Tyneside favourites Lindisfarne played their Christmas concerts in Newcastle from 1975 to 2003. Thousands gathered every Christmas to hear the band play, and the strength of their following was never stronger than at this time of year. Since their arrival on the scene in 1970, Lindisfarne attracted audiences of all ages and gave the region a string of anthems, including Fog On The Tyne, Run For Home and Winter Song. Despite the death of songwriter and frontman Alan Hull in 1995, the rest of the band decided to continue performing. Lindisfarne also used their fame to support causes they believed in, including putting on free concerts for disabled children or striking miners, supporting Age Concern's Care In Winter appeal, and spreading the word about drug addiction. The Chronicle has always been a strong champion of Lindisfarne. In 1992, the Geordie musicians almost abandoned the Christmas concert due to the pressure of album recording. But we stepped in to sponsor the show and it went ahead in line with tradition to the delight of fans. Ahead of the band's final concert at Newcastle Opera House in November 2003, the Chronicle ran its Honour Our Legends campaign in a bid to secure for the band Freedom Of The City status. However, bosses at Newcastle City Council claimed there had not been enough support for them. In 1985 Lindisfarne took to the stage at City Hall for their tenth Christmas concert. This is how the late Paul Nunn described the show in the Chronicle. "Christmas with Lindis-farne must be the only show where the audience ends up just as shattered as the performers. "After three superb hours of music and entertainment, it was a happy but totally drained crowd that trooped out of a packed City Hall after a tenth year of festive fun got under way. "It's five or six years since I last saw one of the shows. And if it was good then, it's even better now. "The raw material was always there, but often raw was the operative word. "Now the musicianship and presentation have been refined. "Some of the credit must go down to the addition of the talented instrumentalist Marty Craggs to the stage line-up. "But Rod, Alan, Si and the two Rays have also slicked up their act. Frontmen Hully and Jacka, in particular, have improved their poise and confidence as the years have rolled on. "The more thoughtful first half featured hard-hitting lyrics on songs like All Fall Down and the Corporation Rock. "Then the second half opened powerfully with a great rendition of Sunderland Boys, a single which amazingly got lost commercially. "Hull was brilliant on the quieter Winter Song before they swung - literally into the audience - into classics like Run For Home, Fog On The Tyne, We Can Swing Together and Clear White Light. "Alan led a marvellous version of John Lennon's Happy Christmas, War Is Over. "The crowd ranged from pensioners to toddlers when Meet Me On The Corner and Lady Eleanor were in the charts. "There was the usual pantomime-style frolics, exciting special effects and Jacka's brilliant party tricks - but above all there were some classic rock songs, superbly played." "We'll still be celebrating the Return of the Geordie at Christmas, 1995 - I just hope I'm still fit enough." Lindisfarne history 1968: The quintet known as the Downtown Faction, took the name Lindisfarne 1969: Their debut Nicely Out Of Tune was issued containing Lady Eleanor 1972: Four weeks at No1 with the album Fog on the Tyne. A single, Meet Me On The Corner, in the Top 5. 1973: Ray Laidlaw, Simon Cowe and Rod Clements left for a new venture, Jack The Lad 1974: Lindisfarne's release, Happy Daze, offered some promise but the group was disbanded the following year 1977: By the end of the year the original line-up got back together and played three sell out concerts at the City Hall 1978: After securing a deal with Mercury Records, they enjoyed a UK Top 10 single with Run For Home 1990: In November they were back in the UK charts, joined by the England international footballer and fellow Geordie Paul Gascoigne. Their reworked version of Fog On The Tyne reached No 2 1995: Alan Hull died from a heart attack 2002: The remaining members together with Billy Mitchell, Ian Thomson, and Dave Hull-Denholm released an album of new material 2003: November 1 saw their last concert in Newcastle before they split up | 
Tyne Bridge Publishing
