[Music] Your first ever (proper) gig?

[Cotton Socks]

This was a great gig however on a personal note as soon as Carry On Up The Charts was released the whole dynamic of the audience changed, after that it was like going to watch Coldplay or someone shit like that.

Oi, I like Coldplay!!!
I bought a T-Shirt from the Beautiful South gig that said Northern Scum on the front (I think it was that gig, I may have seen them again), I thought it would be a great idea to wear it to a party in Skelmersdale. I spent most of the night explaining & showing people the back that said Beautiful South in small letters at the top. Loved that T-Shirt, no idea what I was doing at a party in Skem though.
I couldn't tell you anything about audience dynamics, I just tend to get into my own little bubble & don't notice stuff like that!

 

[Morvangull]

Think that was mine n all

WOW ! Best yet.

The Who. Also at the Downs Hotel in Hassocks. I think in 1964. I remember Keith Moon (RIP) downing double whiskies in the bar before the performance.

 

[Machiavelli]

Aye, I'm sure this has been done before on here but nothing came up in a search...

I've been ill, decided to compile a list on the old laptop of all the gigs I've been to in my life, kept many of the tickets (getting older now and going to fewer due to tinnitus, due to going to too many in small venues when younger......Wear ear plugs kids!).

At 15 I went up with a couple of school mates to see Eric Clapton at the Albert Hall. Quick google reminded me that, oh yeah now I remember, Phil Collins was on drums and Mark Knopfler popped in for Money For Nothing. I was really into Cream at that age.

I've been lucky since, seeing many bands in small venues before they blew up (Sigur ros, Midlake, The Libertines, Strokes, War on Drugs), Radiohead between The Bends & OK Computer, Elliott Smith and Amy Winehouse at the Concorde, and many legends and special gigs (Portishead at Glastonbury '95, Brian Wilson on his first SMiLE tour, Neil Young and Springsteen solo acoustic shows).

What was your first gig or the one that also set you on the road to many beautiful live moments? Live music has been a massive part of my life.

edit - I miss The Freebutt, Pressure Point and particularly the Hanbury Ballroom as venues in Brighton.

Mine was The Cure at (what was then) Hammersmith Odeon in 1983 as a 13yo. I went to see The Psychedelic Furs a few weeks later and was stood a few seats along from Bob and Mary.
The only time I've seen Radiohead was on the OK Computer tour, and saw Elliott Smith three times, and Neil Young a couple of times. Breeders and PJ Harvey at Glastonbury worth a mention too.
But the main reason for responding directly is I miss all those three venues. Saw a very young Black Keys at Pressure Point, lots of Gilded Palace of Sin gigs at Hanbury Ballroom, and so much great stuff at The Freebutt -- was very fond of a local band called Charlottefileld.

 

[Machiavelli]

Pixies at Kilburn National 1989. I remember being lifted off my feet in the crush when they played "Vamos".

Yes, I saw them a few times around then, they were relentless, no breaks between songs. Exhilarating and exhausting at the same time.
Pretty sure I saw The Sugarcubes around then too which was great.

 

[drew]

Queen at the Brighton Centre in Dec 79. Straight on the train from school and standing at the very front, almost centre stage. The set was pretty much the Live Killers Album with Jailhouse Rock, Crazy Little Thing called Love and Save Me thrown in.

 

[Machiavelli]

Also a family outing at that time, we saw Boney M at the Brighton Centre, they were amazing. Even got this sullen teen moving .

I adore Boney M. Tunes.

 

[Machiavelli]

I have slowed down a lot with gigs. I get to a few a year but saw some great bands in the 90’s and 00’s mainly. I have lost my passion for music but I still like a live gig. Anyway, off the top of my head;

Pearl Jam
Soundgarden
Audio Slave
RATM
Stone Temple Pilots
The Lemonheads
Blind Melon
Sonic Youth
The Melvins
The Meat Puppets
Lou Reid
Iggy Pop
Blondie
Foo Fighters
Velvet Revolver
Beastie Boys
Chili Peppers
Faith No More
House Of Pain
Cypress Hill
Ice T
NWA
Rollins Band
Prodigy
Pixies
Alice In Chains
Tom Waits
Nick Cave
Fun Lovin Criminals
Flaming Lips
LCD Soundsystem
Giant Sand
Black Flag
Soul Fly
Areosmith
ACDC
Iron Maiden
Rammstein
Fugazi
Slayer
Metallica
Jane’s Addiction
Deep Purple
Gorrilaz.

And many more.

Out of all those, only Chili Peppers were shit. Shockingly bad on both occasions. Oh and I didn’t rate Aerosmith much either.


Last ones I enjoyed recently were Nordic Giants and Hooray For The Riff Raff. Both on Brighton.

Seen a good few of those but not Tom Waits. When/where? I'm horrendously jealous.

 

[BrightonCottager]

Was that the world's loudest gig, noted in the Guinness Book of Records for an age?

Yes, it was, and hideously overcrowded because loads of counterfeit tickets had been sold. I was up on that huge terrace on the side, so not as loud as some of the Ted Nugent and punk gigs I subsequently went to.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

What was your first gig or the one that also set you on the road to many beautiful live moments? Live music has been a massive part of my life.

Same. Ever since I was a 16 year old I have been gigging extensively and go to more gigs than ever 40 years on. In fact, I have just got home from a Mogwai gig.

This had been done before, but you added the “the one that also set you on the road” twist which is important.

First gig was Magnum at Eastbourne Winter Gardens. The one which sealed the deal was Queen at Wembley on the Kind of Magic tour. I loved that show and to a young boy from a the south coast it blew my mind. I have never looked back and seen all manner of bands and acts and festivals etc over the years. I probably reached a peak a couple of years ago when I did 40 plus shows including a memorable run of 9 gigs in 13 days.

 

[BadFish]

Erasure at the Brighton Centre - Late 80s

 

[Screaming J]

I saw Dr Feelgood at Sussex Uni whilst I was still at School so either 74 or early 75.

Well I THINK I did. I can find no record of this gig anywhere on t'internet. Here's hoping someone else on NSC might have been there and can remember it!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I have seen plenty of bands on the up, it’s just the nature of the territory when you’re into music. But if I had to chose one era it would be my teens and being in the eye of the storm of thrash metal…I saw the debut UK gigs of Slayer (Marquee), Anthrax (Hammersmith Palais), Suicidal Tendencies (Clarendon Ballroom), Nuclear Assault (Dingwalls) , Megadeth (pretty sure their first was at Hammy Odeon) plus many other smaller bands. I did see Metallica on the Ride The Lighting tour at Donington but it wasn’t their first UK gig. Fun times.

 

[The Clamp]

Seen a good few of those but not Tom Waits. When/where? I'm horrendously jealous.

Hammersmith Apollo. I’m gonna say 2004 ish.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Bands like Pearl Jam and Pixies tend to play those awful Hyde Park gigs these days. Which I refuse to go to. Terrible way to see a band.

Awful. The crowd is like an after work pub crowd full of office workers gassing away with, to them, live back ground music.

 

[seagull_special]

My first concert was Stiff Little Fingers at the Brighton Centre, my dad Dad gave me the money to buy two tickets to see Shakin Stevens as he was my sisters favourite but the tickets were sold out so I bought tickets for SLF instead. I don’t think she enjoyed it as much as me

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Aerosmith at Wembley arena, about 1994 I think. Great band, bang average venue. Still enjoyed it though!

I saw Aerosmith late 80s at the same venue. I was working as a steward and go to see them sound check, did a few songs they didn’t play in the set, and then spend time dressing up in Xmas outfits for a photo shoot….it was Autumn.

 

[The Clamp]

Awful. The crowd is like an after work pub crowd full of office workers gassing away with, to them, live back ground music.

Exactly this.

Sound is terrible. Sets are about an hour shorter than normal. And as you say, the crowd, dear god the crowd. They may as well be at a school fete.

 

[The Clamp]

Seen a fair few when I was ripping tickets at BC.

From Michael Ball to Corey someone from Slip Knot without his mask.

I enjoyed Gorrilaz, Blondie and Paul Weller off the top of my head.

Worst were Deacon Blue. Only one song that anyone knows and the audience made up of 60 yr old Weegies who’d been on the lash since 10am.

The worst crowd. With some of the ugliest women I’ve ever seen. And I live in Lancing.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

INXS Brighton Centre, 1990 or 1 may be... original line up.

They were the opening act for the Queen gig I mentioned few posts ago, mid-afternoon and half empty stadium. . They were just starting to make a noise in the northern hemisphere with their Listen Like Thieves album. You could tell they were going to be big.

 

[Surf's Up]

The Pretty Things - Assembly Rooms, Tunbridge Wells Summer 1964