[Music] First gig, Worst Gig and Can't be topped gig?

[Lenny Rider]

First is, said quietly, Gary Glitter at the Assembly Hall Worthing 1980
Worst is Human League, supported by Wang Chung, at the Dome, Dec 1981 (Beach Hut was there as well)
And the gig that can't be topped was Bette Midler at the 02 in July 2015, came out knowing I'd seen one of the best entertainers on the planet at the top of her game.

 

[zefarelly]

Showaddywaddy - Brighton Centre 1976(?) I was 5!

worst . . .walked out of a Who gig at the Brighton centre about 15 years ago. . . seen some shockers over the years, but that was poor for the Who, more to do with the sound.

Back stage at a Weller gig last summer was good, but Love ( forever changes) at the Dome in 2003. amazing, we had front row seats as well.

 

[Peteinblack]

First: Hawkind, Assembly Hall Worthing 1975 (still a schoolboy at Boundstone Comp, Lancing)
Worst: The Birthday Party, Leeds Polytechnic, mid-1980s (I love Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, but this gig by his previous band was a deafening racket, with a violent atmosphere too - I left after the second number).
Best ever: Tough one, 'cos I've been to so many great gigs over the years; maybe The Psychedelic Furs at Camden Roundhouse last year, or Sparks at Bristol O2 Academy in 2017, when they were promoting the fantastic 'Hippopotamus' album..

 

[Return of the Rev]

First gig The jam TRS,

Worst
Bowie MK arena Glass Spider tour.

Best The clash/specials/suicide at Crawley leisure centre. ��

 

[DIFFBROOK]

First gig - 1981 Adam & the Ants

Worst - ive been taken as an unwilling other half, but I will discount those. I saw the Style Council in Belgium in 1983, when they were just starting out. They were truly shocking. All over the place

Best. I will discount Squeeze - cos I simply love them. So, I will go for Big Country 1983 at the Suite

 

[WATFORD zero]

Limiting it to local gigs

First : Pink fairies on Worthing seafront
Worst : Motorhead 1st tour Top Rank Suite
Best : Zappa, Brighton Centre

 

[Braggfan]

First: a barely rememberable band called Moist at the old Concorde.
Worst: Travis at Concord 2, dishonourable mention to Toots and the Maytals, also Concorde 2.
Can't be topped: Ray Davies on the Acoustic Tent at Glasto in 2009. Honourable mentions to Tom Petty, John Fogerty and Sir Billy Bragg.

 

[Insel affe]

1st: Guanabatz, Krewmen - Bolton Uni 1985/86
Worst: Some hippy thing at the Albert, band sat on the floor playing all sorts of strange instruments, crowd nearly all sat on the floor in utter silence most folks wearing tie dyed bag hippy pants, walked to the small bar and ordered a pint and chaser with my mate, everyone turned around and someone told me to be quite.... feck that, went back downstairs and left shortly after...

Best: My first Psychobilly festival abroad in Bremen 1989 aged 19, great line up, if you like this kinda shit, massive germans in the wreckin, running battles with the locals and police after each night, made friends with a crew from Hamburg im still friends with and see, a real eye opener... and lovely german women...

 

[Mr Bridger]

First : Joy Division supporting The Buzzocks

Worst : ZZTop at Wembley arena

Best : Oasis at Knebworth

 

[wellquickwoody]

First: Adam & the Ants, circa 81

Worst: Weller, about 10 years ago at The Albert Hall, far too full of his own self importance and telling his fans to like what he played and stop asking for what they wanted to hear.

Best: Foo Fighters at The Concorde first time around, great band, small venue, and even met them after in The Grand Hotel.

Robbie Williams came a very close second as best gig. Saw him at The Brighton Centre soon after splitting from Take That. Didn’t really fancy it originally but the the girlfriends back then did. The man is a beast of an entertainer, not the best singer or songwriter, but his stage presence is amazing. Right up there with the best.

 

[Razzoo]

1st Teenage Fanclub Duchess of York Leeds
Worst Went to see The Family Cat, they had cancelled so ended up seeing this shite rock band called Ten. Funnily enough thats about the same number of people in the venue that night including staff and friends of the band
Love with Arthur Lee for me at the Irish centre in Leeds was hard to top but other memorable performances have been Low, Mr. Bungle, Yo La Tengo featuring Neil Innes and Sonic Boom, Bark Psychosis and The Brian Jonestown Massacre Nirvana at Reading 1991. I have omitted loads. Too many to mention

 

[grubbyhands]

First. Madness at the Gaumont Southampton.
Worst. Souxsie and the Banshees at the Hammersmith Odeon. To be fair she had fallen into the orchestra pit the previous evening so was somewhat static but the sound was awful.
Worst again.The Who at Wembley last year. Crap,sideways- on view of monitors only,sound atrocious. Zac Starkey however, superb.
Best. Rolling Stones at old Wembley approx 2000. Sheryl Crowe supporting,mmmmmmm!

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

1st - Amazing Blondel Royal Festival Hall 1972ish

Worst - Leonard Cohen at the Brighton Pavilion (can't remember when). Sorry to Leonard fans but it was just a mumble-fest/dirge.

Best - Bowie, Worthing Assembly Hall 1972 ish

 

[Peteinblack]

First gig The jam TRS,

Worst
Bowie MK arena Glass Spider tour.

Best The clash/specials/suicide at Crawley leisure centre. ��

I was there

 

[Braggfan]

One of the best things I've ever seen at a gig that I'm not sure can be topped, was Steve Craddock of Ocean Colour Scene, quaffing red wine on stage like it was water and he'd just spent 8 days in the desert. He could barely sit on his stool, yet he was incredibly he was one of the best guitarists I've ever seen. I couldn't really believe what I was seeing it was like magic. I can only imagine that playing guitar for him was a bit like playing pool or darts where you get better as you drink more. It was absolutely astonishing.

 

[Peteinblack]

First : Joy Division supporting The Buzzocks

Worst : ZZTop at Wembley arena

Best : Oasis at Knebworth

One of my biggest regrets is going to see The Buzzcocks at the London Lyceum (I think it was called), but deciding to give the support band a miss in favour of a beer or two - the support band were Joy Division

 

[GREASED WEASEL]

1st- I have no idea,possibly SLF or 999 at the Top Rank

Worst-Grace Jones at the Brighton Centre

Best-The Stranglers (Raven Tour) also at the Brighton Centre

Gigs were obviously better at the Top Rank

But nothing will ever top seeing the Stranglers live for the very first time

 

[Icy Gull]

First - Pink Floyd at the Marlowe Theatre Canterbury on the Saucerful Of Secrets Tour
Worst - Man at the Dome - headbanging rubbish
Can’t be beat - Jackson Browne at the Royal Albert Hall where 12 of us got upgraded to the BBC Box. Jackson at his peak. Amazing

 

[drew]

First: Queen, 1979 at the Brighton Centre. We were right at the front.

Worst: Saxon, again at the Brighton Centre.

Best: Queen at Brighton Centre. Nothing has come close to surpassing that.

 

[MXL]

First - Queen at the Brighton Centre 1979
Worst - Kiss also at the Centre 1980 / 81 (?) they were supported by Bon Jovi playing their 1st ever UK gig. Kiss were playing the 1st gig of a UK tour and were without thier 'famous' make up. it was like a practice gig. my friend who was with me at Brighton also saw them on the same tour at Wembley area and said they were brilliant in comparsion!!
Best - Either Pink Ployd at Earls Court in 1996 on the Division Bell Tour, or U2 in Berlin 2018 in a rearranged gig.