Billy Joel – Newcastle City Hall 20th February 1979

The thing I remember about this gig, which I went to with the girl I was going out with at the time, Louise, was that Billy had positioned his piano on the right of the stage which meant that no one on the balcony on that side could see him and there were a lot of heckles to that effect. I seem to recall at one point Billy Joel putting an end to them by saying something like it’s a grand piano not a guitar – I can’t just pick it up and move across the stage! (I think most people ended up moving round to the other side in the end)

Standing outside after the gig the band came out and got onto the coach without stopping or even acknowledging the crowd who were standing there – My friend commented something like “Bye Billy it’ll be the last time we see you here, see you at Wembley next time” and how right he was!

His career took off not long after this tour but to be honest I still prefer the two albums The Stranger and 52nd Street so I guess I got lucky and saw him at the best time! Oh and Louise dumped me not long after the gig!

The Vintagerock’s blog site has the Newcastle setlist as:

The Stranger
Zanzibar
Stiletto
Vienna
My Life
New York State of Mind
Captain Jack
Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)
Until the Night
Only the Good Die Young
Miami 2017
Big Shot
Just the Way You Are
Rosalinda’s Eyes
She’s Always a Woman
Honesty
The Ballad of Billy the Kid
Piano Man
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
52nd Street.

Although Setlist from the Manchester show two days later is listed as:

The Stranger
Movin’ Out
Honesty
My Life
Vienna
Prelude/Angry Young Man
New York State of Mind
Stiletto
Until the Night
Zanzibar
She’s Always a Woman
Root Beer Rag
Rosalinda’s Eyes
Just the Way You Are
The Ballad of Billy the Kid
Big Shot
Piano Man
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant

Only the Good Die Young
Souvenir

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