Monday 2 June 2014



THE LINDISFARNE STORY – ‘live’
Celebrate the legendary Geordie group in Words and Music


PROLOGUE by Ray Laidlaw
“I was a member of Lindisfarne from its conception and loved nearly every minute of it. Billy Mitchell and I first met and made music together in our mid-teens when he was guest vocalist for future Lindisfarne members Simon Cowe, Rod Clements and I in our group, Downtown Faction.

We asked Billy to join Downtown Faction in 1968 but he wanted to concentrate on his own band, we kept looking and asked Ray Jackson who agreed and became part of our group just before we changed the name to Brethren. Shortly afterwards Alan Hull completed the line-up and Brethren became Lindisfarne. Billy watched our success from the sidelines and we approached him again in 1972 when Alan Hull was considering quiting touring with Lindisfarne and concentrating on songwriting. That plan didn't materialise and the original group split in two, creating Lindisfarne Mk 2 and Jack the Lad whose members were Rod Clements, Simon Cowe, Billy Mitchell and me.
I
n the 1980's Billy played in the Lindisfarne offshoot Pacamax with Alan, Rod and I and then following Alan's tragic death in 1995, he joined Rod Clements and I in the Mk 3 version of Lindisfarne which toured for eight years during which we made two studio albums. Billy and I have been bosom buddies since 1966 so he's had the inside track on Lindisfarne from it's formative days till the the Mk 3 retired in 2003.

We tell the Lindisfarne Story through words, music and a fantastic selection of archive songs and pictures, it's a product of fifty years of friendship and musical collaboration that tells the tale of a bunch of Geordie lads who followed their dream and shared a lot of laughs, a few tears, and a barrow load of fantastic music”. (Ray Laidlaw)

Lindisfarne was Tyneside's best-loved band for over thirty years and The Lindisfarne Story is a celebration of the group's music and achievements. The show is devised, written and performed by drummer/founder member Ray Laidlaw, and Billy Mitchell, front man for the final eight years of the group. Ray and Billy perform acoustic versions of Lindisfarne's classic songs and tell the inside story of the group's rise to fame, from Whitley Bay to San Francisco Bay, from Rothbury to Glastonbury. They describe the group's early days on Tyneside in the 1960's hustling for gigs and their rise to fame in the early seventies. The show is illustrated with personal archive photographs and video and describes their worldwide tours, festival successes and TV appearances, their triumphant return home and their unique relationship with Newcastle City Hall, venue for over 130 Lindisfarne performances. Lady Eleanor, Meet Me On The Corner, Fog on the Tyne, Run for Home, all of these songs have a story behind them. Enjoy hearing them again in an intimate venue and discover what was the inspiration behind their composition. You'll hear how the classic songs developed and how Bob Dylan's producer helped Lindisfarne to focus their musical ideas and burst through the glam and manufactured sounds around them to become one of the major British groups of the seventies.

In 2014 the appeal of Lindisfarne is as strong as ever, EMI recently released a 40th anniversary limited edition vinyl version of the certified platinum'Fog On The Tyne' album. Newcastle City Council unveiled a blue plaque on Newcastle City Hall honouring the life and work of the late Alan Hull, the band's much-missed songwriter and singer and in December 2013, "Ray Jackson’s Lindisfarne" performed several concerts around the North East.
As one of 20 ‘notable and inspiring’ names from Tyneside chosen by the public, Lindisfarne have had their name cast in bronze for a Hollywood-style ‘Hall of Fame’, commemorating their contribution to the North East. The band’s name is immortalised alongsideSir Bobby Robson, Sting, Kathryn Tickell, Alan Shearer and ‘Auf Weidersehen, Pet’ writers, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais along Gateshead Newcastle Quayside.



The Lindisfarne Story has captured the imagination of the fans and media:
'Just a line to thank you all for a fantastic night’s entertainment in Whitley Bay Saturday past. We were a group of 8 and each and every one of us had a fabulous night. After many years front of house in large venues worldwide I doubt I have enjoyed myself more.' 
(John Tweddle)

'The Lindisfarne Story at the Gala Theatre in Durham last night was fantastic...thank you !' (Mary Douglas)

'Don't miss it!' 
(Sam Wonfor, Newcastle Journal)

Official Website
2014
SEPTEMBER
4th Berwick Maltings, Eastern Ln, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland TD15 1AJ 01289 330999 www.maltingsberwick.co.uk/ 7.30pm  £18.50

6th Darlington Civic Theatre  Parkgate Darlington DL1 1RR  Tel: 01325 486 555 www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk/ 7.30pm  £16.50+ £18.50

7th KESWICK - Theatre By The Lake,Lakeside, Lake Rd, Keswick, Cumbria CA125DJ www.theatrebythelake.com  017687 74411 7.30pm  £18.50  £15

10th Buxton Pavilion : St John's Rd, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6BE  01298 23114 www.paviliongardens.co.uk/  7.30pm  £19.50 + Discounts

11th Banbury The Mill  Spiceball Park, Spiceball Park Rd, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX16 5QE 01295 279002 

12th Ilkley Kings Hall 4 Station Rd, Ilkley LS29 8HB 01943 436224 www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/kings-hall 7.30pm  £21+T/F

14th Harlow Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Town Centre, Harlow CM20 1LS 01279 431945 www.playhouseharlow.com 7.30pm £19.50

16th Bilston Robin 220-28 Mt Pleasant, Bilston, West Midlands WV14 7LJ, United Kingdom 01902 497860  www.therobin.co.uk/whats_on/  7.30pm £18.50 adv  £19.50 door

17th Croydon Ashcroft Theatre Fairfield Halls, Park Ln, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1DG, United Kingdom +44 20 8681 0821 www.fairfield.co.uk/ 7.45pm £18.50 + B/F

18th Wimborne The Tivoli Theatre West Borough Wimborne Minster Dorset BH21 1LT 01202 885566  7.30pm  £18.50

19th Falmouth Princess Pavilion41 Melvill Rd, Falmouth TR11 4AR, United Kingdom 01326 310980 www.tempusleisure.org.uk/ 7.30pm  £18.50

20th Weston Super Mare Playhouse 126-130 High St, Avon BS23 1HP, United Kingdom



21st Kettering Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering Conference Centre, Thurston Dr, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN15 6PB, United Kingdom +44 1536 414141 lighthousetheatre.co.uk/  7.30pm  £18.50

24th Rhyl Pavillion E Parade, Rhyl, Clwyd LL18 3AQ, United Kingdom 01745 330000 www.rhylpavilion.co.uk/7.30pm  £18.50 + £1.50 concessions off

25th Newark Palace Theatre, Applegate Newark-on-Trent G24 1JY 01636 655755   7.30pm £19.50 + online 01636 655755 B/F http://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/palacetheatre/

26th: Edmonton Millfield Arts Centre Silver Street, Edmonton, London, N18 1PJ T: 020 8807 6680 www.theatresonline.com/theatres/edmonton-theatres/milfield-arts-centre/book-tickets.html  7.45pm  £19.50  online £18.50

28th Shanklin I.O.W. Shanklin Theatre Prospect Rd, Shanklin, Isle of Wight PO37 6AJ, United Kingdom http://www.shanklintheatre.com/ 7.30pm  £18.50 +44 1983 868000

30th Wakefield Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Town Centre, Wakefield WF1 2TE, United Kingdom www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk/ +44 1924 211311 

OCTOBER
1st Rotherham Civic Theatre Catherine Street, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S65 1EB. www.rotherhamtheatres.co.uk/ +44 1709 823621  7.30pm  £18.50

2nd Clacton Westcliff TheatreTower Rd, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO15 1LE, United Kingdom www.westcliffclacton.co.uk   +44 1255 433344  7.30pm  £20  

3rd Camberley Camberley TheatreKnoll Rd, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3SY, United Kingdom www.camberleytheatre.biz/  +44 1276 707600  7.30pm  £18.50

4th Boston Blackfriars Arts Centre Spain Lane Boston Lincolnshire PE21 6HP £18.50 www.blackfriarsartscentre.co.uk/whatson.php 01205 363108 Time tbc

5th Hunstanton Princess Theatre   13 The Green, Hunstanton, Norfolk PE36 5AH,

01485 532252 www.princesshunstanton.co.uk/   7.30pm  £18.50

7th Margate Theatre Royal Addington St, Margate CT9 1PW, 

+44 845 130 1786   theatreroyalmargate.com/  7.30pm  £18.50 - concessions

8th Bury St Edmunds Apex 1 Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3FD, 01284 758000   www.theapex.co.uk/  8pm  £18.50

9th Milton Keynes The Stables, Stockwell Lane, Wavendon, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK17 8LU,  +44 1908 280800  www.stables.org/Whats_on/All/October_2014 8pm  £19.50  £17.50

10th Haywards Heath Clare Hall  Perrymount RoadHaywards Heath West Sussex RH16 3DN 01444 455440 www.freedom-leisure.co.uk/ 8pm  £18.50

11th Leamington Spa Assembly Hall The Assembly Spencer Street Leamington Spa Warwickshire  CV31 3NF www.leamingtonassembly.com/events.aspx  7pm  £18.50

12thPeterborough, Key Theatre, Embankment Rd, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE1 1EFWhat's On | Things To Do in Peterborough at Vivacity www.vivacity-peterborough.com/whats-on/ +44 1733 207239

14th Crewe Lyceum, Heath St, Crewe, Cheshire CW1 2DA 01270 368242 https://crewelyceum.co.uk/   7.30pm  £18.50

15th Stevenage Gordon Craig Theatre Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre Lytton Way, Stevenage, Herts SG1 1LZ  www.gordon-craig.co.uk/  7.45pm  £19.50 

16th Scunthorpe Plowright Theatre Laneham St, Scunthorpe, South Humberside DN156JP 0844 854 2776 www.scunthorpetheatres.co.uk/

17th WIGAN - Parish Church,Crawford St, Wigan WN1 http://www.acoustic-roots.co.uk/gig-calendar/ Tickets are £15.00 (adv) or £17.50 (door). www.wegottickets.com OR Symphony Music Market St,  Wigan and The Coven Restaurant, Hallgate, Wigan. Also available from David Cartlidge on dtcartlidge@gmail.com or ring 01942 824291 or (by prior arrangement) to personal callers at our address. If I’m posting them out please add a SAE or £1 for p+p.

18th Langholm Buccleuch Centre Buccleuch Pl, Langholm DG13 0AW 013873 81196 www.buccleuchcentre.com/ 

19th Ayr Gaiety Theatre  Carrick St, Ayr, South Ayrshire KA7 1NU 01292 288235  ayrgaiety.co.uk/  7.30pm  £19.50 / £18.50 conc

21st Leeds City VarietiesSwan St, Leeds LS1 6LW,  0845 644 1881  www.cityvarieties.co.uk/  7.30pm  £18.50/ £21.50 (Box restricted view)

22nd Darwen Library Theatre Knott St, Darwen BB3 3BU, 01254 706006 www.darwenlibrarytheatre.com/ 7.30pm  £18

23rd Epsom Playhouse Ashley Ave, Epsom KT18 5AL 01372 742555  www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk/  7.30pm  £18.50

24th Blackwood Miners Institute: High St, Blackwood NP12 1AA 01495 227206  your.caerphilly.gov.uk/bmi/whatson/whats-on  7.30pm  £18.50

26th Monmouth Savoy Church St, Monmouth NP25 3BU, +44 1600 772467 www.monmouth-savoy.co.uk/  7.30pm  £18.50

28th Bedford Corn Exchange St Paul's Square, Bedford MK40 1SL, 01234 344813 www.bedfordcornexchange.co.uk/  7.30pm  £17

29th Cannock Prince Of Wales Theatre Church  St, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 1DE, 01543 578762 www.wlct.org/cannock/theatre/

30th Horsham Capitol North St, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1RG 01403 750220 www.thecapitolhorsham.com/  7.30pm £18.50

31st  NEW BRIGHTON PAVILLION Floral Pavilion Theatre Marine Promenade New Brighton Wirral CH45 2JS Theatre Box Office: 0151 666 0000 www.floralpavilion.com/ 7.30pm  £18.50+ £1 B/F

NOVEMBER
3rd Chesterfield Pomegranate Theatre Corporation St, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S41 7TX www.pomegranatetheatre.co.uk /+44 1246 345222

4th: East Grinstead Chequer MeadDe La Warr Rd, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3BS 01342 302000 www.chequermead.org.uk/ 7.30pm  £18.50

8th GATESHEAD, The Sage St Mary's Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead NE8 2JR, 0191 443 4666 www.sagegateshead.com  8pm  £18.50  £15.50
15t: DURHAM, The Gala Theatre1 Millennium Pl, Durham DH1 1WA 0300 026 6600 www.galadurham.co.uk/  7.30pm  £18.50

No comments:

Post a Comment