Catching The Tube

JOOLS Holland is standing in the rain outside the Tyne Tees studios in City Road, Newcastle. Huge pink neon letters saying "Tube" light up the glass walkway leading into the building behind him. "We're going to do something new that's going to go down in the annals of TV history," he says. "You're going to see live bands so remember, turn it up - from now on you'll be watching fantastic Tube."

And so, 25 years ago on Monday, the first ever Tube - featuring The Jam, Heaven 17, Sting and Pete Townsend - was broadcast live to the nation from the North-East.

Compared to the tired old formats of traditional TV music shows like Top Of The Pops it was messy and chaotic, spontaneous and incredibly risky. Roving cameras filmed from odd, jaunty, innovative angles.

People spoke into the wrong camera, presenters forgot their lines, the sound was poor. Nobody cared.

Jools, famously, swore. His co-presenter Paula Yates, growing visibly more pregnant in a shocking succession of short, frothy dresses throughout the first series, complained she wasn't allowed to introduce the Boomtown Rats when they appeared: "Because the lead singer gives me one."

Paula, our first true tabloid celebrity, was renowned for her bizarre, provocatively flirtatious interview technique. "Do you think being called Gordon has been a bit of a hindrance to being a pop star," she pouted at Sting. He rolled his eyes: "Yeah, it's really held me back."

She was astute enough to observe later: "It genuinely was good when it was good but that was just by chance."

The fact that The Tube was filmed in the North- East, an adventurous 300 miles away from the heart of the music industry in London, was part of the attraction.

Former assistant producer Chris Phipps, who worked on all 150 shows over the five years The Tube was broadcast and has put together an exhibition of pop memorabilia to mark its anniversary, remembers it as an extraordinarily exciting time.

For many viewers, he says, the programme put Tyneside on the map.

And tonight he will be joining other members of the original production team at The Sage in Gateshead for a retrospective screening of the highlights of that first live programme.

"We were given a big blank canvas to produce a live show for one-and-a-half hours every Friday. It was an incredible opportunity," he says.

His high point was helping to resurrect Tina Turner's flagging career when he persuaded her to appear on The Tube. "She had been consigned to the waste bin when I booked her. We flew her from New Orleans, via London, to Newcastle. She got off the same flight as the Eurythmics, John Lydon and Billy Bragg."

Newcastle Airport had never seen anything like it. Big international stars, such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Little Richard and U2 were regularly flying in. British Airways had to reschedule their Friday flights to accommodate the bands.

Jools Holland recalls one memorable flight home when there was terrible turbulence and Elton John was on board. "You must be really worried," said someone next to Jools. "If the plane crashes, Elton's going to get top billing."

Many stars travelled by train. And most enjoyed getting out of the capital to stay overnight in Newcastle.

When Simple Minds appeared, Jim Kerr went over the road afterwards for a quiet pint. Producer Malcolm Gerrie recalled walking into the nearby Rose and Crown to see Miles Davies chatting to Jools over a Scotch. Another night Annie Lennox sat in one corner of the Egypt Cottage pub opposite Tina Turner in another.

"The reason The Tube was so good was because it was broadcast from Newcastle. It took pop stars out of their normal environment, up to the frozen wasteland of the North-East, back to some kind of absolute reality," remarked producer Trevor Horn.

But it wasn't just the big names The Tube was known for. It was constantly daring to take risks with new acts, some of which were rubbish and some of which paid off. Chris Phipps recalls giving unknowns like The Proclaimers their first break.

"Everyone said they couldn't understand them because their accents were too strong but I booked them on the spot because I knew they were good."

HE also launched the Fine Young Cannibals and the Housemartins. Madonna and Frankie Goes to Hollywood appeared first on The Tube.

The Tube also showcased new comedy acts. "I was booking people like Vic Reeves for the first time on TV," says Chris.

The fact that it was live made it particularly nailbiting.

"It was an incredible time. We were given two days to rehearse but obviously not everything went according to plan. I couldn't find Iggy Pop once when he was due to perform and eventually discovered him at the entrance wrapped up like a mummy in bandages," says Chris.

Chris, who now makes documentaries, saved all sorts of Tube memorabilia, including some of the original neon signs, title artwork, posters listing the programme bills and VIP back stage passes.

"I keep things that most people throw away." His favourite item is drawing of a heart Miles Davies did after being interviewed.

"I am a big fan. I plucked up the courage and asked him for his autograph."

Chris always knew The Tube was going to be a success. "It was irreverent and unpredictable and helped redefine the North-East as the television capital of cool," he says.

But he wasn't surprised when it all came to an end. "They were five very good years, but nothing lasts forever. That was then, this is now. Music programmes are always of their time and it was past its sell-by date by 1987."

"We've moved on from The Tube. Now it's YouTube," he says.

*Insistent Savagery: Faces of Pop Music is at The Red Box Gallery, St Nicholas Chare, Newcastle from today until Thursday, November 13.