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(from scrapbook 1, page 8)

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ON STAGE Living without the rain

MONSTERS OF ROCK
Castle Donington

STATUS QUO stretched their on unrained on record to 21 outdoor gigs on Saturday, and at the same time ensured the runaway success of the third Castle Donington "hard rock meets heavy metal" festival.

Close on 40,000 punters turned up to the East Midlands race track by midday, well in time to see a rapld fire succession of six bands blasting away the clouds, rounded off with a specially commissioned Quo firework display that was able to rupture a few remaining eardrums on the site.

After the disasters at Hackney and Peterborough earlier in the summer it wasn't surprising that rumours about a lack of interest in Donington (not to mention Reading this weekend) were rife. But on the day the balance of the bill — ignoring the fact that the headliners were nearer to rock'n'roll than strict HM — was enough to conquer the recession blues, and more than one of the promoters were outsmiling a Cheshire cat in the backstage enclosure.

For Quo it was a fitting climax to a year that's seen them enter the album charts at Number 1, play before Royalty, and undertake a record-breaking seven straight nights at Hammersmith Odeon as part of a nationwide sell-out tour. For the other five bands it was a reasonable enough showcase; if the sound wasn't perfect it was loud (if it wasn't for a wind blowing the sound across the stage from left to right) and the huge crowd, amply provisioned by nearly 100 stalls of every description were largely appreciative, open-minded and enthusiastic — not to mention determined!

One of the biggest bonuses was that Donington ran on time — an event that's normally a roadie's dream of fame kept pretty strictly to schedule. The only band to come on late were Saxon,who were then to trim their set to enable everyone else to play on time. Some you win...

So to Anvil, denim and leather posturers from Canada. They made the most of their opening slot, previewing their new LP 'Metal On Metal', and were well received. As too were a revitalised Uriah Heep. Even with Mlck Box the only remaining member the Heep scored both with tracks from 'Abominog' and dusty classics like 'Gypsy', 'July Morning' and finally 'Easy Loving'. The only complaint was the volume, with the more vocal sections of the crowd demanding them to "turn It up!".

Hawkwind, on next, got the opposite reaction. Festival veterans to the last (why, I dimly remember them supporting Quo at Cardiff Castle in 1977!) they bombed out with 'Motorhead' and 'Silver Machine' before retiring under an avalanche of potatoes (really), turf and any other available object. Every festival has a scapegoat, Hawkwind fitted the bill.

After the aforementioned gap - the longest of the day - Saxon bounced out for a truncated set, climbling speaker stacks and screaming large as they ran through a string of hits, from 'Stallions Of The Highway' to 'And The Band Played On' before finishing their set with a "call and response" work out of 'Wheels Of Steel'. They're good, and no mistake, but this festival won't be their favourite memory. Their mighty Brltlsh tour starting next month should change matters.

From festival veterans to festival veterans. Ian Glllan had opted for Donington for Gillan this year after four years at Reading, and the decision was a good one. With a cunning mix of the old and the new — tracks from the upcoming 'Magic' LP with 'What's The Matter', along with wobblers like 'Black Night' (a real surprise!) — Gillan got the crowd going and fully deserved a three number emore that ended with 'Smoke On The Water'.

Which left the day up to Quo... and they were, predictably enough, well up to it. Apart from an appalling PA break up early in the set they put their heads down to the task of proving themselves worthy headliners — charging around the stage like they haven't done for years, taking on all the problems ard overcoming them. The highlight was an extended work out of '4500 Times', and while a chunk was cut out of the set to keep to the tight deadline, the faithful were justly rewarded, with the firework display that accompanied 'Bye Bye Johnny' a worthy end to the spectacle.

To be honest this really wasn't Quo at their best — (towards the end of their last tour they were playing at the top of their form) and, at times, you got the impression they weren't all that happy, but (and again let's be honest) they could never be bad. I'd reckon this was a "75 per center" on their scale, on their day.

And that was Donington, 1982. Not by any means a gig that will become a legend, but a well-organised and enjoyable day. Just how much that had to do with Quo's luck with the rain I won't even begin to think about...

John Shearlaw

Image caption: ALRIGHT, FRANCIS? The queue for the gents at Donington stops to look at the headliner