Meteor Madness !

Meteor Madness !

Monday 22 May 2017

The Meteors - Gigs 1983

So it's now early 1983, I am now 15 years old , Phil Collins is number 1 in the charts with 'You Can't Hurry Love' but this and all chart music is not talking to me in fact we never had a conversation in the first place. But me, I am now fully into my Psychobilly, Rockabilly & Trash and The Meteors along with Guana Batz, Sting-Rays, Vibes and X-Men were the only bands to follow.

Here I am back of my Mum & Dads in Whitton 1983

January saw the release of 'Johnny Remember Me' on a three track 45, I really loved it and was excited to grab the album due out in two months, the best track on the record for me was 'Fear Of The Dark' which I really loved and still do!

In March 1983 I bought the Wreckin' Crew album from 'Our Price' record shop in Kingston, I remember thinking at the time how I loved some tracks but others really didn't do much for me, but even so it was still damn good and I played it over and over again (my Mum hated 'I Don't Worry About It for obvious reasons).

My first live band action came in late 1983 (after finally getting my Mum to let me go ) were The Stray Cats and King Kurt at The Lyceum, in London on the 11th Oct 1983, this proved to be a pivitol moment in my teenage gig years and literally lit the fuse for the rest of my life .
So again 1983 passed by without me even seeing the Meteors but by March 1984 at the ripe old age of sixteen I had finally seen them at Feltham FC and boy that sure was a night to remember !

Mark Robertson & then Woodie had now been replaced by new drummer Steve 'Ginger' Meadham in mid 1982 and he was still there in 1983 . Nigel Lewis on Bass was replaced by Mick White and he was still around (just) in early 83 (13th Jan at the Ace would be his last). Dave 'ET' Bass would take over for the early part of 83 and Rick Ross would take Bass duties & carry the torch through late 83 into 1984 .  And of course Paul Fenech was still leading the way.

1983 saw three releases......

Album - Wrecking Crew - ID Records (Released Feb 1983)


Single - Johnny Remember Me/ Fear Of The Dark, Wreckin' Crew (released 17/01/83)


Album - The Meteors - Live - Wreck #01 - Released Dec 1983.



OK , so here are the gigs for 1983 ( well most that I can find anyway)


1 - Thurs - 13th Jan - Brixton Ace, London (last show with Mick White on Bass)



2 - Fri - 11th Feb - Feltham FC, Middx . (1st gig with new Bass player Dave 'ET' Bass) + Sunglasses After Dark.

# Line up for now was  .......
Dave 'ET' Bass - Bass Guitar
Steve 'Ginger' Meadham - Drums
Paul Fenech - Lead Guitar and Vocals.

3 - Mon - 14th Feb - Lyceum Ballroom, London + Alien Sex Fiend, Specimen.
Courtsey Meteors Website 
4 - Wed - 16th Feb - Night Moves, Glasgow, Scotland

5 - Thurs - 17th Feb - Polytechnic Main Hall, Preston.

6 - Fri - 18th Feb - Taboo, Scarborough.
7 - Sat - 19th Feb - Coventry Poly, Coventry 'Cellar Club'

Photo © Keith Glover

8 - Wed - 23rd Feb - The Gallery, Manchester.
Paul, Steve & Dave 'ET' - Photo © Edward Lohan

9 - Thurs - 24th Feb - Limit Club, Sheffield.
10 - Fri - 25th Feb - Dingwalls, Liverpool.

11 - Sat - 26th Feb - University Of Strathclyde, Scotland.
Photo © Phil Appleyard

# The Meteors - 'Sounds' cover - 2nd April 1983 with - Dave 'ET' Bass, Paul and Ginger .



12 - Thurs - 3rd March - Kingston Polytechnic. Manor Park Pavilion, Surrey.
13 - Thurs - 10th March - Xtreems, New Regent Hotel, Brighton.
Ticket courtesy © Tony West

14 - Fri - 11th March - Jacquard Club, Norwich ( Gingers's B'day party)
Ticket courtesy & © Andrew Whetstone 

15 - Thurs - 24th March - Dingwalls, Hull.


16 - Fri - 25th March - Dingwalls, Newcastle

17 - Sat - 26th March - Glasgow, Nite Moves, Scotland .
18 - Sun - 27th March - The Venue, Aberdeen, Scotland.
19 - Mon - 28th March - Coasters, Edinburgh, Scotland
20 - Wed - 30th March - Brannigans, Leeds.
21 - Thurs - 31st March - Palm Cove, Bradford.
22 - Sat - 2nd April - Croc's, Rayleigh, Essex.

Poster courtesy Mick Lammond

23 - Sun - 5th June - Lyceum Ballroom, London.

6th July Dave 'ET' Bass walked out of a rehearsal and never returned and Rick Ross took over on Bass duties for the aptly named 'ET Went Home Tour' 

Flyer for the 'ET Went Home Tour' 

24 - Thurs - 14th July - Dingwalls, Camden, London + Sex Beat.

25 - Fri - 22nd July - Feltham FC , Feltham, Middx.
26 - Sat - 23rd July - Francs Club, Colne, Burnley.Ticket courtesy Craig Duffy.

27 - Sun - 24th July - The Gallery, Manchester.
28 - Mon - 25th July - Dingwalls, Hull.
Dingwalls, Hull , early 80's

29 - Tues - 26th July - Dingwalls, Newcastle.
30 - Wed - 27th July - Dingwalls, Shefield
31 - Fri - 22nd July - Feltham FC, Feltham, Middx. + The Milkshakes.
Flyer © Tom Halpin

32 - Fri - 29th July - The Regal, Hitchin, Herts.
Poster courtesy Mark Keogh

The Regal, Hitchin (demolished in 1985) also where 'Radioactive Kid' & 'Graveyard Stomp' were recorded.

33 - Sat - 30th July - Electric Ballroom, London + Stingrays + Under Two Flags + The Defects.

Electric Ballroom 30/7/83 Photo © Richie Garner

Electric Ballroom 30/07/83 Photo © Richie Garner

Electric Ballroom 30/7/83 - Photo © Richie Garner

Electric Ballroom 30/07/83 Photo © Richie Garner

34 - Fri - 5th Aug - Gala Ballroom, Norwich + Fireball XL5.



 35 - Thurs - 11th Aug - Crocs, Rayleigh, Essex + The Outer Limits.

Flyer courtsey © Graham Cannon
©  Meteors Website

clipping courtesy Matt Steer


Sat 13th Aug the band were due to support The Damned & Anti Nowhere League at a Punk festival in Knebworth, Hertfordshire but was cancelled ! so the band took on a  show below at The Tin Can in Birmingham.

36 - Fri - 12th Aug - The Pavilion Theatre,  Brighton + Fresh Fish Band + Bone Orchard 

37 - Sat - 13th Aug - Tin Can Club, Birmingham.

Courtsey Meteors Website 







38 - Sat - 17th Aug - Solitaire Club, Swindon.

Meteors Set at Solitaire Club - Wipeout, Maniac Rockers From Hell, Shout So Loud, Bertha Lou, Lonesome Train, Love You To Death, Get Off My Cloud, Rockabilly Psychosis, Insane, When A Stranger Calls, I Ain't Ready, Maybe Tomorrow, Hills Have Eyes, Wild Thing, Little Red Riding Hood, Blue Sunshine, Wreckin' Crew, Mutant Rock, Graveyard Stomp, Psycho For Your Love, I Don't Worry About It, Rattlesnakin' Daddy, These Boots Are Made For Walkin', Dateless Night, Axe Attack.

Solitaire Club, Swindon - Thanks to Richie Garner for gig info 

39 - Wed 24th Aug - Jilly's, Rafters, Manchester
40 - Thurs - 15th Sept - The Atom Club, Tamdhu, Scotland + The Vikings.
41 - Sat - 17th Sept - Tin Can Club, Digbeth, Birmingham


42 - Sun - 18th Sept - Spring Street Theatre, Hull, UK 

43 - Wed - 5th Oct - Hellfire Club, Wakefield.

44 - Tues 11th Oct - Concert Sorano , France + Wampas + Les Electrodes
Flyer courtesy Glenn Blake

Concert Sorano - Photo © Olivier

Paul & Ginger - Photo © Olivier

Photo © Olivier
Photo © Olivier

45 - Sun - 16th Oct - Zig Zag Club, Orleans, France + Les Coronados + Halloween.
Flyer courtesy Henry Hell

Rock D Orleans - Photo © Francy Fuzz

46 - Tue - 18th Oct - Les Airacobras, Chambery, France .

Rick Ross - Chambery, France
Paul Fenech - Chambery, France

Steve Meadham - Chambery, France

47 - Fri - 28th Oct - Feltham F.C, Middx
 28/10/1983 - Bernard Pezet

48 - Wed - 2nd Nov - Electric Gardens, Stockholm, Sweden + The Nomads.
49 - Sun - 6th Nov - Musikcafen, Copenhagen, Denmark
50 - Thurs - 10th Nov - Croc's, Rayleigh, Essex.


51 - Sun - 13th Nov - The Dungeon, Tiffany's, Leeds + Living In Texas.
Courtesy Richie Garner

52 - Mon - 14th Nov - The Shack , De Ville's, Manchester.

53 - Thurs 17th Nov - Fisher Hall, Cambridge + Restless

54 - Fri - 18th Nov - Carribean Hall, Ipswich + Restless
Ticket courtesy Oliver El Capitan

55 - Sat - 19th Nov - Breckland Sports Centre, Thetford + Restless
56 - Mon - 21st Nov - New Ocean Club, Cardiff, Wales .
poster courtesy - Richard Spencer

57 - Wed - 23rd Nov - Level 3, Swindon 

58 - Sat - 26th Nov - Porterhouse, Retford, Notts

59 - Thurs - 1st Dec - Electric Ballroom, London + Turkey Bones & Wild Dogs, Living In Texas.

Courtesy Meteors Website 

60 - Wed 14th Dec - Night Moves, Glasgow, Scotland

61 - Thurs 15th Dec - Bay Hotel, Gourock, Scotland.
Ticket stub 15 Dec 1983

62 - Sun - 18th Dec - Wealdstone FC, Harrow, Middx + Guana Batz
Cutting from NME - Week starting 17/12/83 Courtesy Matt Steer

Flyer courtesy Jim Milne

63 - Wed - 21st Dec - Hellfire Club, Wakefield (Live video recording )

Courtesy Meteors Website



64 - Thurs - 22nd Dec - Garage, Nottingham.

65 - Fri - 23rd Dec - Palm Cove, Bradford.
Palm Cove, Bradford

66 - Sat - 24th Dec - Tin Can Club, Birmingham + The Powerfarm.



67 - Fri - 30th Dec - Woods Leisure Centre, Colchester.

Photo © Graham Cannon 30/12/83
Photo © Graham Cannon 30/12/83

68 - Sat - 31st Dec - The Ace, Brixton, London.









6 comments:

  1. This is brilliant. The Meteors of 1983 were great. Good times. But the detail you have put into this is appreciated here. Wonder if you could do some more years...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the appreciation. I have done every year from 1980 upto the end of 1984. For me that was when I stopped following them and they seemed to lose their way.

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    2. Aye, thanks for the reply, and I checked out your other years of The Meteors - really great stuff. I also stopped following them around 1985 but always kept an eye on what they were releasing. But those first couple of albums are still played today. All the best.

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  2. I saw them play in Copenhagen November 6th 1983 at a venue called MusikCafén. I got their autographs - still have them somewhere... Paul, Ginger, Rick.
    A friend of mine recorded the gig.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the info, will add that date to the list.

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  3. Been trying to remember the date of the gig at Colne ,Francs in Lancashire in 1983 ,found the ticket on here July 23rd ,great job.

    ReplyDelete