I had many venues I frequented in my late teens and my 20s, The Palais, Tatts, The East Room, The Stag, The Family, and Newcastle Workers Club. But I really loved The Cambridge, it felt cool, it - back then - easily had the best bands playing. I felt at home there. The Palais came a close second.
I was never interested in going out for the sake of it, it was always about music. Music, preferably shared with good friends. I was never a big drinker. When I started going out after school, I tried various drinks, egged on by so-called 'friends' and quite frankly, made a dick of myself. So I soon realised they did not have my best interest at heart, and consuming loads of alcohol was not a cool look. I shed both fairly quickly.
Music was always my great love, and seeing live music was something else. It is difficult to describe the feeling of seeing a favourite band or hearing a great song sung live. It is absolutely my happy place. As an introvert, being in a large room with loads of people is my worst nightmare, but the joy and brilliance of hearing live music is the pay off. I will always push through my anxiety for that feeling.
I remember a block party at The Cambridge for New Year's Eve in the late 80s, the street was blocked off and bands played inside and out. My young mind was blown, getting home after was a nightmare and I had to ring (via a public telephone) my poor parents, get them out of bed to come and collect me.
I wish I could remember all the bands I have seen at The Cambridge over the years...there is a lot!
The band I have seen the most ever is The Porkers, a Newcastle based Ska band, and I probably saw most of their gigs at The Cambridge. More on them later.
They are closely followed by another Newcastle institution, The Hipslingers. The Hipslingers were a great pop band of the time, fronted by my good friend, Gionni DiGravio. We always had a grand time when we saw them. Especially during the period where they supported themselves as The Elvis'. This band had all of The Hipslingers dressed as various versions of Elvis with some additional backing singers, and they did a solid set of Elvis numbers you could dance to.
They are closely followed by another Newcastle institution, The Hipslingers. The Hipslingers were a great pop band of the time, fronted by my good friend, Gionni DiGravio. We always had a grand time when we saw them. Especially during the period where they supported themselves as The Elvis'. This band had all of The Hipslingers dressed as various versions of Elvis with some additional backing singers, and they did a solid set of Elvis numbers you could dance to.
The late 80s and 90s was when I was there the most.
I saw the following bands (and then some) during this time:
I saw the following bands (and then some) during this time:
The Whitlams - a few times
Custard - also multiple times
Falling Joys and The Hummingbirds - together I think
The Clouds - divine
Ed Kuepper - effortlessly cool
The Cruel Sea - always wonderful
The Sharp - I really loved them, seeing them for the first time, I announced it must have felt like this when people saw The Beatles at The Cavern Club...oh dear, famous last words.
Died Pretty - so very good, so dark
The Church - excellent
John Paul Young - so much fun, I was beside myself seeing my childhood hero
John Paul Young - so much fun, I was beside myself seeing my childhood hero
Mental As Anything - the original lineup, great fun
The Stems and Lime Spiders - together I think, and I think it was here but it may have been another venue, this memory is super hazy
Tall, Tales and True - I cannot remember much, but I know I had a good time
Boom Crash Opera- always great
Noiseworks - always great
The Radiators - only once and they were ok
The Chantoozies - i have no idea why I saw them, but they were actually ok
Machine Gun Fellatio - salacious and fabulous
Machine Gun Fellatio - salacious and fabulous
Rebecca's Empire - bloody brilliant
Caligula - vague memory
The Fauves - Great
Skunkhour - danced all night
Frente - I think, but the memory is hazy
Frente - I think, but the memory is hazy
The Welcome Mat - Saw them a few times, always great
Gangajang- our friends The Hipslingers supported them, so I gave my CD to Gionni to get the band to sign it for me, he did well!
In the 2000s, I didn't see as much, but again here is some of what I can remember!
Tim Rogers (2013) - notorious gig
You Am I - always excellent
Dan Sultan - we pushed down the front and swooned all night
Steve Smyth - I've seen Steve many times, but this was easily his best gig
Thelma Plum - so much fun
Tim Freedman and Dave McCormack - a great pairing, awesome night
Regurgitator/Shonen Knife/The Fauves - what a night, great position, and they were all utterly brilliant
20 years of The Porkers (2005) - great night
And in the last few years, they had some great 80s evenings aimed at our age group in the front bar. We loved those nights, dancing to music from our younger years and hanging out with friends in our late 40s/50s.
Going to a venue for all those years bring many stories that must be told, apologies to those who have heard these stories over the years.
But here are some of the best.
Tim Rogers performed in 2013 with his band at the time, The Bamboos. This was the first time I had seen Tim solo, and I was super excited. He came out and sang a song, but something wasn't quite right, as the night progressed it was obvious he was quite unwell. He looked terrible, he didn't sound that great. He would disappear off stage, leaving the girls in The Bamboos (amazing singers) to take over. WHen he returned, he kept stripping clothes off, whinged about a bad kebab the night before, and ended up on the stage singing in the feotal position. It was quite terrifying to watch. He disappeared again, and came out for the end of the concert looking and sounding much better. I am not saying substances were involved, we will never know, but I suspect I am right. The concert seemed a little short on length, but it was entertaining! Just not in the way we expected!
We were there for Ed Kuepper, I cannot recall when, mid 90s I guess. I was excited, I worship him, or did at the time. They play a song, and then a second and the intro went on and on and on and on. I was with friends, towards the back right (my favourite spot to be) near the bar. I was like, jeez Ed, we get it, great opening, but get on with it. What I didn't realise, until someone told me, because I couldn't really see. Ed had snapped a string, and he wasn't even on stage, he had taken off to restring and retune his guitar while his band filled in for time. Hilarious!
There were quite a few dates to see a band there, I won't name names! But it always led to some fun, when they realised I really just wanted to see the band, lol!
One of my favourite stories is from day time and no music was even involved. One year for the Young Writers Festival, Linda and I went to a talk that featured Benjamin Law - he wasn't as big then as he is now, but I was quite the fan. He sauntered into the front bar where the talk was held, he is a very good looking man. And said hello to everyone, he has the most amazing booming voice, which goes against anything he had ever written, lol. And then he sat right next to me and introduced himself with a firm handshake. I couldn't believe it!!!
But my most notorious Cambridge story comes courtesy of an old boyfriend. A huge group of us were there to see The Porkers. My bf had consumed a fair bit of alcohol and was stage diving into the audience. Now, this was very normal for a Porkers gig. Pucko, a band member for a while, used to dive into the audience with a Boogie Board. And audience members did regularly. But bear in mind, this bf was 6 foot something, solid, and in Doc Martens boots.
I was out in the beer garden (which no longer exists) with friends, when someone burst in to say I had better get into the band room, my bf was in a bad way. He had worn out his welcome with the audience, attempted another stage dive and they had had enough. The crowd parted like the red sea and he dived into a table nose first. There was blood everywhere, he swore he was ok when I said we had better go to a hospital. I drove him home and left him with his mother. I didn't find it funny at the time, but now all I can do is laugh. I hope he can too!
And it was that same bf I told, I will be dancing at The Cambridge in my 50s! I'd like to see that he said in a non-believing voice, as only a 20 something can pull off.
But I was right, Andrew and I headed to see The Porkers for one of the final gigs at The Cambridge just a few weeks ago at 52. It was their hardcore and punk gig, that started at 3pm and would go for close. It was bittersweet, the venue is distinctive and that night was not different. You enter via Hunter Street these days, as opposed to the Wood Street entry fro, and your shoes still stick to it. When it is busy the place gets a little packed and scary. The bathrooms look like someone has just set a hose to it, the toilet doors do not lock properly, and there are always a group of younger bimbo types hanging out in there absolutely off their rockers and crying about something. We saw all that and more on this final visit.
We were there for The Porkers, they are still performing (mostly in Sydney) but for their final gig at this venue. Couldn't get a park anywhere near the joint, always an issue in Newcastle. Showed our tickets, got stamped, and headed towards the main gig room. They were coming on at 7.50pm for an hour. The room had emptied with the last band, so we made our way to the front right and waited with anticipation. I recognised some familiar faces from back in the day and some nods were exchanged. When they came on they were a pared back version of themselves (often upwards of 12 on stage) and played more punk and rock than ska and pop, but they were great and we had a fabulous time. We left feeling a little sad but happy to have one last groove.
And that is the end of the story, I wish I remembered more. It was my poor memory that got me started blogging in the first instance. My blog is more an online diary to help me remember what I have been up to. Love to hear everyone's stories from The Cambridge, it might help me remember more!
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