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I watched a really good documentary about Nirvana’s first UK tour and it got me thinking about how all the great bands stated life doing small gigs and for the fans attending it must have been a great buzz being at the start of something special.
So which great bands/artist have you seen play live either at the beginning of their career or in their prime?
I’m sure some of you must have some great stories.
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 08:59 - Oct 14 with 2914 views
Too many in my own right to choose a stand out best, but possibly the Dead Kennedys at the Music Machine, which was the first time I saw them. I also saw them at every following UK tour, but the first time was something else.
The first time is a continuing theme First gig I took my son to (his choice), was the Zutons at Hammy Odeon. The look on his face when the band started, and you hear your heroes for the first time and the music goes through you...the look on his face was priceless, and you know that you've done your job as a parent.
Similar with my daughter...she was still at school, and I took her and her mates to see the Kooks. I went down the front and had another proud moment as my daughter came crowd surfing over my head.
[Post edited 14 Oct 2021 14:09]
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 13:32 - Oct 14 with 2791 views
What a band, I wish I had seen them live. My wife is a massive fan too.
I can play "My brother Jake" reasonably well, well, the chords at least, and whenever I play it, I get emotional thinking about Kossoff's tragic demise
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 13:37 - Oct 14 with 2784 views
I saw the Inspirals at Brixton Academy and really enjoyed it. Apologies to anyone who I annoyed at the merchandise stand when I asked for a receipt for the vastly overpriced "Mooo!" T-shirt I was buying; it took ages for them to get me one but the wait was worth it because the print started coming off after the very first wash.
I contacted the supplier and they said I wasn't only one who had complained. They then sent me a free T-shirt which was not only far more stylish (gold printing on royal blue akshully), but durable to boot. I still have it well over 25 years later and it still looks good. Hats off to them, very decent of them.
RIP drummer Craig Gill, another tragic death...
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 13:50 - Oct 14 with 2766 views
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 14:27 - Oct 14 with 2740 views
Saw Free at the second gig they did at the Half Moon Putney. Loads of people turning up thinking it was "free" to get in. Members of the band clad in fur coats accompanied by stunning looking girlfriends, periodically disappearing with them to the back room. Pretty damn good.
You can look up the setlists from millions of gigs at https://www.setlist.fm/ then choose I was there. It then creates your own list of gigs. Mine are under Collegeranger!
Off to see The Boomtown Rats tonight at The Palladium. Have a feeling it won't make my top ten of all time but were a favourite of mine in my school years!!
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 14:38 - Oct 14 with 2726 views
Then there was Stevie Ray Vaughan,Hammersmith Odeon 1988. It was so loud members of the audience were leaving with hands over their ears. Oddly though one of the greatest impact gigs was seeing the first on the road outing at The Marquee of Jethro Tull,playing support to The Savoy Brown Blues Band.This before they descended into the folksy material- Mick Abrahams (later of Blodwyn Pig) in the band,mixture of Blues,Jazz and Rock.....1968.Superb.
Shows by The Cure, Portishead, My Bloody Valentine, Sigur Ros all spring to mind, but the following was a great night out for me and my boy...
On the eve of my son's 13th birthday, I took him to see Kacey Musgraves on her Oh What a World tour (supporting the Golden Hour album). We got meet-and-greet tix, so got to chat with her before the show, get selfies taken, etc., etc. I mentioned to her that it was the boy's 13th birthday as a conversation starter. Anyway, we got led down to the front after the meet-and-greet. Toward the end of the set, before the final chorus of "Follow Your Arrow," Kacey stepped to the mic and says "We have a boy right here in the front...he just turned 13 tonight! Let's all sing just as loud as we can. Two, three, go!"
And so the crowd roars the chorus in unison:
"Make lots of noise! Kiss lots of boys! Or kiss lots of girls if that's something you're into. When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight, roll up a joint--I would!--and follow your arrow wherever it points!"
Anyway, while the crowd is imploring my son to roll one, Kacey is looking down at him, doing the hand-slash-across-the-throat gesture. She jumps in at the end of the chorus and, while looking back at my son, says, "I'm sorry...don't do drugs!"
Someone captured the moment on video and sent me the file.
[Post edited 14 Oct 2021 15:09]
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 18:42 - Oct 14 with 2614 views
Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Brighton Centre, July 1979. Been to many brilliant gigs, but this is my stand out one, perhaps never to be bettered. Remember it still like it was only yesterday. Thin Lizzy at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1982 comes a close second and Curtis Mayfield at Crystal Palace [not the ground] 1983 in third.
There aint half been some clever bastards.
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 21:01 - Oct 14 with 2506 views
My Bloody Valentine Reading University 1991, was both the loudest and best gig
Stone Roses Heaton Park 2012 though not at their prime was 2nd best gig
Early gigs
Pulp as 3rd support to Lush at the New Cross Venue in 91
Muse, I had a little digital agency at the end of the 90's and their record label Mushroom were one of our clients and we had our Xmas party at their party at The Church in Brixton in 98 and Muse played
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 20:56 - Oct 17 with 2286 views
Was thinking more 60's or 70's James Brown rather than the gun toting, car chasing James Brown in his later years. Still doing the splits at 66 years of age? They must of had to help him back up!
Smells like a trout farm in here
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 07:22 - Nov 11 with 1528 views
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