One of the main reasons for this blog, one of the main revitalisers of my love for vinyl has been an event called The Record Player which has been taking place in the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle for the last three years. It's an opportunity to listen through with an accompanying slideshow of images to great and sometimes sublime records in their entirety in the company of others. A more emotional, occasionally transcending and utterly uplifting experience than you'd imagine. I've made some really great friendships there. Amongst my favourite evenings have been:
1. David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars
2. Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express
3. Television Marquee Moon V Patti Smith -Horses
4. Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure
5. Velvet Underground Velvet Underground & Nico V The Doors The Doors
6. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On?
7. Blondie - Parallel Lines
8. John Martyn Solid Air V Neil Young After the Goldrush
9.Aretha Franklin I Ain't Never Loved a Man V Otis Redding Otis Blue
10. Talking Heads - Fear of Music
11. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
12. Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen
That's just twelve. Off the top of my head. There are countless others. All hosted by this man who has my eternal gratitude.
Steve Drayton. All-round entertainer.
New series coming up. In fact I'll probably be down there tomorrow night and then this list 'til Xmas.
19/09 Moptops vs Surfers. The Beatles: Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
Vs
The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
25/09 Grunge is starting to happen.
The Pixies: Doolittle
Vs
The Lemonheads: It’s A Shame About Ray
OCTOBER
02/10 Welcome Back Kate.
Kate Bush: The Whole Story
09/10 Like a randy terrier on heat.
Led Zeppelin: II The Remastered Version.
16/10 Mr Drayton’s Indulgence
Sufjan Stevens: (Come On Feel The) Illinois.
23/10 Movies and Munchies.
Saturday Night Fever. Doors 7.45. Film 8.00 £15.00
Vs
The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
25/09 Grunge is starting to happen.
The Pixies: Doolittle
Vs
The Lemonheads: It’s A Shame About Ray
OCTOBER
02/10 Welcome Back Kate.
Kate Bush: The Whole Story
09/10 Like a randy terrier on heat.
Led Zeppelin: II The Remastered Version.
16/10 Mr Drayton’s Indulgence
Sufjan Stevens: (Come On Feel The) Illinois.
23/10 Movies and Munchies.
Saturday Night Fever. Doors 7.45. Film 8.00 £15.00
NOVEMBER
6/11 Hits of 1976
Thin Lizzy: Jailbreak
vs
Mott The Hoople: Greatest Hits.
13/11 Rocking and Souling.
The Rolling Stones - (Big Hits) High Tide and Green Grass vs Phil Spector/Echoes of the 60’s
20/11 Album of the Year 2013. As fresh as daydream.
Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City
Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City
27/11 Soul Sensation. Sensational Soul.
Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis
Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis
DECEMBER
4/11 Movies and Munchies.
Slade In Flame. Doors 7.45. Film 8.00
11/11Here’s Comes Santa.
4/11 Movies and Munchies.
Slade In Flame. Doors 7.45. Film 8.00
11/11Here’s Comes Santa.
Details soon. Check press for details.
Definitely looking forward to Pixies V Lemonheads. Dusty is an inspired choice and I'm curious to see what I think of Sufjan Stevens and Vampire Weekend as I've been resistant to their charms thus far. But Steve, a small plea! Not so many compilations. It's not the draw of the event for me personally! I'd rather listen to a poor Mott the Hoople album at one of these things than their greatest hits. Anyway, it got me thinking, and I came up with a four month season of records that haven't featured yet which I think looks pretty good
Week Two - Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
Week Three - Psychedelic Wars - Love Forever Changes Vs Pink Floyd Piper At The Gates of Dawn (or just Love)
Week Four - Soul Wars - Sly & the Family Stone - There's a Riot Going On Vs Al Green I'm Still In Love With You (or just Sly)
Week Five - Gram V Keef - Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers Vs Gram Parsons Return of the Grevious Angel (or either)
Week 6 - Sensitive Book Reading Souls - Aztec Camera High Land, Hard Rain Vs Lloyd Cole &the Commotions - Rattlesnakes
Week 7 - 90s Troubadours- Beck Odelay V Jeff Buckley Grace (or either)
Week 8 - Brum Wars - The Specials The Specials V Dexys Midnight Runners Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
Week 9 - For the Proggers in the back row - King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King
Week 10 Seeds of Punk - New York Dolls New York Dolls V Modern Lovers Modern Lovers
Week 11 - Island Wars - Grace Jones - Nightclubbing Vs The B52s The B52s
Week 12 - Sensitive Book Reading Souls - The Smiths The Smiths Vs R.E.M - Murmur
Week 13 - All aboard the Punk Bandwagon - The Stranglers Ratticus Norvegicus V The Damned The Damned (or possibly The Damned V Dead Boys Young, Loud & Snotty)
Week 14 - Elvis Presley The Sun Sessions
Week 15 - At the Movies - Various Artists The Harder They Come (soundtrack)
I would love to go these, either the real ones, or the ones you suggest.
ReplyDeleteThey're wonderful events. It's not unique by any means. I think it's catching on all over the place. This whole phenomenon was totally due to Steve. But then they take on a life of their own. We have a core group of about 10-15 people who go through thick and thin. It's been a revelation for me and I've made some great friendships through it.
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