Slade

i havn't seen the Joe Meek biopic yet, Mark Kermode rates it up there with 'Slade in Flame'. I just rewatched the Slade film and it stands up better than it did last time I watched it 6 years ago. In many ways it was a suicide attempt by Slade who were, at the time, as big as the Beatles. Probably the most underrated band in British history. There record of hits alone should imprint them in to history but like much of 70's history it has all been rewritten. Slade were far bigger than the Sex Pistols, they're natural superceders. Like the Beatles they were superb, intuative, musicians who had worked and worked for years to develope thier skill. Growing up as a child, awaiting thier single releases as they came in straight in at number one. I count myself hugely lucky and honoured that I was invited to Reading 1980, the gig is in all Slade histories. I was a Black Sabbath fan and this was to be the launch of Ozzy's new band. They werent ready and pulled out. Slade hadnt played for 2 years. Thier days were considered over. Thier manager ,Chas Chandler, of the Animals and Hendrix manager and legendry geordie said they'd been asked to fill in. Slade were unsure, playing to an audience largely fans of the new wave of British heavy metal. Jim Lee says they had to carry thier own equipment in. He says he had the bit between his teeth as he had written more hits than the rest of the line up put together. To start with the crowd were against them. To this day I have never seen a band do what they did that day. They lit up the festival, ripped it to shreds, Iron Maiden Def Leppard and all the other shite were put in thier place . Slade SLAYED them all. The best gig I have ever seen. We had back stage passes and I caught Dave Hill for an autograph as he came off stage. Later we tracked down Don Powell and Noddy Holdr who when my friend Jim White asked him to sign his jeans drew an ejaculating penis on his thigh. It said it all to me. Slade were gods to me when I was 7. Seeing them in real life, aged 14 was one of the best moments of my life. There has never been a better live band. Nearest i have seen are The Libertines, Swans, Babyshambles but none have really come close. I still listen to Slade. Like the Leeds United team of the same period they are written out of history. People have forgotten the 27 pass move leading to a goal against Southampton and prefer to remember the fouls. Same with Slade, written off as a glam rock odissey when they were the equal of The Beatles.