One Slade fan was clever enough to take ownership of one, which may well be the only original left in existence. Although it is simply the album cover with the tour dates added, measuring up at 24.5 inches by 17.5 inches, it is a thing of great beauty and a superb item of memorabilia.
"I was in a club in Woolacomb, Devon and it was on the wall. It had all the dates and venues on it so at the end of the night I took it."Dave Joslin
The Fan Club newsletter for April/May 1972 announced the 'British Tour' dates for April, May & June. These include two days in Belgium and ten days of rest followed by the Corn Exchange and NE Polytechnic dates on the 21st and 22nd April. They then spend 27th April till 1st May in Holland, returning for Locarno Ballroom, Coventry on the 4th. Bracknell Sports Centre, 6th May, would make for an interesting night...
May 10th to 21st are listed in the newsletter as 'No Details' so it's nice to see those in print.
Rocking Night At Bracknell
If Slade's current album "Slade Alive" is anything to go by we will have a rocking night at Bracknell's Sports Centre on Saturday night.
The band stomp their way through old and new favourites like "Hear Me Calling", "Get Down & Get With It" and "Born To Be Wild" as well as their own "In Like A Shot From My Gun", "Know Who You Are" and "Keep On Rocking".
Slade are undoubtedly exciting and show a great talent for giving their audiences what they want, an enjoyable night where nobody thinks you are crazy if you let yourself go.
Noddy Holder (vocals/guitar), Dave Hill (lead guitar/vocals), Jimmy Lea (bass/vocals) and Don Powell (drums) have done it the hard way, by plugging their band around almost every small club in the country until their number one single "Coz I Luv You" lifted them into the bigger venues.
Now with the amazing ease with which their "Look Wot You Dun" made the top ten they are rapidly becoming one of the country's top bands. But they will always be a live band who you will have to get out and see rather than the type who seem to live in ivory towered recording studios lobbing out offerings every six months.
Slade are supported by Fruupp, a nice four-piece including Steve Houston, Martin Foye, Vince McCusker and Pete Farrelly.
Also on the bill are Spreadeagle, formed by three Oxford graduates, Andy Blackford, Tim Phillips and Sam Llewellyn. Since the addition of Jim Copley they have been signed by Tony Stratton Smith's Charisma company who have rapidly built up a reputation somewhat similar to that of CBS's in only signing the best.
So make the effort and get along there on Saturday. It will be well worth the effort and the 60p (in advance), or 70p (on the door).Chris Stevens
It would have been great value for money, had the local authorities not decided to stop the gig half way through Slade's set. Falling early in the tour, it conveniently bought the group some column width in the local papers.
Noise Complaints Brought SLADE To An Early End
Saturday's Slade Concert at Bracknell's Sport Centre was brought to a premature halt following complaints about the noise from nearby residents.
The concert was stopped half an hour early by the organisers when they heard that people in the houses opposite in South Hill Road were unable to get to sleep. The concert was stopped half an hour early by the organisers when they heard that people in the houses opposite in South Hill Road were unable to get to sleep.
Residents complained that children were lying awake, as were husbands trying to get some sleep beforer Sunday shifts.
One of the organisers told the "News" that Slade were the loudest band that had ever played at the centre. "They or any others playing as loud will not be booked again."
"It is an isolated case and we are with the residents," he continued. "It is not fair that our enjoyment should disturb theses other people."
The regular monthly concerts have been running for eight months and attract an average crowd of 1,000 local rock fans.Last month's Wishbone Ash concert, probably the most popular so far, produced no complaints.
A spokesman for Easthampstead Rural District Council, who run the Sports Centre and are also responsible for noise abatement, said that they had had one complaint passed on to them by the police.
"It is the first complaint we have had in all the time there have been concerts at the centre.
"They are entertainment for many youngsters each month and we hope it will all be sorted out favourably."
A spokesman for Bracknell Police said that it was not a criminal matter. "It is much better for everyone if it is sorted out amicably between the residents and the organisers."Next month's concert features the much quieter Al Stewart and His Band, a folk rock unit.
The Full Size Poster is here: Download
Filename: Slade Alive Tour Poster.jpg Filesize: 19.6 MB
I am most grateful for the Slade Alive! poster supplied by Dave 'Nice Guy' Joslin who was generous enough to entrust me with this 38 year old irreplaceable artefact. This post is subject to change, I believe there may be more tour articles at a later date.
UK Tour: Spring 1972 (known dates)
UK Tour: Spring 1972 (known dates)
04/05/1972
Maccarno Club, Coventry
05/05/1972
University, Bristol
06/05/1972
Sports Centre Bracknell, Berkshire
11/05/1972
Greens Playhouse, Glasgow, Scotland
12/05/1972
City Hall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
13/05/1972
The Stadium, Liverpool
14/05/1972
Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey
15/05/1972
Top Rank Club, Birmingham
16/05/1972
Central Hall, Chatham, Kent
17/05/1972
Memorial Hall, Barry, Wales
19/05/1972
Take Me Bak Ome Released
20/05/1972
Caird Hall, Dundee, Scotland
21/05/1972
Caley Cinema, Edinburgh, Scotland
24/05/1972
St Andrews Hall, Norwich, Norfolk
25/05/1972
Orchid Ballroom, Purley, Surrey
26/05/1972
Flamingo club, Hereford
27/05/1972
Leicester City FC, Filbert Street, Leicester
28/05/1972
Great Western Express Festival - Lincoln
02/06/1972
Winter Gardens, Blackpool, Lancashire
03/06/1972
Dreamland, Margate, Kent
09/06/1972
University, Exeter
10/06/1972 Rock Street Centre, Wellingborough
love the Bracknell stuff, bit before my gig times as was only 7 ! Gigs at the Sports Centre were going until 1982 when the last band to play was Haircut 100 !!!
ReplyDeleteMy Nan loved over the road & remember tour buses & coaches but was never that brave enough to investigate too much ... until later when the back door was a convenient entry point
cheers
Gary
Bracknell
I was at the Green's Playhouse concert with my then girlfriend.
ReplyDeleteI had seen Slade before but not in the cavern that was Green's. They were, of course, the business.
Support was Status Quo, promoting Dog of Two Head. We were in the first balcony, where the supporting beam was known to flex at gigs like this as the crowd jumped up and down. Years later when I was at college, the lab techs had measured the deflection during a Status Quo headline tour - a full 300mm/12"! I can't remember now how many times I saw Slade in the early 70s, three or four, but always one of the best live bands.
Great memories lads, it's always good to hear stuff like this. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think it was 1972 at the Caird Hall gig in Dundee when I first saw Slade live...fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI also got Noddy Holders tie (green velvet with brown stars) I could have pulled any girl that night as they all wanted the tie but I kept it.
I remember the support band were a freaky bunch with viking helmets on...decent band though.
Memories.