What’s the difference between Slade and an LGBT choir? Well, having seen both within 24 hours I think I’m now qualified to say.
It was 46 years ago that I last saw Slade, as a pimply 17 year old with glitter in my long shapeless mop of hair. That was in front of 10,000 fans at Earls Court in London, one of the first arena style concerts of the 1970s. Last night there were 400 or so at the Academy in Newcastle and I had just as much fun then as I did the last time. Slade are an uncomplicated good time rock and roll band with all the sophistication of having your dinner at Burger King, but that doesn’t matter a jot. We all went home happy and even as I write this, 24 hours later, I’m still smiling.
They performed all their major hits. Most people now think of Merry Christmas Everybody when they think of these wrinkly rockers from Wolverhampton but they were always much, much more than that. They played hit after hit last night, ending with a much heavier version of their famous Christmas song than you ever hear on the Ken Bruce show.
Dave Hill, the guitarist with THAT fringe, now covers his hair with a hat. Ever the showman, and a joy to watch as he plays the crowd, he may have a more than a little of the Ronnie Corbett about him nowadays but with Noddy Holder no longer playing with the band, Dave Hill IS Slade.
The mainly 50-something crowd celebrated the show with a middle aged version of the mosh pit. And while in the 1970s the crowd mainly gathered at the front of the stage, last night they were chiefly at the back so they could make a quick getaway – or maybe just to be near the toilets.
Special mention should go to the support band, “Sons of the Seventies.” A group of young guys who couldn’t have been born before 1985, keeping the rock songs of the best decade ever alive. And doing it so well! One of them loved the seventies so much that he even copied my haircut from 1973.
And so to the station the following day for the Northern Voices Community Choir. No noise, no glitter, no string of hits, but this choir sound like professionals. And today they were singing to raise money for the North East Homeless Charity. Volunteers were there to serve Christmas Dinner to 200 homeless people from Newcastle and the choir provided the musical backdrop.
There were also volunteers collecting money from passers by. I’d already given to one person but then I was approached by a very enthusiastic and cheerfully threatening Tim Healy, and put something in his bucket too.
Who was better? Well it’s never a competition, so if I was on X Factor I would’ve put both of them through. Of course they were impossible to compare so if you’ve read this far to find out who I thought was better I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. That’s if you actually have read this far…have you?
Hello….?
Merry Christmas anyway folks x
Steve's Journal 