Elvis - June 1981 - did anyone here see shows that month?

[johnfoyle]

I'm researching aspects of Elvis' second show in the Irish Republic, Macroom, Co. Cork. - June 27 1981

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... 27_Macroom

I hope to post about it here to mark its 30th anniversary , like I did about Elvis' first shows in Ireland in 1978 -

http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2 ... +Rathmines


I have loads of material to work from. What I'm lacking is first hand accounts of people who were in the audience at that show. Rather than find out later , I thought I'd post and see if anyone here was at that show. If not in Macroom, was anyone at the following shows from that time?

Leeds , June 23 1981

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... 1981-06-23

Norwich, June 24 1981

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... 24_Norwich

Torhout, Belgium, July 4 1981

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... 04_Torhout


It would be interesting to get impressions , however vague, of any aspects of these shows. Even just a few lines would be great.

I have recordings of Leeds and Torhout so I've got an idea of the sound that was being made on stage that month.

I look forward to being surprised/overwhelmed by your response!

[sulky lad]

I've got some cuttings in a scrapbook relating to Macroom - oh, shit I forgot you weren't interested when I brought them to the fan meet up in April !! Joking apart, the review by Allan Jones in Melody Maker at that time made it sound like one crazy festival appearance with the locals running riot and Pete Thomas enthusing afterwards about their performance. Looking forward to the obviously fully and profoundly researched articles.

[krm]

I was at the Malmö gig on the 13th. I do not remember anything basically. The tracklist was added to wiki a long time ago! No tape has seen the light of day.

[The imposter]

Any recordings around from that month ?

[johnfoyle]

Leeds is all I have. It deteriorates as the show goes on, indicating that the taper messed up the settings at one point. Or maybe the batteries started to run down. The Attractions are simply on fire in the show, astonishing considering they hadn't played together on stage in nearly three months. The show was also at the same location as the 'Live at Leeds' album by The Who.

[frank]

I was at the Torhout show, Belgium, 4 july 1981. The Torhout gig was part of the Torhout/werchter festival: a two-days festival with the same line-up each day. 1981 was the year of The Undertones, Robert Palmer, The Cure, Dire straits and Elvis and The attractions. Elvis was in great shape, the huge crowd was receiving him as a hero (those days, he was very popular in Belgium) and I remember that the reviews afterwards were great. The show was short - +/- one hour, because of the festival format. Sorry, but that's all I remember. 30 years ago: can't believe it....

Frank.

[johnfoyle]

Research for my Costello/Macroom'81 30th anniversary feature - now to decide what to leave out......


I've posted some of the source material on wiki -

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... 27_Macroom

[sulky lad]

Wonderful reviews, the Hot Press one seems to perfectly capture the decline of Elvis as a "pop star" and the fact that eventually not talking to the media was more damaging than the aloof stance first adopted.