📰What’s On- Gig Listings: Apr. 1972

A dense, electric collage of Britain’s live circuit in spring 1972: Slade headlining, progressive acts filling university halls, and folk legends sharing stages with rock innovators. This NME gig page captures the pulse of a country in full musical motion.

📰 Publication Details

Publication: New Musical Express (NME)

Date: April 29, 1972

Country: UK

Section / Page: What’s On Pull‑Out / Gig Listings Page

Format: Gig Guide / Concert Advertisements

Provenance Notes: Verified by visible masthead, date, and “WHAT’S ON PULLOUT” header.

The page is a full spread of concert listings and advertisements under the “NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS WHAT’S ON PULLOUT” banner. It features multiple rectangular sections promoting upcoming shows across the UK, including Slade, Fairport Convention, Hawkwind, Country Joe McDonald, Sandy Denny, Curved Air, Rory Gallagher, and many others.

The typography is bold and utilitarian, with venue names and dates in uppercase blocks. Each listing carries the energy of the era’s live scene — from university festivals to major halls and club residencies.

This clipping matters because it documents the breadth of Britain’s touring landscape in April 1972, with Slade’s prominence reflecting their growing dominance in the glam‑rock era.

📰 The Story Behind It

By spring 1972, the UK live circuit was thriving. The NME’s What’s On Pull‑Out served as a national map for fans chasing gigs across the country. This particular page captures a week when Slade were headlining major venues, their name appearing alongside a constellation of acts spanning rock, folk, and experimental music.

The listings reveal the diversity of the scene: Fairport Convention and Sandy Denny representing the folk tradition; Hawkwind and Curved Air pushing progressive boundaries; Country Joe McDonald bringing transatlantic counterculture; and Rory Gallagher anchoring the blues‑rock core. Slade’s inclusion among these names underscores their crossover appeal — loud, accessible, and unmistakably British.

The page also reflects the grassroots infrastructure of the time: university festivals, benefit concerts, and club residencies forming the backbone of live music. Each listing is a window into a vibrant ecosystem where audiences could see emerging legends for a few shillings at local halls.

For collectors, this page is a quintessential artifact of early‑’70s gig culture — a printed roadmap of sound, sweat, and spectacle.

📰 Quotes from the Article

• “NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS WHAT’S ON PULLOUT”

• “SLADE + FRUUP + SpreadEagle – Willesden Sports Centre – Saturday 6th May – 60p in advance or 70p on night.”

📰 Related Material

• Chronicle entry: Slade – Slade Alive! – Tour Advert: Apr. 1972

Additional material connected to this entry is listed in the tag index at the foot of the page.

The clipping features a grid of boxed advertisements and listings, each with bold uppercase headers and stacked text blocks. The design is monochrome, typical of NME’s early‑’70s production style. The Slade listing sits among a mix of university and festival promotions, creating a visual rhythm of names and dates that mirrors the energy of the live scene.

NME “What’s On” Gig Listings featuring Slade — April 29, 1972.

📰 Closing Notes

This NME gig page captures the heartbeat of April 1972 — a week when Slade’s name echoed across halls and festivals, surrounded by the era’s most eclectic lineup of performers. As an archival piece, it preserves the typography, tone, and cultural texture of Britain’s live‑music landscape at its most dynamic.

#Slade #NME #1972 #LiveGigs

📝 Copyright Notice

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.