Record Collector, September 2021

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Record Collector

UK & Ireland magazines

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Sound and vision

RC revisits a classic music TV or film moment

David Noades

Elvis Costello And The Attractions
Alright Now! / Tyne Tees, ITV

One of the problems with ITV being a regional broadcaster was that some shows were local and not a shared national experience. So, while the BBC had Top Of The Pops every Thursday, at 7.30pm, ITV had a number of programmes that weren't fully networked and when they were broadcast it was on different days at different times in different regions.

Alright Now! made by Tyne Tees TV (and named after the Free classic of the same name) was no exception. The brainchild of producer Malcolm Gerrie, it featured new wave bands, local groups and a few older, established acts. Gerrie was a fan of the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test and wanted to replicate the live music format but for a teatime audience. All the acts had to sing and play live, even though the show wasn't broadcast live. This gave it a certain edge and it deserved to have a bigger viewing audience, but its viewer numbers were diminished because it wasn't networked. Some regions, including London, didn't get it at all.

The director was Gavin Taylor. As a trainee, he'd cut his teeth on Tyne Tees' magazine show, Northern Life, where he presented musical guests in an innovative way. This was noticed by Gerrie who invited him to help create the company's new live music show. The pair would go to create another ITV teatime music show, Razzmatazz, and later The Tube for C4.

The format gave the bands a chance to do something different and the show had an urgent, edgy feel. Sometimes, it would start with a group halfway through a song, as though the camera had turned on unexpectedly. The bands performed in a mock-basement setting so for viewers it was like gate-crashing a nightclub. The first series, from 1979 featured performances from The Police and Dire Straits (both on the very first show), Ian Dury, Thin Lizzy, The Clash, Penetration, Chris Rea, Rod Stewart and The Tom Robinson Band, Lindisfarne and The Who were given dedicated shows all to themselves. The host was ex-Darts vocalist, Den Hegarty ("Big Den"), who, sporting a series of crazy suits, did a fine job of interviewing the bands and chatting to the audience in his unique style.

Series two was presented by a different host each week and these included Phil Lynott, Bob Geldof, Bill Oddie, Pauline Black, Billy Connolly and Suzi Quatro. The club setting now looked more realistic, with lower lighting, a mock bar and a larger, younger crowd. Acts included The Undertones, The Angelic Upstarts, The Tourists, Squeeze, The Blues Band, Secret Affair, Rockpile and Elvis Costello And The Attractions.

The latter's performance was one of the series' highlights, though perhaps for the wrong reason. It was recorded in late March when the band were on tour, performing in Sunderland, and they shared the show with The Blues Band in the studio plus Gary Numan and The Animals on film. Elvis And The Attractions had just released their Get Happy! album and had enjoyed two Top 30 hits. Here, however, they chose to perform two album tracks. For their first stint, most of the audience are dancing in front of the stage, with some sitting at tables.

Costello is attired in a natty, three-button green suit, while bassist Bruce Thomas is in the same vintage double-breasted jacket that he sports on the sleeve of the Attractions' Mad About The Wrong Boy album. They close the first half of the show with a fast-paced take of "I Stand Accused," which the audience seem to love. Costello is in full sneer mode but sounds somewhat slurry in places, perhaps owing to an earlier visit to hospitality for a tincture or two. Jolly on-screen graphics (a regular feature of the show) mock the manner in which earlier pop shows would reveal supposedly interesting facts about the artists: "Name: Elvis Costello, Born: Maybe, Function: Malfunction, Main Influence: The Jags, Confessions: It was really me, I really am, I really have and it's all true." The Jags, of course, was a cheeky dig at the power pop band who'd been accused of copying Costello's songwriting and singing style.

Introduced by that week's guest host Mickie Most, the band's second song, "Possession," closes the show. But halfway through, Costello signals for the band to play quieter. He stops singing and starts ranting at the audience like an unhinged stage invader. "You all heard about live TV? Well, here it is now!" he bellows to the impassive crowd who just carry on bopping in that animated way typical of 80s teenagers. Costello then appears to mock the floor manager by signalling back at their cue with a fervent hand gesture. He plays the world's most unconvincing guitar solo before having a second stab at the audience: "You've got to make as much noise as you can in this verse otherwise they won't bel-ieeeve you!" The crowd don't seem to realise or care that it's not part of the song. They make no noise and simply stare at him indifferently, diffusing his rock 'n' roll moment. As the credits roll, he's still at it, yelling and gesturing at the crowd, but his mic has been turned down so we can't hear what he's saying.

Of course, he had done this sort of thing before more successfully on US TV's Saturday Night Live in 1977 when he curtailed a performance of "Less Than Zero" in favour of the hand-biting "Radio, Radio." He must have done it in tribute to Jimi Hendrix, who famously pulled a similar stunt on The Lulu Show in 1969. But whereas both those shows really were live and genuine havoc was caused, Alright Now! was recorded live but broadcast months later on a balmy August afternoon and no one really gave a monkeys. Still, Costello pretending to lose it remains a TV moment to treasure.


Tags: Alright Now!The AttractionsI Stand AccusedPossessionTyne Tees TVBBCTop Of The PopsOld Grey Whistle TestThe TubeThe PoliceDire StraitsIan DuryThe ClashRod StewartThe WhoTom Robinson BandLindisfarnePhil LynottThe UndertonesBilly ConnollyThe TouristsSqueezeThe Blues BandRockpileBruce ThomasGet Happy!!Mad About The Wrong BoyThe JagsSaturday Night LiveLess Than ZeroRadio, RadioJimi HendrixLulu

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Record Collector, No. 522, September 2021


David Noades recalls Elvis Costello & The Attractions' appearance on Tyne-Tees TV show Alright Now!, broadcast Thursday, August 7, 1980.

Images

2021-09-00 Record Collector page 37.jpg
Page scan.


Cover and contents pages.
2021-09-00 Record Collector cover.jpg 2021-09-00 Record Collector page 03.jpg 2021-09-00 Record Collector page 04.jpg

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