1970

01 JAN 1970 BBC SESSION John Peel’s Sunday Show, England, London, BBC Paris Cinema
Set includes only two live performances “93’s OK J” and “Here Comes The Grin,” officially released in BBC Sessions Vol. 3; other songs played are the same as the album versions from Song For Me. Tyrannosaurus Rex filled in for the rest of the show due to Roger Chapman being sick with the flu.

10 JAN 1970 England, Coventry, Lanchester College Union

15 JAN 1970 England, Portsmouth, Guildhall
canceled due to equipment van breaking down

23 JAN 1970 England, Sunderland, Locarno

26 JAN 1970 England, Dunstable, Civic Hall

30 JAN 1970 England, Leeds, Leeds University

05 FEB 1970 England, Portsmouth, Guildhall

06 FEB 1970 Scotland, Edinburgh, Caley

07 FEB 1970 England, Aberdeen, Music Hall

08 FEB 1970 England, Dunfermline, Kinema

10 FEB 1970 England, Dundee, Tech College



15 FEB 1970 England, London, Lyceum

28 FEB 1970 England, Dagenham, Village Roundhouse

1. Drowned In Wine
2. Love Is A Sleeper

also appearing Emmanuel Booz, Eddy Mitchell, Francoise Hardy

5-7 MAR 1970 United States, Boston, MA, Boston Tea Party
w/ MC5, Stone The Crows

10-12 MAR 1970 United States, New York, NY, Fillmore East

13-14 MAR 1970 United States, Detroit, MI (unconfirmed)

20-21 MAR 1970 United States, Birmingham, AL (unconfirmed)

22 MAR 1970 United States, Houston, TX (unconfirmed)

23-25 MAR 1970 United States, Los Angeles, CA (unconfirmed)

26 MAR 1970 United States, San Francisco, CA, Fillmore West
w/ Chicago, James Cotton Blues Band, Fritz

27-28 MAR 1970 United States, San Francisco, CA, Winterland
w/ Chicago, James Cotton Blues Band, Fritz

29 MAR 1970 United States, San Francisco, CA, Fillmore West
w/ Chicago, James Cotton Blues Band, Fritz

2-3 APR 1970 United States, New York, NY

4 APR 1970 United States, Worcester, MA

5 APR 1970 United States, Lewiston, ME, Lewiston Armory
w/ Savoy Brown, The Nice

9 APR 1970 United States, Buffalo, NY

10 APR 1970 United States, Rochester, NY

11 APR 1970 United States, Ithica, NY

17 APR 1970 United States, East Hartford, CT

18 APR 1970 United States, Rochester, NY, University of Rochester
w/ Savoy Brown Blues Band, The Nice

Fan recollection: “One of the great triple bills from ‘70, still trading on the English Invasion angle that was becoming a distant marketing ploy. No problem here. My friends and I ate it up. Couldn’t leave early enough that morning to make a day of hanging out on the campus, pretending to be college kids. The serious Anglofiles, crowded onto the entrance steps for a solid few hours prior to doors provided the ultimate social scene. Everyone opinion-ing and bragging about one record after the other. It was almost as much fun as the show. I think it was well attended; up front there was no looking back.We were not ready for the power of Family. I’d only seen their albums in the store, never heard them and as much as I wanted ownership of at least one record, some other title always took their purchase slot. This was my favorite lineup, having become obsessed as a result of the show and then seeing them many times. Poli Palmer on xylophone most of the night, a stunning player. And John Weider on guitars and violin. It was the first band I saw playing any of these instruments (except Brian Jones on vibes during ‘Under My Thumb’), not to mention changing them up for each song. The ace in the deck for Family was always Roger Chapman. Definitely an acquired taste vocally, you still seldom see a madman like him, totally possessed. Once you experienced Family in person, their recordings made perfect sense, vividly bringing back his on stage intensity. They couldn’t catch a break in The States. Bill Graham banned them from The Fillmores. Don’t know  why. This particular night the audience was into it, but a few years later, opening for Elton John, things didn’t work out the same. I remember many of the crowd booing. I couldn’t believe such a sophisticated group of great musicians were being booed. I was embarrassed. But the band tore threw it unflinched. This was ‘72. Sadly it was to be the last time they toured the US. Props to Elton John for having them.”

19 APR 1970 United States, New Haven, CT

xx APR 1970 United States, Chicago, IL

xx APR 1970 United States, Philadelphia, PA

28 APR 1970 United States, New York, NY, Carnegie Hall
w/ Peter Paul & Mary, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie

APR 1970 SINGLE RELEASE (did not chart)

1. Today
2. Song For Lots

01 MAY 1970 England, London, Lyceum

02 MAY 1970 England, London, Chalk Farm, Roundhouse, Camden Rock Festival

09 MAY 1970 TV BROADCAST (UK) Disco 2, England, London, BBC2, Television Centre
w/ Groundhogs

20 MAY 1970 England, Birmingham, Town Hall

21 MAY 1970 England, Sheffield, City Hall

23 MAY 1970 England, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, Leycett, Hollywood Music Festival

1. Wheels
2. How Hi The Li
3. Strange Band
4. A Song For Me
5. Love Is A Sleeper

NME Reports: Family went on stage to a fantastic ovation that had even the hardened journalists climbing over scaffolding to see what was going on.
It’s about time this fine group got the recognition they so rightly deserve and Hollywood could be just what they needed. Family’s Roger Chapman really does freak out on stage, waving his sweater round and round his head, rolling and rocking about  the stage , knocking the mike stand for six and shaking his bands about in such the manner of Joe Cocker. Strangely, none of this detracts from the music and if anything, makes it all the more exciting and original.
The act consisted mostly of album tracks, “A Song For Me” being particularly good. The title song from the third LP, it raced along and included a nice section of violin playing by Johnny Weider and Rob Townsend excelling on drums.
A first rate performance.

Music Now reports: Family also suffered from the fact that only a third of the final crowd had arrived when they went on-stage. Thousands were still driving, hitching or walking the last few miles to the farm. Some had arrived as early as Thursday afternoon, but many more were still on their way. The main feature of Family’s set was the way that their music has changed, opened out, with the arrival of John Palmer on flute and vibes. Their recent American tour obviously had ironed out all of their teething problems.

Roger Chapman is still as fascinating as ever, his vocals sounding even more agonized these days. They did things like “Wheels” and “How High The Li” [sic] during which Palmer did some nice work on vibes. I liked the new song, “Strange Band” but “Song For Me”  left me cold. It was very long, with everyone taking a solo spot. It seemed like a lot of waffling was going on. Still the crowd liked it and they were called back to do another song ‘Love Is A Sleeper.” The new Family did alright.

24 MAY 1970 England, Bristol, Mecca

26 MAY 1970 England, Newcastle, Civic Centre
cancelled due to illness

27 MAY 1970 England, Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall

28 MAY 1970 England, Leicester, De Montfort Hall

01 JUN 1970 England, Guildford, Civic Hall

05 JUN 1970 Scotland, Glasgow, Temple of Peace (Green’s Playhouse)
w/ Black Sabbath, Chicken Shack

06 JUN 1970 Scotland, Edinburgh, Usher Hall
w/ Black Sabbath, Chicken Shack

07 JUN 1970 England, Epping, Groovesville Wake Arms
w/ Black Sabbath, Chicken Shack

08 JUN 1970 Scotland, Aberdeen, Music Hall
w/ Black Sabbath, Chicken Shack

12 JUN 1970 England, Sunderland, Bay Hotel, Locarno Ballroom, Fillmore North

14 JUN 1970 England, Birmingham, Erdington, Mothers

1. The Weaver’s Answer

w/ Van der Graaf Generator, Brinsley Schwarz, Santana, Mungo Jerry

21 JUN 1970 Germany, Frankfurt, Neiderradeyeling Stadium, Rock Circus 70
w/ Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Byrds, Edgar Broughton Band, Steamhammer, Badfinger, Chicken Shack, Jackie Lomax, Chuck Berry, Nosferatu, Screaming Lord Sutch, Bo Diddley, Heavy Jelly, Little Free Rock, and Ashton Gardner & Dyke

22 JUN 1970 Germany, Essen, Big Gig Festival
w/ Black Sabbath, Colosseum, Rare Bird, Humble Pie, Uriah Heep, Gentle Giant

23 JUN 1970 England, Oxford, St. Johns & Trinity Colleges, Commemoration Ball
w/ The Moody Blues, Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Fotheringay

xx-JUN 1970 Paris?

25 JUL 1970 England, Nottingham, Nottingham Festival, Victoria Embankment
w/ Taste, Atomic Rooster, Jody Grind, Anno Domini, Mungo Jerry

26 JUL 1970 England, Croydon, Fairfield Hall
Concert recorded for Anyway, and pro-shot video (unreleased).

07 AUG 1970 England, Plumpton, 10th National Jazz, Pop, Ballads and Blues Festival

1. Strange Band
2. Good News, Bad News
3. Holding The Compass
4. Wheels
5. Drowned In Wine
6. A Song For Me
7. The Weaver’s Answer

w/ Groundhogs, Rare Bird, Steamhammer, Daddy Longlegs, Patto, Clark-Hutchinson

Being the final act, Family had to work extremely hard to follow Steamhammer. Family must be one of the very few bands to which the terminology “original” has any real significance. Roger Chapman’s maniacal mannerisms and braying vibrato are the visual focal point of their performance, yet they never distract from the industrious playing of the entire band. Commencing with “Strange Band” they worked their way through “Bad News,” “Hole In The Compass,” [sic] “Wheels,” “Drown In Wine,” [sic] finally catching fire in “A Song For You.” [sic] During their encore, “The Weaver’s Answer,” a very mischievous Roger waved a red towel before banishing the mike about to which we all cheered and then trundled off into the night.
-Unknown press clipping

10 AUG 1970 BBC SESSION Top Gear, England, London, BBC Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue
First broadcast 05 SEP 1970

1. Holding The Compass
2. Lives And Ladies
3. Good News Bad News

AUG 1970 MAXI-SINGLE RELEASE  (#11, UK)

1. Strange Band
2. The Weaver’s Answer
3. Hung Up Down

13 AUG 1970 England, Plymouth, The Van Dike

14 AUG 1970 England, Torquay, Marquay Club
w/ Bram Stoker

15 AUG 1970 England, Weston-super-Mare, Winter Gardens

Family at festival grounds, Turku, Finland

21 AUG 1970 Finland, Turku, Ruisrock Music Week Festival
w/Daddy Longlegs, Colosseum, Blue Mink, Argent, Made In Sweden

The music couldn’t have been better. British groups were the highlights. Family got screams of approval and were adored for 90 minutes on the first night.

1. The Weaver’s Answer

28 AUG 1970 England, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Festival

1. Processions
2. A Song For Me
3. Drowned In Wine
4. Good News Bad News
5. Strange Band
6. The Weaver’s Answer

xx AUG or SEPT 1970 TV SESSION (Holland) TopPop

1. The Weaver’s Answer

1. Good News Bad News
2. Drowned In Wine
3. Processions/No Mule’s Fool
4. Strange Band
5. Holding The Compass (over credits)

26 SEP 1970 England, Dagenham, Roundhouse

27 SEP 1970 BBC SESSION John Peel ‘Sunday Show’, England, London, BBC Playhouse Theatre

1. Good News Bad News
2. Drowned In Wine
3. Wheels
4. Processions/No Mule’s Fool
5. Holding The Compass
6. Lives And Ladies
7. Strange Band
8. The Weaver’s Answer
9. Blow By Blow

28 SEP 1970 England, Dunstable, Civic Hall

03 OCT 1970 England, Bromley, Bromley Tech College
w/ Julian’s Treatment

09 OCT 1970 England, Devizes, Corn Exchange

12 OCT 1970 England, Dunstable, Civic Hall

16 OCT 1970 England, Lancaster, Lancaster University

17 OCT 1970 England, Boston, Starlight Room

22 OCT 1970 England, Canterbury, University of Kent

31 OCT 1970 TV BROADCAST (France) Pop2, France
Concert excerpts of “Good News, Bad News” and “Holding The Compass” from concert at Olympia Theatre, Paris, France (unknown date).

NOV 1970 ALBUM RELEASE Anyway (#7, UK)

07 NOV 1970 Germany, Munich, Circus Krone

1. Part Of The Load
2. Drowned In Wine
3. Processions/No Mule’s Fool
4. Holding The Compass
5. Good News Bad News
6. The Weaver’s Answer
7. A Song For Me

xx NOV 1970 Switzerland (unconfirmed)

13 NOV 1970 Scotland, Glasgow, Green’s Playhouse

14 NOV 1970 England, Leeds, Leeds University

15 NOV 1970 England, Newcastle, City Hall

16 NOV 1970 England, Manchester, Free Trade Hall

19 NOV 1970 Wales, Cardiff, Sophia Gardens

20 NOV 1970 England, Bristol, Colston Hall

21 NOV 1970 England, Bournesmouth, Winter Gardens

23 NOV 1970 England, Portsmouth, Guild Hall

24 NOV 1970 England, Sheffield, City Hall

27 NOV 1970 England, Birmingham, Town Hall

28 NOV 1970 England, Brighton, The Dome

29 NOV 1970 England, Liverpool, St. George’s Hall

30 NOV 1970 England, London, Royal Albert Hall

01 DEC 1970 England, Leicester, De Monfort Hall

xx DEC 1970 Scandinavia, Switzerland & France tour

20 DEC 1970 England, London, Lyceum
w/ Quiver