Graham Parker and the Rumour Live in the late ’70s

Graham Parker and the Rumour Live in the late ’70s
There was no better band than Graham Parker and the Rumour in the late 70s. They exploded out of pub rock and were part of the scene, and sound, which influenced punk and new wave. Graham Parker was the coolest guy on the planet and rocked and sang white soul and R&B like no-one else (OK maybe that’s a little unfair on Van Morrisson who was clearly a strong influence on Graham). The Rumour came with all the right pub-rock credentials featuring the legnedary Brinsley Schwarz (lead guitar) and Bob Andrews (keyboards) (both ex Brinsley Schwarz), Martin Belmont (rhythm guitar, ex Ducks Deluxe) and Andrew Bodnar (bass) and Steve Goulding (drums). And those songs: Fool’s Gold, Pourin’ It All Out, White Honey, and the show-stopping reggae-tinged (Hey Lord) Don’t Ask Me Questions; it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up just thinking about being at a gig with the entire audience singing along “Hey Lord; Don’t Ask Me Questions”. There was just no-one to touch them on a good night; power, passion, rhythms, rock, dancing, and Graham Parker on fire in terms of his singing and his overall performance. Graham Parker and the Rumour gigged relentlessly from 1976 on, and I saw them lots of times. My tickets tell me I was at gigs at Newcastle City Hall on 23rd March 1977 with Southside Johnny as support, 17th November 1977 (Marie’s birthday, she agreed to come along although she wasn’t a fan, and a drunken guy behind us spilled a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale all over her head…I still haven’t been forgiven for that night… 🙂 ), 5th March 1979 and 5th April 1982 (by that point the Rumour had departed and the concert was Parker solo). I also remember a great gig at Newcastle Poly and seeing Parker as part of the supporting bill for Bob Dylan at his massive Blackbushe concert. There were probably others which escape my fading memory.
Graham Parker has been absent from UK stages for too many years, but has reunited with the Rumour and is playing over here again. Something else for me to look forward to.
Note added on 18th May 2014. I have just discovered a large poster programme for Graham Parker, which comes from the 1982 tour. I had it filed away separately because it was so big. I have added it today.