tag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:/blogs/news?p=1News2022-10-14T07:31:09+01:00Lindisfarne - the official websitefalsetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/70811312022-10-14T07:31:09+01:002023-10-16T15:51:21+01:00Ray Laidlaw: Recording Dingly Dell<p>From Ray Laidlaw:</p>
<p><em>'New photos have recently surfaced thanks to Jamie McLaren.</em></p>
<p><em>In June 1972, we were preparing to go into the studio to record Lindisfarne's third album. There was a song we intentionally saved from the Fog on the Tyne sessions that we felt needed orchestration.</em></p>
<p><em>Me and Alan jumped on the train at Kings Cross and travelled to York meet my brother Paul who was - and still is - a proper musician. We played him the song and explained what we were after so he could write the orchestral arrangement. We also booked him to come to the studio to conduct and deal with the session musicians.</em></p>
<p><em>When the meeting was over Paul took us to the Lion and Lamb where we proceeded to make merry along with some of the locals, one of whom was Jamie. His brother Ian was a keen photographer who went home for his camera. Thanks Jamie for these memories.</em></p>
<p><em>The song was Dingly Dell.'</em></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/9792e696c7710d385fdb940b1ac3099345cdbfc2/original/310540447-10160726973628413-3237907577167835972-n.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/b1dbbd5351899bc1daf35241385ce2449572d60e/original/310519998-10160726971513413-3589503730093238441-n.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/ad22947103e458a09add744c92b550298e42fdaf/original/311610417-10160726970818413-2007160889844138659-n.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/791463222beb107b5cfba245b79dd61bda1133a0/original/310333493-10160726971703413-1013236973567492570-n.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/d8f666d4c3e095ec58a40d2fad59157e52759f04/original/311232474-10160726972333413-5008443854405658902-n.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/48ee4cb84e3bb41e08d48b9f78a8c28ac6353a64/original/311527667-10160726973333413-292066672270415684-n.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/69599212022-04-29T16:47:38+01:002022-09-30T10:53:43+01:00Interview archive: Jacka, October 1972<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/b5d115c9c264b5884f19253d5233c3895a142f3c/original/crewe.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<h2>Ray Jackson - The Crewe Chronicle, 26/10/72</h2>
<p><strong>BOTTLES of beer, but surprisingly not "Newcastle Brown" dotted about, Alan Hull alone in a corner while Si Cowe strums endlessly on his prized acoustic guitar, and Ray Jackson and Rod Clements smile and invite you to join them… </strong></p>
<p>This was Lindisfarne's dressing room at The Top Rank Suite, Liverpool, last week, twenty minutes before the Geordie lads were due on stage. </p>
<p>The whereabouts of drummer Ray Laidlaw are uncertain. The other four seem totally relaxed and refreshed considering they are almost at the end of an extensive British tour. </p>
<p>Lindisfarne thrive on touring and were really excited at the prospect of appearing before the very knowledgable Liverpool audience. </p>
<p>Ray Jackson said they loved playing at Liverpool because of the warm support they received in their earlier days. Now they were playing before a full house and they must have known that the audience were already won over to them before they had even played a note. </p>
<p>It was evident that they were a happy group. "Jacka" said it was everybody's group, all the material had to be agreed on. <em>"Although Alan's (Hull) songs are prominent we agree with his themes." </em></p>
<p><em>"For example ‘Poor Old Ireland', off the latest album, reflects the group's feelings as a whole on the Irish situation"</em>, he said. </p>
<p>The question which had been in my mind as soon as I came in was where were the famous bottles of Newcastle Brown? </p>
<p>"Jacka" completely shattered my drinking beliefs when he revealed that he couldn't stand the stuff. </p>
<p>He explained:<em> "Although this image has followed us about I'm afraid my stomach thinks otherwise. We do drink it occasionally but not as much as is made out. "</em></p>
<p>"Jacka" still Iives in his native Newcastle and is very worried about what is happening up there. <em>"The whole place is being knocked about to make way for the motorway." </em>he said. </p>
<p>If you know Newcastle at all then you can fully appreciate the words of Alan Hull’s song ‘All fall Down’. Part of the motorway is going through a park where once some glorious trees stood. </p>
<p>"Jacka" said this thing was happening nearly everywhere. </p>
<p>He mentioned Chester, which was one oh his favourite cities, and said the signs were there that roads and traffic were strangling it. </p>
<p>Back to music - "Jacka" was thrilled that in a recent pop paper poll his mandolin playing had been rated very highly. <em>"I was surprised to say the least,"</em> he said.<em> "Especially when I was above such a talented musician as Roy Wood. Oh well, it saved me sending in all the votes myself!"</em> he joked. </p>
<p>Where now for Lindisfarne? </p>
<p><em>"We are happy as we are for the present. We leave for a tour of America after the present British tour ends. If our popularity slips we will still go on playing because we are happy together,"</em> he explained. </p>
<p>Proof of this happiness can be seen on stage. They are a very warm band and deserve every success they get. They do not give any impressions, like some successful bands, that they are on a higher platform than the fans. </p>
<p>The concert went off as expected, with the packed hall swaying and singing along with the group, the numbers from the latest album going off very well. </p>
<p>The slight difference, between Lindisfarne now and a few months back, is their musicianship. They are much tighter and combine together better in the instrumental breaks. This was clearly shown in ‘Plankton’s Lament’. </p>
<p>It was still, though, the earlier numbers which brought the highest applause… the roof almost came off after the rendering of "Fog On The Tyne'. </p>
<p>For the encore number the lads were joined by friend Rab Noakes, who had earlier delighted the audience with his songs, and some members from Genesis, who also went down well. </p>
<p>Lindisfarne were clearly delighted with their reception just as Liverpool was, with them.</p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/65901502021-03-31T18:46:25+01:002023-05-19T19:20:17+01:00Alan Hull TV documentary - coming soon!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/027aed904f080c334fccde460c3bddd3880f8819/original/161756652-3869786469749616-4914217912423422805-n.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>GOOD NEWS... AND WE NEED YOUR HELP! </p>
<p>Pre-production is underway for a film on the life and music of ALAN HULL to be shown on UK TV later this year. In addition to his work with Lindisfarne Alan did lots of solo shows, many of them not listed. </p>
<p>The documentary’s producers are very interested in any photos, posters, audio recordings or home movies that fans may be prepared to let us use in the programme. If you have anything that you own and think may be of interest can you contact us via Facebook, Twitter or email at alandoc@lindisfarne.co.uk. </p>
<p>Thank you!</p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/64257042020-09-05T09:45:27+01:002023-07-06T18:48:31+01:00Cat'o'Tyne Tales: Alan Hull, Rock'n'Reel, April 1996<p><strong>Simon Jones casts an appreciative ear over the musical times of the late Alan Hull</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/4a2eca37c7ce02b821033dc36b4e93916a844a4f/original/unnamed.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_none" alt="" style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" />On one occasion I met with James Alan Hull, keen to question him on the oblique and obscure lyrics of his most famed composition Lady Eleanor.<em> "What were they all about?" </em>I enquired. Without looking up from his coffee, Hull retorted <em>"Death!"</em>. And that was that. </p>
<p>Ironically, I'm now sitting here pondering the death of James Alan Hull. He died of a heart attack yet wasn't aware of any heart trouble. His passing late last year was therefore unexpected, his work not as widely recognised as it should have been. For Alan Hull, let it be known, was one of the first and finest blokes to write rock 'n' roll with an obvious English bias. His songs were of a unique variety - you couldn't say anyone wrote in his style. If you listen carefully to a Hull number you can hear echoes of Bob Dylan or John Lennon, there but for a moment. Yet Alan Hull was very much his own man, as a composer he existed almost exclusively as an island, only latterly coming together with other musicians to exercise his craft. </p>
<p>His world was concerned, sociable, caring, environmental, proud, historic, incurably romantic. A place where having a drink meant party time, where the past was communal and you never locked the door, where authority was often ridiculous, where people came first, where honesty was celebrated, where magnanimous failure could be immortalised kindly and above all where hope and romance were never trivialised or forgotten. </p>
<p>Like Newcastle-upon-Tyne, on which and about which so much of his work was focused, Hull had a gritty determination and you could never keep him down. </p>
<p><em><strong>"We can swing together 'cuz we feel we're doing it right! We can swing together, we can swing all through the night." </strong></em></p>
<p><em>"When did I first come across Alan Hull?" r</em>esponds Billy Mitchell, at one time down to replace Hull in Lindisfarne, but then that aggregation became Jack The Lad. <em>"It must have been in the late '60s when I ran a folk club in Newcastle. He was the first singer that came along and played all his own songs. No covers - just his distinctive material. In those days he was loud, boisterous and vocal, but he had a great energy and enthusiasm which won you over. Alan could be awkward, but that always sprang from a deep belief in what he was doing or trying to say." </em></p>
<p>Alan Hull was born 20th February 1945 in Benwell, Newcastle, and played in lots of Tyneside rock 'n' roll bands, amateur and professional. To supplement his income he worked as a psychiatric nurse, This, allied to an abiding interest in people, philosophy and politics, meant that trying to make sense of everything rattling round inside his crammed and confused noddle was funnelled out into songs. Songs from an intense time, but songs that meant something, songs that at first perhaps bemusing, soon took root and blossomed. Not that they were fatalistic or nihilistic like the bleak writings of Peter Hammil, they were angular, never went into any easy pigeonhole, but they were always jolly, tuneful and had hope and heart. </p>
<p>Even at the nadir of We Can Swing Together - his eternal party anthem - when stoned revellers are about to be sent down, the judge - wig hat on his head - hums under his breath "we can swing together" proving a secret sympathy with the harmless drugged party animals. Who knows, perhaps even the beak took an illicit joint. If Hull was a cynic he always had a smile on his face. </p>
<p>A spell on the Social honed his writing further. It was during this period as a soloist that het met the proto-Lindisfarne, themselves thinking about doing something acoustic and folksy. They had been a blues band but were now rethinking. It was a union meant to happen. The group were smarting from the departure of guitarist Jeff Sadler, who'd retreated to the economic security of his dad's building firm and Hull doing was doing his folk singer bit, having just issued a singer-songwriter version of We Can Swing Together for Transatlantic's Big T offshoot. At this juncture his restless ambition had wondered about getting back with a band and trying some of his new songs. </p>
<p>As it fell out, Brethren, as they were then known, did more than merely flesh out his compositions; they took him on board full time. A couple of Alan Hull & Brethren tracks cropped up on a Newcastle sampler recorded at Hull's favourite folk club, but it wasn't until they came to the Big Smoke and met Tony Stratton-Smith from Charisma Records that they took the name Lindisfarne at his suggestion. Their sound meanwhile developed into a big, fat acoustic folk rock that quickly signalled potential. </p>
<p>Thus constituted, and after a stuttering start, Lindisfarne swept all before them with Hull's compositions to the fore both on albums and stage. Fog on the Tyne was such a commercial success that in 1972 only Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Waters sold more copies in Britain. They had hit singles too, nestling nicely in the Top 20, as composer Hull was on a high. Greater things were predicted. However, the arrival of their third offspring - Dingly Dell - saw things starting to go ever so wobbly. Squabbles with producer Bob Johnston resulted in them remixing it themselves. The general lack of the pluck and merry jugbandery of initial offerings, added to the fact that Hull had begun to dry up as a songwriter, and you can see they had trouble. </p>
<p>At the time he bluffed: <em>"The only thing I wanna write about is getting drunk."</em> And, to be fair, analysis now of Dingly Dell reveals that it isn't all that bad, just a bit of a sucker punch. Significantly though, throughout the period Hull and family were living down south, far from Tyneside inspiration. </p>
<p>Things came to a head. After a series of disastrous foreign tours it was announced in the Spring of '73 Lindisfarne were to part and Alan Hull begin a solo career. Their record company marked the sombre occasion by issuing an insulting live album which was so poor that the applause and hollering had to be created in the studio. </p>
<p><em><strong>"Down, down, I'm feeling down. But for now I'll stick around." </strong></em></p>
<p>True to his intention and spurred on by the fact that his solo album Pipedream had been cut by an all-Geordie crew, A.H. was restored to critical favour. The block surrounding his writing had seemingly shifted and, along with harmonica player Ray Jackson, he hung on to the name Lindisfarne. They launched a band not so much based on good-time traditions as straight-ahead rocking. Two albums down the line, however, it was 1975 and Lindisfarne decided to jack it in. There had been high spots on both records - Hull's keening Taking Care Of Business is still a neat summation of twisty pop business some thirteen years after its appearance - but matters just weren't right. <em>"It got my goat," </em>he confessed. "<em>We had this new repertoire, songs we'd worked on, and people just kept on asking for Fog On The Tyne or Dingly Dell." </em></p>
<p><strong><em>"Do you believe the clear white light will guide you on?" </em></strong></p>
<p>Hull the soloist put out Squire under a new contract with Warner Brothers - based on a drama in which he'd made an acting debut. It was the usual mix of reflection, love, nostalgia, alcohol, nonsense and blokishness - good enough but not another Pipedream, which still stands as his finest work under his own name. The session men of Squire rapidly metamorphosed into a new band, a new start, Radiator. With a couple of old mates - Kenny Craddock and Ray Laidlaw - on board, Hull had every reason to be optimistic. One album on Elton John's Rocket Label, and it wasn't wonderful - farewell fresh beginning. </p>
<p><em><strong>"So roll on my brothers, we can find out how, to walk hand in hand to the promised land, if we bring down the government now." </strong></em></p>
<p><em>"Alan was in fact a very political animal. He had to say things and the best way he could do that was to put his feelings down in songs,"</em> Ray Laidlaw concludes. </p>
<p><em>"Alan always felt things deeply,"</em> longtime cohort Ray Jackson concurs. </p>
<p>In the mid-80s Alan Hull considered a request that he stand for Parliament. He would have been a solid Labour man - what he made of Tony Blair's rightist clean sweep you are left to guess for yourself. Chances are he wouldn't have minced his words. Even such a supposedly right-on political organ as the N.M.E. despatched a scribe to Newcastle to cover the home turf of the proto-candaidate. Hull took him on a tour of the hard, gritty streets he'd perhaps be representing. I don't know what became of Mr. Hull's political aspirations, since not long after he was back playing the clubs with his idiosyncratic repertoire. Wouldn't it have been fun though, watching The Six O'Clock News and seeing A.H. letting off salvos from the back benches. </p>
<p>Listen to his music though and his politics come through as down to earth, sharp, truthful, well-observed and laced with humour. His was the song of the underdog, often the voice of common decency, what many thought in private but would not dare whisper in public. Songs like Poor Old Ireland (Ulster), Day Of The Jackal (Lebanon and Israel), Mother Russia (life apres Gorbachev) and Malvinas Melody (Falkland's conflict) cast a world-weary eye over contemporary events he was moved by. In particular he seemed to mourn over the Russian people. </p>
<p><em>"Lindisfarne went on a trip to play in Moscow,"</em> Ray Laidlaw tells of an early '90s visit. <em>"What we found there was very sobering indeed. You could not fail to be moved by what people had gone through and were going through. Here was a nation once so proud reduced to literally scraping a living. They'd won freedom but the structure of their society was crumbling. At least under the communists everyone was fed." </em></p>
<p><em><strong>"Mother Russia, your sons have left you crying in the rain, your sadness tears my heart out, it isn't easy to explain…" </strong></em></p>
<p>If Hull the politician came through in his music, so too did Hull the humanist. Whether it was the look in somebody's eye, the thoughts inside a person's head, the actions of an illicit affair, all were worthy of sympathy. Hey friend, look what you got - there's always a person worse off than you! For a lesson in humility it'd be worth reproducing the lyrics to Winter Song and sticking it under some middle-class noses when they start bleating your expense. A match for any writer of English melancholy, latterly the spirit hadn't deserted, Soho Square from Lindisfarne's Elvis Lives On The Moon was homelessness from the inside. </p>
<p><em><strong>"I just come down from a northern town, another clown on your streets…" </strong></em></p>
<p>Above all though, that man was a jobbing musician and his homages to life on the road represented maudlin reality, Numbers (Travellin' Band), One Hundred Miles To Liverpool put you there in tour bus - please God, not another game of dominoes, not more warm cans of desperate beer. Ironically, Run For Home - the one Hull track that is always turning up on acoustic rock samplers - is about too much road life, yet it remains a glimpse into the mind of a muso or is it Hull's own attitude and musings? </p>
<p><em><strong>"Run for home, run as fast as I can, runnin' man, runnin' for home…" </strong></em></p>
<p>In more ways than one, Alan Hull came home during his career. In 1978 the original quintet Lindisfarne came back. They did a couple of festival reunion gigs in Newcastle and after thinking it over decided to have another stab. Hull gave them Run For Home and the public gave them another hit. He'd remained with them ever since as the band contracted and expanded around him, as their profile leapt alarmingly in latter years from the undoubted high of mature singer-writers on Amigos - Kathryn Tickell turned up piping on that one - to the dubious C'mon Everybody (TV rock 'n' roll recuts). </p>
<p>Hull was always there playing beery jester at public court, exchanging quips between the studied sensitivity and louder guitars. It became something of a tradition. Just like mince pies and Saint Nick, Christmas just wasn't as merry without going to see the annual Lindisfarne hooley and raising the rafters of your local concert hall. It was the very situation and atmosphere that so excited and exasperated Hull. </p>
<p>Whether he played to a theatreful or a handful Alan Hull would always say, <em>"We're here for a good time, so let's have one." </em>So we did. I've lost count of times I've gone to see him, gangly on stage with his acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder, and seen him laconic, almost slumped over a keyboard, yet on each occasion we had not just a good time, but a bloody good time. </p>
<p><em>"As long as people go home happy then I do…" </em>he offered when I asked about his motivation. </p>
<p>Latterly he'd hit stride, once more constantly active, not only with Lindisfarne but also in solo capacity - which through the '80s had produced less in the way of new material but an almighty assessment of his back catalogue, so that his shows were economical but effective. Touring alone, in the select company of guitarist Pete Kirtley or with the piano of Kenny Craddock, the thoroughly excellent Back To Basics saw both Craddock and the Gaffer skipping round the folk clubs with a minimal but worthy 'best of' set. His writing was once more brimming with confidence. </p>
<p><em>"Alan had hit a really purple patch," </em>Ray Laidlaw remembers. <em>"It began around Amigos - he seemed to find form again. I don't think people ever really appreciated him for the fine songwriter he was. He wrote some unique songs; they were northern in message. There's been nobody like him, very few people understood him as a writer or even came close to writing his way. His music should have delivered more for him than it ever did."</em> The chief of Lindisfarne Musical Productions shakes his head. Laidlaw worked hand in hand with Hull down the years. </p>
<p>And if later output didn't have the commercial impact of his earlier works, then I leave you to ponder on the fickle attitude of the British public. Fickle enough to make cults from Ralph McTell, Al Stewart and Roy Harper, yet neglect with a staggering ignorance the honest canon of a bloke who always went for broke. Singular material, stage persona, and a weatherbeaten face which probably told you more about him than any interview. </p>
<p><strong><em>"I've lived my life like a railroad, I've been here, I've been there, been everywhere. Well I've done some right things, done some wrong things, done some weird, some weak and some string things. The cards I played were always jacks or aces, so much easier to deal to different faces." </em></strong></p>
<p>So what's left? There is a new album in the can, completed just before he passed away, and all involved are determined to see it issued. Lindisfarne are about to release a live album on Grapevine which will feature your man, maybe a video to go. And Lindisfarne - at present on hold - will continue, though what form the band will take without him is open to debate. </p>
<p>So much of the man's work now gathers dust out of reach to a CD generation. Yet on each crackly slice of vinyl listened to whilst piecing together this appreciation, there is something of worth. Surely here is a case for a proper CD retrospective. Though I fear many fine songs will remain unheard, from his early beat group 45s to his simple but effective anthem for the miners' struggle of the 1980s. </p>
<p>In the few tributes the rock press granted, some prosaically expounded how his writing was to Tyneside what Lennon & McCartney's was to Liverpool: high praise indeed, though to these ears at least splendidly misplaced. Alan Hull's evocative writings belong to the same slipstream as Ray Davies, a sense of place far stronger than The Beatles, whose Merseyside beginnings became increasingly irrelevant in a whirl of Black R&B, Hamburg, commerciality and druggy, hippy experiment. I'd like to think A.H. was more rooted than that! </p>
<p>Though he sang about it, used it and played it, Hull never suited rock 'n' roll, and his least satisfactory recordings came from struggling with the beast. By the time Billy Bragg broke the mould, Alan Hull had been in the business 20 years, probably given up on it too and decided like a sane chap to do things his way. </p>
<p>So how to remember him, indeed celebrate him as he would want you to? </p>
<p>Readers, I ask you to think briefly on James Alan Hull and to play his music often. </p>
<p><strong>10 enduring Alan Hull compositions guaranteed not to lose their lustre:</strong></p>
<ol> <li>Winter Song (Nicely Out Of Tune, 1970) </li> <li>We Can Swing Together (Nicely Out Of Tune, 1970) </li> <li>Poor Old Ireland (Dingly Dell, 1972) </li> <li>Taking Care Of Business (Roll On, Ruby, 1973) </li> <li>Bad Side Of Town (Squire, 1975) </li> <li>Marshall Riley's Army (Back and Fourth, 1978) </li> <li>Malvinas Melody (On The Other Side, 1983) </li> <li>One Hundred Miles To Liverpool (Dance Your Life Away, 1986) </li> <li>Soho Square (Elvis Lives On The Moon, 1993) </li> <li>This Heart Of Mine (Back To Basics, 1994)</li>
</ol>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/63032392020-05-03T11:01:02+01:002020-05-03T11:01:31+01:00Jack the Lad: Getting down to the real things (Album Tracking, November 1976)<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/7b3b007b039102a51913b8e9f2a85e77c8d461d1/original/jtl-article.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Chas De Whalley investigates the Joie De Vivre of Newcastle’s latest in line as they undertake their first headlining tour. </strong></p>
<p><em>“Do you want another drink? ‘Cos you can have one, you know.” </em></p>
<p>Ray Laidlaw peered out me from behind his thick-lensed glassed. His mouth formed an ‘o’ of surprise when I refused the offer, and he raised his eyebrows in the patent Jack the Lad look of quizzical flippancy. </p>
<p>But I have to say no. We’d been in the boozer for upwards of two hours and I’d long lost count of the level of alcohol in my bloodstream. Besides, I had a long train ride back to London stretching out before me. </p>
<p>I’d braved the wild of Herfordshire to check out Jack the Lad on the eve of their recent national tour. They were rehearsing in Rick Wakeman’s Complex 7 studios, but, due to circumstances far beyond my control, I didn’t make the provinces until our four good Geordies had long returned to the shelter of their hotel and were sitting impatiently in the foyer, eager to hit the inn down the street. </p>
<p>All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Consequently the lads never work when the pubs are open. Not if it can be avoided, anyway. So there we were int he public bar of the cramped and cosy Prince of Wales, an alehouse somewhere on the outskirts of Amersham. </p>
<p>The Geordies fleeced me at darts, but I strung them along with the latest high tales from court and we had a great time. Jack the Lad are quite the jolliest bunch of Folk Rockers you could hope to meet. </p>
<p><em>“Jolliest bunch of what?” </em></p>
<p>Er, Folk Rockers. </p>
<p><em>“Oh, no, you’ve got it wrong there!” </em>flashed drummer Ray Laidlaw with the kind of Tyneside accent I couldn’t hope to imitate. <em>“I think we’re a Pop group. No, a Beat group. That’s what we all started doing.” </em></p>
<p>The idea of Jock the Lad as a Beat group is met with much hilarity. Little Mitch Mitchell, the band’s lead singer, hoots derisively. He joined Jack the Lad after Laidlaw quit Lindisfarne late in 1972. But he came straight from the Folk clubs. Laidlaw is a little nonplussed by the laughter. </p>
<p><em>“No, lads, come on, let’s tell the man the truth. We got into that folk thing as a sideline. It was a force of circumstances. All of us started in Beat groups in the sixties. Except Walter here, who’s a lot younger.” </em></p>
<p>Guitarist and fiddle player Ian Walter Fairbairn smiles beatifically and calls for the next round. </p>
<p>So where did I get the impression that Jack the Lad were a traditional Folk outfit? From the jigs and reels and collier songs of their first two albums “Jack the Lad” and “The Straight Old Track”, I suppose. It certainly seemed that Jack the Lad came out of Lindisfarne well pissed off with the commercial aspects of “Meet Me on the Corner” and “Fog on the Tyne” and eager to get back to those Geordie roots. </p>
<p><em>‘No, no.” </em>Ray Laidlaw’s eyebrows arched again. <em>“We used that folk stuff for a reason. We did it to establish ourselves. Look at it this way. Most bands wait a long time before they get known, there are very few instant successes. Lindisfarne worked a long time before we got famous, so did Hedgehog Pie from whom we got these two gentlemen.” </em></p>
<p>Let Ray Laidlaw introduce you to Walter and baseman Phil Murray. </p>
<p><em>“But Jack the Lad were like an instant band and we had no history of our own. Of course people knew us from Lindisfarne, but we wanted to get rid of that. So we decided to do a John Wesley Harding and start from scratch, take if from there and let things develop. Which is what we did, see!” </em></p>
<p><em>“Folk music’s all you can play at home anyway,” </em>adds Walter returning from the bar with a try full of real ales. </p>
<p><em>“That’s true too.” </em>One he’s started, Ray Laidlaw is is well-nigh impossible to stop. <em>“In Newcastle, even now, there’s nowhere else to play except Folk clubs, ‘cos the police have closed down all the rock places. That all finished in 1967 with Flower Power. So if you want to play locally these days you’ve got to play acoustic Folk places. </em></p>
<p><em>“That accounts for the Newcastle Folk Rock sound everybody used to talk about. Your Lindisfarne’s and your Prelude’s. We were alright because we’re a songs orientated band, and you can fit that into to environment. But if you want to play R’n’B like The Animals or heavier stuff like Jimi Hendrix, you don’t stand a chance."</em></p>
<p><em>“Not a hope,” </em>Billy Mitchell laughs ruefully. <em>“There’s just nowhere to start. Like there are the pubs in London, but the doesn’t happen in Newcastle. The only equivalent is the Workingmen’s Clubs and half of your set’s got to be chart stuff there. "</em></p>
<p>Our conversation was postponed while Jack the Lad swapped some amusing anecdotes from their four years together on the road. Four years in which the band has come a long way. After desultory appearances by other former Lindisfarners like Rod Clements and Si Cowe, Jack the Lad finally settled into the shape we see it now, but not before the band had stumbled through three unsatisfactory and unsatisfying albums on the Charisma label. Now a complete change of management has taken jack the Lad to United Artists and, when I talked with them the band was only a week away from a nationwide tour and the release of a new album, “Jackpot”. </p>
<p>They seemed very excited with the new arrangements. <em>“United Artists are really interested in us”</em>, explained Ray Laidlaw, <em>“and that’s a great help. But the management company was the best thing, ‘Cos we’ve been around quite a bit and people were beginning to say “Jack the Lad, they’re all right, but they’ve not.. you know.” But then Arnakata took us on beside Be Bop Deluxe, the Strawbs and Pat Travers and people are beginning to take notice again. Previously you see we were woking four or five nights a week just to pay the bills. But we can only work at our best if we have a bit of time to spare. This summer we could afford to take a lot of time off to do the album as well as put a bit more life into the act. And I think that’s going to push us through. I mean we could go on filling smaller halls and colleges forever. But that’s a dead end ‘cos nobody knows about it.” </em></p>
<p><em>“We want to be on Top of the Pops, see.” </em>whispers Mitch Mitchell confidingly. The rest of the band laugh. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, Jack the Lad really believe that they’ll get there sooner or later. The tour will prove itself a great boost to The Lad’s credibility. With New Zealanders Split Enz and club comedian Mike Elliot softening them up, Jack the Lad’s variety act went down fine on the opening night in Aylesbury and from the reports the rest of tour seemed to be going very well indeed. All tastes are catered for. The traditional roots are still discernible in the band’s music, but The Animals’ old “Baby Let Me Take You Home’ and the Country classic “From a Jack to a King” are there too. Mitch Mitchell is beginning to write fine Pop songs too. The wide variety of the stage show comes out in “Jackpot” and that is undoubtedly Jack the Lad’s finest album yet. </p>
<p><em>“Whichever songs we did, we tried to make them all sound like Jack the Lad, you see. There’s Mitch’s songs of course, but we also do John Hartford’s “Steamboat Whistle Blues” and Andy Fairweather Low’s “8 Ton Crazy” on the album. I think for the first time ever we’ve got the band’s live sound on record."</em></p>
<p>Ray Laidlaw speaks nothing but praise of “Jackpot” producer Tom Allom. </p>
<p><em>“He comes from a completely different background to ourselves. A Public School Man. We were very wary of him at first, but it helped I think because previously we’d worked with producers who were like the same as us.” </em></p>
<p><em>“He’s all right our Tom.” </em>Mitch Mitchell stood up. <em>“Anybody want a game of darts?” </em></p>
<p><em>“Get your round first, Mitch. Don’t slip off.” </em></p>
<p>Jack the Lad’s got down to the real things in life.</p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/62862082020-04-18T09:06:49+01:002020-04-18T09:15:42+01:00Lindisfarne (Disc, November 18, 1972)<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/5daed64eda4c06a75bb41730ab0943523bff6f79/original/disc-music-echo-nov-18-1972-alice-cooper.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Rosalind Russell traces the history of the band, through their schooldays, previous groups in which they played, and their emergence first as Newcastle's top outfit and then later as one of Britain's best-selling bands and almost legendary live performers. </strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The Boogie Merchants </strong></span></p>
<p>Newcastle is a funny mixture of old and new. The High Level stands over the Tyne as if it was created in the first seven days, and the railway station creeps up out of the gloom as the Scotland-bound train pulls in at four in the morning for brief respite after hauling its weight through a dark and sleeping England. </p>
<p>A few hours later, as the rest of the city wakes, the gloom lifts very slightly to a uniform grey, and the brand new city centre stands out conspicuously in its brightness. The mist still hangs over the mud banks of the river, and you wonder how all of this could have provided such happy inspiration for the music of Lindisfarne. </p>
<p>The actual island of Lindisfarne, lying some miles away beside the coast and connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway, is somewhat more picturesque, but doesn't have as much to do with the music.They are an uncompromising lot, playing their music in the same straightforward way as Newcastle United football team approach their game. </p>
<p>Fiercely individual in outlook, they have always retained their style of entertainment although they have long since moved to the south, in body if not in spirit. When they hit us on their first tour of Britain, in a package with van Der Graaf Generator and Genesis in January last year, it became obvious that they were making an enormous impression. Audiences that had been coached in supercool by hip bands forgot all they'd been taught and remembered how to enjoy themselves. An amazing concert in the Lyceum in London brought scenes that must have been almost unprecedented in the place. The walls of the ancient theatre literally shook as the crowds whirled around dancing to the jigs and reels. If the building had come down around our ears, we would have all gone happily, at least. </p>
<p>So it was no great surprise when the group ran away with the Brightest Hope award in the Disc poll the following year. And so far, they have been living riotously up to expectation. </p>
<p>Lindisfarne began 10 years ago, when Ray Laidlaw's grandfather gave him a drum kit for his 13th birthday. A young lad called Simon Cowe, who played guitar, lived just down the road. They got together and formed a band called the Aristokats which lasted for about two years. </p>
<p>In 1966, they became the Downtown Faction Blues Band. The group expanded when Rod Clements, who knew Simon at school, joined to play bass and violin, and then Ray Jackson met Ray Laidlaw at art college. </p>
<p>Things were a bit difficult at that time, because when they finished at college there were the usual pressures to put the knowledge to good use. Ray Jackson struggled unsuccessfully to break into advertising in Newcastle. The openings were few, and those that did exist were very boring - not even as high as designing corn flake packet standard. He came south, but the situation was the same, so when he bumped into Ray Laidlaw back in Newcastle and found he was looking for a singer, it seemed the best road to take. </p>
<p><em>"The only alternative to that was earning £8.10 a week as that was the highest offer I'd had to date," </em>said Jacka. Just to keep his hand in, he designed the sleeve for their first album a few years later, "Nicely Out Of Tune" and the Lindisfarne logo. </p>
<p>The band were now known as Brethren, doing gigs around the north, and, in particular, a club in Whitley Bay. They became very friendly with Rab Noakes there and eventually were to record Rab's song "Together Forever" (on "Fog On The Tyne") and invite him to join their most recent tour. </p>
<p>In 1969 their lead guitarist Jeff Sadler left, to be replaced by Alan Hull early in 1970. The same year they changed their name again, this time to Lindisfarne. They signed to Charisma records shortly afterwards and made their first album, "Nicely Out Of Tune. </p>
<p>Alan Hull proved to be a very useful man to have in the band as he wrote most of the compositions on the album, including "Clear White Light" and "Lady Eleanor" - their first two singles - the beautiful "Winter Song," and the first of the ravers, "We Can Swing Together." </p>
<p>In many ways, "Nicely Out Of Tune" is their best album, because it completely lacks sophistication. They didn't have any bread to speak of, so the pressures to write were a little keener, and at that stage it was probably still more fun than business. "Lady Eleanor" as a single only sold about 7,000 copies the first time around. It wasn't until DJs started to take more interest in the band - better late than never - this summer, that sales picked up dramatically enough to put the record in the chart. </p>
<p>After the release of the first album, Lindisfarne's following began to pick up, and at concerts, the best thing you could possibly be was a Geordie. The band has a natural aptitude for humour and reaching an audience without even having to try. They don't have to ask for a reaction, it comes spontaneously, even from those of us unlucky enough not to be born in Northumberland. </p>
<p>It must have been "Fog On The Tyne" that broke it for Lindisfarne. They could do no wrong form this point on, and the album was one of the most highly rated of the year. Once again, Alan Hull wrote many of the songs, including the title track and "All Right On The Night," but Rod Clements and Simon Cowe began to write too. </p>
<p>Simon wrote "Uncle Sam" and Rod wrote "Meet Me On The Corner," one of their best-known numbers now. Jacka has only written one of their numbers because he feels that Alan and the others can say what he feels anyway and probably express it better. Ray wrote "Scotch Mist" one day while they were rehearsing and a particularly persistent Scotch mist was swirling around outside. </p>
<p>"Fog On The Tyne" was produced by Bob Johnston, the man who has produced Dylan and Leonard Cohen, to name but two, and that caused a fair bit of interest in itself. </p>
<p>A band with such apparent personal magnetism was an obvious choice for outdoor festivals, and they have shown that they are one of the very few bands that can lift one off the ground. At Lincoln, at Weeley and, later at this year's Grangemouth festival they have roused apathetic, damp and dispirited audiences to their feet, forgetting discomfort in the joys of Lindisfarne's sounds. The group always look so happy begin with, that it's almost impossible not to join in their good humour, and the songs are easily recognisable for rocking around to. Each appearance is like a personal triumph to them. They weren't brought up with silver spoons in their mouths, as Alan Hull once pointed out to Disc in an interview. They came up the hard way, without the benefit of big backing, so their success is well earned. </p>
<p>This year they made their first tour of the States, second on the bill to Fairport Convention who have had the benefit of a few tours there, in various forms. It was a good tour for Lindisfarne, despite the fact that much of their humour was lost on the American audiences who haven't yet got the hang of a Geordie accent, or of the humour that goes with it. But Ray Jackson felt that the tour had brought them closer together, and so had done them some good. </p>
<p>Their latest album, "Dingly Dell," was released a couple of months ago. And it's another good one, though perhaps not as "instant" as their first. The fans love it anyway, because on the tour they've had fantastic receptions, not the least of which in their home town where the scenes must have been gratifying for the local boys who have made more good than they probably imagined they ever would. </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Story Behind The Name </strong></span></p>
<p>Behind the name Lindisfarne lies a wealth of history. Way back, up until the 11th century, an island off the Northumberland coast, now known as Holy Island, was called Lindisfarne. At low tide it can be reached by a causeway, but if you don't want to get wet feet, it's best to be quick about it for it's a good three mile trek. </p>
<p>The "Lindis" part of the name refers to a small stream, which appeared at low tide, and could also possibly have something to do with the "Low" which has to be crossed to reach the island, and "Farne" is the name given to the neighbouring group of around 20 small islets - some of them just rocks, and it comes from the Celtic word meaning land. </p>
<p>The island boasts a village, castle, parish church and ruined priory, said to be most impressive with, we are told,<em> "venerable walls of red sandstone rising above smooth green lawns." </em>The castle, built around 1500, is perched on a small rock overlooking a tiny harbour. All these attractions are to be found at the southern end of the island. The northern part being composed mainly of sand dunes, which, weather permitting, are a goodly haunt for sunbathers. So much for the island's geography. </p>
<p>In ad 634, Oswald, who had just made himself King of Northumbria after successfully seeing off a Welsh prince Cadwaller and his cohorts, cordially invited St Aidan over from Iona to teach Christianity to the pagan Angles of Northumbria. Apparently Oswald sussed out St Aidan as "a man of outstanding gentleness, holiness and moderation" and as a token of his liking for this remarkable fellow gave him the island of Lindisfarne. Here the saintly person founded his Episcopal monastery, which became the religious capital Northern England and Southern Scotland. Christianity spread rapidly throughout the region and after the death of St Aidan all went well under a series of excellent bishops until 793 when the Danes arrived and disturbed the tranquility of the place in no small way by destroying the abbey and killing off such inmates as had not been forewarned of their arrival and left in good time. Among the island's chief prides and joys are the Lindisfarne Gospels, exquisitely illustrated and probably influenced by some Italian manuscript brought to the island. These are now to be found in the British Museum. </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>On and off the wagon </strong></span></p>
<p>Andrew Tyler takes a behind the scenes look at Lindisfarne, travelling with them on the road, listening in on their post mortems after gigs, and of course, attending their incredible concerts. </p>
<p>There have been more dazzling, more debauched Rock n Roll roadshows. Some of the more spectacular have been known to cushion the strain of touring with sultry Burgandies, teams of Austin Princesses and the very finest home grown. Lindisfarne's approach to the business is more along the lines of a darts club's annual outing to Skegness. For thirty quid a night they can rent a sleekly-handsome coach with blue fun-fur interior and apple green plastic trim. For a few bob more it can be loaded with bottles of light ale, old Beatles tapes (Love Me Do, I'm A Loser) and - look out Cardiff or Brighton or wherever you are. </p>
<p>In Brighton there was a whole row of pretty young girls, maybe 14 or 15 years old, who bit their knuckles and tittered when the Lindisfarne coach docked outside the Top Rank. And when the group strode into the hall like a bunch of trail weary cowboys half a dozen of them tagged on the end of the line. Once inside, they fell into formation against a wall opposite the stage and watched a ball being kicked around. </p>
<p>You wonder, though, what must have been going on in their minds when Alan Hull lobbed a shot in their direction - first, a teaser at body height and not too fierce a kick. Then another and another until he was serving up thundering volleys at teeth level. </p>
<p>The girls kept right on biting their hands and giggling. Was it some sort of northern encounter game? Whatever it was, <em>"that's Alan Hull out there aiming at me and wait till the girls hear about this." </em></p>
<p>One of the Rank's dapper, blazered officials had had enough. </p>
<p><em>"No football in 'ere. Them's the rules." </em></p>
<p><em>"Ah, c'mon mister." </em></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Monotony </strong></span></p>
<p>Some of the things that really rattle Lindisfarne are dapper, blazered officials, late-night police prowlers and iron hearted meter ladies. They run foul of all three with wearying monotony. </p>
<p>There was this lady in Birmingham, for instance, who licked her pencil just as Mick The Coach was about to bring his mighty wagon to rest at a couple of parking meters. He'd driven around the domino-towered Royal Angus Hotel a couple of times before settling for the meters. </p>
<p><em>"There's only one place to park a coach in Birmingham," </em>she said, <em>"and it ain't here." </em>Tour boss Fred Munt, a great lion of a man with a tangled head of hair, dark glasses and pinstripes, snarled his displeasure. </p>
<p><em>"All I can say is, that's bloody stupid. We're booked in at this hotel and you want us to park six bloody miles out of town. I mean, what sort of sense does that make, really?" </em></p>
<p><em>"I'm sorry but you're not to park here, it'll only be towed away." </em>Folk, especially the size of the meter lady, usually hide themselves in dark corners when Fred wants something for his boys. </p>
<p><em>"I've never been done meself," </em>confided Jacka.<em> "I'm careful, you know. But Alan's always getting done for things like pissing up against a wall. Once he was nicked for stealing a sandwich from the Central Station buffet in Newcastle and when apprehended he was reported to have said 'that was a fair cop'. Alan definitely comes off the worst. He doesn't seem to like the law." </em></p>
<p>None of Lindisfarne likes the law very much, a state of affairs that comes about not unnaturally. Newcastle cops are reputedly the toughest in the land. The whole of Tyneside hums with brand new recruits, keen to earn the pleasure of their superiors. </p>
<p>One of the group's best songs, We Can Swing Together, is a living testament to an early scrape with the constabulary. Jacka was the only band member present at that Newcastle party five years ago but it was Alan Hull who got it down on paper. </p>
<p><em>"Some were smoking roll your owns <br>While others they had none <br>But everybody was holding hands <br>Singing this little song <br>We can swing together, <br>'Cause we feel we're doing it right..." </em></p>
<p>About four o' clock there was an almighty thumping on the doors and the sound of aching timber <em>"They shoved everybody against the walls," </em>remembers Jacka, <em>"and kicked the host and a few people around, I mean everybody was drunk. There was loads of booze about but they found no drugs." </em></p>
<p>Things ran against form that night. The host - who was about to exit from the area - stuck around, sued the force and came up with damages. <em>"Police in Newcastle are very good for getting people for being drunk and disorderly," </em>says Jacka.<em> "They've got the best record in the country. They've got the highest record in the world, in fact. Just because the local people are so keen." </em></p>
<p>Jacka likes his beer, mind you. He can sup and sup and not feel the pain until the next morning. He awoke in his sleeping bag a while back, feeling very low indeed, and did this passable impression of a snake shedding its skin and relieving itself in the toilet. Another time he threw up on a couple of mating butterflies. <br><em>"I suppose we do have this reputation for being perpetually drunk," </em>said Ray Laidlaw, sucking on a bottle of lemonade. <em>"I suppose it's fair to say we do like a drink and that we're above average drinkers. But we're not at the alcoholic stage yet." </em></p>
<p>Jacka and Ray, more than the others, come closest to resembling the Lindisfarne stereotype. They prefer things simple and unmolested. They despise sham and double-talk. They are the only unmarried members of the group and are currently staying with their families until they buy their own places. </p>
<p>Both were born to regular hard working parents who were driven to their knees by the demands of northern industry. Ray's dad's ambition was to be a joiner in the Tyneside shipyards, but a couple of years after serving his time as a riveter he was made redundant. Welding, and a whole new set of skills had arrived. He's been doing odd jobs ever since and now works in a builder's yard. </p>
<p><em>"Me mother used to tap dance, so she keeps telling me. I've never seen her tap dance. It's always been a family where there's been lots of music. But none of them ever played anything except me granddad. He used to play piano in a pub and sing. I think that's probably where it comes from. He's the sort of feller who could get a tune out of anything." </em></p>
<p>It was his grandad who bought him his first drum kit. It cost ten quid and was just about the finest birthday present any 13 year old could hope for. And it was Jacka's grandad who taught him how to play harmonica.<em> "I've played harp since I was about ten or thereabouts. I used to play classical and traditional stuff at first 'cause me grandad taught me that lot. The first real blues harp I heard was Little Walter on Bo Diddley's 'Pretty Thing,' you know, doing a session. I thought 'I'll try and play like that.' So I got an Echo Super Vamper and started punkin' along with that. I used to have a chromatic before, but you can't play blues on a chromatic." </em></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Inspired </strong></span></p>
<p>The mandolin was the inspired choice of his parents who brought one back from a holiday in Italy. <em>"It was one of the old bow types, the classical ones. It only cost about four quid. I just learned to play it 'cos it was a present. I never played seriously until about 2½ years ago when I joined the group." </em>The Royal Angus lounge is a haughty sort of place with miles of deep pile carpets and row upon row of leatherette chairs. Some of the lads were biting into an immense plate of toast while, on the telly, Gerald Nabarro was brushing aside questions from the Press. The entire West Bromwich Albion football team - shiny cheeks and tight little suits - completed the landscape. </p>
<p>Alan's arrived by now. He's done the journey from his Barnet home by train having, that morning, what was thought to have been his first ever visit to the dentist. His mouth had been throbbing and festering all week and no one knew. </p>
<p>Over dinner Jacka says he once went to a slaughterhouse and watched a sheep being torn apart but he still had a stomach for meat. Rod Clements, in black Lee Van Cleef hat, Confederate socks and a long trailing beard, pokes around in a plate of vegetables. </p>
<p>A few hours later they make their way on foot to the gig, stopping people on the way and asking <em>"'Scuse me is this the way to the Odeon?" </em></p>
<p>It was the last lap of a round the country gallop that included a couple of spectacular concerts in Newcastle and a not so spectacular confrontation with Liverpool's Top Rank at the half-way mark. It was an immense turn out and the Rank people kept wedging them in until the walls nearly bulged under the strain. After the show a group of people tumbled down the escalator and landed squarely on a young girl. </p>
<p>Simon Cowe remembers that night: <em>"All her facial bones were broken, there were bruises, multiple injuries and she was covered in blood. This is the real drag of being on tour when things like that happen. I'd really have liked to have followed it up, to find out from the Liverpool Fire Brigade what the fire limit was and reported them for having, say, 2,500 people in a hall that should hold maybe 1,500 or 1,800. And something has to be done about that staircase, 'cos a staircase that is maybe three feet wide isn't big enough for 2,500 people." </em></p>
<p>Tonight's Birmingham audience are a formidable englaciated lot who observe the proceedings with mild approval. The show is very much a package arrangement featuring Genesis and Scottish player-composer Rab Noakes in support role. </p>
<p>Threading together these wildly contrasting factions is the masterly inane humour and MC skills of Andy Andrews, who also plays fair acoustic guitar and writes a smart song. Then there's Ray Laidlaw's kid brother, Paul, on pub piano to bridge another gap. </p>
<p>Roadies arrange the vast collection of instruments for the evening's main performance - two mandolins, a violin, two 12-string guitars, six electric guitars, two basses, an auto harp, harmonium and electric piano. The crowd remain strangely unmoved through a crisp and superbly synchronized set. Lindisfarne, more than most groups, rely on audience feedback to lift their own performance. They're unhappy with the type of detached hysteria that greeted them at Portsmouth but need at least a nominal sign of involvement before they can build an atmosphere. </p>
<p>In the face of the usual pressures to keep things as is, they've managed to update the set with most of the material from Dingly Dell, things like Wake Up Little Sister, Go Back and Caught In The Act, plus the new single All Fall Down. But there's no satisfying a Lindisfarne audience without Meet Me On The Corner, Lady Eleanor, Fog On The Tyne and We Can Swing Together. The early material is more to the point, more carefree coming as it did, in great bursts of inspiration. Lately, the band have been worried by their less than prolific output. </p>
<p><em>"We've found that having to come to London we can't write nearly as much," </em>says Simon. <em>"I mean Alan would sit in his Gateshead pad and sing five songs straight out of his head and we'd do them the next day and have five new songs. He's written about three songs since then and that's about 1½ years ago. We came to London and there's such a heavy blanket covering the place I don't think we've ever managed to settle in." </em></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Rivalry </strong></span></p>
<p>Simon, lead guitar, sometimes pianist, mandolin and bass player, is the son of a Tynemouth architect and grew up in an elegant cobbled street, lined with Georgian houses each with a garden the size of a football pitch. <em>"The house was called Camp Terrace and was once lived in by Napoleon or maybe Wellington or one of that lot anyway. All his crew shacked up in our street. I think it was specially built for the purpose." </em></p>
<p>With Rod, whose father was a North Shields solicitor, he went to King's public school in Tynemouth. There was a great rivalry between the pair who usually finished first and second in their class. From King's Simon went on to a high class Edinburgh school called Fettes, and Rod rounded off his education with a BA in general arts from Durham University. </p>
<p><em>"I started playing piano when I was six or seven," </em>says Simon, <em>"and a couple of years later we moved to North Shields. That's where I met Ray and Rod lived just up the road. We all lived, literally, within three blocks of each other. I could play guitar, and the guy down the road could play guitar and Ray 'round the corner, had to play drums, 'cos that's all there was left. So he bought a kit and we made a little group called The Aristocats. </em></p>
<p><em>"I also formed a group when I was at school in Edinburgh and played guitar. We played this concert before the whole school one night and the headmaster came over afterwards and said 'I thought it was a little bit loud, but Johnny enjoyed it' - Johnny was his son and we were really knocked out." </em></p>
<p>After Fettes Simon wasn't sure what was to come next. He spent a lot of time racing between London and Newcastle. <em>"I bummed around for a while, worked in the RAC Club in Pall Mall as a commis chef and went to gambling clubs to try 'n' make some money." </em></p>
<p>He eventually landed in a Newcastle photographic company called Turners. </p>
<p>Eighteen months later, on the back of a number 11 bus, he spotted his old friend Ray Laidlaw, drummer with Downtown Faction. Here was the beginning of Lindisfarne. </p>
<p>Lindisfarne were expecting a bad time in Cardiff, another Top rank venue. In Birmingham they'd lost themselves and the audience but Cardiff... Cardiff was going to be OK. </p>
<p>There was no way Lindisfarne could miss, From the opening bars of meet Me On The Corner to the insane finale where everybody remotely connected with the show crowded the stage for Battle of New Orleans the audience roared and roared. And they sang in beautiful four part harmony too. </p>
<p>Next morning the Westgate is buzzing with scores of middle aged women in cotton hats and pale raincoats and in the music room the local blast furnace association is in earnest debate. </p>
<p>In Newport a tarnished past can overtake a rock 'n' roll roadshow. The Birmingham cops were interested in whoever smashed up a room in the Royal Angus, stole a painting and heaved a lampstand out the window. </p>
<p><em>"There's no way it could be our roadies," </em>Phil Collins, Genesis' drummer tells Fred Munt. <em>"They're just not like that. They're all public school boys. They just don't get into that sort of thing." "C'mon," says Fred, "some of those girls are the worst of the lot once they get away from the nuns." </em></p>
<p>A week's wages rests on it and a few minutes later, when a couple of Genesis roadies own up, Phil's jaw nearly falls in his lap. If that wasn't enough, they learn that a free outdoor concert, scheduled for the following Saturday at Friern Barnet mental hospital, has been cancelled. </p>
<p>It was to have been a quiet gathering for both patients and outsiders. Radio plugs and a couple of newspaper stories had beefed up interest and now, not 500, but 10,000 kids were expected. It was just too much for the hospital authorities and they backed out. </p>
<p><em>"I'm more than disappointed," </em>says Alan, <em>"I'm a little bit annoyed." </em>Hull in his own erratic, disorganised way, is the creative force behind Lindisfarne. In the last 15 years he's written more than 350 songs, among them Clear White Light, We Can Swing Together, Fog On The Tyne and City Song. Hull was probably happiest running the Rex Club in Whitley Bay and playing alongside people like Rab, Ralph McTell, Bridget St John and Amazing Blondel. </p>
<p><em>"Folk clubs are pure camaradarie - the best underground in the world. When you talk in terms of commerciality it's nowhere. It's just a nice thing to do instead of being on a bus, going all round the world, and playing to thousands of people. You just say 'I'm starving for me gravy' and you're in a folk club with lots of people and that's where it's at." </em></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Aggressive </strong></span></p>
<p>He is a determined, aggressive character who has never found it easy working with other musicians. A spell with The Chosen Few during '65 and '66 left him so discouraged that he quit the music scene to work for three years in St Nicholas' Mental Hospital as a student nurse and it was during this period that he wrote many of his finest songs. </p>
<p><em>"Everybody is in some way mentally ill, you know. There's no such thing as a normal man so the whole idea is to get hospitals integrated with the community and the community integrated with the hospitals and I saw the Barnet gig as a big step in that direction." </em></p>
<p>Bob Johnston's flirtation with Lindisfarne probably had a lot to do with what he saw in Alan. Each of the band has a version of what took place on the Fog On The Tyne and Dingly Dell sessions and Rod Clements' is probably the least inhibited. </p>
<p><em>"He used to take Alan off into the corner and have lengthy discussions with him about the future and things like that and what a brilliant album Alan could make in Nashville with all these session men who'd played on Bob Dylan albums. But Alan just sort of told him 'it's the band, you know,' which says a lot for Alan. I mean, that's what happened with Bell & Arc. He gave then same line to Graham Bell and Graham Bell swallowed it." </em></p>
<p>Hull does plan a solo album: <em>"I'll be using orchestras and lots of things and it'll be totally different from Lindisfarne. They'll be Alan Hull songs, sung by Alan Hull, produced by Alan Hull and recorded by Alan Hull... it's gonna be, that thing, you know." </em></p>
<p>Meanwhile all five are playing their second American tour, to be chased up next year with trips to Australia, New Zealand, Japan and another US visit. Like the Lindisfarne missionaries, who spread the Christian gospel in the Dark ages, there seems to be no holding the Newcastle revolution.</p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/59410792019-10-28T13:00:03+00:002019-10-31T03:56:58+00:00Selling Newcastle (Record Mirror Jan, 22 1972)<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/08aff6fcdbcd2ecfd25c94585cac580f434005e6/original/s-l1600.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Long ago and far away when Hyde park was just a flower pot and underground meant the Bakerloo line to me I was given to lurching around England in my capacity as a musical trade paper journalist with a group called The Animals. </strong></p>
<p>They were at the time a new breed on the rock and roll front because their appeal was basically a masculine ‘Let’s loon man,’ rather than the current vogue of ‘Scream along with me,’ which the four mop tops and wicked Mick and his band of renown projected at that time. </p>
<p><strong>Honest </strong></p>
<p>The Animals were, of course, natives of Newcastle – Geordies – a species which I subsequently discovered at the risk of sounding maudlin are the salt of the earth – crude, crass and obstinate they are also generally speaking the most honest, kind-hearted, perceptive and down to earth people in Britain – I happened to be born in London for the record! </p>
<p>All of which might seem a bloody funny way to start an article about Lindisfarne but then they are Geordies and somehow they seem to capture the feeling of their people and their city better than anyone I have ever heard. </p>
<p>I’ve always felt that if you could somehow bottle that particular Tyneside spirit it would market internationally. It has been, it will be – and if you have not bought Fog On The Tyne do so – my album of the year. </p>
<p>Quite recently I spoke to their mandolin player Ray Jackson who got to be Jacka after the second Newcastle brown ale we downed. <em>“I don’t write, sorry about that,” </em>but is highly prevalent in their sound and significantly was used by Long John on his excellent It Ain’t Easy album and Rod Stewart’s Every Picture Tells A Story. </p>
<p>Just how important does Jacka feel that Newcastle spirit is to Newcastle? </p>
<p><em>“Obviously it’s very important. Just over a year a go we were in a band called Brethren playing the same kind of boring R&B material as every other so called progressive band – long boring guitar solos and the volume turned up to cover any musical defects. <br>“In the January of 1970 we all put our heads together and realised it was no good going on unless we began to play something we believed in and that was the beginning of what became Lindisfarne. </em></p>
<p><em>“It was also about that time that Alan Hull joined the group and his bias towards folk music and our own preference for acoustic numbers brought about the change of direction.” </em></p>
<p><strong>Name </strong></p>
<p><em>“We started to rely more heavily on our own compositions – anything we felt was us and the result was people started looking less bored and began to get genuinely enthusiastic about our music and our background. We were going to keep the name Brethren but after we got our recording contract with Charisma Records, Tony Stratton Smith discovered there was a successful American group working under the same name. We chose the name Lindisfarne after the small tidal island off Newcastle – it’s completely cut off at high tide, consequently the pubs stay open all day without fear of police action.</em></p>
<p><em>We cling quite tightly to our ties with Newcastle because it’s a common bond and keeps us together. I think every northern group slightly resents the fact that you have to come to London to get recognised. Keeping our Geordie identities within the music is our own way of refusing to sell out – the hype machine won’t get us.</em></p>
<p><em>We try to carry our home town feeling with us. We’re enjoying it the more now because it is the real us and managing to convey that enjoyment to others means they want to join in. It’s that basic human being stuff like ‘Have a drink on me’, which gives people a sense of joining in – sometimes they do. </em></p>
<p><em>We’ve got this kind of football team following now in some places which can be a bit embarrassing when they want the rowdy numbers like Fog On The Tyne but it’s flattering to think they feel emotionally involved with us now to that extent. </em></p>
<p><em>In a sense it is the final reward to see people get up and clap and singing because I know it is what I wanted to do when I was 14 or 15 – I liked The Animals too y’know. They were the best in their time. We nearly signed up with John Steel and Chas at one time before we found Strat – mind you no one could have done more for us than he has done!</em></p>
<p>Jacka’s early inspirations were Woody Guthrie and The Dillards although he claims The Beatles ‘were our light’ especially with regard to the early Beatles music Like Norwegian Wood. </p>
<p><em>They wrote so many songs it was so easy to share in what they were doing,” said Jacka. “We try to keep the same basic simplicity and honesty in our music.</em></p>
<p>One of Jacka’s main claims to fame apart from Lindisfarne is that he is the mandolin player Rod Stewart credits on his album, Every Picture Tells A Story. As the man whose name he could not remember! </p>
<p><strong>Plans </strong></p>
<p><em>That came about because I was playing mandolin down at The Marquee one night and Baldry happened ‘Hall boy, what’s that you’re playing?’ y’know how he goes on. Anyway he was impressed enough to ask me to play on his album, It Ain’t Easy – I played on tracks like Black Girl and Rod was producing. He liked my playing and asked me to play on his album. </em></p>
<p>There are plans afoot to release Lindisfarne’s track Meet Me On The Corner from the Fog On The Tyne album as a single – the result I can assure you will be an instant smash hit but could it work in any way against the band? </p>
<p><em>“It might,”</em> agreed Ray. <em>“We don’t want to end up like T.Rex but then I don’t think there is much danger of that – it’s an album track after all and not a deliberate sell-out single.” </em></p>
<p>We wound up convening an unofficial meeting of the Lesley Duncan appreciation society – her album if you have not bought it is worth every penny – and passed a resolution hoping that 1972 should be a record year for the Newcastle Experience.</p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/55337882018-11-30T18:25:43+00:002023-04-07T11:35:40+01:00Barry McKay remembers - 40 years ago today: The flight of the gravy<h3>Lindisfarne & Chris Rea post-Christmas Show supper, Mathers Kitchen, Eldon Square, Newcastle </h3>
<p>After a lengthy "Magic In The Air" tour, we were all ready to let our hair down. Circa 50 of us arrived at Mathers Kitchen restaurant after one of the Newcastle City Hall shows, the Chris Rea contingent and crew on one side of the restaurant, Lindisfarne on the opposite side... -I was somewhere in the middle. </p>
<p>There was no sign of any food for quite a long time however the wine flowed and flowed and much toasting went on. Chris Rea can be seen in one of the photos toasting Alan Hull (out of picture) with a carafe of wine held high. Note his clean white T-shirt:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/c197e9e8b78dd2249c595cb4b48236bd6c3b7faf/original/0712-gravy02xl.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Spirits rose, more wine was consumed but still...no food. With two others I ended up dancing on the table and when we fell over, someone ran over from the Chris Rea party and poured a carafe of wine over our heads. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/940438cbe26ec4b2bdcb5852bbce3490636f899c/original/0712-gravy03xl.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/54788d44b9a0b20fbd3ecfd50e13ffac530e946f/original/0712-gravy01xl.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />...note that Chris Rea (left) is still intact </p>
<p>To this day I don't know who carried out this dastardly deed....but Ray Laidlaw was right there, grinning...he probably knows. It seems that there was retaliation from the Lindisfarne side. Bread rolls arrived which became useful missiles. Then, finally, the food arrived. This was the signal for a major food fight. The photos can't do it justice however it was straight out of a John Belushi movie. I recall at one stage that the air space above me seemed crowded with incoming and outgoing food and drink. One photo shows food stuck to the wall behind Chris Rea, who is covered in food and wine while from his right, someone has just launched the entire contents of a gravy jug through the air. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/269546fce0a72c5ef5880c702907df74b63ecb9c/original/0712-gravy04xl.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Chris and Co were heavily outnumbered as every bit of food which arrived was deployed as ammunition and directed towards Chris and his merry men. Within minutes, everyone evacuated the premises which by then required redecoration. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/9e394e6c62e54e5e1440da9761442bd43ceebd40/original/0712-gravy05xl.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p><strong><em>Yours..... Barry McKay </em></strong></p>
<p>Who's who on the "Flight of the gravy" photos: <br>The guy grinning, in the bottom left hand corner of the first photo in the series, is Iollo Pierce who, for a short time was the bands road manager. He was very quickly replaced by the wonderful Mr Jimmy Moore, surely just about the best road manager Lindisfarne (or any other band) could have ever hoped to have secured and a terrific guy. Next to Iollo, with long hair, white shirt and elbows on the table, chatting to a blonde girl opposite, is me. Standing at the rear is Chris Rea (left) and one of his road managers (right) with another road manager seated between them. Seated opposite me, with the multi-coloured scarf, was Shwepp's (probably spelt incorrectly) fiance. Shwepp engineered both the first Chris Rea album and "Back and Fourth" as he worked for the late Mr Gus Dudgeon (who I still miss to this day...another great guy who died in a road accident). </p>
<p>Then again, I almost did too. Within a mile of the spot on the A1 near Leeds, where the Social Sec of Newcastle Poly and his colleagues were all killed crossing the centre reservation, I also crossed, doing 100mph when forced onto the grassy central reservation by a car transporter that suddenly pulled out, ending up doing 100mph the wrong way down the opposite fast lane. Total miracle I got back over without a head-on crash! I have a suspicion that the blonde girl I was talking to ended up being killed in a plane crash some years later in South America. Less of this and back to who's who.... </p>
<p>Top right in the second picture is, I think, Ian Leake (aka Streaky) who sound engineered for us occasionally (and had a role in the film "Lucky Man" and worked most of the time for Alan Price (whatever happened to Alan Price? hope he is OK, he was very talented but quite shy), I don't recognise the attractive lady to the right of Ray Laidlaw but she looks a lovely person...then I would say that...I married a redhead years later. I think the lady seated to her right may have been Iollo's girlfriend. As for the three pairs of legs belonging to the trio who fell over trying to dance, pissed, on the table...the legs wearing blue "Kickers" are mine, another pair was one of our merchandising ladies (her name will be on the winter tour programme) and the third was the blonde girl who I suspect perished in an air crash. </p>
<p>The third picture is Chris Rea and his road crew. They were always up for a laugh. Chris's Norwegian wife was not about that night, had she been I doubt the food fight would have kicked off. Chris, incidentally, hated Gus Dudgeon as Gus was a bit of an autocrat in the studio. I always thought this was so sad, as without Gus, I doubt Chris would ever have made it. Chris will disagree. Magnet Records' owner...the "Mr Checkbook to the labour party"..Michael Levy, made a great move for Chris when he secured Gus Dudgeon for an unknown's first album. I have always felt sorry for Gus that he received so little appreciation from Chris, but then, I wasn't at the sessions. Gus could spend two days of expensive studio time just getting a snare drum sound, while taking phone calls....but he told FANTASTIC stories. Meanwhile almost everyone who knew Gus loved him, myself included. </p>
<p>Photo after [fourth] (Chris covered in food with gravy looming) is as before. </p>
<p>The last picture [fifth] is Ray and Karen Jackson, (Jacka's ex-wife). I first met Karen in 1975 when I drove up for dinner at their home in rural Northumberland. My car got stuck in the snow even though it was 4 wheel drive. They had a new baby girl, Ruth, who was absolutely gorgeous (she still is). Opposite Karen was a chap who was supposed to be in charge of back stage tour security. Can't remember his name but the band thought he was useless. </p>
<p>That's it really. There must be lots of other photos around but I don't have them.</p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/53562762018-07-21T07:39:15+01:002021-12-28T20:34:03+00:00Clear White Light - a play featuring the songs of Alan Hull<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/435c91480edd742fcf3581b870e4ef8d43f338ec/original/cwlfb.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<h2><strong>CLEAR WHITE LIGHT, the WORLD PREMIERE of a new play featuring the songs of ALAN HULL! </strong></h2>
<p>Live Theatre, Newcastle, 18th Oct - 10th Nov 2018 | Tickets on sale 25th July </p>
<p><strong>Venue & ticket info: </strong><a contents="https://www.live.org.uk/whats-on/clear-white-light&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.live.org.uk/whats-on/clear-white-light" target="_blank">https://www.live.org.uk/whats-on/clear-white-light </a></p>
<p>A Live Theatre Production <br>Written by Paul Sirett <br>With the songs of Alan Hull <br>Directed by Joe Douglas <br>Musical Direction by Ray Laidlaw & Billy Mitchell </p>
<p>------------------- </p>
<p>It's been years in the making, and now Newcastle's Live Theatre have announced a contemporary retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, set against the backdrop of cuts to our 70-year-old NHS. </p>
<p>Inspired by Alan’s spell as a psychiatric nurse at St Nick’s Hospital in the late 60s, Clear White Light features many of the classic songs he wrote at the time. Winter Song, Lady Eleanor, Clear White Light and more will be played by a live band featuring Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell. </p>
<p>As the show's musical directors, Billy & Ray are incredibly excited to see the show come to fruition after years in the making. </p>
<p>Ray: <em>'We've been working with the wonderfully creative team at Live Theatre for a long time, searching for the perfect vehicle for Alan's great songs which doesn't rely on cliché. Clear White Light is just that - it's fresh and inventive, and I'm sure it'll introduce Alan's music to a whole new audience.' </em></p>
<p>Billy: <em>'Alan was profoundly touched by his time at St. Nick's, caring for people with mental health issues. The music he wrote around then - often while on duty - has stood the test of time. Unfortunately the NHS hasn't fared so well, something Clear White Light addresses head-on.' </em></p>
<p>Venue & ticket info: <a contents="https://www.live.org.uk/whats-on/clear-white-light" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.live.org.uk/whats-on/clear-white-light" target="_blank">https://www.live.org.uk/whats-on/clear-white-light</a></p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/51639512018-04-04T18:01:50+01:002020-09-05T09:51:30+01:00The Tale of Lindisfarne in Wonderland: NME, March 1972<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/c759527e09291a766a4f088a9e85886dff0759b7/medium/fog-us.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_" />Picture five Newcastle lads touring in the overwhelming, monstrous United States.</strong></p>
<p>The hustle and bustle can drive a country boy mad unless he relaxes, sitting on the edge of his Holiday Inn bed, watching the colourful street lights below. And it’s all happening to Lindisfarne for the first time. To them it’s mesmeric, unbelievable. Last week I talked on the transatlantic phone to drummer Ray Laidlaw, in San Francisco, and asked him for his impressions of the city. </p>
<p><em>“I’ve always had visions of San Francisco as a hippie place , with lots of mist and Clark gable in it somewhere,” </em>Laidlaw told me. <em>“I must have seen a dozen films about San Francisco with Clark Gable in them. So it’s nice to see the place. It’s like dreams coming true you know. But I haven’t seen Clark Gable.” </em></p>
<p>On the first leg of their tour. Lindisfarne supported The Kinks – which they enjoyed. They didn’t like New York very much – an intrusive, dehumanising place. But they were having good fun in ‘Frisco.With temperatures around 85, they’ve been driving around town with their bare feet hanging out the station wagon windows. </p>
<p>Laidlaw talked about the common ground they share with The Kinks. <em>“The Kinks were good enough to let us use equipment they’d borrowed. We did eight gigs with them and it was really first class. The Kinks attract an audience who are interested in songs rather than instrumental virtuosity, and we appeal to a similar audience, so it was a really good idea being with them. The Kinks are really big over here and have full houses everywhere.” </em></p>
<p>Laidlaw said Lindisfarne were at first a little apprehensive about playing to American audiences. They really didn’t know what formula to use. Then they realised people are the same all over, and they played basically the same as they do in Britain. One of the major problems facing British groups in America is the difference in size of venues. I asked him if he liked larger hall. </p>
<p><em>“Yeah, I do actually. There was a time when we had difficulty, but not now. We seem to get a similar atmosphere in a large auditorium as in a club. We just chat to people and behave in the same way, and it seems to work. We’ve done some really big ones over here but the sound systems are so good that everybody can hear us."</em></p>
<p><em>“We can make little jokes or chat to the audience and you can hear every word – which isn’t always as easy as in England.”</em> Laidlaw said they’d been well received so far – half way through their five-week tour. As well as hitting most of the major cities, they’re doing some medium sized ones like Cleveland, Cincinnati and Lubbock, Texas. </p>
<p>One gig that they’re looking forward to is the Troubadour in Los Angeles which broke Elton John and Cat Stevens. I asked about material. Do they mind doing some of the older things like “We Can Swing Together”? “<em>We change them all the time. Obviously you go off a song now and then, but you just drop it for a bit, then it comes up again. Over here we’ve been doing a lot of things from the first album and before, just to see how people react. We have a pretty wide scope as a band – we can go from folky quiet things to hard rock. “We want to try everything we are capable of, and see how American audiences react.” </em></p>
<p>Are any new songs likely to come out of the tour? </p>
<p><em>“Oh, I should think there will be quite a few. It’s such an experience coming here that it’s bound to start things up in the little minds.But we’re gonna have a holiday when we get back, and that should give us a chance to get some songs together. We’ve got some songs ready to be rehearsed already, and with the extra stuff we’ve got here we should be well on the way to the new album."</em></p>
<p><em>“Alan or Rod sometimes come along to a rehearsal with a song, and they’ll sing it to us and if everybody likes it, we’ll do it. But if one person doesn’t like the song, we don’t do it. It’s as simple as that. We’ll go all through that scene when we get back where we’ll sit in somebody’s front room and listen to all the new songs. </em></p>
<p><em>“Then we’ll pick out ones we want to do and go away to a friend’s cottage in Scotland and learn them all. There we can be together 24 hours a day and rehearse when we want, play football, or go out and have a pint. We’re friends first and a group second.”</em></p>
<p>With their current single and album doing so well, I asked Laidlaw if there was any type of goal they’d like to achieve. <em>“We’d like to be the best group in the world and be known for being the best group in the world. We’re really not happy with everything we’ve done record-wise. I don’t know if we ever will be perfectly happy, but we want to make a brilliant album before very long."</em></p>
<p><em>“We know we can do it. We’ve got everything that’s necessary. It’s just a question of learning how to do it properly. The last two albums have been good in different ways, but both had shortcomings. On the next one, we want to eliminate those things. We’ll be using Bob Johnston again as producer.” </em></p>
<p>Laidlaw said he wasn’t ashamed of all the hype they’ve had about coming out of Newcastle, because basically it was all true. They love the place and are glad they come from there. He thinks they’ll always basically be a Newcastle band because that’s where they started.</p>
<p>And so there you have it, my friends. The latest news from five Geordies touring in Wonderland. Drummer Laidlaw might leave his heart in San Francisco after all. Too bad Clark Gable wasn’t there to greet him.</p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/50711832018-02-09T17:55:37+00:002022-07-26T07:57:28+01:00The Lindisfarne File (Melody Maker, 1972)<p>(With thanks to Michael Clayton)</p>
<p><strong>Evolution: </strong>Rod Clements and Ray Laidlaw formed the Downtown Faction Blues Band in Newcastle in the summer of 1966 and renamed it Brethren in the summer of 1969, when their colleagues were Jeff Sadler, Simon Cowe and Ray Jackson. Jeff Sadler (lead Guitar) left in December 1969 and was replaced by Alan Hull in the spring of 1970. Changed their name to Lindisfarne in August 1970.</p>
<p><span class="font_large">Lindisfarne:</span></p>
<p><strong>First Public Appearance:</strong> Ashington Cellar Club, Northumberland, May 1970. <br><strong>First Broadcast: </strong>Night Ride, December 1970. <br><strong>First TV: </strong>Disco 2, January 1971. Record Producers: John Anthony and Bob Johnston. <br><strong>Record Label: </strong>Charisma Records, 87 Brewer Street, London W1R 3FJ (01-734-9186). <br><strong>Management: </strong>Mother Management, 87 Brewer Street, London W1R 3FJ (01-734-9186). <br><strong>Agent: </strong>Charisma Artists, 87 Brewer Street, London W1R 3FJ (01-734-9186). <br><strong>Publishers: </strong>Hazy Music, 9 Ravenscroft Avenue, London NW11 0SA (01-455-4556). <br><strong>First Major British Tour: </strong>With Van Der Graaf Generator and Genesis, January 1971. <br><strong>First American Tour: </strong>With The Kinks, February 1972. <br><strong>Next British Tour: </strong>With Genesis and Rab Noakes (sic), Oct, 1972. <br><strong>Transport: </strong>Band travels in Ford Microbus with aeroplane seats. Mercedes truck for equipment. <br><strong>Sound Engineer: </strong>Ian Cowe. <br><strong>Equipment Management: </strong>Charlie Cameron. <br><strong>Tour And Personal Manager: </strong>Micky Sweeney. <br><strong>Singles: </strong>“Clear White Light” c/w “Knacker’s Yard Blues” (20/Nov/1970), “Lady Eleanor” c/w “Nothing But The Marvellous Is Beautiful” (21/May/1971), “All Fall Down” c/w live version of “We Can Swing Together”(1/Sep/1972). <br><strong>Albums: </strong>“Nicely Out Of Tune” (1/Nov/1970), “Fog On The Tyne” (15/Oct/1971), “Dingly Dell” (15/Sep 1972). <br><strong>Maxi-Single: </strong>“Meet Me On The Corner”, Scotch Mist”, “No Time To Lose” (3/Dec/1971). <br><strong>P.A.: </strong>Burman 300-watt custom built by Greg Burman, of Newcastle. Three 100-watt slave amps, 2 x 4 channel mixers, doubling up with separated volume controls, giving 16 channels. Six 4 x 12 and two 2 x 12 speaker cabinets, two Vitavox horn cabinets, five Shure Unisphere mikes (vocals), one Eagle condenser mike (acoustic guitar), one Beyer mike (vocals, harmonica). </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Alan Hull: </strong>Rhythm guitar, vocals, piano, songs. </span></p>
<p><strong>Born: </strong>Newcastle, 20th February 1945<br><strong>Education: </strong>Rutherford Grammar School until 16. <br><strong>Musical Tuition: </strong>Took piano lessons at 9, started playing guitar at 11, wrote first song at 12. <br><strong>Musical debut: </strong>On leaving school, began playing piano and lead guitar with local groups. <br><strong>First Professional Job:</strong> Newcastle 1965-66 with The Chosen Few, who recorded four of his songs for their two singles. Disillusioned with group scene, quit Chosen Few and spent two years as male nurse at St Nicholas’s Mental Hospital, Newcastle, working out his aims and ideas. Returned to music scene as folk singer in 1968 and had a single “We Can Swing Together”, released by Transatlantic in summer of 1969. Started his own folk club in Whitley Bay, January 1970, where he first heard Brethren, although he already knew Si Cowe and Ray Laidlaw. Sat in on some bookings and joined them May 1970. <br><strong>Principal Compositions: </strong>“Winter Song”, “Clear White Light”, “We Can Swing Together”, “January Song”, “Fog On The Tyne”, “All Fall Down”. <br><strong>Songwriting Inspiration: </strong>Boredom and fear. Human suffering at the mental hospital. <br><strong>Favourite Songwriter: </strong>Bob Dylan. <br><strong>Favourite Single: </strong>“Strawberry Fields Forever” The Beatles. <br><strong>Most Influential LP: </strong>“Highway 61 Revisited”, Bob Dylan. <br><strong>Favourite Singer:</strong> John Lennon. <br><strong>Favourite Musician: </strong>Neil Young. <br><strong>Residence: </strong>Tudor house (with dartboard) at Barnet. <br><strong>Instruments: </strong>Yamaha six-string acoustic guitar with De Armond pick-up and Martin bronze heavy guage (sic) strings. Fender Esquire electric with La Bella medium gauge strings. Hohner electric piano, Fender Bassman. </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Rod Clements: </strong>Bass guitar, violin, songs. </span></p>
<p><strong>Born: </strong>North Shields, 17th November 1947<br><strong>Education: </strong>King’s School, Tynemouth and Durham University. BA in Genearl Arts, (English, Anthropology, Ancient History), June 1969 <br><strong>Musical Tuition: </strong>Started playing guitar at 14, while attending boarding school in Durham. Took up bass guitar at 15. <br><strong>Musical Career: </strong>Played with friends at school parties and concerts. Left school in Summer 1965 when 17, returned to North Shields, became gardening shop assistant and made acquaintance of near neighbour Ray Laidlaw. They formed Impact (autumn 1965), which lasted a few months and had only one gig at Cullercoats Co-op Hall. They formed Downtown Faction in summer of 1966. <br><strong>Influences: </strong>Paul McCartney, Charlie Mingus, Chris Stainton, Alan Spenner, Carl Radle, Rick Danko (bass), Dave Swarbrick, Richard Greene, Mick Wilson (violin), Beatles, Bob Dylan (folk/blues), Leon Russell, Van Morrison, Rolling Stones (general). <br><strong>Principal Compositions: </strong>“Meet Me On The Corner”, “Road To Kingdom Come”, “Train In G Major”, “Don’t Ask Me”. <br><strong>Songwriting Inspiration: </strong>Dissatisfaction with 20th Century Western society. <br><strong>Favourite Songwriters: </strong>Dylan, Jagger/Richards. <br><strong>Favourite single: </strong>“Hey Joe”, Jimi Hendrix. <br><strong>Favourite Musician: </strong>Leon Russell. <br><strong>Favourite Singer: </strong>Bob Dylan. <br><strong>Most Influential LPs: </strong>“Blonde On Blonde” (Bob Dylan) and “Sticky Fingers” (Rolling Stones). <br><strong>Residence: </strong>Terraced house (1906) at Finchley, London. <br><strong>Instruments: </strong>Rickenbacker fretless bass with Rickenbacker or D’Angelico strings. Thomastik strings on fiddle. Ampeg bass amplifier with 2 x SST power speakers. Violin amplifier is a Fender Twin Reverb. Also plays acoustic guitar and piano. </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Ray Jackson: </strong>Vocals, harmonica, mandolin. </span></p>
<p><strong>Born: </strong>Wallsend, 12th December 1948 <br><strong>Education: </strong>Western Secondary Modern School, Wallsend, and Newcastle College of Art and Industrial Design. Diploma in graphic design. <br><strong>Musical Training: </strong>Grandfather taught him to play mouth organ when he was 10. Won talent contest at Butlin’s. Hearing Little Walter’s harp on Bo Diddley’s “Pretty Thing” converted him to the blues in his teens during the R and B boom of the early 1960s. <br><strong>Musical debut:</strong> With a local group, The Zulus, in August 1964. Formed his own band Autumn States, with some friends. Was a lorry driver, building site labourer, shop assistant, then struck up friendship with Ray Laidlaw at Newcastle College Of Art and became acquainted with members of Lindisfarne. Joined them when they were reforming in summer 1969. <br><strong>Influences: </strong>Sonny Terry, Big Walter Horton, Sonny Boy Williamson (harmonica). <br><strong>Favourite Single: </strong>“Paper Back Writer”, The Beatles. <br><strong>Favourite Singers:</strong> John Lennon, Marvin Gaye. <br><strong>Favourite Musicians: </strong>Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie. <br><strong>Residence: </strong>Shortly moving into a new bachelor flat. At present living with his parents in North Shields. <br><strong>Instruments: </strong>Harmony electric mandolin, Fender Pro Reverb 40-watt amplifier. Hohner Echo Super Vamper harmonicas in keys A, B-sharp, C, D and G. Also plays bugle. </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Ray Laidlaw:</strong> Percussion. </span></p>
<p><strong>Born: </strong>North Shields 28th May 1948<br><strong>Education: </strong>St Cuthbert’s Catholic Grammar School, Newcastle, and Newcastle College of Art and Industrial Design, where he met Ray Jackson. <br><strong>Musical Career: </strong>Started playing drums when 14 and was soon in a group called The Aristokats, in which Si Cowe, who lived nearby, played guitar. Joined The Druids, who were successful locally in the early heyday of The Stones, Kinks etc but broke up at the beginning of 1965. Got together with Rod Clements, who lived around the corner, and formed Impact, which was simply The Druids with Rod replacing the old bass guitarist. Impact led to The Downtown Faction, which they launched in the summer of 1966. It became one of the most popular groups on Tyneside. <br><strong>Influences:</strong> Levon Helm, Brian Bennett, Ringo Starr, Barry Wilson, Charlie Watts, John Woods (drums), Beatles, Stones, Bob Dylan, Fairports, Shadows, Everley Brothers, Buddy Holly. <br><strong>Compositions:</strong> “Laidlaw’s Lament,” circa 1964, his one and only song written to win a bet. <br><strong>Favourite Single: </strong>“Strawberry Fields,” The Beatles. <br><strong>Most Influential LP: </strong>“Revolver,” The Beatles. <br><strong>Favourite Singer: </strong>John Lennon. <br><strong>Favourite Musician:</strong> Ringo Starr. <br><strong>Favourite Songwriters: </strong>Lennon/McCartney. <br><strong>Residence: </strong>Is single and still lives in Newcastle. <br><strong>Instruments: </strong>Premier drum kit. Cymbals are one Paiste 20 inch ride, one Paiste 16 inch crash, two Zildjian 8 inch splash and two 14 inch Super Zyn. </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Simon Cowe: </strong>Lead guitar, mandolin, piano, vocals, songs. </span></p>
<p><strong>Born: </strong>Jesmond Dene 1st April 1948 <br><strong>Education: </strong>King’s School, Tynemouth, with rod until 13, then Fette’s College, Edinburgh. <br><strong>Musical Tuition: </strong>There was always a guitar lying around the house when he was small. Took piano lessons from age 5. <br><strong>Musical Career: </strong>Joined The Aristokats, with Ray Laidlaw, during his school holidays, 1963. Became photographic assistant in camera shop on leaving school and was asked to do publicity photos for Downtown Faction by school friends Rod and Ray. Becamer their unofficial road manager and joined them as second guitarist, early 1968. Started plaing bass when Rod Clements left in October 1968. When Rod came back in summer 1969, reverted to guitar and began playing electric piano. <br><strong>Influences: </strong>Jeff Sadler, Harvey Mandell, Jimi Hendrix, Mick Taylor (guitar), Ray Jackson (mandolin), Chopin (piano). <br><strong>Principal Compositions: </strong>“Go Back” (“Dingly Dell,” Lindisfarne). <br><strong>Songwriting Inspiration:</strong> Love, disappointment, skin, animals. <br><strong>Favourite Single: </strong>“Voodoo Chile,” Jimi Hendrix. <br><strong>Favourite Singers: </strong>Turtles. <br><strong>Favourite Musician: </strong>Frank Zappa. <br><strong>Most Influential LP: </strong>“Folk Blues And Beyond,” Davy Graham. <br><strong>Favourite Songwriters: </strong>Leonard Cohen. <br><strong>Residence: </strong>Victorian terraced house in Stamford Hill. <br><strong>Instruments: </strong>Gibson stereo guitar, Gibson Cromwellian guitar, Fender mandolin, Fender 80-watt Twin Reverb amplifier. Also plays Dutch/Japanese flute and home made instruments.</p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/50391662018-01-23T19:57:43+00:002021-01-26T07:20:42+00:00Lindisfarne: It's Tyne Time - Melody Maker, 1971<p><strong>It's Tyne Time </strong><br>by Roy Hollingworth (1949-2002: <a contents="Guardian obituary" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/mar/22/guardianobituaries.pressandpublishing" target="_blank">Guardian obituary</a>)<br>from Melody Maker Dec 18, 1971 - discovered by Michael Clayton </p>
<p><em>"No, we'll never work as hard as this again. It's killing the magic. And it's not doing us much good either"</em><br><strong>Si Cowe</strong></p>
<p>It's very quiet where we are. Sat, tucked in the toenails of England, supping stout. Even the sea that wets Penzance makes no noise. You wouldn't believe you could gig in Penzance. Or Derby, or Durham, or York, or Barnstaple, or Luton, or Exeter even. Not night following night anyhow. Lindisfarne have played England inside out, and they've played themselves inside out as well. There's a large lounge with tapestry chairs and settees in the Queen's Hotel, Penzance. And old people, and Lindisfarne sat nursing the wounds of open road warfare. Ray Jackson has no appetite left, except for ale. He was so sick the other night, you wouldn't believe the scenes he went through. </p>
<p>Si Cowe pulls up his sweater, and shows a body being eaten by a hungry of shingles. <em>"It's a nervous complaint, we've all had something."</em> But it's not grumbles that are filling the air. There's grumbling and grumbling, and there's good things to talk about too. A year's solid work for Lindisfarne has not been in vain. The band have worked their way into people's heads. Now they play to audiences who just can't stay on their behinds. They get up, they go mad. </p>
<p>No, they aren't a heavy band, but they can be the heaviest. They're not a folk band, but they can be the folkiest. They're not a rock band but they play the best rock and roll. Lindisfarne are Lindisfarne. When you hear a Lindisfarne song, you feel as though you've been hearing it all your life. You feel as though you've been singing it from the day you were born. You feel as though you know the tune, and know the words because they've been inside you always. But you haven't heard that tune before. Odd? </p>
<p>Alan Hull is lounging in a lounge chair. He makes a face and then with driver Crackie, he makes for dinner. Crackie has had to come in for someone who couldn't stick the pace.<em> "Yes, we've worn a roadie out." </em>- Jackson. </p>
<p>Three things have brought Lindisfarne out of the unknown flock this year. They are the Reading Festival, The Weeley Festival, and Bob Johnston. It was Johnston's wish to record them that finally brought the nods of approval, and the questions. Who are Lindisfarne? </p>
<p>Well, they are a bunch of Geordies called Hull, Jackson, Cowe, Ray Laidlaw (sic), and Rod Clements (b.a.). Their musical background comes from folk clubs, working men's clubs, sleazy clubs, football clubs, noisy pubs and basic loves. It comes from getting drunk and getting duffed, and having laughs. It comes from digesting life, and spitting it out in song. It's no product of meditation in soft meadows. It's tin baths and stout, and having the talent to put that into music. It's putting two fingers up to bad times. </p>
<p><em>"I can't see nay point," </em>says Laidlaw, <em>"of making a musician out to be something better, something above, something that has to be described as weird. When you pull it all down, all we are, are entertainers. We're nothing more. People have tended to take musicians too seriously. Their talents have been raised out of all proportions. You don't go out there and play to yourselves., you go to play to people to make them feel better. And that can make you feel better as well. " </em></p>
<p>But how much do you play to them, how often? <em>"It's tragic,"</em> says Si, <em>"that we've only written four new songs since August. We had no time, we've been gigging nearly every night." </em></p>
<p>Laidlaw: <em>"We knew in October that the following months would be spent doing ridiculous gigs. But we knew we had to do it. We had to do it to get good, to get tight. Well, we've done it, it's taken its toll, but it's succeeded."</em></p>
<p><em>"The band has become tight," </em>says Jackson. <em>"It's always been one terrible shambles on stage, tuning up every minute and that. But now we've got into the part. We're so tight we could go after a residency. But imagine having a hairy night and having to travel 200 miles the next day, and having to be capable of spewing out of a truck window at 70 mph." </em></p>
<p>They've been playing Exeter the night before. It had worked. Oh, and there'd been Barnstaple before that, and then there was Newcastle, and then to Luton.<em> "I wouldn't like the audiences to get any more wild than they are at the moment," </em>says Hull, who's returned from feeding. <em>"Christ, I come on and sing 'Lady Eleanor', which is sad and they're up there cheering already. It's mad. But I know it's good, I know that people love to do that, people like to get like that." </em></p>
<p>Bob Johnston took Lindisfarne, and with that magic that he has, he put them on album, 'Fog On The Tyne'. He was tough with them, because they were loose as baggy trousers in the studio. He adored them. When he heard Alan lay down 'City Song' he jumped up and down on his seat in the control room shouting that it was the best thing he'd ever heard. Remember who he's been working with and take into consideration that he's not prone to lose his screws all that often. </p>
<p>Now there's a new year coming up. There's a little lay off planned. But then more gigs, but not so hard. It's got to be cooled. Oh, and there's a strange one for Lindisfarne. There's America to face. It's known that The Band want Lindisfarne to play with them. And there's got to be rest, and there's got to be time to sit down and write some more songs. But there hasn't got to be too much of a lapse.<em> "I couldn't do without not working hard," </em>says Jackson. But it has been too hard. But they've done it.<em> "I'll have a Mackeson," </em>says Jackson. </p>
<p><strong>Impressions of Jackson </strong></p>
<p><em>"You've got to have a few before you go on." </em>Ray Jackson, mandolin, and mouth harp, and jokes. Ray Jackson can do impressions of anything. He can even impersonate The Queen doing things that you're not supposed to impersonate her doing. But people laugh. He can also impersonate motor-cycles, ships, aeroplanes, dogs, oh, lots of dogs. Dirtydogs, puppy dogs, and nasty dogs. </p>
<p>But Jacka is a humble lad. He's stout with whiskers and a moustache. He looks like a steam engineer from times ago, or maybe even a stoker.<em> "Broon. Broon Ale, Newcastle Broon Ale." </em></p>
<p>Broon Ale? </p>
<p>Aye, Broon Ale. </p>
<p>A pint and a bloody song. </p>
<p><br>You can get the blues on Broon Ale, and Jacka can get the blues. "Jacka's Blues," sturdy, and well said. Became a star this year he did. A star? Well he got on TV with a rock band called The Faces. You can't be much more of a star than that. </p>
<p>Mandolin for 'Mandolin Wind', mandolin for 'Maggie May', and Rod Stewart gave him this beautiful mandolin for him to play. He does play good mandolin does Jacka, and he plays a gutsy harp as well. Oh, and he sings, but not all that well. But that doesn't matter, it fits, it fits the part. </p>
<p>Alan Hull's greatest ambition was to write a song for Jacka. He's one of those people you want to write a song for. He's that type of character who always appears to be happy making people at home, no matter how he feels. A warm person as you like. The Faces arrived at Top Of The Pops in a flotilla of sports cars. Jacka arrived in his old red van. </p>
<p><em>"When you've done your grounding in folk clubs, then you know you've been through a bit of training. Then there were the social clubs. If they didn't like you, then they'd soon let you bloody know. It's worth having a few before you go out there, a few ales. It cuts down the nerves, and you know what you're doing. You also feel a bit good." </em></p>
<p><strong>Drunk</strong></p>
<p>So Jacka's sat there, in this posh hotel, having a few ales. Groups get to stay in posh hotels every now and then. It's about all you ever see of the town. Just the inside of a hotel, and then the gig. By the time you get to a gig, there's either no time to relax, or a few hours. But those few hours are never enough to sit down and do something constructive. So you sit down and spend your time waiting. And thinking of the things you could be doing. </p>
<p><em>"Sometimes," </em>says Jacka, <em>"there's a great temptation to get almighty drunk before a gig. I mean, here we are now. There's three hours to the gig, and there's the bar. I don't think . . . we've ever got quite that bad before a gig, although there have been some times when . . ." </em></p>
<p>Yes, there was the time when Alan turned up fairly late for a gig. The other four had already started playing. Alan was fairly boozed, ran onto the stage, took one look at the audience and tried to flee. The other chaps had to keep him on the stage. <em>"There we were playing very nicely and this idiot comes and _____ it all up," </em>says Jacka, joking of course. It's got to end. The lounge cannot be occupied anymore, it's getting too boring, and there's another two hours to the gig. It's said as almost one voice, but working at regular intervals<em>. "Let's go try and see if we can find a pub." </em>Hull is already carrying a bottle of rose vino. </p>
<p><strong>Barman</strong></p>
<p>There's an eight track in the van outside. It's that which keeps them sane (or maybe insane) on a 12 hour drive. Jacka slips The Move on, it shouts out tremendously live, and loud.<em> "The Move are tremendous, this is rock 'n' roll," </em>shouts Hull, and Crackie guns the van, and guns us to the worst pub in town. </p>
<p>A heavy barman who doesn't like Hull, and threatens to have his guts for (you wouldn't believe it). Long haired scoundrels.<em> "It's a shame you have to go through this," </em>says Jacka, who was set upon by some thugs the night before. Life on the road. But Jacka keeps his calm, smiles, and there's a laugh all round. And he's a star you know. </p>
<p><strong>We Can Swing Together </strong></p>
<p>THE Winter Gardens, Penzance: Friday night. Despite the mild weather all the heaters are burning full blast inside. It's a low ceiling building, dark, but with a cloak of homeliness. There's a folk singer on at the moment. The band creep to the dressing room, which is also full of heat, and a smell of burning nuts. There's a meeting with the roadies. Hull places his instruments down, and takes a swig of the wine that's somehow still in his hand. He offers it round. </p>
<p>The strange thing about Lindisfarne is that you'd never think they were going to gig. None of them cause hassle, none of them look particularly bothered about anything. Laidlaw just sits and muses at the bar. Hull and Cowe sit mildly tuning up in the dressing room, then with only minutes to go, they are all tuning. There's a violin, and a harmonica, and guitars fusing into a jig. </p>
<p>And well, that's close enough. </p>
<p>They take the stage. They are full of laughter already, Jackson's said something funny as he gets the right harp out. Then they tumble into a tune, and now they've got to get going. Cowe always sits on stage. He almost hides himself in the right hand corner. Head bent over instrument. He shifts the most technical stuff in the band's music. He has to be a very busy player, from funky electric, to jingling that will complement Hull's romantic songs. </p>
<p>Now Hull wears a Fender fairly low, and swings about quite a bit. His voice isn't particularly good at the moment. The band are sounding a little rough, a little flat, but it's just the intro. 'Bout ten minutes seems to pass with little incident, but the audience are warming up. Jacka stamps his feet, and blows the harp, oh, and the band swings and swirls, and Clements has a fiddle and a saw, and even Cowe is twisting in his seat. There's so much good humour about now that it cannot fail. Suddenly there's no barrier with the audience. Now they can talk at will between numbers, and there's laughing. And then a few impersonations from Jacka, who becomes an immediate favourite. Hull keeps quiet, still on his wine. </p>
<p>"Fog On The Tyne." This is one of those numbers, this is one of those tunes that you feel you've always known. Everyone in the place feels it. This song will be sung for years. There's such a fine blend of sound being wrought. It's loose, yes, it's tired at times, but the enthusiasm is such that it becomes all you need at that moment. </p>
<p>Now "We Can Swing Together" is becoming almost a hymn. A song that followed a drugs raid in Newcastle. Just everyone claps, and swings, and the whole place swings. The audience have taken the bait. It becomes one person. And the set plays on, and the band become even better. You get the feeling that if we were at war, Lindisfarne would be writing things like "White Cliffs Of Dover," or "It's A Long Way To Tipperary." They are putting out songs for people, songs everyone can sing. You don't watch the play, you're in there. This is a bread and butter gig. There is no glamour, except the glamour of playing for people. </p>
<p><em>"Bread and butter, with currents," </em>said Alan. The gigs that bands should be seen at. <em>"We can swing together, we can have a wee wee, we can have a wet on the wall." It's there. A long singalong set. But there were the more tender things like "Lady Eleanor," </em>full songs, beautiful songs. So what's next? </p>
<p>Well the audience stand and beg for more. Jacka wipes his lips, and the band rolls into "Jacka's Blues," firm and pumpy with Jacka shouting Geordie lines, and putting light into his eyes. And then encores. This is what entertainment is all about. That's what you feel. </p>
<p><strong>The Hull Truth </strong></p>
<p><em>"SOUTHERNERS can't build ships, can't make fish and chips, and can't write songs"</em><br><strong>Alan Hull</strong></p>
<p>About an hour has passed since the end of the gig. We are back in the hotel lounge, the whole squad, including roadies. Everyone is in bed except a night porter, an old guy, who is found to come from Newcastle. There are two tables full of sandwiches, and a whole crate of Newcastle Brown Ale. Since the tie-up with the firm of brewers for publicity, the band have been washed out with Newcastle Brown. It's late and time for the heavier type of conversation. They've got to be up at eight in the morning, for a 12 hour drive. </p>
<p>Hull and Clements sit together. Now Clements is certainly the most quiet member. He always appears to have a huge mouthful of teeth, hair that appears to be stuck on, in strange places. Alive eyes. Clements is the other writer. He doesn't use as much alliteration as Alan, but has a similar style, a Lindisfarne style. Again, he is openly friendly. <em>"We've been worn out, and our writing has been affected."</em></p>
<p><em>"We've got to do a brilliant album. The third album has got to be brilliant,"</em> says Alan, quickly. <em>"Rod and myself have been pleased with what's been written. The roots to the songs have been good. But there have to be more. We'll love them, I know." </em></p>
<p>Most of the songs from Hull were written about three years ago - in the space of a week. It was one of those weeks. He just sat down and wrote himself to death. Since then he hasn't penned all that much. So most of what Lindisfarne are playing is extremely old. But Hull is on the brink of a new writing phase. So is Clements. It's a writing phase that needs to come. And it needs to be exceptional. </p>
<p><em>"The difference between London and the north is not purely geographical. They are totally different, the people are different. Southerners cannot write songs. Think of most of our writers, and figure out where they are from. There's only one southerner I know who can write, and that's Keith Richards. The rest, well…," </em>says Hull. </p>
<p>Clements chips in:<em> "London can spawn good players mind. They can put out good musicians, but they never write. It's as though some basic feeling weren't with them anymore. Southern people spend too much time being proper groups. They spend too much time being IT, being the good boys, being the boys who matter. There's too much of that sort of crap around."</em></p>
<p><em>"When we have a bad gig," </em>says Hull,<em> "we just want to crawl out of that place. We want to hide. But, boy, when it's a good gig, and most are these days, then it's the most incredible feeling on earth. You look at those people, and well, you could maybe cry with joy, you wouldn't believe it. As long as we have something to communicate, and somebody to communicate with, then we'll give as much as we can. And more. This year has made us strong." </em></p>
<p>Hull talks of northern habits, northern humour, northern basics. <em>"They make for songs. Things aren't clouded up there. Things aren't hidden by anything, except smoke."</em></p>
<p><em>"Things in London are somehow unreal. And people make it like that,"</em> adds Hull. <em>"There are too many people,"</em> says Rod, <em>"doing second rate things. There are too many second rate bands. They are getting away with it somehow. An audience thinks it's enjoying itself, but give them a dose of something really good and they'll know the difference." </em></p>
<p>Hull swigs ale, and then creases his face<em>. "I need to write my songs. If I couldn't I'd be in a mental hospital. Which is where I worked for quite a while. But I'd never be content with writing second rate stuff. I've got to write as well as Dylan, and the Beatles, I don't want anything else." </em></p>
<p>The night porter sneaks in again, and forces a bottle of Brown down him. And night is suddenly morning. And that's Lindisfarne. </p>
<p><strong>Equipment</strong></p>
<ul> <li>
<strong>Ray Laidlaw </strong>Premier Drumkit, 1 x 20 Paiste ride cymbal, 1 x 16 Paist crash cymbal, 2 x 8 Zildjan splash cymbal, 2 x 14 Super Zins cymbal. </li> <li>
<strong>Alan Hull </strong>Yamaha 6 string acoustic with De Armond pick up, Fender Esquire, Hohner electric piano, through Fender Bassman top with a Fender D120 cabinet. </li> <li>
<strong>Ray Jackson</strong> Electric Harmony mandolin, through Fender pro reverb 40 watt amp, Echo super vamp harmonicas. </li> <li>
<strong>Si Cowe </strong>Gibson stereo, Gibson Cromwellian, electric Colubus mandolin, through Fender 80 watt twin reverb. </li> <li>
<strong>Rod Clements </strong>Fender Precision with the frets taken out, Lark violin with two De Armond pick ups, through 240 watt Ampeg with two 4 x 12 cabinets. </li> <li>
<strong>P.A.</strong> Burman built by Greg Burman of Newcastle (custom), 200 watts 2 x 100 watt Slave amps, 1 4 channel (Channal in Geordie) mixer, doubling up with separate volume controls giving 8 channels, 4 x 4 x 12 speaker cabinets, 2 x 2 x 12 speaker cabinets, 2 Vitavox horn cabinets, 5 unisphere Shure mikes vocals, 1 Eagle condenser mike acoustic guitar. </li>
</ul>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/50371182018-01-22T20:12:41+00:002021-01-22T07:26:53+00:00Alan Hull & Radiator - rare photos!<p>Here's an interesting letter published in <a contents="Record Collector Magazine" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://recordcollectormag.com/" target="_blank">Record Collector Magazine</a> a few years back about Alan's band Radiator, featuring Ray Laidlaw and the late Kenny Craddock, amongst others. (Reproduced with permission from Alan Lewis, with thanks to Marcel Ruf and Mike Clayton.)</p>
<hr><p>RADIATOR MEMORIES Recently Alan Hull's Phantoms LP was issued on CD including some tracks from his short-lived (double drummer) project <em>Radiator</em> from 1977.</p>
<p>As far as I remember you mentioned in an article two years ago commemorating Alan Hull's, death the <em>Radiator</em> LP I isn't it Strange (Rocket Records ROLL 14) as being rather rare.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I can't find it in your <em>RC Price Guide</em> although there are references to it in Lindisfarne's and Alan Hull's, discography in the same book. Maybe you can give me, and all the other Hull fans who own the album, an idea about its value <em>(We would estimate about £15 - Ed).</em></p>
<p>By the way, in summer '77 I was in London and while watching Ultravox in the Marquee Club I spotted Alan Hull in the audience, walked over to him, spoke to him and praised his latest LP Squire. He was pleased having been recognised and sang me a few lines from One More Bottle Of Wine. He also invited to come to the Greyhound in Fulham following Friday (15th of July 1977) to see Radiator live, what I did with geat pleasure.</p>
<p>Beside his own songs Alan played a great version of Lennon's <em>I'm Only Sleeping</em>. There I took a few pictures and also got autographs of the whole band. Alan added to his autograph "Swiss cheese smells". Enclosed are the pics I took that evening in the Greyhound.</p>
<p>Given the short life of Radiator, maybe these are some of the only pictures ever taken of that band captured the and even a full set of autographs could be rather rare (after Alan's and Kenny's early deaths).</p>
<p><strong>Marcel Ruf, Switzerland</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/5521921c62cd1d59adc980b70902900b93d11d79/original/radiator-alan1-xxl.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/c113b6229866ee3a7cbeada0041c136343644612/original/radiator-ray-xxl.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/1adc2d8462dc343486757a9e8ee825bc4a93f3bd/original/radiator-kenny-xxl.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/05c0f6e303369d6b1fdd4765dd7195ea591bedab/original/radiator-alan2-xxl.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/bc4883ff8a53345ca765979389a222d12d642f5d/original/radiator-peter-xxl.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/488609d6444a870fef00b5b8db58396172d9a7c7/original/radiator-allpics-xxl.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/95e7d00bfd9c28e1bcf6869c089eed3e080fda3d/original/radiator-sleeve.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/b475683ec34591f376c2189a94d1fc3a28c3c53b/original/radiator-letterofmonth-xl.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/48362902017-09-03T18:50:58+01:002020-09-15T06:32:58+01:00Arranging 'Dingly Dell'...<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/d1925d8a20d0374fcfadcb12e9c73d41b9c1b472/original/3074208.jpg?1504461045" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Dingly Dell, the title track - and final track - on the band's third album, features a sparse, haunting arrangement. featuring guitar, bass, and orchestra.</p>
<p>The basic track was recorded during the 'Fog On The Tyne' sessions but all agreed that the song didn't fit with the rest of the album, so we held it over for the next one. Alan wanted strings on the track but we didn't want anything syrupy, we were after a more sinister effect. Ray Laidlaw and Alan took a trip to York to meet with Ray's brother Paul to discuss him dong the arrangement. A few weeks later they assembled in Island Record's Basing Street Studios to overdub Paul's arrangement for the string section to the existing track. The session players were mostly in their forties and fifties and were a little dismissive of Paul, then only about twenty one. That all changed when they heard the results. Alan and the group were delighted and they felt they'd created something truly memorable...</p>
<p>Listen to the final result below...</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="GxzdA60uDrU" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/GxzdA60uDrU/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GxzdA60uDrU?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/48214752017-08-22T09:53:32+01:002023-12-10T17:29:38+00:00The Call of the Wild - the story behind the video<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/afa9ac46104beab24747ef2e9e62bcbdee7666ac/original/screen-shot-2017-08-22-at-09-51-28.png?1503391989" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>From Ray Laidlaw...<br><br><em>'There's a little tale behind this one. We originally planned to shoot the whole video in one day at Flamingo Park Zoo. We completed a couple of shots and then got thrown out when they caught us doing the 'starkers opening shot' in a cage. Geoff Wonfor was directing so he and producer Ray Laidlaw hastily re-planned the rest of the shoot taking in locations between Flamingo Park and Newcastle shooting the final sequence in the old BBC studios in New Bridge Street at about 1am in the morning. The pub was the Tanners Arms, Lindisfarne had their management offices upstairs for many years. Turned out OK...'</em></p>
<p>Watch the video below...</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="hDmnOfDgdwM" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/hDmnOfDgdwM/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hDmnOfDgdwM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="480" width="853" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/47419732017-06-13T23:55:00+01:002022-05-09T21:11:15+01:00BBC blue plaque awarded to early Lindisfarne and Led Zeppelin venue<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/440954f654ab7b37a1f6d7ec6a63752ad8649aca/original/13-mayfair-4-10-68.jpg?1497288241" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Mayfair Ballroom honoured by BBC Newcastle as 47 Blue Plaques are awarded as part of BBC Music Day </p>
<p>BBC Local Radio, BBC Asian Network and The British Plaque Trust announced today (Wednesday 14 June) 47 new Blue Plaques commemorating people or places that have influenced the musical landscape across the country. </p>
<p>BBC Newcastle’s Blue Plaque will commemorate the Mayfair Ballroom in Newcastle, which is where the band that was to become Led Zeppelin made its UK debut on 4th October, 1968. The blue plaque will go outside the Gate Complex, the site where the Mayfair Ballroom stood from 1961 to 1999. </p>
<p>Ray Laidlaw from Lindisfarne - who appeared on the bill on the same night with his early band The Downtown Faction - will unveil the plaque on BBC Music Day tomorrow (Thursday 15 June) at 3.40pm. </p>
<p>Phil Roberts, Head of Local & Regional Programming, BBC North East said: “This is a fantastic piece of rock and music history right in the city centre. BBC Newcastle is proud to be celebrating this moment as part of BBC Music Day.” </p>
<p>Remembered as one of the greatest ever rock venues, the Mayfair Ballroom opened its doors in 1961 as a traditional ballroom venue. Over the course of its life, the Mayfair Ballroom was to host private parties, club land concerts, disco nights, bingo, raves and even hairdressing competitions! But it was as a booming rock venue that the Mayfair became best loved, attracting a galaxy of stars including - Pink Floyd, Queen, U2, The Who AC/DC, The Police, Nirvana, Deep Purple, T Rex, Motorhead, Fleetwood Mac and The Clash - and an army of loyal and devoted revelers. </p>
<p>Initially billed as the New Yardbirds, the original Led Zeppelin members started their first UK tour on 4th October 1968 at the Mayfair Ballroom, making their first appearance billed as Led Zeppelin shortly afterwards. The band went on to become one of the most influential and successful heavy rock bands of all time, consistently breaking records in album sales and concert attendance. It’s estimated that Led Zeppelin have sold between 200 and 300 million albums worldwide. </p>
<p><strong>Follow the unveilings live on Twitter: #LocalMusicLegends</strong></p>
<p><em>Ticket image courtesy of <a contents="Ready Steady Gone" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.readysteadygone.co.uk/mayfair-ballroom-2/" target="_blank">Ready Steady Gone</a></em></p>Lindisfarne - the official websitetag:lindisfarne.co.uk,2005:Post/47253932017-06-13T23:50:00+01:002020-09-05T09:52:19+01:00New Lindisfarne book - 'We Can Swing Together'<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/244471/e234dd10396f0af693d45947abe7f4b7dda969b1/medium/lindisfarne-book.jpg?1495990392" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="We Can Swing Together: The History of Lindisfarne" /></p>
<p>John Van Der Kiste's new biography of Lindisfarne - We Can Swing Together - is <a contents="available from Amazon" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/We-Can-Swing-Together-Lindisfarne/dp/1781555893" target="_blank">available now from Amazon</a>.</p>
<p>It charts the history of the band (and extended family), from their beginnings in the youth clubs of Tyneside through to the present day. It's an essential read for any fan of the band. <a contents="Order now!" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/We-Can-Swing-Together-Lindisfarne/dp/1781555893" target="_blank">Order now!</a></p>
<p>Here's more info from the publisher:</p>
<p><em>When singer-songwriter Alan Hull joined the group Brethren in 1969, and they were renamed Lindisfarne shortly afterwards, nobody could have foreseen that the name would still be around more than forty years later.</em></p>
<p><em>It has been a chequered saga for them, from their origins in the beat and folk boom of their teenage years, to their swiftly-won reputation as one of Britain's most popular live attractions and the remarkable success of the chart-topping second album 'Fog on the Tyne'.</em></p>
<p><em>They divided into two camps following issues in 1973 and disbanded two years later, but reunited following a series of annual Christmas concerts in their native Newcastle and beyond. They survived the sudden death of Hull in 1995 and several changes in line-up until 2003, dispersing and then reforming again some ten years later.</em></p>
<p><em>This tells the story of the ups and downs of their long and colourful history, and the singles, albums and concerts that made them a unique name in popular music history.</em></p>Lindisfarne - the official website