Moments in music where you were a fly-on-the-wall

[pearl]

Ha! Yes, the troublemaker was a bloke called Steve (Montgomery, I think), who had (unusually for the times) flamboyant tatoos down his legs. His usual haunt was the Inn Place. That evening he started on a skinny punk lad with dark hair who stood his ground (that was in the queue on the way in). Yes, it all kicked off later inside.

I missed the Buzzcocks, but practically lived in the Vault. I probably saw you play there. I was reading Attila's book last year and note how the Molesters turned up all unpleasant one evening. Their guitarist, Paul, was older (late 20s) and fairly obnoxious (I had a jostle with him in the Alhambra one evening), and I knew one of the girls, Tracy, quite well (shared a flat with her for a while). Over the years she seems to have falen out with everyone she knew back then. She and Paul married, but it lasted only a few weeks. Tracy never moved out of the flat she shared with me and my other half of the time, even when she married Paul, and came back one night after having a fight with Paul when she found him in bed with someone. As you do

One of the odd things about those times was that I was probably at loads of gigs where Attila was in attendance (and you, I would imagine) but I don't remember him at all (and its not as if he's a shrinking violet - or maybe he was back then).

Do you remember Joby Visigoth? Lol! Take it easy

Where was The Inn Place please? I used to go there, but just can't think where it was!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Where was The Inn Place please? I used to go there, but just can't think where it was!

Underneath the Alhambra. Now in the rubble of the Thistle hotel.

 

[pearl]

Underneath the Alhambra. Now in the rubble of the Thistle hotel.

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Oh many thanks ... it's all coming back now

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Oxide and Neutrino at Longhill High School 2000

 

[Weststander]

Were you at the Embassy Cinema in Western Road when they played their first Brighton gig? 1977? 'Punky Steve', all sulfated out, picking fights on the way in? That was an odd evening, but the music was crackin'

Was 'Punky Steve' a very tall bloke, who lived and still lives in Brighton?

 

[Weststander]

Underneath the Alhambra. Now in the rubble of the Thistle hotel.

View attachment 85222

The single story brick building to the right up the side street, was the entrance to the original Kings Club.

Behind that was an impressive Victorian Floral Market. Around all that was the foundations of long demolished/WW2 bombed buildings, used a public open air pay car park.

 

[PFJ]

Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert 2007

System of a Down - Wake up the Souls, London, 2015

Motorheads first ever show in Brighton, supporting Alice Cooper at the Centre.

Motorheads second, and last ever show in Brighton, at the Dome, with Saxon and Danko Jones in support.

It was Motorhead's first Brighton gig after their ban. I originally saw them at the Top Rank either 77 or 78, think it was 1978 . They received a council ban after smashing up their dressing room and damaging the taps if memory serves

 

[PFJ]

Yep was at the Clash gig when Townsend came on and played Garagland. I remember an announcement asking for Pete to come back stage. I thought they meant Peter Test tube. Unfortunately, Mr Townsend spent most of the song pinned against the amps at the back to avoid the hail of gob being directed at him. And he had that stupid Flock of Seagulls haircut as well.

 

[The Lemming Stomper]

Early outings by Culture Club & Depeche Mode at Crocs nightclub, Rayleigh c1980/1....

Brown trouser moment when tapping the glass of the stuffed crocodile finding out it was real ! Snap

Erasure supporting Frank Tovey early gig at the T & C club Kentish Town...Fad different class

Also, Fad Gadget at The Garage, Highbury weeks before he died

 

[PFJ]

The Jams last gig
Black Sabbath's reunion with Ozzy, '97
Black Sabbaths last gig (both of them) First was in 1999 in Birmingham. Then started playing live again, so saw the last one this year in Birmingham again.
Charlie Harper of the UK Subs singing Tomorrows Girls with GBH at The Prince Albert this year.
Nirvana supporting Mudhoney and Tad at The Town and Country '87.
Guns and Roses at Hammersmith '87.
Randy Rhodes playing with Ozzy at Port Vale football club supporting Motorhead. It is said he never played in The UK, but he did that day.
Sepultura's last ever gig with Max Cavalera at Brixton
Velvet Revolvers last ever gig (Brighton Centre)
Freddies last ever gig with Queen at Knebworth
Freddie Mercury Tribute concert (what absolute blast that was , with Tony Iommi as second guitarist playing the likes of James Hetfield on Stone Cold Crazy.
Live Aid
Metallica at Download without Lars. Selection of drummers filled in including Dave Lombardo from Slayer and Joey Jordinson from Slipknot
Sepultura at The Monsters of Rock without Max Cavelera who had to go home as his stepson had been killied. The Donington crowd filled in for him that day.
First Monsters of Rock
Last Monsters of Rock
Buzzcocks infamous riot at The Top Rank
Animal from The Anti Nowhere League singing So What with Metallica at Wembley Arena

Just a few I can remember

 

[PFJ]

Couple of goodies at Moulscoomb Polytechnic as well.

Dead Kennedys with Jello Biafra and seperatly on the evening of the 84 FA Cup final , The Cult.. Astbury would not stop going on about Everton .

 

[Superphil]

It was Motorhead's first Brighton gig after their ban. I originally saw them at the Top Rank either 77 or 78, think it was 1978 . They received a council ban after smashing up their dressing room and damaging the taps if memory serves

You are right, October 25th 1978, then nothing till 2007.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Was 'Punky Steve' a very tall bloke, who lived and still lives in Brighton?

I don't recall him being bean pole tall . . . but he had extravagant tattoos (snakes and that) on his legs, which was extremely unusual back then. No idea what happened to him. Seemed a bit mad and dangerous, but he'll be about 60 now. 1977 was - **** me - 40 years ago

 

[marlowe]

With regard to a few of the examples cited in this thread, I don't think that being at a stadium gig with about 30,000 other people really qualifies as a fly on the wall experience, but more akin to a plague of flies on a putrefying corpse.

 

[Frankie]

oops 13th of july 2002 Brighton Beach , incredible .

 

[happypig]

It was in the back bar of the Alhambra where I used to hang out around 1979/80.
A girl called Annabel used to be part of the group I hung around with and one night she asked me if I thought she should take up playing the bass guitar (dunno why, I can't play). I told her to give it a go, might be a laugh.
10 years later she joined Elastica.

 

[redoubtable seagull]

Nirvana at London School of Oriental and African Studies in October 1989. First UK tour.

 

[Bigtomfu]

Saw Radiohead support Kingmaker at Brighton Uni in 1993.

Then supported them at the Richmond later that year (March IIRC).

I knew they were going to be something special even on that tour.

So they'd just released Pablo honey? Awesome


Sometimes right, sometimes wrong but ALWAYS certain

 

[BrianWade4]

I have appeared in a Blur music video. That count?

 

[BadFish]

So they'd just released Pablo honey? Awesome


Sometimes right, sometimes wrong but ALWAYS certain

Yes touring on the back of Creep.