Don backstage before the concert

John in tartan

Dave in red

Mal in red

Slade on stage

Look at those faces!

Mal and Don

Heartfelt

Dave playing two guitars

Sticks in the air!

Dave and Don

Applause

Don is back for the encores

Don and Chris Savage

"Mad" bass player John Berry

Don w. Christmas hat during MXE

A sulking Mal with festive Heidi plaits

John in his Christmas gear

Dave's Christmas hat

Even Chris Savage had to wear a Christmas hat!

Thank you, Bilston!

Noddy on Sky tv

Slade in Bilston 2009

On December 10th I went to the Midlands to spend 5 days with first Slade, then my boyfriend. Sadly he had to work on the 10th, but I was in good company anyway.
At noon I reached the hotel in Wolverhampton and within half an hour there was a knock on the door: Don. It was great seeing him again and we went for tea at the hotel restaurant before taking a taxi to the Robin 2 in Bilston for the sound check. Spent a pleasant afternoon there listening to Slade and Mud with Slade-fan Perry (at least that’s what I think his name was!). Pretty interesting as Chris Savage from Mud has started playing keyboards on some of Slade’s songs and John was on vocal on some as well. I especially liked How Does It Feel? although Slade didn’t play it at the concert that night.
After sound check I drove back to the hotel with Don, Mal and John and at 6.30 p.m. Don and I went back to the Robin 2. We had a couple of sandwiches backstage and when the doors opened I went out front to see some fellow Slade-fans. Hi Dee, Lee, Keith, JC, Claire and Gaz! Nice seeing you all again! Don and Dave’s friends Carole and Vicky were there as well as Dave’s son Sam and as always it was a pleasure to have a chat with them.
At 10 p.m. Slade went on stage and the set list looked like this:

We’ll Bring The House Down
Take Me Bak ’Ome
Lock Up Your Daughters
Far Far Away
Everyday
Let’s Have A Party
’Coz I Luv You
Run Runaway
Gudbuy T’Jane
Mama Weer All Crazee Now
Get Down And Get With It
and for the encores:
My Oh My
Cum On Feel The Noize
Merry Xmas Everybody

When Slade entered the stage they were all (more or less) dressed in red except for Don who wore his usual outfit. John was in tartan trousers and Mal actually looked a bit like Noddy with his cap and long hair. John was on vocal on Everyday and Let’s Have a Party and Chris Savage was on keyboards on both song as well as all of the encores.
Dave was in a particularly great mood, jumping and running all over stage, saying that it was always something special to play in Bilston where he and Don had first met and formed the group that would eventually become Slade.
Don too seemed to have a blast, grinning and joking behind the drums and “Mad” bass player John Berry (haha – great typo for those of you who know what I’m talking about) almost keeled over when standing on one leg during Get Down And Get With It.
The concert lasted an hour including the usual banter and jokes from stage and the audience responded well, singing and cheering. I’d say there were about 300 of us that night.
As usual Don lifted up his T-shirt before the encores, showing us a bit of skin, then the band came on stage wearing their Christmas gear. Even Chris Savage had to wear a Christmas hat! Tim of the crew raced Mal around stage as Mal tried to dodge out of wearing a Christmas hat. Finally Tim caught him and seconds later you could see a sulking Mal because he had to wear the Christmas hat with the Heidi plaits this year!
The venue was boiling hot during the encores, both band and audience having a ball. And a bit of a laugh when Don pushed Dave aside on stage for a well-deserved applause afterwards.
After the concert we chatted a bit with friends backstage, before I went back to the hotel with Don, Chris Savage and Tim and Robin of the crew. It had become really foggy outside so it was a bit of a scary ride, but we made it alright. Thanks for a great night out, guys. Hope to see you in concert in 2010! Xx
P.S. A few days later in Birmingham I turned on the telly and who was looking back at me? Noddy! Merry Xmas Everybody!