Rock Goes to College (RGTC) was a BBC series that ran between 1978 and 1981 on British television. A variety of up-coming rock oriented bands were showcased live from small venues and broadcast simultaneously on television and radio during a 40-50 minute live performance.
It was a follow-on to the mid-1960s BBC series Jazz Goes to College.
Concert venues
The venues were small university, polytechnic or college halls holding a few thousand people; often tickets were given to the Students' Union to distribute for free. The bands chosen were also, in some cases, bands which did not have a mainstream following at that time although many went on to be very successful.
A BBC DJ would also be present to introduce the band for the television audience.
Innovation
The original broadcasts were transmitted on television as well as Sight and Sound in Concert; a BBC initiative to provide simultaneous pictures on BBC2 and stereo radio broadcasts on BBC Radio 1, as stereo television broadcasts and receivers did not exist at the time. It allowed rock enthusiasts to enjoy the event with an improved sound quality.
Recordings
Original recordings of at least some of the Rock Goes to College series still exist and some legal releases have been made available, on DVD or CD, either as the concert in its entirety or as part of a compilation. UK Gold has re-broadcast some of the programmes (in stereo on television) in 2006 as has BBC Four and UK Arena in the late 1990s.
In some cases, the radio broadcasts contained additional songs to those broadcast via the television including pre-broadcast/warm-up tracks.
Concert listing
Many performances have been bootlegged from the original tapes or from public television/radio broadcasts. All references to availability on DVD here refers to legally produced and sold articles.
Episodes
Original Broadcasts 1978 (14 episodes)
The Boomtown Rats, 22 September, Middlesex Polytechnic, Hendon
Mary of the 4th Form
Introduction - Peter Drummond
Me & Howard Hughes
I Never Loved Eva Braun
Don't Believe What You Read
Rat Trap
Kicks
Joey's on the Street Again
Living on an Island
She's Gonna Do You In
Like Clockwork
She's So Modern
Looking After No. 1
Crawler, 29 September, University of London Union
The Crusaders, 10 October, Colchester Institute, Essex
The Stranglers. 20 October, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey
Ugly
I Feel Like a Wog
Bring on the Nubiles
Burning Up Time
Hanging Around
The concert is aborted when The Stranglers walk off stage, refusing to play to elitist audiences, after a dispute when an agreement to make tickets available outside of the college was not honoured.
Rich Kids, 27 October, University of Reading - with Midge Ure & Glen Matlock
Only Arsenic
Hung on You
Rich Kids
Burning sounds
Holy Holy
12 Miles High
Forever & Ever
Marching Men
Lovers & Fools
Strange One
Empty Words
Ghosts of Princes in Towers
The Climax Blues Band, 3 November, City of Birmingham Polytechnic. John Martyn, 20 October. Available on DVD. May You Never One World One Day Without You The Dealer Certain Surprise Big Muff Anna
AC/DC, 10 November, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex. "Whole Lotta Rosie" available on the AC/DC compilation DVD Family Jewels. "Problem Child", "Sin City", "Bad Boy Boogie" available on the compilation DVD set Plug Me In. Introduced by Pete Drummond. "Live Wire" "Problem Child" "Sin City" "Bad Boy Boogie" "Whole Lotta Rosie" "Rocker" "Let There Be Rock"
Lindisfarne, December, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex. Court in the Act Lady Eleanor Winter Song Make Me Want to Stay Kings Cross Blues Meet Me on the Corner Run for Home Brand New Day We Can Swing Together