News of John Sykes' sad passing yesterday made me think of all those bands that cropped up in '78 and '79. Although obviously they were mostly a rehash of Purple, Zeppelin, Heep et al they did have a distinctive sound of their own to a point, I think .. a bit brasher, more frenetic, more of an emphasis on riffs. Probably courtesy of a punk influence.
Here's a tune that exemplifies that.
This is a very NWOBHM tune as well. Hartlepool's own White Spirit. Saw them a few times in venues round the town, they played a lot of Purple covers.
Iron Maiden stole the riff for one of their own tunes. Janick Gers of course ended up in Maiden a few years later.
Wigan Pier hosted many of the NWOBHM bands in the late 70s, early 80s. Not much recorded that I can find. But this is Diamond Head in 1981:
Quote from: Slim on January 21, 2025, 03:21:17 PMThis is a very NWOBHM tune as well. Hartlepool's own White Spirit. Saw them a few times in venues round the town, they played a lot of Purple covers.
Iron Maiden stole the riff for one of their own tunes. Janick Gers of course ended up in Maiden a few years later.
Good grief, they even pinched one of the title words.
Quote from: pxr5 on January 21, 2025, 05:47:35 PMWigan Pier hosted many of the NWOBHM bands in the late 70s, early 80s. Not much recorded that I can find. But this is Diamond Head in 1981:
Loved Diamond Head, saw them in Middlesbrough in 1983. Still listen to bits of
Canterbury quite often. It's aged well. But of course they'll forever be remembered for
Am I Evil?.
I believe the two most successful NWOBHM bands were Maiden and Leppard. I went off Leppard quite quickly but I played this early single to death:
Oh my, there are so many NWoBHM bands I adored. Tygers of Pan tang being just one of them, of couse the bigger names every one knew but more in the obscurity I loved Angel Witch:
But there were so many more!
And I just loved Raven, their
Athletic Rock as they called it on Newcastle's Neat Records was fantastic. Label mates Venom were my absolute favourites but I wouldn't call them NWoBHM...
This is my favourite Raven song:
Quote from: Slim on January 21, 2025, 06:28:07 PMQuote from: pxr5 on January 21, 2025, 05:47:35 PMWigan Pier hosted many of the NWOBHM bands in the late 70s, early 80s. Not much recorded that I can find. But this is Diamond Head in 1981:
Loved Diamond Head, saw them in Middlesbrough in 1983. Still listen to bits of Canterbury quite often. It's aged well. But of course they'll forever be remembered for Am I Evil?.
I believe the two most successful NWOBHM bands were Maiden and Leppard. I went off Leppard quite quickly but I played this early single to death:
I believe Judas Priest and Saxon were considered NWoBHM as well even though Priest started years ahead of the rest. But they were nowhere near as succesful as Maiden and Leppard, even Leppard needed to ditch their spots before they gained any real success.
Saxon, definitely NWOBHM. Saw them at a little place in Hartlepool in August '79. Most people in the club hadn't even come for the band. Me and my mate Barry were standing down the front, pints in hand among about 20 other enthusiasts. I recall Biff saying "nice to see we've got a few friends in tonight".
I only really like the first couple of albums. And here's
Wheels of Steel on Top of the Pops!
I saw Angelwitch supporting Motorhead at the "Brain Damage Party" at Stafford in 1980, along with a few other NWOBHM bands including White Spirit. I'd never heard them before but their theme tune, if I can call it that, stuck in my head and I bought their album as soon as it came out.
Quote from: Slim on January 21, 2025, 06:28:07 PMI went off Leppard quite quickly but I played this early single to death:
The Bludgeon Riffola EP was great. Then I saw them live, oh dear...
Can't have NWOBHM without Witchfynde :)
One of my favourite more obscure NWOBHM bands: Avalanche with The Preacher/Mean Lady
Loved this one too: Dark Star - Lady of Mars
Performance Not from their Heyday, but I saw Dealer when I was at Brum Uni, still have the setlist!: Dealer - Boogie Booze and Birds
I frequently fall down NWOBHM rabbitholes on YouTube....
And the most MELLOTRONIC output from the NWOBHM: Limelight - Man of Colours
Only time I saw and heard a 'Tron in the Brim' Tav'
Leaning into the more melodic / AOR side, Praying Mantis. Liked this a lot at the time. The YouTube post claims it was released in 1981, but I think I remember hearing it in my student room at Huddersfield in 1980.
Quote from: Slim on January 21, 2025, 11:23:20 PMLeaning into the more melodic / AOR side, Praying Mantis. Liked this a lot at the time. The YouTube post claims it was released in 1981, but I think I remember hearing it in my student room at Huddersfield in 1980.
They were always great. Their first EP, featuring 'Captured City', was and a regular on the playlist at Sounds. They were played a lot on The Friday Rock Show - classy band.
The album from which Cheated was taken, 'Time Tells No Lies' is a NWOBHM classic
I was scouring my brains last night trying to remember the name of a NWOBHM band that had an endearingly attractive female singer and a song called
Susie Don't Rock and Roll, but Google turned up nothing. Then this morning the name of the singer somehow came into my head - Lisa Dominique.
So I returned to Google and it turns out I uploaded a video from an old VHS tape myself 13 years ago. They were called Marino The Band.
However their debut (and only) album was released in 1985, so in all honesty it's a stretch to think of them as part of the NWOBHM.
I found a review online by
Sounds' Mark Putterford. It concludes:
To be brutally honest, 'Wanna Keep You Satisfied' is an extremely poor and in places embarrassing debut album from an outfit which seems completely out of its depth in a recording studio. In the real world, good looks is no effective substitute for talent and the sooner Marino realises this the better.
Looks like they never recorded another album, so perhaps they took Mark's advice. Lisa did go on to have a solo career. I don't believe any of their music was released in a digital form. Shame, because after reading the review I was quite curious to give it a listen.
I'm sure many of us will have, or heard, the
Metal for Muthas album, maybe even the second one. I love this first album. My sister bought it for me when she passed out of RAF basic training in 1980 - that along with Rush's - Archives:
Vardis, another of the Brain Damage Party bands. I was impressed on the day, they were a really tight, heavy / fast boogie band. Their debut album was called
100mph appropriately. My little brother had it, not really my thing.
(https://i.ibb.co/qJj0WVY/motorheadstafford.jpg)
Mythra were the first band on at Stafford. They went down very badly. They looked very young (and I was only 20 myself). I remember their stuff had cliched titles like
Warrior of Time. I vaguely recall they were wearing silly clothes, they probably looked like a junior Bad News or Spinal Tap.
They were pretty much glassed off. Not sure if they did their whole set.
And yet, two years ago they were still going! Or reunited in some form
A band I used to go see at the Brim' Tav' was Rhabstallion. My mate Webby loved their song Breadline. They even got on the BBC!
If only there were footage or some proper recordings of Race Against Time knocking around. They were a killer band a drummer called Lucifer* and songs like
Satan be my Saviour. What's not to like? And Dave Halliday went on to found Hell
* Or was that Vesuvius?
Quote from: Slim on January 21, 2025, 07:04:11 PMSaxon, definitely NWOBHM. Saw them at a little place in Hartlepool in August '79. Most people in the club hadn't even come for the band. Me and my mate Barry were standing down the front, pints in hand among about 20 other enthusiasts. I recall Biff saying "nice to see we've got a few friends in tonight".
Just had a Google to see if there's a reference to this memorable night online anywhere. There isn't, but I did turn up this interview with Steve Dawson:
https://www.metalexpressradio.com/2017/02/19/steve-dawson-oliver-dawson-saxon-interview/
"We did play at Stormin' The Castle bikers festival in Durham a few years back. We played in Hartlepool too not long ago with the Tygers of Pan Tang but we haven't been to Newcastle for a good while."
So they did return to the town in the noughties.
Did a bit more Googling and found this from last year:
https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2024-04-12/70s-and-80s-heavy-metal-star-jailed-for-historic-child-sex-abuse
A founding member of popular 1970s and 80s heavy metal band Saxon has been jailed for historic child sexual abuse. Steve Dawson, now 72, from Rotherham, was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 14. Sheffield Crown Court heard the abuse took place in the early 1990s when the victim was aged six.
Good grief.
Quote from: Slim on January 22, 2025, 11:04:04 PMQuote from: Slim on January 21, 2025, 07:04:11 PMSaxon, definitely NWOBHM. Saw them at a little place in Hartlepool in August '79. Most people in the club hadn't even come for the band. Me and my mate Barry were standing down the front, pints in hand among about 20 other enthusiasts. I recall Biff saying "nice to see we've got a few friends in tonight".
Just had a Google to see if there's a reference to this memorable night online anywhere. There isn't, but I did turn up this interview with Steve Dawson:
https://www.metalexpressradio.com/2017/02/19/steve-dawson-oliver-dawson-saxon-interview/
"We did play at Stormin' The Castle bikers festival in Durham a few years back. We played in Hartlepool too not long ago with the Tygers of Pan Tang but we haven't been to Newcastle for a good while."
So they did return to the town in the noughties.
Did a bit more Googling and found this from last year:
https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2024-04-12/70s-and-80s-heavy-metal-star-jailed-for-historic-child-sex-abuse
A founding member of popular 1970s and 80s heavy metal band Saxon has been jailed for historic child sexual abuse. Steve Dawson, now 72, from Rotherham, was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 14. Sheffield Crown Court heard the abuse took place in the early 1990s when the victim was aged six.
Good grief.
"Dobby"
Wasn't the "Priest" drummer done for something similar?
Quote from: Nick on January 23, 2025, 07:00:34 AMWasn't the "Priest" drummer done for something similar?
Yes, Dave Holland (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Holland_(drummer)) although his victim wasn't a child. Just read that he died in 2018, not sure I knew that.
Here's something I didn't know until this morning. I don't think I did, anyway. Pete Gill, Saxon's drummer in their heyday, was in the Glitter Band! I remember that they had two drummers. He went on to join Motorhead for a few albums. I did know that.
Quote from: Slim on January 23, 2025, 09:56:44 AMHere's something I didn't know until this morning. I don't think I did, anyway. Pete Gill, Saxon's drummer in their heyday, was in the Glitter Band! I remember that they had two drummers. He went on to join Motorhead for a few albums. I did know that.
The Glitter Band singles were brilliant!
Quote from: Slim on January 22, 2025, 11:04:04 PMQuote from: Slim on January 21, 2025, 07:04:11 PMSaxon, definitely NWOBHM. Saw them at a little place in Hartlepool in August '79. Most people in the club hadn't even come for the band. Me and my mate Barry were standing down the front, pints in hand among about 20 other enthusiasts. I recall Biff saying "nice to see we've got a few friends in tonight".
Just had a Google to see if there's a reference to this memorable night online anywhere. There isn't, but I did turn up this interview with Steve Dawson:
https://www.metalexpressradio.com/2017/02/19/steve-dawson-oliver-dawson-saxon-interview/
"We did play at Stormin' The Castle bikers festival in Durham a few years back. We played in Hartlepool too not long ago with the Tygers of Pan Tang but we haven't been to Newcastle for a good while."
So they did return to the town in the noughties.
Did a bit more Googling and found this from last year:
https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2024-04-12/70s-and-80s-heavy-metal-star-jailed-for-historic-child-sex-abuse
A founding member of popular 1970s and 80s heavy metal band Saxon has been jailed for historic child sexual abuse. Steve Dawson, now 72, from Rotherham, was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 14. Sheffield Crown Court heard the abuse took place in the early 1990s when the victim was aged six.
Good grief.
This takes me back a bit.. we were booked to open for Saxon some 27 years ago here in Holland. When we got to the venue it turned out it was the Oliver/Dawes Saxon, a spin-off that was trying to ride the coattails of.
The drummer must have been Dawes then, I wasn't impressed. He was mainly a hard-hitter.
Quote from: Thenop on January 23, 2025, 03:53:08 PMQuote from: Slim on January 22, 2025, 11:04:04 PMQuote from: Slim on January 21, 2025, 07:04:11 PMSaxon, definitely NWOBHM. Saw them at a little place in Hartlepool in August '79. Most people in the club hadn't even come for the band. Me and my mate Barry were standing down the front, pints in hand among about 20 other enthusiasts. I recall Biff saying "nice to see we've got a few friends in tonight".
Just had a Google to see if there's a reference to this memorable night online anywhere. There isn't, but I did turn up this interview with Steve Dawson:
https://www.metalexpressradio.com/2017/02/19/steve-dawson-oliver-dawson-saxon-interview/
"We did play at Stormin' The Castle bikers festival in Durham a few years back. We played in Hartlepool too not long ago with the Tygers of Pan Tang but we haven't been to Newcastle for a good while."
So they did return to the town in the noughties.
Did a bit more Googling and found this from last year:
https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2024-04-12/70s-and-80s-heavy-metal-star-jailed-for-historic-child-sex-abuse
A founding member of popular 1970s and 80s heavy metal band Saxon has been jailed for historic child sexual abuse. Steve Dawson, now 72, from Rotherham, was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 14. Sheffield Crown Court heard the abuse took place in the early 1990s when the victim was aged six.
Good grief.
This takes me back a bit.. we were booked to open for Saxon some 27 years ago here in Holland. When we got to the venue it turned out it was the Oliver/Dawes Saxon, a spin-off that was trying to ride the coattails of.
The drummer must have been Dawes then, I wasn't impressed. He was mainly a hard-hitter.
Steve "Dobby" Dawson was Saxon's original bass player. Very distinctive image - Think Pete Way with a porn star moustache but as bald as a coot. Was dealt a very poor hand in terms of rock and roll looks. Bloody hilarious when I saw them in the early days. Liked to plant a foot on the monitor, I recall.
Quote from: David L on January 23, 2025, 05:30:31 PMSteve "Dobby" Dawson was Saxon's original bass player. Very distinctive image - Think Pete Way with a porn star moustache but as bald as a coot. Was dealt a very poor hand in terms of rock and roll looks. Bloody hilarious when I saw them in the early days. Liked to plant a foot on the monitor, I recall.
I see, this is one of the few my memory is a bit blurry on. We did a some opening acts for 'bigger' bands, usually they were cool. This one, not much of a recollection, except for the clunky drummer that is.
Quote from: David L on January 23, 2025, 05:30:31 PMSteve "Dobby" Dawson was Saxon's original bass player. Very distinctive image - Think Pete Way with a porn star moustache but as bald as a coot. Was dealt a very poor hand in terms of rock and roll looks. Bloody hilarious when I saw them in the early days. Liked to plant a foot on the monitor, I recall.
He didnt have the long hair of course but he did have a certain look. The really funny thing about Saxon was that one of the guitar players had a belt with a rotating guitar attachment, so he could spin his Strat around like a propeller onstage. I saw that at Hartlepool.
(https://i.ibb.co/pn4CLT0/dobby.jpg)
One night he's supposed to have knocked himself out with it. I didn't see that, sadly. Spinal Tap should have nicked that (and actually supposedly Derek Smalls was part-based on "Dobby").
Just imagine being a part of the recording of a NWOBM classic like 'Big Teaser'.
(Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be enough for Dobby)
Quote from: David L on January 23, 2025, 05:30:31 PMSteve "Dobby" Dawson was Saxon's original bass player. Very distinctive image - Think Pete Way with a porn star moustache but as bald as a coot. Was dealt a very poor hand in terms of rock and roll looks. Bloody hilarious when I saw them in the early days. Liked to plant a foot on the monitor, I recall.
He was the inspiration for Spinal Tap's Derek Smalls due to his penchant for playing an open string and pointing his hand in the air.
This tune popped into my head this morning. They were from the NE, don't know if they were well known nationally. My little brother had the single. I've just read in the comments that their singer Keith Satchfield died on Wednesday.
Samson. They weren't at the Brain Damage Party, but I saw them at the same venue a few weeks earlier. Supporting Rainbow.
Best known now of course for Bruce Dickinson being their singer. I did buy their album for some reason, still have it in the loft. I must have liked their set but I don't remember liking any of their recorded music.
My main concern during the early weeks of NWOBHM was trying to figure out what it meant. No Google in those days and it seemed like an age before I saw it translated somewhere. Too scared to ask anyone I suppose. I've got a Rogue Male LP somewhere. Did they count or were they later? Very dodgy lyrics I seem to recall. I heard them on Tommy Vance one Friday and liked it but didn't buy the album until years later. Strange story actually, I eventually found the album on EBay and when it arrived it was from a guy I knew who lived about 10 miles away.
Quote from: Slim on January 24, 2025, 10:58:52 AMThis tune popped into my head this morning. They were from the NE, don't know if they were well known nationally. My little brother had the single. I've just read in the comments that their singer Keith Satchfield died on Wednesday.
Me and my mate Webby loved that one. Kast Iron Klassik :)
Just looked it up on Discogs and Conrad Lant - Cronos from Venom - designed the cover.
Remember Tank? I thought they were great. Formed by ex Damned bassist Algy Ward in 1980. More than a hint of Motorhead about them.
Curiously, the first time I saw Motorhead in Middlesbrough at the beginning of '78, they were supported by a band called Tank who were pretty good as well. Not the same band, though.
Algy, who died a couple of years ago sadly, wasn't the only Damned bass player to go on to serve in a hard rock band. Paul Gray went on to join a later version of UFO. Great player, strong Entwistle influence. But I digress.
Speaking of ex punks in rock bands, Fred Purser was in Penetration, serving alongside Pauline Murray on their first two albums. He took over from John Sykes in the Tygers and plays on this. Produced by Peter Collins and quite evolved from the original NWOBHM ethos.
Quote from: Slim on January 24, 2025, 03:03:33 PMSpeaking of ex punks in rock bands, Fred Purser was in Penetration, serving alongside Pauline Murray on their first two albums. He took over from John Sykes in the Tygers and plays on this. Produced by Peter Collins and quite evolved from the original NWOBHM ethos.
The Cage is a good record. I didn't know it was produced by 'Mr Big'