1980 tour - Lene's diary

From Lene's self-published fanzine "Monkey Talk" (summer 1980).
Specifications and commentaries in square brackets by myself.

Further gigs in 1980:

Liverpool, University of Liverpool, 7th January 1980 (unconfirmed)
Canning Town (East London), Bridge House Pub, 15th August 1980
Nottingham, Theatre Royal, 19th (or perhaps 18th) August 1980 (broadcast on television in 1981; planned for DVD release by Lene Lovich Band)

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IRELAND 80
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1980...is here...

where were you on New Year's Eve ? We were lying low in Yorkshire listening close to the boats on the Humber making their salute... I thought this is the calm before the storm - the bloody great tornado !

January... Ireland... we rush in and out and in to Belfast... like fools dodging raindrops, we try to avoid the trouble... but somewhere there's a great survival here... good vibrations... 102 Gt. Victoria Street, Belfast BT1 7BE... Terri Hooley - this is what we want...
Dublin stands deep... rooted... you can't knock it... and the Guiness IS great... ticket prices are too high... I'm really burning... still they came - for us and The Attrix ... no synics or sods ... this audience know how to play ... them and us, we played together...
Galway is good for us... gypsy horse... Mike and Phil snap and chat... life is full of surprises... seems like wherever you go Roogalator got there first...
Limerick... the Supremes cancel... girls, if you only knew the aggravation and prejudice flying around that gig, you would have told the idiots to shove it up their narrow minds and sit on it... maybe you did! ... hot time at the student centre... the whole town turned out...
Tralee kids say we're the best thing since Eric Clapton (?) ... Mike sits on mixing desk in a vain attempt to stop it from dancing... no way... the floor's jumping...
Cork's jinxed... no juice... the crowd hangs on... no... yes... no... something technical... power struggle...everyone's edgy... they hang from the ceiling... they can't breathe... they're getting bored - they must be... everything stops and starts and stops again... o.k.?... yes... we go... it was fine... the best you could expect...everyone was knackered but we gave all we got...
palm trees DO grow in Ireland, Justin... seems you can't put on a real Irish tour without a real Irish promoter - how many did you count Murphy ? ? ? ... looks like The Attrix are destined for better things (sorry about the tee shirts)... God bless the Hot Press... you never know who's watching... Colom... send us some snaps !

[Humber: Large estuary at confluence of Ouse and Trent rivers into the North Sea, on which Hull is located (where Lene grew up in the 1960s, and hometown of Les Chappell).]

[Terri Hooley: Prominent figure in Ulster punk scene; record shop and label owner. Has "discovered" the Undertones.]

[The Atrix: Irish band (1978-80s); lead singer John Borrowman (d. 1998) also published books of poetry.]

[Gypsy horse: Type of domestic horse in Ireland.]

[Roogalator: London pub rock band (1972-78). Three of its past members would later play for Lene - Bobbi Irwin, Nick Plytas, Justin Hildreth.]

[Tralee: County town in south-west Ireland.]

[Hot Press: Irish music magazine (two interviews with Lene in 1979 and 1980).]

LENE'S DIARY.
-intimate details-
--------------------

So you thought Lene Lovich had disappeared -read on: "It soon became 1980 - time for the global assault. The prelude was a two-week rehearsal period (with the band) and the release of a second album - "Flex". Our objective ? An international profile. The trend was set when our "warm up" Ireland tour grew into an extensive 8-day blitz (The Supremes cancelled in Limerick due to OUR sellout business !) A stormy return on the Irish Sea and it's out to promote "Flex" on the mainland - shop P.A.'s, radio & T.V. appearances - Scotland to Plymouth. We take up the story in London, Feb 1st - read on if you have the stamina !!"


February

Fri 1 - VISIT CBS FACTORY - ON AIR LBC - FLY TO MANCHESTER (TV SHOW) RETURN TO LONDON

Sat 2 - CAR TO PORTSMOUTH - LUNCHTIME ON AIR - RADIO VICTORY - CHECK OUT ANTIQUE SHOPS

Sun 3 - PLAY SOLD OUT LYCEUM GIG WITH HOLLY & THE ITALIANS, BODYSNATCHERS, MODERN BEATS

Mon 4 - IN THE STUDIO - REMIX "THE FALL" FOR A B-SIDE

Tues 5 - IN THE STUDIO - REMIX "THE NIGHT" FOR USA SINGLE

Wed 6 - DAY OFF - THANKYOU - SCRAMBLE TOGETHER CLOTHES FOR TOUR PERIOD

Thurs 7 - DAY OFF - PAY RENT - TELEPHONE ETC. - HOUSE CAT, GARAGE CAR ETC. ETC.

Fri 8 - DENTIST - TO HEATHROW WITH NUMB MOUTH - FLY TO ROME - OVERNIGHT
Sat 9 - ON TO GREECE - PHOTOS ON ACROPOLIS - PRESS CONFERENCE - TO THE BOUZOUKIS

[Bouzoukias: Nightclubs that feature Greek popular music.]

Sun 10 - TAPE 2ND ONLY ROCK SHOW IN ATHENS - FLY TO LONDON VIA VENNIA

[Television appearance; actual Athens concert took place in April.

Vienna, Austria.]

Mon 11 - IN THE STUDIO - MIX "DETAILS" FOR EDDIE KIDD FILM SOUNDTRACK - "HEAVY METAL"

[See non-album tracks page for "Details" [first version]. Recording date unknown. "Heavy Metal" (filmed in late 1979) was renamed "Riding High" before release.]

Tues 12 - ALL DAY IN STUDIO THEN TO MUSIC WEEK AWARDS: TOP FEMALE SINGLES ARTIST '79

Wed 13 - TO HEATHROW - FLY TO MADRID TO TAPE NATIONAL TV SHOW - SPANISH TV

Thurs 14 - FLY TO LONDON - AMERICA IN 2 DAYS. "GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER"

["Guess Who's Coming to Dinner": 1960s film, probably shown on television that night.]

Fri 15 - BACKLINE EQUIPMENT TO VANCOUVER - FINAL FAREWELLS

Sat 16 - DEPART HEATHROW WITH BAND & CREW. SIMON (LIGHTS) SICK ON PERSON IN NEXT SEAT.

Sun 17 - NIGHT OFF IN VANCOUVER - MEET COOK & JONES IN HOTEL LIFT.

[Steve Cook and Paul Jones from Sex Pistols.]

Mon 18 - PLAY SELL OUT FIRST OF 2 NIGHTS IN 1200 CAPACITY COMMODORE BALLROOM

Tues 19 - PLAY 2ND NIGHT SELL OUT CFOX BROADCAST LIVE - AUDIENCE IN ORBIT

Wed 20 - TO SAN FRANCISCO - NIGHT AROUND CLUBS - JOIN FINGERPRINTZ ONSTAGE FOR "SAY WHEN"

[Jimmie O'Neill: Singer and songwriter with Fingerprintz; has written "Say When" (before he became band member of Fingerprintz). Has also written Lene's songs "Telepathy", "Never Never Land", "Sister Video".]

Thurs 21 - PLAY SELL OUT BERKLEY UNIVERSITY - MARTY BALIN IN ATTENDANCE. YEA ?

[Marty Balin: Singer and songwriter with Jefferson Airplane.]

Fri 22 - PLAY TWO NIGHT SELL OUT COMMENCES AT MABUHAY CLUB - FRENZY

Sat 23 - PLAY SECRET MEETING WITH "RESIDENTS" BEFORE MABUHAY - RUN OUT OF ENCORES

[Meeting with the Residents upon their wish to record "Picnic Boy" with Lene (released on "The Commercial Album" in October 1980).]

Sun 24 - PLAY FLY TO LOS ANGELES. FIRST OF 2 NIGHT SELL OUT AT THE WHISKY.

Mon 25 - PLAY DEVO, THE ORCHIDS, ALICE COOPER, VAN HALEN (WHO?) IN ATTENDANCE - TWO SHOWS.

Tues 26 - PLAY ON CAMPUS AT U.C.L.A. - SOLD OUT THE BLACKBOARDS JUNGLE - GOT LOST.

Wed 27 - FLY TO ATLANTA - PARTY ALL NIGHT IN DON DEMPSEY'S SUITE AT HILTON.

[Donald Dempsey (1932-2005): Recording executive; at the time general manager for Epic (Lene's American record company).]

Thurs 28 - PLAY SELL OUT AGORA.BALLROOM WITH "ROMANTICS" - WILD TIME IN THE SOUTH.

Fri 29 - PLAY FLY TO TORONTO - 2 SELL OUTS AT "EL MACOMBO" - FREEZING COLD.

March

Sat 1 - PLAY 2ND NIGHT AT EL MACOMBO - STIFFMATES "MADNESS" IN HOTEL

[Concert at El Mocambo recorded for television.]

Sun 2 - PLAY HOME TOWN IN DETROIT - GREAT NIGHT AT BOOKIES. PEARL THERE

Mon 3 - DAY OFF - VISIT WITH FAMILY - BAND GO ON TO CHICAGO - DEJA VU TIME

Tues 4 - PLAY PARK WEST IN CHICAGO SELLS OUT - APPLE DUMPLING GANG RIDES AGAIN

Wed 5 - PLAY "BEGINNINGS" IN SCHAUMBERG - SOME LIKE IT HOT

[Schaumburg: Located in Chicago area.]

Thurs 6 - PLAY FLY TO CLEVELAND - GIG IN PEACHES RECORD STORE - FUN

Fri 7 - PLAY CAMPUS GIG IN BUFFALO - A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE

Sat 8 - PLAY ALBANY SELL OUT - THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES.

Sun 9 - OFF TO NEW HAVEN - BOREDOM LEADS TO BRUCE WOOLEY HOME PORN MOVIES

[Bruce Woolley: Musician, co-writer of "Video Killed the Radio Star". "Bruce Woolley and The Camera Club" were on the bill with Lene on most dates of the American tour. The Camera Club included future Lene collaborator Thomas Dolby on keyboards until shortly after the tour.]

Mon 10 - PLAY TOADS CLUB NEW HAVEN - ONLY GIG ON TOUR NOT SOLD OUT.

Tues 11 - NIGHT OFF IN NEW YORK - Z RECORDS NIGHT AT HURRAH - LATE NIGHT.

[Meaning Lene had just learned the gigs at the Hurrah (New York City) were going to be recorded by this company. The actual gigs took place on 21 and 22 March. "Monkey Talk" from one of these gigs was released on a DVD compilation in 2007. It was also planned to release the complete concert on DVD; this didn't happen so far.]

Wed 12 - PLAY RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SELL OUT - REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD.

[Located in New Brunswick/NJ (New York area).]

Thurs 13 - PLAY AMHERST CAMPUS GIG - SOLD OUT AND SNOWED IN

[Located in central Massachusetts.]

Fri 14 - PLAY FIRST OF 3 NIGHT (4 SHOWS) SELL OUT - PARADIS THEATRE BOSTON

Sat 15 - PLAY WBCN CELEBRATES 12 YEARS OF ROCK WITH LIVE BROADCAST.

Sun 16 - PLAY BOSTON BELONGS TO US - THE CARS AT ALL THREE NIGHTS.

Mon 17 - DAY OFF - TRAVEL TO PHILADELPHIA - NOW ON AUTOMATIC PILOT

Tues 18 - PLAY SPLIT LIP ON MICROPHONE AT HOT CLUB - CRAZY RUSH.

Wed 19 - PLAY CLASH, G.PARKER, TALKING HEADS JOIN POSERS AT MUDD CLUB

Thurs 20 - PLAY POLICE ESCORT AND A HELICOPTER TO LONG ISLAND CAMPUS SELL OUT.

[Stony Brook/NY]

Fri 21 - PLAY START OFF TWO NIGHT SELL OUT AT HURRAH - PARTY TIME

Sat 22 - PLAY UNIDENTIFIED FLYING ODDBALL NOW DOCTORS IN ATTENDANCE.

Sun 23 - EXIT NEW YORK TO HEATHROW - BLACK CABS LOOK GREAT.

[Lene and Les were unexpectedly met by Chris Good at Heathrow Airport, who had gotten word of their arrival by a Stiff secretary.]

Mon 24 - BAND IN HIDING - LONDON WEATHER A GOOD STEADIER - CAT FINE.

Tues 25 - BODY STARTING TO HEAL - INN OF SIXTH HAPPINESS.

Wed 26 - CREW LOAD ARTIC WITH 25 TONS OF EQUIPMENT TO START AGAIN.

Thurs 27 - REPLACE CLOTHING FOR EIGHT WEEK EUROPEAN TOUR.

Fri 28 - DEPART FOR RAMSGATE FOR CHANNEL CROSSING - SICKNESS PREVAILS - PARIS.

Sat 29 - PLAY DOUBLE HEADLINE SELL OUT STIFF PACKAGE WITH MADNESS.

Sun 30 - NIGHT OFF IN PARIS - JOIN SELECTER ON STAGE - FUN GIG.

[Hopefully a recording of that Selecter gig will emerge someday.]

Mon 31 - PLAY FRENCH PROVINCIALS START IN LE MANS - GREAT BRANDY.

April

Tues 1 - PLAY FOLLOWING JOE JACKSON THROUGH FRANCE - TONIGHT IN RENNES.

Wed 2 - PLAY ROUEN AT STUDIO 44 - NOTABLE FOR BEING A TOTALLY UNMEMORABLE GIG.

Thurs 3 - PLAY NORTH TO PLAY LILLE - DOORS HANDLES STOLEN FROM BAND BUS

Fri 4 - PLAY GOOD VIBES ON GOOD FRIDAY IN LIÈGE - BELGIUM

Sat 5 - PLAY DEINZE OUTSIDE GENT - PLAY WITH THE HEADBOYS - ORIGINAL MIRRORS IN HOTEL.

Sun 6 - PLAY EXIT BELGIUM WITH SHOW IN HERENHAUT - LICENCE PLATE STOLEN OFF BAND BUS.

[Herenthout: Small town in Belgium.]

Mon 7 - NIGHT OFF IN AMSTERDAM - TOUR PARTY GO CRAZY - CREW STOCKS UP.

Tues 8 - PLAY AMSTERDAM - GREAT SHOW - METEORS SUPPORT - HUGO'S BIRTHDAY - OVERNIGHT TO BERLIN.

[Hugo Sinzheimer: singer with Meteors (original band of "It's You, Only You (Mein Schmerz)", who Lene met during the filming of "Cha Cha" in Amsterdam, 1979).]

Wed 9 - PLAY SOLD OUT FIRST GERMAN SHOW IN BERLIN'S 1800 METROPOLE - VERY CHIC

[A second Berlin gig was supposed to be scheduled at Neue Welt shortly after the Metropol gig (rumour?).]

Thurs 10 - PLAY BREMEN - TENSE MOMENTS EXITING EAST GERMANY

Fri 11 - PLAY AGAIN OPERATING ON AUTOMATIC PILOT FOR BIELEFELD GIG - CREW EMPTY MINIBARS.

Sat 12 - PLAY HAMBURG AUDIMAX - JUDAS PRIEST PLAY SMALLER MARKTHALLE - AUDIENCE ECSTATIC.

Sun 13 - PLAY WIESBADEN WARTBURG - DRESSING ROOMS UP THREE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS - KNACKERED

Mon 14 - PLAY KÖLN (COLOGNE) STADTHALLE - WRECKLESS ERIC ON ALL GERMAN DATES - FUN.

Tues 15 - PLAY MÜNCHEN (MUNICH) - WE OUTDRAW URIAH HEEP PLAYING SAME NIGHT - SUCCESS ?

Wed 16 - TOUR PARTY NOW IN SERIOUS TROUBLE DUE TO OVERWORK - CELEBRATES NIGHT OFF BY STAYING UP ALL NIGHT

Thurs 17 - STUPIDITY, TODAY PASSES WITHOUT INCIDENT (OR CONCIOUSNESS).

Fri 18 - DRIVE ON TO VIENNA - BREAK WINDSCREEN IN BUS AND MISS SIGHTS OF THE ALPS - HEAVY COLD.

Sat 19 - PLAY VIENNA SPORTSHALL - AUSTRIA ASLEEP WHILE WE WERE THERE.

[Concert hall at Vienna resort location. Lene played at the same venue on her tour with Nina Hagen in 1986.]

Sun 20 - PLAY EISENSTADT - LEAST SUCCESSFUL ATTENDANCE ON TOUR - OVERNIGHT TO YUGOSLAVIA.

[Gig was supposed to take place in Graz (second largest city of Austria), but was re-scheduled to the small town of Eisenstadt near the Hungarian border.]

Mon 21 - PLAY LJUBLJANA - 4500 SELL OUT - WE ARE STARS IN YUGOSLAVIA - CROWD GREAT.

[Ljubljana (German: Laibach): Capital of Slovenia.]

Tues 22 - PLAY ZAGREB - 3000 GO WILD - JOINED BY RECORD MIRROR AND CREEM WRITERS

Wed 23 - PLAY BELGRADE - 3500 IN CHAOS - FIREWORKS IN HALL MAKE CREW & POLICE NERVOUS.

[Recorded by and broadcast on Yugoslavian national television.]

Thurs 24 - PLAY NIS - IN SOUTH OF YUGOSLAVIA - DEATH TYPE ROADS SEE US STOPPED BY POLICE - TRICKY

[Niš; pronounced [Ni:sh]: City in Serbia.]

Fri 25 - EXIT YUGOSLAVIA ON EVE OF TITO'S DEATH - RELIEF - GLORIOUS SCENERY ON 900 KM DRIVE TO ATHENS.

Sat 26 - PLAY SELL OUT SPORTS HALL 3000 PLUS - MORE OUTSIDE - 2ND ROCK SHOW IN TEN YEARS

Sun 27 - RETSINA RULES - TOTALLY UNRULY EXIT BY BOAT FOR ITALY - GREECE MEMORABLE

[Retsina: Greek resinated wine]

Mon 28 - AFTER DAY OF SUNNING ON DECK IN MEDITERANNEAN ITALIAN CUSTOMS PUT DOGS INTO OUR BUSES.

Tues 29 - PLAY BARI - SOUTH OF ITALY - 1ST ROCK SHOW IN 4 YEARS - ITALY'S OLDEST OPERA HOUSE

Wed 30 - PLAY ROME - 4500 SELL OUT - 2000 RIOT OUTSIDE - 2 CARS BURNT - POLICE USE TEAR GAS.

May

Thurs 1 - PLAY WE MAKE NATIONAL NEWS AFTER ROME RIOT - SELL OUT FERENCE (FLORENCE) TENT.

[Riots around the gig made newspaper and television news in Italy. When I asked Lene about it in Rome in December 2014, she didn't remember this incident at all.]

Fri 2 - PLAY BOLOGNA - THE DAMNED PLAY 30 KMS AWAY - NO PROBLEMS.

Sat 3 - BACK TO THE ROME HILTON - REHEARSE FOR T.V. APPEARANCE - CREW HOLIDAY IN RIMINI

Sun 4 - NATIONAL LIVE TV APPEARANCE - WATCH ELVIS COSTELLO ON "DISCO RING" SAME DAY.

Mon 5 - MD - PLAY NORTH TO FORLI - FANS BESIEGE HOTEL.

Tues 6 - PLAY MILANO - 5000 WITH 2000 OUTSIDE - MUCH AGGRO INSIDE & OUTSIDE HALL.

Wed 7 - PLAY GENOA - CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS TOWN - CREW AND BAND BUS COLLIDE.

Thurs 8 - PLAY VARESE - TIRES SLASHED ON OUR MERCEDES HIRE CAR - LEAVE ITALY QUICKLY.

Fri 9 - TO ZÜRICH - BUSTED ON ITALIAN BORDER FOR CURRENCY INFRINGEMENT - TRUCK BREAKDOWN - GIG BLOWN

Sat 10 - PLAY ZÜRICH - RESCHEDULED GIG - GREAT SHOW BUT BLOW OUT 5TH FRANCE GIG

Sun 11 - PLAY LYON WINTER PALACE - OVERNIGHT TO MONTPELIER - END UP IN MARSEILLES

Mon 12 - PLAY MONTPELLIER - SALVAGES OUR OPINION OF FRANCE - GREAT AUDIENCE.

Tues 13 - TRAVEL TO SPAIN - STOP FOR FISH & CHIPS AND PINT OF WATNEYS ON COSTA DEL SOL.

Wed 14 - PLAY - PLAY BARCELONA - 3000 SPANIARDS AND 500 POLICE ENJOY SHOW. IGGY POP IN TOWN.

Thurs 15 - TRAVEL TO PORTUGAL. POLICE STOPS BUS AT 3 A.M. DOING 90MPH. BORDER CLOSED - SLEEP THERE.

Fri 16 - CONTINUE TO OPORTO - WINDING ROADS. SAMPLE PORT IN SMALL TOWNS - ANOTHER CENTURY.

Sat 17 - PLAY SELL OUT 5000 SPORTS HALL - 2000 OUTSIDE - SUPERSTAR RECEPTION.

Sun 18 - PLAY LISBON - FINAL SHOW - LARGEST SELL OUT OF 10,000 - 3,000 OUTSIDE - FINALE.

Mon 19 - CRASH OUT ON BEACH AT CASCARS - REMEMBER VERY LITTLE - BLISS.

[Cascais: Major seaside destination in Lisbon area at Portuguese Riviera.]

Tues 20 - BAND DEPART FOR ALGARVE VILLA FOR HOLIDAY - CREW TOUR REALITY.

THE REST DOESN'T MATTER EXCEPT TO SAY THANKYOU TO ALL THOSE THAT HELPED.
WE'LL SEE YOU ALL NEXT TIME ROUND WITH A NEW ALBUM AND YES, WE WILL BE COMING TO JAPAN & AUSTRALIA.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR ON THE ROAD PERSONNEL: -
MIKE SINCLAIR: SOUND MIXER, CREW BOSS - GERRY FRADLEY: MONITOR MIXING - STEVE 'RODENT' BETA: SOUND ASSISTANT - SIMON MILES: LIGHTING DESIGNER, OPERATOR - STEVE MOLES: LIGHTING ASSISTANT - HERCULES: LIGHTS IN THE U.S.A. - JOHN PATTERSON: STAGE CREW - RUSS D'ATH: STAGE CREW, DRIVER - COLIN 'BEV' BEVERAGE: DRIVER IN EUROPE - OZZIE & IRISH JOHN: CREW MEMBERS ON IRISH TOUR - RICK SALES: U.S.A. TOUR MANAGER - BRUCE KIRKLAND: EUROPE TOUR MANAGER.