The Eric Burdon Band: The Mayfair, Newcastle

IF MEL BUSH, who is presenting Santana at Wembley Pool this weekend, had been present for the opening ten minutes of his support act's tour last Friday he would probably have raised the white flag and gone back to selling army surplus while there was yet time. On the other hand if his nerve and receding hair line could have stood the strain of hanging on to the end of the Burdon Band's set he would at least have been able to make Dunkirk statements about life and hope.