New Musical Express, September 3, 1977

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NME

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A bunch of Stiffs — live!


NME

Costello, Lowe, Dury, Wallis, Wreckless Eric in package

Elvis Costello is one of five name attractions taking part in a Stiff Records package tour, which plays two dozen major dates around the country starting early next month. It's going out under the banner of "Stiffs Greatest Stiffs Live Tour," and the full line-up at all gigs is:

Elvis Costello, who will be appearing with the Attractions.

Ian Dury, on stage for the first time since leaving the Kilburns and performing with his new band which comprises Davey Payne (sax), Norman Watt-Roy (bass), Charley Charles (drums) and Chaz Jankel (guitar).

Nick Lowe, on the road for the first time as a soloist after finishing work as producer of the Feelgoods' new album Be Seeing You. He expects to be using a seven-piece backing band, including two drummers.

Wreckless Eric, who will be supported by Denise Roudette (bass), Ian Dury, (drums) and Davey Payne (sax).

Larry Wallis, ex-Pink Fairies and Motorhead, who is currently working on a solo album with the Hot Rods' rhythm section — though they won't be accompanying him on the tour.

Dates are High Wycombe Town Hall (October 3), Bristol Exhibition Centre (6), Bath University (7), Loughborough University (8), Middlesbrough Town Hall (9), Liverpool Empire (11), Glasgow Apollo (13), Sheffield Polytechnic (14), Leeds University (15), Croydon Fairfield Hall (16), Norwich East Anglia University (18), Brighton Top Rank (19), Salford University (21), Leicester University (22), Rochdale Champness Hall (24), Birmingham Town Hall (25), Cardiff Top Rank (26), Wolverhampton Civic Hall (27), London Strand Lyceum, (28), Guildford Civic Hall (31), Aylesbury Friars (November 2), Colchester Essex University (3), Newcastle Polytechnic (4) and Lancaster University (5).

Tickets are on sale now at most venues including London Lyceum where admission is £2.50, Elsewhere prices range from £1.25 from £2.25. The Birmingham box-office opens on Saturday week (10) and at Croydon as September 15. The Glasgow gig is subject to a licence being granted (see separate story), as is the Cardiff date.

The five acts will each play a 20-minute set in rotating order. The opening night at High Wycombe is been recorded and, thanks to a rush operation, the resulting live album will be available at all gigs from Bath onwards (October 7), priced £1.99.


Tags: Stiff's Greatest Stiffs LiveMy Aim Is TrueThe NashvilleGarden Party XCrystal Palace BowlStiff RecordsThe AttractionsIan DuryThe KilburnsDavey PayneChaz JankelNick LoweDr. FeelgoodWreckless EricDenise RoudetteLarry WallisLone GrooverHigh WycombeBristolBathLoughboroughMiddlesbroughLiverpoolGlasgowSheffieldLeedsCroydonNorwichBrightonSalfordLeicesterRochdaleBirminghamCardiffWolverhamptonLondonGuildfordAylesburyColchesterNewcastleLancaster





Photo by Chris Gabrin.
1977-09-03 New Musical Express photo 01 cg.jpg




The Lone Groover.
1977-09-03 New Musical Express page 11 illustration.jpg

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New Musical Express, September 3, 1977


NME previews the Stiff's Greatest Stiffs Live tour.


Elvis Costello is mentioned in Chris Salewicz's report on the Bilzen Festival, August 11.


My Aim Is True is No. 19 on the album chart (page 2).


Includes ads for Sep. 4, The Nashville, and Sep. 10, Garden Party 10, Crystal Palace Bowl.


EC is featured in Benyon's Lone Groover comic strip (page 11).

Images

1977-09-03 New Musical Express page 03 clipping.jpg 1977-09-03 New Musical Express page 38 advertisement.jpg1977-09-03 New Musical Express page 15 advertisement.jpg
Clipping and advertisements.


God, what a bummer!
Stuck here with Joe Strummer!


Chris Salewicz

The Clash at Belsen... "All journalists are swine." By Chris Salewicz, who ducks and runs...

page 07

"You can't have those barricades." Mick Jones almost cries, his facial muscles visibly tightening with emotion as he reflects on the gig from which The Clash have just returned to their hotel.

"You've gotta have all those barricades down. Then you'll find you just don't need them at all.

"But I did my Keith-at-Altamont bit, didn't I?" he laughs ruefully. "You've gotta show 'em you're not scared. That's where Jagger went wrong.

"It's like a street fight: once you show 'em fear you've 'ad it."

"It didn't seem like a gig. It was more like a war," says Paul Simonon, stretching the neck of his conceptually frayed sweater to show where a half brick had landed on his left shoulder and broken the skin.

"One thing that pisses me off is that if someone wants to 'it me they can come and 'it me and I'll 'it 'em back. But it's easy to throw a brick at a stage.

"But anyway I can throw bricks better than them. I showed that at the Notting Hill carnival," he laughs.

"Ah, so all that last night was part of you and Joe's karma," Nicky "Topper" Headon considers drolely.

The opening "punk" night of the 14th Bilzen festival, near Lieges, begins relatively inauspiciously. After a seemingly endless series of Belgian jazz bands, first Elvis Costello and then The Damned do their respective "things."

It is noted, however, that Elvis is intimidated by the large press and ligger area at the front of the stage. It is also noted that this area is "protected" from The People by a thoroughly distasteful concrete and wire ten foot high fence.

One begins to sense that perhaps all those apparently fatuous Bilzen/Belsen puns were, in fact, ominously accurate, and this fact is pointed out to the audience by Dave Vanian as The Damned are about to dive through "Problem Child," their fifth number.

By this time it has already been necessary for Rat Scabies to prowl to the front of the stage from behind his drum-kit to inquire somewhat forcibly: "'Oo wants their arses kicked?"

At least Elvis Costello was largely spared the salvo of beer cans that have punctuated The Damned's first four numbers.

Perhaps the 5,000 or so North European hippies — with a reasonable safety pin contingent — stuck in this field believe this implies a cordial welcome to a punk band. Perhaps they are pissed off by (a) The Fence or by (b) those standing, and thereby restricting their view, by The Fence.

Pausing only for Paul Simonon to liberate the goat whose charred and burnt flesh the promoters are intending to proffer backstage at the end of the festival, The Clash are onstage minutes after The Damned end their set. No evidence of any delaying tactics to tease the audience's anticipation buds.

"London's Burning," "Capital Radio," "Bored With The USA"...

The Clash power rush slams against you, holding you rigid until the warmth that's always present in its slipstream wafts about you. The gnawing tensions of the instrumental and vocal dynamics hold you open-mouthed, near-dumbstruck by the dark, raging intensity that emerges mostly from Joe Strummer's throat.

Also, even though their tower-block backdrop couldn't be put up tonight, the band — especially the three front-liners — are visually stunning.

Stage right, Mick Jones, in ice blue jacket, white pants and t-shirt, prances like a mountain goat on acid. Stage left, Paul Simonon, in white with strategic tears and paint splodges, sways like a rasta who's smoked too much grass. In the centre, drawing together all the disparate forces the deliberate, almost Chaplin-esque, Joe Strummer, in scarlet shirt and black pants.

"Topper" Headon... Well, you can hardly see him. Just a flash of hair and features from behind the kit where he lays it all down, Ringo to the very obviously Lennon side in Strummer.

....The First New Number: "The Prisoner." Close up to the (very excellent from further out in the audience) sound system it's difficult to make the words — something about "German soldiers." It's very staccato, Jones' more trebly, more melodic vocals seeming more in evidence than Strummer's...

....But it's impossible to take in both that and what is now going down with The Fence: the kids at the front have been taking turns to try shifting those kiss-of-death concrete posts and finally they seem to be getting somewhere...

..."WHY IS THIS SPACE HERE???" Joe spews rage into the mic. "VENEZ ICI! VENEZ ICI!!!" — flashes of Lennon addressing the Paris audience at those gigs the moptops played before they left for the States for the first time — "ET MAINTENANT .... 'LES FLICS ET LES VOLEURS'."

Now it's Strummer side-by-side with Dany Cohn-Bendit on the May '68 Paris barricades with empty beer cans landing all around like CS Gas canisters . . . .

All along the line the concrete posts are moving backwards and forwards. If a couple of the kids would just jump on them with all their weight and push them down into THIS SPACE they could all



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Cover and page scans.
1977-09-03 New Musical Express cover.jpg chart page 02 page 03 page 15

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