Mott the Hoople

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John Etherington
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Mott the Hoople

Post by John Etherington »

I saw Mott the Hoople on the third of their comeback gigs (after 36 years) at Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday.. I followed Mott the Hoople in the early Seventies, and they were my favourite UK rock band then...the link between rock 'n roll, Dylan, glam and punk. Saturday's show was nothing less than phenomenal. Ian Hunter looks the same as he ever did - mop of blond curly hair, shades, black jacket, loose pink shirt and tight black jeans. He's in great voice, and at the peak of his powers, aged 70! The band kicked off with "Hymn for the Dudes (a personal favourite) and played material spanning their whole career, including some early Island stuff. They were dynamic, powerful and tight...in fact the sound was quite amazing. All five original members were present, though Buffin who had alzheimers only came on at the end. He was replaced by Martin Lambert from the Pretenders for most of the set. An array of backing singers including Ian Hunter's and Mick Ronson's daughters came on at the end for "Roll Away the Stone", "All the Young Dudes", "All the Way to Memphis" and "Saturday Gigs". Pure rock 'n roll history! Earlier at a pre-show meet, I met Mick Ronson's mother, sister and her daughter (three generations!).

All good things, John E
Evie B
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Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by Evie B »

Sounds like it was a great evening John.
'All the Young Dudes' brings back so many great memories of the time - it was played at all the parties as well as on the radio.
It was also, for me, one of the three best performances of the Freddie Mercury Memorial Concert, the other two being Axel Rose 'We Will Rock You' and the very very best George Michael 'Somebody to Love'.
Evie B
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Steven
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Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by Steven »

Hi John,

Good song memories evoked with your concert report. Glad you were there to enjoy the show.
Parsifal
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Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by Parsifal »

I wish I'd stuck in and gone for a ticket for one of these, now....

Although I was only 6 in 1973, I was definitely a Mott the Hoople fan: I loved Ian Hunter's look - in fact, all the band members had great looks. And I responded immediately to their hit singles. Got the Mott album as a present for Christmas that year, but found it a bit puzzling: it's definitely an 'adult' record.Only when I was 14, did it become one of my all-time favourites.

Didn't know Buffin had Alzheimers until I read the Telegraph review. Sad. :(
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Adrian
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Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by Adrian »

Well, it's a mighty long way down rock and roll...

Happy to hear that Ian and the band put on such a show. There was talk a year or two back of an reunion tour.

Sorry, too, to hear of Buffin suffering from Alzheimer's.

"Buffin lost his Buffin lost his child-like dreams
And Mick lost his guitar
And Verden grew a line or two
And Overend's just a rock'n'roll star
Behind these shades the visions fade
As I learn a thing or two
Oh but if I had my time again
You all know just what I'd do..."

indeed, thanks for the report! Ad
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mnkyface
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Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by mnkyface »

Evie B wrote:Sounds like it was a great evening John.
'All the Young Dudes' brings back so many great memories of the time - it was played at all the parties as well as on the radio.
It was also, for me, one of the three best performances of the Freddie Mercury Memorial Concert, the other two being Axel Rose 'We Will Rock You' and the very very best George Michael 'Somebody to Love'.
Evie B
omg Evie...YES! David Bowie and others doing All the Young Dudes in that show was one of the best performances of all time!! Loved that concert, and have all but worn out my DVD of it.
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Diane

Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by Diane »

Did you attend the Freddie Mercury Memorial concert, Evie? I have only seen the clip of Robert Plant doing Crazy Little Thing Called Love, with Led Zep Thank You intro - brilliant. Queen concerts in the 80's were out of this world and I was devastated when Freddie died.


Adrian wrote:Well, it's a mighty long way down rock and roll...
I always heard that as, it's bloody long way down rock n roll:-)

Nice one, John! I didn't know Mott the Hoople were reunited. Do you remember the Saturday gigs? We do, we do! Led Zep played Knebworth in 1979 and I didn't know of them til 1981 and it was with the song Saturday Gigs (which I also didn't hear til 1981) that I felt a kind of vicarious nostalgia for a time I missed.
Evie B
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Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by Evie B »

No Diane, I wasn't at the concert, though a friend of mine's daughter was but, unfortunately, she was squashed at the front and was one of the people carried out when she fainted, so she missed most of it. The whole show was shown on television at the time. I did video (VHS) it but ,though new, it was a dodgy tape (would you believe, a Sony) so I only had a very poor reproduction. A shortened version of the show is occasionally aired on SKY Arts or similar so I have seen a much better recording of my favourites. If you have Sky, keep an eye open for it.

Evie B
...he shows you where to look amid the garbage and the flowers
John Etherington
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Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by John Etherington »

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the Mott comments. The reunion gigs have been so successful that Mott are now rumoured to be touring the States and playing Glastonbury, next year. Let's hope so! I am also anticipating a concert DVD.

"Mott" is a classic, and "Hymn For the Dudes" an all-time favourite of mine, but my heart was in the four Island albums ("Mott the Hoople", "Mad Shadows", "Wildlife" and "Brain Capers"). It was Hunter's Dylanesque songs that originally grabbed me, and I took the rock 'n roll as part of the package. We got "The Journey" on Saturday (plus "Rock 'n Roll Queen", "Walking With a Mountain" and "The Moon Upstairs"), but I'd love to hear "At the Crossroads", "Road To Birmingham", "No Wheels to Ride" and "Angel of Eighth Avenue".

All good things, John E
Evie B
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Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by Evie B »

These are on YouTube

All The Young Dudes - Hunter - Ronson - and friends - ENJOY!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xkrbXFPExc

Axel Rose - We Will Rock You - the sound is better than the picture on this clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBvRxJh7BrM

George Michael - Somebody To Love - think this was the performance of his life, what a voice! I remember being stunned and speechless after watching this, masterful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of-7jmD7 ... L&index=15

Evie B
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John Etherington
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Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by John Etherington »

Okay, here's Mott last Saturday!

Hymn For the Dudes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUbJ4i4imWM

Roll Away the Stone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIjkYA023gA
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friscogrl
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Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by friscogrl »

I was not a big follower of Mott the Hoople, but did love All the Young Dudes and Roll Away the Stone. Thanks Evie and John for posting these videos. The concert looked like it was a lot fun! Hard to believe Ian hunter is 70!

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Diane

Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by Diane »

Evie B wrote:These are on YouTube

All The Young Dudes - Hunter - Ronson - and friends - ENJOY!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xkrbXFPExc

Axel Rose - We Will Rock You - the sound is better than the picture on this clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBvRxJh7BrM

George Michael - Somebody To Love - think this was the performance of his life, what a voice! I remember being stunned and speechless after watching this, masterful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of-7jmD7 ... L&index=15

Evie B
Cool to see Mott's All the Young Dudes with writer Bowie taking part. Yes George Michael doesn't do a bad job at all. And I looked up Zucchero doing Las Palabras de Amor also, very nice, would also be good to hear him sing it without Queen actually. What an incredible free resource youtube is! Sounds really unfortunate about your friend's daughter. I didn't want to attend the Tribute concert at the time because it would have been a real downer hearing others singing Freddie's songs when it should have been him. That's what I strongly felt at the time. So it's good to see this now. Thanks Evie!

I have seen Queen three times on tour since the loss of Freddie. His presence is ressurected during Bohemian Rhapsody, when old video/audio footage appear on a screen behind the stage. Brian May sings Love of my Life, with the entire audience in accompaniment (just as in the old days when we sang along with Freddie):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1ydSXHsc9Y

John I enjoyed those clips of the Mott the Hoople concert. I had forgotten Hymn for the Dudes; yes that was one of their best. Who'd have thought Ian Hunter is 70. Now I really do believe you're never to old to rock n roll.
Last edited by Diane on Fri Oct 09, 2009 12:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.
schubert
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Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by schubert »

Wow Mott the Hoople sure brings back memories! I used to have their first album and really liked it,mind you Ive long lost it and haven't heard it in years,I wonder if its on CD. I actually bought it on the strength of the album cover!Did that a lot in those days tho. :oops:
John Etherington
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Re: Mott the Hoople

Post by John Etherington »

Hi schubert,

It is still available on re-mastered CD. Here's the cover:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mott-Hoople/dp/ ... 44&sr=1-11

This compilation is good, too (and very inexpensive):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Mott-Hoopl ... 444&sr=1-5

All good things, John E
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