NO on Ch4's The Tube - were you there?

I think it was in the summer of 1986 when the band made a two-song appearance on the legendary The Tube, hosted by Jools Holland, Muriel Gray and the late Paula Yates. They defo played State Of The Nation - the current single - and one other track from Brotherhood (was it Weirdo?), which was due out shortly afterwards (I think, like Barney my memory's not 100% these days)... Having contacts on Tyneside at the time, a mate and myself managed to blag our way into the studios for the broadcast, which in those heady days was live. The studio was decked out like the set of the David Bowie film Absolute Beginners, as the evening's show was themed around that (shite) film... Enjoyed a good session in The Egypt Cottage next door after the show, had a chat with Muriel Gray as she was busy stuffing tissues down her top to pad it out prior to introducing New Order....and yes, I have to admit to purchasing a fetching yellow jumper, in tribute to Barney's new 'C & A' casual look ! Just wondering - was anyone else present on the night? I have the show on a VHS somewhere - not seen it for years - but if anyone ever gets the chance of watching it, I'm standing next to Muriel during her NO intro, complete with flick-head haircut, and - credit this - grey hooded jacket, making me the only person on Tyneside that day not to be walking round the city centre in a t-shirt...

... T-shirt!? ... that's nawt ... get yourself to Middlesbrough, if a man isn't bare chested during the winter months he's chased out of town by a stolen Vauxhall Astra.

That Tube performance was ace. Bernard's yellow jumper? - must look out now for the Lowest Life-form when the Betamax is wheeled out in the summer.

Top work.

I remember audio taping that when it was on. (We didn't yet have a video recorder). Holding the tape recorder as close as possible to the tv speakers. A few years later I bought a bootleg video of New Order tv clips and at 3 hours in, the Tube clips appeared but annoyingly the tape ends at the start of the second song which if my memory serves was Broken Promises. I wonder if I still have the audio tape, must be in a box gathering dust somewhere.

i wasnt there but at aged 15 watching I sat about 1 foot away from the screen sucking in every detail. I was a big fan of the Tube and may even have seen the Hacienda edition but cant remember for sure as the madonna clip has been repeated so many times. It was the first time i'd seen them on tv since my first gig at slough. One of their best TV performances and of two unreleased songs at the time I believe.

cheers,

Groovy f*cker.

A FULL '100' Muso-beater points to the quickest geek to post the 'final' '2' songs ever played on The Tube Train. Additional 'pro-geek' bonus point for the band name (although the song titles will cancel that back off).

...

er...The Smiths?

I wish one of these endless music channels would repeat every single Tube show completely, just so I could tape them. Hasn't been a music programme since that's anywhere near as good. It might have been a bit amateurish in places but it was the 20 minute live performances that I want to see again by so many artists I got into afterwards. Why doesn't anybody bring this format back ?

Oh and I vaguely think I remember The Tube ended with The Cure playing songs of their "Kiss Me" album and Paula Yates shutting a big door at the end. It was very sad at the time.

Leigh maude wrote: er...The Smiths?

100 Geek Points achieved:

'Shoplifters'

and

'Sheila Take a Bow' (how apt)

Is it too late to suggest Rolf Harris?

:\pimp3:

Huntsman wrote:

Leigh maude wrote: er...The Smiths?

100 Geek Points achieved:

'Shoplifters'

and

'Sheila Take a Bow' (how apt)

yee, and indeed, hah!

Yes sir Mr. Maude, a very potent retort which surely installs you as the chief knowledge consumer around these parts.

Very, very well played.

PS The only reason I knew it was The Smuntz was because I taped it.

Monster wrote:

lowlife wrote: I think it was in the summer of 1986 when the band made a two-song appearance on the legendary The Tube, hosted by Jools Holland, Muriel Gray and the late Paula Yates.

Were there any New Order fans rolling around in 1986 who HADN'T bought a yellow crewneck off the back of that performance?!

It wasn't the summer, it was Spring - week before Easter and the Oxford/Brighton/Poole trifecta, pretty sure of that.

Correct on the date Al. 21st March I think.

I didn't get one of those crewnecks though!

HaciendaThat wrote: I wish one of these endless music channels would repeat every single Tube show completely, just so I could tape them. Hasn't been a music programme since that's anywhere near as good. It might have been a bit amateurish in places but it was the 20 minute live performances that I want to see again by so many artists I got into afterwards. Why doesn't anybody bring this format back ?

Theres a 'Best of The Tube' series that runs every couple of months on UKTV channel, normally once a week but sometimes the whole series in one night. Its about 5 or 6 hours in total. Oddly Norder aren't on, good performance from the bunnymen though. Some of the stuff is really shite twenty years later especially the camerawork, Swansway and soultrain springs to mind here.

I dug out my old vid of the tube performance just the other week.i had long forgotten that yellow sweater.jeez.what was that all about?!

wasn't The Smiths performance also their very last live performance too, at least in this country?

Was this after their 12th Dec 86 Brixton Academy show then?

yes,

the passions just like mine site has it that the tube appearance was on 10th april 1987, this is after the san remo festival in italy appearance, which is often cited as the last live show ever by the smiths.

http://passionsjustlikemine.com/smiths-med.htm

James Thomas wrote:

Theres a 'Best of The Tube' series that runs every couple of months on UKTV channel, normally once a week but sometimes the whole series in one night. Its about 5 or 6 hours in total. Oddly Norder aren't on, good performance from the bunnymen though. Some of the stuff is really shite twenty years later especially the camerawork, Swansway and soultrain springs to mind here.

Yes, I saw and taped those from UKTV last year, but because it was just highlights it left me wanting more. I just want them to show the whole lot, warts and all. It stands as a great historical document. There must have been about 150-200 shows over about 5 years. They could easily stick them on rotation on a music channel instead of these tedious constant Top 100 list programmes that seem to be randomly generated by computer anyway.

I seem to remember the shoes being extremely dodgy as well.

I was in Newcastle at the time and The Tube talent scouts used to go round the clubs asking the 'best dancers' if they wanted tickets. Consequently the crowd was largely the same faces every week, many of them drama students hence the dodgy clothes in the audience. All very reminiscent of Hairspray really.

Erm yeah - the shoes! v dodgy slip-ons, the sort sported in dodgy Yaarkshire nightclubs at the time. Although I'll admit to buying the sweater, I drew the line at slip-on shoes!

lowlife wrote: but if anyone ever gets the chance of watching it, I'm standing next to Muriel during her NO intro, complete with flick-head haircut, and - credit this - grey hooded jacket, making me the only person on Tyneside that day not to be walking round the city centre in a t-shirt...

Thought it was Alan "Fluff" Freeman who introduced em, he was standing with Jools + Paula.

You could be right there - it's a long time ago now. Muriel was probably introducing some of the other Absolute Beginners-related tish that was on the same show, I'm not so sure .... damn, I'll have to try and find that video some time!