Tag: AC/DC

Gigs from Abroad Part 17 – Tenerife

Tenerife is the largest and most populated of the Canary Islands, containing 43% of the total population of the archipelago. Located there are two separate World Heritage sites at La Laguna and Teide National Park. Back in the day of the New World colonization many Spanish expeditions on their way to the Americas had a cheeky stop off there for additional supplies. It was also the location of the worst ever aviation crash in 1977 when two Boeing 747’s collided on a foggy runway resulting in 583 deaths.  

Teide National Park. Image Credit peakvisor.com

Many movies have been filmed there including Fast and Furious and Jason Bourne and music videos with artists such as Brian May, Mike Oldfield and Pendulum. It is a popular holiday destination with five million tourists visiting annually and we decided to make our debut in November 2023 in the Costa Adeje resort. Whilst in residence we walked many miles and frequented numerous establishments and restaurants where we saw a plethora of low quality music acts but as cited previously, I need to cover everything in these blogs for it to be a full compendium of Jimmy gigs!

So, let’s begin with the Tenerife Berlin Bar on the main road where we saw an artist called Paddy. From the road to the harbour front there are a suite of escalators and on the first level down is Tenerife Scallywags Family Showbar where in passing we witnessed Rebecca Bond and an excruciating Boy George tribute. Maintaining that outstandingly low bar, we briefly endured a Chris Rea and a Neil Diamond at Tenerife Old Lodge.

We spent many hours walking up and down the promenade which at the following restaurants Tenerife La Farolo De Mar we saw Pablo, Tenerife Qomo where Beth was performing and Tenerife Cala where Ella played. Nearby was the Amalfi restaurant overlooking the sea where we visited one lunchtime and there was an unseasonably torrential downpour resulting in half of the establishment flooding out, thankfully for us that was an anomaly as the sun shined for the rest of the week.       

There were also beach bars visited and these were namely Tenerife Diana’s Bar where The Fleetwoods were playing and Tenerife Cocoa Beach Club where a half decent performer under the moniker of Purple Rain was playing a set. Back up on the main road was Tenerife Unique Bar where a chap called Dave T was on stage and further round the street in the ground floor shopping arcade a place called Tenerife Cocktail House sprung into life in the evening hours and a crowd gathered for Doug to sing his tunes.  

One night we took a break from the bright lights of the resort and took a cab up into the hills to find some solace in the quiet streets of Costa Adeje old town where we located a panoramic vantage point. There were also some homely local restaurants and one that locals flock to is called the Oasis near the top of the hill and the Church. We managed to purloin a table and enjoyed their simple and tasty staple of spicy chicken and chips washed down with a couple of ice cold beers! 

Costa Adeje old town. Image Credit tenerifebooking.com

The remaining four events at least had some quality control to them. First up was Didi in the Tenerife Sky Bar who had a lovely smoky voice and there were fine views from there overlooking the ocean. Nearby is the live music bar Tenerife Route 66 where we witnessed a decent band called ElectriccirKus. The next occurred when we were heading down Tenerife Bar Duque Promenade and there was a terrific violinist called Maria performing. I recall she did an absolutely stellar version of the ’Game of Thrones’ theme which was spellbinding!

The final one occurred at Tenerife Harleys American Restaurant and Bar which is modelled on a biker bar diner with large plates of unhealthy food and live music from Wednesday to Sunday each week. It was a very busy spot on the night we visited, and we could only obtain seats perched at the bar.

The resident house band were Soundchaser who formed in 2004 and have twice won the ‘prestigious’ Tenerife Entertainment Award for best live band. They have recorded a couple of albums and undertook a European tour in 2012. The lead singer Marcos Rodriguez took a break in 2013, living in Belgium and Germany and undertaking a six year stint as the composer and music producer for the heavy metal band Rage, before ‘getting the band back together’ in 2019.

Harleys Bar. Image Credit harleystenerife.com

They are now a covers band but played at a very healthy volume and played three AC/DC tracks, which is always fine by me. These kids could play and had an engaging banter with the audience and had a humorous extended monologue in Spanish with the gist being that they would continue in their native tongue until the crowd became more responsive!  

Manchester Venues 108 to 109

In the 1990’s the regular pre-gig haunt when visiting the various branches of Manchester Academy was the Jabez Clegg public house. As that establishment gradually declined and subsequently closed, we then discovered the allure of Manchester Big Hands.

The pub is located at the top end of Oxford Road opposite the Red Chilli Chinese restaurant. It opened its doors in 2001 with the concept of creating a NYC dive bar, the kind of equivalent place where you would have expected the Strokes in their early days to have gathered and discussed the concept of their debut album, over a few cold beers!

It has battered low strung sofas where you can babble nonsense with like-minded punters and suits me down to a T. It does remind me somewhat of a bar version of the Raiders/Warehouse nightclub in Preston.  In more recent years it has the welcome addition of a heated outdoor rooftop space which you reach once you have navigated the cramped steps taking you upstairs.

Big Hands bar. Image Credit reddit.com

Some bands tend to attend there post -performance but in that regard, I have only personally seen Tad Kubler of Hold Steady and the 6 music DJ Marc Reilly. They possess a terrific noisy jukebox that at times has free credits available for communal use, though some younger punters are confused by the sheer concept of a jukebox! It became a tradition for a spell to ensure we had played ‘Hells Bell’s by AC/DC before we departed.   

One particular Sunday we were in residence prior to a Meat Puppets show and remarkably our group of three were the only punters in, the DJ had just finished playing a vinyl record and I asked whether they could switch the jukebox on. They willingly complied and the track I had selected ‘Black Math’ by White Stripes came on at ear shattering volume, which they then respectfully only turned it down by a smidge!

They occasionally have bands playing there, and I have been fortunate to randomly catch a few whilst imbibing a couple of pre-gig scoops. The musical acts squeeze into the slightly raised area at the back of the bar and in keeping with the ethos of the establishment they are normally thunderously loud.

Big Hands bar. Image Credit oxfordroadcorridor.com

The first in 2017 prior to a Helmet gig was a three-piece from Oldham called Hopper Propelled Electric and they produced a noisy sludgy sound reminiscent of early Stooges. In 2019 I saw a local band called Lurker and in 2021 saw an act called World without Frontiers. A few weeks ago, prior to a Therapy? gig I saw a couple of bands called Pray for Mojo and Swamp Kids.

In 2018 the original jukebox was stolen and unfortunately was never recovered. This coincided with the death of the bar owner Scott Alexander from cancer at the tragically young age of 43.  He was close friends with the members of Elbow and is thought to be referenced in their song Some Riot in the line of ‘Tall Gentle Boy’. Scott also owned the sister bar Temple of Convenience down near Oxford Road station.

Temple of Convenience Bar. Image Credit manchestersfinest.com

Now I have spoken previously about the merits of this establishment so will not duplicate that here. However, one tale relates to me and Uncle George being outside the Manchester Temple Of Convenience Bar Entrance and encountering a busker called William who asked us to name a tune and George challenged him with two obscure tunes, (so obscure neither of us to this day can recall the songs!). William without batting an eyelid instantly played vibrant versions of those songs to a rapt audience of two punters. For that very reason alone I have allowed him inclusion onto my gig list.