THE NEAT RECORDS STORY – AN INSIDERS VIEW TO THE NWOBHM IN NEWCASTLE

March 12, 2020 Mick Burgess Spotlight 0

In 1977 Steve Thompson became house producer at Impulse Recording Studios in Wallsend. He helped set up Neat Records, an independent record label. The first couple of releases (produced by Steve) were pop records. With Neat 03, the Tygers of Pan Tang, Neat became and remained a heavy metal label. And a movement began: The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). Neat records became the foremost independent record label of the NWOBHM. Steve produced just two more bands for the label before leaving: Raven and Venom. However, the trio of bands he produced became arguably some of the most influential bands of the period particularly in the USA. In particular Metallica have cited those three bands as highly influential to them.

In his talk show presentations Steve gives an in-depth presentation of his time at the coal face of heavy metal. This includes audio and video as well as out-takes and unreleased tracks. He paints a picture of what it was like to be there when these historic events happened. There are some interesting aspects to the story. Some are hilarious and some are outrageous. This is a rock and roll story so beware if you’re easily offended.

Consett born Steve Thompson has written songs that have been recorded by Celine Dion, Sheena Easton, Elkie Brooks, The Hollies, The Searchers, Tygers of Pan Tang, Baby Ford, Colin Blunstone, Elaine Page, Chris Farlowe, Bruce Ruffin, Alvin Stardust, Middle Of The Road and others. ‘Steve Thompson Songwriter’ features Steve’s own band playing new versions of the songs that he’s written for many of these and other artists. In the show he also tells the stories behind these songs as well as anecdotes from his time in the music industry, working closely with an equally impressive list of Producers such as Gus Dudgeon ( Elton John, Chris Rea); Rodger Bain (Black Sabbath); Christopher Neil (Mike & The Mechanics, Marillion, Gerry Rafferty) and Peter Collins (Rush, Gary Moore, Bon Jovi).

“I may shatter your illusions but I will open your eyes” Steve Thompson

“When our first producer Steve Thompson heard us crashing through “In League With Satan” he had the understanding that he was able to record something original and ground-breaking. We didn’t, but that’s a good producer.” Tony Bray, VENOM

“Steve – ‘The Godfather of the North East NWOBHM’ had the Fisherman’s Arms audience in stitches as he told his amazing story of how a small North East record label went on to reverberate around the world” Ian Monaghan, Hartlepool Life

Shows:

March 17th – Trillians Rock Bar, Newcastle

March 25th – The Fisherman’s Arms, Hartlepool

Author

Mick Burgess

Mick is a reviewer and photographer here at Metal Express Radio, based in the North-East of England. He first fell in love with music after hearing Jeff Wayne's spectacular The War of the Worlds in the cold winter of 1978. Then in the summer of '79 he discovered a copy of Kiss Alive II amongst his sister’s record collection, which literally blew him away! He then quickly found Van Halen I and Rainbow's Down To Earth, and he was well on the way to being rescued from Top 40 radio hell! Over the ensuing years, he's enjoyed the Classic Rock music of Rush, Blue Oyster Cult, and Deep Purple; the AOR of Journey and Foreigner; the Pomp of Styx and Kansas; the Progressive Metal of Dream Theater, Queensrÿche, and Symphony X; the Goth Metal of Nightwish, Within Temptation, and Epica, and a whole host of other great bands that are too numerous to mention. When he's not listening to music, he watches Sunderland lose more football (soccer) matches than they win, and occasionally, if he has to, he goes to work as a property lawyer.
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