SLADE

 

OK YOU lot down there on the dance floor. Put your left foot in, take your left foot out, in out, in out shake it all about, do the hokey cokey.....Hey, this ain't rock 'n' roll, this is genocide! Folks are gonna get Slayed!!

At any ususl gig perhaps, but this was different. After years in the wilderness, Slade are back, and you know something? They're as red hot 'n' lively as ever.

Sure, high fringed Dave Hill has succumbed to the extra pound or seven, but is that gonna stop him leaping atop the PA to fire out glitter-best guitar licks? No sir, and at the other end Jim Lea is equally vicious, hammering out horrific violin licks as Don Powell crashes out torrents of mean rhythms.

But it's Noddy that the fans love and our own Mr Holder looks as young and fit as ever as he goads them on with his hooligan wide boy charm, crashing out chords and orchestrating the head banging. Slade give the impression that they were the prototype Quo. A hard thumping dance band for those rockers freshly spilt from the football terraces.

A far cry from the contemporary tribalism of today's gigs. instead, a sociable we're all having fun together attitude with the revellers united in the common cause of coming to feel the noise.

And noise was what we got, not to mention a great display of party hats and balloons and flashing lights. There were the old hits, 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now', 'Gudbuy T'Jane' (all mis-spellings approximate) 'Get Down And Get With It,' 'Everyday' and of course, a rousing almost tear jerking 'Merry Xmas Everybody'

Will Slade be restored to their former glory or are they just half forgotten heroes? It's anybody's guess but judging by this performance, a good chunk of their fans have already received one Christmas gift they won't forget in a hurry.

 

MIKE NICHOLLS / RECORD MIRROR / 20th December 1979