Tynemouth Travels............A great visit to Northumberland for a few days holiday and to see Bryan Ferry perform at The Tynemouth Priory & Castle and what a great night it was. I am not too keen on Seeing Bryan/Roxy at outdoor festivals as it can be a mixed crowd but the Mouth of Tyne Festival was four concerts with a different artist each night. More like a normal concert with support than a day of different acts and having to wait for the top of the bill. We went to check out the venue the day before and decide whether to drive or take the Metro etc. They were still setting up the stage and it was all closed off but one of the supervisors on the gate saw me trying to take some photos through the gate and let me in to have a look. As we wondered round it started to rain and we hoped that wouldn't happen on the night as the stage was set where the land curves out into the sea so wind & rain or the "sea fret" would not make for a nice evening and Bryan might have needed two scarves to keep his tonsils warm! Up here we call it the sea haar, the cold mist that comes in off the North Sea......usually when the rest of the country is basking in sunshine and heat!! We need not have worried as the weather on the day couldn't have been better. A bit of rain was forecast for around tea time when we would have been queuing to get in but that did not happen and as we stood in the queue waiting the sun came out and things were looking good. In to the venue and a power walk down to the stage area and a place at the centre front on the barrier was waiting along with some of the usual suspects. Blues skies now and the sun beating down.......just as well it was at our back as my sunglasses were in the bag that my other half had wandered off with. Local lass Nadine Shah was the support and she was pretty good. Time for the main event and as the band took to the stage it was great to see that Fonzie was back on board with the gang as he had not been in attendance at some of the last few shows. Also on stage again was the new boy Linus Taylor who I think may be on board for the rest of the tour.
Bryan was on great form, complete with scarf which stayed on for the whole concert..............not taking any chances despite the warm sunshine bathing the stage and the crowd. A couple of new old songs were added to the set list which we had not heard at any of the previous shows we had been at over the Avonmore tour dates of 2015/16. Delighted to hear Both Ends Burning for the first time in a long while and then two extra songs added which were not on the set list, Editions and then Hold On, I'm Coming. A great Festival set list and I was thrilled that Beauty Queen (the in-out-in-out song) was back in for this show. If I was told I could only listen to one song, one last time then this would be my request.
Well worth the trip and the added bonus of chatting to TGPT once again. Even better to have him join us in the pub after the show. As always half the fun of getting to these shows is meeting up with friends, old and new but we missed those who didn't make it this time. A brilliant night indeed.......great setting......great weather......great music......great company.
It was a shame that Like a Hurricane was not included in the show which was one of the tracks we heard them rehearse. Maybe it is only a song the use in the run through but It would have been be nice to hear it again. It was also nice to have a really friendly bunch of stewards at Tynemouth which makes such a difference to the night.
It was great to meet up again with our host and the other usual suspects and some of the new faces but well known names that I have seen here many times over the years. I decided to get into the queue early as there were lots of people attending with their picnic chairs and supplies so the crowd would be a bit too spread out for my taste. In the queue I found myself next to Teresa and her family all the way from the US and it was great to chat with you Teresa. I hope you made it up to Edinburgh for a quick visit. It was also great to meet the charming Rendezvous, I see you enjoyed the show too. I was sorry not to have another chat with you both after the show.
I hope any of the forum members here who are going to the upcoming shows in Canada & the US have a great time and enjoy your shows when they come. That was the last show for us until.............................Another Time, Another Place perhaps?
