Rugeley Times, November 5, 1977: Difference between revisions
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<center><h3> Night's riffing </h3></center> | <center><h3> Night's riffing </h3></center> | ||
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<center> | <center> J.R. </center> | ||
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{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
A night on the Stiff | A night on the Stiff-riff, courtesy: Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe. Ian Dury, Reckless Eric et al, had me reaching for the painkillers in the early hours of Friday last. | ||
I had just returned from Wolverhampton Civic Hall having experienced the musical equivalent of a kick in the head from | I had just returned from Wolverhampton Civic Hall having experienced the musical equivalent of a kick in the head from punk's "band of gypsies" — and it hurt. | ||
But whatever the rock-shock, put your hands together for Stiff. | But whatever the rock-shock, put your hands together for Stiff. Just two quid for five featured "artists" (snigger) can't be bad at a time when most major pop stars wouldn't sneeze for less. | ||
Wearing fighter | Wearing fighter pilot's goggles, Ian Dury got proceedings under way with a yell of "une, deux, trois, quatre, cinq" after Reckless Eric had wandered on stage looking, midst the great stack of amps and speakers, like little-boy-lost. | ||
Adopting the now familiar knock-kneed punk-eyed stance, Reckless lashed the first riff and that was | Adopting the now familiar knock-kneed, punk-eyed stance, Reckless lashed the first riff and that really was that. | ||
It was almost one hour and one act later before Larry Wallace | It was almost one hour and one act later before Larry Wallace — more like Ted Nugent than Ted Nugent — picked his way through the first lead-guitar break. Clapton favourers were not amused. | ||
Back to Reckless | Back to Reckless — it was simple, it was basic, it was raw BUT it was vibrant and exciting with vibes that tickled your stomach. | ||
His hit | His hit — "Whole Wide World" — really grabbed. With two drummers and a bassist for foundation, an organist for ?, two slashing rhythms and sax for cutting edge. Reckless, with gravel tones, was supremely effective. | ||
He was followed by Nick | He was followed by Nick Lowe's band. After a burst from Wallace, Nick was joined on stage by Britain's old / young man of rock Dave Edmunds and with the two in harness belting out an old Chuck Berry number, it was just like old times. | ||
Lowe ended with | Lowe ended with "Heart of the City", some mountainous bass and two sets of crashing drums which had the punks a-pogoing. | ||
Have you ever seen anything like Ian Dury? | Have you ever seen anything like Ian Dury? Punk's answer to Norman Wisdom or even Ralph Reader himself, spent most of his time on stage fighting the <!-- "mike" --> mic stand... and the <!-- "mike" --> mic stand won on points. | ||
For his featured appearance, Dury discarded the goggles and sported a felt bowler hat | For his featured appearance, Dury discarded the goggles and sported a felt bowler hat — the sort diddy men wear. And though he looks funny the songs are no joke and their presentation is positively-charismatic. | ||
Though it was not easy to identify words, songs about Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll | Though it was not easy to identify words, songs about Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll can't be all bad. For Ian Dury I predict: "This one will run and run." | ||
Top-liner Elvis Costello is not, as the name suggests, an amalgam of the recently deceased | Top-liner Elvis Costello is not, as the name suggests, an amalgam of the recently deceased "King" and half of a once famous American comedy duo. | ||
Elvis is a bespectacled young man who riffs out songs about the pretensions of small men. | Elvis is a bespectacled young man who riffs out songs about the pretensions of small men. | ||
Sadly I could not give earnest Elvis the full focus of my attention | Sadly I could not give earnest Elvis the full focus of my attention — the eardrums were, by this time, yelling for mercy and the exit door. | ||
And | And don't think I have not been influenced by this night on the Stiff-riff — I've thrown my "grass" through the window followed by a record collection, carefully and painstakingly accumulated through the 1960s. | ||
The 70s are here — belatedly — and the Stiff-riff "rools." | |||
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{{tags}}[[:Category:Stiff's Greatest Stiffs Live|Stiff's Greatest Stiffs Live]] {{-}} [[Wolverhampton Civic Hall]] {{-}} [[ | {{tags}}[[:Category:Stiff's Greatest Stiffs Live|Stiff's Greatest Stiffs Live]] {{-}} [[Concert 1977-10-27 Wolverhampton|Wolverhampton Civic Hall]] {{-}} [[Nick Lowe]] {{-}} [[Dave Edmunds]] {{-}} [[Heart Of The City]] {{-}} [[Ian Dury]] {{-}} [[Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll]] {{-}} [[Wreckless Eric]] {{-}} [[Whole Wide World]] {{-}} [[Larry Wallis]] {{-}} [[Stiff Records]] {{-}} [[Chuck Berry]] {{-}} [[Elvis Presley]] {{-}} [[Eric Clapton]] | ||
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Latest revision as of 23:42, 24 May 2021
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