Melody Maker, January 5, 1980

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Melody Maker

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Obesity and light relief


Harry Doherty

Kampuchea benefits / Hammersmith Odeon
Saturday: Wings / Elvis Costello & The Attractions / Rockpile

At 6.30 pm, it was said, by "reliable sources," that a certain Mr Lennon had checked into the Dorchester Hotel.

The forecourt of Hammersmith Odeon on this dry, crisply cold Saturday evening was throbbing in expectation. The billboard said Wings, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Rockpile and Billy Connolly, but each of us stored the hope that the evening would have its little surprises.

Or maybe Geldof had it right: "Don't believe what you read."

We got in — eventually — and sat in buzzing anticipation. By this time, music business people were popping up and swopping Christmas tales of gluttony. The subject of a — schh — Beatles reunion was talked around with knowing secrecy.

Meanwhile, the lights went down and Billy Connolly, our host for the evening, fell onto the stage. Even Billy had been reading the papers, but evidently not talking to the right people backstage. "Ah dinnae wantae build yer hopes up," he drawled surreptitiously, "but ah've jist seen three a'the Applejacks backstage."

A burst of nervous laughter. This jock obviously knew something. He introduced Rockpile.

Strange it was that the best band should go on first, but there you go. Jake Riviera has cornered the market in underdogs. Rockpile flicked through an hour-long set with the ease of Joe Jordan going over the top in a tackle, and with just as much bite.

Drummer Terry Williams — he only has two feet — managed to give three people — Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds and Billy Bremner — kicks up the ass simultaneously and Rockpile sustained the pace for the entire set. But the audience, made up of the silent majority, i.e. Wings' fans, was unmoved by the nation's best dance band.

The boys themselves seemed to enjoy it — as I did — and when they wheeled on Robert Plant to take vocals on a raucous version of "Little Sister" (Ry Cooder would have been shocked), one might have expected the audience to rise in acclaim. But not a flutter. To his credit, Plantie tried hard not to bare his chest, though at one stage he did lift the mic stand and give us a "typical Zep pose." Elvis Costello would later remark that he never thought he'd see Rockpile play "Stairway To Heaven." Six people laughed.

The interval. Gossip is rife. HE hasn't arrived yet... but Pete Townshend has, and John Bonham and John Paul Jones, and Kenny Jones. I remembered reading something about the Rockestra, the "galaxy of stars" who played on one track on Wings' Back To The Egg, making an appearance, but that story had been shelved in favour of the "Beatles To Reform" revelations.

After a short break, Billy Connolly humoured us again. He was funny, but hardly hilarious, There was one gag about New York being the only place in the world that would look the same as before after a nuclear attack. Then he changed his mind. Glasgow would look the same, too. Mr. Connolly is a Glaswegian. He introduced his "good friend," Elvis Costello.

Elvis seems a much more affable chap these days. Despite the fact that the audience treated him with the same irritating indifference they accorded Rockpile, he was prepared (for charity?) to tolerate their lethargy, and even managed to crack a few jokes along the way.

I'm still not totally convinced, though, of Costello and the Attractions' pedigree as a live band. Given the freedom of a studio, his songs emerge as remarkably full entities. In the transition from studio to stage, something gets lost and the band just don't sound solid and convincing enough.

It's a criticism that pertains mostly to the older songs, like "The Beat," and one that Elvis has killed on the new material, where he aims for a full, unbroken sound behind his vocal.

Costello's association with ska, via the Specials (one of the better rumours on Saturday night was that his next single would be on 2 Tone), has brought a more danceable quality to the new songs and given fresh life to some of the old stuff. "I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea" was a dramatic jam, and new songs like "Possession," "The Impostor," "High Fidelity" and (the next single) "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" were eminent toe-tappers and heavy on the old Farfisa in the Attractions' tradition.

Not surprisingly, as soon as Costello and cohorts quit, rumours abounded again. By now, "people in the know" were convinced that Lennon wasn't there — but said so with a slight wink that kept them safe just in case.

What were we to think when McCartney's four-man brass section pumped out the opening bars of "Got To Get You Into My Life"? When McCartney and the rest of his hacks came on to deliver a sizzling opening to the set, one and all's hopes for a reunion went into orbit. This was a definite pointer. Why else would McCartney, after all these years and all those solo albums, open up with an old Beatles song? No particular reason, as it turned out.

A little later into the set, I spotted a banner hanging from the balcony. "Hello From New York," it said. Lennon had obviously decided to send a message in lieu of personal appearance. Maybe that explains why Wings' set suddenly went flat. Pop without the fizz. We had just seen two four-pieces provide excellent sets. Wings, with a personnel of nine including brass section (the Fab 4x2) failed dismally to match the pace set first by Rockpile and almost sustained by Costello.

There were rare highlights — "Every Night," "Maybe I'm Amazed," "I've Had Enough," "Spin It On" and an off-the-cuff tribute to Eddie Cochran with "Twenty Flight Rock" — but the norm was sedate, harmless and invariably tedious.

Paul himself sussed that this audience was anticipating "something else," and bitterly informed us that his three former colleagues were nowhere near Hammersmith; then, acknowledging the drowsiness of the occasion: "I don't know about you, but I'm nodding off."

With Wings' unspectacular set over, it was fun-time and the curtain was upped to reveal the Rockestra, a motley crew if ever I saw one. Some Whos (Townshend and Jones), a Pretender (Honeyman-Scott), an Attraction (Bruce Thomas), lots of Wings, three Zeppelins (Plant, Bonham and Jones), and two Rockpiles launched into "The Rockestra Theme," which involves the arduous task of playing the same riff over and over.

Townshend did it beautifully — and while McCartney appeared intent in exercising a bit of discipline, Peter was having none of it. Only Pete Townshend could windmill-thrash his guitar during "Let It Be." After one more song, "Lucille," the Rockestra was gone. For ever.

One last look, just to make sure. No luck. No sign of a balding, pointy-nosed, thin-lipped farmer with Jap boiler in tow.

Oh well, if John had been there, he might have said: "On behalf of the group and myself, I'd like to say thank you and I hope we passed the audition."

This time, though, they would've failed.


Tags: Concerts For The People Of KampucheaHammersmith OdeonLondonWingsThe AttractionsRockpileJohn LennonBilly ConnollyThe BeatlesJake RivieraTerry WilliamsNick LoweDave EdmundsBilly BremnerRobert PlantLittle SisterRy CooderLed ZeppelinPete TownshendJohn BonhamJohn Paul JonesRockestraThe BeatThe Specials2 Tone(I Don't Want To Go To) ChelseaPossessionThe ImposterHigh FidelityI Can't Stand Up For Falling DownTwenty Flight RockThe PretendersBruce ThomasLet It BeLucille

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Melody Maker, January 5, 1980


Harry Doherty reviews Wings, Elvis Costello & The Attractions and Rockpile, Saturday, December 29, 1979, the Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea, Hammersmith Odeon, London, England.

Images

1980-01-05 Melody Maker page 20.jpg 1980-01-05 Melody Maker page 21.jpg
Page scans.



Photos by Barry Plummer.
1980-01-05 Melody Maker photo 01 bp.jpg


1980-01-05 Melody Maker photo 02 bp.jpg
Photos by Barry Plummer.


Cover.
1980-01-05 Melody Maker cover.jpg

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