5 minute read
Slade’s Dave Hill
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“Slade aren’t just for Christmas, they’re for life.” Does a song really make an artist, or a band? Well, in the case of those eternal rockers, Slade, you’d be forgiven for thinking so, they perhaps being best known for their stomping, festive offering, ‘Merry Christmas Everyone.’ But Slade, they’ve actually had an impressive six, number one hit singles, and sixteen top ten singles, spanning the mid-sixties, through to the present day. Co-founded back in 1966, yes, the year in which England won their solitary, World Cup, by Noddy Holder, Dave Hill, Dan Powell and Jim Lea, with only Hill surviving the original line-up, Holder and Lea being present until ’92, and Powell until last year. They’ve carried on regardless though, and, still tripping the light fantastic, Slade illuminate stages everywhere they go with those iconic of tunes. There’s been tunes like their first number one, Coz I Luv You (1971), Cum On Feel the Noize (1972), and of course, their last chart-topper, and ‘that, festive offering (1973). Now though, in looking back on what is close to sixty years of Slade, one of the founding fathers, Dave Hill, now joined by the trio of John Berry, Russell Keefe, and Alex Bines, and alongside his own, solo projects, continue to delight. “This has been the longest period I’ve had off,” explained Dave, thinking of the past couple of years. “These two years, in just being at home, I’ve kept myself busy just writing a new solo album. “But I’ve really missed all the gigging.” Under the guidance of Bryan Chandler, better known as ‘Chas’ Chandler, he who was the original bassist of the Newcastle band, the Animals, as well as having managed the legendary rock artist, Jimi Hendrix; Slade still had to go out there, and ‘make it.’ Once that debut single, Get Down and Get With It, dropped during
’71, it quickly became about the momentum, their momentum. “We still had to work at it, all of it”< added Dave. “We were up and down the country, but it was a truly wonderful journey. “We made a good album, got a number one hit, but you have to make another, and another. ”But we had a great manager, and producer, in Chas Chandler, who was a really good bloke, he really was. “That first number one though, that’s a definite highlight as well as performing those big festivals, the comebacks, and that Reading Festival. “We did that one because, at the time, Ozzy Osbourne wasn’t ready, so with us doing it, it put us back in the public eye, during the eighties.” Whether it’s solo music, or Slade music, Dave is well-aware of the ever-changing music industry, after all, come their UK tour this December, they’ll have performed is seven, different decades (60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, and 20s), whilst being able to tour Europe, Asia, and America, during that illustrious career. “It’s great being remembered, and everyone knows all the songs,” admits Dave. “But Slade aren’t just for Christmas, they’re for life.
“That song though, it was a really great idea at the time. “A relation told us that nobody writes proper Christmas songs anyway. “And Noddy, he already had a lyrical idea, and that was then changed for the song. “When we put it together, we were actually in New York, in 100 degrees heat. “John Lennon had studio time booked but didn’t want it anymore, so we took the week, in the July, and that was it really. “Back then though we realise as to how powerful that song would be. “It was a song that lifted the nation, got the people to gather together again.” December though, it’s always a special time for family, for music fans, and of course for Slade. And this December, as 2021 comes crashing to a close, those boys from Slade will put on three weeks of touring, eleven dates, between 3 and 23 December, with Dave finishing off saying that: “Touring, it’s getting back out on the road again. “We all miss seeing each other though. “We have the songs, the music, so it’s nice to be able to bring that back again, in the hope that things can, and will, get better. “We want to be able to bring the joy; we’ll be there, and we’ll be ready to rock.” Dave Hill, and the boys from Slade, finish their tour in Newcastle, at the O2 Academy, on Thursday 23 December, tickets available from https://www.seetickets.com/ event/slade/o2-academy-newcastle/1578428 Keep up-to-date with all things Slade via their Facebook https:// www.facebook.com/Sladeforlife/ and website https://slade.tmstor. es/
NERG is the biggest retro gaming event in the North East, held at Gateshead Stadium over the course of 2 days, this event is as big as it gets for retro gamers or just the big kids re-living their youth playing the games they used to play, after all, they don’t make them like they used to. 2017 will be the fifth year of NERG and it will be a big one. With 100 video arcade machines, 35 pinball machines and 60 consoles and computers this really is an event you do not want to miss!.
The event is held over the weekend of 1st & 2nd of July. Entrance is £15 per day or £25 for the full weekend. Children aged 5-13 years can also get in for only £10 on the Sunday.
All the machines are set to free play so once you pay the admission fee, it’s free gaming all day., so no need for those pockets full of change.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE. or you can pay on the day if the event hasn’t sold out.
More details can be found at www.northeastretrogaming. com
Machines are announced on a regular basis through the social feeds so make sure you keep checking to see what games will be there, though with so many we are sure your favourites will be there.
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