Final Thoughts From 1986
Recently, many of you have been writing about how music has kept you going in these troubling and uncertain times. It has been the same for me. However, as I have been posting about all the great music which came about in 1986, it has reminded me how music got me through the end of that year. As the year was closing out, I was attending university in London. During the Christmas break, most of the other students went home, leaving me pretty much on my own except for a couple of friends. I couldn’t do much because I was going through financial hardship at the time due to the Veteran’s Administration refusing to give me my veteran’s educational benefits stating the course I was pursuing in London wasn’t approved. It even went as far as for me to declare that I hated America. This was against a backdrop of a small but vocal minority of British students who believed the myth that all American students were filthy rich. Needless to say, I was at a very low point in my life but fortunately, I had music to soothe the pain.
Every Friday night, we would go to a club called Oscar’s in a part of London known as Newbury Park. As you can see, it’s a McDonald’s now but back then, all the metalheads in the area would go there to headbang away. There was even a guy who was the splitting image of Ozzy who used to go there. Another common occurrence was during the guitar solos, everyone on the dance floor would stop headbanging and form a big pile up in the middle of the floor. Yes, to the average observer, it all looked very homo-erotic but no one cared. It is also where I got the attention of the woman I would marry six months later when I went sliding across the floor on my knees and started playing air guitar on her leg. Oh, we were already acquainted by then but I thought it was a good way of making a grand gesture. Ah, the memories! I did happen to go to that McDonald’s in 1998 and while the inside might have changed, I could still see Oscar’s in my mind.
Before I went to London in that summer, there were two songs from 1986 which have always stuck in my mind. Both were related to the Cold War and East-West tensions. First, I’m surprised no one has asked why I didn’t include Sting’s debut album, “Dream of the Blue Turtles.” Basically, it was because I wasn’t impressed the songs I did hear on it and was convinced that like other artists I accused of doing so, he had sold out and became a Top 40 singer. However, the single “Russians” has always stuck in my mind. Likewise for Elton John. I really liked his early 1970s material but thought the same of Elton come the 1980s. It didn’t help that a video for one of his songs brought back a lot of painful memories for me. Anyhow, while it’s not a rocker, the lyrics to his 1986 single, “Nikita,” has also stuck in my mind. Probably because I was very politically aware at the time.
Back to London, what I loved about the city in 1986 was that somewhere, at some pub or club, there would be a heavy metal or hard rock band playing. One I mention quite a bit in “Rock and Roll Children” was a pub called “The Wellington” in the Shepherd’s Bush part of the city. I saw some great bands there, including the band who I became friends with, Torque Show. However, one November evening in 1986, I attended a benefit gig to raise money to fight drug addiction in young people, a worthy cause. Opening was an Iron Maiden influenced band called Elixir and there was an band made up from musicians from around the city, which included Lisa Dominique on vocals and on bass was a musician who appeared on the popular UK soap opera “East Enders.” Closing out the night was a band called Beki and the Bombshells, led by Beki Bondage. They were described as a punk/metal crossover but they ended the evening very well.
Well, that concludes the tour of 1986. You know, at one point, I thought I would never get through the year as there were so many great albums. Maybe in one case, it was a very good thing for me at the time because music can help you forget your troubles even if it’s only for a brief moment. One final note, I hear that The Wellington is now either a Burger King or KFC.
Next post: Rock Dudes Who Look Like Chicks
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
March 7, 2021 at 12:32 pm
Great post mate!
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March 7, 2021 at 4:22 pm
Thanks!
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March 7, 2021 at 3:27 pm
That was a brilliant read. I know what you mean about still seeing the venue in your mind when inside a building that used to be a legendary night spot. The pub I saw Paul Di’Anno, Pearl Jam, Gun, Thunder, The Wildhearts and so many other bands is now a fast food joint too.
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March 7, 2021 at 4:23 pm
Wow, you saw some great bands in that pub. What was its name and where was it?
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March 7, 2021 at 5:47 pm
The Esplanade in Southend Essex. Thunder started around that area and they used to get support bands do warm up shows for U.K. arena tours. It was wild
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March 7, 2021 at 9:27 pm
The only time I saw Thunder was when they opened 1990 Donington Festival and they were brilliant. I’ve never been to Southend but that sounds really cool!
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March 7, 2021 at 9:31 pm
That was one of the greatest shows I saw them do. I have it on CD.
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March 7, 2021 at 9:36 pm
Wow, I might have to get that.
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March 7, 2021 at 9:52 pm
If you get the best of 3 Disc CD it’s on there on the Live Disc. I got mine really cheap. Took me right back. I’ve also got the Whitesnake DVD from that day and the Aerosmith with Jimmy Page show as a bootleg. Just need The Quireboys and Poison’s set and I can relive the whole day.
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March 9, 2021 at 12:17 am
Wow, cool I hope find them.
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March 7, 2021 at 5:56 pm
Great post and glad to see you make it through with the power of music leading the way.
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March 7, 2021 at 9:30 pm
That’s why I get real angry when religious nuts say music drives people to suicide. All that it ever did for me was make me feel good.
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March 7, 2021 at 10:10 pm
Exactly. Agree 100%
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March 7, 2021 at 5:58 pm
Sting’s debut has Fortress Around Your Heart which is pretty great IMO.
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March 7, 2021 at 9:28 pm
The problem with me back then was that I was too much of a metalhead, though I make no apologies for it. I think I would appreciate that album more these days and I do remember “Fortress Around Your Heart.”
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March 8, 2021 at 8:02 am
I think it’s a little patchy – his second and third are his best IMO.
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March 9, 2021 at 12:17 am
I will give those a listen in due time.
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March 7, 2021 at 6:14 pm
Really felt this one. I remember Lisa Dominique – Kerrrang! used to flaunt her ‘talents’ in their pages almost every other week at one point.
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March 7, 2021 at 9:29 pm
Yep, they showed her photos quite a bit but she could sing as well. Another highlight of the evening was that Lisa brushed past me.
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March 7, 2021 at 9:57 pm
I bet you’ve not washed your jacket since!
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March 9, 2021 at 12:16 am
LOL, no, but it did get dry cleaned.
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March 8, 2021 at 9:12 am
I’m sorry you went through those troubles with the Veteran’s Administration, but I’m glad music was able to get you through that difficult time. That heavy metal club sounds awesome, I wonder why they changed it to a McDonalds.
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March 9, 2021 at 12:18 am
McDonald’s probably offered the owner a huge sum of money. Thanks for your kind words.
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March 9, 2021 at 11:33 am
Thanks so much for sharing your story with us. Music is so powerful and I truly believe music can get people through anything.
I can see the money part for McDonald’s.
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March 9, 2021 at 4:48 pm
You’re welcome and thank you for reading. It took McDonald’s ten years before they could open a place in my hippy town.
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March 9, 2021 at 11:44 pm
No problem! I’ll be happy to read more posts like this, if you decide to do so in the future. I’ve always wondered what McDonald’s is like in the UK versus America.
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March 10, 2021 at 7:37 pm
My wife worked at a McDonald’s in the UK and when I took her over to America, she was disappointed that McDonald’s was the same there.
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March 10, 2021 at 11:17 pm
Awww now I’m disappointed the McDonald’s in the UK is no different, not even a different sandwich?
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March 27, 2021 at 8:01 am
Even the sandwiches. When a new one comes out at McDonald’s in the US, it eventually makes its way to the UK.
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March 27, 2021 at 8:47 pm
Huh too bad the new sandwiches don’t arrive to the US and UK at the same time.
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March 8, 2021 at 10:18 am
Oh yes, Oscar’s. What fun was had there. That young woman is still your friend 35 years later. Friends forged in the crucible of Oscar’s are friends for life. X
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March 8, 2021 at 7:19 pm
I agree with that!
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March 8, 2021 at 10:41 am
ah Oscars………:-), like many thinks from that time of my life now gone. One of my favourite pubs in Woolwich is now a Co-Op !!!
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March 8, 2021 at 7:18 pm
Wow, it’s amazing how things change while at the same time it sucks.
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March 8, 2021 at 1:33 pm
Right on. I love Dream Of The Blue Turtles. I feel like Sting still had cache then, and on the next couple of records. Maybe after Ten Summoners Tales was when he went off the rails into it. I love Nikita too. How could anyone not?
I was 12 in 1986, so this tour has been an education. Thank you!
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March 9, 2021 at 12:20 am
Thank you as that is the point of the blog and hopefully to get people to buy Rock and Roll Children. You’re spot on about “Nikita,” I was never impressed with Elton’s 80s output but I do love that song.
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March 9, 2021 at 3:43 am
I have the 3 volumes of his Greatest Hits and love every track. I dunno, guess I’m a sucker for just how damn well those songs are contructed and performed. 🙂
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March 9, 2021 at 4:48 pm
Nothing wrong with that.
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March 9, 2021 at 5:38 pm
Yeah! I dunno, I like Elton. He’s maudlin, sure, but damn there’s no one else like him when you wanna hear him.
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March 10, 2021 at 7:38 pm
You got me listening to his Youtube mix and I admit, the man is a musical genius.
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March 11, 2021 at 3:52 am
Hell yeah. Add in Bernie’s lyrics… amazing.
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March 11, 2021 at 5:26 pm
Agreed!
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March 8, 2021 at 6:02 pm
Superb post. What we would have done to get us through some of those tough times without our music? And for live venues turned into fast food joints or knocked down to make way for flats and offices… always sad to see.
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March 9, 2021 at 12:21 am
Always sad to see that, it’s like they’re ripping up a part of ourselves. Thanks, even though they may tear down the venues, we will always have the music.
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March 10, 2021 at 8:11 pm
Well said. We’ll always have the music.
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March 10, 2021 at 10:37 pm
That’s true.
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