NOSTALGIA
FOR rockers of a certain vintage, the late 1970s and early 1980s were a golden age. It was a time when fans of the genre splashed out on big-selling albums and flocked to North East venues to see their heroes in the flesh.
At Newcastle City Hall, four decades ago, the likes of Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Queen, Rainbow, Rush, UF0, Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, The Scorpions, Whitesnake, Bad Company and Status Quo, among others, all trod the boards.
Across town, in Newgate Street, was the Mayfair Ballroom. The now-demolished venue hosted a regular Friday rock night, while acts such as AC/DC, Ozzy Osborne’s Blizzard of Oz, and Def Leppard appeared there, as well as scores of upcoming local bands.
Now, a new six-part podcast series is set to uncover the origins of the heavy metal music scene in the North East.
The series will be narrated by local radio stalwart Alan Robson and explore pioneering bands such as Venom, Raven, Atomkraft and Tygers of Pan Tang.
It will also feature an episode dedicated to the North East fan scene, heavy metal culture and the legendary venues of the area.
Producers from Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) are now calling on fans to share their stories, memories and photographs of heavy metal in the North East from 19781988.
Sarah Younas, digital producer at TWAM, said: “I would love to hear from people who were out at places like the Mayfair, Man on the Moon, the Locarno, Mingles and the Percy Arms back then.
“People who used to hang out at the Handyside Arcade, read Sounds and