Inspired by @seanio resurrecting his thread on ‘A musical education’ I wondered who has attended gigs with their offspring – first / most recent / most enjoyable?
Gigs and your kids
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Here’s mine:
Firstborn – F: Paul McCartney, Dublin / MR: Elbow, Cork / ME: Radiohead, Dublin
Middle’un: – F: Bruce Springsteen, Limerick / MR: Orla Gartland, Galway / ME: Orla G
Baby: – F: Cathy Davey, Ennis / MR: Stars, Galway / ME: Stars
Of course, Macca and Bruce were great as first concerts, but they were young and later gigs were more enjoyable as the girls could offer opinions and critique of what they had seen.
Sorry, @seanioio – got your user name wrong in the OP.
Thank you for tagging me, absolutely cracking to read all of these. I feel I have failed mine by not giving them Macca or Bruce though!
Last night was superb, both enjoyed it although the youngest fell asleep on me for the last few songs. Our daughter was in heaven – I caught a picture of her as she came on stage & the look of wonderment & joy on her face was a delight! She is definitely hooked & on the way home was asking who can we see next…..
Great to hear, @seanioio !
Last concert with No 1 son (and only son) was on Tuesday James Yorkston and Nina Persson in Manchester.
Often go to gigs with him, first festival at one year. He now lives in Manchester I mentioned the Bridgewater Hall “Oh I’ve not been there yet” I said he had we’d seen R Thompson there, so that mustn’t have been memorable. He did heckle Thompson in Newcastle by shouting “take your hat off baldie”.
It was remarked by friends of his some years ago “you go to concerts with your DAD!” He didn’t find anything wrong with it, may it continue.
Continue it shall.
Thomas Truax in Leeds this Thursday.
Also with his girlfriend.
Saw a groovy Jazz trio last night with daughter No. 1 at what has become my fave venue in my adopted city. She put me onto the venue & the quality of music on show there, & it’s a real pleasure to meet up every other week, share a bottle of red & enjoy the sounds.
I took her to see Nick Lowe, Robyn Hitchcock, Lee Perry & Peter Bruntnel amongst others when she was younger & still deciding on her tastes, but it’s been a delight to have been superseded by her very cool tastes – she’s hipped me to very cool venues in Barcelona & Berlin that she visited- and performed at- whilst studying, & if anybody is coming up with artists to look out for it’s definitely her , not me.
Went to see Haim and Baby Bushka with daughters (19 & 22) last year and the Mary Wallopers with them last month. Enjoyed all immensely as did they. Going to see Proclaimers with them in summer and we’re all hoping Taylor Swift is going to announce UK dates although they’ll be paying for their own tickets for that one.
My daughter went to her first gig at 3 months old. When she was 14 months old she went to see The Bridge concerts in California 2007 (with protective headgear), she slept through some of the acts but in theory she saw:
Neil Young, Tom Waits, Jerry Lee Lewis, Metallica etc
More recently as a teenager, she has seen McCartney (twice), The Zombies, The Monkees (twice, 3 of them) with me or her mom, she has also seen a few gigs where the audience are closer to her age, mostly with her mother.
Child A – Deep Purple, Sabbath, Gong, Pigs x7
Child B – Kamazi Washington, lots of small jazz gigs
Both – Mahler, Steve Reich
When they were younger they were dragged to the Moseley fests of course, but ran around while the music was on EXCEPT when one of Child B’s first ever musical passions Soil Pimp Sessions played the Soul fest. Signing, meet the band and so on.
I took my (then) 3 year old to a performance of Terry Riley’s In C a few years ago. It was a free “event” performance at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, where there were no seats but we all just sat (and lied) on the carpet around the orchestra. It was a great experience and he loved it, going strangely silent for an hour while he listened to the music and rolled around playing with his Lego. Who knew the old minimalist conceptualist one-note-Johnny could have such a positive effect on kids?
I’ve been to a few with one of my sons. The first gig he ever attended was Steve Hackett playing acoustic guitar at Queen Elizabeth Hall in 2005 (when my son was about 8). The show was released as Live Archive: 05 and was brilliant – I’ve just burnt a cd for a friend who couldn’t get hold of a copy after he heard mine. The first half was Hackett alone: for the second half he was joined by his brother John on flutes and Roger King on keyboards. My son really enjoyed it and has since (when he was much older) also seen Hackett live with his electric band – which he also enjoyed a lot.
Taking him to see Richard Thompson play solo acoustic was less of a success.
I’m just sad that we never saw Rush together. My son is a big fan of stuff like Hemispheres, Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures, as am I (and I’ve seen them many times) but now it’s too late…
Offspring the Elder – first: either the 2004 Cambridge Folk Festival (aged 13 months) or the Feb 2005 Tsunami folk-adjacent all-dayer I curated. Most recent: three local acts at my 50th. Most enjoyable: Reading Festival 2019.
It was several years before she realised I didn’t know every musician in the world. I still ask every act at the merch table after the gig for a photo with her, even though she’s now nearly 20 and can out-talk me. They’re usually more interested in talking to her, which is understandable.
Offspring the Younger – 2006 Cambridge Folk Festival (aged 11 months), MR the same. ME: probably Boo Hewerdine Band, 2018, but he’s going to Wireless with his mates this July – I’m staying at home.
1st actual indoor gig with the lad was Jamie T at Brixton Academy in 2016 when he was 14. I might well have been the oldest in there. Quite like Jamie T so I enjoyed it. Joe on the other hand loved it. Lots of festivals…Green Man twice, and Victorious in Southsea a few times as a family, quite a few smaller local festivals as well. All fun.
Loads: Ver Maiden and Metallica with no 1son, prince with no 1 daughter, yes and Alice cooper with no 2 son, PiL with no 2 daughter, and a lot of prog with daughter no 3who is a unicorn at the gigs: female, under 25, likes prog, not a hippie
Been taking Mini Paws to festivals since her first birthday. She generally doesn’t pay too much attention, preferring to run around or to get engrossed in something on her tablet. This may change now that she is interested a bit more in music and off to her first proper gig (i.e. not with mum and dad) next week. The band’s called Cavetown incase you wondered.
I have a song of theirs because it features Orla Gartland on co-lead vocals. Based on that alone, I like their sound.
I shall have a listen. I’d not heard of Orla Gartland before you mentioning her up thread.
It’s called ‘Fall In Love With A Girl’ Nice pop song…
We never had much luck persuading The Light’s daughter to go to gigs with us, but she was 13 when we got together so old enough not to get in the way of our schedule. We’d always ask to be polite, but rarely with a positive response. We took her to a couple of Cropredies, where she generally enjoyed the spectacle but didn’t think much of the music until she fell for Bellowhead in a big way. At Folk by the Oak she memorably dubbed The Unthanks ‘The Misery Sisters’.
At her urging we all went to see Noah and the Whale, and later Vampire Weekend with Noah and the Whale supporting. On the second occasion NatW played their hits for half an hour which I enjoyed a lot more than their headline show and Vampire Weekend were deathly dull and took the opportunity to irk me by playing an extended version of their most irritating song Horchata. I didn’t find it much fun.
As we headed from the O2 for the tube after the show I noticed that even though it was a dry night every one of the young attendees stayed on the path beneath the covered walkway, despite not being hemmed into it in any way. I’m not asking for a riot kids, but surely a little, just a little, rock and roll spirit wouldn’t be out of order?
Nope.
None.
If I’m honest, can’t see it happening. Which is absolutely fine.
I’m 62. I’m perfect happy with the kids not being leery and batey. I wasn’t keen on it when I was 18. I got into music when footer was getting rough, and then, oh joy, people at punk gigs started spitting and throwing glasses. It always seemed moronic to me. Maybe I missed out and this was authentic expression challenging the increasingly bourgeois nature of rock music.
Kids came all the fests back in the day:Croppers, Glasto, Phoenix, Guildford, Bracknell, Village Pump, but then got big and went off to dancey rave stuff, daddio, leaving me behind. We sort of talk about another joint trip: the girl wants Granpa to take her and grand dter to a fest, it’s a question of when and which.
Daughter (15) has been to four or five Beautiful Days festivals with us, and has started coming to, and choosing, gigs as well. Think the last one I went to with her was Australian punks Press Club (best new band of the last five years!) although this was because her mother wanted to come as well, and it was cheaper to buy another ticket than get a babysitter. She did enjoy it though! Other shows she’s attended include Lucy Dacus (tbf this was great) and other acts that only the youth have heard of – Bears In Trees (no, me neither) and Gracie Abrams, who has just sold out a tour of 1500-2000 capacity venues in ten minutes despite no one over the age of twenty knowing who she is.
She doesn’t know how lucky she is. When I was her age a live concert was the stuff of dreams, growing up as I did down in the deep south west. I had to wait till I was eighteen before I got to see anyone at all, and then it was Fish out of Marillion.
First with son was Black Sabbath
First with daughter was David Byrne (she was only 6 weeks old, but a gig’s a gig, her first as an adult was Jessica Mauboy)
Been to loads of gigs with them both or one of them. Steven Wilson, Roger Waters, Ryan Adams, Iron Maiden, Fleetwood Mac, Madness, Flaming Lips, and various proggy bands with son.
Enjoy going to gigs with them, and their not usually too embarassed by our old people dancing.
As far as I can remember the first occasion was taking the daughter and her friend (both 8) to see Kylie Minogue at the Docklands Arena in 1990. Lots of very happy dads at that gig.
When I worked at the Eden Project I occasionally lobbed freebies in both offspring’s direction – Supergrass and the Pet Shop Boys come to mind.
We have taken our boys to a wide range if concerts, theatre, ballet, opera whilst they were growing up (the younger boy slept all through Swan Lake).
Probably the first ‘concert’ we brought them to was the Pretenders at the Singapore Grand Prix back in 2012 (I had to check the date!) which would have been when they were 9 and 11.
Since then there’s been a few big “spectacle” concerts when they were younger (e.g Muse) and then more in line with their tastes as they got older – the elder boy wanted to join me at Bob Dylan, the younger boy is a fan of John Mayer and so asked to go to that etc etc. We did also go on holiday to Western Australia to coincide with AC/DC at Perth as the elder boy was a fan…..
Took daughter to her first gig when she was 6 or 7 – Ray Davies.
Then Peter Gabriel on his last tour when the tickets were less than my mortgage payment.
Son has been to loads more gigs with me including a week st SXSW. He was 33 yesterday. As he lives in Iceland now it is harder to do although we are meeting in Dublin in March to see the Eels and I am going to Reykjavik in May to see Costello with him.
When my wife was about 2 months pregnant with our son in 2011 we saw Elbow at the Austin City Limits festival in Texas. Fast forward to last year and he came with us to see them in Dublin. It was emotional. The other pregnancy gig was Blondie in Dallas in early 2012.
Since he’s been with us
Cage The Elephant + Beck (2019 I think) in Dallas
Imagine Dragons (his request) in Frisco
Madness + Squeeze last year in Dublin
Elton John (last year at Vicarage Road)
This year we have 3 lined up – Depeche Mode, The Waterboys, Jeff Tweedy
He’s 11 this year and loves going to gigs. We have a blast with him. Parenting tip – having Pokemon Go on your phone helps pass the time for him during pre-show cocktails.
Took my son to his first gig aged 8 to Tramlines Sheffield 2014. Performers included Public Enemy (the first band he saw) and Sister Sledge.
His second was Kraftwerk on the 3-D Tour in Nottingham.
Loved them both.
Did another Tramlines with him but now he’s started going to gigs with his mates.
We are thinking about going to see Noel Gallagher together this summer
1st one was probably when she was around 12 (she’s 29 now). We’ve spent the morning messaging each other on WhatsApp trying to remember them all. It’s been good exercise for the brain.
Eric Bibb was the 1st, then in a rough order.
Counting Crows
Roxy Music
Jarvis Cocker
Son Of Dave
Cee Lo Green
Paloma Faith
World Party
Beverley Knight
Squeeze
Raphael Saadiq *
The 1975
Kacey Musgraves
Whitney Rose
Yola
Curse Of Lono
Lloyd Cole
Brandy Clark
Priscilla Block
* Raphael Saadiq 5th July 2011 – most enjoyable. On holiday in France, day trip to Cognac, saw poster on wall for Festival Cognac Blues Passions. He was playing that day. Bought tickets there & then. Spent day in the sunshine in the Jardin Publique. Also playing were Asa and Andreya Triana.
I am delighted to say I was accompanied by Ms Attackdog, then aged eight, to Steely Dan at the Glasgow Armadillo in 2000. She also accompanied me to Steely Dan at Aintree, Liverpool in 2007.
Now a young married professional she absolutely loves Steely Dan.
I am so proud.
Right on cue my 16 yr old daughter berated me today (lightly) for not taking her to see Suede when I went to see them in November (double bill with Manics)
Took my son, aged 6, to see McFly. He had a ball and McFly were actually great fun.
Both kids went to Wickham in 2010 and both have seen TMTCH with me several times, which they always enjoy. Iron Maiden, Panic! At the Disco, Fallout Boy at the O2. Calexico at The Forum, Gaby Moreno at Bush Hall, just me and my daughter, Waterboys at Bexhill, me and my son. My daughter will give anything a go and generally enjoys it.
I had hoped they would see Springsteen but we got kicked out of the waiting room multiple times and couldn’t get tickets.
I went to the Headbangers Ball in Camden with Twang Jr and his first girlfriend age 16. It was great! Mind you I kept the ear plugs in and stayed in the bar…
Probably the first were Latitude festivals, and then probably Bingley Festivals (where they had quite different ideas of who should be headliners to us).
They go with their mates now, though did go to see FLETCHER in Liverpool with my daughter (I was the taxi, but it was fine evening).
The last as a 4 was probably the last Blue Dot before Covid, by when they were wanting their own thing.