Teesside Blues

By Martin Craig


Tyneside bands who went out through agents like Beverley Artistes, Birchall's, West End or JKR Theatrical (the legendary Jimmy King) will remember how we were often sent down the motorway to gigs in Teesside & North Yorkshire on Friday & Saturday nights during the Seventies.  Meanwhile, Teesside & Yorkshire bands would slog up the opposite  Northbound carriageway on their way to dates in Tyneside & Northumberland.  We used to flash our headlights to each other as we passed.


This exchange arrangement was done so that the Concert Chairman could announce, "Ladies & Gentlemen, put your hands together for a great group who've come all the way from...."  The theory was: the further we'd come, the more exotic it made us seem to the punters.


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During the decade-plus we spent doing this north-south journey it found its way into my songwriting, probably as a form of self-therapy, in songs like 'Living on the A19', 'M62' and 'Teesside Blues'.


After our first vinyl EP came out, I got a publishing interview with Chappell Music in London's Bond Street.   It was late summer in 1979.  The bloke I met wore a curved moustache and a frilly shirt with long pointed collars and billowing sleeves, looking very like Peter Wyngarde as Jason King in the cult tv series 'Department-S'.  I wore my usual black leather bike jacket.


I told Jason King that my new songs were about actual places I knew and real experiences I'd had, rather than made-up stories.  I also said my songs were often about movement, with lots of car and bike images.


Jason King took our precious quarter-inch stereo demo tape, played a few bars of each song and fast-forwarded through the rest, making us sound like the Chipmunks.  I started to bristle.


'Rockin' at the Ace Café' came on.  "I wanted this one to have a Chuck Berry sound," I pointed out helpfully, in case he'd missed it.  "Ye-e-s-s, well, we already have Chuck Berry himself on our books... you know, Jewel Music? I shut up.  He pointed to a grand piano.  "Roy Orbison was writing songs on that piano yesterday. He's with us too."  I shut up some more.


'Teesside Blues' got underway.  "I like this one," said Jason King, "but you need to change the lyrics to 'L.A. Blues.'  No-one cares about, what is it called, Teesside?  Where's that, for God's sake?  Somewhere up North?  No WAY!!"


Lynn was with me and she said afterwards that I looked as if I was going to chin Jason King. I can remember arguing that it HAD to be Teesside, because that was the WHOLE BLEEDING POINT!


Jason King was quite nice about it really.  He took us downstairs from Department S to the Chappell record shop, pulled out some albums and gave them to me, saying, "Have a listen to these, let them soak in for a while, then write me six new songs."


The albums included Ricky Lee Jones, Tom Waits, Springsteen's first album and a fantastic reggae compilation.  I think Jason King must have been good at his job (despite that shirt) because, after I'd soaked up those great LPs, the next song I wrote had no trace of a car or a motorbike in it.


It did feature a bus, though.  A bus in a Northern town, quite possibly in Teesside.  The North's gonna rise!!

Rocking the Joint

By Hazel Plater and contributors.


The Cooperage, on the Quayside in Newcastle upon Tyne has a long history.  Built in the 14th Century, it was used as a cooper’s workshop (hence the name) in the 18th Century, and only became a public house in the 1970s.  Although reputed to be haunted, this did not put people off and a large number of our North East Music History Facebook group members recall attending, or playing gigs in the upstairs venue.


Robert John Waters: “That's where I played my first gig in Newcastle.  One of my favourite looking buildings anywhere in the world, especially from outside.”


Martin Craig: “The Sabrejets had a 15-month residency there in the late 70s.  We took over the Monday slot from our Blueport label mates the Young Bucks when they left for London.  The longest running line up was us on Mondays, the Famous Five (AKA The 45s) Tuesdays and The Junco Partners on Wednesdays.  There was a volume point at which the building's timber frame vibrated in sympathy with the music and dancing; literally 'rocking the joint.'  Fabulous venue, should never have closed.” 

The Sabrejets at The Cooperage, Newcastle upon Tyne in 1978.  
L-R: Carlos Magee, Sandie LaRocque, Diesel , Mad Dog Lupé & Antoine Legris. 
Photographed by Rik Walton for Blueport Music

Jude Murphy: “I played in a post-punk band, a jazz-funk band, and a folk duo (not all at once) in there.”


David Mooney: "I saw Otway & Barrett play there in 1980 on their DK50/80 tour; the gig was free but you had to bring along a copy of that single (another Otway idea to get them into the charts). They underestimated the turnout, and there were loads who couldn`t get in, so they put on two performances."

Tim Readman: “Arthur 2 Stroke and the Chart Commandos did Thursday nights there in the early 80s for a couple of years. Packed to the gills every week. the audience were literally in our faces but what a great atmosphere!”

Lucy Falkenau: “I used to dread setting up the gear at the Cooperage - we had a residency with the band Fat Chance in the late 70s.  The stairs were a nightmare to take cabinets and instruments up, and worse to bring back down.   Inside was usually heaving.  It was a great venue with a fantastic atmosphere.   It was possible to generate a lot of feel good music there as the crowd was always very supportive.   Superb nights.  A lot of people met their life partners there.  Happy times.”

The Cooperage, Newcastle upon Tyne, March 2012

The Cooperage did close, but recently reopened.  The picture here was taken in March 2012 and while the bar was closed by day, a poster was in the window for a forthcoming dubstep/drum 'n' bass night.  For many more recollections of The Cooperage and other North East venues, please see the North East Music History Facebook group.

References:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/northeastmusichistory/
http://www.pubsnewcastle.co.uk/TheCooperage.html