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Search forSeeing Stars - Nov 1978
Monday, November 17, 2008, 08:00
THE big name at the Colston Hall this November week in 1978 was US heart-throb Gene Pitney.
“After no fewer than four supporting acts, which included comedians Cannon & Ball and Denise Nolan of the Nolan Sisters, Gene Pitney arrived on stage to rapturous applause,” wrote Post critic Nicola Meyrick the next day.
“Suave and assured, he sang medleys of his hit songs with gusto, interspersed with raunchy rhythm numbers.
“Presents and cards for Pitney and his baby son David were handed on to the stage and he achieved great rapport with the audience by reading out every one.
“He said that he had a cold but this didn’t prevent him from kissing three ardent lady fans and cuddling a little girl.
“Pitney might have been polished,” Nicola continued, “but his supporting acts were a mixed bunch.
“Rising comedy duo Cannon & Ball provided a lot of laughs and I think that they are heading for fame.
“Singer Denise Nolan was also impressive – I enjoyed her rendering of The way we were.”
The Post’s main music critic, James Belsey, was at the Colston Hall earlier in the week to review Whitesnake.
He was to be disappointed.
“It was definitely back pages time last night as revivalist heavy rockers Whitesnake took to the stage,” he wrote.
“The group include singer David Coverdale, substitute frontman during the final years of Deep Purple’s long- overdue demise, and Purple’s keyboard player Jon Lord.
“The show was instantly forgettable, an attempt at good time boogie which never rose beyond the mediocre.
“A moment to cherish was Coverdale singing raucously that he’d been mistreated and thought he was losing his mind.
“I think the lad had it wrong. But perhaps one shouldn’t judge by appearances.
If heavy rock must make its return – and I pray heaven it never does – let’s have more interesting outfits than this one.
“I didn’t hear an original riff throughout the concert.
“Although show openers Magnum seemed bewitched by such heroes as Led Zeppelin and The Who, they converted the style into their own language.
“A noticeably sparse audience did their best to enjoy the evening.”
A little bit more excitement, I hope, was generated by Joe Strummer’s Clash at the Locarno in Frogmore Street (tickets cost £2.75 on the door).
It would be a year before London Calling really thrust the punk band into the big time.
Up at Tiffany’s, on the Downs, those really in the know went along to see London punk band X-Ray-Spex, led by the wonderfully named Poly Styrene.
Their first single, Oh Bondage, Up Yours!, is now widely acknowledged as a classic punk rock single.
The band broke up in 1979, but reformed, without Poly Styrene, for one final concert at London’s Roundhouse last September.
Older punters, however, might have been happier motoring down to The Queen’s Hotel at Burnham-on-Sea to see US singer Emile Ford.
Emile, plus his Checkmates, were seen on such cult TV programmes as Oh Boy! and Six-Five Special.
His huge hit of 1959 was What do want to make those eyes at me for?
Failing that, Kenny Lynch was at Snuffy’s Cabaret Club in Frenchay.
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