by Hazel Plater
This month marks 30 years since The Tube television programme was first broadcast live from Tyne Tees Television on City Road, Newcastle upon Tyne to the music lovers of the nation.
Channel 4 had just begun, and this show, presented by Jools Holland and Paula Yates was its flagship music show, featuring, over its 5 seasons, performances from a huge number of artists, including The Jam, The Smiths, REM, U2, The Cure, Pet Shop Boys, Tuna Turner, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Duran Duran and even Madonna.
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| The Tube was named after the distinctive entrance to Tyne Tees Televison |
The majority of music appearances on the magazine-style show were performed live at Tyne Tees' Studio 5. The video clip below, however, shows Billy Bragg, busking to the queue of people waiting to come into the studios to be part of the live television audience.
A large number of hip young people around the North East at the time, remember taking part in the show, a night which would often begin in the adjacent Egypt Cottage public house, where celebrities could often be seen propping up the bar. The pub was such a part of the show that it was dubbed 'Studio 6' and was famously where presenter Paula Yates first met INXS frontman Michael Hutchense as part of a 1986 episode.
The Tube was last broadcast in 1987. The Egypt Cottage and Tyne Tees are now both no more, having been demolished in recent years.
Post your recollections of The Tube below, or at the North East Music History Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/northeastmusichistory/
A great period, where television's hippest music show was coming from Newcastle. And the first band to appear on the programme when Jools and Paula walked through the Tyne Tees Studio 5 entrance for the first time were Sunderland's Toy Dolls, who were playing in the foyer.
ReplyDeleteThe show would be rehearsed on the Thursday and broadcast live on the Friday. Going into TTT's canteen on those two days was always interesting because you didn't know who you'd see standing in line for their cod and chips!