| The Stranglers / Joy Division - London, The Rainbow Friday 4th April 1980 |
The venue was opened on 29th September 1930, and was originally called The Finsbury Park Astoria. It was one of four Astoria theatres built in London at the time, and were billed as 'Palaces Of Light'. A corporation called the Astoria Company, which included members of the influential Astor family from New York, built them and were located in the poorer areas of London, the other three being…
The Brixton Astoria - known to all of you now as the Brixton Academy.
Old Kent Road Astoria - demolished in 1984.
Streatham Astoria - now The Odeon, and still used as a cinema.
By the 1960's the venue had changed it's name to the Odeon, and it changed again to The Rainbow in 1971. After a series of closures, a preservation order was placed on it by the Department of Environment as a Grade II building of special architectural and historical interest to be preserved under the Town and Country Planning act of 1971. Unfortunately this meant that it was necessary to complete £180,000 worth of repair and maintenance work, which meant that the venue was closed yet again from 1974 to 1977. By the time it re-opened a succession of companies struggled to keep pace with the massive costs involved to keep the building running under the preservation order.
In 1980, to celebrate the venues 50th birthday, Levi Strauss & Co committed their total annual promotional budget to underwrite the 9 days of concerts that took place, and also paid for an exhibition, a new front-of-house illuminated sign, and a five album box-set of classic rock original recordings. (The cost was £11.99 for either vinyl or cassette - CD didn't exist then).
The Rainbow finally closed its doors as a music venue for the last time in January 1982. In 1995 the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God bought it, after a failed attempt to buy the Brixton Academy, and is still used as a church to this day.
The line up for the nine days sponsored by Levi's in April 1980 was as follows:
Tuesday 1st - Judas Priest & Iron Maiden
Wednesday 2nd - Whitesnake & Saxon
Thursday 3rd - The Stranglers. Monochrome Set, UB40
Friday 4th - The Stranglers, Joy Division, Section 25
Saturday 5th - John McLaughlin
Sunday 6th - Average White Band & Billy Connolly
Monday 7th - The Jam & The Records
Tuesday 8th - The Jam & The Records
The Gig
The thing I remember most about Joy Division was the way Ian Curtis moved on stage - jerking all over the place, which seemed completely out of sync with the style of music being played.
Unfortunately the venue featured strobe lights, which caused Ian Curtis to have an epileptic seizure during the final song. He later had to be helped off stage halfway through the performance at the Moonlight Club, which they played the same night in West Hampstead.
This ended up as their 7th from last ever gig.
The Stranglers had already committed to two live dates for the celebration, but on March 21st Hugh Cornwell (guitar & vox) was sent to Pentonville Prison for two months, after loosing an appeal against a sentence for drug possession. He was in possession of 'small amounts for personal use only', but Judge McNair, fully aware of Cornwall's public commitments, sent him down adding "a prison sentence would set an example to other pop stars and to the Stranglers fans".
His loss, our gain! Many friends offered support for both Hugh and the gig and offered their services to what was to become a historic night.
The artists of the day included John Ellis (Vibrators/Peter Gabriel Band) who filled in most of the guitar work. (He was later to become a permanent member of the band when Hugh left in coming years).
Toyah Wilcox and Hazel O'Connor tried their best up upstage one another, with the more visual Toyah coming out just about on top.
But it was Ian Dury who stole the show with great versions of 'Peaches' and 'Bear Cage', while Richard Jobson (The Skids) showed us that he really couldn't dance to save his life, but could sing 'Bring On The Nubiles'.
Billy Idol came on stage with all the artists during the encore, after not contributing anyway, and was promptly put on his arse by JJ Burnel (bass and black belt judo). Two strippers were also called upon, and dressed as Policeman & Woman, the show came to an end.
The other two support bands were Section 25 and The Soul Boys.
All in all it was a pretty haphazard but amazing line-up never to be repeated.
Stranglers Temporary line-up:
Vocals: Toyah Wilcox - 'Peaches', 'Duchess', 'Bear Cage' and 'Something Better Change'.
Hazel O'Connor - 'Get A Grip', 'Hanging Around', 'Peaches' and 'Bear Cage'.
Nicky Tesco (The Members) - 'Nice 'N' Sleazy'.
Phil Daniels - 'Toiler' and 'Dead Loss Angeles'.
Peter Hammill (Van Der Graaf Generator) - 'Tank' and 'The Raven'.
Jake Burns (Stiff Little Fingers) - 'Down In The Sewer'.
Ian Dury (Blockheads) - 'Peaches' and 'Bear Cage'
Richard Jobson (The Skids) - 'Bring On The Nubiles'.
Guitar: Wilko Johnson (Dr. Feelgood)
Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
Robert Smith (Cure & The Banshees)
Steve Hillage
Basil Gabbidon (Steel Pulse)
Larry Wallace
John Turnball (Blockheads).
Keyboards: Matthieu Hartley (The Cure)
Sax: Nick Turner (Hawkwind)
Davey Payne (Blockheads)
Rhythms: Steel Pulse.
Joy Division set-list: Dead Souls / Wilderness / Shadowplay / Heart and Soul / Decades / She's Lost Control / Atrocity Exhibition
John Clarke contacted me and had a scan of the complete ticket from the same gig, which he also attended. Thanks John!
