Friday, 10 April 2009

1220 U2 at the Customs House South Shields and the Waterbabies

When I woke on Friday November 15th I had no reason to suppose that that would become a special day, the kind that you cannot plan and if you are lucky they will happen when you least expect. I could see that the sun was shining but when I went outside, I was surprised to find that it was pleasantly warm and I did not need to button my coat. I nevertheless took the car as I needed to go to the west side of the city of Sunderland to the Staples office store for some punched pockets. Parking the car at Asda I walked to Smith's for the Daily Mail DVD, the Water Baby's Charles Kingsley tale to bring to public attention the plight of chimney sweeps and other poor and orphaned children forced into labour. I then continued to the Market place already busy with most stall holders fully operational and into Wilkinson's mainly for some glitter glue, and could I find it eventually calling upon an assistant which led to finding that the containers its packaging had been redesigned and the price also reduced, half the cost of those available at Staples. While in the store I bought toothpaste, disposable razors, washing up sponges and some Christmas goodies for me and for presents. I had my haversack but also needed a plastic carrier. At Asda I bought fruit, fresh vegetables, prawns in shell, bread rolls with tops baked with cheese, 12 for £1 and a treat mince pies in puff pastry. It was 12 .30 before returning from Staple's and time for lunch, but this was delayed while I excitedly opened the post because there was not one but two envelopes with a postmark from Scotland which I knew meant possibly two winning sums in the latest Premium Bond Draw, it was nothing spectacular (and which I would not have mentioned it had been) but a welcome one of £50 and the second of £100.


After lunch, Cimbatta rolls with salad and a little Italian Salami, I then remembered it was someone's birthday, and then discovered it has passed, so to make amends I packaged a gift and went off to the post office, deciding to also pay in the two cheques. It had been so pleasant earlier that I walked and I had only proceeded half way down the hill when I encountered a white van, bigger than a transit, with U2 UK on the side facing and a man with a clip board coming over to seeking guidance about the location of Oceans Road, (confusing with the film Oceans Eleven I am guessing) as the address of the small hotel/guesthouse was Ocean Road. Parallel to where we were, and could be viewed down the next road leading down although, the next had to be taken as the first was blocked at the end. The man was disappointed with his Tom Tom but I explained that he might have a super intelligent navigational aide, admitted unlikely, because he was unlikely to find a parking space in Ocean Road itself and would have to park in one of the side streets. Before sending the vehicle on its way I checked that this was a tribute band but it was only as I reached the bottom of the hill that I kicked myself for not asking where they were playing.

It was a very pleasant afternoon with use being made of the outside tables and the seats in the main shopping area. Two middle age women were enjoying a drink, one a glass of white wine, outside the Chase bar, next to the new Beach Bar and it felt good to be alive, commenting about the weather and my premium bond success with the bank cashier and that I also seen two young women dressed as kittens and several others, older school girls in pyjamas. It is Children in need appeal night.

I then thought, 'Why not?' which can be unwise at my age. There is Freedom from and Freedom to. Why not continue the walk down to the Customs House Theatre, restaurant bar cinema and art gallery to see if my hunch was correct that U2 UK were appearing this weekend.


It was a glorious walk to the riverside with the a blinding full sun casting its rays by the next North sea ferry already loading vehicles although its sailing was over an hour away. All the refurbishments and changes at the Custom's House complex have not been completed with the connecting first level walkway to the offices and other facilities in the adjacent building. I can never walk this way now without remember that on my mother's 100th birthday the white stretched limo stopped here while she and the visitors looked at the view and an a care assistant explained about the demolished La Strada which is now an amusing art work


U2 Uk was performing at 7.30 so I bought a ticket for £11.30 concession and booking fee and returned home with a spring in step although a little apprehensive because the poster boasted, the best Tribute band in the UK Loud, Live and in Your Face. What had I done? On my way up the hill the primary school children were going home all dressed in pyjamas and dressing gowns and a neighbour confirmed that it was in aid of the BBC Children in Need programme which raises tens of millions of pounds each year with thousands sponsored events of this nature.

I felt tired so I had a little sleep and watched the Water Babies before a quick evening meal, a glass of red wine, a few olives and a ready made dish of pieces of sausages in pasta. I only had a vague memory of the Water babies story. I knew it was about a boy chimney sweep, but I could not remember anything about the part played by the water babies except that it was sad and that I had believed in such fairy stories for many years and have never recovered since learning that Never Never land was the figment of the human imagination.


The 1978 DVD film is a top notch production with James Mason as Grimes and Bernard Cribbins as his accomplice. An aging David Tomlinson plays the Squire Justice and Billy Whitelaw a multitude of roles, Joan Greenwood the wife of the justice and among the voices in animated sequence are David Jason, Lance Percival and Jon Pertwee. I thought the chase sequence was overlong and there was one brief part of the underwater sequence which some young children might find a little frightening but overall it will be enjoyed by children of all ages although most will not know what a chimney sweep is although I inherited a set of brushes and extension rods with this property.


I am very impressed with the refurbishment of the former customs house which has more comfortable seating than that at, well I cannot think of anywhere with better seating and as was quickly evident it can cope with the full lighting, smoke, visuals and sound requirements of the Tribute Band.


I was at the 1986 Live Aid appearance of U2 which made them Internationally famous and one of the best known and loved bands in the world to this day. Before the concert I already had , October, 1981 with Stranger in a Strange Land, I Fall down, With a Shout; War 1983 with Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Years Day Two hearts beat as one and Surrender, and also in 1983 Under a Blood Red Sky, with I will follow and New Years day and The Unforgettable Fire with Pride, Bad and 4th of July, and after the concert appearance. I also acquired The Joshua Tree 1987 with Where the Streets have no name, I still haven't found what I am looking for, which used to be personal anthem, With or without you, Running to stand still and In God's Country and Zooropa 1993 with, Some days are better than others, and The first time. I had not played the records for a number of years until last year in September I watched a DVD of The Elevation tour Concert at Boston so before this evening I knew the songs and knew something of Bono the performer, although at Live Aid there was only time for two numbers.


It was only after the show that I realised I had seen the lead Paul Collyer, in Stars in Your Eyes. The amazing thing is that the two other members of the band, Simon (Edge) and Ady (Adam) had placed an advertisement to find someone to play Bono 12 months before Paul did so and in the same local paper. Some things are Kismet although I am more inclined to the Peter O'Toole. In Lawrence of Arabia, Nothing is written unless you write it, to which must be add be ready for all the consequences.

My seat was at the end of row E the first of the banking and the first comment is one of shock in that when they said loud, they meant LOUD to the point of nearly being unbearable. One local wag behind me appealed, turn it up, I can't hear, after the first blasting. I understood why the ticket sales assistant had given me the kind of look which said, "Are you sure you wanna do this? Until now I used to think that Elki Brooke at Newcastle City Hall was loud, and the best way to describe the sound is that 50 years ago I experienced for the first time a traditional jazz band in the confines of a small windowless basement. This was the same sound amplified and literally in your face as I sat within feet of one of the banks of amplifiers. The greater part of a row of young people in front of me disappeared to other parts of the auditorium after the interval.


This was physical music, your whole being throbs with it and is summed up with the song about losing control its rock and roll.. My second comment that the band also kept its word about providing a multi media show recreating some of the arena stages effects of U2 tours but when this is achieved in an auditorium seating only 400 including the circle, the effect is more spectacular. However put to one side the volume and the stage effects and you are left with a lead singer and three other musicians. How did they do?


I have experienced live music for 50 years with no one until now competing with Bruce Springsteen, and although his concerts are Marathons he paced himself as he got older with seeing him in Newcastle in the late seventies, Sheffield in the 80.' and Crystal Palace in the 90's. I thought Paul Collyer was brilliant on a level with the greatest of actors who make you believe they are the part they are playing, moreover he rarely takes breath and gives a performance of passionate intensity, supported by three men who if you met them in the street you would not immediately think great rock star musicians, but great they are individually and collectively, and the poster which includes the comment, the UK's greatest tribute band, may not be an exaggeration. I have only experienced a handful of tribute band/ performers before with the Roy Orbison outstanding and memorable, and Dusty Springfield a close second, so I am not in a position to make a judgement.


Tonight the audience remained seated during the first half and had to be coaxed into singing and clapping in time which suited me as the six hours of the Concert for Diana in the summer had found me feeling my age in the second half and welcoming each sitting down film clip. However the prolonged value for money encore, had almost everyone standing and stomping and yelling their heads off. I knew it was going to be a good night when one the young ladies entering my row stumbled and fell into my arms, but that second half and finale of U2 UK was something else. One nice touch is that half the price of seats bought on the day was donated to Children in Need and a Children in Need Teddy bear was auctioned and went for £50. Another is that the band came out to the foyer and said hullo to anyone and everyone who cared to say hullo to them.


Well they must be something critical? Well only a little moan that the official internet site says they were playing tonight in Newcastle. Now if I had decided not to go out this afternoon or left earlier or later by only a matter of seconds or chosen a different route , I would have stayed home and watched the Children in Need Appeal. For once I have to say that something was written for me. More Please.


Talking of auctions, and the dangers of being caught up in the Euphoria of an event there was another memorable Timothy Small performance on Thursday night on BBC 1, playing a cab driver who meets a school friend who has married his school days first lover and gets invited to a charity do which they are attending, where in order to impress the former girlfriend he bids £1400 for a set of autographed snooker balls, money he does not have, goes to work still under the influence and is fined and has his licence taken away and has his cab wrecked by a customer although all this is put into perspective when his wife is suspected of having cancer, but which fortunately is diagnosed as a treatable cyst. Timothy will be the first to admit that his image is not that of a romantic lover or a Don Juan but his performance was more than credible as was that of his wife who could accept anything that had her husband had done if he was able to show he cared for her in a way which she could believe. However I would love to know what a set of autographed snooker balls of all the greats would really fetch at auction. Today we are in the hands of the Israeli's who need to get at least a draw at home to the Russians for us to qualify for the finals of the European cup, and for the Manager to keep his job. Scotland need to beat Italy to get through and both matches are on the telly, although one clashes with the X Factor final. This reminds of the comment heard on the first of my walks about town on Friday, "Howay man, he's always watching that bloody football."

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