Double Trouble

So, eventually I got around to paying to go and see a major band live. That was GILLAN. I think it was November 1981, and off I went to the Capitol in Aberdeen. There was actually 9 or 10 went together..... in the school minibus......driven there by two teachers!

There were three bands on the bill, Gillan (of course), supported by Budgie and Nightwing. The interesting but useless fact about Nightwing was that their leader, Gordon Rowley, was on the plane when Alex Harvey died from a massive heart attack. Told you it was useless!

Anyways, this album is half new songs from the studio and half live from their headline show at the Reading Festival in 1981.

Cards on the table. The live album is, how shall I say, not good. Ian Gillan himself, described it as the sound of "a hippo wallowing in the mud". Yeah, that good.

The new songs however, had a bit of verve, swing and style to them. The album saw the introduction of a new guitarist, Janick Gers who had some really strong riffs. Unsure what happened to him (he met up with a character called Eddie some years later).

Alongside Gillan the man's lyrics, there was the incredibly talented Colin Towns. Not just a keyboard player, but a multi-instrumentalist and outstanding songwriter. He was front and central on the album's standout track, "Born To Kill". Nine and a half minutes of rock extravaganza , from the pen of Towns and Gillan, supported by Gers alongside Mick Underwood on drums and big John McCoy on bass. It is a huge song, on every level. There was also a hit single, "Nightmare" which broke into the UK top 40. I watched them on TV performing this live on the Chris Tarrant programme, OTT (a show which frankly needs a whole documentary of its own!)

I suppose this album means something as it was the first major concert I attended. Are you ready for that blast of noise, the first time? Probably not. What I did love however, was that feeling of the musical power basically passing through from the front of your body to the back, rumbling its way there, you feeling every note bouncing along, over and inside you. Live music is great. When its a band you enjoy, its even better. So, what can I recall of that night? Hmm, not a huge amount actually. The first song started with the four players on stage, to be followed on after a few moments by Gillan. That was his trademark entrance, which he did for every gig he played. A guitar solo by Gers, where he ended up standing on the neck of his instrument, "playing" a tune. We went wild! When they did Born To Kill, some of the road crew came out to sing backing vocals. Last song was Smoke On The Water, originally by some band called Deep Purple! Who knows them, eh?

An album of great meaning then, not necessarily for the album, but again what it lead onto. A love of music in the raw.

Track Listing

I'll Rip Your Spine Out

Restless

Men Of War

Sun Beam

Nightmare

Hadely Bop Bop

Life Goes On

Born To Kill

No Laughing In Heaven

No Easy Way

Trouble

Mutually Assured Destruction

If You Believe Me

New Orleans

Ian Gillan - Vocals

Colin Towns - Keyboards

Janick Gers - Guitar

John McCoy - Bass

Mick Underwood - Drums