The Meteors - Gigs 1980

The Meteors - 1985 Gigs!

1985 - Me in my 'Eat The Baby' Tee - Hounslow College

School & College just didn't work for me! so towards the end of 1984 I joined a YTS (Youth Training Scheme) at Heathrow Airport and went headlong into 1985 with full time employment and earning £25 a week! but as you can imagine, every weekend was full on gigs, gigs & gigs! mostly at the Klub Foot in Hammersmith and every spare time I had was looking through the records at Our Price or Beggars Banquet in Kingston!

The Meteors were still the band that had something for me but I got to admit that after Rick Ross left the band (mid 1984) I really do believe the wheels started to fall off! the artwork on the records was appalling, the songs were way to fast and with no melody or direction by the end of summer 1985 I decided not to buy anymore Meteors stuff and saw them at the Klub Foot for the very last time on 2nd Nov 1985! By Sept 1985 I got myself up to Camden Town and started going to rockin' clubs at The Electric Ballroom in Camden & Silks in Shepherds Bush, just going back to original Rockabilly music, the clothes and the girls were stunning (which sort of helped my decision).

So by the end of 1985 this is where my story with Psychobilly and The Meteors comes to an end! They did change my musical direction and I still have all the early records, T-shirts, badges and magazines! they were my band! and I didn't want to share them with the big wide world! I didn't want them to change! but like all good things they did and they just were not the same by mid 1985 (but I kept hoping they would go back to that sound and style) but alas they never did! I have not seen them live since Nov 1985! I don't think I ever will again!

I have seen Nigel Lewis do a few gigs before retiring in The Tall Boys and his Zorchmen project where he usually smashed his way through some early Meteors stuff (which I loved) so all say Zorch! and lets get the final chapter for me .....The Meteors 1985 gig list & official record releases!

Line up for 1985 was

Paul Fenech, Ian 'Spider' Cubitt & Nev 'The Spectre' Hunt.

1985 saw just one LP release 'Monkey's Breath' and a few 12" and 45's

Monkey's Breath - LP

12"

45 rpm single

(all gigs with # are the ones I did attend)

1 - Sat 26th Jan - The Loft, Berlin, Germany.

Photo - The Loft, Berlin © Petra Gall

The Loft, Berlin © Petra Gall

2 - Thurs 31st Jan - Paard Van Troje, Den Haag, Neteherlands

3 - Wed 20th Feb - Fabrik, Hamburg, Germany.

Photo - Fabrik © Uwe Uwe

4 - Sat 2nd March - Maison Du Peuple, Clermont-Ferrand, France + Wampas

5 - Tues 5th March - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands + Batmobile.

6 - Fri 19th April - Swindon Technical College, Swindon, UK

7 - Mon 22nd April - Adam & Eve's, Leeds, UK + All Over The Carpet

Flyer 1

Flyer 2

8 - Wed 24th April - The Pyramid Club, Liverpool, UK

9 - Thurs 25th April - King George's Hall, Blackburn, UK + Popeye's Dik

10 - Fri 26th April - Oddy's Bar, Oldham, UK

11 - Tues 30th April - Riverside Club, Fetcham, Leatherhead, UK + The Rapids.

12 - Wed 1st May - The Pink Toothbrush, Rayleigh, Essex, UK + Outer Limits.

13 - Thurs 2nd May - Dingwalls, Camden, London

14 - Sat 4th May - Burtwood Recreation Centre, Burntwood, Midlands, UK

15 - Sun 19th May - Rock Arena, Poznan, Poland - + Hanoi Rocks + Lombard

Sun 19th May 1985

16 - Sat 8th June - Donington Park, 'Scooter Rally Day 2' Donington, UK + Bad Manners + The Gents.

17 - Mon 10th June - Shelly's, Stoke-On-Trent, UK

Flyer

18 - Sat 10th Aug - Klub Foot, Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith + The Outer Limits + Long Tall Texans + Temple Slang #

19 - Sat 1st Sept - Saltlageret, Copenhagen, Denmark + City-X + Not Wanted (show did NOT happen)

Flyer Courtesy - Peter Glob Frandsen

20 - Fri 6th Sept - The Duchess, Leeds, UK

21 - Sat 14th Sept - Porterhouse, Retford, Notts, UK

22 - Fri 20th Sept - Strutz, Glasgow, Scotland .

23 - Mon 23rd Sept - Jilly's, Manchester, UK

24 - Tues 22nd Oct - The Duchess, Leeds, UK

25 - Friday 25th Oct - Granny's, Portsmouth, UK

26 - Sat 2nd Nov - Klub Foot, Clarendon, Hammersmith + Turnpike Cruisers + Long Tall Texans + The Outer Limits #

So as I swing into 1984 I have just turned sixteen years old and just finishing my last year at school at Broom Road, Teddington, and looking forward to getting out and making my way in the big bad world .
My final year for me at school was all about Psychobilly/Rockabilly/Trash bands, records and gigs......nothing else (maybe the odd girl or two) !!! my image was a shaved head on the sides and back and a quiff, donkey jacket (with The Meteors) on the top panel written in green paint, bleached jeans and boots or robot shoes.

Ribs (Darren) & Me - 1984

Me, Dave and Ribs - Photo © Mick Cocksedge

1984 was also my first time seeing The Meteors ! the gig was at Feltham FC (March 23rd) and was a what I can only describe as a 'full on scary but at the same time exhilarating experience' ! and before we had heard the support band (16 Guns) we had been relieved of the few cigarettes we had by one of the Wrecking Crew, we then pretty quickly went and climbed on the tables near the windows by stage left and there we stood for the entire night and just watched one helluva gig, it had a few fights, full on Meteors set and let me tell you the place was heaving and sweating.

All gigs with the # symbol were the ones I attended!

1984 saw The Meteors release two records .

Stampede LP - Recorded Sept/Oct 1984

I'm Just A Dog / Electro

The line up at the start of 84 was :

Paul Fenech - Guitar/Vocals.
Steve 'Ginger' Meadham - Drums (for the first 7 shows)
Ian 'Spider' Cubbitt - Drums
Rick Ross - Bass Guitar

Right enough about me here are the 1984 gigs (what I could find anyway)

1 - Thurs 19th Jan - Dingwalls, Camden, London

2 - Fri 20th Jan - The Pavilion, Brighton + Bone Orchard.

3 - Sat 21st Jan - Civic Centre, Aylesbury + Living In Texas.

4 - Fri 27th Jan - Pop Club, Dusseldorf, Germany

5 - Fri 17th Feb - Granny's, Tricorn, Portsmouth .

NO steel toe cap boots !

6 - Tues 21st Feb - De Ville's, Manchester + Guana Batz

7 - Wed 22nd Feb - Planet X Club, Liverpool + Outer Limits

8 - Fri 2nd March - The Porterhouse, Retford (Ian 'Spider' Cubbitts 1st Gig)

Photo © John Phillips 2/3/84

Photo 2/3/84 © John phillips

9 - Mon 5th March - Rock Rendez-Vous , Lisbon, Portugal.

RRV - Lisbon - Photo © Nuno Detroit

Wearing their Rock Rendez-Vous Tees
Grizz (sound man), Steve Andrews & Paul

10 - Fri 9th March - North East London Poly
11 - Fri 16th March - Southend Tech College, Main Hall, Southend, Essex + Outer Limits

12 - Fri 23rd March - Feltham FC, Feltham, Middx + 16 Guns #.

Melody Maker 31st March 1984 (not sure why it says new LP 'Wreckin Crew' as it was released in 1983 !!)

13 - Fri - 6th April - Cantebury College, Kent.
14 - Thurs - 12th April - Club Feet, Tay Hotel, Dundee.

15 - Fri - 13th April - Wishaw Alternative Club, Motherwell.

Photo © Darry Struthers

16 - Sat - 14th April - Station Hotel, Aberdeen.
17 - Sun- 15th April - Janey's , Gourock Bay Hotel, Glasgow

Jeney's Bar, Bay Hotel, Gourock 1984 © Jim Barr.

18 - Mon - 16th April - Paisley College of Technology, Glasgow.
19 - Tues - 17th April - Nightmoves, Glasgow.
20 - Wed - 18th April - Tiffany's, Newcastle + Support.

21 - Thurs - 19th April - Heroes Club, Manchester.
22 - Sat - 21st April - City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire + New Kick

23 - Sun - 22nd April - Caister Holiday Camp, Norfolk.
24 - Mon - 23rd April - Tin Can Club, Birmingham + Johnny 7.

25 - Tues 24th April - The Venue, Victoria, London + Jason & The Scorchers #

Venue - 24th April 1984

26 - Wed - 25th April - Vogue Club, Chester.

Vogue Club - Photo © Stu Bodine

27 - Fri 27th April - Park Plantane Fest, Schiedam, Holland
28 - Sat 28th April - Eland, Delft, Holland

29 - Sun 29th April - Bauwplatz, Venlo, Holland.

Paul - Venlo Gig - Photo © Nietje Konings

Rick Ross - Venlo - Photo © Nietje Konings

30 - Mon 30th April - Arena, Rotterdam, Holland.

The Meteors - Rotterdam Arena 1984

31 - Wed 2nd May - Zeche, Bochum, Germany
32 - Thurs 3rd May - Zero Club, Arnsberg, Germany.
33 - Fri 4th May - Wartessal Hauptbahnhof, Koln, Germany
34 - Sat 5th May - Halle 3, Bielefeld, Germany.
35 - Sun 6th May - Rockpalast, Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany + Jason & The Scorchers

Meteors Set in Hamburg - Ex-Man Boogie, Rawhide, Maniac, Shout So Loud, Stampede, Maniac Rockers From Hell, Ain't Gonna Bring Me Down, Surf City, The Hills Have Eyes, Bertha Lou, I Don't Worry About It, Little Red Riding Hood, Long Blonde Hair, Deep Dark Jungle, Insane, Wrecking Crew, Graveyard Stomp.

36 - Tues 8th May - Rote Fabrik, Zurich, Switzerland
37 - Wed 9th May - Totentanz, Basel, Switzerland
38 - Thurs 10th May - Exo 7, Rouen, France.
39 - Fri 11th May - La Clef Des Champs, Concarneau, France
40 - Sat 12th May - Exocet, Rouen, France + Flics

41 - Mon 14th May - Forum Des Halles, Paris, France.
42 - Tues 15th May - Drac West, Grenoble , France.
43 - Wed 16th May - Le Bandit, Strasbourg, France.
44 - Thurs 17th May - Cinema La Pax, Mulhouse, France + Les Vandeles
45 - Fri 18th May - Sally Jean Villar, Chamberry, France.
46 - Sat 19th May - Heartbreak Hotel, Sete, France

Heartbreak Hotel, Sete, France - 19/05/85

Heartbreak Hotel - Sat 19th May 1984

Heartbreak Hotel - Sat 19/5/84

47 - Sun 20th May - Kensington Pub, Aix En Provence, France.
48 - Mon 21st May - Odissea, Milan, Italy
49 - Tues 22nd May - Students Cultural Centre, Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

Photo © Carl Buzz

50 - Wed 23rd May - Kulushich, Zagreb, Yugoslavia.
51 - Fri 1st June - Metro New Wave, Barcelona, Spain
52 - Sat 2nd June - Metro New Wave, Barcelona, Spain.
53 - Sun 3rd June - Sala Rock-Ola, Madrid, Spain
54 - Tues 12th June - Metro-O, Llacuna, Spain.

55 - Fri 15th June - Bierkeller, Liverpool, UK

Ticket courtesy Baz Barry Shailes

56 - Sat 16th June - The Headstone, Harrow, Middx + Restless

Flyer courtesy Jim Milne

Poster courtesy Jim Milne

John Peel session - 27/06/1984 - Stampede, Deep Dark Jungle, Surf City, I'm Just A Dog,

57 - Sun 8th July - Hammersmith Palais, London + Gary Glitter & Sid Presley Experience.

58 - Tues 17th July - Dingwalls, Camden, London .

59 - Sat 21st July - Perkins Palace, Los Angeles, USA + Toy Dolls.

60 - Fri 27th July - Perkins Palace, Los Angeles, USA + The Cult.

The Meteors - Perkins Palace

Around the dates of Sept/Oct 1984 the band recorded the LP 'Stampede'

Sometime around or after recording the Album 'Stampede' Rick Ross left the band and was replaced by Nev 'Spectre' Hunt.

Back cover of Stampede LP with 'The Spectre' credited on Bass Guitar.

Ian 'Spider' Cubbitt, The Spectre and Paul Fenech

61 - Sat 20th Oct - Klub Foot, Hammersmith + Restless & Living In Texas #

Paul Fenech - Klub Foot - 20/10/84

Nev Hunt - Klub Foot 20/10/84

62 - Sat 3rd Nov - Arena, Rotterdam, Rockhouse, + Frenzy, Guana Batz, Rrestless & Voodoo Dolls.

63 - Sun 11th Nov - Effanaar, Eindhoven, Holland + The Cavemen

"Forget The Restabilly Tour" Nov/Dec UK 1984.

64 - Thurs 15th Nov - Aberdeen (Venue Unknown)
65 - Fri 16th Nov - The Heathery Bar, Wishaw, Scotland.

Heathery Bar, Wishaw

66 - Sat 17th Nov - Glasgow (Venue Unknown)
67 - Mon 19th Nov - Preston, Clouds
68 - Wed 21st Nov - Manchester - Cloud 9 Club, Manchester + Living In Texas + The Howling Horrors.