Saw this on the internet somewhere and thought it may be fun….. (I know – another list)
1. First Concert
2. Last Concert
3. Worst Concert
4. Loudest Concert
5. Best Concert
6. Seen The Most
7. Most Surprising
8. Happy I Got To See
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
10. Next Concert
My input in comments….
1. First Concert
– In terms of proper concert that I went to on my own / paid for myself, I think it was Genesis at the NEC Arena Birmingham in 1984. (Had been to various things with parents before)
2. Last Concert
– Kamasi Washington / Capitol Theatre Singapore, Jun 2025
3. Worst Concert
– Michael Jackson, National Stadium Singapore 1996. Just too sterile.
4. Loudest Concert
– Probably Mono at The Esplanade Annexe Studio, Singapore in 2022. Very small venue, loud guitars….
– could have been Explosions In The Sky, in 2017. Again small venue, loud guitars.
5. Best Concert
– Kate Bush, Hammersmith Apollo 2014 – just because…..
– Sigur Ros at Fort Canning Park, Singapore in 2012. The heavens opened just as they started the encore, Ekki Mukk and it was just wonderfuly atmospheric.
6. Seen The Most
– Sigur Ros, Genesis, Muse
7. Most Surprising
– Wet Wet Wet at The Boardwalk, Manchester in I guess 1992. It was the warm up concerts for their “High On The Happy Side Tour” and they played a few clubs. I managed to get tickets and they were superb.
8. Happy I Got To See
– Kate Bush – obviously
– Bob Dylan, Star Theatre Singapore, Aug 2018
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
– The obvious answer is Pink Floyd in their prime. But could also add Queen at Maine Road in probably 1986 (I was at Uni and couldn’t afford it) or Albert King at, I think, some blues festival in Burnley (??) – he died shortly after.
10. Next Concert
– Kitaro / Star Theatre Singapore, 17 Sept
1. First Concert
Led Zeppelin, Western Springs, Auckland NZ January 1972. Thirty seconds into the first number, Immigrant Song, the stage went dark. The band played on and shortly after the lights came back on thanks to their own backup generator. I read later they’d blown half the West Auckland power grid…
2. Last Concert
Hmm don’t get out much these days – John Prine a few years ago? A few local gigs though here in Sydney, mainly jazz
3. Worst Concert
Can’t think of one
4. Loudest Concert
Traffic at maybe Leeds Uni in 1974. I was afraid for my teenage eardrums
5. Best Concert
David Byrne – American Utopia, Sydney maybe 2022?
6. Seen The Most
Traffic, Procol Harum in the early 70s, Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, Paul McCartney (3 times)
7. Most Surprising
Henry Cow supporting Principal Edwards (who I’d gone to see, I liked what I’d read about them) London 1974. Ver Cow were amazing, composition/improvisation merging into one
8. Happy I Got To See
Little Feat with Lowell George (Wellington NZ 1976), Frank Zappa (Auckland NZ 1976), The Who with Entwistle and Moon in 1974
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
The Beatles, Joni Mitchell
10. Next Concert
Tonight! Lucinda Williams at the Sydney Opera House
1. First
Marillion, Birmingham NEC, 1987. The Clutching at Straws tour (i.e. the last tour with Fish). A brilliant show. “So THIS is a ‘gig'”, I thought.
2. Last
The Australian Pink Floyd Show, Cardiff, a couple of years ago. Almost as good as the real thing.
3. Worst
Joe Cocker during a festival for charity. He was paralytic, falling-down, oh-dearie-me drunk.
4. Loudest
The Moody Blues, which was surprising. Still good though.
5. Best
Pink Floyd, on a mini tour around the time of A Delicate Sound of Thunder. Flying light rigs, quad sound, a Spitfire, the works. Just astonishing.
The Floyd again, on the Division Bell tour at Earl’s Court. My brother and I screamed ourselves hoarse. Good times.
Rammstein in Montreal. So powerful I thought the roof might fly off.
6. Seen the Most
Marillion, Fish (solo)
7. Most Surprising
Davy Jones, about 2010? We were given free tickets by a passing stranger (to cut a story short) and went with low expectations – his heyday was long past – but he was terrific. Backed by an ace band, he was a real showman. I hadn’t realised just how many hits, and good songs, The Monkees actually had. RIP, Mr J.
8. Happy I Got to See
Ultravox on their Return to Eden reunion tour in 2009. Never thought I’d get to see them live, and they were even better than I had hoped.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
The Floyd on The Wall tour.
Depeche Mode during either the Music for the Masses or World Violation tours.
Bowie, preferably with Nine Inch Nails on the Outside tour.
10. Next Concert
None planned.
Not posted for years…
First Concert – Frankie Miller. Malvern Winter Gardens August 1977
Last- John Otway in a Church in Gloucester. Solo August 2025. Hugely entertaining and brought a theremin
Worst- it’s a toss up between the Smashing Pumpkins at the NEC in 2000 (awful- in fact so bad I didn’t go to another gig for 9 years (growing family also had something to do with that) or Ordinary Boys in a field 10 years ago or so. They were dreadful
Loudest- probably Bauhaus supporting Gang of 4 at Trinity Hall in Bristol circa 1980. Or Sugar on the Beaster tour in 1994. Earsplitting- almost painful
Best- I’ve always said Stiff Little Fingers with Essential Logic and the Normal on the Rough Trade tour (1979). But there’s many many contenders.
Seen the most – same act, probably the Wedding Present. Individually probably Peter Hook in various guises
Most surprising- Doves I think. Jimi Goodwin free. They carry it off in style. Touring again this year -definitely catch if you can
Happy I got to see- Joy Division. Twice- once supporting Buzzcocks. Second time a few weeks before IC took his life. Mesmerising band although we obviously didn’t know what was coming
Wish I could have seen- as in had a ticket, was ill and didn’t go. The Clash. Aargh. I should have made the effort. Always regretted not seeing them
Next -Eivor in Bristol. Faroese singer. Utterly brilliant.
1. First Concert: Fish out of Marillion at the Cornwall Coliseum, 1990
2. Last Concert: I did two days at Arc Tan Gent festival in August, and think the last band I saw there was Mclusky. If that doesn’t count, then the last standalone gig was Dead Space Chamber Music in the church of St Thomas The Martyr in Bristol
3. Worst Concert: maybe Godflesh in the Derby Wherehouse when their drum machine kept breaking down, or maybe Shed Seven at Reading in 2000 or 2001. Nothing particularly against the Sheds but my girlfriend wanted to watch them so I went with her, all the time aware that XTRMNTR era Primal Scream with Kevin Shields and Mani were destroying the other stage. But we’re married now, and have been for twenty three years, which is almost the exact length of time since Primal Scream last made a decent record, so maybe it was the right call after all
4. Loudest Concert: I suppose the stock answer is Motörhead. Honourable mention to Rival Schools at Exeter Cavern where my friend was apparently talking to me on the drive back to Plymouth and I was completely unaware
5. Best Concert: Mercury Rev at the Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth on the Deserters Songs tour. A magical gig. They’d played everything I could have wanted to hear in the main set, so I had no idea what the encore was going to be – when the opening notes of Cortez The Killer snaked across the venue I believe I spontaneously levitated
6. Seen The Most: New Model Army, around a hundred times in various iterations. Over thirty plus years though, that’s not mad is it?
7. Most Surprising: James. No interest in them on record, but excellent live
8. Happy I Got To See: Nirvana
9. Wish I Could Have Seen: Prince or The Afghan Whigs (pre-split and pseudo reformation)
10. Next Concert: Agriculture, this coming Wednesday at the Exchange – ecstatic black metal it says here
Re James – I’m s bit of a greatest hits man on them but they were magnificent live
1. First Concert – Edmonton Regal in 1966. The Who headlined, with the Spencer Davis Group, The Merseys, Jimmy Cliff and a host of others.
2. Last Concert – Cropredy, so it would have been Fairport Convention.
3. Worst Concert – Van Der Graaf Generator in Bristol around 1977 (?). Utter, utter rubbish – we walked out and went to the pub.
4. Loudest Concert – hard to recall, but the Trevor Horn Band at Croppers this year were incredibly loud. We were near the front and the bass was beating our chests in an alarming manner and we had to move back.
5. Best Concert – oof! Tough one. For sheer pleasure, probably the Beach Boys at Wembley Arena in 2012. The last ever time Brian played with them, and something like 50 songs.
6. Seen The Most – probably the Who. 1966, 1969, twice in 1971, 1975, and then several times in the 2000s. In recent times we have seen Fairport a lot, also Show of Hands.
7. Most Surprising – Michael Nesmith at the Union Chapel 2012. A long time hero of mine, I shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was utterly engaging and brilliant.
8. Happy I Got To See – See all of the above really. Add in Steely Dan, CSN,Y, the Stones, Macca, Joni, the Moody Blues, Searchers, Captain Beefheart,….so many.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – besides the obvious choice, Bowie.
10. Next Concert – Christine Collister at the Beehive in Honiton on Friday, unless it gets pulled. Ticket sales are very poor, so if you can make it, I’d love to see you there.
Worst Concert – Van Der Graaf Generator, possibly the same tour I first saw them on (Nov 76) went with a couple of friends, I thought it wonderful and have seen them whenever I can since. My friends, well not only would they have joined you in the pub, they’d have paid for the drinks to escape. On the odd occasion I talk with one of those old friends, even now 50 years later he still claims to be traumatised by the show.
On my ”wish I’d seen” list!
Let me think…
1. First Concert: Gong at Plymouth Guildhall in December 1973, the very day before Angels Egg was unleashed on the world. Marjory Razorblade in support, though I don’t actually recall much, if anything, of Kevin’s performance. Gong were amazing. Audience around 50 tops, all invited to come and sit on the rush mats at the front, in the narrow space between the stage and the first row of seats. Bloomdido blowing sax right in our faces. Daevid in full flow, Shakti looking exotically exciting. Mind blown.
2. Last Concert: Wakefire, June 26th at St. Georges in Bristol. Marvellous performance of their forthcoming collaborative album of the same name from Lady Maisery with Alldrige and Goldsmith. I reviewed this gig on these pages – the evening was superb, and promises very well for the album next year.
3. Worst Concert: Dificult to say, as I usually have a reasonable expectation before shelling out for tickets – but quite possibly the only time I’ve left a gig due to the unlistenable racket coming from the stage, though at the same time also admiring the out-there chutzpah of the maniacs responsible for it was when I witnessed Blurt playing at Trinity in Bristol. Some hazy time in 1979 or maybe the very early 80s.
4. Loudest Concert: Golden Earring at Plymouth Guildhall, early 70s. Ears rang for 3 days. Closely followed by Barclay James Harvest at the same venue but on a different occasion.
5. Best Concert: On balance, for the collective astonishing power and grace of the performance, Natacha Atlas and her band at St. Georges in Bristol. Last year I think; I reviewed the gig on here the following day.
6. Seen The Most: Probably Van the Man.
7. Most Surprising: maybe Byzantium – whose sales figures would suggest they were 2nd Div. progressive rockers – so blistering and compelling live. Saw them several times while at University in Exeter – they seemed to be the go-to support for several promoters to call upon at the time.
8. Happy I Got To See: AC/DC with Bon. BB King in his pomp. Captain Beefheart, similarly outstanding. Rory, a few times in the 70s, utterly on fire. Renbourn and Grossman in a very intimate performance, late 1979 or early 80s in Bristol, possibly the Victoria Rooms. Mesmerised by a Franklin performance, six feet in front of me.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen: Fairport with Sandy.
10. Next Concert: Katie Spencer at Calstock Arts on September 20th. New album due in October, looking forward to hearing it played live.
Kevin Coyne I recall played the guitar by placing his thumb over the the neck (barre chords?).
I saw Chaz Jankel a few years ago in conversation and was surprised to learn that he was a member of Byzantium.
Lots of background info in the notes below this YT video, with a few (annoyingly short) extracts from various of their tracks. I hope you can hear the promise they showed on record. Live, at least when I saw them, they were seriously good.
At about 10 mins in you can see the first line-up, with Mick Barakan on guitar. The most recent time I saw Mick play he was now called Shane Fontayne, and was performing in a duo with Graham Nash in Bath – about 2 years ago.
Should have mentioned when I saw Culture with Joseph Hill at the front playing at Trinity in Bristol, back in, oh, let me see, roughly 1980 I’d say. An absolutely astonishing performance, in a smoke-filled old church rammed full of more dreadlocks than you can shake a spliff at.
I could easily have put that gig in either of the ‘Best Concert’ or the ‘Happy I Got To See’ sections, but it slipped my mind.
Gosh, however much I was surprised and delighted by the live version of Byzantium, how could I have forgotten what was definitively my most surprising gig of all. I had bought two tickets to take my then girlfriend to see Supertramp, at the ABC in Plymouth, sometime late in 1975. The tickets just said ‘Supertramp plus support’. The support turned out to be Joan Armatrading, on her first UK tour after the Big Hit Single, backed by a scratch backing band who were actually the fine band called ‘The Movies’. Joan was visibly shaking as she took to the stage, but for me, despite Supertramp being excellent – it was the Crime Of The Century tour – she soon relaxed and delivered the undisputed highlight of my evening.
Joan Armatrading was really superb in that decade (roughly 1974 to 1986).
1) First Concert: Unit 4 Plus 2, Watford Trade Union Hall (1966?)
2) Last Concert: Sean Fyfe (Canadian jazz pianist), Karamel in Wood Green. August 14th.
3) Worst Concert: Nothing that I can remember is bad enough to qualify.
4) Loudest Concert: Albert Lee & Hogan’s Heroes, Rayners Hotel at Rayners Lane. Long ago. Much too loud (almost painful) for such a small venue but an excellent band.
5) Best Concert: Jazz Jamaica, The Jazz Café in Camden Town. A couple of years ago.
6) Seen The Most: Genesis (Peter Gabriel era). Hydraspace (Kingham Hall) in Watford. They used to play there regularly 1970-’71 until they had chart success with Foxtrot.
7) Most Surprising: King Crimson, Hyde Park free concert (Rolling Stones). 1969. No band sounded like that before then.
8) Happy I Got To See: Matching Mole, Hydraspace in Watford. 1972. Allegedly it was their first gig.
9) Wish I Could Have Seen: Les Paul. Or Frank Zappa’s 1973-4 Mothers.
10) Next Concert: Simon Spillett, Jazz at The Elephant in North Finchley. Sept 7th.
For one reason or another, I have not been a great concert goer, so this list of 10 may well end up as a catalogue of all of them. Not quite, but …
1. First Concert – Echo & The Bunnymen at the Poole Arts Centre 1981-ish. Or possibly Duran Duran at the same venue.
2. Last Concert – Hiperkarma – acoustic at MUPA, Budapest
3. Worst Concert – Don’t if “worst” exactly but I remember it as being not as good as I had hoped – Bob Dylan in Budapest – late 90s, I guess. Not well attended and, as I remember, very few of the songs were in their recognisable form.
4. Loudest Concert – Icicle Works – back room of the General Wolfe in Coventry about 1983 or 4.
5. Best Concert – The Smiths, also Coventry about 1983 or 4 or The Blue Aeroplanes, Town & Country, I think, early 90s.
6. Seen The Most – The Blue Aeroplanes
7. Most Surprising – Peter Gabriel – Budapest early 2000s. I wasn’t particularly keen on going, despite loving the first two solo albums, but won a ticket in a sweepstake. The concert was fantastic.
8. Happy I Got To See – The Smiths
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – Roxy Music – the 2001 and Martin Stephenson & The Daintees – they were going to come to Jersey but cancelled because of poor ticket sales … my ticket and one other, perhaps.
10. Next Concert – no plans.
Tried (and failed) to edit. There is a “know” missing after the first word of my answer 3.
1) First Concert: If you exclude an organised school lower 6th trip to see Steeleye Span, in 1973, it;d be Procul Harum @ Brighton’s Dome, in 1974.
2) Last Concert: Levellers @ Shrewsbury Folk Festival. If festivals don’t count, Blue Rose Code @ Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath, Brum.
3) Worst Concert: Joan Armatrading @ Symphony Hall, about 10 years ago. Self-indulgent and self-reverential twaddle (as compared to many absolutely wonderful gigs she gave last century)
4) Loudest Concert: Alabama 3 @ Institute III, the downstairs cellar/coal hole at Brum’s Institute in Digbeth. Using the same system they would have used upstairs, ticket sales willing. Tinnitus for days. Again, about a decade ago.
5) Best Concert: Changes too often to prioritise. The sound is now so much better at gigs
6) Seen The Most: Oysterband or RT, each well in to 20+ times.
7) Most Surprising: Natalie McMaster & Donnell Leahy @ Shrewsbury Folk this year, I was expecting laid back Celtic swing on acoustic instruments, and got an 8 piece band, with cubo-celtic jazz-folk fusion. Astonishing and bloody good.
8) Happy I Got To See: Sandy Denny in Fairport Convention, @Fairfield Halls, Croydon, 1975
9) Wish I Could Have Seen: The Beach Boys @ Wembley, 1975
10) Next Concert: Uncertain as yet. I was to be have been at Supersonic in Brum, for Bridget Hayden & the Apparitions and Poor Creatures, but haven’t the stamina today to gear into Brum.
You saw Sandy Denny live, retro?
I am green with envy.
Stroke of luck; an old school friend contacted me, seeming to remember I liked the band. Haven’t heard or seen of him since. The support was Brian “Goldbelt” Maxine and his country band.
My poster from the same time found it earlier this year.
Saw the Denny/Matthews/Thompson/Nicol/Hutchings/Lamble lineup twice. Never saw any later lineups.
Once was at Hemel Hempstead Pavilion (I think) for a Dacorum College gig and once at Parliament Hill Fields supporting Jefferson Airplane for a free Camden Council concert.
Probably a little before (Hemel) and after (Parliament Hill) “What We Did On Our Holidays” was released, when they were still covering some American folk-rock stuff amongst their own songs.
1. First Concert – Depeche Mode supported by Blancmange Feb 1982, Exeter University
2. Last Concert – Alison Moyet, May 2025, Auckland
3. Worst Concert – Martin Stephenson 1997 (not his fault, more the venue)
4. Loudest Concert – I can’t think of a particularly loud one.
5. Best Concert – Depeche Mode For the Masses tour 1987, Wembley Arena
6. Seen The Most – Depeche Mode
7. Most Surprising – China Crisis (affable, chatty)
8. Happy I Got To See – The Damned
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – The Smiths
10. Next Concert – don’t know yet
1. First Concert: Genesis, Lindisfarne, VDGG (in that order) Sheffield City Hall 1971. The 30p Tour as it was christened at the time
2. Last Concert: Steven Wilson at The Palladium in May
3. Worst Concert: certainly the saddest was seeing Peter Green in a pub in SW London, must have been in the late 70s? It was when he was being cajoled back into the business. Backed by an awful bunch on musicians and hid at the back of the stage with his guitar turned right down. I could have cried and walked out halfway through
4. Loudest Concert: I always say it was Deep Purple in 72 again at Sheffield City Hall. It was probably more the quality of the amplification back then as much as the actual loudness. Great gig but I was deaf for a few days
5. Best Concert: I loved the Brian Wilson Pet Sounds gig at RFH but maybe it was Springsteen in 81 or 82 at Wembley Arena
6. Seen The Most: I think the musician Ive seen the most is Boo Hewerdine who was always popping up as support or as part of the band in so many gigs. In fact I told him as much at one of them.
7. Most Surprising: The Osmonds !! About 20 years ago at Wembley Arena – the whole lot of them. Was given free tickets by a mate who was involved in the promotion and went along thinking this will be a laugh. Played and sang magnificently, a proper band, I was genuinely amazed.
8. Happy I Got To See: Brian Wilson and Burt Bacharach who were boh magnificent and Bob Dylan who wasn’t
9. Wish I Could Have Seen: the original Steely Dan (had tickets but they cancelled the tour)
10. Next Concert: nothing booked
1. First Concert: The Rock ’n’ Trad Show, Southend Odeon 1960. Billy Fury, Duffy Power, Marty Wilde!
2. Last Concert: Pickup group, guitar, bass and drums, in the local cinema last week. Couldn’t tell you their names, but they’ve been in Missy Higgins’s band. Terrific musos, particularly the drummer.
3. Worst Concert: Probably the Brisbane Chorale Christmas Concert, 2018 or thereabouts. Reader, I was in it. Six White Boomers, anybody? Or was it Grateful Dead at the Rainbow?
4. Loudest Concert: The ‘Oo, New Theatre Oxford, 1970s
5. Best Concert: a toss-up between Bowie at Oxford Town Hall, June 17, 1972 and k d lang/Lyle Lovett at the Forum, Kentish Town, 1988. Or was it Ian Dury and the Blockheads, can’t remember where or when?
6. Seen The Most: probably Hank Wangford.
7. Most Surprising: Count Basie Orchestra, Southend Cliffs Pavilion, or Junior Walker & the Allstars, somewhere in NYC.
8. Happy I Got To See: Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Everly Brothers, Beatles, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, J J Cale, Cream, The Move…
9. Wish I Could Have Seen: Elvis P, The Band. Never seen Elvis C, come to that.
10. Next Concert: Miss Eileen and King Lear, The Citadel, Murwillumbah. Me neither, but they’re different… https://youtu.be/VPytM_xh6y4?si=qKF69G9Yw43-HcR1
Hank Wangford might well be my Most Often Seen, now that I think about it.
With the Lost Cowboys, the Bass Duo and in duet with Brad Breath (Andy Roberts).
I saw them every chance i could which was not often enough. The most memorable was an anniversary show at the Mean Fiddler in the early 90s. There must have been around 20 current and past band members. It was an absolute joy and went on for ages. They were always a guaranteed good night out.
1. First concert was The Slits at Oxford New Theatre 1979. The Culture Vulture Tour with guests including Don Cherry. Quite sparsely attended as I recall. Ari Up scaled the lighting rig and rocked it forward and back. Punk rock indeed.
2. Last concert: swede Amanda Bergman.
3. Worst? Chuck Prophet at The Borderline. He played great I think but the sound was rotten.
4. Loudest? Seemed the norm to have buzzing in the ears long after back in the day.
5. Best would be Neil Young with Promise Of The Real here in Sweden in a disused quarry in the forest. He seemed to enjoy himself, shouting ‘this place rocks’.
6. Seen the most? Supergrass maybe, for some reason. Great live band to be fair.
7. Most surprising would be Nick Cave, just that he was so brilliant. He had a reputation but he blew us away despite his records not really having the same effect.
8. Happy I got to see The Stones. This was after Charlie’s demise. The 60 tour. Kind of overwhelming when you’ve loved an act most of your life. Also Talking Heads, REM, The Cure
9. Wish I could have seen? Bowie maybe. Nirvana.
10. Next concert? Nothing planned.
Your comment about Chuck Prophet is surprising.
I believe I saw every gig Chuck played at the Borderline (including the time he and the Mission Express were Stephanie’s backing band and also the time he played solo acoustic) but I don’t remember bad sound at any of them.
There was the night his pedal board broke down and he played without any effects, but it didn’t seem to affect the sound.
1. First Concert – Saxon
2. Last Concert – Folk in the Park, headliner Richard Thompson
3. Worst Concert – Dio on an off night in Manchester, not all that bad but disappointing
4. Loudest Concert – I’ll have to nominate Jake Stigers (brother of the more famous Curtis) and The Velvet Roots as that’s the one that gave me tinnitus for twenty years and counting
5. Best Concert – probably a Richard Thompson electric gig
6. Seen The Most – either Richard Thompson or Thea Gilmore
7. Most Surprising – Maybe The Rutles. I was expecting old hands who knew how to put on a show but was surpassing by what a great band they were. It turned out to be their last ever gig as Neil Innes died shortly after.
8. Happy I Got To See – Bob Dylan
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – AC/DC with Bon
10. Next Concert – Louis Brennan at the Betsey Trotwood in Farringdon a week today.
Re The Rutles, saw them several times but the joy of the whole audience singing along to the songs was a most treasured highlights. They were a proper band and Neil a perfect gentleman.
1. First Concert
Hawkwind at Guildford Civic Hall for 30p in 1974.
2. Last Concert
OMD in Brighton.
3. Worst Concert
Terrible two song intimate show by Van in Bristol
4. Loudest Concert
Spiritualised at Bristol University
5. Best Concert
Beach Boys when they supported Elton John at Wembley in 1975 and blew him off stage or maybe Pulp at Glasto in 1995
6. Seen The Most
The Prodigy and Penguin Cafe Orchestra
7. Most Surprising
Probably a Glasto set – Bjork maybe
8. Happy I Got To See
The Who with Keith twice and Led Zep in 1974, Smiths, Jam in a youth club, early Stone Roses
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Joni
10. Next Concert
Nothing booked
1. First Concert With family Elton John (Single Man Tour), with mates Marillion (Fugazi tour)
2. Last Concert James
3. Worst Concert Lightning Seeds/Bowie – Glass Spider tour
4. Loudest Concert Surprisingly Iron Maiden’s support about 15 years ago. Think it was Airborne – painfully loud
5. Best Concert – Pogues/AC/DC/James/Waterboys/ELP/James/Fleetwood Mac final tour with the Rumours line-up: spellbinding
6. Seen The Most Waterboys
7. Most Surprising Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham
8. Happy I Got To See James/Genesis/ELP
9. Wish I Could Have Seen A bit of a cliché Queen & Elton John with his band
10. Next Concert Richard Hawley
1. First Concert – Bruce Foxton & The Rhythm Sisters at college in Devon. Had a pint with him at the bar afterwards
2. Last Concert – Kaiser Chiefs in Dublin
3. Worst Concert – I may have a ‘least favourite’ but I don’t have a ‘worst’. Maybe I’m lucky.
4. Loudest Concert – Metallica in Hartford, CT. Not a fan but a friend had tickets. Also the concert with the most drug taking going on.
5. Best Concert – Madstock 1992. The whole day was joyous.
6. Seen The Most – Madness
7. Most Surprising – Celine Dion. Not my thing but was with a young lady at the time and she really wanted to go. It’s was at Caesars in Vegas and it was spectacular
8. Happy I Got To See – Bowie (Glastonbury 2000), Stevie Wonder at MSG around 2005, Elton John at Vicarage Road.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – Probably Pink Floyd
10. Next Concert – nothing booked at the moment.
1. First Concert
Genesis at Earl’s Court, London. 24 June 1977
2. Last Concert
Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group at Göta Lejon, Stockholm, on 27 August 2025. head over to the “Nights Out” section to read my modest little review NOW!
3. Worst Concert
Lou Reed at Cirkus, Stockholm. 10 April 1996. Dreadful.
4. Loudest Concert
Probably Richard Hell & the Voidoids supporting Elvis Costello at the Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, 2 January 1979
5. Best Concert
So difficult to choose. But I’ll say Muddy Waters on the hill outside Alexandra Palace, London, 20 July 1979. A life-changing event.
6. Seen The Most
Elvis Costello, 16 times, Billy Bragg 8 times, Ron Sexsmith 6 times, Jonathan Richman 5 times, Youssou N’Dour 4 times, Salif Keita 4 times, Bill Frisell 4 times, James Yorkston 4 times, Bruce Springsteen 4 times, Magnetic Fields 4 times
7. Most Surprising
None that I can think of, really.
8. Happy I Got To See
Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Malcolm Owen, David Bowie, Keith Jarrett, XTC, the Specials, Talking Heads, Min Deville, the Fall, the Jam, the Chameleons, Tom Verlaine, Billy MacKenzie, Tom Waits, Gil Scott-Heron, the Go-Betweens, Bhundu Boys, Dick Gaughan, Nanci Griffith, Prince, Randy Newman, the Triffids, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Jeff Buckley, Penguin Café Orchestra, Ali Farka Touré, R.E.M., Doll by Doll/Jackie Leven, Vic Chesnutt, Elliott Smith, Terry Callier, the Hilliard Ensemble, Nick Cave, Dan Penn, Martin Simpson, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Orchestra Baobab, Solomon Burke, Kraftwerk, Ray Davies, Lhasa, Toumani Diabaté, Esbjörn Svensson, Anouar Brahem, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Philip Glass, Todd Rundgren, Robbie Shakespeare & Sly Dunbar, Wayne Shorter, Tomasz Stańko, Abdullah Ibrahim, Jordi Savall,
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Bob Marley & the Wailers, Joy Division, The Clash. And Joni, of course.
10. Next Concert
Mathis Eick Quartet, Fasching, Stockholm. 18 September 2025
Yes, but if you could only have one answer for ‘Happy I got to see’, who would it be?
Maybe … Tom Waits or Elliott Smith.
Hold everything and tell us about Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith…
1. First Concert
Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow at Wembley Arena 1979 or 1980
2. Last Concert
Eddi Reader, Cottingham Folk Festival. Steve’s tall chum, Boo was in the band.
3. Worst Concert
Gretchen Peters, pre Covid. I know there’s a lot of love for her here but we left early. Runner up, Ultravox, Wembley Arena 1986. Left after half an hour.
4. Loudest Concert
Probably Saxon at The Lyceum 1980, Honourable mention to The Beastie Boys at The ICA about 20 years ago.
5. Best Concert
Tough one as I usually enjoy most shows. Maybe Springsteen at Wembley 1985.
6. Seen The Most
The Men They Couldn’t Hang
7. Most Surprising
Beastie Boys. Not really my thing but they impressed.
8. Happy I Got To See
Kirsty MacColl
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Tom Petty
10. Next Concert
Sleeper at Brighton in October.
Kirsty McColl should have gone in my Wish I’d Seen list.
1. First Concert
Not counting Nina and Frederick as that was with my dad, probably Slade at a Radio 1 roadshow at Batley Variety Club.
2. Last Concert
Home Service at Alnwick Playhouse (we were on holiday there)
3. Worst Concert
Tribute to Champion Jack Dupree, we’d gone because a friend’s father was playing the first half was fine the second half less so, it continued to the sound of seats banging shut as people departed in droves. We stuck it out until we couldn’t stand it any longer and left.
4. Loudest Concert
Chickenshack at the local town hall early seventies, you could feel the wooden side seats vibrate.
5. Best Concert
I don’t have one.
6. Seen The Most
Richard Thompson into treble figures, I saw him twice this year it would have been three if he hadn’t had the fall.
7. Most Surprising
Jane Birkin Arabesque.
8. Happy I Got To See
Fairport Convention with Sandy, Joni, The Band I’d always said I’d never go see Dylan as I didn’t want to be disappointed saw him in the late nineties he was excellent.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Bowie as Ziggy.
10. Next Concert
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, I was going with my son to a concert to see R J McCarty (bass player with the Slambovians) in Stockport where he lives but his girlfriend has an op that day so that’s out, Roy Harper at the end of the month.
1. First Concert
There are a couple of mentions of Marillion here, and (ignoring Festivals) I can add to the collection.
Hammersmith Odeon, January 1988
2. Last Concert
The Chords UK at Face Bar, Reading
3. Worst Concert
I’d waited ages to see them, and when Buzzcocks came to Butlins Skegness the stage monitors and speakers were fritzed.
I so wanted to see them, but the sound just was a real let down.
4. Loudest Concert
Status Quo, Oxford Town Hall.
Not an especially loud band (they were in full cabaret mode), but the venue just seemed to collect the sound to the point I was sitting.
5. Best Concert
PiL, Sub89 Reading.
Another tick on the individual Pistols lists, John was in a good mood that day and gave a superb show engaging with the audience (taking the piss out of Bracknell), and returning for an encore.
6. Seen The Most
I think Stiff Little Fingers just edge Iron Maiden by maybe 1 or 2 shows
7. Most Surprising
Wild Willy Barret – tiny pub just outside Henley. Mad as a box of frogs, great musician, great show
8. Happy I Got To See
Saw both Radiohead and Manic Street Preachers in small club venue before they got big
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Faces in their pomp (mid 70s), The Jam, The Clash, or the original Sex Pistols (seen John Lydon, Steve Jones, Paul Cook, but never got to see Glen Matlock)
10. Next Concert
Only one booked so far is John Otway in December
First:
The first one where I paid for a ticket of my own choice was The Police in the early 80s.
Before then, I was dragged along to countless classical concerts and operas as a child (dad was in the orchestra) and later my brother took me to a free gig in the park while babysitting me. I was promised ice cream but got none and had to sit through a gig by my least favourite Swedish prog(g) troubadour Gösta Linderholm.
Last:
Bonny Light Horseman at Nalen last year, in the company of Kaisfatdad and Duco.
Worst:
Well, that Gösta Linderholm gig in the park is a contender! Other contenders are: Elton John at Globen Arena (the worst kind of wankfest with endless guitar solos, Elton attacking the piano as if he had a bus to catch, his voice in really bad shape, too much emphasis on the sentimental hits, and seats in the nosebleed section – free tickets, thankfully, but still), Duran Duran (mid-80s, went along with a friend who was a huge fan – she got terribly ill during the concert and didn’t remember any of it afterwards, I’ll unfortunately never forget it…the crazy fans rushed the stage like a stampede of elephants, running over anyone not moving, the band sounded bad, and my friend had to go to the hospital at the end of it), Diamanda Galas (outdoor festival lunchtime slot is perhaps not ideal for her doom and gloom banshee howls, the audience stood stunned, in the blazing sun of a heatwave, wondering what the Hell they had signed up for) or the ones I left the gig for, like Neil Young & Crazy Horse (festival headliners, I couldn’t stand it and had to leave half-way through the first guitar cirkle jerk).
Loudest:
Hmm…I remember ringing ears, but not from which gigs. I suppose it could be AC/DC or perhaps QOTSA, but I’m just guessing.
Best:
No contest – I saw Prince twice on the Sign o’ the Times tour; the first gig on Saturday was the best I’d ever seen, the Sunday gig was ten times better than the Saturday gig and kept me from going to gigs for a few years, because “What is the point? Nothing could ever match that!” I’ve seen many gigs since, but No; nothing did ever match that…
Seen the most:
Yeah, surprise, surprise: it’s Prince… With most other artists I’ve thought “I don’t need to go to that gig, I’ve already seen them live before”, so if I’ve seen them live more than once, it’s been because I’ve paid for a standalone gig and then seen them as a part of a festival line-up, or the other way around. There are some exceptions to that rule, but I’ve never bought tickets to more than two standalone gigs by the same artist other than Prince (and I also saw him at a festival once). The other artists I’ve seen the most times (some of them “accidentally” due to them having been booked to several festivals I’ve attended) would be Courtney Marie Andrews, Patti Smith, Bob Hund and Robyn.
Most surprising:
Probably Phil Lynott solo in 1982, I had no interest in him (or Thin Lizzy) at the time but he happened to be booked for the stage at Gröna Lund (the wonderful fun fair in Stockholm where most artists have played at some point, even The Beatles, sort of, but not on the big stage) on the very day I was there with my best friend at the time. In those days most of the rides had to be turned off during the gigs, which is why we ended up watching it, and ended up being mesmerized by his charisma, voice and a bunch of great solo songs (I bought two albums afterwards, and they were better live, unfortunately).
A surprise of another kind was Bob Dylan, as everyone had been whining about how bad he was in concert and I went without expectations for anything great, just to have seen him once…turned out to be one of my favourite gigs of all time, and I couldn’t have disagreed more with the consensus. And this was well before his “renaissance” and the gig got a bad review, as always at that time, but I thought they were wrong, wrong, wrong!
Happy I got to see:
My life-long hero Taj Mahal at Göta Lejon, probably at least a decade ago? I’m not good with years…but he was in excellent form and the gig was everything I hoped for (well, apart from missing a few of my favourite songs, but that’s alright).
Wish I could have seen:
If we forget the fantasy ones and stick with the ones I almost did see, my answer is Kid Creole & the Coconuts. I had the chance to see them at Gröna Lund at the height of their success, but I had to spend that weekend with my sister, and she was always broke so I didn’t want to make her spend money on that…always regretted that I didn’t insist. I still love that band (and that gig is legendary).
Next:
I have a ticket for Frazey Ford at Nalen in…October? November? Can’t remember, but later this year. I don’t go to many gigs anymore, but I have to see this one!
is splendid!
Since writing my list I’ve remembered a lot of gigs I had forgotten, and realized that some of my answers are possibly wrong…but I’m not going to change my answers (I don’t trust my memories of any gigs now anyway) except for the loudest one – I remember that the first time I saw John Grant it was in a very small club and I stood just by one of the gigantic amps, and I could feel my organs wobble inside of me…ears ringing on my way home. I’m sure I’ve seen louder acts, but only in huge venues (or outdoors) where the sound has a lot of space to disappear into!
1. First Concert
Glen Campbell at the Royal Albert Hall, 1976. Supported by a comedian, which I guess doesn’t happen that often these days.
2. Last Concert
I’ve been thinking about this and I’m really not sure, it’s been so long. Possibly Magma? That would have been at least five years ago now.
3. Worst Concert
Flag of Convenience, with Steve Diggle, were truly fucking awful. As was Victoria Williams, who I saw at Live Theatre, Newcastle. She spent an entire song trying to shuffle her cardigan off her shoulders while playing the guitar. Irritating squeaky voice. She got the girl from the merch table to play bass for a few songs. She was crap too.
4. Loudest Concert
Rose Tattoo at the Marquee, Wardour St. So loud you could barely tell what they were playing. They were also the only band I think I’ve ever been frightened of.
5. Best Concert
The Cocteau Twins at the Festival Hall. It was Thames Day, apparently (?) and we came out to a massive firework display over the river, which was absolutely magical. Laura Cantrell at The Little Theatre in Gateshead.
6. Seen The Most
The Fall. I think I just about made it into double figures.
7. Most Surprising
Minty at Freedom. I wasn’t expecting Leigh Bowery to give birth to a live woman on stage!
8. Happy I Got To See
Mott the Hoople. I wasn’t allowed to go to see them in Southend in 1973 (when they toured with Queen as support) so delighted to be able to tick them off the list when they played the Gateshead some 46 years later.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Laura Nyro – I loved the records but remember thinking that she must be a bit past it by now. I think that was at the Union Chapel, some time in the mid 90s, so probably not that long before she died. There seemed like all the time in the world to see everyone back them. I’d loved to have seen The Roches too.
10. Next Concert
I’ve not got tickets for anything, but I do have an Autechre date marked on my calendar on October, so maybe that?
“supported by a comedian, which I guess doesn’t happen that often these days”
Saw the Primevals not so long ago supported by Stewart Lee..
1. First Concert – PFM Manchester Free Trade Hall 26th April 1976
2. Last Concert – The Apple Sellers – Bolton Parish Church 29th July 2025
3. Worst Concert – Sham 69 (the version without Pursey) luckily I’d gone along to watch the support Who Shot Who? and they’d put me on the guest list.
4. Loudest Concert – Goldblade Thatched House Stockport small venue, big sound
5. Best Concert – Jackie Leven 1st October 1998, Night Lilies had come out a couple of months previously, Jackie was never less than wonderful, but on this night the stars aligned and he magnificently wonderful
6. Seen The Most – Either Jackie Leven or Harp and a Monkey
7. Most Surprising – Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers Sept 1977, only knew Roadrunner so didn’t know what to expect, turned to be a great night and an allegiance that is still ongoing
8. Happy I Got To See – Jackie Leven, Sparklehorse, the original Alice Cooper group, albeit without Glen Buxton, Chris Sievey in his various guises
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – The original Alice cooper Group with GB, Doll By Doll, Pistols at the FTH, I didn’t have the money for a ticket
10. Next Concert – it’s either Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan in Manchester or Edwyn Collins in Buxton….don’t have my phone to hand with the app that tells me where I need to be and when
I was at the PFM gig! Widowmaker in support were excellent and the first real band I ever saw.
1. First Concert
I’d been to G&S operettas, Mozart operas and some classical Proms in the Kelvin Hall, courtesy of my mum – but the first proper one, under my own steam and paid for by me was Uriah Heep, Glasgow Apollo, 1975 – the tour where John Wetton was the bass player.
2. Last Concert
Local band in a pub, can’t remember much about it – certainly pre-covid.
3. Worst Concert
Marillion, Glasgow Pavilion 1983. Peter Hammill was the support act and my then girlfriend and I had gone to see him. We managed a few numbers into Marillion’s set, looked at each other like a pair of Jack Bennys – and left.
4. Loudest Concert
Uriah Heep, as above. There was a thing going round at the time, Led Zep and Purple were fighting for the title of loudest band – and Uriah Heep won. I blame John Wetton’s bass rig!
5. Best Concert
Umm, tricky, this. Van der Graaf Generator in 2013, when they played “…Lighthouse Keepers” in its entirety? John Martyn in 1978 when he was touring One World? But I think on balance it has to be Yes at the Apollo in 1977 – I was 16 and I’m still convinced I levitated during “And You And I”…
6. Seen The Most
John Martyn, countless times; with Joan Armatrading in a slightly surprising second place. There was a period where I would always go to see her, mid 70s to mid 80s
7. Most Surprising
Lol Coxhill, solo, 1979 – I only knew him via The Whole World, but this was FREE, FREE jazz – I’ve never been the same since…
8. Happy I Got To See
Pink Floyd – The Wall show at Earls Court…and Kraftwerk on The Mix tour in 1991
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Well, there are so many: Yes on the Topographic Oceans tour that everybody hated; Gong around 1973/74; Man at the Roundhouse when they did the Greasy Truckers album (or possibly on the Cipollina tour in 1975); Roxy Music on the Country Life tour; Van der Graaf on the 1977 “Vital” tour; ANY live Henry Cow; and many, many more…
10. Next Concert
No plans, no tickets – but if Van der Graaf Generator ever tour again, I’ll be there.
I saw Marillion on that tour with Peter Hammill, at the Manchester Apollo. At the time I was in the fortunate position of being obsessed with them as only a teenage boy can be obsessed with a band. I got my programme autographed after the show and was absolutely thrilled.
Excellent! TBH, 42 years further on, I can’t remember what was so bad – but it remains the only “paid for” gig* where I’ve walked out relatively early.
(*of course, I’d paid to see Hammill, not Marillion…)
1. First Concert – Aztec Camera in Mcgonagles, Dublin around 1984. Absolutely wonderful. The start of my man-crush.
2. Last Concert – Gang of Four in Dublin. They were fantastic and played the best part of a two hour set. The new guitarist had done his homework and lived up to Andy Gill’s standard.
3. Worst Concert – In recent memory, I’d have to say Thundercat at Vicar Street last year. An absolute disappointment and the nearest I’ve come to walking out of something in years. Jazz funk bollocks to the nth degree.
4. Loudest Concert – Motorhead at the Kentish Town Forum in the mid 90s. I remember not being able to hear the synth flute break in Sledgehammer the next day.
5. Best Concert – Tackhead at the Kilburn National, January 1990. Astounding. Never bettered.
6. Seen The Most – Probably Jonathan Richman, That Petrol Emotion or the Fatima Mansions. All great live acts
7. Most Surprising – In a good way, probably the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. They were so good, i went the next night too.
8. Happy I Got To See – Shriekback. I thought I’d missed the boat as they’d pretty much stopped playing live when I moved to London in 87. Amazingly they started playing monthly acoustic in my local sometime in the late 90s.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – Talking Heads with Adrian Belew and Busta Jones.
10. Next Concert – Probably Joan as Police Woman in the NCH Dublin. She’s one of my favourite live performers.
1. First Concert
If taken to, John Williams doing “The Height Below”, otherwise Steeleye Span, Brighton Dome, in December 1974.
2. Last Concert
PIL in Northampton, a month ago. Fab!
3. Worst Concert
I didn’t enjoy Bob Marley in June 1980, but he was very unwell. Seemed lack-lustre, and didn’t understand the excitement around me. Various post-punk noise-merchants resenting anyone watching, e.g., Blurt, Rig Rip and Panic, The Pop Group. Dream Theatre in 2011 was too widdly for me, and that’s saying something.
4. Loudest Concert
Led Zeppelin in 1975, Metallica, 2009, Pigs 7 in 2023 – my hearing has yet to recover.
5. Best Concert
Iggy Pop at the Brighton Top Rank 1979, Siouxsie and the Banshees 1981 and 1982, Yes in 1977 and 1984, Hawkwind 1977 and 1984, Pat Metheny Group 1998 on “Imaginary Day” tour, Sensational Alex Harvey band in 1976, metallica (see above).
6. Seen The Most
Hawkwind, Yes, Gong
7. Most Surprising
Steve Earle – I normally avoid Americana like the plague. It was good. Madness with some other hippie freaks in 1980 – good fun.
8. Happy I Got To See
Bowie in 1978, Led Zeppelin in 1975, Steely Dan with Walter Becker a handful of times, Prince in 2007, Pink Floyd in 1977, Weather Report in 1978, 80, and 84, National health in 1978, Little Feat in 1976, AC/DC with Bon scott in 1979,
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Return to Forever, Hawkwind doing “Space Ritual” and “Warrior on the edge of time” tours, Sex pistols in 1976 or 77, Hatfield and the North
10. Next Concert
Todd Rundgren, Birmingham, october 2025.
Loads more – I am now forgetting who I’ve seen!
I walked out of 2 David Ford WIYE gigs at the Lexington. I don’t know why exactly, but I just found him annoying so I went home.
1. First Concert
Putting aside local punk bands, Siouxsie and the Banshees supported by JCC at Southend Cliffs Pavilion 1982
2. Last Concert
Private birthday party performance of Billy Bragg’s old punk band Riff Raff at Dingwalls in February, 2020. Got covid two months later and unfortunately I’ll never be well to get to another show.
3. Worst Concert
I really like Cornershop, but I saw them at Shepherds Bush Empire some time in the early-mid 90s and they were shocking. I think they were sulking about having a hit with the remix of Brimful
4. Loudest Concert
Jim Jones All Stars at the 100 Club, my ears were shot for a fortnight
5. Best Concert
The Velvet Underground at the Town and Country, never been so musically happy in my life. New Order in the rain at Glastonbury in 1987 is a close second, lucky for me the BBC released the show on CD.
6. Seen The Most
Wilko Johnson, easily 50-plus shows over the decades, ranging from a few dozen at the Weavers on Newington Green to the Albert Hall. I was delighted he got some recognition for his work before he died, just a shame it was his cancer that took more people to take notice.
7. Most Surprising
Public Service Broadcasting. Hadn’t heard them but was given a comp pair to a show at the Albert Hall. Spent the pre-show drinking with a Welsh miners’ brass band who came on for the end of the show. A magical evening
8. Happy I Got To See
The Smiths a dozen times, the Stones, Sex Pistols, Joe Strummer, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, New York Dolls, Orange Juice, Curtis Mayfield, Elvis Costello 20-plus times, Pogues loads, Van, Iggy Pop, The Jam, James Brown, Lloyd Cole, The Cramps, The Ramones, The Fall
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Elvis, The Clash, Muddy Waters, the Pirates
10. Next Concert
My lovely chum runs kitchen concerts at his house for touring American blues, folk, country and roots musicians. He broadcasts them via his Ring thing for me – that’s as close as I’ll get.
1. First: Rush on the Farewell to Kings tour, Manchester Apollo, Feb 1978. Fluked front row tickets for my first gig; have never been keen on settling for anything less ever since.
2. Last: The Levellers at Shrewsbury Folk Festival. They had just finished this time last week. Unlike Retro, I didn’t actually see the gig, as I was too knackered after the depradations of four days, but I did hear it very clearly from the comfort of the back of the Landrover.
3. Worst: Toyah at Cropredy 2015. I understand that she was much better when she had a decent guitarist to back her.
4. Loudest: The Who, Manchester Apollo, Mar 1981. I believe this tour has been fingered for being one of the loudest ever.
5. Best: The Imagined Village, Shrewsbury Folk Festival, 2011. It concluded a day that had included a rare Chris Wood & Andy Cutting gig, a Spiers & Boden ceilidh and the Cecil Sharp Project. That’s one good day!
6. Seen the Most: I’m guessing Blowzabella, and those are all fitted in since first seeing them at – who’d have thought? – Shrewsbury Folk Festival in 2012. I’ve already got one further dance and an entire weekend at Halsway booked ahead.
7. Most Surprising: Steve Reich’s Music for Eighteen Musicians, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, July 2014. Hadn’t gone to see/hear this specifically, but about 15 minutes into the hour, I remember the sensation of the penny dropping, and I was mesmerised on the edge of my seat for the rest of the show. The audience eruption at the end suggested that I was not alone.
8. Happy I got to see: Six Of The Best, Milton Keynes, October 1982. Not necessarily a great gig, but bearing in mind that I was eleven when Gabriel left the band, this was an occasion to be savoured.
9. Wish I could have seen: Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate, Barbican, June 2005. I was away to Paris the following weekend and just couldn’t do two trips in a week. Ali was dead within a year.
10. Next: Whoever I see first at Bromyard Folk Festival the weekend after next. Looking at the schedule, I suspect this will be Aussie singer-songwriter Enda Kenny. I saw him last month at Warwick and was pleasantly surprised.
And what did you think of the Levellers, without the visual, @thecheshirecat. I thought it was the best of a number of times I have seen them, as the sound seemed mixed so clearly, with the bass and fiddle both high and clear in the mix, the drums an appropriate anchor. Mark Chadwick was very very drunk at the bar beforehand, but seemed to hold it together without it being (too) obvious. Dan Donnelly, the replacement for Simon Friend, on guitar and mandolin, impressed with his playing and the timing of his Leveller TM counterpoint bvs. As ever, the keyboards fella was inaudible, but I’m never sure what he is there to add, never noticing much on record, either. A good set of sunny festival favourites, i.e. most of Levelling the Land, if nothing from the more aggressively downbeat Zeitgeist, which was the only disappointment.
(P.S. Hope you caught the by now compulsory picture of you in the dance tent, over at ATB.)
Seen them many times, always at festivals, and have always enjoyed. I’m no small fan either, with several of their albums. It was striking just how many great songs of theirs I know well. Of course, the sound may be particularly well mixed for a distant audience!
1. First Concert
Blue Öyster Cult’s UK debut at the Hammy Odeon back in 1975. Motorhead were the support, before they had an umlaut or any discernible talent
2. Last Concert
Limehouse Lizzy at the Brewhouse in Taunton. Sitting downs gigs only these days
3. Worst Concert
I’ve walked out on very few – the first was Automatic Fine Tuning on a free Monday night at the Marquee. Totally incomprehensible wall of sound. A Fun Lovin Criminals gig in Reading where Huey was hit on the head by a plastic cup and sulked for the rest of the gig, The Darkness in Oxford – not the band’s fault but I got there late, nightmare getting parked, stuck at the back of the venue with a low ceiling, surrounded by drunks. And the time I went to Sheffield to see the Black Crowes open for Plant and Page – got there just in time for the Crowes last song, where the PA for P&P was so quiet you could hear people eating crisps over the music. Oh, and Jan Akkerman in Stratford on Avon playing some dismal quasi-funk.
4. Loudest Concert
Pretty much anything I ever saw at the Marquee (Pat Travers, Eric Johnson) or the Haven Club in Oxford (Simon McBride, Virgil & The Accelerators). Extreme in Wolverhampton was so loud I couldn’t tell what song they were playing
5. Best Concert
Last night of Blue Öyster Cult’s 3 night residence in New York, playing “Secret Treaties” a couple of years ago. Unexpectedly finding ZZ Top playing the now defunct House of Blues in LA when I was just intending to eat there, buying a ticket off a tout (the only time I’ve ever done that) and having a blast of an evening. Watching Alvin Lee give it the full monty to a crowd of about 50 in a rainy Tuesday night at the Students Union in Cardiff. Oh and Dweezil Zappa playing Apostrophe in Oxford, where I’d copped a front row ticket
6. Seen The Most
Blue Öyster Cult – must be about 20 times
7. Most Surprising
Seeing Nickelback blow Bon Jovi offstage at Milton Keynes bowl in the late 90’s. Going to a charity gig at the NEC where Clapton was headlining and discovering ZZ Top had been added to the bill. Passing the New Theater in Oxford and discovering Phil Lynott’s Grand Slam were playing. The ex and I nearly doubled the audience.
8. Happy I Got To See
Franks Zappa (managed that 3 times in fact), Buddy Guy opening for Gov’t Mule and Lynyrd Skynyrd (I was pleased to see them too), Jeff Healey long after his recording contract finished in Southampton and catching Thin Lizzy in their pomp at a Hammy Odeon gig recorded for Live & Dangerous. I also saw Bernie Marsden play a private party although he refused to play any Snake. And I saw Johnny Winter a couple of times, mostly dialing it in, but hey, it was Johnny Winter.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Stevie Ray Vaughan. Had tickets but he was claimed before he could play. The Mark II Deep Purple, Tommy Bolin in any incarnation. Steve Marriott. Montrose. Automatic Man.
10. Next Concert
Nothing booked
1. First. Procul Harum at Wolverhampton Civic in 1975ish
2. Last. The Lemonheads at Belfast Limelight last week
3. Worst. Hard to say. Saw Great Lake Swimmers a couple of years ago. They came on late, Tony Dekker talked a lot and the venue pulled the plug dead on curfew so they could get their college crowd in for the late night disco. The band were good but i really dislike the venue.
4.Loudest. probably Jesus and Mary Chain back in the day
5. Best. The Clash at Wolvo Civic in late 1978.
6. Seen the most. Teenage Fanclub.
7. Most surprising. Mark Olson in the upstairs of the Errigal Inn in Belfast. Hardly anyone there so it ended up a lovely intimate occasion.
8. Happy I got to see. The Jayhawks – including Olson, just before he finally left the band.
9. Wish I could have seen. Black Uhuru – the classic Michael Rose line up.
10. Next. The Delines next month
It’s a bit of a test trying to remember but here goes.
First Concert.
If it’s roped in by my jazz mad Dad it could be anyone from Ken Collyer to Tubby Hayes but if it’s the first gig unaccompanied by a parent and paid for out of my own pocket it was The Who at Liverpool University 1971 or it might of been Argent at the local tech college.
Last Concert.
Margo Price at The Leaf Liverpool around ten years ago. I don’t get around much anymore.
Worst Concert.
Easily Golden Earring at the Liverpool Stadium. The only gig where I’ve witnessed an entire audience walk out en masse.
Loudest Concert.
There were a few that were very, very loud. The aforementioned Who amongst them but the one that comes readily to mind is the second time I saw Zeppelin again at the Liverpool stadium. I was pretty much deaf for three days after that one.
Best Concert.
This is a really difficult one as I enjoyed a great many wonderful gigs back in the day so I’m not going to be able to pick one easily. I’ll dodge this one by nominating being fortunate enought to witness Nureyev dance Petrushka that was pretty special.
Seen the most.
I was never one for repeatedly seeing the same turns over and over. I’m a gadfly but it’s probably Van Morrison or Zeppelin. Both four times.
Most surprising.
Nobody springs to mind as being particularly surprising.
Happy I got to see.
Joni, Bowie, Capt. Beefheart, Can, Free, Bert Jansch, Nic Jones, Sandy Denny, The Incredible String Band…too many to mention really.
Wish I could have seen.
Hendrix.
Next Concert.
I very much doubt there will be a next time.
Not to rub salt in the wound, but I forgot Hendrix in my Happy I Got to See list.
An excellent thread with some great answers!
1. First Concert – King Crimson, Bristol, early 70s. Boz Burrell, John Wetton era. Loved every line-up since (see also 5. below).
2. Last Concert – Jethro Tull, Bristol, last year. 50 years since the previous time I had seen them.
3. Worst – Grateful Dead, Alexandra Palace, 1970s. Bored stupid. Checked on progress every 30 minutes or so. They were either still playing the same song or one very similar and so just went back to the bar.
4. Loudest – Muse, mid 1990s. Left ear still doesn’t work properly. Have worn high quality ear plugs to concerts ever since.
5. Best – King Crimson, Cardiff, 2015(?). Last iteration and best. Loved every minute.
6. Most seen – Wishbone Ash. Dunno why, but they do tend to play the smaller venues nowadays which suits me nicely.
7. Most surprising – Faithless. Outrospective tour. Never really heard of them before but was given a ticket. Amazing live.
8. Happy to see – Original Roxy Music and Bowie doing Ziggy Stardust. Also Wayne Kramer performing under MC50 moniker. He was supporting Alice Cooper (crap pantomime). MC50 set was brilliant and Wayne Kramer an absolute gent.
9. Wish I could have seen – The Beatles I suppose but otherwise VDGG at the Bath Forum a couple of years ago. I live in Overseasland and travel is sometimes difficult. Still, the CD/DVD kind of made up for it, especially House with No Name.
10. Next – Metallica, next year. Am a bit dubious as I am not a fan of large crowds, stadiums, excessive volume but, once again, have been given a ticket as a present. We’ll see.
Hey Simmo!
King Crimson: I must put it to you that that’s TWO eras – the Islands era with Boz and the Larks Tongues era with Wetton? Which one was your first gig (so I can gauge how jealous I need to be)?
VDGG – I had tickets for the tour which ended at the Bath Forum in 2022 (the tour had been postponed twice due to covid restrictions). But I couldn’t go – yes, I got covid!
Just sat here thinking I must put things to right and can see you are ahead of the game. Boz Burrell played bass in the line-up I saw way back then along with Mel Collins on sax and Ian Wallace on drums. Wetton was in the next line-up I saw (Larks Tongues) along with David Cross, Jamie Muir and Bill Bruford (whose autobiography I am currently reading).
My sister saw the Forum concert. I am dead jealous of her. Was probably one of two women in the audience who were there voluntarily though. Said it was ‘absorbing’.
1. First Concert – that I paid for myself, Pentangle at The Ulster Hall, Belfast in Dec 1968
2. Last Concert – The Hunch at my local Folk Club. They were great!
3. Worst Concert – The recently departed Terry Reid at Bury Met in May 2013. He was ill and his voice was excrutiatingly awful. We left at half time. The venue issued refunds the following day and Terry cancelled several gigs afterwards. A real shame as on his previous visit to The Met he’d been fantastic.
4. Loudest Concert – Almost certainly Led Zeppelin at The Ulster Hall Belfast in March 1971. I’ve never been a fan. My mate and I went to see what the fuss was all about. It was the first night of a tour and to me they sounded very rusty. We left early.
5. Best Concert – Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Creekside Stage, Merlefest in Apr 2006
6. Seen The Most – Richard Thompson in various formats. Computer says 31 times over a 49 year span.
7. Most Surprising – Uncle Earl at Creekside Stage, Merlefest in Apr 2007. They brought on Bela Fleck early in the set and he never went off. (He went on to marry Uncle Earl’s banjoist / singer Abigail Washburn about 3 years later). Then they brought on their new album producer John Paul Jones who played mandolin. Then they brought out 2 guys to clog dance alongside their regular clogger Kristin Andreassen
8. Happy I Got To See – Brian Wilson at Newcastle City Hall in Mar 2004
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – The original lineup of Free
10. Next Concert – Jon Boden’s Remnant Kings on 17th Sep at Bury Met
1. First Concert: Johnny Winter. 1971. Booked a minibus with some school friends to get there.
2. Last Concert: Gregg Allman at the Paradiso, Amsterdam. Not long before he died.
3. Worst Concert: The Dubliners.
4. Loudest Concert: none stand out as excessively loud.
5. Best Concert: Weather Report (with Jaco Pastorius. I met him afterwards, just standing outside the stage door)
6. Seen The Most: John McLaughlin
7. Most Surprising: Suzanne Vega
8. Happy I Got To See: Kate Bush on her only tour, 1979. Stones with Mick Taylor…
9. Wish I Could Have Seen: Jeff Beck
10. Next Concert: ? no idea
1. First Concert – Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames 1975 – uncool at the time but rather cool now, methinks.
2. Last Concert – Bridget St John – Bristol Cube – very moving
3. Worst – Sudden Infant (Sleaford Mods support) 2014 – Bandcamp – “Sudden Infant is a Swiss Industrial-Dada-Noise-Rock trio known for their experimental music and unconventional sound compositions” I’d say!
4. Loudest – Probably XTC Swindon Affair December 1997. In the front row, still see photos of the back of my head in XTC articles up to the present day – ears rang for a couple of days afterwards.
5. Best Concert – Specials – Hammersmith Palais 1979, Leonard Cohen – Glastonbury 2008
6. Seen The Most – The Rockingbirds/Alan Tyler –from the stage for the first 15 gigs or so (1988 – 1989) and from the audience for the subsequent 40 or so after that
7. Most Surprising – My Bloody Valentine the twee indie also rans I first saw in 1986 becoming world dominating sonic terrorists just two years later.
8. Happy I Got To See – The Stooges – Glastonbury 2007
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – Joy Division. My mates went on a coach trip to see them supporting the Buzzcocks autumn 1979. I didn’t bother as I had already seen the Buzzcocks the year before.
10. Next Concert – Dana Gavinski, Bristol the Cube in three weeks
1. First Concert
David Bowie, Slane Castle, Ireland, 1987
2. Last Concert
John Cale, Vicar Street, Dublin, 2025.
3. Worst Concert
Bob Dylan, Dublin, some time in the 2000s. Not because of Dylan but because of shouty patrons.
4. Loudest Concert
Pixies! Dublin, Olympia Theatre, 2024.
5. Best Concert
Kate Bush, Before the Dawn, 2014; David Byrne, American Utopia, 2018.
6. Seen The Most
Lloyd Cole, Pernice Brothers/Joe Pernice etc, Robert Forster
7. Most Surprising
Kevin Ayers, Belfast, 1994
8. Happy I Got To See (and not mentioned elsewhere)
John Cale, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Peter Gabriel, Macca, Dexys, Grandaddy, Kristin Hersh, Go-Betweens, Laurie Anderson, Tom Waits, Belly, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Moe Tucker, Various Wainwrights, Marianne Faithfull, OMD, ABC, so many others.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Cocteau Twins, Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci
10. Next Concert
Black Country, New Road, Olympia Theatre, Dublin, two weeks’ time
Wow, MMO’H – deeply jealous!
Indeed. M2O’H was in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin in 1989, on the Miss America tour. Amazing. She appeared on the Late Late Show (Irish TV) at the time, and the audience had a bit of an allergic reaction, if I recall correctly.
1. (That I paid for) Echo and the Bunnymen Liverpool University 1980
2. Wilco, yesterday in Edmonton, Alberta
3. Simple Minds ca. 1984 Hammersmith Odeon
4. Either Lou Reed late 90s in Zurich or Oasis few years earlier in Cardiff
5. Bruce Springsteen and the E St Band, Bingley Hall Stafford 1981
6. Bruce and Wilco 31 times each, Stones stuck on 30
7. First time I saw Brian Wilson, my hopes were not that high but it was stunning despite his difficulties, many shows followed
8. Almost original Zombies line up playing Odessey and Oracle Montreal 2017
9. Talking Heads, Joy Division, Wings,The Clash (that one really could have happened)
10. If not The Who in Toronto next week (probably not), then Ottawa City Folk festival the week after.
31 times. Bloody hell – well played.
Wilco or Bruce? Actually Jeff Tweedy wins because you can add 6 solo (or solo-ish) shows to that.
1. First Concert
Probably Focus at the Southport Floral Hall
2. Last Concert
Kamasi Washington – Sydney
3. Worst Concert
Cocteau Twins at the Hacienda
4. Loudest Concert
None were too loud
5. Best Concert
Possibly PIL in Sydney
6. Seen The Most
New Order. Numerous times in Manchester.
7. Most Surprising
Belle and Sebastien – Sydney 2025. Had a really fun night.
8. Happy I Got To See
Joy Division at Erics in Liverpool as support act to Tanz der Youth.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Caridiacs.
10. Next Concert
None booked.
1. Gilbert O’Sullivan Himself
2. Agnes Obel
3. Nile Rogers & Chic Liverpool Echo Arena – dreadful sound. The only concert I left early. Couldn’t bear it.
4. Buzzcocks/Joy Division double header. Small venue & I was right next to the speakers.
5. Nile Rogers & Chic Castlefield Bowl. Amazing sound!
David Byrne was brilliant.
Kid Creole & The Coconuts were an absolute ball.
Dr Feelgood were stunning after a Jethro Tull support act.
Roxy Music at Liverpool Docks 2006
6. David Bowie, Undertones & The Beat equal first (six times) Bob Marley & The Wailers and The Jam equal third (five)
7. Tangerine Dream, Liverpool Stadium. To say I had low expectations is an under estimate. The one at the cathedral is the second worst concert I’ve witnessed. There was an echo all the way up the tower & back down again.
8. Zoo Meets Factory Half Way in Leigh 1979.
9. Tom Waits
10. Liverpool Phil – the return of Simon Rattle performing Schumann’s 2nd & The Firebird. I’m taking my mum for her 89th birthday.
Where was my mind? I’ve seen Chic and Earth, Wind & Fire at least six times as well, knocking Bob Marley and The Jam down to sixth.
1. First Concert Skid Row. Walsgrave Pub, Coventry April 1971 (see list below)
2. Last Concert Sparks, National Stadium, Dublin July 2025
3. Worst Concert Joe Pass Academy Theatre, Hong Kong late 80s (see list below)
4. Loudest Concert BOC Manchester Poly in IIRC 1980 – was with 10CC drummer, Paul Burgess and was the only time I ever saw a concert from the side of the stage. My ears rang for days afterwards
5. Best Concert Beach Boys Wembley 1975 (see below for a top 10 I ran here a few years back)
6. Seen The Most Bruce S (9 x), Van (8 x), Neil (6x) – would all have been a lot more but lived outside the UK?ireland from 1981 to 2013 so gigs were limited
7. Most Surprising Mud at the Holiday Inn Bahrain just before Xmas 1985 – Knew the promoter who gave me about 20 tickets for my colleagues at the ad agency I was working with. Despite there only being about 40 people in attendance, Les and the boys put on a hell of a show
8. Happy I Got To See – John Prine, Miles Davis, Marianne Faithful, Dr John, Kris Kristoferson loads more
9. Wish I Could Have Seen: Talking Heads, Tom Waits (could have gone to gigs from both in Manchester c 1980 but foolishly didn’t go), Little Feat, Jackie Leven, Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson loads more
10. Next Concert Gillian Welch and David Rawlings Vicar Street, Dublin Oct 2025
A list of my top 10 from a post about my first ever gig Skid Row. Search Noel Bridgeman if you’d like to read it in full
MY BEST
The Beach Boys – Wembley Stadium, London (June 21, 1975)
Memories? Elton John unveiling Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy by bravely playing the whole thing live to an audience who knew none of the songs… Joe Walsh hopping out of a guitar case and effectively into the Eagles. Ultimately, the day was so hot and sunny it could only ever belong to the Beach Boys who came on around 5.30pm and just blew everyone else off the stage.
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Manchester Apollo (last Thurs in May, 1981)
Three hours and change in front of around 2,500 people. Unforgettable show. One of the reasons I remember the date so well is because I got offered tickets for the replay of the Spurs vs. Man City FA Cup Final – the match where Villa scored the incredible goal. Had no hesitation in opting to see B instead and have never regretted my choice. Saw BS and the ESB again at the considerably bigger Birmingham NEC about three weeks later. The two subsequent occasions I’ve seen him have been at ever bigger ginormodomes – first the 02 in, I think, 2008 and six years ago at Croke Park on The River Tour. Great both times but the first show is the memory I will always cherish most.
Neil Young, Hammersmith Odeon (late March 1976)
Wrote about this in an earlier 50 years post. Anyone with a surfeit of time on their hands and an insufficiency of better things to do are warmly welcome to check said post out.
Van Morrison, The Dominion Theatre, London (Spring 1982)
IIRC was around the time Beautiful Vision came out. Had seen him before at Knebworth in 1974 (not long before the release of Veedon Fleece – still my fave VM album) and in London and Manchester when he did his Wavelength tour (lousy both times). At the Dominion he was just superb. Seen him twice since my return to Ireland. The first time was at the Olympia with Ian Rankin when he was promoting his book of lyrics, Lit Up Inside. An autographed copy of said tome now resides with the sound engineers notes for the evening on the bookshelf in my home office. The Q and A and reading bits out of the way, Van and a very small band then did about an hour and a half of mainly deep cuts – most of them to do with Ireland. Saw him again in Cork a year later and he got Brian Kennedy’s cousin to phone in his performance for him. Hope he’s better when I see him in Limerick at the end of this month.
Leonard Cohen, Manchester NEC Arena, last Sunday in November, 2008
Missed the first leg of his tour and despite being severely jet lagged from a flight from Hong Kong the previous day, Mrs. J and I high-tailed it up to Manchester to catch this show. Loved every minute. Wish I could say the same for Manchester which had changed beyond all recognition from when I used to live there 25 years before. When I suggested to the taxi driver that he take Belle and I out to Levenshulme where I lived for much of my time there, he looked at me as if I was mad and gently advised me to steer well clear.
Number of classics LC could have played but didn’t would have made for a great gig on their own. Despite doing the same set (and the same jokes) for pretty much a solid year, LC had the knack of making you think it was all for the first time. So glad I saw this.
Pink Floyd, Coventry Locarno, (Jan or Feb 1972)
It was the third or fourth time they’d played Dark Side of The Moon and they were on at the same venue on the same night as Chuck Berry who recorded most of the London Sessions (including the execrable My Ding A Ling) there. Remember he over-ran by a long, long time and me and my mates almost froze to death waiting outside for the PF show which eventually started well past midnight. HP Saucecraft of this parish was also in attendance at the same show. Saw them again at Birmingham Hippodrome on the 74 tour when they were also terrific.
David Bromberg Band, El Mocambo Toronto (Sept 75)
Knew absolutely nothing about DB or his band and was absolutely gob-smacked by how amazingly versatile they were. Blues, jazz, country, gospel…you name it, these guys could play it with considerable aplomb. So impressed, I went back the next night and subsequently bought nearly all of Mr. B’s albums (including How Late’ll Ya Play Til which has most of the live set I saw) and the recent and still very eclectic Use Me. Having taken several decades off to make violins, DB now makes music again and occasionally calls up his compadres and reconvenes the old gang.
The Who, Charlton Football Ground (May 74)
With Lindisfarne, Bad Company (first ever live appearance), Lou Reed, Maggie Bell and Humble Pie on the same bill for UK£2.50, it was my first ever festival (albeit a one-day one). My abiding memory of the day is Lou Reed, an iron cross dyed into his bleached blond skinhead hair casually caught a bike chain some idiot (not me) thew at him from the crowd. Anyone here there who can confirm this isn’t a false memory on my part? Pete T has always said he didn’t feel the Who weren’t that great (check out the footage on YT and make up your own mind). Ultimately, it was the only time I ever got to see them and so they narrowly shade the only other serious contenders for my top 10 which would have been Led Zep at Coventry Locarno in late Nov or early Dec 71 (just before Led Zep IV came out. Memorable moment of the Zep gig was when Jimmy Page dropped his violin bow) or Joy Division at the Factory in Manchester in April 1980 (their last ever Manchester gig).
The Sex Pistols, Penthouse Club, Scarborough, August 1977
In the summer of our second year at Uni, a bunch of us spent our summer hols in a house we’d rented for our third year. One of the guys came from Scarborough and told us a mystery band would be playing the town’s Penthouse Nightclub at the same time as the SPOTS tour was on the road. As the resort was but a short hop from Hull where I was at Uni, we went up and saw the Pistols on what were one of their few cancellation-free post-Grundy live gigs. Interestingly, I later learned that the Pistols’ roadie, ‘Roadent’, was a guy from Coventry called Stephen Connolly whom I used to know vaguely from a city pub called the Golden Cross. HPS recently advised me in a PM that he was another loyal member of said hostelry’s far from select regular customer base.
THE WORST
Joe Pass, Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts (Feb or March 1990)
Just fucking appalling. The Ben Turpin/Meher Baba lookalike jazzmeister had obviously had a major falling out with the organizers of that year’s HK Arts Festival. The steam issuing from his ears indicating he was fresh from the contretemps, Mr. Pass-ed-Caring strode onto stage at the dot of 8:00pm. He was, he announced curtly, contacted to play for precisely 35 minutes and that was exactly what we would be getting. He proceeded into a half-hearted rendition of a cut from Virtuoso. Once the song was finished, the grumpy guitarist advised his soon-to-be former fans that he only had 30 more minutes to go before lazily playing his next cover. Between song interaction with the audience limited to speaking clock type announcements of how much time remained, Pass half-heartedly performed some ten or so songs and marched off stage without so much as a goodnight. In 50 years of gig going, I have never seen a more graceless or less professional performance and have never played one of the man’s records again.
With you about Leonard Cohen, I’d never seen him and he was in Manchester for the opening of his artwork a friend had two tickets for it, his girlfriend kindly gave up hers so I could at least see LC as by then he’d stopped touring.
Then of course he had to tour, I took the afternoon off work and drove up to Edinburgh to see him in the castle grounds wonderful apart from the chap about eight seats who decided that LC needed extra backing vocals from him. Eventually I had to ask him to stop, luckily after the interval he never returned. I then drove back home getting there a five in the morning quick kip and into work.
Leeds arena on the same tour as yours he had the ability to make a cavernous space intimate.
The only person who can make the godawful NEC seem intimate. Honourable mention for Peter Gabriel, who made it seem a small provincial theatre. Normally it is like being at Heathrow airport, hence I avoid. Having said, Bruce Springsteen (1991) and Stevie Wonder(2004, I think) gave it a good go, being geared up for the enormodome experience.
I’m possibly unique amongst colleagues in that I’ve never worked at the NEC or even been a punter. I’m not anxious to break my perfect record.
1. Lots of ‘showbands’ at various Workingmen’s & British Legion Clubs but can’t remember much other than how much I hated all the smoke! First paying concert was Strawbs at Hanley Victoria Hall, Stoke, early ‘70s? Not first but was at Kingston Poly & saw a very early Cure gig – don’t hear much about ‘Killing an Arab’ anymore do you?
2. Red Rooster Festival in Suffolk. Go every year, great festival of blues, country etc. That’s unless you count Danny Baker as a gig in Bury St Edmunds end of May
3. Can’t really think of a particularly bad performance – remember seeing Yes at Stoke City football ground where so much rain forced them to leave the stage
4. Had my ears next to the speaker stacks at a Status Quo gig at previously mentioned Victoria Halls, saw The Who at Swansea which allegedly was the loudest gig but it didn’t seem like that to me!
5. My standard answer to ‘best’ is Dexys on their Projected Passion Review at the Young Vic. We’d sneaked in beforehand to watch the soundcheck!
6. Probably a toss-up between SAHB or Roxy Music, weird mix but there you go!
7. Was in Las Vegas last year for a wedding and saw the Stones, wasn’t expecting much but very enjoyable
8. Very lucky to have Trentham Gardens venue nearby during the 70’s so saw all the big names there – Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Yes, Sabbath, ELP. Seen Tom Waits twice – Blue Valentines era at London Palladium & Rain Dogs at Hammersmith Odeon, and very pleased to have seen Bob Marley although Stafford Bingley Hall a terrible venue. Dylan supported by Elvis Costello at Brixton Academy, Art Ensemble of Chicago in Croydon, Afro Cuban Allstars/Buena Vista Social Club at Snape Maltings, Suffolk, and Little Feat at previously mentioned Who concert
9. Never saw The Smiths
10. Daddy Longs Legs this Friday in Norwich, looking forward to support ban Two Bad Jim’s too, seen at Red Rooster
Wait! Regarding ‘Loudest’, how could I forget Einstürzende Neubauten at Institute of Contemporary Art in I think 1984. Pneumatic drills, cement mixers, drills, grinders……whole thing lasted around 20 mins and place was full of smoke, dust etc. couldn’t hear anything for days! Have to say, wasn’t pleasant!
1. First Concert
The Smiths at Camden Electric Ballroom. £3 and support from Felt and The Red Guitars. Was just before This Charming Man was released and the excitment of seeing a really good band who were flying was brilliant.
2. Last Concert
It was our local football clubs covers band festival. It is very line up specific as to whether its going to be any good. The line up wasn’t great this year (Rolling Stones – bit of a panto style band).
3. Worst Concert
Teenage Fanclub at the Electric Ballroom 2022 I think. Band were great, songs were great. But probably the worst audience I’ve ever been with for chatting and moving about like it was a pub. A real shame.
4. Loudest Concert
I think Sigur Ros at the Hammersmith Odeon. It was supporting the release of Kveikur which is their loudest album I think. My internal organs were moving in time with the bass.
5. Best Concert
I think its The Blue Nile at the London Palladium. I don’t recall much about it other than being completely and utterly enthralled.
6. Seen The Most
I’m not good at counting but probably Sigur Ros or James.
7. Most Surprising
Paul Carrack. Was expecting it to be good (what a voice) but it was absolutely brilliant. And support from Robert Vincent introduced me to a fabulous new (to me) artist.
8. Happy I Got To See
The U2 Longest Day concert at Milton Keynes Bowl was like a bucket list line up. The Faith Brothers, Spear of Destiny, Billy Bragg, The Ramones, REM and U2.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Bowie.
10. Next Concert
Coldplay at Wembley with the kids. And a couple of weeks later, Sigur Ros at the Royal Albert Hall with an orchestra (and the kids). I love going to concerts with my kids – family outing.
Not at all surprised to see Paul Carrack nominated for ‘Most Surprising’. Consummate performer. It wouldn’t matter what your own angle of approach was.
Yes he’s a pro who knows exactly what he is doing. And Rob Vincent is terrific as well.
I went expecting to enjoy it. I came out absolutely smitten. And Robert Vincent is terrific.
1. First Concert
The Fugees at Wembley Arena, supported by Shola Ama and Jay Z.
I’d been to a few gigs with my parents, but this was the first one purely with mates. Jay Z bottom of the bill on what I’m pretty sure was his first UK appearance. It was fine, but a little soulless – not a great venue and the Fugees, for all their undoubted talent, couldn’t really fill the space as these things require.
2. Last Concert
Martha Wainright, Saturday night just gone, at Cadogan Hall.
Wainright’s eponymous debut was one of the records to which my wife and I fell in love 20 years ago, so the opportunity to hear the whole thing played live seemed a can’t miss.
Really wonderful gig, as it turned out. Wainwright alone onstage for long stretches, house lights up, bringing big Chaos Mum energy between songs. And then she’d open her mouth to sing and holy shit, she was just creating whole worlds up there. Fabulous talent. Went home glowing. Ain’t life grand.
3. Worst Concert
Fuck Buttons
Bleepy no marks Fuck Buttons had recently teamed up with Andrew Weatherall to produce Tarot Sport; a glorious, euphoric, sky scraping record, sections of which would later be used in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
My mates and I figured this would be a can’t go wrong in a live setting – all they had to do was stick the record on and let it play. Group endorphins would do the rest.
Fuck Buttons, though, had other ideas. Instead of giving us what we’d come for they went full on Nathan Barley animal noises and fart sounds. An arrhythmic, jarring shitshow that I’m sure was very creative but was impossible to dance to or care about. I think we left early, crestfallen.
4. Loudest Concert
My Bloody Valentine. Ouch.
5. Best Concert
Fred Again/Four Tet/Skrillex, the second
time.
Final night of Coachella 2023, replacing the disappointing Frank Ocean. I was coming off the back of having just watched Bjork (at sunset, with an orchestra), Christine and the Queens and the phenomenal Knocked Loose, and feeling that music, in all its manifold splendour, is about as close as one will ever get to having god blow directly into one’s ear and nibble one’s lobe.
Stumbled my way to a spot that turned out to be about a metre and a half from the mixing desk at which the headliners would be playing, slap bang in the middle of 100,000 people.
Emerged two hours later with eyes like saucers, levitating off the ground with bewildered excitement. What I wouldn’t give to go back and live those two hours again; one peak after another, finger jammed directly into the mains. I didn’t sleep properly for two days.
Close second is Andrew WK’s ten year anniversary gig at Kentish Town Forum. A room full of teenagers going absolutely hatstand to one song after another about the joys of partying. More of the audience on the stage than in the crowd by the end. What a night that was, and so completely unexpected – we just went along because we thought it would be funny. Years later I got to have a drink with AWK and talk about that night, which was the icing on the cake.
6. Seen The Most
Idlewild. They were my big thing in my student days when I had most gig time.
No regrets at all, I absolutely love them still, having followed them from their beginnings as a thrashy, punky fireball, to their grown up mid period with the actual tunes and literary references.
They were a reliably good time onstage, and had the decency to grow up alongside me, which never hurts.
7. Most Surprising
Fred Again. The first time. Coachella 2022.
Knew he was going to be good, but had no idea that what is essentially mere House Music could stir the emotions like that. Consequently knocked flat on my arse by it all; the narcotic swing from deep introspection to party central.
If I ever see another show that impacts me to the same extent I will be delighted.
8. Happy I Got To See
Bob Dylan.
Sounds a bit daft, given he’s still going, but when I first saw him about 20 years ago he seemed impossibly old to me, fully four decades on from his 60s peak. The idea that I was able to go watch this absolute cultural monolith while there was still time was completely intoxicating. Obviously, he didn’t play a single song straight and slurred all the lyrics into indecipherability, but I was too jazzed to care.
Beyond that, Mark Mulcahy, playing Don’t Talk Crazy on audience request while reading the lyrics off a sheet of paper. Because I doubt I’ll ever get that chance again, and his music means a lot to me.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
God, there are absolutely loads. Maybe Nirvana? A bunch of us had tickets for one of the shows that got cancelled after the unfortunateness. We were about 14. Hard not to feel that was about as big a miss as was available to my generation.
Oh, and Daft Punk.
10. Next Concert
Magnetic Fields, playing the second half of 69 Love Songs, at Union Chapel. Can’t wait.
First – Deep Purple – Birmingham town Hall
1971 ish – Saw Free at the same venue a couple of months later.
Last concert – Bruce Springsteen – Anfield.
(Unless you count comedians – Bill Bailey last week).
Worst – Michelle Shocked – Musician, Leicester.
Completely rambling and out of it. Had seen her years before when she was focussed and up for it.
Loudest – Beck, Bogart, Appice – Birmingham Town Hall. Ridiculously loud.
Nearby- lot to choose from but possibly David Byrne – Utopia tour – Birmingham Symphony Hall.
Special mention – Shelby Lynne at Waterloo Records, Austin.
Seen the most – Elvis Costello or Richard Thompson
Most Surprising – The Searchers, Ronnie Scott’s Brum. Low expectation. High reward.
Happy I got to see – Jimmy LaFave, Saxon pub, Austin.
Wish I had seen – Sinead O’Connor, Bobby Charles.
Next concert – Cat Stevens next week.
@Bingo-Little I saw Magnetic Fields doing exactly that at Manchester’s Albert Hall last year. It was absolutely fantastic – you’ll have a great night.
That is wonderful to hear, thank you!
To be honest, if all they played was Busby Berkeley Dreams, that alone would tick my box. Can’t wait.
First Concert
The Jam at the Manchester Apollo 1980.
2. Last Concert
Doves, Mercury Rev and err Fishermans Friends at Moseley Folk Fest yesterday
3. Worst Concert
Hmmm split decision between Primal Scream in the old Academy at Dale End (terrible sound, terrible playing), Cinematic Orchestra at Mostly Jazz (zzzz…boring as hell), and Spear of Destiny (context: very hung over at a very sunny outdoor festival half-way through the afternoon)
4. Loudest Concert
Possibly that really bad Primal Scream gig
5. Best Concert
The Smiths at the Hacienda the week This Charming Man came out was an out of body experience.
6. Seen The Most
It appears to be the OG Sisters of Mercy, saw them five times. Lots on four.
7. Most Surprising
Primal Scream/George Clinton on the Give Out….tour at Brixton were just sensational.
8. Happy I Got To See
Well the standard answer is Nirvana (saw them twice sorry ), but actually I’ll go for the mighty Rush.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Bowie.
10. Next Concert
Pains of the Pure at Heart in Nottingham.
Blimey at the entry for Best. That’s a bit good.
Just googled to check my memories, and the Hacienda gig was three weeks after This Charming Man came out. Still absolutely amazing.
I’ve just googled my Smiths concert memory and I seem to have seen them a month after you saw them so 7 weeks after This Charming Man was released. In my mind it was before This Charming Man. They were phenomenal at that time.
First – Traffic supported by Seatrain at Liverpool Stadium (excluding Freddie & The Dreamers in panto)
Last – Julian Taylor at The Green Note, Camden
Worst – Lou Reed at the Royal Albert Hall, around 2000. He played with his back to the audience. It was like watching a band rehearsing. They found a riff they like and play it on and on and on. People started walking out after about 30 minutes. We lasted an hour. A guy who shouted out a complaint was told to fuck off. A friend who stayed until the end said he went on for another two hours.
Loudest – A big surprise – The Church at The Town & Country Club (now The Forum), Kentish Town. My ears were ringing for days afterwards.
Best – Hard to say: Roy Harper, Birmingham Town Hall 1975, Free, Liverpool Stadium 1972, Jackson Browne, Royal Albert Hall 2015, Israel Nash, Dingwalls, 2022
Seen the most – Roy Harper – I can count 27 gigs.
Most surprising – A guy named Robert McCreedy. Most famous for writing the song Two Seconds (Laura Cantrell) who was supporting Bellwether (Minneapolis band) at The Borderline. I had seen this guy wearing a hat among us in the audience. Next thing he’s up on stage with a band and he is absolutely brilliant. Sadly he had to finish his set for the headliners to come on, but everyone would have been happy if he’d continued.
Happy I got to see – Ella Fitzgerald. Count Basie. Paul Kossoff, both with Free and with Back Street Crawler. Little Feat with Lowell George.
Wish I could have seen – Jeff Buckley. He played The Garage at Highbury Corner on a Sunday night. I had to be up early the next morning. “I’ll catch him next time.”
Next – Roy Harper, coming out of retirement for Farewell Tour, Part 2, at the London Palladium.
I remembered another contender for Worst Gig: Working Week at The Dominion, Tottenham Court Road in the mid-eighties.
The band had evolved from Weekend, but after their vocalist left the new band burst on the scene with the magnificent Venceremos, featuring three vocalists, Claudia Figueroa, Tracey Thorn and Robert Wyatt.
This gig was a showcase to introduce the new permanent vocalist Juliet Roberts.
The line up was enhanced for the night. There were about a dozen musicians on stage. We were front row of the circle. In a box to our right was Sade.
They opened with an instrumental, then Miss Roberts came on stage.
She sang the first song, but as I recall when the applause died down she told us we were not there for the band but to applaud her.
It was the first indication of a monstrous show of ego. I’m vague on the rest of the gig, but I do recall the longest “introducing the band” section ever. Each player did their solo and as they got their applause the singer objected, declaiming we were there for her.
We could see lots of people leaving early. Booing started.
The band left the stage to muted applause and a lot of booing.
Then they came back for an encore no-one had called for.
1. First Concert – Thin Lizzy – Newcastle City Hall
2. Last Concert – Dave Alvin and Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Ann Arbor, MI
3. Worst Concert – possibly Ryan Adams in Detroit a couple of months ago. Watching a man either have, or pretend to have, a nervous breakdown is not fun.
4. Loudest Concert – probably the Thin Lizzy mentioned above
5. Best Concert – David Byrne, American Utopia, Grand Rapids. One of the first tour – maybe 2018? Total surprise at how wonderful it was
6. Seen The Most – Jason Isbell – probably a dozen times now.
7. Most Surprising – see David Byrne above
8. Happy I Got To See – David Crosby in Red Rocks a couple of years before he died.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – John Prine – I was in Denver could have seen him at Red Rocks with the Denver Symphony Orchestra the year before he died.
10. Next Concert – Lloyd Cole in Chicago tomorrow night
1. First Concert – If (a jazz rock group who were on Island Records for their first 2 albums) at the Torrington pub in North London probably 1970.
2. Last Concert – Transatlantic Sessions at Royal Festival Hall in Feb
3. Worst Concert – 10,000 Maniacs at the Forum London. Just not my thing. Also a Sly & Robbie night at North London Poly which featured Yellowman if I’ve remembered correctly, doing rock and roll covers in a reggae style. Also Led Zeppelin at Earls Court when I got stood up outside Wood Green tube station. Went along on my own in a distraught mood. They sounded better when I was on the escalator up to my seat than they did in the arena.
4. Loudest Concert – Faith No More 1996 at a secret gig at the Roadmenders Northampton. My tinnitus started very shortly after this gig and has never stopped.
5. Best Concert – Gil Scott-Heron at the Forum also Los Lobos at the same venue touring Kiko. Van Morrison at the Derry Jazz Festival pre-COVID.
6. Seen The Most – either Brinsley Schwarz or Van Morrison
7. Most Surprising – The 1975 at the Roundhouse. I won tickets in an Apple Music draw and went along not expecting much.
8. Happy I Got To See – Neil Young a few times over the years, Steely Dan a couple but I wasn’t overly impressed, Elvis Costello & the Attractions earlier gigs at Dingwalls and the Sunday residency at the Nashville Rooms. XTC before they stopped performing live. Kraftwerk around Computer World era. Todd Rundgren. Also I was at the first and last Ramone London gigs (Roundhouse 1976 & Brixton Academy 1996).
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – Grateful Dead in 1972. Saw them at Wembley Arena years later and a bit disappointed. The Beatles obviously. Simon & Garfunkel, Genesis in the Gabriel era. , Yes in early 1970s.
10. Next Concert – currently Transatlantic Sessions in February 2026
‘Concerts’? Hmm, not football, not cricket, tricky business.
1. First concert – Taj Mahal at the Town & Country Club.
2. Last concert – Weekend of local live music, folky, in a pub garden overlooking the sea. Free.
3. Worst concert – Taj Mahal (see above) – The concert actually gets a mention in Charles Shaar Murray’s excellent ‘Blues on CD’ book… “Marred by an overly dinky electric piano sound and a rather nasty chorus effect on Taj’s guitar”.
I can’t remember the latter, I can most definitely remember the former. Charles is being very, very, very kind… it was the dire 1980s, and it truly defied belief, even in the dire itself, how anyone in that audience couldn’t have recognised how appalling the sound was – it wasn’t technical, it was era – and he got heckled throughout the performance.
4. Loudest concert – No idea, why would I go to a loud concert unless it’s Beatlemania?
5. Best concert – I don’t often go to live music, not least because I refuse to wait around for a ‘perceived’ start time. Went to football on Saturday, match programme said 3 p.m., it kicked off at 3 p.m. Anyway, I’ve only been to one concert that I would have been willing to pay more for, and that was Linda Perhacs at Cecil Sharp House in 2013. Made even more palatable by a respectful audience, lovely venue, reasonable ticket price and a truly sensational bar. And, of course, it was a rarity, I’m not sure she’d ever played in Europe before.
6. Seen the most – I appear to have seen quite a few acts three times.
Bob Dylan, dreadful, my six hours in his company have been spent rueing, for him as much as myself, that it wasn’t four decades earlier; Steve Marriott at the Half Moon; The Kinks; Roger McGuinn; Wizz Jones.
7. Most surprising – Julian Gaskill & His Ragged Trousered Philanthropists at a Cornish street festival. Absolutely bonkers. Rather than walk around the town, I decided just to stay in that spot for the day, and I wasn’t the only one. The look on the faces of people who passed by was priceless… rather ironic, ‘cos the price was free.
8. Happy I got to see – No one really, so I guess Linda Perhacs is the answer. She was due to return to London, and I certainly was going to go, but her ill health stopped it, and I don’t think she’s been back since.
9. Wish I could have seen – No one since the 60s, so I’d need a Time Machine. Des O’Connor springs to mind… he was on the bill for the Buddy Holly tour of the UK in March 1958… but, of course, the answer ‘IS’ The Beatles.
10. Next concert – Something folky, anonymous, decent beer NOT in a plastic glass, outside. There’s a local food festival later this month that no doubt will provide something along these lines. Oh yeah, and it’ll be free.
1. First Concert
Horslips Liverpool around 1974. They were fantastic.
2. Last Concert
Lucy Dacus, Manchester Academy, also great.
3. Worst Concert
Not so much worst as disappointing- Manu Chao many years ago was all one paced high punk energy but nothing else.
4. Loudest Concert
Quite possibly that Manu Chao one.
5. Best Concert
Van Morrison at the Dominion London, early 80s
6. Seen The Most
Van Morrison
7. Most Surprising
I went to see Tom Jones sometime in the early 90s, under sufferance, and he, his band, and his setlist were magnificent.
8. Happy I Got To See
Sinead O’Connor at her finest. And I’m another one who saw Sandy Denny and Fairport on the Rising for the Moon tour.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Bob Marley and the Wailers in their prime.
10. Next Concert
Helpfully it won’t be the next because it’s ages away but I have tickets for David Byrne next year.
1. First Concert
Big Country, Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, Steeltown tour, 1984.
2. Last Concert
The Hives at Rock City on Friday night. Also quite possibly the shortest gig I’ve been to.
3. Worst Concert
Garbage at Rock City 2018 descended into a bit of a farce towards the end due to Shirley having had too much to drink. She couldn’t remember her own lyrics.
The Duke Spirit at the Rescue Rooms in 2005. Apparently they were the next big thing but performed as if they’d already made it. They just went through the motions and half the sell out audience had left by the time they came back on for the encore.
The Decemberists at Trent Poly in 2007. The main set was pretty good but it all got a bit ‘let’s swap instruments and jam’ in the encore. Or as a mate put it, ‘self-indulgent folk wank’.
Plus plenty of support acts I’ve thankfully forgotten the names of.
4. Loudest Concert
Motörhead outdoors at Sherwood Pines in north Notts, early 2000s. Apparently even the Motörhead diehards were reporting how loud it was on the fan forums afterwards. Special mention to That Petrol Emotion at the Wherehouse in Derby, early 90s. Small venue, big PA.
5. Best Concert
Not sure I can pick out one. A notable mention goes to Jane’s Addition at Rock City in 2003 as I wasn’t going until about an hour before when I got a call from a mate who had a spare ticket. I’ve never known Rock City so rammed. Also QOTSA at the same venue in 2007. Great to see such big bands in a fairly intimate setting as opposed to some huge stadium.
6. Seen The Most
Duke Special at least a dozen times.
7. Most Surprising
Possibly Babybird. I’d only ever heard ‘You’re Gorgeous’ and couldn’t do with the song but a mate convinced me there was more to him than that. He wasn’t wrong and before playing ‘You’re Gorgeous’ BB said ‘this is the song which ruined my career’. A great gig.
8. Happy I Got To See
Of artists that don’t tour that often over here, Massive Attack, Aimee Mann, Broken Social Scene, Midlake, PJ Harvey.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Talk Talk, Portishead, Faith No More, Sonic Youth, The Smiths, and Joy Division if I was ten years older.
10. Next Concert
Black Country, New Road next week at Rock City.
1. First Concert – it was either Bryan Adams or Jethro Tull in Brighton in 1987
2. Last Concert – OMD, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
3. Worst Concert – the only one I left early was Squeeze at the Kennedy Centre
4. Loudest Concert – We Were Promised Jetpacks, Jammin Java. The ceiling is very low.
5. Best Concert – the one I left walking on air from was OMD at the 930 Club
6. Seen The Most – RT, maybe. Or WWPJ
7. Most Surprising – Geno Washington at Guildford. Ot Steve Harley. Or Mike Sanchez.
8. Happy I Got To See – Kris Kristofferson
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – The Clash
10. Next Concert – no idea. I move back to the US in October so have to start concert planning.
1. First Concert
Wishbone Ash, Sheffield City Hall 1978
2. Last Concert
Wilco, RAH in June this year..
3. Worst Concert
A toss up between UFO in about 79/80 a mate bought me a ticket not knowing I’d re-invented myself as a Costello/Jackson fan, or a late incarnation UB40 at King’s Lynn Corn Exchange, it was the Robin Campbell splinter with another brother (not Ali) singing, truly dull and lacklustre, not a patch on the UB40 I saw in Sheffield in 1980
4. Loudest Concert
Either Primal Scream in about 1998 or Mogwai at Koko, Camden about 10 years ago – My Morning Jacket came close a couple of years ago but I think it’s me getting older rather than bands getting louder
5. Best Concert
Leonard Cohen, seen him 3 times, loved every moment of every gig.
6. Seen The Most
Either Elvis Costello or Wilco, both 30+ times in various guises, then it’d be Kristin Hersh/Throwing Muses, Squeeze, Alabama 3, Handsome Family – all acts I try to see on each tour they do.
7. Most Surprising
Elvis Perkins, wasn’t expecting much but got totally entranced, he does seem to have disappeared now, also Kevin Morby, a chance find, liked a couple of his songs so went along to the Electric Ballroom and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening
8. Happy I Got To See
Leonard Cohen
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Bowie – circumstances meant I never got along but there was always going to be a next time – until there wasn’t
10. Next Concert
Nothing currently planned unless you count comedy gigs in which case it’s Ross Noble early next year
Elvis (son of Anthony) P does indeed seem to have dropped off the radar, which is sad as his first couple of albums were pretty good.. If you did’t know already, his brother is a successful film director (Longlegs, the Monkey) – not sure if EP scores them though
I’ve really enjoyed reading through this & am very very green eyed at some wonderful gigs that have been witnessed by the afterword mob.
1. First Concert
Bon Jovi (1996). I was 13. It should have been Nirvana in 1994 but this was cancelled (obvs) & I was desperate to see a live show. My cousin split up with his partner a few weeks prior to this show so had a spare & took me instead. I am eternally grateful. Supported by Skunk Anasie, Ricky Ross & a local band called Alone
2. Last Concert
Iron Maiden (2025). I took my 7 year old son as his first ever gig & my brother as his 47th birthday present. Both really enjoyed it & it was delight to experience it with them both.
3. Worst Concert
Khruangbin (2024). Absolutely awful. People in front of us were booking Ubers & we ended up leaving about 2/3 of the way through. They also had a very sycophantic crowd which did not help.
4. Loudest Concert
22-20s (2004) at Hop & Grape in Manchester. So loud I know people who were further back than me & left due to it. I was stood next to themain speaker stack & have had tinnitus since. The drummer cracked a few cymbals he was hammering the kit so much. It was wonderful & they were supported by Cathy Davey & a 17 year old Willy Mason.
5. Best Concert
Leonard Cohen (2008) at Opera House in Manchester. A magical show. It still doesn’t feel real that I was lucky enough to see him there.
6. Seen The Most
The National.(19). Around the time of Alligator & Boxer they were a truly excellent live band. I have not bothered seeing them the last few tours as I think they are incredibly predictable & beige now.
7. Most Surprising
Either Tom Jones (2009) or Barry Manilow (2024). Went on a whim to both & they were both surprisingly brilliant. Toms voice live was staggering
8. Happy I Got To See
David Bowie (2002). He started with Life On Mars & I do not remember feeling more elated at a gig.
The Pogues (2001). I never thought I would see them & this was a dream come true for me. Also met Shane & most of the band after & did a cartwheel through happiness!
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Nirvana. I was a big fan & think it would have been a great first gig.
10. Next Concert
University at Castle Hotel in Manchester. Am very excited about seeing their drummer in person, he looks unreal!
These have been fun to read. Thanks!
1. First Concert
Marillion, Hammersmith Odeon, February 1986
2. Last Concert
Chappell Roan, Reading Festival, last week
3. Worst Concert
The Strokes, Brixton Academy, March 2002
So much hype, so little delivery. A really puny sound and zero stagecraft. I had been offered a few hundred quid for my ticket by a tout outside…and really regretted not taking him up after the first five minutes.
4. Loudest Concert
Gary Moore, Guildford Civic Hall, June 1990
I was in the front row and got the full force of his unadulterated on-stage amps right in my face. It was an excellent gig.
5. Best Concert
Marillion, Kentish Town Forum, April 1996
6. Seen The Most
Marillion, currently just over 140 times.
7. Most Surprising
The Last Dinner Party, Roundhouse, February 2024
I suspected that they might be more style over substance, but they were actually terrific.
8. Happy I Got To See
Scotty Moore, Hubert Sumlin, John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, and most of all Nina Simone (supported by Germaine Greer reading Sappho in ancient Greek)
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac
10. Next Concert
St Vincent at the Proms tomorrow
140 times for the Marillos? Are you actually a secret member of the band who they never talk about? Regardless, hats off to you.
I think I’ve seen them 5 times, which I thought was a lot but is obviously pitiful by comparison. Clearly I haven’t been trying hard enough.
I’ve seen them once, and that was more than enough! 😉
Same here – see above, under my worst concert! 😮
1. First Concert – PFM at the Free Trade Hall with Widowmaker in support featuring Arial Bender, Steve Ellis, Bob Daisley and Huw Lloyd Langdon. Widowmaker rocked.
2. Last Concert – Steven Wilson – London Palladium
3. Worst Concert – Like Feedback, Peter Green at some pub in London. Horrible backing band, Peter on another planet. I walked out heartbroken.
4. Loudest Concert – my mate’s Pistols tribute band at The Horns in Watford. I still have tinnitus in my right ear as a result.
5. Best Concert – oh dear. Joe Jackson (Night and Day Tour), Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Damn the Torpedos), ZZ Top (Deguelo), Jeff Beck (Guitar Shop and others), Lynyrd Skynyrd (Manchester FTH + Knebworth). Many Southside Johnny gigs.
6. Seen The Most – RT or Gretchen Peters. Not sure.
7. Most Surprising – Leo Sayer – friend had a spare ticket, wasn’t that bothered but he was fantastic, great singer and performer, terrific band, brilliant songs.
8. Happy I Got To See – Skynyrd with Ronnie
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – Little Feat with Lowell
10. Next Concert – nothing booked! Would have been Nerina Pallot at The Stables but I stupidly double booked myself.
I’d spent decades believing that Steven Wilson was an American guy. I don’t know why. Then I heard him interviewed on the Word in Your Ear videocast, and it turns out he’s from Hemel Hempstead, a few miles from where I grew up!
Oh, late entrant, glad I got to see Tom Waits in 1981, just flirting with junkyard sounds but totally wonderful throughout. To make it even better we went to the Edmund Hopper exhibition in the afternoon.
First Concert
Supertramp, Brighton Dome, 1975, the “Crime of the Century” / A&M package tour, supported by Gallagher and Lyle and Chris de Burgh.
Last Concert
Steven Wilson at the Palladium in May. Supported by woefully unfunny comedian Frank Skinner, for some reason. SW was excellent. Frank Skinner was unnecessary, but at least we weren’t subjected to Stewart Lee, unlike on other nights…
Worst Concert
Rush, Brighton Centre, 1980, touring “Moving Pictures”. Loud, terrible metallic sound and those interminable early prog epics. Put me off them for years.
Blue Oyster Cult, Brighton Centre, 1990? Dull. Dull. Dull.
The Mars Volta, Brixton Academy, 2004? I loved “Deloused…” but this was the “Frances the Mute” tour. Terrible, endless tuneless improvising and noodling at rhino-stun volume.
A drunken Joe Walsh at the Strand, Redondo Beach in 1990. He forgot most of his lyrics and rambled on about his fall from grace and Don Henley’s then current success.
Loudest Concert
Iggy Pop at the Town and Country Club, 1990? The band comprised three-quarters of the original Sex Pistols. Outstanding.
Best Concert
Thin Lizzy, 1976? Brighton Dome, touring “Johnny the Fox” and “Jailbreak”.
Nine Inch Nails at the O2, 2014.
Seen The Most
Elvis Costello. Five times but not since 1994 (the “Brutal Youth” tour)!
Most Surprising
Dread Zeppelin, on the UCLA campus in the middle of the day, 1991.
Richard Thompson, RFH, 2015. I’ve never understood the acclaim for RT – terrible singing voice, weedy guitar tone, the beard and beret combination. But at this gig it all came together – even the beard and beret.
Happy I Got To See
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, in a bar in Birmingham Alabama, 1981.
The Sound, the Rock Garden, December 1980.
Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Venue, 1983. Incredible talent and power. Almost as loud as Iggy a few years later.
Wish I Could Have Seen
Lynyrd Skynyrd, Brighton Dome, 1975. I had my ticket but the gig was cancelled, apparently after a fight between the band members.
Next Concert
Todd Rundgren in October.
I was at that RT gig at the RFH. As I recall there was a LOT of electric guitar, and if Richard is playing electric I want him raging, and it was incredibly loud thanks to his since-retired sound guy Simon Tassano. I like to imagine that some punters thought that going to see a Fairporter in his 60s would guarantee an evening of mellow acoustic folkiness, and that the same people are wandering the South Bank to this day with glazed expressions and whistling ears.
That’s probably why I enjoyed it! And, yes, it was loud, as I now remember. I must see him again.
Mrs. T didn’t like RT until she saw him live but then it clicked. I saw him with Drakeygirl and she was similarly won over.
I’ve never heard a recording by Richard Thompson, but I saw him live once, at a festival. Must be the dullest gig I’ve ever been present for…to be fair, I doubt that many in that audience knew who he was, so the energy was quite low from the start. But he didn’t do anything to win anyone over that day!
That Mars Volta tour of 2004 would have made it onto my list if I’d allowed myself multiple answers. There was just no let-up, was there? On and on and on, with nothing to distinguish between – lets call them – pieces of music.
No let-up at all, as I remember. I spent most of my time at the bar, mainly because it was furthest away from the stage and the noise. I had a business trip to France the very next day. Hungover, with my ears still ringing, I slept on the Eurostar. Unable to focus on the departures board at Gare du Nord, I missed my connection to Chantilly by two hours. Miraculously, I kept my job….
I have all of TMV’s albums, but if they ever visit the UK again, I may give them a miss.
First
Deep Purple at Fairfield Hall Croydon in July 1970. Ian Gillan told us that West Germany had beaten England in the World Cup in Mexico. I’ve not really listened to them since
Last
Nile Rogers’ Chic at Hitchin Priory last week. Fabulous. An hour and half of hits. Fantastic band, what a guitarist – and has anyone else had a sustained period of hits? Must be 40 years from Le Freak to Get Lucky.
Worst
I was in what could be loosely called a band that played once in about 1974 in a venue in New Malden, I think called the Brick Box. We were utter shite and remarkably people paid to get in. I drank a bottle of cheap wine during and after and was horribly sick.
Best
Either Johnny Echols doing Forever Changes at Shepherds Bush Empire a couple of years ago as that is a favourite LP, or Big Thief at the Hammersmith Odeon a few years back, or Calexico at the Barbican or . . .
Loudest
See number 1. The back row of Fairfield Hall was vibrating with Purple’s thump. Didn’t stop the couple next to us snogging the entire gig though.
Seen the most
Nick Lowe. Brinsley Schwarz, Rockpile, Little Village, His Cowboy Outfit, and several solo ventures
Most Surprising
Sister Sledge. At Hitchin Priory last year. Did they put on a show or what. Complete energy from the moment they hit the stage. a great band too that recreated the Chic groove.
Happy I got to see
Tom Waits twice, JJ Cale, John Lee Hooker, Stefan Grapelli at the Bulls Head in Barnes, Neil Young in the 70s, Little Feat, Ramones supported by Talking Heads at the Greyhound in Croydon. With my dad to see Thelonious Monk.
Wish I could have seen
Went to see Genesis in the Croydon Greyhound in 1972 and on the way out we were given flyers for David Bowie at the Ebbisham Hall in Epsom the following week. But because we’d just seen bloody Genesis we couldn’t afford to see the early days of Ziggy Stardust.
A few years later I worked with a lad who said come to this band we see quite often in West Kensington. But the gig was a Sunday and it was work the next day and a long way back to the suburbs by train. So I missed the Sex Pistols at the Nashville.
Next
Nothing planned
You saw Thelonious Sphere Monk live?
Respect, Mr Onion. Respect.
You in Hitchin by any chance Razor?
Late to this party
1. First Concert – Aussie -Chain blues band int’l Deep Purple/Free/Manfred Mann Earth Band
2. Last Concert – Femi Kuti
3. Worst Concert – Aussie Renee Geyer, Int’l – Van Morrison reputedly one of his worst and the first with the big clock on stage so he could leave after 45 minutes
4. Loudest Concert – The Cure
5. Best Concert – Talking Heads -Stop Making Sense tour
6. Seen The Most – Probably Dylan
7. Most Surprising – Sparks
8. Happy I Got To See – Little Feat avec Lowell
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – Keith Jarrett with band either the trio or the euro quartet
10. Next Concert – George Clinton
1. First Concert
First live music event was a CND rally in Brixton’s Brockwell Park in May 1983, featuring Madness, The Style Council, The Damned, Hazel O’Connor and possibly others. First actual indoor gig was The Monochrome Set at North London Poly in Sept 1983.
2. Last Concert
Buzzcocks
3. Worst Concert
Crowded House, Hammersmith Odeon/Apollo/whatever it’s called in about 2010. More of a Mrs L band really, but not really the band’s fault, although they were a little bit road weary. The audience were an absolute pain. Way too much talking, squealing and braying laughter (mainly groups of people all “catching up” with each other and endless rounds to the bar, and being completely incredulous when I asked very politely if they could at least wait till the end of a song. )
4. Loudest Concert
Manchester’s Puressence at Islington Academy in 2003, who cranked it up to be bludgeoningly and deafeningly loud. Shocking, muddy sound quality too. We lasted about half the set before calling it a night although my tinnitus dates from then.
5. Best Concert
Probably REM at Hammersmith Palais in June 1985. Spellbinding.
6. Seen The Most
Not 100% sure but could be That Petrol Emotion or The Blue Aeroplanes, both superb live bands on their day.
7. Most Surprising
Medway legends The Prisoners at their big London reunion gig at the Roundhouse in May 2024. Lean, hungry, full of tunes, and a brilliant new album to play.
8. Happy I Got To See
The Smiths, New Order (original line up) Echo And The Bunnymen (original line up)
9. Wish I Could Have Seen
The Jam, The Clash, XTC
10. Next Concert
The Monochrome Set at The Albert in Brighton.
Sounds like 5 fuckwits and Crowded House
When I saw Crowded House a few years ago in Manchester the audience was similar. I suspect they are the kind of band who attract people who have heard two or three of the hits but aren’t really fans, meaning they talk all the way through until THAT song comes along at which point they insist on holding their phones up taking shaky videos whilst they sing tunelessly along. That said, I thought they were good enough to overcome that – I still loved the concert.
1. First Concert – Depeche Mode @ Tiffany’s, Glasgow. 1981?
2. Last Concert – Bonnie Raitt, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
3. Worst Concert – Marcus King, Barrowlands. His current album has a lovely soulful vibe but instead he gave us a guitar wanking performance. We left early.
4. Loudest Concert – Eli “Paperboy” Reed, The Arches, Glasgow. Stood too near the speakers and The Arches has brick walls which probably didn’t help.
5. Best Concert – K.D. Lang, King’s Theatre, Glasgow late 80s before she hit it big. She was mesmerising, funny, a real presence. And what a voice.
6. Seen The Most – Chuck Prophet at least 6 times. If he does Glasgow and Edinburgh I sometimes attend both.
7. Most Surprising – Chuck Prophet. 1st time I saw him I had only just bought my 1st album of his (Night Surfer). I wasn’t aware he was so good live. A revelation.
8. Happy I Got To See – Stevie Wonder, SECC Glasgow. late 80s. Incredibly not sold out. His aura filled the room. And he had some good tunes 😁. Very nearly made it as best concert.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – Prince
10. Next Concert – Brandy Clarke, Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow.
Yoiks! Tiffany’s – I saw Simple Minds there, circa Real to Real Cacophany, 1980, 1981?
Pretty sure I saw Simple Minds there for New Gold Dream tour. Then at the Barrowlands for Sparkle in the Rain.
Tiffany’s became Zanzibar’s at some point (1984?) but I think that was only as a disco, not a music venue.
Great to read these, the most enjoyable thread here for ages,. My picks are pretty tame compared to many of the above but FWIW here we go
1. First Concert: Pet Shops Boys, Birmingham NEC 1988ish. Can’t remember much of it, but tremendously excited to be off to a real gig.
2. Last Concert: Peter Hook & The Light, Paris. Sturdily played the hits almost note perfect, which for a NO obsessive like me was enough. Beautiful venue, a church like building in heart of Montmartre.
3. Worst Concert: EAR upstairs at the Garage about 2001. Despite being a huge huge Spacemen 3 fan, Pete Kember plinking aimlessly at his bloody Bontempi for two hours was dismal and I left after he (jazz) butchered ‘Transparant Radiation’
4. Loudest Concert: Like a few others here, MBV at the Roundhouse, sometime mid 2000s
5. Best Concert: First time I saw Macca, O2 about 10 years ago. My sister got tickets for my birthday and somehow lucked out with tickets virtually overlooking the stage. My first time seeing a real live Beatle and for that alone would have been like visiting Mecca, the Vatican, Jerusalem and Ganges all at the same time.
6. Seen The Most: The Stones, ever since Wembley 1990. That first gig – my second ever, after seeing PSB year before is close contender for the best gig ever, it was pure joy. The last Stones gig I saw, at Waldebuhne in Berlin two summer ago, is a close runner up. Unexpectedly, astonishingly good.
7. Most Surprising: John Cale in a ruined chapel near Molfetta in Bari, Italy sometime in 1999. He did his solo piano gig, to an invited gala audience, most of whom (including self) had no idea what they were in for. By time he got to Heartbreak Hotel and virtually destroyed piano, rolling on ground screaming “I COULD – DIEEEEEEE” audience was stunned into silence.
8. Happy I Got To See: James Brown a few year before he died, at Brixton Academy.
9. Wish I Could Have Seen: Bowie in his late 70s prime. The one time I did see him was pretty disappointing, during a day long open air festival in Manchester in 2002ish following Suede, stuck behind a group of bottle throwing pissheads and I was just not feeling it.
10. Next Concert: Beta Band reunion gigs. Very much looking forward to it, we used to hang out with them in the bar I worked at in the 90s, where Steve and John’s then girlfriends worked and they were just getting started. They’d invite all us bar staff along to their early gigs, Many happy memories.
First concert – Genesis at Birmingham Odeon, Duke Tour 1980.
Last concert- End Of The Road Festival at the weekend, so Wu-Lyf in a tent.
Worst concert – hard to pick a bad one, but Primal Scream at Glastonbury in 1995 ( I think) was pretty awful.
Loudest concert – can’t think of a really loud one, though my hearing loss and tinnitus would disagree. I remember Iron and Wine being too loud and badly distorted at Manchester Academy 2some time around 2010, so probably that one.
Best concert – Sufjan Steven’s at End OfTheRoad in 2015. Glorious. Such a beautiful performance of Carrie & Lowell peppered with some “hits” and enhanced by the incredible sound the festival specialises in.
Seen the most – Dylan, but in all his guises (Blur, Gorillaz, The Good The Bad And The Queen and solo) Damon Albarn.
Most surprising – probably King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. Expected nothing but they are fantastic.
Happy I got to see – I can’t choose between Bowie and Tom Waits (he has to get in somewhere, and Edinburgh Playhouse 2008 is almost a dead heat with Sufjan Stevens as my best). Also Sparklehorse.
Wish I could have seen – Nick Drake.
Next concert – James Yorkston and Nina Perrson at Halle St Peter’s in Manchester.
Kaisfatdad and I will be seeing Yorkston & Persson 4 days later, in Stockholm!
First Concert:
I went to many folk club gigs in pub back rooms in my teens and saw the likes of Alex Campbell, Harvey Andrews and Allan Taylor, but my first “proper” concert was Fairport Convention (with Sandy Denny & Martin Lamble) at The Royal Festival Hall on 24th March 1969. Also on the bill were Pat Sky, Al Stewart, The Sallyangie and compere John Peel.
Last Concert:
Karen Tweed & Nick Wiseman-Ellis in a local village Hall.
Worst Concert:
James Taylor supported by Bonnie Raitt at the Manchester Arena on 9th July 2018. Musically it was brilliant, as you would expect, but the cavernous, soulless venue was dispiriting and, combined with the very annoying drunk woman in the seat to my right (not my wife, she was in the seat to my left) made me vow that all future gigs will be in rooms, not stadiums.
Loudest Concert:
Small room – The Hamsters in a cellar at the Vaults pub in Leicester on 4th October 2008. The start of my tinnitus.
Large room – The Jeff Healy Band at De Montfort Hall in Leicester on 9th October 1990.
Best Concert:
Like everyone here, I’ve seen many brilliant concerts over the decades but these old ones stick in my memory:
In a tent – Ronnie Lane’s Passing Show in Shrewsbury’s Quarry Park on Saturday 15th June 1974
Outdoors – “Mid-Summer Music” (Eagles, The Beach Boys, etc) at Wembley on 21 June 1975.
In a small room – it’s a three-way tie between Kelly Joe Phelps at The Red Lion Folk Club, Moseley in 1997 (supporting Chris Smither), Nanci Griffith at the Irish Centre, Digbeth in approx ‘94 and Rodney Crowell (with Steuart Smith on blistering guitar) at the Breedon Bar sometime in the mid ‘90s. All outstanding.
In a theatre – Jackson Browne with Warren Zevon at New Victoria Theatre, London on 17th December 1976.
In a large Hall – Bruce Springsteen and The East Street Band at Birmingham NEC on 27th March 1981.
Seen The Most: Don’t know. It will be a small venue act – maybe Duke Special, Roberts & Lakeman, Boo Hewerdine, Blair Dunlop . . . someone like that.
Most Surprising: Lionel Richie at Nottingham Arena on 17th March 2015. Tickets were gifted by friends who couldn’t use them. He and his band were sensational.
Happy I got to see:
Free at the Shrewsbury Music Hall in ’69 / ’70.
Many of the bands at the Bath Festival in 27 – 29 June 1970, particularly Johnny Winter, Led Zep and, of course, Donovan.
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee at Tiffany’s in Shrewsbury, early ‘70s.
Dr Feelgood at Birmingham Town Hall on 1st November 1975.
Thin Lizzy & Clover at Bracknell sports centre on 23rd October 1976.
Herb Ellis at a hotel gig with Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra on 26 February 1989.
Robben Ford & The Blue Line supporting Georgie Fame at Birmingham Town Hall on 5th July ‘93.
Robert Plant & The Priory of Brion at The Charlotte pub in Leicester on 6th September 2000.
Wish I Could Have Seen:
The Beatles. Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jimmy Giuffre.
Next Concert:
Brooks Williams & Vera van Heeringen.
Lovely to see both the Irish Centre and Breedon Bar get a shout. Both now demolished, of course. I was probably at the Nanci gig; she played there a number of times in the 90’s and I usually went.
Did you also go to gigs at the Hibernian, on the Pershore Rd, near Dogpool Lane? Great venue, if prone to the ceiling “sweating” tobacco juice, when crowded.
No, I can’t recall any gigs at the Hibernian @retropath2.
Main venues for the decade I spent in Brum from ’79 were:
– the wretched NEC for the likes of Stevie Winwood, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Bruce, Paul Simon & Fleetwood Mac
– the Odeon for the likes of Ry Cooder (with John Hiatt in the band), Paul Brady, Van Morrison, Southside Johnny (with John Hiatt as support), Graham Parker & Jeff Beck
– The Red Lion folk club for too may folkies to mention
– Breedon Bar for the like of Oyster Band, Kevin Brown, Kathryn Tickell (with Danny Thompson and the wonderful Chris Newman) & Philip Walker.
– Hare and Hounds for Steve Gibbons
Incidentally, I think you may have been my GP when I lived in Hall Green!
PM me and I can confirm. Or not…..
While you were boogying down to Ronnie Lane’s Passing Show at the Quarry on 15 June ’74, I was days from entering the world, just a mile away, near Radbrook Road, at the top of Port Hill!
First concert: U2 at the SFX Hall in Dublin, 1981
Last concert: War on Drugs, Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, 2024
Worst concert: Sadly but unsurprisingly, Van Morrison pretty much every time
Best concert: Crowded House, Midnight at the Olympia, Dublin, 1991
Loudest concert: Powderfinger at Rod Laver, Melbourne, still reeling
Seen the most in concert: definitely U2 – 20+ times, a little laminate goes a long way
Most surprising concert: Hothouse Flowers, Top Hat in Dun Laoghaire, circa 1985
Most disappointing concert: Branford Marsalis at Ronnie Scotts in London, 1990
Happy I got to see concert: Rev Al Green at Vicar Street Dublin, Prince in Melbourne 2012, Keith Jarrett at Carnegie Hall NY 1993
Wish I could see concert: The Cure or Natalie Merchant
Next concert: Kasey Musgraves, Palais, Melbourne 2025
Ah. I wish I’d seen Jarrett solo.
I’m curious. What was so disappointing about Branford?
Ah it was a gorgeous sunny Friday evening in Soho way back when. Thought some laid-back, mellow jazz club “niiiiiice” vibes with a couple of martinis would be just the ticket for me and the main squeeze. Two hours of ear-splittingly aggressive bebop later, we staggered straight to the nearest pub for a deafened debrief and five medicinal pints. All my own fault, obviously: I had been hoping for something in the Stan Getz/Chet Baker idiom but thankfully we weren’t the only ones: they were storming the exits from twenty minutes in.
First: Black Earth, a goth band who played at my school hall. Very All About Eve-y. First big act was ABWH at Wembley Arena – good set, terrible sound.
Last: Michael Shannon and pals play REM at the Garage in Highbury. Uplifting and joyful.
Worst: Probably George Clinton and the P-Funk ‘All Stars’ at Brixton Academy. No costumes, flair or interest from George and the gang, who shuffled about in black tracksuits. The version of Maggot Brain went on for over half an hour. Dishonourable mention: Dylan at the Fleadh. Raining, rotten, left after forty minutes.
Best: so many. Replacements at the Marquee changed my life. Runners up include Petty, Wilco, Aimee Mann, Wondermints, Pugwash and Cowboy Junkies at the Albert Hall.
Loudest: Probably Infectious Grooves at the Marquee. Took me a while to figure out the sound at the front is usually shit. Squeeze at the Indigo2 last December were WAY too loud and this ruined the show.
Seen most: probably Wilco/Jeff Tweedy about 10 times.
Most surprising: I was expecting The Pretenders to be good when I last saw them, but they were tight, ferocious and put a huge grin on my face for the whole show. James Walbourne is my new guitar hero. Another shout for Leo Sayer as well.
Most disappointing: Black Crowes sleepwalking through an Albert Hall show in about 1994.
Happy I saw: Prince, Petty, Stones, Wondermints, Fountains of Wayne, Brian Wilson, Macca, Nirvana
Wish I’d seen: Bowie, XTC, Talking Heads, Supertramp
Next: Nothing in the book. Waiting for Jayhawks, Aimee Mann and the Crowes to come back one day.
Reading all of these wonderful lists has made me wonder if there are any notable artists that haven’t ever been witnessed by an Afterworder..? I realise there will be some seen but not mentioned because of the nature of the listing, but I am still curious. Perhaps it needs another thread!?
I suppose the history of popular music as we know it is now of an age that will rule many out.
I’m thinking Elvis as an obvious starter (forgive me if I missed this above) – apparently his last show was June 26, 1977 so it is possible if you live in the US and are, say, 65 or over. I’d say Buddy Holly is very unlikely seeing as he died in 1959, although there are surviving musicians who saw him when he came to the UK, so it is just possible.
I don’t think I’ve seen Cliff or the Shads mentioned – apologies again if I have missed them – surely someone has seen them…?!!
I remember the jazz fans on the Steve Hoffman forum discussing whether there was a major jazz artist that none of them had seen live.
I’m not sure that any of them had seen John Coltrane in concert.
And I’d be very surprised if any Afterworder had seen Trane performing live.
Ahem… I have seen both Cliff and the Shads (separately). It was work rather than pleasure but I can report that both were very good at what they do and gave their fans what they wanted.
Well, well…I had a bit of a random conversation today with a chap at my bowls club. Turned out he is a big music fan – he is in his 80s, and he did indeed get to see Buddy Holly in 1958. He said he was absolutely tremendous, but I guess we all knew that would be the case.
First Concert – The Jam, Whitley Bay Ice Rink September 1982. 16 year old and a huge fan. The band splitting up had been decided upon but not yet announced and the gig was effectively a greatest hits show. Came out afterwards drenched in sweat and exhilarated.
Last Concert – Last year Paul Weller at Newcastle city hall
Worst Concert – Oasis at Newcastle Arena in 2005. Don’t like the venue, tends to be a bit soulless. Not particularly a fan but went with a mate who is. Lumpen, dreary sounding and all rather boring.
Loudest Concert – Nothing springs to mind, but perhaps The Pogues in 1991, .Joe Strummer fronting the band.
Best Concert – Well that first Jam concert takes some beating, but the other contender would be Roger McGuinn at the customs house South Shields 1995. Front row and centre I was just a few feet away from the great man, and he was in great form.
Seen The Most – Seen Weller well into double figures.
Most Surprising – Rather surreal night in Greenwich Village August 1989 which ended in a club and standing in the wings watching Big Brother and the Holding Company. I wasn’t familiar with their music but that night they sounded wonderful.
Happy I Got To See – The Specials, Teenage Fanclub, The Monkees [without Mike Nesmith], Rolling Stones, Wilko Johnson
Wish I Could Have Seen – The Clash, Dexys Midnight Runners or Robert Johnson
Next Concert – Nothing planned
Your Most Surprising reminds me of my friend Ray, who was a front of house engineer during the 70s and claims to have been invited to watch the then shiny, new Buckingham/Nicks incarnation of Fleetwood Mac from the side of a stage in LA. Mind you, he also toured with The Swingle Singers in an estate car with. a small PA and a bunch of SM58 mics, which he said was easy money but, ahem, Quite Dull.
Finally managed to find five minutes to fill this in
1. First- Simple Minds at Leeds Roundhay Park 1989. Supported by Martin Stephenson, Silencers and All About Eve.
2. Last- Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 at Stowaway Festival. Last indoor gig was Wilco at the RAH back in June.
3. Worst- Probably one of the gigs our terrible band did. I’m sure we ruined more than one person’s evening on multiple occasions. Not walked out of many gigs, Basement Jaxx in 2006 seems to stick in my mind as being a bit rubbish, so we left halfway through.
4. Loudest- All gigs were louder back in the day, right? What I think of as the loudest was also certainly the sweatiest gig I ever went to. Janes Addiction at the London Town and Country Club.
5. Best- Loads but I generally think of Super Furry Animals at Glasgow Barrowlands in 2001 as the best.
6. Seen The Most- Spiritualized. Probably about 20 times, often multiple times on the same tour.
7. Most Surprising- I seem to remember seeing Morrissey around the time his solo career was resurrected. I assumed he’d be awful, but he was really rather good live. Not bothered with him since, mind.
8. Happy I Got To See- Nirvana, Jeff Buckley, The Stooges
9. Wish I Could Have Seen- Hendrix, Spacemen 3, Elliott Smith
10. Next Concert- Nothing booked in, although I see the Bootleg Beatles are coming to town.
The Bootleg Beatles! Saw them earlier this year. It was my first ever ‘tribute act’ concert. They were really good… once you got past the wigs. The musicianship was spot-on, the visuals excellent and the choice of songs not always the obvious ones…. apart from that bloody naah nah nah ner ner ner nah one!
I am tempted, not something I would ever have considered 20 years ago! Speaking of which, I would add The Rutles into the happy I got to see category.
Treat yourself! Worth it for their performance of While My Guitar Gently Weeps alone.
1. First Concert – The Pirates in a nightclub in Hull
2. Last Concert – Rag n Bone man – I was basically the driver for the night but better than I expected
3. Worst Concert- a recent one. Ian Brown live and solo at Bingley Festival. Shockingly bad.
4. Loudest Concert – MBV obvs, with an honourable mention to Motorhead who I only ever listened to from a concrete bunker 20m below the stage (not kidding – went in the back of the hall for one song each time. Wow! like being punched in the stomach).
5. Best Concert – Beck. oddly enough. Honourable mention to The Beat/Au Pairs in 1980. And of course the Undertones have never done a duff show that I have seen.
6. Seen The Most – the greatest band in the world, The Undertones (13). BB and RT closing in on double digits.
7. Most Surprising – Beck (Manchester). R.E.M. (Newcastle, Green tour 1989) – seems odd now that I didnt know what they were like on stage till I saw them live.
8. Happy I Got To See – The VU (went to the first show in Edinburgh – wasnt sure there would BE a second). The Clash
9. Wish I Could Have Seen – Talking Heads on Stop Making Sense tour, Byrne on American Utopia, Prince during Sign O’ the times (saw Symbol but it wasnt the same)
10. Next Concert – Bet you think it will be DB? Well next year. This year is Beta Band, Gene, Idlewild, (Maybe Martin Stephenson), David Gedge, Stereolab.