ISB Diary- Be Glad for the Song has No Ending

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Maybe Someday, 1972

Between 1972 and 1974 the ISB played at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC with Loudon Wainright III opening at the college pub called The Tomb. No dates are currently available for this.

February 1972

18^th: Exeter University.

19^th: Birmingham University.

24^th: Brighton Dome.

25^th: Guildhall, Southampton.

Set list by Paul Bryant:

This Moment
El Ratto
Banks of Sweet Italy
Down before Cathay
Restless Night
Untitled Instrumental in Three Movements (Mike : If I was going to be pretentious I'd call this Untitled Instrumental in Three Movements. So here's
Untitled Instrumental in Three Movements)
Sea White Horses
Bird that Lives on Rain etc
Flowers of the Forest
Did I Love a Dream?
Let the Moon Hang Low
Antoine
Secret Temple
Feast of Stephen
Untitled rock song possibly called Long Long Road by Mike...(anyone know this??)

26^th: Winter Gardens, Bournemouth.

28^th: Royal Festival Hall, London.

March 1972

3^rd: Lady Mitchell Hall, Cambridge.

4^th: Lads Club, Norwich.

5^th: Essex University, Colchester.

9^th: Town Hall, Middlesborough.

10^th: Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham.

Set list from Paul Bryant:

This Moment
Banks of Sweet Italy
Down before Cathay
Restless Night
Sea White Horses
Flowers of the Forest
Let the Moon Hang Low
Secret Temple
Feast of Stephen
Jigs

11^th: Margaret McMillan College, Bradford.

23^rd: Eide Kino, Bergen, Norway.

26^th: Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen.

May 1972

6^th: Bickershaw Festival.

27^th: Lincoln Festival.

July 1972

30^th: Chichester Festival.

August 1972

10^th: Pall Mall, Boston, USA.

Pat Morton:

I have a hazy recollection of a String Band gig in Torquay sometime in mid August 1972. All I can remember from the occasion is a theatrical/panto piece concerning one "Giles crocodile" (en francais).

October 1972
24^th:Four nights at the Riverboat Coffee House, Toronto?

First Girl I Loved Live Album recorded

(Around this time): Berkeley Community Centre, Berkeley, California.

Michael O'Neill:

They were playing with borrowed instruments; according to Williamson, their instruments had been seized in Chicago (O'Hare airport?), presumably to poke around for drugs.

Second, because of this, Williamson played the instrumental parts of The Circle is Unbroken on fiddle rather than whistle. His vocal and fiddle on this were the high point of an otherwise disappointing show.

Memories from Randy Klauzer:

The concert's opening act was a well-known mime whose name I don't remember. I remember he did a bit about a man on a motorcycle. Actually, as I recall, there were two mimes. A man and a woman. I think they were husband and wife. I saw him on TV once, possibly on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

I do remember Robin doing The Circle is Unbroken with fiddle instead of whistle. I also remember Robin singing a song with just him on guitar. He said it was from U. It was a song about a mouse and it is not on the U album. Malcolm did a "dance" or something while Robin sang. I remember liking the song but was embarassed by the "dancing".

Toward the end of the concert there was a blonde woman on stage keeping members of the audience off of the stage. She was involved with the final song of the concert, possibly singing or playing an instrument. I don't remember for sure. I think she was introduced as being Susie Taylor who is listed in the credits of No Ruinous Feud as "Executive Director to ISB". At least that is the memory I have always had.

After the final song the band left the stage and after a lot of applause and a standing ovation from the audience, Mike came back on the stage and said there would be no encore. I was surprised at the time, but I understand now that it was normal for them to not have encores.

November 1972

4^th: NE Gardens Auditorium, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Robin & Mike
Licorice & Rose
Janet Shankman
Gerard Dott
Malcolm LeMaistre
and a whole bunch 'o people....roadies and everyone, plus dancers

According to an article from the local underground paper, the ISB stated that they would return to Vancouver that coming April. They didn't.

10^th: Town Hall, Birmingham.

Set list from Paul Bryant:

Cousin Caterpillar
The Circle is Unbroken
Everything's Fine Right Now
Wild Cat Blues
First Girl I Loved
The Explorer
Weather the Storm
Bird that Lives on Rain jigs
Old Buccaneer
Swipesy Cakewalk
Gilles Crocodile
Turquoise Blue
My Father was a Lighthouse Keeper
Hangman medley : Witches Hat/Koeeeoaddi There/Goodnight
Grumbling Old Men jigs

11^th: Champness Hall, Rochdale.

12^th: Colston Hall, Bristol.

16^th: Hardrocks, Manchester.

18^th: Leeds University.

19^th: Usher Hall, Edinburgh.

20^th: City Hall, Gladgow.

24^th:Sundown, Edmonton.

26^th: Fairfield Hall, Croydon.

27^th: New Theatre, Oxford.

December 1972

7th: City Hall, Newcastle.

Set list:

Cousin Caterpillar
Old Buccaneer
Explorer
My Father Was A Lighthouse Keeper
Piano rag
Gilles Crooked-Deal
Wild Cat Blues
The Circle Is Unbroken
Turquoise Blue
Black Jack Davy
I Know That Man
Flowers Of The Forest
Bird That Lives On Rain

9^th: Live in Concert, BBC Radio One, London.

10^th: Jazz Club, Redcar.

13^th: Hull University.

17^th: Implosion, Roundhouse, London.