Old Man Riva

Tim Lefebvre as a centre forward. Has the physical presence, and can play in a variety of ways to suit the occasion. Has the deftness of touch, and also possesses the maverick creativity (as shown with his use of pedals etc.) to add an extra creative element, when required. He’s a big name player who could deliver on the biggest of stages, and also “a rainy November evening in Stoke”.

Agreed! And thanks again for the heads up. There’s some fabulous footage of the Young Americans period featuring Andy Newmark and Willie Weeks (it’s in one of the Visconti interviews). There’s a lot of the footage that is completely new to me, which is great! Isn’t it just. The whole series is excellent, and Dennis Davis son is a wonderful young man. Finding out about his dad via his work/art, it’s a joy to watch. More of this on the internet please!

Slade Alive! was like a ‘Beatles moment’ for want of a better phrase. Everything changed after hearing that, and seeing Bowie, Mott the Hoople, Roxy Music, T Rex et al all loud and proud on TOTP in the same year - a game changing time...

A slight detour, I know, but thanks to The Fasting Showman’s excellent recommendation re. Dennis Davis I stumbled across this... Too good not to share... Enjoy!

Love this! Dennis Davis on drums (Bowie drummer on Station to Station through to Lodger), and, I think, Emir Ksasan on bass (played with Bowie on the second/soul leg of the Diamond Dogs tour)...

David Bowie - David Live

I think this is the very bass... He’s had a few from the Gallery for the competitions. https://thebassgallery.com/products/fender-jazz-bass-1966

He played with Nick Heyward in the 80s. I seem to recall him appearing live on The Tube (or the Whistle Test) with Nick Heyward around the Warning Sign era (I think they did that track live). If it’s out there it’s well worth a watch as it also features the excellent Alan Murphy on guitar...

Through the world of Google I’ve just checked and the Leicester gig was in ‘86. The band were flat, the audience was flat and the gig just meandered along into nothingness. I think the band felt it and the singer started making a few barbs about how flat the audience was, which didn’t particularly help, and it almost all ground to a halt. Genuinely the only time I’ve ever left early because I wasn’t enjoying the band... I’m pleased your experience was better!

Furniture at Leicester Poly (early/mid 80s). ”We’re Furniture, what’s your excuse?” the singer deadpanned, as people drifted away...

That’s great! I remember recording it on VCR and watching it over and over. I think the original broadcast was 2-3 songs (as I recall, further tracks were shown later in the series). His band (as always!) were superb, but I remember being absolutely blown away by the drummer at the time. Because of the album credits I thought it was someone called Sterling Campbell, but it was, of course, Zack Alford. Wow! I think the biggest compliment I can give is that Mrs Riva walked passed when I was playing it and asked when it was from! When I told her who it was she said, “I thought it was Him!!”. The backing vocals on the “Don’t believe in yourself...” sections are superb. When all this madness is over, and you’re gigging again, I’ll be there, sir!

Brilliant! Thank you, sir...

Definitely! I think it may be Schaller. A mate of mine had an early Squier and he swore by the replacement bridge he’d had fitted. A big talking point was the adjustable saddles - the hours flew by!

What bridge is that? They were around in the early 80s (poss 70s?) - the rolling/adjustable saddles were quite the thing...

Bought tickets for a Simple Minds Once Upon A Time gig at NEC just to see Shriekback supporting them. Shriekback were their usual brilliant selves, and Simple Minds were a far cry from the New Gold Dream band/sound that I’d seen just a few years before. I thought they were rotten, if I’m being honest.

Day After Day is a wonderful song. George Harrison plays slide guitar on it.

Way back when, Mr Blue Sky was used at Coventry City home games (Highfield Road era) to get the crowd going as the players came onto the pitch. At about 2.55 the pumping cello drone would begin and the song would blast off, ending with the afterthought choral piece at the end, and into kick off. Before all this I used to quite like the song, nowadays whenever I hear it I’m filled with a sense of foreboding, anxiety, and the feeling of impending crushing defeat. I’m sure it’s not what Jeff Lynne had in mind when he was ripping off Sparky’s Magic Piano all those years ago!

Nothing wrong with Tin Machine! The Sales brothers have some real rock ‘n’ roll pedigree, which I think Bowie was really drawn to. Add Reeves Gabrels into the mix and it was actually a pretty bold move, in retrospect. Though it may just have been a fun palate cleanser after Never Let Me Down..!

I hadn’t realised it was ever played live. Such a great track! The Outside album was a good moment. It felt like a ‘band’ statement after Buddha of Suburbia (which, IMO, is an overlooked and excellent soundtrack album), that benefited from that similar soundtrack approach. He played a couple of tracks on Channel 4’s The White Room, and the band came across brilliantly - I’ve found that sometimes the TV sound can really let a Bowie performance down, but the White Room sound was really, erm, ‘meaty’, for want of a better word. For me, the 90s started well with Black Tie White Noise, but ended on a bit of a low note with Hours. Some excellent moments in between, mind!

I was lucky enough to see a fan club Phoenix Festival warm up gig at the Hanover Grand (the venue is long gone and wasn’t particularly good for live music, IMO). He/they began with Quicksand. He casually strolled on with a 12 string acoustic and began playing... it was one of the most emotional moments I’ve had at a gig. He was yards away, with his amazing voice just filling the place. It was actually all a bit overwhelming, to be honest. It was a mixture of really enjoying a gig and then feeling it was all a bit surreal so my mind would start to wander and try and process what was happening. I couldn’t really take it all in. To this day it still feels like such an odd choice for a gig!

Glad you got that sorted! I wasn’t aware of the series until this thread. I’ve since been getting lost in some of the shows via Spotify. The 1995 gig includes a version of Teenage Wildlife, which was a song I didn’t know he’d done live previously. Ruddy marvellous, Mr Jones! He’s bloody missed...

The track (Love in a Simple Rhyme) that closes Van Halen’s Women and Children First album has a bit tagged on the end that, whilst sounding great in itself, sounds completely out of place. When it happened I assumed it would be the opening riff to their next album, which would’ve been a nice idea, even though I say so myself! There’s a track on AC/DC’s Powerage (their best album?) called Down Payment Blues that has a blues-y outdo tagged on, though on the original UK release it wasn’t on the album, it appeared on the Australian release. Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’ by the Stones has an outro/jam that always seemed a bit tagged on. Sounds great, mind...

You’ve lost that loving feline?

That’ll be Tommy Godwin, Gal’s “erstwhile poncey mate who dishes the proverbial on the likes of Hoxton Tom faster than my pal Jonesy and other assorted wastrel geezers that knew the Krays do when they’re avoiding buying a round at the Lig & Firkin”. Or summat..!

I didn’t mind “Gal” referencing his roots, it was his choice of words and order he put them in that I couldn’t stand!