I’m currently sitting on the couch trying to enjoy an episode of the excellent Netflix series Is it cake too? but all I can hear is Def Leppard playing a gig in my local park.
Nothing against the PSSOM hitmakers but blimey they are loud.
What’s the shortest distance you’ve had to go to hear a gig?
When gigs come to you…
Calling @SteveT!
Here to oblige @Baron-Harkonnen. A couple of years back I was lucky to get My Darling Clementine to play in my living room.
Baron was there – it was a good night.
Would love to get Martin Stephenson to play but I think he is not short of gigs these days.
Some years back, one summer weekend, I could hear a band playing Travis covers at a nearby school fete.
It turned out it wasn’t a covers band, it was Travis, who had somehow been recruited to play there.
I heard U2 as I lay in the bath when they played Edinburgh Murrayfield in 1987. I can hear the band as I lie in bed if they have a gig in my local, as it’s directly opposite my house.
I used to live on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh. By some odd quirk of the plumbing system, any gig at the Castle would seemingly be piped directly out of our bathroom sink.
So it was that one night my flat mate and I spent the night listening to tiny Elton John serenading us from between a bottle of Domestos and a plunger.
That’s pure quality, Sir.
I remember microdots, too.
lol
Artist’s impression.
I could hear them too. Opened an upstairs window, stuck my head out, heard Animal, thought “that’ll do” and went downstairs.
I used to live in Paddington in Sydney. Any stadium gigs could be heard depending on the wind direction. Mrs Wells #1 wanted to see U2 on the Zooropa tour. I didn’t Dunno why , just being a prick I suppose.
It’s a nice balmy evening and we are having some dinner outside when what drifts down the hill but Deesiiiiiire. Yep we got the whole show. A balmy night turned frosty.
There’s a 10,000-ish capacity festival about 5 miles across open fields from me. Last year I could sit in my back garden and hear Level 42, Nile Rodges and Diana Ross.
Grace Jones headlined this year, but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction.
Bet that didn’t wipe the smile off your face
Most 75 year olds let one rip when moving, so it is to be expected when also naked hula-hooping.
True that.
One mile from where I sit lies Badminton House, heart of the Beaufort Estate, seat of the eponymous Duke, who is descended ultimately through 14th Century Plantagenets, via several levels of royal bastards. He is hosting a concert a week next Sunday, to be performed by the motley conglomeration that calls itself The Who. I may have to turn the volume up during Countryfile that evening.
The Reading Festival is about a mile down the road from me. I’m on a hill so I have heard many headline sets without actually being there.
We can sometimes here Moseley Folk or Mostly Jazz if the wind is in the right direction. Also the new Irish Centre is even closer, next to where I play tennis, so ‘looking forward’ to hearing Van ‘the man is out to get you’ Morrison and the Waterboys float across as there’s a new Irish music two-dayer
It’s the second new Irish music two-day, Moles, do keep up!
Where’s the other one? @retropath2
Last year! This is the 2nd Pairc festival.
Last week we had that nice Rod Stewart play a gig at the local rugby club. We could hear most of the concert in our garden. Although the TFCITD hitmaker was only 400 metres away we still have potholes on our road.
On a bit of a tangent, I remember going to see Diana Krall in Singapore in 2008 at an open air concert at Fort Canning Park, on the same night as the Singapore F1 Grand Prix weekend, which was less than 1KM away……….
Jazz and the roar of F1 engines (and this was before the quieter engines) didn’t exactly mix.
What must have been even more annoying was the incessant ding-ding-dinging of the engine alarms that started up the moment the F1 cars in the Singapore GP hit 60
Now there’s a sound I haven’t heard in ages – I think they’ve been removed from the taxis, but it’s mainly Grab these days anyway.
One summer afternoon my sister in law was in her garden and heard Adele’s soundcheck crystal-clear from the nearby outdoor venue. It seems Adele is thorough – running through entire songs.
The shortest distance I’ve ever had to go to hear a gig was about 100 yards, which was also how far I had to go to watch it. It was Nick Lowe playing a benefit at his old school.
A few years ago we got AC/DC just down the road in Brisbane. It was chucking it down and most of the seats are uncovered. Must have been fun.
We’ve got this to look forward to, a few hundred yards down the road. Doof doof, might have to go out.
Functional Definition Of Hell.
TMFTL
I remember my parents complaining to the neighbours about them playing their music too loud.
Turns out it wasn’t them but the sound of Springsteen wafting over from Bramall Lane
I met a chum for a drink in Temple Bar in Manchester. For those who don’t know it, it’s literally a former public convenience converted into a tiny bar. Guy Garvey from Elbow was there, and he proceeded to sing a few songs with a mate of his; the mate was a singer-songwriter (name escapes me).
At this point, Elbow were playing arenas. My drunk friend – who had no idea who Garvey was – introduced him to me. We had a chat about poetry for a while, and he was absolutely lovely, in fairness.
The Toilet!
The toilets in the Toilet leave a lot to be desired.
Loved their cover of that Floaters’ song from the 70s
True, true, dear Freddy. I wash my hands on the way in.
Temple Bar always seems to attract musicians of a certain vintage – I’ve probably only been in it about eight times in total, and I’ve bumped into various 80s/90s singers/songwriters/band members. I did see Jimmy Carr walking past it; I doubt it’d be his scene. He’s taller than I thought he’d be, but no less smug.
Mid 2000s The Proclaimers played a free gig at the annual carnival at our local park. I think they were on a bit of a low at the time, but they rocked the place.
Jeff Tweedy will (or used to) come to your house and do a show. It isn’t cheap, but get enough friends together and you might be able to afford it. And he only keeps his expenses, the rest goes to charity. I would guess other acts do similar things.