A factual history of Larry Norman’s numerous visits to the United Kingdom and Ireland (1972 - 2001)

1972

Spring - The first time for Larry to visit the UK.  Commencing in Lancaster University, Larry performs 38 concerts in 35 days in the spring of 1972.  Possibly the source of his song “Stop This Flight”.

Larry also made his first performance at the Royal Albert Hall during 1972. The concert was recorded for a live album.

MGM released Larry’s latest single “Righteous Rocker”.  Alan Freeman on Radio 1 says “that’s one helluva record”.  “Honour, truth, kindness and a lot of good music” is how John Peel describes the Capitol recorded album Upon This Rock.

August - Larry sings at the major Festival for Jesus event in London.  Cliff Richard, Dana, Graham Kendrick and Gordon Giltrap also take part.  Buzz Magazine August issue publishes a special colour edition for the Festival and contains A Very Conspicuous Childhood interview with Larry.

September 8th - Larry commences the recording of Only Visiting This Planet in George Martin’s Air Studios London.  He notes on the album linear notes “The first day we recorded there was a bomb scare and we all had to leave the building”.  The album was initially released on the Verve Label in the US and on MGM in the UK.

1973

Jan 6th - Larry appears at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Start The New Year With Jesus Festival.  Over 10,000 people turned up to listen to Larry, Malcolm & Alywn, Parchment and Graham Kendrick.  Standing tickets cost 25p each.

During the event Larry announced that he will not be performing again in Christian concerts because he “wanted to be out in the world preaching the gospel to an unconverted culture, not in the churches singing to people who have bought all my albums”.

Larry also meets and talks with Cliff Richard for the first time at this event.

April - Crusade Magazine runs an interview with Larry.

August 7th - Larry is back in Air Studios to begin recording So Long Ago The Garden for MGM Records.

Larry travels for the first time over the Irish Sea to be hosted by the new Irish promoter Miles McKee - soon to be manager of American country rock band Liberation Suite.  George Lowden of Lowden guitar fame and Dennis Milligan of ex Kingdom Come and Pilgrim Records also aided in the tour organisation.  Concerts are held in The Arcadia, Portrush, Ballymena and Bangor. In St John’s Hall, Newcastle 300 hippies crowded in for a free concert.

It was in 1973 that Larry meets Hope Valentine in London.  The song Come Away recorded for the Stranded In Babylon album is written about Hope. The linear notes state that Larry met her in Mayfair near to where his friends Steve Turner and Norman Stone lived.  Hope became a Christian, gave up her prostitution, and later moved to America.

1975

May 24th - Larry’s only appearance in Britain back at the Royal Albert Hall.  Support is from Parchment and Liberation Suite.  Proceeds were shared with Tear Fund and Arts Centre Group.

October - a 12 date UK Tour was organised by Scope a division of Word UK Records - managed by the Scot Norman Miller, the future husband of Sheila Walsh.  Miller eventually moved to America and established Proper Management - one of the biggest and respected US CCM management companies. 

Profits from the 1975 UK Tour also went to Tear Fund and The Arts Centre Group.  Larry introduces Randy Stonehill to UK audience for the first time. Larry’s actor friend Jerry Houser (star of Badlands and Class of ’44) plays the village idiot  with a walk on part during the tour.  In Another Land and Welcome to Paradise are promoted on this tour but release is delayed in the UK until 1976.

1976

March - Larry is interviewed by the New Music Magazine editor Paul Davis.

April 15th - Larry appears with Cliff Richard in two charity concerts in one evening (6.30pm and 9pm) at Birmingham’s Odeon Theatre.  The Free Charity was set up by Pete Townsend to help addicts break free.  Eric Clapton was helped by Free to break from his drugs addiction.

1977

Five stops take place in the UK as part of Larry’s World Tour.  Support act is from Larry’s old friends Malcolm & Alwyn - Alwyn Wall accompanied by his band.  More >>> - More >>>

Paws Promotions of Ireland tentively enquired into a December Larry Norman and Cliff Richard concert in Coleraine to raise funds for Tear Fund with an after event to encourage local Christian artists. Larry agrees to waiver fees but Cliff cannot make the proposed date.

1978

February - Cliff Richard releases an album of rock gospel songs.  Three of Larry’s songs were covered on the Small Corners recording: Up in Canada, Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music and I Wish We’d All Been Ready.  The album was 5 weeks in the UK Charts and reached Number 34.

1979

June - Only Visiting This Planet and Streams of White Light are officially imported by Gibsue Mail Order Music from Larry’s Street Level LA Offices for mail order distribution in the UK and Ireland.  Rare last available pressings of Street Level, Bootleg, Sonshippers and Roll Away the Stone are also made available in the UK by Gibsue.

August - Larry isn’t publicised for an appearance at the Greenbelt 79 Festival but fellow Solid Rock artist Randy Stonehill is booked.  At the end of Randy’s Greenbelt set he shouts “My brother just flew in from America - will you please welcome Larry Norman”.  To everyone’s surprise the energic Larry and band rocks through a new song Let That Tape Keep Rolling.  The song was included on the film Greenbelt Live which captured the festival weekend.  In the film Cliff gives praise to Larry’s music and talent.  An album of the same title was also released.

1980

January - New Music Magazine prints Part 1 of a three part series of interviews with Larry by Don Gillespie.  Parts 2 and 3 were published in April and July 1980.

The 1979 Greenbelt Live film is aired on BBC1.

Larry’s management discusses a potential UK Tour to promote the re-release of Only Visiting This Planet with Alan Gibson of Redsky Music Records.  Neither the tour nor the re-released album materialise. 

Discussions shortly afterwards commences with Chapel Lane Records regarding the future UK distribution of Larry’s albums.

August 24th - Larry appears with band again at Greenbelt Festival and headlines on the Sunday evening.  Greenbelt had announced shortly before the festival that Larry had pulled out and Richie Furay was going to replace him. 

October - Roger Green and Lindsay Tuffin write a critical Greenbelt concert review in Buzz Magazine.

1981

February 6th - Royal Albert Hall.  Larry is now living in a small rented room near to the Bunch of Carrots pub in the English countryside after the break up of his marriage.  He is working with the newly formed Chapel Lane Productions - owned by Norman Miller and Rob Andrews.  Chapel Lane organises a major event at the Royal Albert Hall featuring Larry and Sheila Walsh, Mark Williamson, Bryn Haworth, Alwyn Wall, Norman Barratt and Liberation Suite.

April - Dave Roberts reviews the Royal Albert Hall event and compares Larry’s second half to a Young Conservative recruiting drive.

May 2nd to 16th - Supported again and backed by The Alwyn Wall Band with Norman Barratt  in a 11 date UK Tour promoted as Larry Norman and Friends On Tour. The Dominion Theatre, London concert is later released on the Friends On Tour album.  The tour and album are both promoted by Chapel Lane Productions.

May 2nd - The Belfast concert takes place when the IRA hunger strike is coming to a climax and the death of the first of the prisoners, Bobby Sands, is imminent.  Larry is warned by everyone in England not to come to Belfast because of the likelihood of severe civil disturbances.  Larry is undeterred and turns up with the Alwyn Wall Band for one of the best performances that Belfast has ever seen.  2000 people pack into the Assembly Buildings while outside Belfast is like a ghost town apart from the routine police and army patrols.

May Day Bank Holiday Weekend - Larry calls in to the Ground Level Festival in Lincoln with Norman Miller for a look around on his way back from the Belfast concert tour stop.

May - Roger Green and Steve Goddard interviews Larry for Buzz Magazine. Titled “The Tape Keeps Rolling” the article is controversial.  It also questions Larry about his recent divorce. 

June - Larry is spotted at the Launch Party to celebrate the new ownership of Marshall, Morgan & Scott in The Claridge Hotel, London.  His mum and dad also attend.

August 29th - Greenbelt Festival.  Larry hasn’t been booked this year but then again U2 also hadn’t been booked and it didn’t stop them making a surprise appearance.  Sheila Walsh performed a set half way down the Saturday evening schedule.  As she was singing the verse to her encore song “You”, Larry strolled on to sing the chorus.

1982

May 31st - Chapel Lane and Kingsway jointly promote The Banquet Spring Bank Holiday event at Wembley Arena.  Larry appeared as one of the Monday Rock Day artists.  The Rock Day was originally planned for Saturday but had to be moved to Monday because the Pope was in town and had doubled booked the venue on Saturday!

Norman Miller publishes an interview with Larry with discussion around the Chapel Lane venture.

1984

August 25th - The Larry Norman Band headlines the Saturday evening in Larry’s last mainstage appearance at Greenbelt. The festival is filmed by ITV Central and part of it is later broadcasted on the Encounter programme.  Larry also took part in a live Radio Greenbelt interview with Stewart Henderson - later sold as a festival tape.  Martin Wroe from the Greenbelt Committee also interviews Larry for later publication.  Both sit on the grass with surrounding fans watching with abate breath.

September - a Martin Wroe article on Larry appears in Buzz Magazine.

October - a comprehensive Larry interview is printed in the Greenbelt Strait Magazine complied again by Martin Wroe.

December 1st - Dennis Milligan invites Larry back again to Ireland to perform another concert in Belfast. Larry is backed by German band Pieces plus backing singers from America.  Larry flaunts the 11.30 curfew on the building and sings four songs as his encore.  “We’ve been asked to sing one more song, so we’re going to sing two …..”  

1985

April 14th - The BBC produced a Rock Gospel Show hosted by Sheila Walsh.  Larry appeared in the second series.  He sang “The Rock That Doesn’t Roll” as a duet with Cliff Richard and “What’s Wrong With This Body” helped by the London Community Gospel Choir.  Both these songs were later released on the Rock, Scissors et Papier CD in 2003. 

During 1985 Larry also appeared in a television documentary with Cliff Richard.

1986

October 31st - The Jan Groth Band backs Larry for a three date stop in Belfast.  The first stop is at Mandela Hall.

November 1st - The second concert is at the university Fresher’s Ball - on hearing Larry’s performance the previous night the Student Council lose their cynicism and ask Larry to perform an unscheduled 30 minute set.

November 2nd - Shankill Leisure Centre provides the venue for the final concert.

1987

May 5th - Larry plays guitar and keyboard solo set at the Ulster Hall, Belfast.  Charly, Larry’s brother, is hanging around back stage with guitar. A mike and monitor are set up for Charly but Larry doesn’t ask him to join him on stage!

Michael Beattie of Ulster Television is in the audience.  He is impressed by Larry’s performance and arranges for Larry’s next concert to be filmed for a 30 minute slot on UTV.  -

This is Trevor King’s second promotion with Larry in Belfast.  Trevor and Sound International has since promoted a total of 14 Irish concerts with Larry over the years.

1988

October - Larry partakes in a short European Tour with seven concerts in the UK. 

Ulster Television filmed a three camera shoot screened later titled “Righteous Rocker, Holy Roller”. The TV Special features Song for a Small Circle of Friends, A Note from Mr God, Sweet Song of Salvation, A Woman of God, Man from Galilee, Six Sixty Six, I Wish We’d All Been Ready and I Am A Servant.

1989

August 29th - Unscheduled Larry arrives at Greenbelt Festival and manages to play to a packed marquee arranged by Radio Greenbelt in the Word Record Sales Tent.  Larry is selling his just released Home At Last CD out of a suitcase. 

December 1st - The Barratt Band with Norman Barratt and Charly Norman on join lead guitars play Belfast’s Assembly Buildings.

December 8th - Larry’s one and only performance in Dublin, Ireland at the YMCA building.  He is accompanied by Dan Cutrona on keyboards and Marian Lisland as backing vocals.

1990

August - Larry appears for the last time at Greenbelt Festival in the River Marquee.

1991

January 7th - Larry performs one of his longest solo sets in Belfast at the intimate surroundings of Elmwood Hall. 

August: Apparently Larry was provisionally booked to appear at Greenbelt in 1991 but for some reason could not make the Festival.

November 25th - Back again for another solo concert at Fisherwick Presbyterian Church, he promotes songs from his recently released Stranded in Babylon album.  Larry performs a short “alien” version of UFO using a voice synthesiser.

1993

June 21st Belfast - the unthinkable happens - Trevor King receives a telephone call from Holland to inform him that Larry has had a heart attack and is in hospital and will be unable to travel to the well publicised concert the following evening.  Phil n John step in as a last minute replacement and play to a surprised but receptive capacity audience.  Trevor reads out a letter faxed by Larry from his hospital bed.  Emotions are running high and many people donate money to help Larry with expenses.

November - Cross Rhythms reporter Jan Willem Vink interviews Larry from his hospital bed in Holland.

1994

August 19th - Larry returns for an emotional solo concert in Belfast.  Larry remains seated for most of the evening seated and plays on a guitar loan to him by long time friend George Lowden.

1995

May 12th - back again in Belfast playing solo until the Barry Bynum Band joins him at the end of the concert.  Barry was the former lead guitarist with Liberation Suite.  Later that evening Larry performs with band The Rock That Doesn’t Roll on the popular Kelly Show on Ulster Television.  Larry donates his appearance fee to the band.

May 16th - four days later Larry plays his first Derry concert.  Larry is in fragile health and has to leave the stage to recuperate.  He requests prayer and some time later he returns with renewed energy.  The concert is filmed by John Wood and privately released on video titled On The Way To The Sky.

1998

May 12th - Larry this time waits three years to re-appear solo in Belfast.  Local musician Brian Houston shares stage for three songs.  Larry initially provides harmonies to one of Brian’s songs.  A duo follows on the songs We Don’t Need Religion and The Rock That Doesn’t Roll.

2000

March 22nd Belfast - for this concert Larry is joined on stage for part of the set by long time friend George Lowden.  Rhythms of Redemption chaplain Steve Stockman wrote that this was Larry’s best concert performance since at least 1987.

2001

August 8th to 28th - Larry does a eight Concert UK Solo Tour promoting his most recent Tourniquet album release. At the West Bromwich concert The Paul Poulton Project Band supported Larry. On crutches after a fall at the second concert stop in Liverpool,  Larry is accompanied by his sisters, Nancy and Kristy, and his son Michael on this tour.   

August 28th Belfast - A late addition to the UK Tourniquet Tour.  Larry performs many songs which he has never song before in concert in the UK.  Possibly his last even UK concert appearance?

The Belfast concert officially launches the “Rough Diamonds, Precious Jewels - The Belfast Bootleg” CD. This 4 CD Set, which contains over 90 tracks from Larry’s concerts in Belfast 1981-2000,  was put together by Larry, Paul Shaw and Trevor King to raise funds for work amongst Romanian orphans at Lugoj.

2004

September 1st: The launch of the Official Larry Norman UK Website and the distribution of Solid Rock CDs to UK shops.  Income from the sales go towards Larry’s medical expenses. 

If you have information, details, archives or photos relating to any of Larry’s visits to the UK, please contact the UK Office.  Email : mail@larrynorman.uk.com