Queens Hall - classic rock venue?

[liits]

[quotenick="grumpytramp"]The most inappropriate QH gig: Lindisfarne (Christmas ?1983 and sponsered by Radio Aire) ..... an odd choice for Lindisfarne, as their gigs at the Leeds Uni where a garunteed multi-pint fueled top class party experience Ah, Lindisfarne, I went to the Queens Hall in Christmas 82 on tickets bought by my brother. It was my 18th birthday and was actualy on the day [the 14th, thats a hint for a birthday card next week]. I'd never seen Lindisfarne before but he'd seen them at the Isle of Wight festival in 71 when they had Genesiss as their support band.Lindisfarne wew superb and I went to see them at Newcastle City Hall for many years after.14th December 82 was also the night that the christmas lights were tirned on in Leeds that year and I can remember the green laser scanning around the sky, like something from war of the worlds.

[cnosni]

LeeRatbag wrote: I only ever went to the Queen's Hall twice, and didn't pay either time - first for Dio in May '85 (only my third ever gig - I won tickets for that from the Evening Post), then for the Christmas On Earth thrash metal festival with Megadeth, Overkill and Nuclear Assault in December '87 (my mate knew one of the electricians that worked there and he sneaked us in he back door). Reputedly it was the fourth biggest venue in the UK at the time, but my God it was a shambolic place. I remember looking up at the stars through the holes in the roof... Just seen this post mr Ratbag.I was at the Dio gig too,with Denzil the dragon on stage behind the little man himself.What a singer,and to those who dont know of him,has one of the best voices of any singer in any genre of music,and he still has as i saw a fortnight ago at the MEN.

[LS13]

Saw the Jam there in April 82. My feet were off the ground the whole gig and you just moved with the sway of the crowd. The floor melted so your shoes were covered in blue paint. I remember my mate lost his slip- on hush puppies in the crush and was reunited with them at the end of the night. Can't remember the support--may have been the Piranhas. They also had a punk poet from Bradford on called Seething Wells. He didnt go down too well and was one of Wellers 'Red Wedge' mates which i think set off the Modfathers bad mood. The band were playing songs from the new album, The Gift and everyone wanted to hear the well known songs. I remember Wellers response to the umpteenth shouted request for 'Tube Station' -"its Nineteen eighty farking two not 1978, grow up!" Top gig though. I believe Duran Durn were on the next night but i gave that a miss!

[drapesy]

Terrym wrote: I remember been taken to the Queens Hall when I was little (early 60s) to see a group called The Grumbleweeds. We also watched a feature called the Dancing Waters.A lot of years later I got to know Carl Sutcliffe from the Grumbleweeds and asked him if he remembered appearing there.It turned out that this was one of there very first gigs. I remember seeing the 'dancing waters' too - I must have been about six! I was impressed but I bet they were really naff.Years later I saw Hawkwind at Queen's Hall and got Nik Turner's autograph!!!. Also saw the Sensational Alex Harvey Band unless my memories playing up.There were also some Camra real ale festivals held in the Queens hall in the late 80's.

[zip55]

I saw SAHB as well in th early / mid Seventies, but I'm sure they were at the Uni or Poly, not the Queens Hall.Didn't Rod Stewart play there around the same time, seem to remember tons of look-alikes at the Precinct they day he played, all strutting around the 'boxing ring'.    

[chomic]

LS13 wrote: Saw the Jam there in April 82. My feet were off the ground the whole gig and you just moved with the sway of the crowd. The floor melted so your shoes were covered in blue paint. I remember my mate lost his slip- on hush puppies in the crush and was reunited with them at the end of the night. Can't remember the support--may have been the Piranhas. They also had a punk poet from Bradford on called Seething Wells. He didnt go down too well and was one of Wellers 'Red Wedge' mates which i think set off the Modfathers bad mood. The band were playing songs from the new album, The Gift and everyone wanted to hear the well known songs. I remember Wellers response to the umpteenth shouted request for 'Tube Station' -"its Nineteen eighty farking two not 1978, grow up!" Top gig though. I believe Duran Durn were on the next night but i gave that a miss! The Piranhas did support. They were No1 in the charts with 'Tom Hark' at the time and I remember all the Jam fans chanting the chorus through the entire set.

[officialsimon]

LS13 wrote: Saw the Jam there in April 82. My feet were off the ground the whole gig and you just moved with the sway of the crowd. The floor melted so your shoes were covered in blue paint. I remember my mate lost his slip- on hush puppies in the crush and was reunited with them at the end of the night. Can't remember the support--may have been the Piranhas. They also had a punk poet from Bradford on called Seething Wells. He didnt go down too well and was one of Wellers 'Red Wedge' mates which i think set off the Modfathers bad mood. The band were playing songs from the new album, The Gift and everyone wanted to hear the well known songs. I remember Wellers response to the umpteenth shouted request for 'Tube Station' -"its Nineteen eighty farking two not 1978, grow up!" Top gig though. I believe Duran Durn were on the next night but i gave that a miss! The Piranhas were the support in November 1980 (Sound Affects tour), along with Red Lorry Yellow Lorry. Can't see you can mix that up if you are saying April 82 was the only time you saw the Jam at the Queen's Hall? Support in April 82 was Irish band Rudi, may have been another too but can't remember it. The other difference was that when it Piranhas the stage was still at the back of the hall and the last twice the Jam played there (April 82 - Transglobal tour and October 82 - Solid Bond Autumn tour - support, the Questions, booed and bottled off), the stage was at the front of the hall, next to the entrance doors. so again, can't see how you could mix that up, you MUST have been at the Sounds Affects gig in November 1980 too if you saw the Piranhas and Steven 'Seething' Wells?

[officialsimon]

stevief wrote: It's tragic that Leeds still lacks a quality concert hall or arena most other cities take for granted.It's always been the case,back in the 70s I travelled to Bradford,Manchester,Sheffield or even Newcastleto see the top rock acts of the day.I saw Thin Lizzy,Whitesnake and Rush(who made a fair attempt to get to grips with the acoustics) in the QH. I'd seen Motorhead in the 70s at the Fforde Grene and around the same time Rose Tattoo-for whom they moved all the chairs and tables out of the concert room to cram as many in as possible-and yes,he was drinking vodka like it was water but they put on one hell of a show! Leeds does have some quality concert venues. O2 Academy easily the best, but I think what you are talking about is size, Leeds certainly lacks something of the size and quality of Manchester Apollo, which along with Brixton Academy, a similar venue, is one of my favourites. It's precisely what Leeds needs is one of the old cinema type venues, they are easily the most atmospheric and rock and roll. I think the Council missed a trick when they let Primark go into the Odeon site. That would have been perfect, and had experience from the 60s (Beatles three times for instance)

[Cardiarms]

The sound in the O2 can be really mushy in places. I mean the Coliseum for the LSD generation.

[chameleon]

Cardiarms wrote: The sound in the O2 can be really mushy in places. I mean the Coliseum for the LSD generation. or even the Gaumont.