Lindisfarne



Met Alan numerous times socially, I was mates with a couple of nephews of his. Their mother was Moira who got a mention in the documentary, he said she was the sister that introduced him to music.

Anyhoo hats off to the BBC to give Alan the national recognition he deserved.
 
Harry Angstrom said:
I was about 18 before I heard the term mackem. It wasn’t used until early 80s and definitely not used in Sunderland.
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I was in a bar in France in the early eighties when the Cockney barman introduced me to his mate;
“Geordie, Mackem
Mackem Geordie “
Hadn’t a clue what he was on about.
 
Saw the Lindisfarne Story a few years ago which was basically Ray Laidlaw & Billy Mitchell telling stories & anecdotes about the band with the odd song thrown in.
 
Don't remember hearing Mackem at all when growing up. Must have been the 80s before I became aware of it and it still doesn't feel quite right no matter how much the media like to use it.

Never really had any interest in Lindisfarne although I think a couple of mates might have had some albums. I remember a mate's Mam used to go the Christmas shows every year which seemed weird.
 
George Kaplan said:
I never thought it was a problem to listen to Lindisfarne just because they supported a football team or lived in an area that was 10 to 12 miles from where the team I supported or the place I lived.

In fact I actually went and bought their first single because I thought it would be nice to support a local band. Wasn’t that keen on them but liked a few songs. Was in their company for an afternoon when they were a very awkward and rude to television studio crew in the mid 70s which coloured my perspective on them - but I suspect they were tired and emotional.

The ‘Mackem versus Geordie’ thing is strange. I’ve never, ever considered myself to be a Geordie - which I’ve always thought of as a Tyneside thing.

I recall a mild insult/mickey take of Sunderland people being the term ‘mackem’ but I only heard it in my 20s ) I think) so I don’t think it was common or used/owned by Sunderland people in 73 ...for example. John Hall has a lot to answer for. In creating a ‘nation’ he unnecessarily and rather pettyly (not a word) divided a region.

And I’m not from Sunderland so I’m not a Mackem anyway.

My origins are NW County Durham. I’ve never really felt the need to apply a meaningless sobriquet to myself to validate my existence or give meaning to my sad and lonely life. 😜

And it’s not stopped me from listening to music. I even like some of Sting’s stuff and Brian Johnson’s dulcet tones have accompanied me on the exercise bike on a regular basis.

The Fog on the Tyne is mine too.
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You’ve gone too far there mind (unless you mean The Police)
 

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