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Slade was the greatest glam rock band. 23 top 20 hits. 6 number ones, back when you had to sell hundreds of thousands of black plastic records. Just how big? Well, in these days where every single goes in at number one and bands are picked on telly you might forget that once upon a time people had to work a bit harder. Slade toured for 6 years before they had their first hit. In the entire decade of the 70's only 4 songs entered the charts at number one. Slade had 3 of these- songs they wrote, instruments they played and wearing the clothes they chose!
More weeks on the charts than ABBA.
In 1973, if you were a girl you probably loved the Osmonds or David Cassidy. If you weren't sure, it was T.Rex or Bowie. If you were a bloke, Slade were the centre of the world. They had 3 number one's- the last of which, Merry Xmas Everybody, is what most people seem to treat as the only one! They were the first band to book and sell-out Earl's Court and Don nearly died.
In 1973, Ed bought his first record, Slade Alive, and Rik got his first drum kit. Two teenagers separated by hundreds miles, but united by a love for music that got the pulse racing faster than a flash of knickers.
In 1983, Slade just missed the Christmas number one, but the end was coming and the live shows which defined the band's existence were at an end. In 1983, Rik was the drummer in a New Romantic band and Ed retired as singer and guitarist in a prog rock band.
January 1st, 2000. Rik decided that although he enjoyed playing in a glam rock bands (the Look and Glamstarz), he wanted to do a proper tribute to his heroes. Together with Cliff (Noddy), Paul (Dave) and Trevor (Jim), he forms 'Slayed'. Jan 1st 2000, Ed woke up with the mother of all hangovers and finds SLADE tattooed across his knuckles. He resolves to get back into playing in a band.
|  | Slayed
In March 2000, after a couple of superb gigs, Trevor, the bass player, is killed in a motorbike accident. A 'bass player wanted' advert appears in the only music shop in Windsor and Ed applies.
On the hottest night of August 2000, Ed debuts as Jim. 2 days later after a photo session and after a huge row, Cliff (Noddy) is sacked and Rik and Paul decided that Ed would make a great Noddy. |  | Flamin' Slade
In December 2000, the newly christened 'Flamin' Slade' played their first four gigs, with Paul 2 as Jim.
This line-up lasted until May 2001, when geographical differences (Paul had moved to Devon) meant that a new Dave was needed. Paul 1 had been a great performer, but at 6ft 2inches tall he was slightly over sized for Dave Hill!
Mike Mishra, guitar teacher, 5ft 6 and with his own hair made an admirable replacement. |  | 2001
Gigs were all concentrated in the South and were largely in pubs.
In the Autumn of 2001, geography also lead to the departure of Paul 2.
Having met Geddy Lee look alike, John, at a Flamin' Slade gig, he and his 17-strong bass collection joined the band in October.
In December, Flamin' Slade performed to a sell out crowd of 800 at the University of Glamorgan. A few days afterwards, Rik left his own band and John's old cohort, Julian (famously the singer of Nott the Hoople) replaced him. |  | 2002
This was a frustrating year of great gigs separated by months of inactivity for Flamin' Slade, mainly due to John the bassist being involved in a motorbike crash.
Rik was playing in a Tina Turner tribute and was joined by his former chum from 'The Look', Chris. Frustrated by one too many performances of 'Simply the Best', Rik and Chris decide to form a new band- 'Get Back' and Rik gives Ed a call. In October 2002, Get Back played their first gig with Gary on guitar.
Ed also formed an XTC tribute as well as nudging Flamin' Slade forward and was struggling to juggle 3 bands. | | All Change
December 2002 was a momentous month.
On the 11th, Rik guested at a Flamin' Slade gig in Birmingham, as did Ed's loving recreation of the Super Yob guitar.. That night John resigned.
A week later, Ed, Rik and Chris met Dave Hill, Don Powell, Dave Glover and Steve Whalley (aka Slade 2).
Over new year Ed decided to bring the Flamin' Slade and Get Back together. Julian and Mike were bid a fond farewell and on Feb1st 2003 the longest running line-up maked its debut. | | Between 2003 and 2006, Flamin' Slade went from strength to strength, playing to enthusiastic audiences wherever they went. Building a fearsome reputation across the tribute circuit, even playing some venues where the real Slade played during their peak years of 1971-3. Chris's son Shaun (Shaun to be Wild!) deputised on a couple of occasions for Chris and once for Gary. Some very nice photos appeared here. Live Pictures
During this period various gigs were filmed resulting in the Alive 1 & 2 DVDs, which were big hits amongst various Slade fan communities.
On Easter Sunday 2006, this incarnation of the band played its last gig at the 40th anniversary fan convention (SladeFest) at the Robin 2 in Bilston (Don's home town). Ed (Noddy) decided to call it a day after his 6 years in the band, though he continued to perform a solo Noddy for corporate events. | | The show must go on
In the tradition of Flamin' Slade, the new line was lead by the former bass player, Chris switching to become Noddy and the arrival of Stu.
This line up lasted through Christmas 2006 before breaking up just before Sladefest 2007. In the great old tradition of 'the show must go on', Rik contacts Ed to see if he could be persuaded to do one last show. | | After a frantic search, Ben, just 17 years old and the son of a die-hard Slade fan is brought into the fold. After 3 rehearsals, he proves himself to have the Dave Hill touch.
The bass playing role is ably tackled by Slade archive web guru and 12 string bass maniac, Ian.
The set, mainly drawn from the older material, drawing heavily on Slade Alive goes down like a storm to the Sladefest audience and gets extensive coverage in the media and feature on itv news, where Nod becomes a regular feature on the local news ident. | | The latest and greatest line-up
Having enjoyed the Sladefest gig, yet another bass player, Neil joins and Flamin' Slade #8 played to 1000 people at Butlins just before Christmas 2007. With Neil and Ben, the band has a new lease of life and 2008 saw bigger and better gigs, culminating in an appearance to 2000 people and an open air homecoming gig in Wolverhampton's main square. The third Sladefest has the strongest set to date, with two album's played in their entirity. | | | |
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