Here's a bundle of tickets featuring heavy metal bands who paid a visit to the Caird Hall in 1979 & 1980.
The UFO tickets at the top reveal that the band played there on 3 different dates in a period of only 20 months - that must be some kind record for the Caird Hall!
UFO don't normally spring to the top of your list when recalling heavy metal bands from the 70s/80s, but a wee reminder that in 1980, UFO were the main headline act at Reading Festival, above the likes of Iron Maiden!
Dundee band Colossus was the support band on one of the UFO shows.
Dundee band Colossus was the support band on one of the UFO shows.
The other 4 tickets are for - IAN GILLAN - MOTORHEAD - SAXON - OZZY OSBOURNE.
Support band on the Gillan tour was Quartz. Ian Gillan was another who played the same venue in a relatively short space of time, his band having played the Caird Hall in October 1979. There were, however, 3 more Gillan appearances in Dundee - 1981 & 1982 both at the Caird Hall again, and then in 1989 when he played at Fat Sams!
By the way, Ozzy was wearing his white tassels outfit on stage I seem to remember.
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ReplyDeleteHi there.
Motörhead played in the 'big hall' at the Bowlin' Alley around 77-78.
10 minutes before they started playing, the hall was packed. Within 2 minutes of them starting, there were only about 30 people left; the rest had fled to the foyer and the other hall, where they could still here the band satisfactorily, due to the volume level they played at!
Lemmy rather liked the puggy machine in the Bowlin' Alley because my disco partner, Pete the Camera, had the 'cheat' diagram for it. You got 4 nudges but only two symbols were clearly visible, so if you knew what symbols were just over the horizon, you could use your nudges to great effect!
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I remember Motorhead at The Caird Hall, but always thought it was in Dec for some reason. Ace of Spades tour wasn't it. Amazing, loud as fuck too. Lemmy was/is sheer brilliance.
ReplyDeleteI was down at the very front at the Saxon gig.
ReplyDeleteBiff Byford's pink (I think) spandex breeks burst in front of my very eyes and they did the setting-a-guitar-on-fire thing...you know when it gets swung over the stage and audience.
Sadly, health and safety wouldn't allow such (ooooh) mayhem these days!
Great memories from these days. I went to see all 5 acts listed here, it seemed that we were hopping on the bus every weekend through out the latter half of 1980 to see a quality rock gig. Motorhead burst on to the stage with ' Ace of Spades ' and had a steel frame bomber suspended above the stage and audience ! Ozzy tour was his first after being sacked by Sabbath, he had a point to prove and he did !! A fantastic gig as i remember. He was wearing the white tassle outfit as previously mentioned. Saxon were brilliant too. I met them in Union St the morning after as they were getting into their bus to head to Newcastle where they were playing the next night. Biff and Steve Dawson ( bass player, I think ) were quite chatty and were very complimentary of the Dundee audience. I remember them mentioning that the Caird Hall crowds had a good reputation within the business which would go a long way to explaining why so many of these bands came back to Dundee time after time. Gillan played Dundee a few times also. As mentioned before Quartz supported them as well as a band called White Spirit which included in their line up a real flambouyant on stage guitarist called Janick Gers. He later joined the Gillan Band but made his name by later joining Iron Maiden..
ReplyDeleteAny other memories of Ozzy gig ? Was a sold out gig ? Thanks for your memories
DeleteYes Brian I remember that very well as I was one of those getting ear bashed. heard a lot of loud music but that is the loudest I ever experienced hence the mass exodus. The first time in my life I felt as if my ears were ready to explode.
ReplyDeleteA concert hall rig in a small venue. Egomania
I was at the UFO 1980 concert,had a green ticket,i recorded the show on tape,the thing that springs out was someone spitting on Phil Mogg about half way through the show,they almost stopped the show because of it
ReplyDeletehe said something like,`people who are spitting,cannot spit more than 5 feet`it was a great show played to a packed crowd,i was cheeky enough to use my mains lead to power my cassette up in the gallery
Saw Gillan and Quartz in Oct 1980 at the Caird Hall. Loudest concert I had been to up to that point (I went to see The Who later and they were louder!), I was deaf for about 3 days after.
ReplyDeleteI was at these, The Ozzy gig was the best I ever heard him play. Support came from Budgie who came back for a headline show the following summer that was almost empty. I remember Slade playing in 82 and being way louder than Motorhead had been.Early eighties Caird Hall was a great gig. Genesis and Tull also made visits as well as an early U2 show.
ReplyDeleteShame Dundee seems to be skipped by so many acts nowadays.
Did you remember if Ozzy gig was sold out ? Thanks for your memories
DeleteI remember going to see Gillan , the speeometers were first band oni went for a drink of coke and saw Randy California walk through the city square with guitar case in hand walked right past me and right onstage plugged in and played a brilliant set , blew Gillian off stage , and Gillian was brilliant that night
ReplyDeleteSaw that gig on my own as an 11 year old. I was in the Fsllery when Weapin came on as support. The Demonic Choral intro! That was the hearing after that. ‘Ace Up Your Sleeve Tour’ Motörhead came on with the new Ace of Spades. Tube lights round the Ace snd two smaller ones at the sides, pyro, and Spade symbols on Philthy’s bass drums. Later activated the Heinkel Bomber rig. Gillan had been on the Glory Rosd tour as well so it’s 4 times! Ress as lily disappointed I missed Bernie Torme.. Randy Rhonda and Michael Schenker too. My pal’s Incle gave him the big UFO tour badge with Schenker on it with long hair-he had a cooler style of his own by 1980.
ReplyDeleteSaw Gillan with Janice Gers in 81 (Budgie- who later didn’t remember Dundee save for some club like the Rendezvous or something- the guitarist JT was a friend of Randy Rhoads) That was Double Trouble tour then ‘82 was the Magic tour with both Spider snd Nightwing I think.) I didn’t get to the Saxon gig ( Strong Arm of the Law-20p badge the same as Motörhead) - I was held to swimming gala commitments at Menzieshill High!! Just kept thinking they were on Cairdie Hsll while I was there.) Missed Slade ‘Til Deaf Us Do Part, U2 The Smiths gigs and Simple Minds. The rock gigs seemed to driyup until Status Quo’s supposed End Of The Road- 16 June 1984.
Saw Big Country Steeltown: in December ‘84 I think.
Sorry about the spelling! Randy Rhoads for a start!
ReplyDelete