The City Hall Newcastle

[Maggie/915]

This venue needs saving it seems.

Makes me wonder how many people have memories of concerts.

My first concert was a strange one

'The Hollies and Roy Orbison' sharing the bill.

Everyone listened to Roy Orbison but for the Hollies It was people screaming so loudly you could hear nothing at all.

Possibly1964

[ex Bedlingtonian]

Could have been there myself. I went to many, many concerts at the City Hall in the 60's, and The Hollies and Roy Orbison are two acts I would have wanted to see.

[mickypotts]

I just remembered seeing Roy Orbison at the Haymarket in the Tatler club, 3.00 pounds entrance fee and we were the only ones in the room apart from a pair of drunk gay gentlemen singing their heads off, Roy may have had a few too many as weell cos neebody wes in tune that night, 1971 sounds about right

[paul mann]

They had fun bills in those days - seven or eight acts, some of whom you never saw again. The top act played maybe 40 minutes.

[tomtom]

They were the days - I remember going to a number of Lindisfarnes Last Concerts! - yes, the City Hall hold many memories - anyone ever go to see Cliff Richards and the Shadows in the late 50's - I was there.

[keith lockey]

I saw four groups there, mainly in the 70' - 80s.

Blue Jays (Justin Hayward & John Lodge after the Moody Blues split up); Bread, Mick Ronson (Bowie's guitarist) and Roxy Music.

Justin Hayward started out with Marty Wilde - Kim's dad - and me, Paul Kane & Kevin Miller saw Marty Wilde at the top club one night - where Morrisons is now!!!

[Maggie/915]

How about Bob Dylan 1965 ish

Santana 75 or 76

Then there was Eric Clapton with Muddy Waters in 1978

Dire Straits on the day John Lennon died.

They were good times. Bring back the Vinyl

Maybe we are just getting old but it beats Spotify!

[Maggie/915]

Petition to Save the City Hall handed to the Newcastle Council today.

11,000 I believe.

[Maggie/915]

Crazy concerts, we saw Wreckless Eric at an old cinema used as a concert hall in Ashington.

It seems he met the girl for him not in Tahiti but in Hull.

The original concert was in about1980 and the last one last year.

The track that was popular was Whole Wide World.

[Maggie/915]

Seems The City Hall has been saved.

The City Hall is as much part of the Toon as Saint James' Park!

[Maggie/915]

Santana Concert 1975.

[Canny lass]

I remember seeing, I use the Word loosely, The Rolling Stones at the city hall. I had a great view while everyone was seated  but, being short, I couldn't see a thing when the whole audience was on it's feet. Well, almost all. Many were lying on the floor having fainted or had a fit of hysterics.

[Tonyp]

Great venue I seen T.rex,Hawkwind,Mott the Hoople Queen were supporting them magical seventies much better than the new arena

Venues

[Maggie/915]

We nearly always get side tracked.

This thread might interest you willyj

Talking about exile, I am now listening to Van the Man with John Lee Hooker.

'Too Long in Exile' love the track 'Wasted Years'.

Maybe there are others who would identify with the track and sentiment !

[paul mann]

I started at the Chronicle in 1963. They made me the music reporter because I was the youngest on staff. Pretty well saw them all and got to interview most of them, including The Beatles at the City Hall during their last concert tour of the U.K. in 1965. Too many reporters went to interview The Beatles first time so me and another lad went for a Chinese then back to the City Hall stage door to try our luck. Only us. They let us in. Spent a good 40 minutes with Paul McCartney. John offered me a fag, I should have kept it, be worth a fortune now. George was quiet and watched The Avengers on telly and Ringo sat next to the buffet table eating a bloody great bowl of trifle. Not that I remember any of it.

[willy j.]

You're right Maggie, the City Hall was our Cathedral in the 60's. The great bands of the time came thick and fast, in what they called 'Package Tours'. It was especially good for us up and coming young musicians, It was common to see 5 or 6 top bands on, I mean bands like Hendrix, Floyd, Family, The Nice, The Move all on the same bill ably supported by quality bands such as Stone The Crows, Eire Apparent and The entire Sioux Nation etc.

 

If they held concerts nowadays with such an array of bands it would probably cost you £200 just to get in.

 

So glad that I lived through that period, what memories. And before any clever Dick comes on with the old cliché that if you remember the 60's, you weren't there. Well, I remember it very well, and I was there.

[willy j.]

Maggie

 

If you're a fan of Van the Man what do you think of his version of 'Moondance?' I personally think that song is a classic, especially the way he does it. When our band got back together a few years ago to do 2 charity gigs at the Bedlington Community Centre, we rehearsed it and played it both nights. I loved playing it, definitely my favourite. Thank you VM.

[Maggie/915]

The whole CD/LP of Moondance is great but for us it has to be Astral Weeks.

Wavelength is another favourite.

The record he did with the Chieftains is another regularly played.

He teamed up with Brian Kennedy in later years which was worth a listen.

Really could not pick out an all time favourite.

On one occasion we saw him and he got irritated that someone shouted for 'Brown Eyed Girl'

Next time it was on his play list.

[willy j.]

Agree with everything you say Maggie, after all music is eternal. It is one genre where we have no arguments. Beautiful isn't it?

[John Fox (foxy)]

I saw four groups there, mainly in the 70' - 80s.

Blue Jays (Justin Hayward & John Lodge after the Moody Blues split up);

City Hall June 1981

 

[Ovalteeny]

My first gig at The City Hall was May 1964 with Rolling Stones, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers, Julie Grant, Keith Powell & The Valets.

Then, later the same month Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, The Animals, The Swinging Blue Jeans, King Size Taylor & the Dominos, The Other Two + The Nashville Teens 

50 years later and I'm still going to gigs and enjoying live music, you can't beat it.

[Bedlingtonian]

My only visit to the City Hall was in the early seventies when I went to see T.Rex when they were at their peak. To start the concert Marc Bolan was risen up on the stage by an illuminated star and many of the girls then threw their underwear onto the stage. I think I was star struck at the time as the next live group I remember seeing live were The Jam at Whitley Bay ice rink.

[willy j.]

Great stuff Ovalteeny, keep going to the gigs, honestly there is no substitute for live music.

 

I must share an experience I had at the City Hall a couple of years ago. A few years before that,

I had discovered a singer/songwriter/ guitarist called Joe Bonamassa. Collected all his CD's and they were brilliant, I had waited 30 years for someone like this to turn up. But that wasn't the end of it, I was lucky to see him live at the city hall, and he absolutely blew me away. To see so much talent in one man made me sick, I was so jealous.

 

Seriously though, if anyone reading this ever gets the chance to see him live, do it, no matter what the cost. And if you are also a musician, you will truly be amazed by the quality of his band.

[keith lockey]

The one I missed was Jimmy Webb.

 

If you've never heard of him Google him and see how many hit songs he wrote for other singers!

[Ovalteeny]

Willy J, Joe Bonamassa has generally been a little too heavy blues for me, but I have his latest album and like that. No doubting his talent with the guitar though, top man.

 

Most of the acts I have seen over the past 50 years have been in southern / London venues (and USA). However, I did get back to the City Hall 2 summers ago to see Bonnie Raitt, who with her usual band of top class musicians was as good as, if not better, than the previous 6 or 7 times I've see her. I usually go mostly to the Sage these days. One highlight of this Bonnie Raitt gig was the support act, who I had heard of but not heard anything by. He was an Irish lad called Foy Vance and he was terrific. Check out his album "Joy of Nothing".