1977 And We Are Going Mad

Part of being 14 in 1977 (a snippet).

Like most people of my age in 1977 on a Sunday night we would listen to Radio 1’s top 20 and then on Tbursdays avidly watchTop Of The Pops on the BBC to see who was number 1 in the pop chart (it seemed important at the time), you needed to know who everyone else would be talking about at school. Until the 1st of July 1977 things had been poor for a while to say the least below are some highlights.

Tina Childs, The Wurzels, Demis Roussos, Pussycat, Johnny Mathis, David Soul, The Manhattan Transfer had all had no 1’ singles.  The best selling song of 1976 was Brotherhood of Man with Save All Your Kisses for Me, and in 1977 It was the shocking BollockKintyre that apparently sold over 2 million copies (shame on them all), all of it boringly dire. Yes you may have fallen into the trap of liking the odd song, but on the whole a very sad state of affairs.

Top of the Pops would be packed with this dross and more of the same, mums and dads were happy letting you watch this light entertainment. 

On the 1st July 1977 it all changed, safe went out of the window.  Love them or hate them in 1977 something came along that rocked the establishment, and thankfully opened the door to much of the far better British music that was to follow.  After the shit that had gone before it on that particular show I vividly remember watching the British music scene being turned upside down in front of my eyes.  Here was something that actually made you listen, something with energy something new.  Without them, would the Jam and New Wave have taken off, would Oasis have stood a chance, look at this video and then visualise Radiohead’s Creep video, the vacant looks the hair.  They spawned an awakening in Britain’s music industry, fashion and culture, they were at that particular time incredible and their album to this day is a classic.  They had a lead singer who by a force of nature demanded your attention. They made you question not just the music industry but society and its institutionalised ideas. You dread to think were we would be without them, still singing about combined harvesters, yellow ribbons or rocking along to the Muppets (not just the puppet variety)?

NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS (and at the time there was bucket loads).

http://vimeo.com/47600916

TAPFS JODRELL BANK

THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD SHOW

JODRELL BANK

SATURDAY 6th JULY 2013

 

 

Between the late 60′s to the mid 90′s Pink Floyd soared to enormous heights, musically and in popularity. They made what I like to call ‘Modern Classical Music’. The band set out to make watching or listening to them an experience. Musically with beautifully crafted pieces that encompassed; pop, rock, and classical styles with rich and vibrant lyrics that took us from the first world war, through to Space and the universe. Visually by incorporating the best lighting technology for its time and displaying crafted and emotive images on too large canvasses. This came to be named as phsycadelic rock and this band led the way.

 

 

Aussie Floyd formed in 1992 and have worked tirelessly to reproduce all that was the live experience of Floyd. This is not pantomine or cheap imitation. What they earn they Plough back into the band buying even bigger and better lighting and equipment. Employing top sound and lighting engineers. The Aussie Floyd are now recognised as a true class act in their own right touring the world playing large stadiums and arenas. Indeed when Dave GIlmour, Pink Floyds guitarist was looking for a band for a private function, there was only one choice TAPFS. Gilmour later jammed with the band at the function and said ‘They are better than we were’.

 

 

On Saturday the 6th July something new was introduced into the Floyd story. Jodrell Bank built in the late 1940′s the scientists there have been sending and receiving sounds from space taking our understanding of our universe further than we could have ever imagined. The most visual part of the banks array of equipment stands the Lovell telescope with its 350mtr wide dish.

 

 

So we have this amazing band playing amazing music, and a light and lazor show surely without equal just looking for a canvess. Step in the Lovell telescope, the result jaw dropping. That neither band had thought of playing there before is strange. Jodrell Bank for TAPFS had it all, the dish, the science the perfectly sized crowd and space, and on this July 6th the weather.

 

 

We were all just blown away, having seen both bands at different times in different arenas, this concert on this night stood above them all.

 

 

It was not filmed and if they played there again a hundred times it could not be bettered. I had the privilage of hearing and seeing The Pink Floyd experience at its best. How lucky am I.