The New Barbarians, known as The Barbarians, was an English rock band that played two concerts in Canada, eighteen shows across the United States in April and May 1979 and one show on January 16, 1980. In August 1979, the band also supported Led Zeppelin at the Knebworth Festival 1979.
The band played a mix of classic rock & roll, R&B, blues and country music, along with Ron Wood solo material and Jagger/Richards songs. Wood sang lead on most numbers (with Richards, McLagan and Clarke providing back-up vocals), as well as playing guitar, pedal steel, harmonica and saxophone.
The Barbarians' 18-gig US tour followed. In advance of their April 29 concert in Milwaukee, rumors began to spread that 'special guests' would appear. The list of purported secret guests included Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Page, Peter Frampton and Rod Stewart. Out of concern over ticket sales, Wood and the promoter helped to spread the rumors. When no extra guests appeared, fans began with catcalls then charged the stage, smashed chairs and broke windows. Police arrested 81 people.[3] A similar, less serious incident, occurred when the band played Madison Square Garden on May 7.[7]
The city of Milwaukee brought suit against the band for damages done to the theater. Wood booked a concert to pay for the damages but, as the band had already broken up, he assembled a new one. When The Barbarians returned to Milwaukee on January 16, 1980, the line-up was Wood, session drummer Andy Newmark, bassist Reggie McBride, and guitarist Johnny Lee Schell, with Mackenzie Phillips on backing vocals.[8]
When The New Barbarians appeared as a support act (at the two Canadian shows and at Knebworth Fair) their performances featured shortened set lists, but most shows on their US tour included:[4]
Buried Alive - Live in Maryland (recorded May 4, 1979) - released 2006
Wanted Dead or Alive (recorded at the Madison Square Garden, May 7, 1979) - released in 2016 as bootleg.
Single :
New Barbarians - They offer nothing more than ear-to-ear violence! 10" record released 16 April 2016 as limited edition vinyl (Record Store Day), limited to 3,000 copies.