What the Heck!

Okay, I'll start the ball rolling.

Here in the UK there were institutions called workingmens clubs – usually social clubs or miners welfares – a throwback to our mining industry. Mercifully these places are now largely a thing of the past.

Back in the 70’s & 80’s they were thriving. If you could cope with their regimented ways, any half decent band, solo act or duo could get regular paid work. Many of these clubs were quite large, had decent size stages complete with lighting and a ready made audience of sorts. They’d toughen you up for sure, but they weren’t really proper gigs. Most of the punters were there for one reason – to play bingo! The deal was that we had to play 2 or 3 spots in between! On a good night you might get a few people up dancing during the last spot..even an encore!! Dancing during the first spot was actually forbidden in some clubs!!

The rules were draconian. You had to arrive on time and set up before the bingo started. Smart cabaret style clothes were safest. The music had to consist of well known covers – nothing too modern(!) - and playing at even moderate volume was likely to cause trouble. Being asked to turn the drums down was a regular hazard!!

Books have been written and films made about these places already, so I won’t elaborate further – except to recall one funny episode which happened not so many years back.

I was playing in a guitar duo at the time and we arrived at such a venue. I’d set up the PA speakers on one side of the stage – small top cab and sub – we used a small rig. The rest of the gear was still in the van - nothing else on stage yet - we hadn't played a note. The guy in charge came over to me and said..’we’ve had a complaint’. I said, ‘what do you mean?’ He replied..’you’re too loud’ !!!

Tomorrow, from the annals of Sid Shovels Schooldays:

A true story involving yours truely, the Sabbath, and a naked witch.

Now I wonder how many will tune in tomorrow!

Sid

It was in the late 60's, maybe Nov 69. The young Shovel was an impressionable 16 years old.

Being tall, with a wispy beard I could get in most adult venues with ease. It was a Friday night and I, along with a friend, were out on the town. The venue was Liverpool Uni, a disco in the students union, but before that there was a concert in the Uni sports hall. An upcoming band from Birmingham called Black Sabbath, a Black Magic themed set with a reputation for being bad ass!

The Hall was packed, everyone sitting on rows and rows of silly steel and plastic dining hall chairs, entrance fee was about $1 back then. The show started, the sound deafening, stacks of amps the size of fridges, pyros, lighting up the place, you could feel the heat from fifty feet off the stage!

Midway through the set a young lady comes onto the stage wrapped in a cloak which is quickly dispensed with to reveal a tailor made birthday suit. The depiction of a human sacrifice. The crowd go wild, obviously appreciating the artistic representation of the ritual displayed by the gyrating female.

Unfortunately, quite a number of local bye-laws had just been broken in the process, and the Uni management weren't having any of it. The security guards attempted to get on the stage and help the young lady dress into something, anything, more appropriate. The crowd were having none of it. In defence of artistic expression they stopped the guards by blocking their access with dozens of dining chairs and flying cups of beer.

After 10 minutes, the guards retreated much to the amusement of the band who carried on as if nothing had happened.

The young Shovel oblivious to the melee, closed his mouth and stopped staring at the girl!

Not a bad night out!

Two months later, Black Sabbath signed a recording contract, the rest is history!

If you have any stories, music related or just plain interesting, please share, no judgement here!

Sid

Ok, seems as if it’s my turn now…
Some of you might know that I was a lokal boss in a catering company, serving at two of our major concert halls and many many different other showplaces. So you can guess that I’ve seen and met a lot of „famous“ people. I’m not allowed to tell all the stories, and some are already somewhere in the back of my head, but there are a few stories that I’d like to share.
1. not only that I’ve seen Whitney and Joe cocker very few months before they passed, but the first time Joe cocker visited us, I’ve been inside the hall working, while the support act was already doing his job on stage. And while I was walking around in the filled place, checking if my guys and girls are doing their job, I got catched by the man onstage…he started playing the piano and singing….and I tell you, for the first time in my life I was about to stop everything I’m doing, started crying and felt the tingling heat…Richard Marx was the support act and started with ‚right here waiting‘. I have never ever been so flashed by one single voice live on stage!
2. I had finished my job and wanted to take a quick stop inside where the concert was taking place and I thought, ok you may never get this chance again…I ended up celebrating the whole rest of the Aerosmith show in the front row, shaking hands with Steven Tyler.
3. I have been supervisor at an open air show of meatloaf, standing a couple of minutes next to a girl and her guys speaking to each other in a very interesting American slang, so I smiled and we talked for 2 moments until they „vanished“. When it was time for the show, I saw them backstage, climbing the stage…it was meatloaf‘s daughter with her band…they where the support act for meatloaf that day.
4. By the way meatloaf…I remember him on stage at his „last of bat“ tour, and me and many many other workers stood in the wings and entries crying like dumb watching an artist like him struggling to go ahead with the show, fighting his Parkinson’s disease.
5. I remember sir Elton John enter the stage, all the ppl (round 13.000) stood up and applauded for the rest of the evening. Even when sir Elton was gone, they where still standing and clapping. I had never seen something like that in my life.
6. Oh there is so much more ….pink, xtina, Fleetwood Mac, BSB, linkin Park…..even jettho trull, Metallica and AC/DC….i could go on for hours!
7. But there are two experiences I also want to talk about. Stuff that happened while I was just a normal guest.
A) seeing Celine Dion live in Paris as a gift for my 30. birthday was a big dream come true. Once again I sat in the front row and was almost able to touch her, while her husband Rene and some friends sat right behind me…I’m still shaking thinking about that.
And B) is that I once wanted to go shopping here on one of the smaller malls. There I found posters saying that an artist of my fave band would come to give autographs and promote her new solo album! You can imagine that I’ve been there, and waited in line for hours (even with my health issues now, until it was my turn to get up to her, talk a bit and get our picture taken. Sad thing was it happened at the beginning of COVID, so there was no handshake or something like that, but the picture of her and me is framed and with special light equipment here in my room. She never gave up…and every time I’m going through hard times, I look at this picture and it helps me a lot!!
Soooo…enough of me now. This thread is for all of us! But somehow I wanted you to take part. Have a good one!
RK

Well 16 years Owen, what can I say…still miss it sometimes but it was hard work besides my live at university and my 2nd job. Today I know that it was way to much. Sometimes 26 shows in 30 days and many strange things that happened and some employees that work in a way that I have my holiday….i can tell you!
But besides all, it was a great time!

A new member to the forum, Schmalex, made a recommendation that I listen to "I Wish It Would Rain" by The Temptations with a view to the length in relation to my own song, "Sadness...."

Here's a cover note posted before the song:

The story behind this song is very tragic. It touches my heart, though. The lyrics to this song were written by a talented young Motown lyricist named Rodger Penzabene. He also wrote lyrics for Gladys Knight & the Pips and Marvin Gaye, as well as the Temptations. While working on this album, Rodger found out his wife was cheating on him with another man. Rodger was in a bad place. he couldn't stand the pain, but he couldn't stop loving his wife either. He literally poured his heart, soul, and pain into this song. It was released on December 21, 1967 and went on to become one of The Temptations greatest hits but Rodger never saw that. At 23, Rodger Penzabene took his own life on New Years Eve, 1967. He never got to see that so many people could relate to his pain and heart ache. Rest easy, Rodger, some of us remember you.

Kind of brings everything into perspective, doesn't it.

What do they say; "On the shoulder's of Giants".

Sid

Yup , I would need 500 fingers to do what he does . I woke up today , that's about as fascinating as it gets for me on stories