TOP RANK
Sweet at
the Top Rank Suite - Birmingham
I know Davey Coke was there, and I'm certain Inst was too; but I'm not too sure about Cill. What I am sure of, is that Davey Coke and I ended up with signed posters, and finally met Andy, Mick and Brian for the first time. So it was a good end to a lousy evening.....
What do you want us to do? Show you our arses?
- Who the support were I have no idea! Let's face it we hadn't gone to see anyone or anything except the SWEET and the only reason we watched them at all was so we'd be up against the waist high stage when the lads came on. Above, behind and to the left and right the balcony audience sat around their tables not many feet away and I pondered whether it would be possible to make the stage with a big enough leap. Answer - yes of course, if the leap WAS big enough, but you'd need to be a Kangaroo to pull it off, so I nodded to myself that we'd made the right choice.
- Then came that sound we have all heard at some time in our lives and live in fear of hearing again. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE SORRY TO ANNOUNCE...." We'd waited weeks for this. Hellraiser had persuaded Inst, Cill and Coke that SWEET were more than just PaPa Joe, and these Led Zep, Purple, Sabbath nuts were willing to give Connolly and Co. (Co) a try. ...."THAT DUE TO THE ILLNESS..." Now it was clear that one of the guys was ill. If it was Mick, then Coke could sit in. If it was Andy, then Inst was willing to give it a go. And if it was Brian? Well, we all new Steve or Andy could cope. And let's face it - I knew all the words from Funny Funny through Alexander Graham Bell to Hellraiser - even I would give it a go! " ...THAT BRIAN CONNOLLY IS UNABLE TO PERFORM..." So that's it then - Steve Priest sings lead (Now there's an omen for the future). ".... AND SO THE REST OF THE BAND FEEL THEY ARE UNABLE TO APPEAR." What? Wait a minute. Oh come off it. No! You're kiddin'? "ANDY AND MICK WILL EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM." And with that Andy and Mick are on stage in regulation glam gear. So surely they were ready to come on and perform? What gives? Andy explained that Brian had a bad throat and couldn't sing. The crowd who hadn't stopped cheering since they'd stepped out now called for them to perform anyway. "What do you want us to do?" asked Mick. "Show you our arses." To which most of the girls replied with an exteremely loud affirmative response. They explained that Steve had already gone back to the hotel and with a cheery wave they disappeared.
Are we downhearted?
- Inst and Cill immediately took this as an opportunity to get their money back and beat a quick retreat to the Costermonger for a lager. Coke was made of sterner stuff however and agreed with me that if Steve had just left for the "hotel", then there was a good chance the lads were perchance staying at a hotel. "Ask the roadie, " said Coke.
There in front of me pulling up wires was our chance for an autograph. So why not? Why not! Why not!! Because they're sworn to secrecy aren't they. Everyone knows that. You can torture them and poke them with sharp pointy things, but they'll never divulge the whereabouts of their masters. "Excuse me, which hotel are they in.?"
"The Albany," he replies.
And with that and after waiting to get our money back (we're not stupid) we were off and running across the city to the Albany. At least we knew where it was.
- The lobby of the Albany isn't all that posh really, and no-one gave a second glance to a pair of loon panted, Brutus shirted, Trevira jacketed pair of teenagers who had spent ten minutes outside peering up into the night sky seriously considering how best to climb the outside of the building. Within seconds of getting inside the hotel the doors opened to admit Andy and Mick, still in their stage stuff. A little six year old appeared from no-where with his Dad and asked for their autographs. They are duly given! Piece of cake this. Pen! Pen! Mug the receptionist! The way Andy and Mick produced a couple of posters for us and signed them with a flourish wasn't really enough to make up for the non-gig, but when a coughing Brian strolled in a couple of minutes later to give his name to the growing list, we were almost in heaven. Dressed in silver and black he looked the business, but his voice was crawling across sandpaper to get to us and he was forgiven. And Steve? No idea. After three hours we left to get the last bus home. My greatest regret? Giving the poster to Irene Shelley. Although at the time that was worth it too. And I am sure if my mate Johnny Mogs had had a poster, he'd have given her one too.
Davey Coke (above) - made of sterner stuff
I wonder if he still has his signed posters?
Davey
Coke - are you out there?
"Inst"
(above) where are you? Still playing the guitar?