Another one of my old ticket stubs from the Caird Hall, this time it was Be Bop DeLuxe on stage, 32 years ago to the day.The band appeared in that transitional mid 70's period in music - after glam rock and before punk, so journalists were unsure how to categorise them as the band were too clean cut to be a full on rock outfit but not commercial enough to be a pop group, so they generally got classified as a college band or art rock band.
Mind you they did actually have a couple of chart successes, their most known one being "Ships in the night".
Having released around 4 albums at this point, the gig was mostly album track material rather than a show of their greatest hits.
The band split in 1978, but their prolific main man, Bill Nelson, is still involved in the music biz today with his various solo projects.
Incidentally, Bill later went on to collaborate with Billy Mackenzie for a one-off recording session. He ended up playing guitar on Associates single "Take Me To The Girl".
NO WAY!
ReplyDeleteI am a H U G E Be Bop Deluxe and Bill Nelson fan.
Sadly I didn't see them at the Caird Hall as I "discovered" them about 6 months after the gig.
Did manage to catch Bill Nelson as a solo artist in Edinburgh a few years later though.
Have just recently completed replacing my entire Be Bop Deluxe vinyl collection onto the iPod.
Ramble, ramble, ramble...sorry!
i was a fan of them too, i remember being in Billy McKenzies house in Nelson Street with his brother John, and they were on tv, we all agreed they were great but John went on all night about " BABY Deluxe" only to be greeted with a shake of the head and closed eyes from Billy :-)
ReplyDeleteI was at this gig- the band stayed (as all bands did) at the Angus and me and a couple of girls managed to get in for a drink with Bill and the bass player (forgotten his name- exotic sounding -as it was -I think he was half Maori or some polynesian) anyhoo- another great night at the caird hall.------sunburst finish was a brill album too- loved that skull guitar---
ReplyDeleteBass player was Charlie Tumahai, who sadly died in the mid 90s.
ReplyDeleteI remember sitting at home that Sunday in 1977 and getting a phonecall to support BeBop DeLuxe at he Caird Hall that evening as their regular support had fallen ill. So instead of going to the Invercarse for my usual Sunday evening drink, I was at the Caird Hall playing to the BeBop Deluxe audience. Don.t remember much about the gig apart from thinking the money was crap. Made last orders at the Invercarse though.
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