful, upbeat and joy-inducing songs by goth bands
My affectionate but somewhat tongue-in-cheek look at some of my favourite tunes from goth bands. Features Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cult, Sisters of Mercy and The Cure.
4. Live review: Steeleye Span at the Old Market, Brighton & Hove 23/11/23
This tour saw Steeleye Span promoting a new album The Green Man Collection. The band revisit some of their past material with a mixture of songs written by members of the band at the time and some traditional numbers. The new album also includes a newly-composed song from Maddy Prior, a couple of well-chosen covers and something that was written for the band by (the sadly now recently deceased) Bob Johnson back in the ‘80s, committed to tape and then completely forgotten about for the next four decades.
5. Notes from the Lust For Life Tour – Feb/Mar 2023
The Lust For Life tour brought together Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop), Clem Burke (Blondie, Iggy Pop), Katie Puckrik (Pet Shop Boys, Sparks), Kevin Armstrong (Iggy Pop, David Bowie), Luis Correia (Earl Slick) and Florence Sabeva (Heaven 17). Having had the immense privilege of spending the past few months working on the PR campaign for the tour it was a joy to finally witness the band live, not just in a professional capacity but most importantly as a fan, of both that glorious Iggy Pop album and of the individual players in the band, too. The band are back for a new tour in Feb/March 2024.
6. Live review: Graham Nash at De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill 30/8/23
Billed as ‘Sixty Years of Songs & Stories’ the ten-date UK tour celebrated Graham Nash’s six decades of writing, recording and performing. I’m aware of his hits with The Hollies in the early days, of course, and (courtesy of a couple of compilations) I’m also pretty familiar with some of the best-known songs by both Crosby, Still & Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. I can’t claim to have followed his solo career in any great depth but, nevertheless, I felt confident that this tour was going to be something rather special and something I didn’t want to miss.
7. Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2023
Following an enforced two-year break due to Covid, going to last year’s Cropredy festival almost felt like a novelty. This year, though, it very much felt like being part of an annual fixture once more, the two-year gap now but a distant memory. With various combinations of friends and family over the years, I’ve been going to Fairport Convention’s annual bash in rural Oxfordshire since 2010 so it’s been part of my summer for a good chunk of my life now.
8. Live review: Iggy Pop, Blondie, Generation Sex, Stiff Little Fingers & Buzzcocks at Crystal Palace Park 1/7/23
One thing I like about the music scene these days is how much less tribal it all is compared to when I was a teenager. The intense rivalry between punks and metalheads has certainly dissipated since I was at school in the late 70s and early 80s. The passage of time, for many of us, has led to a much broader appreciation of rock and roll in all its many guises. As a teen, I was firmly in the hard rock/metal camp rather than the punk/new wave camp but looking around at those attending what has been billed Dog Day Afternoon today, there doesn’t look to be much difference in appearance between all the crop-haired, ageing punk fans clad in regulation khaki shorts and black T-shirts and all the crop-haired, ageing metal fans clad in regulation khaki shorts and black T-shirts.
9. Absolute Beginner: Interview with Bowie/Iggy guitarist Kevin Armstrong
Kevin Armstrong has played alongside icons like David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Thomas Dolby, Sinéad O’Connor and many others. We catch up to talk about his forthcoming autobiography Absolute Beginner which came out in October; as well as the Lust For Life project which has brought together the likes of Clem Burke, Glen Matlock and Katie Puckrik to celebrate the classic Iggy album; plus our mutual love of the live music scene down here in Hastings.
10. Live review: John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest at Salle Pleyel, Paris 19/11/23
I was fairly late coming to Barclay James Harvest. I was aware of the likes of ‘Mocking Bird’, of course, but picked up a second-hand compilation from a charity shop in about 2019 and my fasciation grew from there. By the time lockdown came, I found myself tracking down the band’s entire back catalogue on ebay. When I saw that John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest were doing their final tour I decided I just had to be there. With only one remaining UK date I wasn’t particularly keen on a trek all the way up to Huddersfield from my home in Hastings and so I hit on the idea of a trip to Paris. I could meet up with friends and make a long weekend of it.
One of the really nice things about seeing Steeleye Span live (and there are many) is that on each new tour there are always a few surprises to look forward to. It’s never just a ‘greatest hits’ set of the most obvious crowd-pleasers plus a few songs thrown in to plug whatever happens to be the latest album. Obscure songs from the band’s bulging back catalogue are dusted down and given a new lease of life. New arrangements are tried out by what is often a very different line-up from the one that originally recorded it. Or sometimes an entire album is revisited and performed in full. Meanwhile, to make way for a constantly-evolving setlist, old stage favourites are often gently retired and given a rest for a few years.
This current tour sees Steeleye Span promoting a new album The Green Man Collection. Here, the band revisit some of their past material with a mixture of songs written by members of the band at the time and some traditional numbers. The new album also includes a newly-composed song from Maddy Prior, a couple of well-chosen covers and something that was written for the band by Bob Johnson back in the ‘80s, committed to tape and then completely forgotten about for the next four decades.
The latter song, ‘Green Man’, is the one that opens the show. The symbolism of the Green Man has obviously been a mainstay of English folk traditions for centuries but here the lyrics address ecological concerns – then very current in the 1980s when it was first written and, alarmingly, even more current now. Dark, brooding and slightly mysterious, it’s a classic slice of Steeleye Span and a superb opener. Indeed, it’s a complete mystery how the band managed to forget about such a magnificent track. Both the original version and the newly-revisited version appear on the new album.
Alongside familiar numbers like ‘The Dark Morris Song’, ‘New York Girls’ and ‘Tam Lin’, the first half of the set also sees the band take on two songs written by former bass-player, Rick Kemp, ‘Low Flying’ and ‘Genocide’. The former featured on the 1990 Rick Kemp & Maddy Prior album Happy Families whilst the latter appeared on Kemp’s solo album Escape.
The second set opens with a surprising but hugely poignant cover of Elvis Costello’s ‘Shipbuilding’. This is then followed by a newly-written song from Maddy Prior – the excellent ‘Hey Nonny Violence’, which very much follows in the Steeleye Span tradition of seemingly jolly songs tackling much darker themes. Another new song (well new for Steeleye Span, anyway) is the band’s interpretation of the traditional ‘The Sound of Drums’.
That’s not to say there aren’t a few more familiar favourites as well. One song I would have been disappointed to see dropped was ‘Hard Times of Old England’ and, as Prior points out in introducing it, it’s sadly as relevant today as it ever was. For those familiar with the Mike Batt-produced version on the All Around My Hat album, this new interpretation is even more of a rocked-up boogie-fest than the original recording. This is no surprise as none other than Status Quo’s Francis Rossi makes an appearance on the new album guesting on this track, and the band bring some of the spirit of the mighty Quo to their stage performance tonight. There’s also some equally lively fiddle from newcomer, Athena Octavia, who slots in alongside the old hands beautifully.
All the band are on fine form, Prior’s voice is in top-notch shape and Steeleye Span continue to surprise and delight. When the band exit the stage to huge applause towards the end of their second set all that is left is for them to come back on for a riotous, sing-along version of ‘All Around My Hat’ and we can all leave with a spring in our step.
Setlist – first set: Green Man The Dark Morris Song Sir James the Rose When All The World The Gardener New York Girls Low Flying Genocide Tam Lin
Setlist – second set:
Shipbuilding Hey Nonny Violence Black Jack Davy The Sound of Drums The Weaver and the Factory Maid Jack Hall Hard Times of Old England Bonny Black Hare Dodgy Bastards All Around My Hat
Blackbox on the main thoroughfare in the heart of Hastings Old Town is proving to be a superb small music venue for the town. It is pretty much what the name suggests, a 200+ capacity oblong room with the stage across the front, the bar across the back and, unlike many small venues inhabiting reconfigured old buildings, there are no awkwardly-placed pillars or over-congested bars getting in the way of sightlines. Black Box is fast-developing a reputation for pulling in some pretty big-name acts, too. They’ve recently welcomed both Mike Peters from the Alarm and Mark Chadwick from the Levellers and in January they are due to host British Lion, the side-project of Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris. Tonight it’s the turn of New Wave Of British Heavy Metal legends, Praying Mantis, who are supported by another veteran name of the era, Tytan.
Tytan were the band put together by Angelwitch bassist, Kevin Ruddles, on the demise of the original Angelwitch in the early ’80s. That band also fell apart after a couple of years, although their debut album was eventually released in 1985. Then in 2016 Ruddles reformed Tytan – now fronted by the impressive Tony Coldham who possesses a fantastic rock voice with a great vocal range. Providing top-notch support, Tytan deliver a superb slice of powerful but melodic early 80s heavy metal, performing songs from both their original 1985 album, Rough Justice, and its Iong-awaited 2017 follow-up, Justice Served. I was impressed enough to pick up a copy of the former from the merch desk and would certainly enjoy seeing this band again.
Unlike Tytan, Praying Mantis are a band I have seen live on several occasions in recent years, courtesy of numerous retro-themed hard rock and heavy metal weekends. Although not quite as chequered as the aforementioned Tytan, like many still-touring bands of the original NWOBHM era, Praying Mantis have still have something of a chequered past with various changes in personnel and a long hiatus throughout most of the ‘80s. For the past decade, however, the band’s line-up has been entirely stable with Dutch lead vocalist, John Cuijpers, fronting the band; alongside guitarist Andy Burgess, drummer Hans in’t Zandt and the ever-present Troy brothers, Tino on guitar and Chris on bass. As he alluded to on stage, Tino Troy has recently moved to Hastings which definitely assured him an extra warm welcome tonight. Not exactly a home-coming gig it was more of a housewarming party.
Few bands of the NWOBHM era are able to combine machine-gun heaviness with finely-polished melodiousness quite like Praying Mantis and tonight was no exception. It’s a superb set and the quality of material the band continues to release these days means that they are not simply reliant on old stage favourites – with the eponymously named ‘Praying Mantis’ and the ecologically-themed ‘Children Of The Earth’ from the band’s early days, appearing alongside the excellent ‘Cry For The Nations’ from the band’s 2022 album and other newer material.
An excellent night of old-school heavy metal in a superb local venue.
This is a somewhat unusual blog post for me, being part gig review, part crime report and part trauma therapy.
Starting at the beginning, I was fairly late coming to Barclay James Harvest. I was aware of the likes of ‘Mocking Bird’, of course, but picked up a second-hand compilation from a charity shop in about 2019 and my fasciation grew from there. By the time lockdown came, I found myself tracking down the band’s entire back catalogue on ebay. In fact, there’s only one studio album left I’ve yet to buy.
When I saw that John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest were doing their final tour I decided I just had to be there. With only one remaining UK date I wasn’t particularly keen on a trek all the way up to Huddersfield from my home in Hastings and so I hit on the idea of a trip to Paris. I could meet up with friends and make a long weekend of it. What could be more fun?
It all seemed to be going smoothly but as soon as I got off the Eurostar at Gare du Nord I was followed on to the Metro platform by two men who began assaulting me on the train, one grabbing my bag and trying to pull me over and, unbeknownst to me, the other one making off with my wallet. As soon as I got out off the Metro I got onto my bank to report my cards stolen but in the twelve minutes since boarding the train and reporting my wallet stolen they had still managed to make off with £1,400 from my account. Fortunately, the bank have refunded the missing money but to say it put a damper on the weekend and left me fearful and traumatised was something of an understatement.
In fact, after several panic attacks over the course of the weekend the only time I properly relaxed and felt genuinely safe was when I got inside the Salle Pleyel. Thankfully, the robbers didn’t nick my ticket! A beautifully-designed theatre with the sort of security you’d expect of a venue of this size, I immediately felt the chances of me being mugged by a bunch of elegantly-turned out, ageing French prog fans was pretty much close to zero and I was able to put my experiences to one side and concentrate on immersing myself in the concert that I’d come especially to Paris for.
It meant my first and only time seeing John Lees Barclay James Harvest was memorable for all of the right reasons. An absolutely spell-binding performance, with original BJH member, John Lees (guitar/vocals), being joined by his regular band of Craig Fletcher (bass, vocals), Jez Smith (keyboards) and Kev Whitehead (drums), for two hours of BJH classics spanning a four decade period from the original band’s debut album in 1970 to the North album in 2013.
With a wonderfully-atmospheric light show and a big screen showing the relevant album covers from both the original band and John Lees’ latter-day reconfiguration with the current line-up, it was an emotional evening and Lees was visibly moved by the audience reaction on more than one occasion. This quiet, gentle, self-effacing but supremely-gifted man was happy to let his band-mates do most of the talking but there was, deservedly, a huge amount of love for him in the Salle Pleyel audience.
In terms of musical highlights there are far too many to list but I was particularly moved by ‘Child of the Universe’ (sadly, still all-too relevant in terms of the impact of the horrors of war on the very young); ‘North’ from the current band’s 2013 album of the same name (celebrating the land of my own Lancashire upbringing, from its industrial heritage to its near-constant wet weather); and, of course, the aforementioned ‘Mockingbird. For their encore the band finished with the ecologically-themed ‘Dark Now My Sky’ from the band’s debut album and a beautifully-poignant rendition of ‘Hymn’ which turned into a huge, communal singalong.
A bright spot in an otherwise painful weekend. Thank you John Lees and thank you BJH.
Setlist:
Fifties Child Child of the Universe Poor Man’s Moody Blues In My Life If Love Is King North Cheap the Bullet Mocking Bird For Your Love Loving Is Easy Suicide? Medicine Man The Poet After the Day Dark Now My Sky Hymn
Following on from her hugely enjoyable gig at the Albert Hall last year, Suzi Quatro is currently touring the UK once again. An almost capacity-crowd packed out Brighton Dome to witness Quatro mark her half-century since first topping the UK charts with ‘Can The Can’.
The set-list is largely the same as for the Albert Hall performance, spanning the Suzi Quatro back catalogue from 1973 right up to the present day. However, there have been a couple of new albums since last April’s Albert Hall gig and we get a song apiece from each of those: her covers release, Uncovered (here represented by Quatro’s storming interpretation of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Bad Moon Rising’.) and her duet album with KT Tunstall, Face To Face (here represented by ‘Shine A Light’).
Like last year, there’s no support – just two hour-long sets of pure unadulterated Suzi with just a short break in the middle. Of course, last year’s prestigious Albert Hall gig saw a handful of special guests take the stage, too, in the form of Sweet’s Andy Scott, Slade’s Don Powell and Suzi’s own son, Richard Tuckey. But in truth, hugely enjoyable though these cameos were, no special guests are needed. Quatro’s backing band (these days incorporating female backing singers and a brass section in addition to the classic bass-drums-keyboards-guitar configuration) are absolutely shit-hot.
The first half sees the various phases of Quatro’s fifty-year solo career well-represented, as are the different sides of her on-stage musical persona. From the big glam-era hits like ‘Daytona Demon’ and ’48 Crash’; to the emotive balladry of ‘Can I Be Your Girl?’ from early ‘80s Unreleased Emotion album; to songs from the two critically-acclaimed albums written with son, Richard, No Control and The Devil In Me; to a blistering cover of Neil Young’s ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’.
Now back on stage in her trademark leather jumpsuit, there’s another blast of her more recent material in the second half, including the magnificent ‘Motor City Riders’ celebrating Quatro’s Detroit heritage, as well as more Chinn/Chapman-penned hits and a stomping version of ‘Glycerine Queen’ from Quatro’s first album which is then followed by a pumping extended bass solo.
Soon it’s time for the two songs absolutely everyone has been waiting all night for: ‘Can The Can’ and ‘Devil Gate Drive’. And Suzi implores us all to get up on our feet for these. Sadly, we also know this incredible show is drawing to a close but there’s still time for a joyful, life-affirming communal sing-along to ‘Can’t Give Me Love’ followed by an incendiary rendition of Chuck Berry’s ‘Sweet Little Rock n Roller’. For her final encore Suzi puts down her bass and takes a stool to give us a spellbinding rendition of the Eagles ‘Desperado’.
An incredible show. An incredible fifty years.
Setlist:
The Wild One I May Be Too Young Daytona Demon Tear Me Apart Shine a Light Stumblin’ In 48 Crash No Soul/No Control The Devil In Me Slow Down Rockin’ in the Free World Can I Be Your Girl? Motor City Riders I Sold My Soul Today Bad Moon Rising She’s in Love With You Overload Too Big Glycerine Queen Can the Can Devil Gate Drive If You Can’t Give Me Love Sweet Little Rock & Roller Desperado
My book ‘Suzi Quatro In The 1970s’ published by Sonicbond is available here
“Can you recommend any decent hotels in the area?” a friend from London texted. “We’re coming to see Graham Nash at Bexhill.”
“Ooh that sounds quite interesting,” I thought, and after duly making my hotel recommendation, I went online and booked my own ticket.
Billed as ‘Sixty Years of Songs & Stories’ the ten-date UK tour celebrates the 81-year old Graham Nash’s six decades of writing, recording and performing.
I’m aware of his hits with The Hollies in the early days, of course, and (courtesy of a couple of compilations) I’m also pretty familiar with some of the best-known songs by both Crosby, Still & Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. I can’t claim to have followed his solo career in any great depth but, nevertheless, I felt confident that this tour was going to be something rather special and something I didn’t want to miss.
You could be forgiven for thinking the ‘Songs & Stories’ moniker meant the evening was going to be based on that familiar format that’s become rather popular with performers of a certain vintage in recent years: a sofa, lots and lots of chat, anecdotes galore and a few songs thrown in for good measure. But no, this is a proper full-blown gig, with not a sofa in sight.
Nash is joined on stage by his two longstanding collaborators, Shane Fontayne (guitar and vocals) and Todd Caldwell (keyboards and vocals) – excellent musicians both of them. It’s truly magical hearing the trio perform classics likes of ‘Marrakesh Express’, ‘Find The Cost of Freedom’ (dedicated to the people of Ukraine), ‘Cathedral’ and ‘Our House’. Nash is in fine voice, aided by some beautiful harmonising from Fontayne and Caldwell.
There is even a new album to promote on this tour. Now was released earlier this year and we get to hear songs from that, too, including the poignant ‘A Better Life’ – described by Nash as a continuation of the themes expressed in ‘Teach Your Children’ and his hope for a better, more sustainable, more peaceful future for humanity.
As well as performing his own songs, Nash also expresses heartfelt appreciation for some of his closest collaborators, friends and musical heroes, paying tribute in the form of songs written by Allan Clark, David Crosby and Stephen Stills. There’s also ‘Buddy’s Back’ – Nash’s self-penned and wonderfully evocative tribute to Buddy Holly (“We were called The Hollies for God’s sake!”)
After an enthusiastic standing ovation the band are back on stage for an encore of Buddy Holly’s ‘Everyday’ and CSNY’s ‘Teach Your Children’. A joyous end to an incredible evening and a fitting way to celebrate the career of someone who has made such a positive mark on popular music these past sixty years.
Set-list:
Wasted on the Way
Bus Stop
I Used to Be a King
Find the Cost of Freedom
Military Madness
Right Between the Eyes
A Better Life
Buddy’s Back
Marrakesh Express
To the Last Whale (Critical Mass / Wind on the Water)
Following an enforced two-year break due to Covid, going to last year’s Cropredyfestival almost felt like a novelty. This year, though, it very much felt like being part of an annual fixture once more, the two-year gap now but a distant memory. With various combinations of friends and family over the years, I’ve been going to Fairport Convention’s annual bash in rural Oxfordshire since 2010 so it’s been part of my summer for a good chunk of my life now.
Day One – Thursday
As usual, Fairport Convention opened the festival with a short acoustic set, Dave Mattacks now returning to the band he’s been in and out of since 1969 in order to take the place of Gerry Conway (who departed last year). As is now traditional, the band opened with Chris Leslie’s ‘Festival Bell’ timed to coincide with the ringing of the church bells over in the village (although even after all these years I’ve never actually managed to hear the ringing from the festival arena).
Chris Leslie up on the big screen for Fairport’s acoustic set (Photo: Simon Putman)
It was then straight into a blistering set from Merry Hell. The Wigan-based folk rockers have been frequent performers at the ‘Festival Fringe’ in the village of Cropredy but until now had never actually performed on the main stage. Formed back in 2010 out of the ashes of ‘folk-punk’ band, the Tansads, they’ve now put out six studio albums and released a double-disc best-of compilation earlier this year, a number of the songs from which they performed as part of their Cropredy set here. The band certainly know how to turn out a rousing anthem and many of the songs have a theme of communal togetherness (‘We Are Different We Are One’, ‘Lean On Me Love’, ‘Come On England’, ‘We Need Each Other Now’). More recently there’s been an additional (and very welcome) focus on environmental themes, represented today by ‘Leave It In The Ground’ and Greta Thunberg tribute, ‘Sister Atlas’. I suspect many Cropredy-goers will already have been very familiar with the band but they are sure to have won over many new fans this weekend.
Merry Hell’s John Kettle (Photo: Simon Putman)
Damian Wilson & Adam Wakeman were an entertaining duo, largely performing the latter’s songs rather than material from the more proggy or heavy metal-oriented parts of Wakeman’s past CV. However, by far the standout moment for me was their rendition of Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars’ which Wakeman’s father so memorably played piano on. Maybe it was just that I’d reached that time of the evening where I just wanted a succession of sing-along-to-every-word rock covers. Which was very fortunate indeed as soon it would be time for Toyah and Robert…
Fresh from the success of their Sunday lunchtime YouTube performances which became an unexpected lockdown hit, Toyah Wilcox and Robert Fripp made a surprise guest appearance last year as part of Trevor Horn’s set. This year they are back in their own right. Who could have guessed that an ’80s pop icon and her prog-rock-royalty husband would make such a fantastically entertaining duo. Blasting out one rock classic after another (‘Paranoid’, ‘Kashmir’, ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’, Sharped Dressed Man’…) as well as Toyah’s own ‘I Wanna Be Free’ and ‘It’s A Mystery’ it was utterly, utterly joyful.
Welcome to Cropredy festival (Photo: Simon Putman)
From being a young teenage heavy metal fan my musical tastes have certainly broadened over the years to incorporate so many additional genres: from folk to blues to country to prog to reggae to punk and much. much more besides. Would Nile Rodgers & Chic be a step too far, however? When the disco craze was in full swing at the end of the ’70s I absolutely loathed the music with a passion but I tried my hardest to approach the Thursday night headline slot with an open mind. What can I say? Engaging showmanship, consummate musicianship and hugely talented vocalists but to my ears it turned out to be little more than a compendium of some of the most irritating hit songs of my entire lifetime. I didn’t get it back then and it looks like I’m never going get it now. It was nice to see others clearly enjoying it, however.
Day Two – Friday
The Joshua Burnell Band kicked off Friday’s music on the main stage. While I’d never seen Joshua or his band live before, I’d previously reviewed his extremely impressive Flowers Where The Horses Sleepalbum back in 2020. He’s since recorded another album, Glass Knight, which he was actually releasing this very weekend at Cropredy. It’s a stunningly good set, best described as Hunky Dory-era Bowie meets folk rock meets prog, and the band are extremely well-received by the Cropredy crowd. The decision to time the release of the new album to coincide with their Cropredy slot was a smart one as they are bound to have shifted a sizeable number of copies based on that performance.
Joshua Burnell and bandmates (Photo: Simon Putman)
Next up was Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri. I’d already made arrangements to spend Friday afternoon at Cream Of The Crop, the boutique festival that takes place on an adjacent field (but where ticket-holders for the main festival are very much welcomed). It meant I wouldn’t have time to see much of Kiki Dee but I was rather hoping she’d do ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ very early on before I headed over to the other festival – and I’m pleased to say she did! Her musical partner explained that since he began working with Kiki Dee he was never going to attempt to pass himself off as Elton John, so that most famous pop-rock duet has been reinvented as a tender, laid-back solo ballad with some neat guitar work from Carmelo Luggeri.
Over at Cream of the Crop I was looking forward to seeing Parkbridge, but as a small festival with a couple of a hundred attendees maximum at any one time it has also proved to be the perfect location for catching up with old friends, a succession of whom I bump into before Parkbridge come on stage. Hailing (unsurprisingly) from Park Bridge in Greater Manchester, the band combine a love of folk rock, 70s-era classic rock and blues to come up with their own unique formula. Seasoned musicians all, the band have their debut album coming out in October, which would provide the bulk of their set today, albeit with a couple of well-chosen covers thrown in, too, courtesy of the Stray Cats and Free.
Parkbridge on stage at Cream of the Crop (Photo: Simon Putman)
We made it back to the main stage well in time for Strawbs, for what would be the last ever public performance by Dave Cousins, following medical advice. I must confess that the only Strawbs album I ever listen to with any regularity is the one they recorded with Sandy Denny before she joined Fairport but it was an emotional experience witnessing Cousins making his swansong performance. He was visibly moved by the warm response he got from the crowd. Just as I was secretly hoping all the way through, they even threw in ‘Part Of The Union’, too. It’s not one of Cousins’ own songs but it was definitely a defining Cropredy moment this year as we all bellowed out the words to that famous pop-folk novelty workers’ anthem of the early ’70s.
Dave Cousins gives an emotional final performance (Photo: Simon Putman)
The crowd-singalongs did not stop with ‘Part Of The Union’ because before too long we were on to a rip-roaring set from Fisherman’s Friends. I’ve seen the film, bought their top-selling ‘major label’ album and even saw them live when they came to Hastings a few years ago. I always knew they’d be a stonking festival band though and they did not disappoint. With raucous sing-alongs, tongue-in-cheek banter and shanties galore, for sheer unadulterated fun it actually turned out to be one of my highlights of the entire weekend.
Jon Cleave of Fisherman’s Friends (Photo: Simon Putman)
A combination of age, beer, cider and waking up at the crack of dawn this year due to our tent being right next to the busy railway line meant we decided to call it an early night and give 10cc a miss. Plus I didn’t want to miss out on a certain midnight rendezvous with Fairport the following evening. If I was going to be a party pooper better it be for ‘I’m Not In Love’ than ‘Meet On The Ledge’.
Day Three – Saturday
If Friday afternoon was all about bunking off from the main festival to spend time at Cream of the Crop, Saturday afternoon was all about spending time in Cropredy village. It’s an adorably picturesque Oxfordshire village, steeped in history – both of the English Civil War variety and of the folk rock variety, with a number of Fairport members having lived there (or in neighbouring villages) over the decades; an iconic shot for the band’s Nine album being taken outside one of the village pubs and, of course, the annual festival taking place following the band’s self-proclaimed ‘farewell concert’ here in 1979.
Welcome to Cropredy village (Photo: Simon Putman)
This year there was an extra special reason to be visiting the village, however, and that same pub The Brasenose. The late Sandy Denny’s daughter, Georgia, was hosting an exhibition at the pub, celebrating Sandy’s life. Featuring dresses and jewellery worn by Sandy, together with other personal effects and notebooks of song lyrics, it’s a lovingly put-together tribute to one of England’s greatest ever singer-songwriters. I also had the opportunity of to meet and chat with Georgia who kindly signed my exhibition programme.
Souvenir book from the Sandy Denny Exhibition (Photo: Darren Johnson)
The village of Cropredy really throws itself into the festival weekend and local residents make the most of thousands of people descending on them for a few days each year. The village hall, village school and sundry other buildings are repurposed as temporary dining establishments and every spare bit of space seems to have a pop-up stall of one sort or another. I got waylaid at the CD stall where the stallholder cheerfully told me that he was now selling everything off for a pound. It was good stuff, too. I ended up coming away with 40 CDs. Passing by half an hour or so later I could hear I’d even been enlisted as part of his sales pitch: “It’s all quality stuff. See that bloke over there in the orange shirt. He’s just spent forty quid here. ”
Forty more CDs for the collection (Photo: Simon Putman)
After depositing my second-hand CDs back at the campsite I was back at the main festival in time for Solstice. They were one of the bands that materialised as part of the prog renaissance in the early 80s, along with Marillion, Pallas, Twelfth Night and Pendragon who were all on the bill for the 1983 Reading Festival which I attended as a 17year-old. I can’t remember whether I saw Solstice then or not but I certainly remember walking around with the band’s name on the back of my festival t-shirt for a couple of years afterwards. At least I will know for sure that I saw them this time. Probably the most out-there and proggiest band of the weekend, at first I thought it was all a tad self-indulgent but after starting on another four-pint jug of cider I began to think it was all rather glorious. I would definitely go and see them again.
Stocking up on cider (photo: Kevin Smith)
The Young ‘uns I’d seen many times before and was confident the Cropredy crowd would immediately warm to them – which they did. When the trio first started out it was very much with a focus on traditional songs but as the songwriting of Sean Cooney developed, the Young ‘Uns carved out a niche for themselves singing songs about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Whether the stories are historical or contemporary (from the Spanish Civil War to the London Bridge terror attacks to one young woman’s uniquely heartfelt approach to suicide prevention) they sing with gusto, passion and strong regional accents. It’s always a delight to see them and they end their triumphant set with a suitably folked-up cover of ‘Sit Down’ by James. Fantastic stuff.
Gilbert O’Sullivan I remember from my childhood as my step-mum played his albums a lot when I was a young kid. In other circumstances I would have happily stayed, being both familiar with many of his big hits and mildly curious about what he’s been up to in the intervening decades. But it was time for a break from the cider, some chill-time at the tent and a strong cup of tea – ready to be rested and reinvigorated for the festival’s perennial headliners themselves.
Dusk over Cropredy festival (Photo: Simon Putman)
As Fairport Convention were not celebrating any major milestones at Cropredy this year (albeit that 2023 marks the fiftieth anniversary of both the Rosie and the Nine albums) we didn’t get any reunited line-ups of surviving former members or albums played in full – although Fairport founder member Ashley Hutchings was one of the guests invited on stage this year and, of course, long-time member Dave Mattacks is now back playing with the band following the departure of Gerry Conway. As such, Fairport’s set perhaps lacked some of the dramatic “pinch me” moments of previous Cropredy appearances. But it was still a very fine two-and-a-half-hour set with a plethora of classic Fairport songs from the band’s early days and a heavy sprinkling of songs from their most recent studio album, Shuffle & Go. Indeed, there were perhaps rather too many of the latter since it is now three years old and the band have made far better albums in the past decade or so in my view, such as the truly excellent Festival Bell.
Fairport Convention’s Dave Pegg up on the big screen (Photo: Simon Putman)
No matter, it was an enjoyable set with guest appearances from the aforementioned Ashley Hutchings along with Vikki Clayton, Becky Mills (who is one of the very best interpreters of Sandy Denny material around today in my view) and Hannah Saunders & Ben Savage. At least having a fairly minimal number of guests this year and no logistics to juggle with that come through performing an entire album in full, it meant they could avoid cutting the set short this year – unlike last year where ‘Matty Groves’ had to be unceremoniously dumped to make sure they still had time for ‘Meet On The Ledge’. Once again, an emotional and triumphant end to a highly enjoyable weekend. It all came round again.
One thing I like about the music scene these days is how much less tribal it all is compared to when I was a teenager. The intense rivalry between punks and metalheads has certainly dissipated since I was at school in the late 70s and early 80s. The passage of time, for many of us, has led to a much broader appreciation of rock and roll in all its many guises. As a teen, I was firmly in the hard rock/metal camp rather than the punk/new wave camp but looking around at those attending what has been billed Dog Day Afternoon today, there doesn’t look to be much difference in appearance between all the crop-haired, ageing punk fans clad in regulation khaki shorts and black T-shirts and all the crop-haired, ageing metal fans clad in regulation khaki shorts and black T-shirts.
Buzzcocks
Excepting Buzzcocks (and a couple of artists I’d seen perform in other permutations) this will be my first time seeing virtually all of the bands on stage today. But it will be the first time seeing Buzzcocks without Pete Shelley, since his passing in 2018. Steve Diggle has now switched to lead vocals, got in a new lead guitarist in place of Shelley and carried on pretty much where they left off. Pete Shelley was a unique talent with a unique vocal delivery and it’s not everyone who can perfect that blend of northern camp -meets- punk attitude so I was therefore wondering how Steve Diggle would shape up in trying to fill his shoes. But he pulls it off pretty magnificently. Fast, raucous, irreverent – Buzzcocks were sheer joy to watch. And in spite of being only the second band of the day (unfortunately, I missed the Lambrini Girls due to having to check into my hotel beforehand) there was a decent crowd to sing along as they blasted out timeless punk anthems like ‘What Do I Get?’, ‘Orgasm Addict’ and ‘Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)’.
Setlist:
What Do I Get?
Senses Out of Control
Fast Cars
People Are Strange Machines
I Don’t Mind
Sick City Sometimes
Why Can’t I Touch It?
Orgasm Addict
Promises
Manchester Rain
Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)
Harmony in My Head
Stiff Little Fingers
Comprising Jake Burns and Ali McMordie (who were both with the band when it started in 1977) and Ian McCallum and Steve Grantley (who have each been around since the mid-1990s) this is a stable line-up and a well-oiled machine who deliver another impressive set. Jakes Burns also gets a well-earned round of applause (by way of introduction to the song ‘My Dark Places’ from the 2014 album No Going Back) when he opens up about his own struggles with depression and urged men in the audience not just to bottle things up like he did, but to talk to someone. We hear you, Jake.
Setlist:
Tin Soldiers
Nobody’s Hero
Roots, Radics, Rockers, Reggae
Just Fade Away
Doesn’t Make It Alright
My Dark Places
Barbed Wire Love
At the Edge
Wasted Life
Gotta Gettaway
Suspect Device
Alternative Ulster
Generation Sex
Composed of 50% Sex Pistols (in the form of Steve Jones on guitar and Paul Cook on drums) and 50% Generation X (in the form of Billy Idol on vocals and Tony James on bass) Generation Sex is a modern-day celebration of both bands, with a setlist that is drawn entirely from the music of each. Some may regard bolting together incomplete bits of classic bands in this way as somewhat sacrilegious. Imagine if Paul and Ringo and Mick and Keith formed a hybrid of the Beatles and the Stones in this way. But the punk generation appears to have fewer qualms about it – not least because it’s absolutely brilliant. The band power through a crowd-pleasing mix of Pistols and Generation X songs with energy and vitality. Plus, it has to be said, Idol is a much better vocalist than John Lydon could ever be. There’s still enough of a sneer and a snarl in his delivery, however, that the essential essence of the Pistols is very much in evidence in all of the Sex Pistols numbers performed today. Given the way the material from both bands is rapturously received by the crowd, no-one would appear to be feeling at all short-changed by this hybrid melding of bona fide punk icons.
Setlist:
Pretty Vacant
Ready Steady Go
Wild Youth
Bodies
Black Leather
Kiss Me Deadly
Dancing With Myself
Silly Thing
King Rocker
God Save the Queen
Your Generation
My Way
Blondie
Blondie absolutely knocked me out. The whole day was a very strong line-up anyway but in terms of sheer class and charisma, in terms of wave after wave of iconic era-defining classics blasting from the PA and in terms of the immense power emanating from the band on stage, this very much felt like a headline performance in every possible way. A playful Debbie Harry, celebrating her 78th birthday today, is in fine voice as she belts out song after song, accompanied by the unmistakeable signature drumming from the ever-brilliant Clem Burke and with none other than another ex-Pistol, Glen Matlock, now putting his own signature stamp on the bass. Sadly, there is no Chris Stein on this current tour. He has taken leave due to ongoing health issues but his shoes are ably filled by Andee Blacksugar, with Matt Katz-Bohen (keyboards) and Tommy Kessler (guitar) completing the line-up. It’s an unforgettable performance.
Setlist:
One Way or Another
Hanging on the Telephone
Sunday Girl
Call Me
Will Anything Happen?
Atomic
Rapture
The Tide Is High
Long Time
Detroit 442
Maria
Heart of Glass
X Offender
Dreaming
Iggy Pop
Old schoolboy loyalties meant I was slower in coming to British punk than many of my fellow middle-aged festival attendees here today. But I was certainly not slow in coming to Iggy, the Godfather of Punk himself. I’d picked up second-hand copies of the Lust for Life album and The Idiot while I was still a young teenager in the early 80s and I bought the Blah Blah Blah album as soon as it came out back in 1986. But, curiously, until today I never actually got around to seeing him live. He has been on my bucket-list of artists to see for some time though and he certainly doesn’t disappoint. Shirtless, tanned and with that familiar torso now covered in wrinkles and bulging veins, Iggy Pop is a manic, mesmerising presence on stage.
His newly-refreshed backing band are exceptional, too. With echoes of saxophonist, Steve Mackay’s contributions in the Fun House era of The Stooges, the band now includes a full brass section. I’m not sure my brain quite adjusted to hearing layers of brass on songs like ‘The Passenger’ and ‘Lust for Life’ but the entire set felt like a real privilege to witness – and there was a nice mix between old Stooges material, his classic late 70s solo era and songs from his most recent album, Every Loser. I had finally got to see the great Iggy Pop in action. A brilliant ending to a pretty amazing day.
Formed in 2011 in Northern Beaches on the outskirts of Sydney and now on to their fourth album, Aussie rockers, Ocean Alley, have built up a decent following in the UK in recent years and are currently mid-way through a European tour promoting their latest release, Low Altitude Living. While the backdrop may have been the English Channel rather than the Pacific, Ocean Alley seemed a perfect fit for a balmy summer evening at Bexhill’s De La Warr Pavilion this week.
First up were the even more appropriately-named Seaside, another Australian band who kicked things off with a lively forty-minute set and a chance to hear their newly-released single ‘Housewife’.
Ocean Alley tend to be labelled alternative rock but their music embraces a variety of influences, from psychedelia to hard rock to reggae. And they eschew the more po-faced, uber-cool aesthetic beloved of some indie rockers, and bring with them enough rock and roll swagger to ensure a much broader appeal. Lead singer, Baden Donegal, has a nicely lived-in feel to his voice and there’s some fine bluesy licks coming from lead guitarist, Angus Goodwin. Even more importantly, there’s an irresistible anthemic quality to so many of their songs which means that even if you’re not too familiar with their entire back catalogue you can’t help but be swept away by the waves of enthusiasm emanating from both band and audience.
Unsurprisingly, a sizeable chunk of the set-list tonight comprises songs from Low Altitude Living, which came out last Autumn. But there’s also room for some older crowd-pleasers, including ‘Lemonworld’ which kicked things off, the rousing ‘Tombstone’ and the ever-popular ‘Confidence’ which drew big roars of approval from the Bexhill crowd.
If tonight’s show is anything to go by this latest tour will have certainly helped to cement Ocean Alley’s reputation among UK audiences and won them over some new fans.
Regular readers of Darren’s Music Blog will not be surprised that my interest in glam rock has taken me to quite a few ‘70s-themed package shows over the years. However, although I’ve seen many such tours advertised I’d never actually been to one of the ‘60s-themed ones before now. I’ve always had it in mind to catch one while there’s still, at least, a chance of seeing one or two of the original performers from the era still touring. Walking along Hastings seafront a few days ago, I noticed the poster for the Sensational 60s Experience appearing at Hastings White Rock Theatre later in the week. I checked on my phone to see they still had tickets and booked then and there.
First up tonight are The Fortunes. Lead vocalist and founding member, Rod Allen, had kept the group going from its inception in 1963 through until his death in 2008. Guitarist, Michael Smitham, the longest serving member of the current line-up has been around since 1983, however, with the others joining in more recent decades. Clearly, we weren’t going to see any of the original Fortunes tonight but they rattle through a few hits, songs like ‘Here It Comes Again’ and ‘You’ve Got Your Troubles’ from the 60s and (straying into the early 70s when The Fortunes enjoyed a bit of a revival in their own fortunes) ‘Freedom Come, Freedom Go’ and ‘Storm In A Teacup’.
Vanity Fare were formed in 1966, had three Top Twenty UK hits in the late 60s and even though their last original member, Trevor Brice, left them in 1979, they can still boast Guitarist/vocalist, Eddie Wheeler, who has been with them since 1970. Moreover, bass-player, Bernie Hagley, has been around since 1974 so they can claim a reasonable pedigree. I’m not too familiar with their material but they are good musicians – and as well as their own hits they throw in a couple of entertaining cover, too, including a lively version of ‘Spirit In The Sky’.
After performing several songs under their own steam, Mike d’Abo is then invited on stage to join them – a genuine, bonafide 60s hitmaker if ever there was one. Vanity Fare do an excellent job substituting for d’Abo’s former band as he powers through a selection of Manfred Mann hits: ‘Just Like a Woman’, ‘Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James’ and ‘Ha! Ha! Said the Clown’; as well as couple of d’Abo’s own songs that others enjoyed success with: ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ and the unforgettable ‘Handbags and Gladrags’. d’Abo is in strong voice tonight, exudes charisma on stage and is the stand-out act of the evening in my view. He leaves us with a spirited rendition of the pre-d’Abo, breakthrough hit for the Paul Jones-fronted version of the band. ‘Da Wah Diddy Diddy’ gets us all singing along before we hit the interval, and a chance to meet the man himself.
Mike d’Abo came out to sign CDs and meet fans during the interval
An appropriately double-denim-clad Swinging Blue Jeans then kick things off in the second half. Again, it’s another group on stage tonight without any members who played on their original hits. However, vocalist/lead guitarist, Alan Lovell, has been with the band since 1999 and did play alongside original members, Ray Ennis and Les Braid, for a number of years. The other musicians in the band can also boast some impressive rock and roll credentials between them, playing with the likes of Joe Brown, Cliff Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry among others. While the line-up might be the real thing, it’s probably the most authentically rock and roll performance of the evening, sticking to the basic template established by the first generation of US rockers back in the 1950s. As well as The Swinging Blue Jeans’ own biggest hit ‘The Hippy, Hippy Shake’ (which was originally written and recorded by US rock and roller, Chan Romero, in 1959), we get the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis’s ‘High School Confidential’ and Little Richard’s ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’.
Next up are Tremeloes tribute, The Trems. Unlike the others on the bill tonight they don’t claim to be the actual band (a version of which is still going, containing two sixties-era members). Rather, The Trems are billed as “former members of the Tremeloes”. Joe Gillingham (on keyboards) has been playing with the Tremeloes/Trems since the late 80s while Jeff Brown (on bass and vocals) has been with them since 2005. Brown, who also did a long stint with Andy Scott’s Sweet throughout the 90s and early 2000s needs no introduction to me as I’d seen him numerous times before, albeit in 70s glam persona rather than swinging 60s! It’s the closest thing tonight to a straightforward tribute act but Brown is an entertaining frontman and he and his bandmates get a deservedly enthusiastic response from the audience.
Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch wouldn’t have been my obvious choice as headliner for a 60s tour but proved to be the real surprise of the evening. Former frontman, Dave Dee, sadly passed away in 2009 and the original Dozy also passed away in 2015 and we have a replacement Mick (drummer, John Hatchman who’s been playing with them since the early 80s), a new Titch (lead guitarist Jolyon Dixon, who’s been around since 2014) and a new Dozy (Nigel Dixon on bass, who joined in 2015). But it’s still the original Beaky and rhythm guitarist, John Dymond, carries the air of surprised, bemused delight that he’s still doing this 58 years after releasing their first single. It’s all rather glorious as they amp up the sound and blast out the old hits like ‘Bend it’, ‘Zabadak’, ‘Legend of Xanadu’ and ‘Hold Tight’ with a raucous rock and roll swagger. Full of energy, spectacularly bonkers and hugely entertaining, it was a great end to the evening.
The original Beaky (centre) with Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch
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