European Tour, Fall 1973

Norway, November 1973

Slade in Town
"Oslo Sports Club organizes a concert in Ekeberghallen today, November 7. The headliner is the far from unknown group from Liverpool [sic], Slade. The four members are James Wild Lea on bass, Neville John Holder who sings and plays lead guitar, David John Hill also lead guitar and Donald George Powell on drums.  
It is primarily Lea who is responsible for the music, while Hill must take a lot of credit for the group’s visual "image". 

Powell has been away from the drums for a few months after a serious car accident. Because of amnesia, he had to learn all the tunes again. 
The music they play is said to be a reflection of their style of life. Slade plays pure, raw, brutal rock, somewhat simple in the eyes of many, but certainly catchy. 
Slade had had a comet-like career. From being a mediocre band, they have over the past year matured musically and has had a number of singles and LPs. It is enough to mention hits like Coz I Luv You, Gudby t'Jane, Look Wot You Dun, Cum On Feel the Noize, Skweeze Me Pleeze Me and My Friend Stan. So far, the LPs are "Play It Loud", "Slade Alive", "Slayer", "Sladest" and another is expected in the near future. "Sladest" is actually a collection of their best known songs to date. 
The increasing interest in Slade can be partly attributed to audiences having grown tired of complicated pop music, and are more ready to accept the group’s uncomplicated music."
Aftenposten: 7th November 1973



Germany, November, 1973

On The Road with Slade
Monday 18.30 pm
A dark green Bus rolls through the rush hour stuffed streets of Frankfurt. Packed with over 20 Journalists and radio people from all parts of the West German Republic - their aim, the Jahrhunderthalle (Centennial Hall) in Höchst. They all came to witness the start to the third German Tour of  the most successful British Singles Band for many years: 
SLADE ! It`s Nov. 12 1973 

Whether large or small,
The audience were raving.
I am sitting in the bus as well and next to me, photographer Gesine, we`re the official representatives of POP. Camera shutters are clicking, test film rolls are loaded and lenses added, then the press mob storms the bright lighted Jahrhunderthalle where already two and a half thousand kids are getting themselves in the mood vocally for the main attraction tonight.
Not every venue was as full as Frankfurt tonight – in Deutschland Halle, Berlin, (probably too big for Slade) only around 1500 turned up, Hanover`s Nidersachsenhalle it’s satisfactory but... not really full...
In Heidelberg Slade played to the smallest audience of the whole Tour – maybe
because Ike & Tina Turner are playing right next to them in another venue that same night.

 But in Hamburg, Munich and Vienna the venues are bursting. Everywhere they’re up on the seats, stomping, raving singing along and clapping their hands and all that starts even before a single group member has hit the stage. 

Lucky Roadies – there`s no other band around - where their work: laying cables, setting up amps and plugging in instruments is awarded with such applause as that of a Slade gig. 

Anyway, the audience! The magic word at Slade Gigs is “crazy” or better ”crazee”! Being nuts is trump. Slade are crazee ( or they’re pretending to be) and their audience is crazee ( at least for one hour when the show is running). 
SLADE ARE A KIDS CARNIVAL
The Kids are going to a Slade show with the same attitude their parents would have going to the Carnival. 
They’re putting on their crazy costumes and going wild, being Noddy or Dave, there were some real good Noddy look-a-likes, one of the best had his photo taken beside Noddy himself. 

Anyone that doesn't want to be tarted up fully wears, at the very least, a Top hat, hooped socks, tartan trousers or some glitter on their face, or maybe a Slade scarf, badge or T-Shirt at least. I guess if Slade’s bass player had worn a false nose I would've seen them here as well. 

To complete the Carnival party there’s even confetti as Dave Hill throws a handful of glitter over the audience. 
What follows isn’t the hard bitten aggression like it was at the early Stones Gigs but rather a deafening party in a strictly positive way. Everybody has a hell of a lot of fun stomping and jumping and shouting but never going over the line, just like their parents when they having a ball singing along to their carnival songs except that the parents are quite drunk at that stage - the kids don’t need alcohol to loosen up. Lucky Kids! 

NODDY STAGGERS TOTALLY BLADDERED
After the gig everybody’s taken for a after show party in the basement bar of Slade’s Hotel.

Slade had a lot of parties during the tour, in every City they easily find a reason for feasting and collective boozing. In Hanover, Ike and Tina Turner were placed in the same hotel like Slade, everybody let it all hang out all night long and at the end they swapped groupies. 
In Frankfurt, Noddy staggers - totally bladdered but wearing a big grin over his face - over to Gesine, the photographer, to take her for a Twist (he means the dance) which he lays down perfectly despite his advanced condition. 
Next day at 12 noon everybodys meeting at the airport and - surprise ,surprise - Slade have fully recovered but the journalists are all suffering from a giant hang-over. 

FOWARD IN THE  SLADE-EXPRESS
There`s 30 Seater Chartered Jet “The Slade Express” waiting for us, in which Slade are going to travel to and from all the places they´re going to play. 



Slade are in the check in area looking to see if they will be spotted by anybody. But this time around, there`s nobody and so we make our way through the photographers, escorted by TV Cameras, to the plane. Somehow I feel like a Slade extra, but it`s a silly and pompous idea: At the front the photographers, flanked by the TV staff with a happy looking Slade in the centre and followed by a horde of Journalists. 

 Once on the plane, a Stewardess puts a  cardboard ”Noddy” tophat (with little silver stars stuck on it) on our heads and a drum (the label inside says it costs 2 marks 65), after that we`re given a SLADE Matchbox and Slade Fist patch plus champagne and a meal. (The Stewardess earned two immoral offers.)  

In the meantime we've set off and are up in the air. (Outside: galeforce 12!) A few hours later Coastal Towns reporting storm surge and the “Halligen” (A group of Islands in the northern sea) are flooded. While we`re moving forward, jerky but steady. 
That`s quite funny because all the photographers who took place upfront, to take shots of the band are taking a flying leap every now and then! 
All the latest Slade Hits are roaring out of the on-board stereo system, and everybody is wearing a cardboard Slade Top Hat and in their hands a vomit bag but thirst has been reactivated by the champagne, (see: “Happy Kids”) and, just for a change, party-time breaks loose at 29,527 feet.


The group, placed up front are pretending to sing along for the TV crew. Everybody`s happy, cardboard hats and photographers are thrown all across the plane.... and then we`re already in Hamburg.
HAPPY SLADE!

POP  presents:
Slade On tour
Pay attention.  It's happening all over again.  POP present Slade on tour in Germany.  Noddy Holder, Dave Hill, Jimmy Lea and, back after that serious car accident, Don Powell shred through six German cities: 
12.11.1973 FRANKFURT, JAHRHUNDERTHALLE 
13.11.1973 HAMBURG, MUSIKHALLE
14.11.1973 BERLIN, DEUTSCHLANDHALLE
17.11.1973 MANNHEIM, ROSENGARTEN
19.11.1973 WIEN, GROSSES KONZERTHAUS
20.11.1973 MUNCHEN ZIRKUS KRONE
(Ed:- Bear in mind that these dates are incorrest, the actual dates have been recorded below, to the best of our knowledge and are still subject to change, as and when we get confirmation?)

Attention
Slade dates changed

The concert dates for Slade have been shifted:
Contrary to our message in this edition, Slade will play on the 14:11 in Hanover and on the 15:11 in Berlin
.  




Many thanks to Christopher Hjort who has assisted Chris Selby with his Norwegian research and is responsible for the translation above. Much appreciation also to Ralle for making the Pop magazine available for me to use and for being kind enough to translate the text for me. A big shout to Dragula on the forums for his assistance. Musikhalle video courtesy of Dave Graham at Slade In England and Slade Express video source provided by Gary Jordan. I hope to update with more info as and when?



European Tour: Autumn 1973 (known dates)

25/10/1973 Forest National, Bruxelles 
26/10/1973 Courtray, Belgium 
27/10/1973 Zofligen, Switzerland 
29/10/1973 Paris, France
30/10/1973 Poitiers, France 
31/10/1973 Bordeaux, France 

05/11/1973 Oslo, Norway 
06/11/1973 Bergen, Norway 
08/11/1973 Gothenburg, Sweden 
09/11/1973 K B  Hallen, Copenhagen 
10/11/1973 Vejlby Risskov Hallen, Aarhus, Denmark 

12/11/1973 Frankfurt/Hochst Jahrhunderthalle
13/11/1973 Hamburg Musikhalle
14/11/1973 Hannover Niedersachsenhalle
15/11/1973 Berlin Deutschlandhalle
17/11/1973 Mannheim/Heidelberg Rosengarten
19/11/1973 Wien Austria Grosses Konzerthaus
19/11/1973 Heidelberg/Eppelheim - Rhein-Neckar Halle
20/11/1973 Munchen Zirkus Krone

'We Just Don't Worry'

Record Mirror, October 6th 1973

The continuing story of Slade's Jim Lea

'We just don't worry'

Halfway through his plaice and chips Jimmy Lea decided he doesn't like the way Slade have got the rest of the year wholly planned out but he agrees it's absolutely necessary.

There's the new single (hit), the new album latest (hit, hit), then another album within the next few months, then one or two Singles before the end of the year.

"We've got it planned out, even got the new single written."
he says munching a mouthful of fish.
"You have to plan it to a certain extent. You can't just go along and, just stumble into things."

Obviously the accident was about the most unexpected and unplanned for happening in their year.

"It happened on Tuesday night and we were due to do Top of the Pops on Wednesday, so Top of the Pops was recorded, it came out on Friday with 'Skweeze Me Pleeze Me' at one, and they didn't put anything on, just put the kids on dancing. I expected some film to come on."

Tragedy

"I saw some mates of mine afterwards a chill went through me. It was as if we'd all been killed. The tragedy of the thing was hanging over everybody anyway and you've got this sort of... on the TV. Top of the Pops was recorded the next day and they didn't know what to do "

"They did the right thing. As it was, Don was getting stronger by the time it was shown. He was unconscious but at least he was living. But they didn't know whether he was going to live or die. If Don had kicked it, they couldn't put him on the telly playing drums."

Reports at the time made out it was really bad.

"It was heavy," said Jim, "Me and Nod went to see him and puked. I wasn't bothered. I was really thinking positively; what are we going to do now, we've got gigs at the Isle of Man, what's happening, phone Chas, phone H (Dave), phone Nod, get things together, and I never gave a thought to what condition he was in. And I went up to see him before we went to the Isle of Man and Nod went in before me and we just puked, you know."

At the Isle of Man Jimmy's brother won the crowd for his brave, competent, stand-in performance.

" I felt nervous because he was on the drums and I had to cue him in all the time. The second gig he got everything fantastic. He's down in London now getting a band together. He couldn't go back to plumbing. He'd only had limited experience with local bands but he's absolutely 100 percent. He did unbelievable. He didn't make one mistake and when he stood up to take a bow he got a huge cheer. The crowds were great."

"You wouldn't believe the reaction when Don had the accident. I mean from all over the world. I couldn't start to mention the countries because they were all over the show. Letters were just addressed to Don Powell, Wolverhampton, England. I didn't know the address but then letters were getting to the hospital."

"You wouldn't believe the reaction when Don had the accident. I mean from all over the world. I couldn't start to mention the countries because they were all over the show. Letters were just addressed to Don Powell, Wolverhampton, England. I didn't know the address but then letters were getting to the hospital."

"There was tons of mail around his bed and chewing gum 'cause he's always chewing gum. He always had done, he had about five tons of chewing gum. He's saved it. He won't have to buy any chewing gum for a few years."

Asking me about influencers and is completely objective about it.

"It's the audiences, what goes on around us, how they respond, what we think of them, what they think of us. I mean Cum On Feel the Noize: 'so you think I'm a scruff bag and it's no disgrace' if you just listen to the lyrics 'you say my singing's out of time but I just don't worry', that's what it is all about with us."

"The reason why it's 'My Friend Stan' is because the lyrics rhyme with 'dirty old man', well 'funny old man' we used in the song, we just flow lyrics you know." 

So it's not particularly anybody?

"No, no it's just my friend Stan then my friend... Pete. I can't remember the others. I never bother with lyrics. I just write the tunes. Nod always writes the lyrics. I might say I'd like a repeat line here, we'll discuss it, then he'll go away. Then the first time we all hear it is when we've all got the cans on in the studio. Nod'll be singing away, 'cause we do everything live in the studio, and we hear the lyrics for the first time and all start laughing 'cause they usually a bit funny y'know."

'Good buzz'

"It's a good buzz. You know, you're all laughing at each other and pushing it down and it's 'appening."

They are completely at home in the studio now and usually reckon to do a track in one to eight takes.

"I sang one this time, which is very unusual, that's how relaxed we are. I played and sang at the same time and it all went down live. I found I was playing much simpler based but it fitted so much better than what I would have played if I hadn't been singing."

We agree that there are few bass players who play and sing well at the same time. He admits he was a lead-guitarist type bass player until he realised in the studio that all his flash notes were coming out a blur.

"Our sound is very much a blanket sound, so when I was playing fast it was all disappearing, so I developed a style after Coz I Luv You. But for singing, well there's McCartney, incredible bass player. He's cream. I listen to some of his stuff and I don't know where it comes from, he's brilliant."

Rusty

Jimmy is not renowned for looking after his old Gibson bass and when Noddy played it on a recent BBC spot he warned his mate that it was going to pack up.

"It's all rusty you know know. I never bother. As long as I play it, that's it. Nod always looked after his guitars and when we first got together we were practising... I didn't even know him then, I thought his name was Nob, when I used to speak to him I used to try and blur the end of the word and... anyway at this rehearsal, Nod comes round with a can of 'Three in One', he just came walking up to me got hold of me guitar and said 'yer gotta oil it y'know' I thought funny bloke."


Peter Harvey

sexy divider

My thanks to Chris 'The Historian' Selby for his relentless research. It is said, in certain circles, that Walsall Archives have a seat reserved specifically for him and that Wolverhampton archives consult him when searching the Express & Star

Circus Magazine

USA, October, 1973

The interesting thing about this article is that, no mention is made of the fact that Slade are in the process of touring across the continent. I don't know when Circus came out (e.g. the December issue of Uncut mag hit the shelves at the end of October?) but if it was later then I would expect a cursory mention of how they'd played Winterland Arena or New York Academy and Powell had done good/bad or whatever. If it was earlier, "I guess we'll find out how well he's recovered next week..." anything really rather than totally ignore the tour.

Having said that, they don't seem to be aware that they are using a photo of Slade with Frank Lea, not Don Powell. I guess we should just be glad they got mentioned at all?


Slade: When news of. Don Powell's tragic accident reached the group. Slade's triumph turned to gloom.

Auto Crash Nearly Kills Sladester
At an interview in Birmingham where Wings were wrapping up a tour, it was all Paul McCartney could talk about. And miles away on the Isle of Man, it was the only thing on the minds of several hundred fans who milled anxiously in front of the Palace Lido box office. At roughly four o'clock Wednesday Morning, Slade's drummer Don Powell and his girl friend Angela Morris had been driving down a road near Don's home in Wolverhampton. Suddenly Powell's expensive Bentley had spun out of control and hit a wall. Angela was critically injured and died after being ambulanced to a nearby hospital. Don's chances did not look much better, He had sustained severe head injuries, fractured ribs and a fractured leg. Says Slade's manager, Chas Chandler.
"I went up to Wolverbampton right away, and the doctors didn't give Don a chance."
Powell's accident happened just as Slademania in England was reaching a fever pitch. The previous Sunday Slade had gone on-stage at London's Earls Court before 20,000 yelling, cheering fans. The crowd - one of the largest in the history of British rock - had leapt to their feet, lifted their fists in a Slade salute and screamed "Yeah" after nearly every line the group sang. Concluded the music newspaper Melody Maker, 
"It was the most sensational concert of their career." 
Three day later, when news of Powell's accident reached the group, Slade's triumph abruptly turned to gloom. "I was walking about in a daze." said Chandler. The group met the afternoon of the accident at bassist Jim Lea's Wolverhampton apartment and decided not to cancel their upcoming Sunday concert on the Isle of Man. To replace Powell they drafted the plumber who was in the kitchen fixing the dishwasher - Jim Lea's 19-year-old brother Frank, who had been Powell's drum student. And the day before the Isle of Man concert. they received word that in another three months Don Powell would once again be handling his own drumsticks. Exclaimed manager Chandler, 
"When I heard he was going to pull through, I was the happiest man in the world." 

Circus was a monthly American magazine devoted to rock music. Gerald Rothberg originally put together the magazine under the name Hullabaloo in 1966, before changing the name to Circus in 1968. In its heyday the magazine had a full-time editorial staff that included some of the biggest names in US rock journalism, including Paul Nelson, David Fricke, and Kurt Loder, outselling Creem and competing with Rolling Stone.


I'm not sure how this article came to be in my collection but I suspect I stole it from David E. Miller. I have reason to bestow thanks upon him anyway so, if it was anybody else, please let me know.