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Greater London Council Festivals

1985.

June 1st-2nd 1985

more info needed on this festival which seems to have slipped under the radar

 

John Martyn accompanied by Foster Patterson

June 2nd 1985

Setlist-

  • Don’t Want To Know
  • Johnny Too Bad
  • Sweet Little Mystery
  • Root Love
  • Could’ve Been Me
  • Big Muff
  • One World
  • Mad Dog Days
  • Solid Air
  • John Wayne
  • Dealer
  • Outside In

© Dave Walkling

After double checking my contact prints, I’m certain these were taken at the 2/6/1985 GLC gig. The band shots are of Annie Whitehead’s band with Sarah Jane Morris, the percussion photo was taken near the Oxo tower building. I remember Gil Scott Heron [very good] and John Martyn [pissed] at this gig, the main stage would have been on Jubilee Gardens, too crowded to get near.

Best wishes,

Dave Walkling

© Dave Walkling

© Dave Walkling

 


"Jobs For A Change", GLC Festival

Battersea Park

London.

The Blues Band, Billy Bragg , The Beat Farmers, Men They Couldn't Hang. Wreckless Eric, Boot Hill Foot-Tappers , Hank Wangford, The Pogues , The Opposition, The Communards

07/07/85

GLC supremo Ken Livingston with sign - Battersea Park 1985 © Nick Hider

( visit Nicks Flickr site to view more great photos from this era )

The Opposition onstage at Jobs for A Change - 7-7-85

Recordings and setlists

Billy Bragg 7-7-85

Folk stage

  • You Don't Miss Your Water
  • The Tatler
  • Racing In The Street
  • Pretty Boy Floyd
  • He'll Have To Go
  • There Is Power In A Union

 

The recordings for this show are said to be from the soundboard


Billy Bragg 7-7-85

Main stage

  • Man In The Iron Mask
  • There Is Power In A Union
  • Springsteen Tickets
  • A New England
  • Island Of No Return
  • It Says Here
  • People Get Ready
  • A Lover Sings
  • Jeane
  • World Turned Upside Down
  • Which Side Are You On ?
  • Between The Wars
  • Days Like These
  • To Have And To Have Not
  • A13


The Pogues

  • Streams Of Whiskey
  • Repeal Of The Licensing Laws
  • Boys From The County Hell
  • Greenland Whale Fisheries
  • Whiskey You're The Devil
  • Transmetropolitan
  • The Old Main Drag
  • A Pair Of Brown Eyes
  • Wild Cats Of Kilkenny
  • Dark Streets Of London
  • Billy's Bones
  • Sally MacLennane
  • Kitty
  • The Gentleman Soldier
  • Dingle Regatta
  • Poor Paddy
  • Waxie's Dargle
  • Muirshin Durkin
  • The Wild Rover
  • The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

20 min. Bootleg video exists of the set from Dark Streets of London onwards , otherwise audience audio exists for the whole show.

Attendance for this show is supposed to be 80,000. this appears unlikely from the stills we have seen , although there were four stages, which would have spread out the crowd .can anyone confirm or provide more information on this event ?

Carl Stickley review here

The Opposition onstage at Jobs for A Change - 7-7-85

 

End of GLC discussion forum

Kevin Shewans detailed review with images.


The Anti-heroin Campaign.

8-25-85

Crystal Palace Bowl

Vera Lynn

Hawkwind.

Spear Of Destiny .

Armory Show

The Enid

Dr and the Medics

The March Violets

Comsat Angels

Balaam and The Angel

Eddy Armani

 

   The late inclusion to the bill was was none other than WW 2 legend Dame Vera Lynn , who presumably wanted to lend her voice to the anti heroin message, the Dame lead the audience in a rendition of ' Old Lang Syne as a finale to the concert, accompanied by the assembled players .

 

Right : Hawkwind onstage at Crystal Place 1985

Starfarers Hawkwind site has this transcript regarding this show. Ex Hawks bassist Lemmy joined the band for this gig :

DB: "Yes, along with Vera Lynn! Amongst other people. It was good fun, because we were going to be doing it anyway, they asked us to do it and we said 'Yes, sure'. I mean, it's good that Vera Lynn should do something like that, as well."
What happened, did she just sort of come along and compere it?
DB: "Yeah, well no...she sung 'White Cliffs Of Dover' and..."
HLL: "I played the drums..."
DB: "Yes, Huwie played drums for her, you know!" (Laughs)
Huw Lloyd-Langton here, blowing his credibility by actually admitting that he played drums for Vera Lynn!
HLL: "This is it..."

DB: "As she was singing...I think she must be about in her 70's. I mean, she's a real character. My old man - I told my Dad because during the war he was, he used to think she was wonderful..."
HLL: "I suppose to an extent it wasn't much different turning out with a bunch of rock bands than it would have been, like, turning out with the forces in the war... Much the same sort of thing, a bunch of hooligans, you know!" (Laughs)

Fatreg has a review of this event on his site

GLC Festivals


If you have photos, recollections, set lists, newspaper reports or tapes of this event then Contact us if you can help.


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