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Slade to play O2 Liverpool Academy

Slade to play O2 Liverpool Academy

Can you believe that it’s 45 years since “Merry Christmas Everybody” was released?  Of course, it may be before your time, but I remember it being released!

Whilst a popular Christmas hit is an annual boost to a band’s cashflow, it isn’t always as good for a band’s credibility as people often start to see them as a novelty Christmas song band.

It’s easy to forget just how massive Slade were, so here is a handy reminder!

SLADE HITS & CHART POSITIONS

Get Down & Get With It (16)
Coz I Luv You (1)
Look Wot You Dun (4)
Take Me Bak ‘Ome (1)
Mama Weer All Crazee Now (1)
Gudbuy T’Jane (2)
Cum On Feel The Noize (1)
Skweeze Me Pleeze Me (1)
My Friend Stan (2)
Merry Christmas Everybody (1)
Everyday (3)
Bangin’ Man (3)
Far Far Away (2)
How Does It Feel (15)#
Thanks For The Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam) (7)
In For A Penny (11)
Let’s Call It Quits (11)
We’ll Bring The House Down (10)
My Oh My (2)
Run Run Away (7)

People are often disappointed once they realise that Noddy is no longer with the band, but people who have seen them recently reliably inform me that they put on a great show regardless.

If you can’t have a bit of nostalgia at Christmas, when can you?

Here is the official blurb:

SLADE – Without  doubt  one  of  the  most  exciting  bands  to  come  out  of  Great Britain in the past 30 years. With their unique blend of perfect pop-rock ‘n’ roll, outrageous  flamboyance  and  pure  fun,  and no less than 23  Top-20  singles  of which  6  were No-1  smash  hits….plus  6  smash  albums,  Slade  have  become  a firm favourite in the hearts of pop fans all over the world.

SLADE’S chart career has spanned 3 decades and their enduring songs “Cum On  Feel  The  Noize”  and  “Coz  I  Luv  You”  are  still  featured  today  in  TV commercials for some of the Worlds biggest companies.

SLADE first hit the road in 1966, touring throughout Great Britain and Europe and  becoming  a  regular  concert  attraction.  Joining  forces  with  the  former Animals bass guitarist and Jimi Hendrix Experience manager, Chas Chandler, Slade achieved their first chart hit in May 1971 with the Bobby Marchan song “Get Down And Get With It” then, released in October of the same year “Coz I Luv You” was the bands first No-1 and a huge hit across Europe.

Throughout  the  seventies,  Slade  became  one  of  Europe’s  biggest  bands, touring and recording continually and making regular trips to America, Japan and other parts of the world. Slade’s catalogue of hits are synonymous with the era:- “Take Me Bak ‘Ome”, “Mama We’er All Crazee Now”, “Cum On Feel The Noize”,  “Gudbye  T’  Jane”, along  with  the  many  others  provided  a  soundtrack to   the   Glam   Generation   and   are   still   today,  heavily featured on  any retrospective of the time.

At the beginning of the eighties, Slade were invited to appear at the Reading Rock  Festival,  a  massive  annual  event  which  attracted  over  100,000 people. They literally stole the show, giving some of the worlds biggest rock bands a serious  run  for  their  money  whilst  kindling  new  interest  from  a whole  new audience.  As result,  the  band  signed  a new  record  deal  and  unleashed  the anthem “We’ll Bring The House Down”, which reached the Top 10 in the UK in January 1981.

Slade were back!

Not  content  to  rest  on  their  Glam  laurels,  Slade  began  forging  a  new  path through  the  hugely  influential  British  heavy  rock  scene.  A  second successful appearance  at  Castle  Donnington in 1981,  before a crowd of over  200,000

2 people,  consolidated  the  bands  position  and  paved  the  way for  the  single “Lock Up Your Daughters”, and the album “Til Deaf Do Us Part”.

While  Slade  were  busy  in  the  UK  releasing  the  massive  hit  “My Oh  My”  to huge  acclaim,  LA  metal  band  Quiet  Riot  were  spreading  the  word  Stateside with  their  version  of  “Cum  On  Feel  The  Noize”,  which  proved so  successful that  they  followed  it  up  with  “Mama  We’er  All  Crazee  Now”.  Throughout  the rest of the eighties Slade toured and recorded due to them once again being a major force in British pop’n’rock.

The early ninties saw the bands “Radio Wall Of Sound” hit the UK Top-30 and thereby give Slade a solid 20 year chart run!

In  1993,  due  to  the  continual  demand  from  around  the  world, founder  Slade members Dave Hill and Don Powell decided to return to touring by playing a few select dates in Europe prior to embarking on what turned out to be a very successful two month tour of Australia.

SLADE have continued to tour  the  world.  They are firm  favourites on the lucrative  German  festival  scene  and undertake an annual  UK   “Merry Christmas Everybody” tour in December.  They also have a huge following of fans and regularly play  concert  dates  in  Russia,  Poland,  Belgium,  Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, France and the Czech Republic.

Led by founder members Dave Hill and Don Powell, the bands latest additions are ex Mud bass guitarist John Berry, frequently spied in the guise of the Big Issue seller in Eastenders, and new lead vocalist Mal McNulty. Mal has had an extensive career, he featured with Rockin Horse in the 70s, heavy rock band Golden Night, German rock band Hazzard, and he was a founder member of London  fun-pub  band  Paddy Goes To Holyhead.  Having formed The Wandering Crutchless with Tino Troy of Preying Mantis,  Bruce  Bisland  of Sweet  and occasional guest Andy Scott, Mal  joined  Sweet  in which he eventually became lead vocalist.

Slade today is still one of the most exciting bands on the road, and their stage performance is a  dynamic,  powerful  and  exhilarating  roller-coaster  ride  of pure unadulterated rock’n’roll.

A date for your diary, Slade are back for Christmaaaas!

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John King