your most memorable gigs

Do talk back
Bungo the Mungo

Postby Bungo the Mungo » 04 Apr 2006, 16:01

andymacandy wrote:The Rolling Stonesalso qualify.Everybody should see the Stones.


agree 100%

the steel wheels tour was awesome. we managed to get right to the front of the stage. got a wave from bill wyman, and saw them do '2000 light years from home'. i've never seen them at a small venue, but i think anita pallenberg got it right when she said they're at their best inowadays in a stadium enviroment.

oasis - 100 club, london

i thought i'd add this, because i saw the whole music industry bullshit in practice at this gig. i got tickets at rough trade because i'd heard a bit of hype and also because i liked 'whiteout' who were the support band (they'd started the tour as headliners). when i arrived there was a big queue outside, and people were getting turned away. as a ticket holder i walked straight in. to my surprise, when i got in the place, it was barely half full, and most of the peole in attendance were a who's who of creation records at the time (bobby gillespie. alan mcghee etc). it didn't get any busier. oasis were average to say the least. they looked awful. northern chavs. not an ounce of rock 'n roll suss.

i saw them a year later at a packed out hammersmith palais and the transformation was miraculous.

User avatar
Leg of lamb
Jane Austen enthusiast
Posts: 9466
Joined: 19 Oct 2003, 11:33
Location: Crying in the chapel
Contact:

Postby Leg of lamb » 04 Apr 2006, 16:15

Not gonna try a chronological approach:

R.E.M, Old Trafford, 2003
At the time they were unimpeachable for me. I'd been digging through the IRS years and had ever so slight worries about them losing all that I held dear about them in a large stadium. But they were sensational - it was a hot July day, I was old enough to have a beer and they ripped through a greatest hits set with gusto above and beyond what I was expecting. I can still remember looking up at the blueish midsummer night sky during 'Fall On Me' and being a bit overwhelmed with how perfect it was.

Queens of the Stone Age, Cardiff Union, 2002
They quite frankly tore the whole room a new arsehole. It was the Songs For The Deaf tour and they were firing on every cylinder, tight as a bag of bad mussels and playing in a venue small enough for the sweat to be palpable wherever you went in the room.

Roots Manuva, Bristol Academy, 2005
The highlight of a great year in which all my friends were learning to drive. We buzzed up in the car one day after school, played various mixes in the stereo on the way up, watched an important football match which I've forgotten in a pub before rushing to the gig to see Manuva come on stage. He was amazing. The sound was murky and thick, just like his records and Witness completely wrecked the room. But it was the whole evening as much as anything.

Elvis Costello, Hay-on-Wye Festival, 2005
To be honest, I didn't have the highest of hopes for this beforehand. I'd been drinking with Owen all afternoon and got a train with my sister to Newport more than a little bit pissed where we met my mother and drove through the wet, lush Welsh countryside to get to the festival. I had a few more pints before we went into the gig, so I was back on board. It was just really fun - he opened with 'Welcome To The Working Week' and ended with a medley of 'Alison', 'Pump It Up', 'You've Really Got A Hold On Me', all sorts. I went to the front with my sister and danced with all the old couples.

King Creosote, Seymour's Family Club, Bristol, 2006
Charming set in a great venue. Rejuvenated my enthusiasm for live music after a long period of just going to clubs.

The White Stripes, Leeds Festival, 2004
A monster of a show. It was the nearest I've come to seeing one of those big Led Zep shows I've seen on How The West Was Won. No matter what you think about them on Radio 1, I find it hard to see how a fan of rock'n'roll could not be bowled over by them live.
Brother Spoon wrote:I would probably enjoy this record more if it came to me in a brown paper bag filled with manure, instead of this richly illustrated disgrace to my eyes.

User avatar
Snarfyguy
Dominated by the Obscure
Posts: 53502
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 19:04
Location: New York

Postby Snarfyguy » 04 Apr 2006, 16:38

Talking Heads 1978 Bardovon Theater, Poughkeepsie

My first proper rock show, and a preview of the songs to be found on their second album. They really raised the roof on 'Found a Job'.

Ramones 1979? The Chance, Poughkeepsie :shock:

I have a feeling I saw Public Image tour Flowers of Romance at the same venue, but if I did, I guess it wasn't very memorable.

The Cramps Peppermint Lounge 1982? Before I knew Lux Interior borrowed his stage schtick from Iggy. Still, this was one of my favorite band and they ripped it up back then. You can probably hear me yelling on the 'Smell of Female' live mini-album recorded at the Pep.

The Meat Puppets Peppermint Lounge, Up On the Sun tour Was Kurt Kirkwood tripping on a lot of LSD or was it just me? We may never know, but it certainly looked as though he was holding and playing his guitar as though he'd never seen one before (but in a good way). Mind blowing fun.

The Minutemen Irving Plaza on their last couple of tours. That fat man could really move. This band just kept getting better and better. Career arc: straight up. I was driving when I heard on the radio that Boone had died. I had to pull over to take it in.

more later...
GoogaMooga wrote: The further away from home you go, the greater the risk of getting stuck there.

User avatar
Six String
Posts: 23075
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 20:22

Postby Six String » 04 Apr 2006, 16:41

Scally Mcgrew wrote:
Dances With Difficulty wrote:Kate Bush - Sunderland Empire 1979

Her one and only tour.....remarkable...met her the day of the gig..even more remarkable!




Bastad.

:wink:


what he said! :wink:
Everything is broken
B. Dylan

User avatar
LMG
Gentleman Thug
Posts: 15834
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 15:47
Location: The Fortress Of Solitude

Postby LMG » 04 Apr 2006, 18:09

Six String wrote:
Scally Mcgrew wrote:
Dances With Difficulty wrote:Kate Bush - Sunderland Empire 1979

Her one and only tour.....remarkable...met her the day of the gig..even more remarkable!




Bastad.

:wink:


what he said! :wink:


Ermm... don't throw things at me:

Kate Bush Oxford Apollo, April 6th 1979. I was 17 years old and more than slightly fixated on Ms Bush. Travelled to Oxford from my guardian's house ignoring their strong objections and stayed in a B & B and tried for two days to get a ticket for the sold-out show. After repeated calls and haranguing them - I did nothing during my 3 days in Oxford except camp outside the box office, on the day of the show I called and they said they had a returned ticket - third row, dead centre. I waited by the closed box office for three hours, legs crossed, reading Thomas Hardy, my other obsession at the time.

At about half four, someone walked by and looked down on me and asked if I had a ticket. I looked up and replied 'Oh yes, but not a spare one - I called the box office and they have one reserved for me. They might have another if you want to wait until they open'.

It was Kate Bush, and she smiled and said 'Thanks - I think I'll end up inside, somehow'.

She'd just arrived from this photoshoot at her hotel round the corner a few minutes earlier:

Image

Image
"Nothing would count as a fulfilment in a world in which literally nothing is important but self-fulfilment."

- Charles Taylor

User avatar
king feeb
He's the consultant of swing
Posts: 26243
Joined: 19 Jul 2003, 00:42
Location: Soon Over Babaluma
Contact:

Postby king feeb » 04 Apr 2006, 18:50

I can’t verify any of the dates (or a few of the venues) but I’ll try to be as accurate as my weed and beer-addled brain will allow.

King Crimson- Agora Ballroom, Cleveland Ohio summer 1974
This was my first rock concert ever and I was absolutely the youngest person in the venue. Crimson were stunning in the Fripp/Wetton/Bruford/Cross lineup. The electric violin was amazing to me as a 16 year old... the albums had not prepared me for the occasionally free-form nature of the music, but the band always slammed back in with vicious ensemble playing in the nick of time. Awesome encore of “21st Century Schizoid Man”.

Dizzy Gillespie and his All Stars- Mountain State Cultural Center, Charleston WV 1979 or 1980
Not only did I get to see this high-powered Latino-tinged bop jazz extravaganza, I also got to eat dinner with Dizzy and interview him for the college paper. What a great dude… spent half of the interview complaining about the US State Department (they were giving him shit about the Cuban musicians in the band) and the other half telling really bizarre jokes. He also juggled fruit at the table, causing oranges and apples to fly everywhere. (ME: “You ever juggled before, Dizzy?” DIZZY: “Not until just now”) Unforgettable.

REM- The Paradise Boston MA spring 1983
Prime Murmur-era REM, fresh-faced and flush with their first wave of success, this was a truly memorable show in a medium sized club (it was also broadcast live on the radio, so I also have a copy of the show that I have enjoyed many times since). We were so close, we could smell Stipe’s rancid Converse high tops. Rock and roll heaven, kids.

Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians- The Paradise, Boston MA late 80s
Hitchcock’s first US tour following his near-retirement, this was a terrific selection of songs from his first four solo LPs with a smattering of Soft Boys classics. Hitchcock’s onstage repartee was unmatched and the band was enthusiastic, propulsive and tight. Usually, I get “worn out” before a band finishes their set, but that night, I wished they would never stop. I have seen Hitchcock many times since, but this stands out as the best.

The Fall with Howard Devoto and Luxuria- The Channel Boston MA 1986
My second Fall show, and the first time I saw the Brix-era band. MES began the show by hectoring the crowd through a police bullhorn while the band cranked into the then-unrecorded “Cab It Up” and there was no let up throughout the set. The version of “Hit The North” from this show appears on the B-Sides box set.
Devoto’s band was decent, but the Luxuria material was very unmemorable. Fortunately, the second half of their set was solid standards by Magazine and Buzzcocks and was awe inspiring.

Faust with CulDeSac, Keiji Heino, Thurston Moore, Gate- Real Art Ways, New Haven, Ct. May 1994
Probably the strangest concert I ever saw. The gig took place in a big field next to an art gallery. There was a bunch of bulldozers in the corner of the field and a railroad track next to it, separated only by a fence. The bulldozer area became the de facto “weed smoking area”, and the crowd of 20 or so of us in that area were soon joined by Zappi Diermier and Jean-Herve Peron of Faust.
Faust were really great, especially for a band coming off of a 15-year layoff. Peron stripped naked and did an instant action painting onstage early in the set on a big piece of wood (it was cold, so he fortunately put on clothing for the rest of the show). The band played old favorites (good version of “Je Mal Vous Dents” from Faust Tapes, wretched and amateurish version of “The Sad Skinhead” though) and some excellent new tracks (“Listen To The Fish” was a standout). Zappi’s drumset was augmented by a crazy collection of scrap metal and oil drums and his playing was a high point, powering the somewhat under-rehearsed band through the set. Faust had put contact mics on the train tracks, and every once and a while a train would pass, causing an indescribable strange sound to emit from the speakers at odd times. At the end of the show, Peron grabbed a chainsaw (also miced into the PA) and destroyed the impromptu painting from earlier in the show quite spectacularly.

The Who with Toots and the Maytals- Riverfront Stadium Cincinatti, Ohio 1975
Not the infamous stampede show (that was a couple of years later). A great set from one of rock’s greatest bands, featuring Keith Moon on his last US go-around. The band was loud and somewhat sloppy, but still sounded great. The Quadrophenia stuff, which I always found disappointing and flat on record, crackled to life in these thunderous renditions… never sounded better. I saw God during “Baba O’Reilly”. Townsend seemed vaguely pissed-off throughout the show, perhaps angry about the bad reception Toots and the Maytals received from the crowd of Ohio rednecks. As for me, I thought they were ace and I went out and nabbed a copy of Funky Kingston the following weekend.

Minutemen with Prime Movers, Lyres and others I forget- The Channel, Boston MA 1984 (I think)
What a great show! D. Boon walked out to the mic stand, and taped the top of the setlist to the pole. He released it and the list stretched from the mic to the floor. They then proceeded to blow us away with a countless number of short tight nuggets of punk/jazz/funk/squonk rock, including a loud and blasting version of CCR’s “Green River”. This great show made the loss of Boon in a van accident shortly thereafter much more acute. In a more just universe, Michael Bolton and Kenny G would have been in the van instead of D. Boon.

Motorhead- The Channel, Boston MA 1985 or 86
A great set from the Orgasmatron era, made even more memorable by the fact that I almost got killed in a car accident 10 minutes after leaving the venue. Our car hit some ice and almost spun off the Congress Street Bridge into the freezing black water of the Fort Point Channel. The car spun 240 degrees and the front end of the car ended up dangling over the edge of the bridge. I like to imagine that the snaggletoothed beast on Motorhead’s album covers put his big hand up and kept us from spinning into the drink!

Volcano Suns with GG Allin- Bunratty’s Allston MA sometime in the late 80s.
GG, of course, took the stage and proceeded to wreck the place. The band was loud, sloppy and drunk and GG’s onstage antics included shoving a Shure SM 58 mic up his ass and buttreaming himself with it for the length of an entire song (I’d like to know what kind of lube he was using… purely for (ahem) musical research purposes of course). GG closed his set by threatening the crowd with violent mayhem. Such a charming gent!
When the Volcano Suns came onstage, drummer/vocalist Peter Prescott began sniffing the microphone he had been provided. You guessed it! Prescott demanded a microphone change right then.

Sun Ra and his Arkestra- Nightstage, Cambridge MA
I saw Ra so many times at this venue near the end of his life, I actually used to say hi to John Gilmore when I showed up for shows. Sun Ra and his crew always served up big blocs of amazing space noise and sophisticated improv sounds. But the last time I saw the band was the most memorable, and also very sad. The band took the stage without Sun as his health was failing. They did several numbers (many of them based on themes from Disney film music, oddly enough), but I kept wondering “Where’s Sun Ra?”. Finally, the crowd parted, and four men entered carrying a sedan chair bearing the great man himself. He looked very sick, as pale and ashen as a black man could be. He barely was able to mount the stage. The band launched into “Take The A Train” and it was like all of Sun Ra’s illness fell away. For 10 minutes, he played like a brilliant maniac, belying his poor health. Then the sedan chair reappeared and Sun Ra was carted off as the band played on. It would be my last glimpse of him. He died a couple of months later.
Last edited by king feeb on 04 Apr 2006, 21:00, edited 2 times in total.
You'd pay big bucks to know what you really think.

User avatar
Snarfyguy
Dominated by the Obscure
Posts: 53502
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 19:04
Location: New York

Postby Snarfyguy » 04 Apr 2006, 19:01

king feeb wrote:D. Boon walked out to the mic stand, and taped the top of the setlist to the pole. He released it and the list stretched from the mic to the floor.


I swiped his setlist off the stage after their last New York show. I still have it tucked away somewhere in a closet.
GoogaMooga wrote: The further away from home you go, the greater the risk of getting stuck there.

User avatar
The Marquess
Posts: 416
Joined: 15 Oct 2005, 00:08
Location: Rising from the chaise longue

Postby The Marquess » 04 Apr 2006, 19:14

Top of me head stuff...

1979 - Selecter/Madness/The Specials - Top Rank Suite, Brighton.

Various 1979 - The Piranhas - The Alhambra, Kings Road, Brighton. My regular Sunday night haunt.

1987-ish - Courtney Pine - Manchester Hacienda. Memorable cos I was trying to impress some bloke and it was soooooo dull.

May 1990 - Jesus Jones/Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Kilburn. As often I don't remember the first band on. Apparently it was Blur.

1992 - Boo Hewerdine/Tori Amos - some hall somewhere in London. A guy with a guitar followed by a girl with a piano. All atmosphere created by the songs.

2002 - A-ha - Royal Albert Hall. Mmmmm Morten Harket...
I HATE Waterloo Sunset

User avatar
copehead
BCB Cup Stalinist
Posts: 24763
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 18:51
Location: at sea

Postby copehead » 04 Apr 2006, 19:51

Chronologically

[/b]AC/DC-1980 Back in Black tour Deeside Ice rink

First gig, and a good one to choose.

Motorhead - 1980 Iron Fist Tour Deeside Ice Rink

Loud as fuck, Bikers held me up so I could get my head in the bass bins

The true Motorhead - Lemmy, Fast Eddie and Philthy.

The Smiths - 1984? Glastonbury[/b]

I'd heard them before but this is where I 'got it', set curtailed by stage invasions. In those days there were only about 30,000 at Glastonbury and there were only a few thousand at the smiths and only a few hundred down the front



Husker Du - 1986? upstairs at Potterow Union Edinburgh University

Another BCB was there, too loud, too small, too packed, too brilliant.
Bob Mould's guitar does surely sound like 10 men playing.

Jesus and Mary Chain - 1985? Barrowlands

20 mins of mayhem

Pogues - twice, once supporting Costello cica Red Roses for me at the Playhouse, which whetted the appetite, and Coasters 1986?

The Coasters gig was mental I have never seen 1500 people pogoing in unison before, a great night.

Julian Cope - 1986?

Playing that converted church on the Southside in Edinburgh, bloody fantastic, circa World Shut Your Mouth ?

Blonde mop - check
Flying jacket - check
Tree of Ygdrassil mike stand - Check

In the 90s Bedfords Premier nightspot - Esquires - had a club called Thirst that booked some brilliant bands when they were small.

Gene
Super Furry Animals
Supergrass
Tiger

All memorable, it is great being in the presence of rock genius in a small venue, that statement excludes Tiger obviously, but they were great.

recently, loads of good stuff but nothing outstanding, seen New Order a few times and though they played great, they weren't as much fun as watching them wrestle technolgy like at the Octogon Sheffield in 85 or 6.

The one that was supposedly great but I wish I hadn't been there

Stone Roses - Spike Island
Our generations woodstock my arse. If I'd wanted to watch Frankie Knuckles bellowing make some noise for 2 hrs followed by a seal honking I could have dropped acid at home.

The one that got away - REM 1984, invited along by some Yanks, blew them out, what do they know about music. :(
Dancing in the streets of Hyannis

Image

Bear baiting & dog fights a speciality.

User avatar
Livet
'progressively malty'
Posts: 3247
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 20:19
Location: The Glen

Postby Livet » 04 Apr 2006, 20:30

Roxy Music – Theater at Madison Square Garden (2001) - out of the four times I’ve seen them, this reunion show was the most exciting. Manzanera was really in fine form that night.
Van der Graaf Generator – Shepherds Bush - 2005 – worth the trip to London!
Lou Reed, Bottom Line (late 70’s) - played all night – we walked out as the sun was coming up
The Who – Madison Square Garden - mid 70’s (with Moon) - three nonstop hours of great rock
Iggy Pop – Palladium (late 70’s) – first time seeing Iggy and the first halloween that Zappa didn’t play there (those Zappa halloween gigs were also pretty memorable)
The crazy music drives you insane

User avatar
nathan
submitted for your approval
Posts: 8040
Joined: 18 Nov 2003, 23:32
Location: Minneapolis
Contact:

Postby nathan » 04 Apr 2006, 20:50

DJ Shadow/Jeru the Damaja/Latyrx at First Avenue in May of 1997.

When I first walked in DJ Shadow was up on stage spinning his favorite soul and funk records. Then Jeru the Damaja came out and did his thing. The Shadow came back out again to do the decks for Latyrx (their record had yet to come out) and they wowed us with their freestyle interludes. Then there was a short break before DJ Shadow came back again to mix Entroducing live for about 90 minutes. He was mainly experimenting with the structure with each song and mashing up his own compositions. Those of us that were left (most were there to see Jeru and had left by then) were stunned as he casually strolled off the stage. Then we slowly started clapping and he came back for a quick wave and was gone. He was probably on stage for nearly 4 hours that night.

sloopjohnc
Posts: 63924
Joined: 03 Jun 2004, 20:12

Postby sloopjohnc » 04 Apr 2006, 20:52

George Thorogood
Berkeley, 1978. Just ripped the roof off the joint. If you ever get a chance to see him in a small place, do it. Before he added a sax player, it was just bass, drums, and that slide guitar he plays at 11.

Led Zeppelin
Oakland Coliseum, 1979--the infamous show of the fight with Bill Graham's crew. With Judas Priest and Rick Derringer opening. About 50 yds away, dead center. My brother and my favorite band then and now. I couldn't do it now, but we stood the whole show. If I had had room, I woulda bowed at the shrine of Plant and Page.

The Outlaws
Frost Amphitheater - Palo Alto, 1979. Not a huge fan, but hearing Green Grass and High Tides and Hurry Sundown on a California, spring day with maybe 1,500 others was great.

Bob Marley
Oakland, 1980. The best vibe I've ever felt at a show. Everyone was friendly and passing around joints. Again, I knew every song and it was a was real sing-a-long night for everyone. Ron Wood showed up and played guitar with the band for a couple songs.

U2
San Francisco, 1981 or so at the Civic. The Alarm and Romeo Void opened. The start of the War tour. No matter how schmaltzy, at the time U2 mattered to me a lot. Went with a girlfriend and it turned out to be one of the best nights of my life. Both wouldn't matter soon after, but that's another story.

Echo and the Bunnymen
SF Civic again. Right after U2. No one creates an atmosphere like Echo and the Bunnymen. My favorite band at the time, it was hard for them to do anything wrong, and they didn't.

Tom Petty
San Francisco Kabuki, circa 1984, Long After Dark tour. My roommate came home from his stadium show and said Petty had announced after almost everyone had gone that he was playing a special club show the next night. 10 ft away, front of the stage, at their prime The Heartbreakers were a great, great band.

Mink Deville
Slim's, San Francisco, around 1988. One of my top 5 favorite artists. Brought my wife and she hated it. I loved it. Great band with an inimitable of style. Louis X Erlanger is a truly, underrated guitar player. Willy ain't bad himself.

The Replacements
Circa, 1990. London Marquee. I've been to Wrigley Field and I've seen the Replacements at the Marquee. I can die a happy man. Packed to the gills, it was kinda weird seeing such an American band in that atmosphere. I've never seen a British crowd so enthusiastic. The Mats were in top form and the club could barely contain them. Encoring with Another Girl, Another Planet (which was the only song half the crowd knew) ended a great evening.
Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk!

User avatar
Geoff
Abba Fan
Posts: 5512
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 15:10
Location: South side Edmonton, by the river.

Postby Geoff » 04 Apr 2006, 23:29

sloopjohnc wrote:George Thorogood
Berkeley, 1978. Just ripped the roof off the joint. If you ever get a chance to see him in a small place, do it. Before he added a sax player, it was just bass, drums, and that slide guitar he plays at 11.


Timing seems right for the first time I caught him - a theatre at Concordia University (Montreal). Move It On Over had just been released. Unbelievable show.
megeoff.blogspot.ca

User avatar
RcL
Posts: 8942
Joined: 15 Jun 2005, 02:39

Postby RcL » 04 Apr 2006, 23:47

johnnydefault wrote:Buzzcocks / Joy Division (Oct or November 1979 Edinburgh Odeon)
My first ever gig - absolutely blew me away. Joy Division were un-be-le-va-ble


This was October 6th.

I saw them (my first gig) two nights later.

*

The Marquess's Tori Amos show was at The Shaw Theatre (never heard of it).

User avatar
Deebank
Resonator
Posts: 24733
Joined: 10 Oct 2003, 13:47
Location: Ina beautiful place out in the country

Postby Deebank » 05 Apr 2006, 16:56

Jarg Armani wrote:Chronologically

[/b]AC/DC-1980 Back in Black tour Deeside Ice rink [b]

First gig, and a good one to choose.(


Ha! I beat you to it big bro, I went to see The Police in 1979 at Stafford Bingley Hall - not that it was the best gig I ever saw mind - but I liked them well enough at the time.

My stand out gigs:

Cocteau Twins - Brixton Academy - some time around 1992 (?) The Four Calendar Cafe Tour. Playing as a 7 or 8 piece band they really rocked.

The Fall - Bangor Uni JCR - 1995. Both Seminal and live, Nations Saving Grace Tour. Brix winked at me. I was resplendent in german army vest, baggy black paisly shirt from Cafe Society, ray bans, two tone bleached hair and eye-liner indie finery, them were the days.

New Order at the Octagon Sheffield were also v good at around the same time.

that'll do for now
I've been talking about writing a book - 25 years of TEFL - for a few years now. I've got it in me.

Paid anghofio fod dy galon yn y chwyldro

User avatar
BARON CORNY DOG
Diamond Geezer
Posts: 45153
Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 05:38
Location: Impregnable Citadel of Technicality

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 03 Oct 2006, 04:25

C'mon, people, there's gotta be more!
take5_d_shorterer wrote:If John Bonham simply didn't listen to enough Tommy Johnson or Blind Willie Mctell, that's his doing.

Jumper k

Postby Jumper k » 03 Oct 2006, 09:45

Green On Red
May 1991 at the Town and Country Club. Playing an, up to that point, career defining set and being recorded for a live album, Dan and the boys were truly on fire. The gig lasted 2 and a half hours and was perfect from start to finish.
It went downhill fairly rapidly after that.


On U Sound
1993 Christmas party at The Vox in Brixton. African Headcharge, Gary Clail, Bim Sherman and an astonishing set from Jalal of the Last Poets. No need for smoke machines or dry ice, you were high just queing up outside. We came out at 8 in the morning still vibrating from the bass.

Leatherface
Marquee 1992. Top notch UK hardcore punk. I ended up on stage for the encore 'singing' Dead Industrial Atmosphere with Stubbs.

Masters Of Reality
The Borderline 1998. Goss was in a really shitty mood and proceded to waste the venue with some of the heaviest guitar I've ever witnessed.

Brian Setzer Orchestra
Shepherds Bush Empire 1999. Full line up, joyous crowd, lots of real jiving and scorching playing. Enthused us take Jive lessons, which we still do today.

The Stooges
Funhouse at The Apollo.
For so many reasons, some of which I can even remember.


Hot Snakes and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Last but one Snakes gig. Ted had kindly let John and Frohberg take the main slot. Ted was great , full of righteous anger and emotion but was totally upstaged by a band with a defining statement to make. The one image that I have branded into my brain is that of John thrashing wildly and grinning like a loon ripping through the final song (LAX) with Frohberg sobbing uncontrollably and Mario just battering the shit out of his kit whilst Gar poured a whole bottle of Vodka over Frohberg. Awesome.
Speaking to Reis that night after the show he said that Rocket were packing it in for good at Halloween and I left in a daze which lasted until the monumental last ride in San Diego.


I've not listed any Rocket gigs as each one was special to me. May do later.

User avatar
The Slider
Self-Aggrandising Cock
Posts: 48262
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:05
Location: I'm only here for the sneer
Contact:

Postby The Slider » 03 Oct 2006, 09:55

sloopjohnc wrote:Led Zeppelin
Oakland Coliseum, 1979--the infamous show of the fight with Bill Graham's crew. .


'77, surely?
Complete Ramones Mp3 set on its way

User avatar
Diamond Dog
"Self Quoter" Extraordinaire.
Posts: 69577
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 21:04
Location: High On Poachers Hill

Postby Diamond Dog » 03 Oct 2006, 09:57

The Slider wrote:
sloopjohnc wrote:Led Zeppelin
Oakland Coliseum, 1979--the infamous show of the fight with Bill Graham's crew. .


'77, surely?


Obviously not that memorable.
Nicotine, valium, vicadin, marijuana, ecstasy, and alcohol -
Cocaine

User avatar
Spec
Posts: 10387
Joined: 20 Aug 2003, 11:58
Location: UK
Contact:

Postby Spec » 03 Oct 2006, 11:36

Short Bald Bloke wrote:
Peter Gabriel, Earls Court, 1987
First time I saw one of my musical heroes. Started with San Jacinto, one of my favourite songs. As the chorus started for Don't Give Up the lights at the back of the stage brightened to reveal Kate Bush who turned up to duet.


I was there too. Excellent stuff despite the venue. Wonderful version of In Your Eyes at the end. And I remember the programme actually being worth the money with writings and poems by people like Ann Sexton.


Six String wrote:Keith Jarret Trio in San Francisco circa 1998. An amazing pianist and one of the best piano trios to ever exist on a pretty good night if I do say so.
After this show, his whining voice never bothered me again.


Very jealous. I love Jarrett both solo and the Trio but have never seen him live. Been watching the solo Tokyo DVD recently and the intensity of the man is incredible.


For me:

Galaxie 500 - Flemish Cultural Centre, Brussels, 1991 ?

A small venue, not much more than a school hall (I am sure that there were basketball nets on the sides). I don't remember if there was an opener but I was blown away by Galaxie 500 on what was their farewell tour. The songs all started quietly before building to a wall of noise driven by superb drumming, astonishing as there was only 3 of them on stage. Some great cover versions and long extended versions of their own songs.


Return to “Yakety Yak”