You may remember my brief advert last year for the Hickory Woodlot reunion tour? No ? Yes ? Well, suffice it say that I managed to lay my hands on a couple of tickets for their Laccolith Gig at the Milton Keynes Dustbowl, part of the ‘Urza Rock N’ Roll But I Like It’ Telim’Tour.
As the day approached, I was determined to go for the complete retro look; I donned my best mana flares and ‘Ramosian Sergeant Lonely Heart Scrub Banned ‘ tee-shirt (two sizes too small), then me and the missus (dressed in Kaftaniwha and worry beads) drove the old Marker Beetle to the venue, took our seats, and waited in anticipation to be transported back into the good old days !
Back in the early Seventies, the Woodies broke the USA through their newly-signed tour manager Mike Long (from Deck Staxx Records), and embarked on a 9 month pan-American Tor Wauki – their business manager, Peter Landgrant, even rented them their own Mox Jet ! Along the way they were supported by such bands as Shower of Sparks (This Ication Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both of Us), Stupourtramp, Creedance Partwater Revive (Bad Moon Rising), and The Banned (The Femeref Knight They Drove Old Trix Down). Their after-show raiding parties were Legendary, of course, attended by such industry luminaries as the Velvet Underground Sea, Rishadan Zeppelin (Robert Carniverous Plant, Jimmy Angelic Page et al), Gene Simoons of Kiss, Scrye and the Family Stone Hands, and James Mono-Brown !
Anyway, at 8PM sharp on that cold, December night. the Rishadan support band, the Sisters of No Mercy, played a well-received expansion set, before our beloved Woodies took to the stage. Here is the set list – as stolen from the phyrexian monitors at the front of the Stage, where they were sellotaped:
1. My Regeneration/Pictures of Lim-Dul/Pinball Apprentice Wizard (Medley) *
2. For the Benefit of Mr Shivan Hellkite**
3. Moonlit Wake Me Up Before You Draw-Go-Go
4. A Holy Day In the Life Chisel**
5. Norwegian Wood Elemental
6. Shock the Monkey Cage/Solsbury Hill Giant/Sledgehammer of Bogarden/Big Time Spiral/Kiss The Frog-Tongue (Medley)
7. After the Venerean Gold Rush/The Sandstone Needle & The Damage Dealt***
8. Upkeep on Running
9. Homeward Rebound/I am a Crimson Roc/Ensnaring Bridge Over Troubled Water Wurm (Medley)****
10. Ferry Across The Merseine
11. Time Walk On By/Anyone Who Had A Heartstone/Say A Little Orim’s Prayer (Burt Bacarack medley)
12. Black Market Square Benalish Heros
13. Goblin Sapper’s Ready (Lovers Leaping Lizard/Guaranteed Eternal Island Sanctuary Man/Autumn Willow Farm/Apocalypse/As Sure As Rukh Eggs Is Rukh Egg)
14. Poison Serrated Arrows/Rain of Tears Are Not Enough*****
15. Diminishing Returns to Sender/Tectonic Break Hotel/Blue Swat Shoes/Whiskey in the Memory Jar (Medley)
16. Turn…Turn…Turn… / The Winner Takes It All / Go Now
17. Pradesh Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves’ Auction
18. Instant Replay / Relight My Fire Diamond +
En-Kor:
19. Raging River Deep, Magnetic Mountain High
20. Sitting on The Dock of The Abeyance
21. Wrath of God Save The Sorceress Queen / The Falling Star-Spangled Ban-er
Notes:
* taken from the soundtrack to their movie ‘TIMMY (Power Gamer)’ (1974)
** taken from the album ‘RAMOSIAN SERGEANT’S LONELY HEART SCRUB BANNED’ (1968)
*** taken from the album ‘EARLY HARVEST’ (Volcanic Island Records, 1970)
**** taken from the album ‘THE SOUND OF AURA OF SILENCE’ (1971)
***** taken from the album THE LEXIVORE OF LOVE (1983)
+ originally hits for Take That Back
Hickory Woodlot Filmography:
HEAD-STONE (1969) dir. Shivan Gorge Lucas
TIMMY (1974) dir. Amrou Kithken Russell, starring Tina
ExtraTurnerAfterThisOne, Keith Blood Moon, Elton Johan, and Paul
Nicolbolas
Beep – beep – beep – beep – beep
God Bless,
Tony Boy…*click*