T. Rex (January 25, 1971) Lyceum, Strand – "T.REX" Live Concert

Iconic concert advert and contemporary review from the night over 2,000 fans packed London’s Lyceum, marking a pivotal moment where Marc Bolan and T. Rex transitioned into a major live act and emerging supergroup.

Publication:

Melody Maker (review) / Concert Advert

Date: January 25, 1971

Country: United Kingdom

Section: Live Concert / Review

THE STORY	WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS
T. Rex performed at the Lyceum, Strand with support from Jeff Dexter and Guest Group America. The show drew over 2,000 fans and generated huge excitement. Chris Welch’s review notes the incredible response but expresses some reservations about the performance’s musicality while praising moments like the electric guitar freak-out on ‘Elemental Child’ and the hit ‘Ride a White Swan’.	• Striking hand-drawn poster with surreal face illustration and large “T.REX” logo • Event details: Lyceum, Strand, Monday 25th January, 7:30–11:00 p.m. • Ticket price: 10/- • Support acts listed

CONTEXT AND NOTES	RELATED MATERIAL
This concert is widely regarded as a landmark gig where Marc Bolan truly became a star and T. Rex solidified their status as a supergroup during the early glam explosion. The overwhelming audience reaction signalled the arrival of T. Rextasy.	For more similar posts, check out the tags at the bottom of the page.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

SOURCES

Event: Major London concert Era: 1971 (Glam breakthrough / T. Rextasy begins) Tone: Exciting yet critically mixed Photography: Hand-drawn poster art "The Day Marc Bolan Became a Star and T. Rex a Supergroup. Over 2,000 jammed London's Lyceum, January 25, 1971. It was heart-warming for those who have followed the career of the unlikely duo down the years. But several doubts arose during the almost unbelievable response there was something a ... little disturbing about the readiness to cheer what was frequently unmusical. Marc whipped up incredible excitement with his minimal instrumentation and technique. While long sympathetic to the cause of Marc's cheerful pastiche of rock and poetry, when banging on top of a Woolworth's organ in loosely rhythmic fashion ... becomes the basis of a performance, one has to own up. The best moments were during Marc's electric guitar freak-out on 'Elemental Child', where his fantasies of being a heavy rock star were fully played out. And 'Ride a White Swan' is a great riff and a lovely hit. But the elements that make up the web of fantasy, fun and pop or Tyrannosaurus Rex are being un- comfortably stretched to the limits of credibility." Chris Welch, Melody Maker

• Lyceum Concert Poster, January 25, 1971 • Chris Welch review, Melody Maker

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.