1979 Sweet gigs – confirmed
Tuesday 5 June 1979
· supporting Journey
· @ Shea’s Theater, Buffalo, New York
· review by Tim Switala (Journey Band Balances Fiery, Soulful Sounds) appeared in the Buffalo News (6 June 1979, page no. unknown):-
‘...Opening the show was British quintet Sweet whose uneven set of familiar hits was enough to gain them an encore.’
Friday 8 June 1979
· supporting Journey (Sweet described as ‘special guest’)
· @ the Palladium Theater, New York City
· gig is listed in the Village Voice (21 May 1979, p.56; 28 May 1979, p.70; 4 June 1979, p.75)
· tickets $8.50, $7.50
· no review found
· other artists appearing at the Palladium in May-June 1979 included the Patti Smith Group, Joe Jackson, the Tom Robinson Band, and (on 9 June) UFO and AC/DC
Saturday 9 June 1979
· supporting Journey
· @ the Capitol Theater, Passaic, New Jersey
· gig is listed in the Village Voice (21 May 1979, p.60; 28 May 1979, p.62; 4 June 1979, p.78)
· a concert program for this gig was created by Moyssi, lighting director at the Capitol from 1971-1986 (see http://www.moyssi.com/790609.htm)
· the gig is also included in the ‘Complete list of Capitol Concerts 1971-1984’ compiled by John Goodfellow (also @ Moyssi’s site http://www.moyssi.com/capitolshows.htm)
· no review found
· other artists appearing at the Capitol in May-June 1979 included the Patti Smith Group and the Tom Robinson band
Saturday 16 June 1979
· supporting Journey
· @ the Orpheum Theater, Boston, Massachusetts
· review by Steve Morse (Heavy metal on hot night) appeared in The Boston Globe (18 June 1979, p.24):-
‘...Sweet’s opening set was inconsistent. The band’s ingratiating power-teenybop tone is sometimes drawn-out, and it’s certainly not helped by its frightfully lead-footed drummer. Sweet remains a spotty singles band with a few great records but, overall, lacks cohesion.’
Sunday 17 June 1979
· supporting Journey
· @ the Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland
· gig is listed in The Baltimore Sun (15 June 1979, P.B2)
· gig is also listed in the ‘pop notes’ section of The Columbia Flier (14 June 1979, p.74) by Geoffrey Himes
· review by Geoffrey Himes (Journey and Sweet, Very Loudly) appeared in The Washington Post (18 June 1979, p.B9 in the section Style: The Arts, Television, Leisure):-
‘Journey and Sweet made the seats at the Merriweather Post Pavilion vibrate last night. The impact on people was numbing.
The show is the first under new rules prohibiting non-ticket-holders from Symphony Woods, Columbia’s public park surrounding the pavilion...from 90 minutes before each show until 90 minutes after...
Sweet’s set was one long blare. They ended with their hit single, based on the most insipid simile in recent memory: “Love is like oxygen.” ’
· another review probably also by Geoffrey Himes (no byline) (The Pavilion turns it up) appeared in The Columbia Flier (c. 18 June 1979, page no. unknown):-
‘June was the first concert night [sic] of the 1979 Merriweather Post Pavilion season. It was also the first night of the new rule prohibiting non-ticketholders from Symphony Wood from 90 minutes before each show till 90 minutes afterward. The edges of the wood were lined by security guards in rain ponchos. But wet weather and mediocre music kept the crowds away...
When I first arrived, I sat in the second row as Sweet cranked up. The seats vibrated and you couldn’t hear the person next to you shout...
Sweet’s Andy Scott summed up the size of the crowd with the comment: “I hope you all didn’t come in the same taxi.” Unfortunately, that was the only bit of wit Sweet displayed the whole night...’
· other artists appearing at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in June-July 1979 included the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Engelbert Humperdink, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, Blondie, and Lou Rawls
Tuesday 19 June 1979
· supporting Kiss
· @ the Savannah Civic Center Arena, Savannah, Georgia
· gig is listed in article by Hank Orberg (Kiss to Perform Here Tuesday)appearing in the Savannah Morning News – Sunday magazine (17 June 1979, section G, p.8)
· tickets $10.25
· review by Krys Keller (Kiss: Bizarre, But Appealing...Bizarre Rock Group Has Strange Appeal) appeared in the Savannah Morning News (20 June 1979, pp.1B, 5C):-
‘...Sweet, the five-piece English rock group with several hits of their own, has set the scene.
“We’re here to kick the (expletive deleted) out of disco!” Sweet’s lead guitarist yelled. As the crowd roared its approval, the group moved into “Can’t Stand That Disco Music” [Discophony].
Sweet records for Capitol Records and plays recent hits “Cold As Ice” [sic – Love is like oxygen?] and “Fox On the Run” to the delight of the milling, jean-clad onlookers...’
Saturday 23 June 1979
· supporting Cheap Trick
· @ Sunken Garden Theater, San Antonio, Texas
· gig is listed in the San Antonio Express-News (22 June 1979, p.14-W)
· tickets $7.75
Thursday 28 June 1979
· supporting Cheap Trick
· @ the Coliseum, Houston, Texas
· review by Dale Adamson (Cheap Trick concert sweet revenge) appeared in the Houston Chronicle (29 June 1979, section 2, p.1):-
‘...Opening the show was Sweet, a competent quintet of not-quite-so-hard rockers with excellent high-pitched harmonies on tunes like Love is Like Oxygen and even nicer guitar harmonies on Mother Earth. One guitarist, Andy Scott, seems so enamored of Pete Townshend that he even emulates his scissor kicks and around-the-world strumming style. No match for Cheap Trick.’
Saturday 30 June 1979
· supporting Cheap trick
· @ Hirsch Coliseum, Shreveport, Louisiana
· review by John Andrew Prime (Solid show delivered by Cheap Trick, Sweet) appeared in The Shreveport Times (1 July 1979, page no. unknown):-
‘Cheap Trick and Sweet didn’t exactly fill Hirsch Coliseum Saturday night. That could be the cheapest trick pulled on a Shreveport rock ‘n’ roll audience in a long time. Cheap Trick – plagued by apparent equipment problems and Hirsch’s troubled acoustics – delivered a solid show and put recent concerts to shame...
Sweet opened the show with rock that seemed a bit pale in the light of what followed. “Discophony” was an interesting number, highlighted by the guitar work of Andy Scott. “Ballroom Blitz” and “Fox On The Run” were also noteworthy for Gary Moseley’s [sic – Moberley’s] keyboard work.’
Monday 2 July 1979
· supporting Cheap Trick (Sweet described as ‘special guest’)
· @ Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, Oklahoma
· ad for gig appears in The Oklahoman (17 June 1979, p.191)
· article previewing the upcoming gig (Cheap Trick to appear at Noble Center July 2 – author unknown) also appears in The Oklahoman (17 June 1979, p.198):-
‘...Sweet has been performing for more than a decade and has sold more than 35 million records worldwide.
The group’s “Level Headed” album last year featured the hit “Love is Like Oxygen.” Sweet’s current, self-produced album is title “Cut Above the Rest.”
Former lead vocalist Brian Connolly left the group to pursue a solo career before the new album was recorded in England. The remaining members include Steve Priest, Mick Tucker and Andy Scott.
Sweet’s biggest hits from an earlier stage in the group’s career include “Little Willy” and “Ballroom Blitz.”
· tickets $7.75
· no review found
1979 Sweet gigs – not confirmed
The following lists my findings to date regarding other possible Sweet dates.
The dates investigated were taken from the Sweetlife site, http//www.sweetlife.dk/1, in conjunction with the following gigographies:-
Journey http://www.journey-tribute.com/journey/resources/tour_info_past.html
Cheap Trick http://www.ctnewseurope.co.uk/gigs_1974_79.htm
Thin Lizzy http://www.thinlizzyguide.com/tours/tour_ram.htm
Kiss http://www.kissfanshop.de/Tourdates/TourdatesDynasty.htm
? Sunday 3 June 1979
· no details regarding a Journey/Sweet gig @ the War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York have been located
· search conducted by the Onondaga County Public Library (447 South Salina St, Syracuse, NY 13202-2494) – http://www.onlib.org/
Wednesday 6 June 1979
· Journey did appear @ The Dome Arena, Rochester, New York
· Journey were not supported by Sweet, but by The Good Rats
· review by Bruce Pilato (Remarkable ‘Journey’ returns with ‘Good Rats’) appeared in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (8 June 1979, p.6C)
? Sunday 10 June 1979
· no details regarding a Journey/Sweet gig @ Croton Point Park, New York, or @ Lake Erie, New York, have been located
· search conducted by the Croton Free Library (171 Cleveland Drive, Croton-on- Hudson, NY 10520) – http://www.crotonfreelibrary.org/ - and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY 14203-1887) – http://www.buffalolib.org/
· a Sweet CD labelled ‘Lake Erie June 10, 1979’ exists; however its provenance (and hence accuracy of date/venue) remains uncertain
? Tuesday 12 June 1979
· no details regarding a Journey/Sweet gig @ Broome County Arena, Binghamton, New York have been located
· search conducted by the Broome County Public Library (185 Court St, Binghamton, NY 13901) – http://www.bclibrary.info/
? Wednesday 13 June 1979
· no details regarding a Journey/Sweet gig @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland on this date were located
· search conducted by the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Library/State Library Resource Center (400 Cathedral St, Baltimore MD 21201) – http://www.prattlibrary.org/
· Journey and Thin Lizzy gigographies raise the possibility that these 2 bands played Central Park, New York on 13 June 1979, but this is unconfirmed
· Journey and Sweet did appear at the Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday 17 June 1979 (see details under ‘confirmed gigs’)
· as the confirmed 17 June gig appears to have been the first concert night of the 1979 Merriweather Post Pavilion season, an earlier gig at this venue on or around 13 June seems unlikely
? Friday 15 June 1979
· Journey did appear @ the Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, New York on this date
· Journey’s appearance confirmed by listing in the Saratoga Performing Arts Center 1979 Season Program, and a photo of Journey in performance at SPAC on 15 June appearing in The Saratogian (17 June 1979, page no. unknown – photo by Jim Sargent)
· Sweet are not mentioned in any of the data located
· Thin Lizzy gigography raises the possibility (unconfirmed) that Thin Lizzy may have supported Journey in Saratoga on 15 June 1979
? Monday 18 June 1979
· no details regarding a Journey/Sweet gig @ the Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland have been located
· search conducted by the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Library/State Library Resource Center (400 Cathedral St, Baltimore MD 21201) – http://www.prattlibrary.org/
· Journey gigography lists a Journey gig (unconfirmed) @ this venue for 19 June 1979
Wednesday 20 June 1979
· Kiss gig scheduled for this date @ the Savannah Civic Center Arena, Savannah, Georgia was cancelled (reported in article by Hank Orberg, Kiss to Perform Here Tuesday) appearing in the Savannah Morning News – Sunday magazine, 17 June 1979, section G, p.8)
· as reported in the above article, all 700 tickets purchased for this date were to be honoured at the Kiss/Sweet gig held at the same venue, Tuesday 19 June 1979
? Friday 22 June 1979
· no details regarding a Cheap Trick/Sweet gig in Odessa, Texas have been located
· search conducted by Ector County Public Library (321 W.5th St, Odessa, TX 79761) – http://www.ector.lib.tx.us/
? Sunday 24 June 1979
· Cheap Trick did appear @ Manor Downs, Austin, Texas on this date
· review by Joe Frolik (Cheap Trick wows audience at Manor Downs) appeared in the Austin American Statesman (26 June 1979, page no. unknown)
· Sweet are listed as support for this gig (together with Fools) on Kim Gisborne’s Cheap Trick gigography (http://www.ctnewseurope.co.uk/gigs_1974_79.htm); despite kindly searching, Kim has been unable to locate the source material for this information
· The Texas Monthly magazine (June 1979, p.18) lists Graham Parker & The Rumour as the support for Cheap Trick at this gig
? Tuesday 26 June 1979
· no details regarding a Cheap Trick/Sweet gig in Dallas, Texas on this date were located
· search conducted by the Dallas Public Library (1515 Young St, Dallas, TX 75201) – http://www.dallaslibrary2.org/
? Friday 29 June 1979
· no details regarding a Cheap Trick/Sweet gig in Corpus Christi, Texas have been located
· search conducted by the Corpus Christi Public Library (805 Comanche St, Corpus Christi, TX 78401) – http://www.cclibraries.com/
? Sunday 1 July 1979
· Cheap Trick did appear @ the Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Texas on this date
· Sweet are not mentioned in any of the data found
· Cheap Trick’ s appearance confirmed by listing in The Dallas Morning News (29 June 1979, p.Guide-3) and the Dallas Times Herald (29 June 1979, p. 2-1)
· review by Pete Oppel (Cheap Trick’s search earns some admiration) appeared in The Dallas Morning News (3 July 1979, p.10A)
· tickets $8, $7
· ticket stubs from this gig may be viewed at the site http://www.lookatstubs.com ; however Sweet are not mentioned on any of the relevant tickets
Notes
· The dates provided by gigographies were used as a basis for investigation only; they cannot be assumed to be accurate, as errors/unconfirmed dates are common
· I would like to thank the following for their kind help in this research: Mark Gordon (aka Gordo); Moyssi; Kim Gisborne; Mick Duthie; the Georgia Historical Society; the Saratoga Performing Arts Center; Alex Tough @ the National Library of Australia; Ros Perry @ the Wollongong City Library – and, most of all, the magnificent public library system of the USA!
Katrina (‘kitkat’) Samaras
13 July 2011