Despite 1973 being their 'Glory Years' and 'Flame' being described as the groups demise, it is apparent that their popularity was still on a considerable high. This scene of total carnage shows how 'crazee' the audience were in the Spring of 1975, still getting 'wild, wild, wild' with no sign of a wane. Quite the opposite in fact, the start of a long and enduring relationship for many.
"...that was my first gig. The tickets were £1.60 including booking fee and coloured blue.
I was 15 when me and my mate went to the gig. We'd spent weeks before making jackets covered with sequins, badges and all sorts. My hair was cut in a Dave Hill (Flame) style and I was absolutely covered in glitter - face and hair, jeans decorated with sequins and platformed boots. My mate's dad drove us to Belle Vue and dropped us off.
Brilliant night. It didn't matter in those days what seat number your ticket said, coz everybody swarmed to the front. Bunny was the support band. I was stood very near to the front (about 2 or 3 rows back) in between Nod and Jim.
I remember after when the lights came up I looked round the hall and about the first half a dozen, maybe 10 rows of seats, had been completely trashed. Looked more like piles of firewood than seats. It wasn't done out of violence or wanton destruction though, just screaming excited fans (mainly teenage girls) dancing and having a good night."
Slade Fan: December 2010
Saturday night, Slade had played the New Victoria Theatre in London. That gig was recorded for broadcast as part of an Insight Special for BBC Radio 1. They were promoting their new release, Thanks For The Memory, which involved Jim playing keyboards which he also played on How Does It Feel, also in the set. This involved Noddy taking responsibility of bass guitar duties.
"The out-front sound at Belle Vue was awful, as I remember. If you were near the front you got more of a sound from the group's backline.... Further back, echo was always a problem...."Ian Edmundson
"I don't remember the sound being awful but I was quite near the front, standing on the seats that were trashed. I went with a few mates including Marcel King (the lead singer of Sweet Sensation) and Nicky Sinclair (played for Oldham Athletic). I'm pretty sure the support group were crap - electric folk if I remember correctly. I used to smoke at the time and somebody threw a cig near Dave. he picked it up so I chucked my lighter at him. He pretended to light it up, but didn't. They had a prize for the best dressed fan. I don't remember who won it, but I knew Dan Archer, who was dressed as Noddy, and he went on stage before the winner was announced."Tony Pye
"We would arrive early at Belle Vue, sneaking out after lunch time registration when still at school and then wait at the stage door volunteering to help bring in the gear, including one of the Slade shows.... as for the sound - it was that loud you could feel the air rushing from the PA stack."Colin Blades
No comments:
Post a Comment