1973

DATES
1973
6th January	Status Quo, JSD Band
	This was part of their "Piledriver" world tour

7th January	Uriah Heep, Silverhead

10th January	Wishbone Ash, Average White Band

13th January	Eric Clapton’s “Rainbow Concert”, Average White Band


	“I think it's difficult to make any comment about this concert
	without reminding that it had been mainly the effort of Pete
	Townsend to get Eric back to life. I agree with those saying
	it's not Eric at his best, but let's all just remember that
	listening to the voice of Eric and the sound itself a success.
	I'm afraid that without the Rainbow Concert we would have
	probably missed all the great music played by Eric in the
	following years.”
	Line-up:
	Ron Wood (gtr, bvoc) / Eric Clapton (gtr, voc) / Pete Townshend (gtr, bvoc)/ Steve Winwood (keyb, bvoc) / Rick Grech (bass)/Rebop (perc)/Jim Capaldi &Jimmy Karstein (dr)


19th January	Chuck Berry, Roy Young Band, With: Trapeze(1st show), Baby Whale(2nd show)
23rd January	Van Morrison
28th January	Isaac Hayes Movement
4th February	Chuck Berry, Fumble
	Des Henly of Fumble recalls "The first time I met Chuck Berry was on a cold winter's night in February 1973, in north London when he was topping the bill at the Rainbow Theatre.Fumble were the opening act. We were all delighted to be playing with Chuck, a rock ‘n roll legend, and enjoyed our role as the band who played the first half of the show. After we’d finished we settled down to watch Chuck from the side of the stage. The first time I saw him, he was still backstage, having a discussion with Peter Bowyer, the promoter, and I sensed all was not right. Chuck had always had a reputation in the music business of being very awkward at times. This apparently dated back to his formative years in rock ‘n roll when he was exploited (as were many) by avaricious publishers and promoters, who were invariably white! Chuck was now a legend and did things his way. I strained my ears to listen! Ready for the stage with his guitar over his shoulder, he was asking for his concert fee before he took the stage. With minutes to go before the scheduled start, this unorthodox request clearly caused much consternation with the promoter. Given little choice however, I saw Peter reach for his cheque book, but it was obvious Chuck was still not happy. “No thank you man, I mean cash, I want cash!”. Peter looked worried before, but now he was panicking, and pleaded with Chuck to accept his cheque. At this point Chuck took his guitar off his shoulders and stepped towards his open guitar case as if to put it away. Peter realised Chuck meant it! He sent his staff scurrying off in all directions to beg steal and borrow the necessary cash, from the box office till, from their own wallets, wherever it could be found. Miraculously, only running about ten minutes late, and with the 2,000 plus crowd becoming impatient for Chuck’s appearance the money was raised and given to the man. Oblivious to the impatient fans, he slowly counted every note, and when satisfied, he folded the notes and stuffed a wadge into each of his two front trouser pockets. Strapping his guitar back on his shoulder, I heard him say to Peter, with his best “show smile” “Well thank you man”. At this point he turned and walked onto the stage, to a tumultuous roar. “Hey Rainbow, I Love You” (another tumultuous roar). I will always remember seeing Chuck strutting around on the stage with his pockets bulging from the wadge of notes he was carrying. As always, he was brilliant, and I was glad to meet “the man”.
9th February	Genesis, String Driven Thing
	Genesis perform 'Foxtrot' for the first time with full costumes


10th February	Colin Blunstone, Steelers Wheel

16th February	Deep Purple, Nazareth
	Richie Blackmore recalls:
	At the end of that tour we played what was then the Astoria at Finsbury Park, with all this stuff, and it was only a three thousand seater! The problem was that once you get used to playing at a certain volume level it's very difficult to back off - it becomes almost like a security blanket - and the thinking was also that if you didn't play at that volume level then you weren't giving of your best. Unknown to us, the Guinness people were there - it wasn't pre-arranged or anything - and so as a result of the volume levels at that gig we became 'the loudest band in the world!' To us it was a hoot, and we had a good laugh over it - I mean we only held the title for a year I think, before The Who took it over - but we seem to have become the band most associated with that. Now, though, we go out of our way not to be too loud!”
18th February	Can, Gunner Kade
	The concerts was filmed and released as "Can Live"
24th February	The Soft Machine, Ivor Cutler, Roger Ruskin-Spear, Hatfield and The North

1st &
3rd March	The James Brown Review

4th March	Rory Gallagher, Greenslade Graham Tidd recalls " I saw Rory Gallagher who had become a 4-piece after the 3 –piece Live In Europe line up, playing stuff from Blueprint, I was in the balcony and thought it would collapse with everyone rocking along. You always got value for money with him and he probably played for 2 hours."


16th March	Black Sabbath, Badger, Necromandus

	Children of the grave, War Pigs, Wicked world & Paranoid all recorded and included in their “Past Lives” Live album
18th March	King Crimson, Claire Hamill
23rd March	Electric Light Orchestra, Thin Lizzy
	Primarily to impress the music critics at their biggest headlining concert to date at the Rainbow Theatre - and to look good on film ELO commissioned stage scenery and back projections from the album cover artwork at a cost of £3,000. The investment proved worthwhile as reviews were both positive and favourable, while the concert itself was recorded for a proposed USA-only live album (later cancelled) and filmed by Martin Baker for UK TV and cinema broadcast. Interestingly, ELO's support band were Thin Lizzy, celebrating their new hit, "Whisky In A Jar"but, according to Disc, "were coldly received by the crowd."
24th March	Billy Preston
27th March	The Temptations, Junior Walker & The All Stars

30th March	Sweet, Geordie
		170

31st March -
1st April	Roxy Music, The Sharks, Lloyd Watson
6th April	Status Quo, Byzantium
7th April	Steve Miller Band, Skin Alley
8th April	Saturnalia, Skin Alley, Pasha

12th April	Traffic, John Martyn


13th April	The Strawbs, Gallagher & Lyle
14th April	Spirit, Glencoe
15th April	The JSD Band, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Lucus & McCullock (Cancelled owing to an outstanding TV commitment in Germany)
17th/
18th April	Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, Beckett
	The line up was the same as the Brighton 1972 gig except for Alex St Claire instead of Winged Eel Fingerling. The concert started with Rockette Morton with an electric toaster strapped on his head. He said, "Good evening. My name is Rockette Morton. I've just come on to do a toast." Then he leapt into the air and played a short free form solo. He went into the riff from Mirror Man and the band joined in. Beefheart came on playing the harp and exhorting everyone to their feet. Hundreds of people left their seats and ran to the front of the stage. It was a brilliant gig. Other songs they played were Abba Zaba, Electricity, Peon, Steal Softly Thu Snow, Booglarise, King Bee, Alice In Blunderland, Nowadays A Womans, Circumstances, Crazy Little Thing, Big Eyed Beans and Golden Birdies


20th/
21st April	West, Bruce & Laing, Jimmy Stevens, Gary Farr
23rd April	Monty Python’s Flying Circus - Rehearsals
	All the Python team plus Neil Innes, Carole Cleveland commence rehearsals for their first nationwide tour entitled “The First Farewell Tour” Michael Palin describes the experience in his dairy “Rehearsals start at 9.30 at The Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park. It’s a mammoth 3,500 seater theatre, with twinkling stars and above the proscenium and along side walls are passageways, alcoves, balconies, in a Spanish-Oriental style, with lights in it for the start of a massive Shakespearian production. It’s a magnificent folly – and it seems an obvious target for redevelopers. However, it continues in being used as a rock theatre – probably helped by the decision of the Albert Hall not to stage any more rock concerts”
26th April	Spirit

3rd May	John Mayall, Michael Chapman

4th/
5th May	Focus

12th May	Family, Fanny, “Legs” Larry Smith
	"Tea goes pop & other recollections" by John HodsonOver the next three years, right up to their premature split, I saw them on many occasions and, looking back, the most bizarre of these was at the Rainbow Theatre in London on 12th May 1973. While the drug culture was very much intertwined with the rock business at the time, it's hard to credit that this concert was sponsored on behalf of a legally grown substance - tea ! The following quote from the programme explains : 'John Smith Productions in association with the Tea Council present the first ever Tea Pop Concert starring Family, Fanny and 'Legs' Larry Smith. Refreshments during the interval are with the compliments of the Tea Council and we hope you will try the different teas being served here tonight. Then take the programme home and you have an instant guide to making tonight's tea recipes'



			* Notice Stone the Crows on ticket, they were replace with Family


13th May	Liza Minnelli


18th May	Al Green, Margie Joseph,Oscar Toney Jr.


19th May	Home, Steelers Wheel

20th May	Jaki Whitren

21st May	Atomic Rooster, Stray

25th/
26th May	Sha Na Na, Esperanto

1st June	Amon Duul 11, Pink Faries
	Ian Runeckles who attended this concert recalls "I must have been to about 5 or 6 gigs at The Rainbow this year and this was possibly the loudest gig that I've ever been to"
2nd June	John Sabastian, Mick Greenwood


9th June	The Edgar Broughton Band, Mr Crisp
	Also on this day The Who do some filming for a backdrop to be used on future shows. However project is dropped due the size of projection screen that will need to be used.
10th June	Faust
	A Fan recalls : "This was a strange affair which involved all members of the band sitting in front of TV screens and improvising. As I remember they only played a really short set. Ther was no support act. Many there were not pleased, even at an entrance fee of £1.00, which was quite a sum back then. I was earning about £6.00 a week, those were the days."

15th June	Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come, David Allen & Gong, Andy Roberts
19th June	Chuck Berry
21st June	Terry Reid, Albert Lee, Vinegar Joe
	with Elkie Brooks & Robert Palmer
24th June	Communist Pageant
29th June	Gary Glitter

30th June	The Manavishnu Orchestra, Jaki Whitren,
	Rod Crisp

? June	The Kinks


2nd July	Dr.John, Allen Toussaint, The Meters
10th July	Miles Davis & Back Door


11th -	Lonesome Stone – Jesus Rock Musical
14th July
	Greenbelt's souvenir ten-year anniversary publication, Greenbelt: Since the Beginning written by Stewart Henderson, explains: The London summer of 1973 was memorably muggy. Long clammy weeks punctuated by the occasional spectacular thunderstorm. It was the season theatre director, Jim Palosaari, brought his hippy troupe of actors, musicians and dancers from the United States to perform their 'Jesus Rock Musical, Lonesome Stone' at the capital's premier rock and roll venue, The Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park. Sponsored by Christian businessman Kenneth Frampton's Deo Gloria Trust, Palosaari's dramatic band of ex-drug addicts and flower children put across a spectacular message of personal salvation through the teachings of Christ using slide shows, wailing guitars, dance, thudding drums and lights that flashed till your eyes streamed. It was the culture of San Francisco's Haight Ashbury but doused in Holy Water . . . 'Lonesome Stone' rambled into the flat wilds of Suffolk where a young musician, James Holloway, studying at Essex University, caught up with it at Mildenhall Airbase. Holloway, a blues singer . . . had a dream. It was of an Arts Festival where Christians came to present their talents before a sympathetic audience and to give God the praise for inventing self-expression in the first place. He got talking to Jim Palosaari and shared his vision with the rugged, rotund Canadian. Palosaari suggested he find a field. A field was found. 'Then you've got yourself a festival', replied Big Jim




22nd July	Carol King


23rd/
24th July	Van Morrison
	These concerts featuring 'The Caledonia Soul Orchestra' were the first ever simultaneous broadcast on BBC 2 & BBC Radio 2. Also voted by Q magazine as one of the top live performances of all time

10th August	Badfinger
7th September	Chuck Berry, Fumble

8th September	Commander Cody & The Lost Planet Airmen, Albert Hammond, Quicksand


13th/14th	Chicago
September	Their only British performance
21st September	Argent, Glencoe

22nd September	Family, Duster Bennett, Phillip Goodhand-Tait, Linda Lewis

26th –29th
September	The Grateful Dead

30th September	Vinegar Joe, East of Eden, Vanessa Redgrave
	Postman’s Benefit concert

3rd/4th
October	The Moody Blues, The Nicky James Band


5th-7th October	Lou Reed, Golden Earring

8th October	Miles Davis
10th October	Man, Deke Lennard’s Iceberg, Vyvyan Morris, John St.Field
12th/13th
October	Status Quo, Savoy Brown
14th	Jo Jo Gunne, Leo Kottke,
October	Country Gazette
19th/
20th October	Genesis, Ron Geesin
21st October	Henry Cow, Faust

23rd October	Liza Minnelli, Charles Aznavour
	Filming an ATV special
25th October	Billy Preston, with guest Mick Jagger,
	Esperanto
26th October	King Crimson, Claire Hamill, Colin Scott
27th October	The Osmonds, Springfield Revival
28th October	Bill Withers, Gallagher & Lyle, Kiki Dee
29th October	Roy Orbison
30th October	The Osmonds, Springfield Revival

31st October	B.B.King, Lou Reed, Golden Earring, The Persuasions

1st November	Al Stewart

2nd November	Hemlock
3rd November	Lindisfarne, Capability Brown, Darren
	Spirit
4th November	Pink Floyd & Soft Machine, Kevin Ayres
	“Robert Wyatt Benefit” compered by John Peel. The concerts raised a reported £10,000 for Wyatt.
5th November	Neil Young, The Santa Monica Flyers, The Eagles
9th November	Nazareth, Silverhead
10th/
11th November	Roxy Music, The London Welsh Male Voice Choir, Leo Sayer

12th November	McGuinness Flint,
	The Incredible String Band
14th/
15th November	Santana, Leon Thomas
16th November	Richie Havens
17th November	Gary Glitter
18th November	Tom Paxton
19th November	Miles Davis
20th –
24th November	Yes Tales from Topographic Oceans Tour
	After an intro of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, the band play Siberian Khatru, And you & I and Close to the edge. Followed by all of Topographic Oceans. The encore is Roundabout.

25th/
26th November	Uriah Heep, The Heavy Metal Kids

27th November	Fairport Convention
28th November	Dionne Warwick, The Peddlers
30th November	Fairport Convention, Gryphon (Cancelled)
1st December	Donovan
2nd December	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
	The Dukes last concert in London. The highlight was Paul Gonsalves playing “Happy Reunion” The Duke was pretty ill at this point and had to leave the stage for long periods, with Raymond Fol replacing him on piano. The Duke died the following May.

3rd December	The Fusion Orchestra
5th December	Argent, CAG
8th December	Rory Gallagher, Strider
	Jackie Finch wrote after the concert: When the brilliant RORY GALLAGHER appeared in concert at the Rainbow recently, he gave one of the best performances I have ever seen. He hadn't appeared in town for nine months, and he was greeted with wild enthusiasm.Support act was STRIDER, a much under-rated band, who provided a very good hour's entertainment , with quite a mixed bag of songs, including their new single, Hester's Place.From the minute Rory stepped on stage, to the inevitable encores, he was superb. The opening number was the spectacular Messin' with the Kid, which went down really well, and he went rocking on with Cradle Rock and Tattood Lady, both from his new album Tattoo. Next was Walk on Hot Coals and A Million Miles Away, beginning with a fantastic guitar solo from Rory.He has an excellent back-up band, consisting of GERRY MCAVOY on bass, LOU MARTIN on keyboards, and ROD DE'ATH on drums. After a few more numbers on electric guitar, the band took a rest and Rory changed over to acoustic. He played many old favourites, amoung them a TONY JOE WHITE composition, As the Crow Flies.The band rejoined him for some more great numbers from his various albums, and sadly the concert drew a close with a couple of hellraising encores with everyone dancing in the aisles. I left the concert feeling absolutely stunned by the magnificent performance given by Rory Gallagher - rock musician extraordinaire.
9th December	Tim Hardin, Lesley Duncan

10th December	Mungo Jerry, Skin Alley

13th/
14th December	“Tommy” live feat: David Essex, Marsha Hunt, Elkie Brooke, Roger Chapman, Graham Bell, Roger Daltrey, L'Anglo Mysterioso, Bill Oddie, Merry Clayton, Vivian Stanshall, Roy Wood, John Pertwee, .Rick Wakeman The London Symphony Orchestra and The English Chamber Choir
15th December	Fairport Convention, Gryphon
	Re-scheduled from 30th November

19th December	Stackridge, Climax Blues Band

21st December	Sweet, Fumble
	“Teenage Rampage” was the new single and Sweet were the hottest band of the moment – Ah! Glam Rock!!

22nd December	The Groundhogs, Stray, Jonesy


Also this year	Jethro Tull use the theatre to film parts of "The hare who lost his spectacles" this film was shown during their "Passion Play tour"
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	Copyright © Rick Burton 2011