Elvis in the Channel Islands

[Otis Westinghouse]

I can't believe my eyes! I've just started in on the Trust booklet, and Elvis is writing about my first ever gig:

"We were on the Channel Island of Jersey, a deeply conservative tax-haven belonging to the UK but improbably close to the French coast. It was hardly the most likely place to be starting out on a European tour, but then this was hardly a typical tour. Steve Nieve had recently been injured in car accident in LA, and I had taken the rash decision to take to the road in a trio format.

Our opening-night concert, on the nearby island of Guernsey, had been a disaster that few of the traumatised audience members will talk about to this day. Having equipped myself with a terrifying stock of guitar pedals and a ferocious cocktail of mind-bending liquids, we stumbled through two more such wretched nights before enlisting the help of Martin Belmont ..."

I grew up on Jersey, but when me and my equally Costello-loving mate heard he was playing in Guernsey, we asked parental permisssion (being only 15 at the time) booked the boat and a bed and breakfast and set off to Guernsey with four of our chums. When he then announced he was playing Jersey too we were too broke to go! I'm clearly an exception to his description of the traumatised audience members - I had a great time! My first gig, didn't know what to expect, didn't know there would be no keyboards, couldn't believe the raw volume of the guitar (completely changing the sound of the band), and his description of his array of guitar pedals fits perfectly. If I ever meet Elvis, I'd love to discuss this gig with him.

And it's nice to see it reinstated in the historical annals, cos I was really disappointed when I first looked at the otherwise brilliantly complete (it would appear) elviscostello.info/gigography section and it made no reference to either of the Channel Island gigs. He'd finished the 'mainland' leg in Nottingham on April 1, having played loads of obscure places like Fishguard and West Calder. Presumably Nieve then did his leg in early April, and sometime shortly before Maastricht on April 16, which is listed on the above as with MB, was when he played the above, which figures cos I recall it was Easter.

I wonder does anyone know of any fuller accounts of this interesting little passage. Is it in any of the books? And can anyone fill in the missing detail of where the third gig as a trio was played? A truly wonderful piece of trivia that would be.

[Brutal Youth]

I was but a mere strip of a lad of 14 when Costello played in my home island of Guernsey. It was and still remains a powerful and indelible experience and is why I took up guitar and formed a band.
Costello appeared as a three piece, but either HAD to return with Nieve or wished to(??) doesn't sound like he enjoyed it by the scribings on the Trust CD inlay.
I remember him saying Steve Nieve couldn't appear as he had a 'Condour moment' (??)

Ah happy daze..

[Otis Westinghouse]

Wow! It took 11 months to get a reply on this, but it was worth it! So that makes at least two of us traumatised audinece members prepared to talk about it. You were even younger than me! Of course I shouldn't be seen to be fraternising with a Guernsey-boy, but I can make an exception here (and that supposed enmity is meaningless to me, not having lived in Jersey for 22 years and not having any Jersey blood in me). I remember being worried that Guernsey toughlads would get wind that we were Jerseyites and kick the shit out of us. I think we even heard a rumour that this was on the cards after the gig. Nearly as scary as the Muratti! I remember that Condor quote now! Dredged up from very buried paarts of my memory.

Costello appeared as a three piece, but either HAD to return with Nieve or wished to(??) doesn't sound like he enjoyed it by the scribings on the Trust CD inlay

Eh? Is that Guernsey syntax?

Welcome on board, anyway, nice to have a fellow Channel Islander! Are you still there?