Hi Mick,
I've been trying for a long time to complete Polish dates but I have no reliable source to make it for sure. Press cuttings f.e. are saying they played the town of Bydgoszcz on 31st July but in fact they were in Bydgoszcz on 30th July - and this is confirmed. Through all these years I had no information about the gig in Swinoujscie near Szczecin but just recently I've found a fan, Jan Krok, who was there and took colour photos. Jan was in the army then (a military sailor at Swinoujscie base). He does not remember the exact date though.
I'll try to do my best to ask everybody here once again and try to find through the press, journalists, etc new sources and maybe I succeed one day.
What we do know for sure:
- Slade were in Poland from 24 July 1978.
- They landed back at Heathrow 16 August 1978. (see Dave Kemp photos)
- First gig was in Sopot - 24 July - Monday
- Last gig was in Wroclaw - 13 August Sunday
Sopot - 24 and 25 July
Kolobrzeg 27?
Szczecin - 28 July
Swinoujscie - 29?
Bydgoszcz - 30 July
Poznan - 1 and 2 August
Hala Sportowa, Łódź - 3 August
Warszawa - 4 and 5 August
Krakow - ???
Tarnow - 9 August
Katowice - ???
Opole - ???
Wroclaw - 13 August
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| Ticket from Sopot (first gig in Poland). |
Assumptions:
I have a source saying they played also the town of Kolobrzeg but there's no date. It could have been between Sopot and Szczecin or Swinoujscie.
Świnoujście
Slade themselves said they played Gdansk also but it might be mistake cause Sopot is very near to Gdansk. There are 3 linked towns one there: Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia - we call them Trojmiasto (Tri-town).
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| Poster from Bydgoszcz. |
Somoeone told me years ago they played Gdansk - Hala Oliwia but I have no other source to confirm but if they did it it could have been just after Sopot gigs on 26th July - then Kolobrzeg (27), Szczecin (28- this is definite) and Swinoujsce (29) - assumptions only.
Friday - 4th August - Torwar, Warszawa.
Warszawa is the Polish name of Warsaw. Torwar is the name of the venue they played in Warsaw. There were two gigs at Torwar in Warsaw - 4th and 5th August 1978. (I witnessed both) First (Friday) was far better, last encore was Cum On Feel The Noize and I was just in front of stage, 5 metres from mister Holder (security kept us in distance from stage).
There are photos taken by Grzegorz Zielinski who sadly passed away in 1985. Grzegorz also filmed (with no sound) about 1-2 minutes of this gig (last notes of Hear Me Calling) with a 8mm camera. I've seen this film many times but sadly after Grzegorz's death we all lost contact with his parents and nobody knows if the film still exists and who owns it.
Saturday 5th August - Torwar, Warszawa
The Saturday show included M'Hat M'Coat as an encore just after Mama Weer All Crazee Now and before the last one Rock'nroll Medley which was played before COFTN on Friday. Sadly I met friends who persuaded me to sit with them at the very end of the hall using small opera-glasses to see them better. It was one of my biggest stupid moves in my life! I had a place in front of stage and I moved at the end of the hall.
Earlier, before this gig, I met Slade personally for the first time in my life. It was at Forum Hotel in Warsaw. First I met Nod and Don having a coffee together with two girls inside, then Jim, just after he came down and left the lift and Dave at the end when everybody was in the bus waiting for him. I had my first autographs in my "Slade in Flame" notes book and never again used the pen they used to sign!
I did not speak English back then so I had no chance to chat with any of them but Noddy screamed "Hooray, hooray" when a newlywed couple appeared in front of the hotel and IT WAS THIS VOICE live and kicking just one metre from me!
The magazine, Synkopa, was released after the tour - it is stated in first sentence that Slade WERE touring Poland and there is a photo taken from one of the Warsaw's gigs. We don't know particular date but it was a monthly magazine (or maybe quarterly?).
The cutting with wrong dates (some of them were wrong) is from the newspaper called "Sztandar Młodych" (The Banner of the Young) - communistic paper for young people (a little bit "freedom of speech" in it) and it was released before the tour (stated at the end of first paragraph that Slade WILL tour Poland). Still we don't know the proper date of release.
Black and white is from Warsaw 5th August) and probably the author of those two pics I've sent you earleir is seen on this one.
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| Opole |
The colour one is the most mysterious photo we have. It was sent to us with a description "Slade in Kalisz 1978". Kalisz is a small town on the way from Poznan to Warsaw (closer to Poznan). Kalisz WAS NOT on the list of places Slade played in Poland but you never know (like Swinoujscie).
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| Poznań |
Four tickets from 1978 - fronts and backs. Two of them were mine (bilet Torwar)
Pio Walecki
two more pics from Warsaw gig - 4 Aug 1978.
The author Grzegorz Zieliński (passed away back in 1985) added a paper stamp of Polish Slade Fan Club to both pics.
The third one with Nod's face is interesting because of the metal badge Slade Fan Club lying on the photo. This badge was the one ot the only three copies made for Grzegorz, Paweł Gosk and me back in 1981. I wore my copy on my leather jacket and lost it somewhere in between The Trumpet and The Robin 2 in 2008
Kraków
