Here's what I wrote shortly after the gig: "A great night. Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe were excellent musically. Ian Dury was unbelievable. Only the twat Wreckless Eric let things down a bit - apart from the single his stuff was rubbish. Overall EC was probably best - did a great encore of Alison."

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My diary notes that the lead singer of the Tyla Gang was "a fat balding bloke who jumped about a lot - stupid prat". The PA broke down, delaying AC/DC's set until about 10pm. Apparently, they "got better as the night went on" and were "quite enjoyable". Damned by faint praise, I would say.

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At this distance in time, it's hard to believe that this was very much Lofgren's tour. The programme (for which I've added a few scans) was heavy on NL, with just a couple of pages set aside to introduce Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I believe this was only the latter's 2nd UK gig. I'd gone to see Lofgren, but TP&TH completely stole the show. At the time I noted that they were "BLOODY EXCELLENT, real shit hot rock & roll". After that, Lofgren was (inevitably, in retrospect) something of a disappointment, though the 2nd half of his set was tighter. Naturally, we were treated to the trampette somersault at the end, which was always a crowd pleaser.

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I was conned into buying a ticket by two god-bothering door knockers. Awful.

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According to my diary, Dick Envy were "terrible" and The Adverts "weren't much better ... TV Smith was the only one who knew what he was doing". Sounds like a cracker.

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Worth going for John Otway alone. His half hour set was shambolic and mad, as always. Alexei was good too.

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Simon and Garfunkel live
by Chris Heard
BBC News Website - Friday, July 16, 2004

Simon and Garfunkel only played their second UK concert in more than 20 years to 50,000 fans at London's Hyde Park on Thursday.

Few acts can rival Simon and Garfunkel's famous catalog of hits in capturing the elusive spirit of mid-1960s America.

Nearly 40 years after their heyday, there is little in pop and rock music as evocative of a time, a place and the mood of an era.

Framed somewhere between Kennedy's death and the march of Vietnam, Simon's songs and Garfunkel's angelic voice distilled the end-of-innocence transition from folky optimism to poignant reflection.

The duo's harmonies seem forever destined to form the soundtrack for grainy footage of civil rights marches and stripey-scarved students at campus sit-ins.

But these are truly classic songs which have not only survived but aged well, sounding fresh and invigorated when replicated live - 50 years after the pair, now both 63, met and forged their friendship.

Heralding their arrival on stage, a series of video images on a giant screen replays iconic moments in culture - from the moon landings and a disco floor to the Berlin Wall's collapse and the Millennium celebrations.

Interspersed with mischievous shots of the pair's changing hairlines and dodgy fashion choices, the message seems to be: 'Not only have we witnessed and survived all this, we're intact and as vital as ever'. And so it would prove.

The sight of them physically side by side is an instantly recognizable delight, one much loved by the caricaturists: Garfunkel, tall and serene, the lion's mane of hair still framing his studied features. Simon, diminutive and fluid, rocking with his acoustic guitar.

"Here's a song about my country, and a time and place that no longer exists," says Garfunkel introducing America, Simon's mythical journey into the soul of a nation that symbolized a generation's idealism.

While unashamedly nostalgic and bordering on the sentimental, there is also a playful undertone, with both parties - noted for their fall-outs over the years - drawing on the irony of the tour's Old Friends title.

"This is now the 50th anniversary of the friendship that I hold very close to me," says Garfunkel, before Simon counters: "Fourteen years old we started to argue. That makes this the 48th anniversary (of us arguing)."

Introducing musical heroes The Everly Brothers, the four run through a celebratory Bye Bye Love with an energy that belies a combined age pushing 250.

The show - part of a tour which will reputedly make the duo £ 30m - is also an upbeat affair, with electric guitars, piano and occasional strings joining their more pastoral moments.

An enthusiastic crowd cheerily greets gem after gem: The Sound of Silence, I Am A Rock, Homeward Bound, Keep The Customer Satisfied, Kathy's Song, Hazy Shade Of Winter, Scarborough Fair, The Boxer, Mrs Robinson ...

Will Young, Zoe Ball and Little Britain's Matt Lucas are among the revelers at Hyde Park on a still midsummer's night for what will probably be the last UK approximation of the duo's legendary New York Central Park concert.

The set ends with the hymnal Bridge Over Troubled Water, and 50,000 people are rapt.

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From my diary of 7/May/76 : "Budgie turned out to be crap, just a nasty row ..."

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From my diary of the time: "Scorpio Rising were supported by Curveball who were fairly ordinary, pop with louder guitars. SR were brilliant though, starting with 'Bliss' they belted through a 45-minute set which included their current single 'Saturnalia'."

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Los Angeles Times - 6th June 1988.
Pop Capsules : Clannad: Hooting and Hollering at the Wiltern
By CHRIS WILLMAN

Hearts melt and float off toward the Atlantic when Maire Ni Bhraonain of the Irish group Clannad lets loose her lovely vibrato. The fact that she often sings in Gaelic, a language in which few Angelenos are well-versed, matters little. Her utterly entrancing voice seems airy/wispy and knockout/powerful all at once.

If that seems like a contradiction in terms, consider the amorphous sound of the band itself, which encompasses suggestions of Gregorian chants, traditional Celtic music, Fairport Convention-style folk, Cocteau Twins-style ethereality, new age and soft rock. This blend met with unexpected attendance and receptivity Friday at the Wiltern, site of the band’s first American concert in eight years.

Opening with the delicate, almost a cappella “Caislean Oir,” Clannad was greeted by a hooting and hollering crowd that sounded as if it was fresh from an Irish pub. The effect was not unlike visiting a European cathedral where other tourists are yelling “rock ‘n’ roll!”

Ironically, the few times Clannad actually tried to act and sound like a rock band, the boisterous crowd grew quieter. Greater enthusiasm was reserved for the more acoustic, traditionally rooted material that makes this group something special. And rightfully so.

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(This is a review I wrote for a fanzine at the time)
"As soon as we paid to get in we were given a Jam badge, pretty good.. most bands would charge 50p or so for that.
Radio Stars were on first; their music was rock with heavy metal / commercial leanings but they tried to act like new wavers. At one point lead singer Andy Ellison took off his plain T-shirt and put on a paint-splattered one. Hmm.. 5 out of 10.
When The Jam came on everybody cheered but didn't really exert themselves so after a couple of songs Paul Weller (guitar, vocals) told the audience to dance. After a few more numbers then 'In The City' the place went wild. Almost everyone there was dancing. The band played 'Non-Stop Dancing', 'Time For Truth' (a killer), 'Takin' My Love', 'Slow Down', 'Art School', 'Changed My Address', 'London Girl', and the Batman theme among others.
The stage sound was clear as a bell, really ace. The individual musicians know how to play R'n'B, Paul Weller smashing the chords out of his Rickenbacker like there's no tomorrow (cliché), Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler (bass and drums respectively) are an A1 rhythm unit, moving through the set like a pair of bulldozers. That reminds me, 'Bricks And Mortar' is just about THE social commentary on the housing problem. Strong stuff. They went off, came back, went off, came back, went off, came back. Then went home I suppose. Three encores, really demanded by the crowd. Real value for money although you go home knackered through dancing so much."

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This was Petula’s debut appearance live in the United States which garnered great reviews .
Opening act was comedian Lee Tully

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CROWD GETS PETTY WORKED UP AT ARENA

Robert Morast, Argus Leader, Friday, June 27, 2003

Tom Petty may have been the most gracious rock legend on Earth Thursday night.

In front of 6,100 very appreciative fans, and with obvious zeal on his face, Petty constantly thanked his audience between songs as if the guy hadn't heard cheering in 12 years.

"You're getting me all excited," Petty said from stage. "When I get all excited I go wild. I can't be responsible for myself when I get all worked up. Just, so you still respect me tomorrow."

Arena officials were excited too. Petty's performance was the Arena's highest grossing concert ever. Final numbers weren't available, but Arena officials confirmed that it broke the previous single-show record held by Aerosmith for a 1998 show that grossed more than $250,000.

Even though the show wasn't a sell-out - Arena capacity is 6,800 - an average ticket price of $44.50 made it the top grossing show.

Aside from making Arena history, the show was special because it was the first date of Petty's current tour.

Even more special may have been a rare symbiosis between musicians and spectators where the two actually seemed on par with each other.

After spirited renditions of Petty and the Heartbreaker hits like "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and "Free Fallin'" (to which the crowd freely sang along) the audience bathed the blond rocker with honest applause.

Amped up by the appreciation, Petty smiled, danced and shimmied his way through classic rock tunes while actually looking like he was having fun - not a trait exhibited by all musicians when they hit Sioux Falls.

Because of Petty's excitement, the symbiosis was less parasitic than most concerts and felt more spiritual, resulting in a very enjoyable and entertaining concert.

The entertainment factor started early when opener Mavis Staples ended her set by talking to the crowd during a rendition of "I'll Take You There" and paying heed to "Sioux City, S.D." Not surprisingly, boos followed.

Unphased by the major faux pas, the crowd clapped when Staples left the stage and began waiting for the main draw.

At 8:45 Petty and his longtime backing band the Heartbreakers took the stage and strolled into "American Girl."

For a first tour date, the band sounded surprisingly good with no major hiccups or minor malfunctions.

Wearing a turquoise blazer, Petty danced through "You Don't Know How it Feels" for the night's second number and gave the crowd its first clue that he was feeling good.

Portions of the crowd also took Petty's advice from the song. When he sang "Let's roll another joint," wafts of marijuana smoke christened the show with the smell of a "real" rock concert.

"The joint is jumping tonight, just jumping," Petty said from stage.

Maybe the fans just appreciated a good sound. Petty's voice was what you'd expect: it sounded just like the albums, but with enough added spunk to raise the energy level. Ditto for the Heartbreakers. This was especially evident during "The Waiting," which sounded excellent thanks to an evident tempo boost.

Petty also served up the title track from last year's album "The Last DJ" and an unrecorded new song with a title that wasn't easily understood by this writer.

It could have been "The Limit" or "Melinna" or something phonetically similar [ed. note: "Melinda"]. Regardless of the name, the acoustic guitar driven tune was good, with a driving country beat and keyboard quality reminiscent of the Doors.

An hour into the performance, Petty still had the crowd standing and singing along.

Walking away, two things were evident: Petty had a ton of fun. And he's definitely a living piece of Americana.

Each of his songs reads like a journal entry that could easily have been written by Joe Average in Anytown, U.S.A. He captures the experiences we all live through. But manages to romanticize them in a way that makes life feel a little better, at least until the song is over.

Or in the case of last night, until the concert was over.

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Jeff Gemmill's review.

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I was there brilliant gig

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A show limited to 1000 punters enjoyed the Lips run through "The Soft Bulletin" album in random order. Most of the songs were heavily reworked arrangements from the now 20 year old classic album. It didn't matter, the band was tight and all the songs sounded great. The crowd screamed "Wayne". Lots of confetti, bubbles and blow up dolls added to the spectacle. The venue was great and the house sound was great. The crowd screamed "Wayne" again. There was a five song encore where the Lips unleashed "She Don't Use Jelly", "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (Pt.2)", "Are You A Hypnotist", "It's Summertime" and "Do You Realize??" just for good measure. The crowd screamed "Wayne" some more and everyone left happy. A memorable evening out.

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Springsteen Has 83,000 Celebrating
By ROBERT HILBURN
THE LOS ANGELES TIMES - SATURDAY, SEP. 28, 1985

TIMES POP MUSIC CRITIC
The 83,000 fans who filled the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday night for the first of Bruce Springsteen’s four concerts came to celebrate.

They stood in front of their chairs (or on them) and danced as the New Jersey-born rocker, performing in front of a huge American flag, opened the show with “Born in the U.S.A.,” a rousing but complex song about a Vietnam veteran rallying against the disillusionment of returning home to indifference.

The audience moved even more energetically two songs later, when Springsteen and his seven-member E Street Band raced through “Two Hearts,” an uplifting tune about renewing one’s dreams.

With the audience’s spirits so high, the last thing most rockers would do--especially in a vast stadium setting--is slow the pace for a series of stark social commentaries. But Springsteen’s commitment to exploring failures--as well as victories--in America is what has helped make him the most acclaimed figure in U.S. rock since Bob Dylan in the mid-1960s.

In songs like “Johnny 99" and “My Hometown,” Springsteen explains how the American dream has been replaced by a nightmare for many of his fellow citizens. Introducing “The River,” one of his most poignant songs, he reminded the crowd about the plight of unemployed steelworkers in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.

‘Shadow of a Dream’

“What do you do when the jobs go away, but the people remain?” he asked. “When communities begin to disappear and families fall apart, and you end up living in the shadow of a dream?”

Although the 36-year-old singer-songwriter’s show was also filled with endearing songs about romance and good times, the heart of the concert revolved around the idea that the challenge of the individual is to refuse to give up in the face of defeat, and that a citizen must help his neighbors regain any loss of dignity.

On the latter note, Springsteen, as in past concerts, urged the well-behaved audience to support local food bank organizations, specifically Community Food Resources of Los Angeles and the Steelworkers Oldtimers Foundation.

“The response around the country to Bruce’s endorsements has been phenomenal,” Doris Bloch, executive director of Community Food Resources, said. “We’ve had fans call up after the concerts in each city offering to volunteer.”

In moving to the larger outdoor setting, Springsteen lost little of the intimacy of his smaller Sports Arena shows here last winter and he showed no evidence of compromising his strong artistic vision.

‘As Good as Ever’

“I’ve been a Springsteen fan for a long time and I was worried that all this new popularity may have led to . . . compromises which would have weakened his show, but he’s as good as I’ve ever seen him,” said fan Martin Sanders, 28, of Lomita.

The Coliseum stand--which continues Sunday, Monday and Wednesday--ends a 15-month record-breaking world tour. Springsteen will have been seen by an estimated 5 million people by the time he leaves the Coliseum stage Wednesday. The tour box office gross will be almost $90 million. His Los Angeles audience for this series will have totaled 332,000.

Despite the vast numbers he attracts, Springsteen’s appeal lies partly in his ability to reflect his blue-collar roots in an age when so many affluent rock stars seem out of touch with their audiences.

“He’s the kind of guy who makes you feel that if you were stranded after the concert, he’d take you home in his pickup truck,” said fan Stuart Levine, 21, Canoga Park

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Terry Slade (real name Alcock) had a tremendous voice, range and stage presence. Peter York (real name Childs) was an outstanding guitarist. It was my pleasure to manage them and other groups from Sheffield in the 1960s.

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Tom Petty understands audience
By Gary Graff
Beaver Country Times - Wednesday, July 16, 1980

Tom Petty does something with his songs that too few musicians are doing nowadays: He writes about fans frustrations, which also happen to be his frustrations. Topics range from romance (mainly) to generally being fed-up with life, but in each case Petty tried to become a mirror for the feelings and frustrations he senses in his teen-age audience.

The audience at his Stanley Theare concert last Thursday was certainly teen-age -- and abundantly female -- and if the fans wanted to indeed use Petty as a reflecting glass for their problems, he was happy to comply.

Listening to his records, it's easy to doubt his sincerity and his "understanding" nature. Writing about teen-age frustrations (particularly when you're no longer a teenager) is one thing, but understanding what you're writing about is another. In concert, even if he doesn't really understand what he's writing and singing about, Petty sure makes it look like he does.

And, most importantly, the kids believed that Petty understood. They screamed their agreement for lines like "sometimes this town just seems so hopeless" from "Here Comes My Girl" and the cautiously optimistic chorus of "Even the Losers."

The girls in the crowd were there to watch Petty more than to listen to him. Dressed in a green shirt with black polka dots and tight black slacks, Petty served their interests by tramping around a platform that extended across the orchestra pit, giving the girls a good view of all sides.

He also managed not to lose his macho appeal. More than anything else, Petty sings about girls from a male viewpoint. Songs like "Shadow of a Doubt" (the opening number), "Here Comes My Girl" and "Need to Know" from all indications gave Petty's male audience what it came to hear.

Whatever appeal Petty has, the clincher in the concert's success was the Heartbreakers. After the second number, an aggressive rendering of "Fool Again," Petty told the sold-out audience "the band is in a particularly good mood tonight." The statement was accurate.

Mike Campbell, the lazy-faced lead guitarist, provided the most dynamic musical moments of the concert. Perched on the edge of the stage, Campbell's searing solos took the spotlight also as many times as Petty did. Ron Blair and Stan Lynch provided a solid bottom and some moments of their own: Blair's came with his base leads on "American Girl," while Lynch's moments were his harmonies with Petty, whose singing was a bit weak and raspy.

Then there was Benmont Tench. Behind his friendly smile and congenial bounding around, Tench supplied keyboard strength that wasn't really noticed until you thought about it. He never really soloed, but his playing on the spooky, "Luna" (with Petty on organ), "Don't Do Me Like That" and "Breakdown" stood out.

The only thing wrong with Petty and the Heartbreakers' show was the song selection. The right songs were played, but by the time a rendition of "Shout" ended the main body of the concert, all the hits -- "Refugee," "American Girl" and "Breakdown" -- had been played. They were all strongly performed, except for "Breakdown" in which Petty's mock breakdown seemed a little boring and a lot contrived.

There was even a new, unrecorded song that fit Petty's style well. "The Best of Everything" is a ballad, a lament over lost love but with a (seemingly) amicable resolution. It worked.

But the encores didn't -- something was missing. There were no hits, no show-stoppers left to end the performance. Petty and his band did deliver four pounding rockers including "Strangers in the Night" and "Century City," but the lack of a first-line song was noticed by the crowd as many left while Petty was still performing the songs.

It may not have been a suitable ending, but it was in general a more than suitable night. Petty fans -- male and female -- got exactly what they came for and no one left the concert feeling frustrated.

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Owen Peters watches bestselling singer-songwriter Rumer play a pitch perfect set to an enraptured audience at the Barbican in London.

Penny Black Music review of the concert by Owen Peters, 12 April 2015.

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One of the first gigs I went to. Crazy contrast of performers - Prinipal Edwards psychedelic multimedia folk rock, band lights dancers... Then Marc Bolan and Micky Finn, sitting on the corner of stage floor playing gentle acoustic whimsey, followed by Deep Purple performing the In Rock material at a volume I had never experienced before.
Finally at about 1.00 in the morning Marsha Hunt came out onto the stage to tell us the hall managers had said it was too late for her to perform, treating us only with an expletive packed rant of frustration and rage - she was magnificent!

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A very bizarre night.

The band looked pretty pissed off throughout the performance and after the show ended a punch up broke out between Axl and Duff and they were both chucked out by the bouncers.

Was this was some serious method acting or was it a genuine fight?

Pretty amusing whatever the case.

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http://www.music-news.com/review/UK/13000/Live/Petula-Clark?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
While mostly known as a singer, Clarks impressive career actually spans back to 1939 - and she has also been a successful actress (on stage and screen) and songwriter.

The word retirement is apparently not in her vocabulary, as 2017 saw her (at 85 years young) release a new album, "Living For Today" (Sony), and is currently fronting her first US tour in eons. Clark performed at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, Massachusetts on December 22, 2017.

A natural spitfire, she opened with her 1966 tune, "You and I" (which was later featured in the 1969 film "Goodbye Mr. Chips," for which Clark co-starred with Peter O'Toole), which flowed into "Meant To Be" before she unearthed,"Don't Sleep in the Subway," a bouncy harmonious song, that almost masks the more serious subject matter of one partner warning her stubborn significant other against braving the elements after a quarrel.

A sensual rhythm section filled cover of the Peggy Lee classic "Fever," showed Clark can still be sassy. Clark spoke of her admiration for Lee, and how she initially had refused to cover Lee's vintage number (fortunately, her mind was changed as it was a marvelous rendition). Clark donned an Irish brogue for "Look to the Rainbow" and "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” Both of these tunes are from the 1968 movie/musical, "Finnians Rainbow" (which Clark starred in with Fred Astaire. The film was also directed by a very young Francis Ford Coppola).

A huge admirer of the Fab Four, Clark covered both The Beatles "Blackbird" (which she joking said was written by "Stella McCartneys father"), and John Lennons "Imagine." Lee also reminisced about meeting Lennon in Canada during his famous "bed in". "Fever" and Blackbird" are both included on her new disc.

Not just intent on playing her greatest hits, Clark ventured into Broadway territory crooning out "With One Look," from Sunset Boulevard (not surprising, as Clark had performed the part of Norma Desmond on the stage), and early 80s rock, covering Steve Windwoods 1980 infectious tune, "While You See A Chance," although Clarks version was a much more slowed down take on the song.

Another nice surprise was a visit back to her pre-British Invasion hit "This is My Song" (which had been made famous by silent film legend, Charlie Chaplin (Clark told a story of once going to Chaplins home. And from what she said, he could make a good cup of “English tea”).

Clarks most well know song, "Downtown" (which also found a new life in 2016, with its inclusion in the commercial for “WWE 2K17,” a professional wrestling video game) brought the audience to its feet. before she ended the night with "Rainbow."

It was a grand return for such a multi-talented legend.

John Reed

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I was nt a big fan of Bowie really but what a great gig this was. If I remember correctly he did two gigs that day . I went to the earlier one

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I was on the very back row in the circle for this gig and I think my ears are still whistling from the volume that night. Brilliant

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This concert was really behind schedule on the night and the band asked for volunteers from the audience to help them clear the stage after the gig. I volunteered and helped out

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As I recall. One of the girls straps on her top broke . If memory serves me right it was like a top made up of coins held together in a net style

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Rock: Petty in Concert
By Stephen Holden
The New York Times - Monday, June 17, 1985

Classic rock and roll that extends and deepens traditions established in the 60's and early 70's may be a slowly vanishing breed of music. But its most dedicated practitioners continue to produce a guitar-based electric music that is a ruminative, visceral expression of populist feeling.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, who performed at the Byrne Meadowlands Arena on Saturday, belong to this breed, as do Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen. Each represents a different, though related, aspect of the American sensibility. Mr. Petty, who was brought up in Gainesville, Fla., writes and sings from a working-class Southern point of view. And on his latest album, "Southern Accents," he has created a sequence of pungent dramatic monologues that draw a composite portrait of a restless young Southerner.

Although Mr. Petty performed songs that ranged back to the mid-70's on Saturday, the concert versions of material from "Southern Accents" formed the artistic heart of his show, and they gave his set an emotional depth and psychological resonance that one seldom encounters at a rock concert these days. The album's hard, blues-based songs, "It Ain't Nothin' to Me," "Spike" and "Dogs on the Run," in which a contemporary Southern rebel expresses his regional pride as an animalistic indifference to contemporary culture, were drawn out by full-bodied arrangements that featured the snarling guitar solos of the Heartbreakers' lead guitarist, Mike Campbell. And Mr. Petty's surly, half-strangulated vocals, echoing Bob Dylan and the Byrds' Roger McGuinn, more than matched the recorded versions in dramatic impact. Mr. Petty's quaveringly articulated rendition of the new album's hymnlike title song provided the still point around which the rest of the songs cohered.

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Petty Puts Focus On Social Ills
By Robert Hilburn
The Los Angeles Times - Monday, June 8, 1987

Tom Petty is a classic American rocker who used to supplement his own songs in concert with party-minded numbers by Chuck Berry and other early rock or R&B figures.

On Saturday night at the Pacific Amphitheatre, he instead spotlighted "For What It's Worth," the Buffalo Springfield's memorable 1967 reaction to repressive authority.

He and the Heartbreakers' version was darkly poignant, but in no way merely nostalgic. There was an anger and disconsolation in Petty's voice that seemed directed entirely at today's unsettled--and unsettling--social agenda.

Do you think he and the band--who open a four-night stand tonight at the Universal Amphitheatre--were trying to tell us something?

Absolutely.

There's a subtle injection of social comment in several tracks on the group's outstanding new "Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)" album, but Petty--speaking to the audience much more freely between songs than before--was even more aggressive about social issues on stage.

To avoid the impression of a lecture, the lean, blond singer weaved remarks about social problems--the homeless, preteens on crack, the unemployed--into a story about troubling things he has seen from the window of his tour bus.

He then turned to a more specific reflection about the credibility of people who are looked upon, to varying degrees, as leaders in this country. Whom do you trust anymore, he asked. Reagan? Bush? Falwell? The CIA?

"It dawned on me a few days ago that in this time and age, you'd better trust yourself," he continued, moving into the Springfield song.

After that tune, Petty referred to the May 17 fire that destroyed his Encino house--a fire that officials believe was deliberately set. "Someone burned my house down," he said. Holding his guitar over his head, he added, "But he didn't burn this down. . . ."

Again using the rock example to illustrate a larger point, he continued, "You can have (all kinds of material possessions), but it ain't nothing. It's just stuff. . . ."

Petty then went into "The Waiting," one of his many early compositions that deals with the struggle to maintain integrity.

This toughened social attitude and more open manner on stage gave the evening a freedom and focus that makes this tour shape up as potentially the Heartbreakers' best in years. Things should get even better as the quintet begins featuring more songs from the new album. (Saturday's lineup offered only three of the new tunes, including the raucous single, "Jammin' Me" and the melancholy "It'll All Work Out.")

After living up to the considerable challenge last year of playing behind rock's greatest songwriter (Dylan), the Heartbreakers gave themselves another sizable test in inviting two frisky, upcoming bands to open the shows: the Georgia Satellites and the Del Fuegos.

If there were any signs of cobwebs in the veteran group, they would be magnified on a bill with these energetic outfits. But there were no signs of wear. Indeed, the Heartbreakers seem revitalized, played with a freshness and hunger that is in keeping with the spunk and craft of the new Petty tunes.

Both the Satellites and the Del Fuegos are no-nonsense, guitar-oriented bar bands, though the Satellites' good-times manner is a lot more appealing than the Del Fuegos' somewhat colorless and unduly insistent irreverence.

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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
By Fran Brancatelli
CLC Observer - Wednesday, September 2, 1987

The Rock and Roll Caravan starring Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers invaded Jones Beach for a night of solid Southern Rock.

Petty opened the show with "Think About Me" from his latest album Let Me Up I've Had Enough. Petty continued to crank out hits like "Breakdown," "Don't Come Around Here No More" and "An American Girl." He also layed two more cuts off the latest album -- "Jammin' Me" and "Runaway Trains" -- but his performance was highlighted by his performance of such classic tunes as "The Waiting" and "Refugee."

Besides playing his own songs Petty did a good rendition of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" and also borrowed tunes from Bob Dylan, The Clash, and Chuck Berry.

The Del Fuegos, a band from Boston which plays a blend of country-rock music, was the Caravan's opening act. They were followed by the Georgia Satellites, who strolled onto the stage to the theme from The Beverly Hillbillies. The Satellites sounded great live, and really warmed up the crowd for Petty by playing their recent hits -- "Keep Your Hands To Yourself" and "Battleship Chains," as well as other tunes.

From beginning to end, the Rock and Roll Caravan provided a night of great rock, the chance to hear an accomplished musician, but two up and coming bands.

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