"Before I was appointed Melody Maker’s US correspondent in 1973, music papers in the UK relied almost entirely on US based American writers to feed stories back to GB or simply believed what they were told by returning rock bands who, it must be said, had a tendency to exaggerate their success. I was able to put a stop to that, at least to a certain degree, and I was also in a position to observe my pals Slade as they tried their level best to emulate their UK success across the Atlantic.
In the end it wasn't to be, of course...."Chris Charlesworth: Just Backdated 26:08:2014
Chris Charlesworth: Just Backdated 26:08:2014
Ambassador Theater, St. Louis, N, January 2nd 1974
The Ambassador had an infamous "Autograph Wall" during its days as a rock concert venue and it's likely that Slade added their scrawl.
"....one of the odd things about Slade’s less than triumphant career in America was that in St Louis, Missouri – a city in the news right now for all the wrong reasons – they were massively popular while in most others they never progressed much beyond second on the bill status. In February of 1974 I went to see them in St Louis where their star was definitely in the ascendant and where, in a year or two, they would headline an arena show. Here’s my report on Slade’s visit to St Louis:"
Chris Charlesworth: Just Backdated 26:08:2014
"The wide Missouri River flowed beneath the hotel window and a few paddle steamers, now tourist traps or floating restaurants, were securely tied to the banks. Noddy Holder looked out over the flattish landscape and seemed relieved that the show tonight, in the St. Louis Ambassador Theatre, was the last on their current US tour.
They’re on the up and up in the States, even though they’re not in the big league yet. They’re comfortably filling the smaller halls (though even these are big by British standards), they’re topping the bill and getting encores and they’re beginning to get the audience participation thing going like they do in England. They have to work a little harder for it to happen, though, but the message is coming across.
But – and it is still a big but – they haven’t exactly gone a bomb record-wise. They've sold very few albums or singles here despite rave reviews in the majority of US rock journals, a state of affairs that seems to mystify manager Chas Chandler, a man who generally knows all the answers.
The St. Louis Ambassador holds around 3,000 and is ancient by any standards. Duke Williams & The Extremes, a Capricorn band, are warming the audience up with some tight, but rather anonymous, rock and roll. They’re very American, while Slade are very English, and the differences in presentation stand out like a sore thumb.
Slade were announced, greeted warmly and a roar went up as Noddy slashed across the opening chords of ‘Take Me Bak ’Ome’. Two lines later all the power backstage went off. No lights, no amps, no nothing. A 6,000 amp mains generator in St Louis had blown, cutting out, amongst other things, the backstage power at the Ambassador.
Fifteen minutes went by and there was no sign of any electricity. Slade joked ruefully amongst themselves in the unlit dressing room and cursed their luck. It had never happened to them before, any time, anywhere, said Noddy.
It was actually one hour and ten minutes before the power came on. The St. Louis audience kept remarkably calm, expressing their indignation by chucking pennies at Don Powell’s drum set. When a penny hit a cymbal the resulting clash was an excuse for an ovation from the restless fans.
When Slade re-appeared it really was a triumph over adversity. Though I can’t deny a certain chauvinistic feeling towards this particular band, they followed up the disastrous start with a stomper of a show, ending up with two encores, the second of which was a very dubious rendering of ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, which, despite its complete lack of subtlety, had a deliriously happy St Louis crowd emulating the scenes Slade normally generate in Wolverhampton.
The show was pretty much the same as it is in England, though two new numbers were added: the slow ‘Everyday’ from their new album, and their new single ‘Good Time Gals’. I preferred ‘Everyday’, maybe because it was a welcome change in tempo and reached suitably dramatic heights to make the most of Holder’s amazing vocal chords. Curiously, the audience reacted better to ‘Gudbuy To Jane’ than to any others, apart from the two encores. That’s curious because Slade’s singles haven’t showed at all in America.
But perhaps what finally sent everyone home happy was a superb bit of spontaneous showmanship from Noddy Holder. Between numbers towards the end of the show a powerful singing voice struck up from somewhere in the audience, almost rivalling Holder himself. Without hesitation Nod invited the owner of the voice to come up on stage to join him. Up he came for a bit of avant-garde bellowing, much to the delight of the crowd.
It all ended with hundreds of bags of confetti descending on the group and front row ravers who joined in with the band on ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’. It was the last night of the tour and a last night to remember."
Melody Maker: 16th February 1974
Melody Maker: 16th February 1974
"I remember we stayed in a circular hotel, a tower that overlooked the St Louis Arch, and after the shows heaps of fans, male and female, somehow made it back to party with Slade in the bar. I ended up with a ‘temporary female companion’, name of Debbie, who later that year accompanied me on a trip to New Orleans, my only ever visit to this fabulous city."
Chris Charlesworth: Just Backdated 26:08:2014
Wells Fargo Spectrum, Pennsylvania. January 11th 1974
In America, Slade were 'Marmite,' especially where the press were concerned. The critics rarely gave an apathetic review, often damning, sometimes gushing but always opinionated. Unfortunately, America didn't really get the pub rock mentality. Fun in music seemed to be an alien concept and the idea of audience participation akin to inciting riot.
Philadelphia seems excited at the prospect of 'Slademania' coming to town although Noddy wanting to gut-punch the audience may have sent the wrong message?
Slade will rock
Phila. Spectrum
"As the champions of hard-driving, foot-stomping visceral rock 'n' roll, Slade has generated a worldwide excitement, the likes of which has not been seen since the rise of the Beatles way back in the 60's at Liverpool.
The personal appeal and musical magnetism of Noddy Holder, Dave Hill, Jim Lea and Don Powell which have caused a phenomenon which one famous rock publication termed "Slademania."
It will be "Slademania" at the Philadelphia Spectrum Friday at 8p.m. when Slade invades for a dance concert. Also on the bill is the golden California sound of Jo Jo Gunne.
Holder, Hill, Lea and Powell are four working-class lads from the English Midlands. They have consistently captured the top spot on the British charts with their incredible string of hit singles and this, combined with their concert triumphs, have made Slade one of the biggest sensations in contemporary music.
'Blood-Rock'
A Slade concert is best described by the boys themselves.
Lead singer-guitarist-composer Noddy Holder smiles beneath his mirror-studded top hat:
"We like to hit the audience in the guts with the beat of our music and get some feeling going through their bloodstream."
Slade's handsome drummer, Don Powell, adds that:
"People are fed up with the introverted music scene and we want them to enjoy themselves."
Classically trained bass guitarist-composer Jimmy Lea agrees heartily with Don, while lead guitarist Dave Hill, aglitter in his tight silver leather jumpsuit, concludes:
"We're a very visual act and we're into comedy as well as heavy, meaty music. We're not self-indulgent musicians. We know that people pay to come and see us and we make sure they have a good time."
John Heagney, staff writer for the same paper, was certainly on a mission to tear them down. There is nothing but malice in his review and I'm surprised it was allowed to go to press. Announcing that you've seen the band on TV and didn't like them is not a good way to start your review.
"SLADE SLAYED EARDRUMS AND SONGS
... during dance concert at Spectrum on Friday night"
Slade:
A good reason to save gas
By John BeagneyCourier Times Staff Writer
"There was a time when I thought "Steam" was the worst thing I had ever seen perform on stage anywhere but that all changed on Friday evening.
The dance concert at the Spectrum featured three inane "musical groups." They were HO, HO and HUM. In fact, if it hadn't been so incredibly loud at the Spectrum, I could have found it rather easy to fall asleep.
Having seen Slade on several late-night television concerts, I was well aware of their screaming, no talent ways but Jo Jo Gunne was also on the bill and I decided the evening could not be a complete loss. I was horribly wrong.
The catastrophe was kicked off with Brownsville Station singing a medley of their greatest "hit," "Smokin' In The Boysroom" and other ridiculously bad numbers which don't merit mention.
Brownsville Station's lead singer, dressed like a football referee, jumped, screamed and panted discordant notes like a wounded zebra as the other two members of the group hammered their instruments to death.
When the lights came up at the conclusion of their set I sat in the press box thinking I might have seen better fare at some high school's amateur night.
After a 20 minute break, Jo Jo Gunne stormed the stage to a prerecorded version of the Beatles "Happiness Is A Warm Gun." The taped song proved to be the highlight of the evening.
With Jay Ferguson, formerly of Spirit, bouncing on his piano stool and smashing the keyboard in true Elton John fashion, Gunne made several valiant attempts to recapture the grinding rhythms of previously good studio versions of their songs.
"Shake That Fat" from their first album came off like so much trash, as did "Ride, Ride, Ride."
Ferguson left his piano at several points during the concert to jump and twirl in a chaotic dance with the other members of the group but all the dancing in the world couldn't have salvaged some good from this pitiful performance.
After another break, Slade, who has been acclaimed as the Rolling Stones of the 70's, came on stage in a flurry of offensive sounds and grunts.
Needless to say, the 15,000 fans went curiously wild when the lead singer, looking like a twentieth century Oliver Twist, sauntered on stage.
Borrowing some hits from more capable performers, Slade sang "Move Over Baby" which sold a million copies for Janis Joplin and "Darling Be Home Soon" by the Loving Spoonful.
I found the latter rendition grossly prostituted. It seemed almost criminal that the tender ballad written by John Sebastian could be reduced to Garbage ala Slade after the first four bars.
I can honestly say, that after the first few songs, I could discern a definite pattern developing. The members of Slade, who at one time or another during the concert, hopped across stage on one foot, were playing the same music for every song. It seemed the musical backgrounds were identical and only the words had been changed (to protect the innocent?).
Following the crucifixion of several good numbers, Slade set out to sing one of their own goodies "The Whole World's Goin' Crazy." The frenetic gyrations and foot stomps were accompanied by the lead singer's sandpaper vocal chords and pulsating, thunder-bolting guitars.
In essence, if you ever have the opportunity to buy tickets to see or hear Slade, Jo Jo Gunne or Brownsville Station, pass it up and save your money and gasoline."
Bucks County Courier Times: 14th January 1974
At least it was across the board but that simply reinforces how poor he was at writing a review. Oliver Twist was a blonde haired, blue eyed, pretty little boy. The idea of Holder looking like him is absurd but lets not get pedantic, we'll just put it down to this ridiculous critic's ignorance.
Fortunately, some of those 15,000 fans felt the need to show their disdain and, surprisingly, they could spell and stated their case with a modicum of decency and degree of intelligence. Which is more than can be said for Beagney.
Slade fans pan review
(Editor note: The following letters were received from readers who disagreed with John Heagney's review of the Jan. 11 concert by Slade at the Philadelphia Spectrum. The review was published in the Courier Times on Feb. (sic) 14)
Having read your "opinion" of Slade I must write my opinion of Slade and of you.Slade is a favourite of the 'Young of Heart.' By your writing you are apparently in your 'Middle or Sunset Years.' Everyone is entitled to their opinion but should have some knowledge of the subject on which they are going to give the opinion. To be a true critic of musicians one should first know something of music.You are a writer and a prejudiced one. You stated in your article that you had seen and heard Slade on TV and did not like them. That makes you totally unqualified to judge their concert. You had formed your opinion before the concert. That is the same as saying you do not like a book because you don't like the name of the author.Fifteen thousand fans, I might add paying fans (not the recipients of free press passes) saw and enjoyed Slade. One against 15,000 is really a very poor average.I have seen and heard Slade at Valley Forge and the Spectrum. They were great and were called for two encores at both places. That is unusual as is the excitement they generate in their audience. Slade plays strictly for the audience and their pleasure.I am a mature 20 year old and "no curiously wild fan." I find your article in bad taste. Taking your own advice, "You should have stayed home and conserved your gasoline." - L. McCoy, Croydon...When we read his article on Slade we could not believe that anyone could not appreciate their fantastic sound. How many times has Mr. Heagney seen Slade?! How many times has he heard their music?! Although we know a person is entitled to their opinion, we feel John Heagney has been totally unjust in his description of the concert at the Spectrum. If you haven't heard or seen Slade yet, do so before taking the unfair stand Mr. Heagney has. - Cindy and Clark Erhard, Cornwells Heights
...
After reading your article concerning Slade's magnificient performance, I feel I must make a few comments. In the past I have read other reviews you have written on other concerts - all bad without a kind word for a group or audience. You mentioned you had seen Slade on television and disliked them. That makes you prejudiced and unfit to comment on their concert. Could you do better or at least as well? I do not feel you are fair, impartial judge and I find your article in poor taste. I also noticed your style of writing. You must be quite aged. It seems to me a so-called "critic" like yourself shouldn't have been at the Spectrum in the first place but at home saving gasoline and money. The press should send a young, impartial person who at least likes that type of music and is qualified for the job. - Debbie Strohan, Croydon
Contrary to the writers suspicions that John Heagney is "aged" and in his "middle or sunset years" he is only 24 years old."He's also a Putz!
Bucks County Courier Times: 23rd January 1974
Columbia Music Hall, Connecticut. Saturday, 12th January 1974
Connecticut's only authoritative rock and youth column featuring news and views relevant to the youth of this area.
"BIG DADDY REVIEWS .. SLADE, BROWNSVILLE STATION IN CONCERT AT COLUMBIA MUSIC HALL .. England's premier rock group Slade, was in concert at the Columbia Music Hall last Saturday evening and it appears as if this year's American tour will be as disastrous as last year's. Slade is one of the few groups in England whose records are certified gold before they are even released. They were on the verge of cracking the American rock market last year, but never made it big. Now they are back for another try and if their Columbia gig was any indication of how they're doing, forget it. Columbia is to acoustics as arsenic is to rats. Slade's music is thunderous, with lead guitarist Dave Hill sending out scorching electric riffs and Noddy Holder, leader of the group, rasping out followed commands with the execution of an Adolph Hitler. Their songs are joyous, raucous hymns to the delight of teenage love, getting drunk and totally blowing your cool. Maybe US audiences aren't quite ready as yet for such enthusiastic abandon of restraint. As for Brownsville Station - they should have stayed "Smokin' in the Boys' Room."
Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia. 16th January 1974
Allen Theater, Cleveland, Ohio. 18th January 1974
Sports Arena, Toledo, Ohio. 19th January 1974
With Iggy Pop supporting, it would not be a boring gig. Whichever way it went, it was likely to be controversial, either, this being America, Iggy fans giving Slade a hard time OR....
"The Toledo Sports Centre was thronged with 4,000 blue-jeaned kids, watching Iggy and the Stooges in stony silence. Slade's reputation as a live act had built up over the two previous tours, and the crowd were beginning to get impatient. A chorus of "We Want Slade" spread from the front rows as Iggy pranced about the stage in his Y Fronts, waving the mike stand at a gaggle of girls holding up a "Cum On And Feel The Noize" (sic) banner. Back in the dressing room Chas settled into a corner with his book, surrounded by coke-filled litter bins and boxes of half-eaten Kentucky fried chicken. Noddy had sought sanctuary in the shower room, and was sitting on an upturned beer crate, swathed in a heavy black overcoat and patiently tuning his guitar. On stage Iggy launched into a last attempt to work up enthusiasm for his act, hurling himself half naked into the front rows. A moment later, Slade marched on stage like victors from a cup final. Dave strutted across to the far mike, his shadow rising over the vast arena roof like some Tolkien phantom. From the moment they walked on stage, the fans were with them all the way through to the end. But then Toledo was like home ground; other gigs had not been so easy."
Andrew Birkin: SuperSlade 1974
"I was at the Toledo Show in 1974 - James Gang, Iggy and The Stooges and Slade. My first Rock n Roll show - and still the best! What a fuckin awesome time..."
3 October 2012 22:13
Centennial Hall, London, Ontario, Canada. 20th January 1974
Friday's event was cancelled and this would have given Don Powell a day off to chill out.
Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. January 29th 1974
Duluth Arena Duluth, Minnesota. January 29th 1974
The Duluth Arena Auditorium (now the DECC) is a multi-purpose facility located on the waterfront of Lake Superior near the famous Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth, Minnesota. It has been home to the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldog hockey team since 1966. Built at a cost of $6.5 million, the Arena portion of the complex houses a 190-by-85 foot hockey rink with 5,333 seats. The rink is converted to host concerts, dinners, conventions and shows.
Apologies to Don Powell, I stole some bits from your web site. The London, Ontario was made available by James Reaney and Bill Atkinson from Canada.
02/01/1974 Ambassador Theatre, St Louis, Missouri,
09/01/1974 Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (with Jo Jo Gunne, Brownsville Station)
11/01/1974 Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (with Jo Jo Gunne, Brownsville Station)
12/01/1974 Columbia Music Hall, West Hartford, Connecticut (with Brownsville Station)
16/01/1974 Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia
18/01/1974 Allen Theater, Cleveland, Ohio (with Iggy Pop & the Stooges, Brownsville Station)
19/01/1974 Sports Arena, Toledo, Ohio (with Iggy Pop & the Stooges, The James Gang)
20/01/1974 Centennial Hall, London, Ontario, Canada (with Sea Dog)
23/01/1974 JJ's, San Diego, California, USA
24/01/1974 Rainbow Ballroom, Fresno, California, (with Montrose - including Sammy Hagar)
25/01/1974 Winterland Arena, San Francisco (Cancelled)
26/01/1974 Winterland Arena, San Francisco (with Brownsville Station, The James Gang)
27/01/1974 Hollywood, Palladium, LA (with Brownsville Station, James Gang, Lynyrd Skynyrd)
29/01/1974 Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA (with Brownsville Station)
30/01/1974 Duluth Arena, Minnesota (with Brownsville Station)
31/01/1974 St. Paul Civic Centre, St. Paul, Minnesota (with Brownsville Station, Stories)
02/02/1974 Return to UK
Like London, Ontario, a hundred miles north of the border in Canada. This was a first time appearance, and for the first ten minutes the audience gazed at Slade like Zombies, mouths open, as if they'd been expecting to see a performance of "Swan Lake". But like a political orator, Noddy was quick to adapt to the situation.
"You've gotta suss them out. Audiences are like women - you've gotta find their weaknesses. If they start playing hard to get, you've gotta coax them till you feel the right moment."The moment came when somebody threw a bottle on the stage. Noddy picked it up, then walked slowly back to the mike. He'd seen the boy who'd thrown it, and pointed straight at him.
"We didn't come here for a punch up, but if that's what you want, that's what we'll give you... after the show. Alright!"There was a dead hush, followed by a sweep of applause. From that moment, Slade could do no wrong, and by the end the kids were up on the seats, shouting and cheering through three encores. When Slade left for the last time it took six roadies to hold back the crowds from the stage."
Andrew Birkin: SuperSlade 1974
"The drums roll like mortar fire, then bass notes rip the hazy sweet mary-jane air like thunderbolts from the hand of an angry Zeus. Crash, crash, crunch, thwannnnnnnnnng come the guitars.
The four-man British rock group Slade are on stage at Centennial Hall before a full Sunday night house, conducting mass psychotherapy with the primal screams and towers of amplifiers that have made them consistent concert and recording favourites in Britain.
Slade is about as subtle as a division of Sherman tanks, blasting away simplistically at top volume as lead singer Noddy Holder screeches "Mama Weer All Craaaaazeeee Now" as only an amplified megaphone can do.
The Slade formula for hit single after hit single in dear old England is this: Turn it up, keep it up, write for people who can't understand words and don't make anything too long. This is getting one's kicks at its earbusting chest twitching best - or worst. As for the musical and lyrical value of all this, well, how musical is a howitzer and how poetic is a gut wrenching scream?
So far, North America hasn't been slayed by Slade, though their reputation is big enough to sell out Centennial and still attract a small crowd outside the building who stayed to hear them through the concrete walls and airspace of a corridor that seperates the hall audience from civic square.
Slade started their climb to success when the band shaved their heads and became the favourites of skinheads, the British toughs of a couple of years back who went around beating up on Pakistanis and other ethnic groups. That sort of action had nothing to do with Slade of course, but it gives you some kind of idea what kind of fan they attracted.
As their fame grew in Britain, Slade got hip, which means the band members grew their hair long, traded their leathers for the silks and platform shoes of standard rock stars and expanded their appeal to include anyone who has to feel music right through to the bone marrow.
The audience for this kind of stuff is still large, as was obviously proved Sunday. The audience was at times tumultuous in its response, evidence that maybe even vicarious primal screaming works.
Oh, one interesting novelty that is a Slade trademark - Holder wears a black top hat covered in circular mirrors which sends shafts of reflections dancing crazily all over walls and ceilings when a battery of stage lights pours luminous streams upon his head.
Slade was preceded on stage by Seadog, a Canadian band of more subtley and musicianship. Seadog is an ever improving band."
Joe Matyas: 21st January 1974, London Free Press
JJ's, San Diego. January 23rd 1974
Slade now travelled 3,000 miles to keep a date with the little town of Fresno, California....
After the show, many of the kids followed Slade up to San Francisco to see the concert a second time around. While Slade were on stage, Chas got an unexpected visit from two traffic police. It turned out that one of the roadies had been caught speeding on the free-way between Fresno and San Francisco, and was currently languishing in a California jail. After an hour of hard bargaining, Chas managed to get him a temporary release - on condition that the roadie would fly back to Fresno from New York at the end of the tour, serve out a week in jail, then fly on direct to Australia to join up with Slade for their tour of the Far East!
Andrew Birkin: SuperSlade 1974
I suspect Andrew has these two gigs the wrong way around. They rushed to San Diego for JJ's on the Wednesday and drove to Fresno for Thursday at the Rainbow Ballroom.
Rainbow Ballroom, Fresno. January 24th 1974
"They have always preferred playing small gigs where there is less of a barrier between audience and group, and in Fresno they had already won a dedicated following. On the night of the concert, the tiny Rainbow Club was packed, with hundreds more crowding the entrance in hope of tickets."
Andrew Birkin: SuperSlade 1974
This may have had a lot to do with the fact that Montrose, the Ronnie Montrose band featuring Sam 'Sammy' Hagar, were also on the bill. their début album featuring 'Bad Motor Scooter' was two months old and making waves with those in the know.
Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco. January 25th & 26th 1974
"Don joined a sightseeing tour of Alcatraz the following day. The prison had only been open to the public for the past month, but already hundreds had made the boat-trip across San Francisco Bay to the former State Penitentiary. The party were given a long lecture during the guided tour, and at the end they were asked if they had any questions. Don put up his hand. "Where's the electric chair?". He was somewhat disappointed to hear that there had never been one at Alcatraz, and went off to sulk in the Birdman's solitary confinement cell. Unfortunately, he slammed the cell door behind him, and it was ten minutes before he could be released!"Andrew Birkin: SuperSlade 1974
Palladium, Los Angeles. Sunday, 27th January 1974
"From San Francisco, the group flew south to Los Angeles to appear at the Hollywood Palladium. Noddy was a bit apprehensive."
"An earlier tour had come unstuck when the equipment had packed up halfway through the concert due to a power cut. The group settled back for the hour-long flight and Chas took out his 14th paper-back. Suddenly the emergency lights started flashing, followed by the Captain's voice over the loudspeaker.
'This is your Captain, Archibald Nixon, speaking. We appear to have a slight fault with the landing gear, and are now returning to San Francisco to check out the problem, following fuel ejection procedure.'Fuel ejection constituted the bizarre spectacle of watching 5,000 gallons of fuel being dumped from the wing tips over San Francisco Bay. So much for the Energy Crisis! Don and Jim looked nervously out of the window at the lines of ambulances and fire engines taking up their positions of the tarmac, but Chas remained unperturbed by such minor incidents as he breezed on through Chapter 10."
Andrew Birkin: SuperSlade 1974
The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style with room for up to 4,000 people. Los Angeles Times publisher Norman Chandler funded the construction of the art deco Hollywood Palladium at a cost of $1.6 million in 1940. The 16th Annual Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1974, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1973 but Slade were not mentioned.
Los Angeles Times January 31st 1974
AT THE PALLADIUM
Slade Invades US
With a Sonic Blitz
Slade is having another go at America with its sonic blitz, and while Sunday's Palladium cocert was considerably more palatable than its previous shows here, the English quartet continues to undermine its potential greatness with an approach that constantly crosses the line from exhorting the audience into abusing it.
The notoriously unstaid Palladium is a perfect situation for Slade, yet lead singer Noddy Holder didn't perceptibly alter his program of obnoxious commands to the crowd, at one point even urging the people to get out of their chairs and shake various portions of their anatomies (there are no chairs at the Palladium). His revival-meeting interludes, blasted out in a grating Screamin' Lord Sutch-style voice, inevitably cut the momentum and lends an undistinguished boogie-band mentality to a group that is otherwise leagues beyond that level.
When the band did finally get to its songs, all was well. Slade has produced some of the most engagingly mindless singles of the past year, songs built around prodigious guitar riffs and clear, rolling chord progressions.
The tone is manic, the overall effect distorted and devastating, and the message eloquently pure rock 'n' roll - "Cum on Feel the Noize," "Get Down and Get With It," "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" (sic, sic, sic).
The one to watch is guitarist Dave Hill, who looks like a busy fly with the face of a ceaselessly grinning cartoon chipmunk. There's a bit of mountain goat in him too, as he spends much of the show scaling amplifier banks, all of which best embodies the attitude of silliness and high-energy abandon that finally makes Slade endearing, despite all the guff from Holder.
Getting the show under way was Al Kooper's pride and joy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, whose dynamic set of earthy rock 'n' roll was cut maddeningly short. Sandwiched between Skynyrd and Slade were two hopelessly ordinary bands. Brownsville Station and the James Gang.- Richard Cromelin
"Noddy's premonitions for the Los Angeles concert proves unfounded, in fact it turned out to be one of the most successful gigs of the whole tour. Only one person seemed upset. He stood at the back of the audience glancing at his watch."
"What time do Emerson, Lake and Palmer come on?"
"You've got the wrong place, fella - they're twenty miles down the road in Anaheim!"
"He was about to leave when the lights dimmed, and Noddy gave them a track from Slade's new album "Everyday". By the end of the concert, he was raving along with the rest of them. Somebody saw him later on."
"I thought you were going to that ELP concert?" He hesitated.
"Yeah? Well, anyone can make a mistake, can't they? By the way, where can I get one of those Slade T-Shirts?"Andrew Birkin: SuperSlade 1974
Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. January 29th 1974
"A week later, Slade were on their way home for a brief stop-over in Wolverhampton before starting yet another tour - this time the Far East.
"How do you think it went, Chas?" asked one of the P R men.
Chas looked up from his 18th paperback. "Judge for yourself," handing him one of the trade magazines.
"Goodtime Gals" (sic) had only been released in America the week before. It was already at No.18 ... and moving fast towards the top ten."
Andrew Birkin: SuperSlade 1974
Duluth Arena Duluth, Minnesota. January 29th 1974
The Duluth Arena Auditorium (now the DECC) is a multi-purpose facility located on the waterfront of Lake Superior near the famous Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth, Minnesota. It has been home to the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldog hockey team since 1966. Built at a cost of $6.5 million, the Arena portion of the complex houses a 190-by-85 foot hockey rink with 5,333 seats. The rink is converted to host concerts, dinners, conventions and shows.
Apologies to Don Powell, I stole some bits from your web site. The London, Ontario was made available by James Reaney and Bill Atkinson from Canada.
4th. US Tour: Winter 1974 (known dates)
01/01/1974 Depart for US Tour02/01/1974 Ambassador Theatre, St Louis, Missouri,
09/01/1974 Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (with Jo Jo Gunne, Brownsville Station)
11/01/1974 Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (with Jo Jo Gunne, Brownsville Station)
12/01/1974 Columbia Music Hall, West Hartford, Connecticut (with Brownsville Station)
16/01/1974 Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia
18/01/1974 Allen Theater, Cleveland, Ohio (with Iggy Pop & the Stooges, Brownsville Station)
19/01/1974 Sports Arena, Toledo, Ohio (with Iggy Pop & the Stooges, The James Gang)
20/01/1974 Centennial Hall, London, Ontario, Canada (with Sea Dog)
23/01/1974 JJ's, San Diego, California, USA
24/01/1974 Rainbow Ballroom, Fresno, California, (with Montrose - including Sammy Hagar)
26/01/1974 Winterland Arena, San Francisco (with Brownsville Station, The James Gang)
27/01/1974 Hollywood, Palladium, LA (with Brownsville Station, James Gang, Lynyrd Skynyrd)
29/01/1974 Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA (with Brownsville Station)
30/01/1974 Duluth Arena, Minnesota (with Brownsville Station)
31/01/1974 St. Paul Civic Centre, St. Paul, Minnesota (with Brownsville Station, Stories)
02/02/1974 Return to UK
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.
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