Post by rabhaw on Nov 28, 2007 20:34:25 GMT
Hi folks,
Just discovered the website and this is my first post. Glad of the chance to write down this experience before I shuffle off this mortal coil.
I was in the audience at what I'm led to believe was the first ever SAHB gig, in the early 70's in the Clouds disco/ballroom above the Glasgow Apollo. Me and my mates were more used to going to Clouds at the weekend for the dancing, or really to try to get a ‘lumber’. When we were unsuccessful in that enterprise (more often than not) we liked to blame Midge Ure and ‘Salvation’ for stealing the attention of the ‘birds’.
As I remember, it was a dead midweek night and somehow we found ourselves going up to Clouds to see Stone the Crows. You never knew, there could still be some talent on the go, even midweek. There I was, overdressed, in my black Stayprests, black ‘wegian’ shoes, grey Glenurquhart check suit jaicket and thick polo neck jumper! We stood among the throng fairly near the front of stage.
I’ll miss out the later Stone the Crows set, which was fine but unremarkable in comparison. What blew me away that night (which is a term we wouldn’t have used back then) was the Alex Harvey Band (I'm not sure if Sensational was part of the name at the start?) and in particular the ballsy, I can only call it aggressive attitude of Alex. My abiding memory (it might not be perfectly accurate after such a long time) is of him standing on top of a grand piano, wearing trademark stripey T-shirt and denims, slugging from a bottle of wine held by the neck, and swearing at the audience (who were there for the main act of course and were lukewarm towards a then unheard-of support act with attitude). Between songs there were some catcalls from the audience and this is when Alex really got the bit between his teeth. “Who are you f***ing talkin tae, ya f***ing bunch of b*******”…and so on. It was the equivalent of challenging the hecklers to a ’square go’ (good old Glasgow term). Talk about gallus (and another one)?
Then there was the music of course and the tight playing of Tear Gas. Unfortunately I can only remember one tune: Runaway, with Alex doing his Del Shannon impersonation on top of the piano! No wonder it got up the noses of the Stone the Crows fans!
I still consider it to my credit that I came away that night knowing I had seen a really special band. After they’d made it, I later saw them downstairs in the main Apollo (1975?). Zal was obviously ‘suited up’ by this time but I can’t recall if that was the case for the first gig.
Anyway, fellow SAHB fans, I hope this is of interest. It’s been good to get it down in writing.
Guys - if any of you read this, thanks for the memories.
Rab Ha’ (the Glesga Glutton)
Just discovered the website and this is my first post. Glad of the chance to write down this experience before I shuffle off this mortal coil.
I was in the audience at what I'm led to believe was the first ever SAHB gig, in the early 70's in the Clouds disco/ballroom above the Glasgow Apollo. Me and my mates were more used to going to Clouds at the weekend for the dancing, or really to try to get a ‘lumber’. When we were unsuccessful in that enterprise (more often than not) we liked to blame Midge Ure and ‘Salvation’ for stealing the attention of the ‘birds’.
As I remember, it was a dead midweek night and somehow we found ourselves going up to Clouds to see Stone the Crows. You never knew, there could still be some talent on the go, even midweek. There I was, overdressed, in my black Stayprests, black ‘wegian’ shoes, grey Glenurquhart check suit jaicket and thick polo neck jumper! We stood among the throng fairly near the front of stage.
I’ll miss out the later Stone the Crows set, which was fine but unremarkable in comparison. What blew me away that night (which is a term we wouldn’t have used back then) was the Alex Harvey Band (I'm not sure if Sensational was part of the name at the start?) and in particular the ballsy, I can only call it aggressive attitude of Alex. My abiding memory (it might not be perfectly accurate after such a long time) is of him standing on top of a grand piano, wearing trademark stripey T-shirt and denims, slugging from a bottle of wine held by the neck, and swearing at the audience (who were there for the main act of course and were lukewarm towards a then unheard-of support act with attitude). Between songs there were some catcalls from the audience and this is when Alex really got the bit between his teeth. “Who are you f***ing talkin tae, ya f***ing bunch of b*******”…and so on. It was the equivalent of challenging the hecklers to a ’square go’ (good old Glasgow term). Talk about gallus (and another one)?
Then there was the music of course and the tight playing of Tear Gas. Unfortunately I can only remember one tune: Runaway, with Alex doing his Del Shannon impersonation on top of the piano! No wonder it got up the noses of the Stone the Crows fans!
I still consider it to my credit that I came away that night knowing I had seen a really special band. After they’d made it, I later saw them downstairs in the main Apollo (1975?). Zal was obviously ‘suited up’ by this time but I can’t recall if that was the case for the first gig.
Anyway, fellow SAHB fans, I hope this is of interest. It’s been good to get it down in writing.
Guys - if any of you read this, thanks for the memories.
Rab Ha’ (the Glesga Glutton)