If you’re of a “certain age” as I am you may recall the good old days of the late 1970s/early 1980s here in good old Blighty (England).
The music scene was vibrant, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was taking off, bands didn’t take a decade between albums and they toured regularly.
Concert tickets were reasonably priced and for less than a tenner you could go to a concert, perhaps buy a program, sometimes a t-shirt, have a couple of beers before and/or afterwards, have a kebab whilst walking back to the bus stop and probably have change from a tenner.
Not like today when it seems to be all about Enormodome tours and ludicrously expensive ticket prices. Even at smaller venues ticket prices a bit steep after all the extra fees.
Anyway – I went up in the loft the other day. First time for about thirty years. Amongst the stuff I found up there was a box full of old tour programs from the late1970s/early 1980s. Forgot I had them still. Must have followed me about over the years and for the last three decades been hidden away out of sight and out of mind in the loft.
I’m sure I had more old tour programs than were there so a good few must have been lost over the years and in various moves.
Seeing these programs again brought back all sorts of memories of many gigs gone by. Two of the programs were from Saxon tours. Wheels of Steel and Strong Arm of the Law from 1980. Four and a half decades ago.
Back then I didn’t think much of Saxon. Too cheesy. I think I’ve probably made that comment on here previously.
However, can’t be denied they put on a good show and back in the 1980s it didn’t really matter who was playing – going to a concert, pretty much any concert, was a cheapish night out and a good way to check out the support bands as a source of new music (no internet back then of course).
Saxon could do no wrong in 1980. Their big breakthrough year. Wheels of Steel surged them to the top of the NWOBHM pile with songs such as the title track, 747 (Strangers in the Night), Motorcycle Man and others. They even appeared on Top of the Pops (who remembers that weekly cringefest?).
With the success of Wheels of Steel, Strong Arm of the Law appeared only a few months later in 1980 with a supporting tour
I went to see them on both tours – hence the programmes. I can’t recall any specifics – well it was forty five years ago – though more than likely had time for a quick drink afterwards and a kebab from the place near the venue eating it on the way back to the bus stop for the bus home.
Despite Saxon being a band not hitting the spot for me since, I do very much like Carpe Diem and Hell, Fire and Damnation.
Ah, to be a teenager again living in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Not having a care in the world other than having enough money to buy albums and go to concerts.
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