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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 00:16 - Oct 13 with 2170 views
Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 22:32 - Oct 12 by ted_hendrix
Rolling Stones-Wembley & Twickenham.
ZZ Top Brixton Academy. (tightest live band I've ever seen)
Free Bracknell Sport Center 70's just before Paul Kossoff OD'd.
The Dubliners were superb at Southampton and Guildford.
Hawkwind (my god) I've never seen so much drug taking at a gig before or since, Reading top rank 70's. a WTF of a night.
Ten Years After at Reading Uni 70's. (335).
AC/DC at Wembley.
Ray Davis solo tour at the Anvil Basingstoke, he was just brilliant and by far England's best lyricist, nobody comes close or ever will do.
Velvet Revolver were a disappointment, I only went to see Slash.
Joe Walsh and a cast of thousands at the 'Strat Pack' at Wembley, I'd safely say Dave Gilmour was the best that night, the gig was in honour of the Fender Stratocaster.
Peter Green at Basingstoke, glad I got to see the great Man but he wasn't 'on It' anymore and didnt quite cut it that night which was sad, did get to shake his hand after the gig.
To few to mention.
Raspberry Blonde.
"The Dubliners were superb at Southampton and Guildford."
Ted,
The Dubliners were booked to play in our family's hotel/club in West Cork back in the 80's. Professionals to a man, they all arrived suited and booted many hours in advance. Except for Ronnie Drew who, rumour had it, hadn't managed to pass the first bar on the way into our town. My Dad dispatched two men to haul him from the pub, give him a room, and put him to bed to sober up.
That night, there was no sign of Ronnie in the club or in our hotel and the crowd were baying for the long-overdue headline act. He was tracked down to a bed in a neighbouring hotel. This time, Dad didn't subcontract the job. He calmly walked into the neighbouring hotel, got his room number, kicked the door down, hauled Ronnie from the bed and dumped him into a cold bath.
A newly minted Ronnie was on stage soon after.
I asked my Dad many years later if Ronnie played well.
"No. He was shite".
[Post edited 13 Oct 2021 10:53]
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
As others have said there are too many to list but here's four that are certainly up there for me:
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon tour at Earls Court, May 1973. Even sat at the back of that cavernous venue it was a massive spectacle which included a flying plane crashing onto the stage. Dr Feelgood - The Windsor Castle, Harrow, September 1974. Still to this day, I've never been to a gig with such an electric atmosphere as this one. Yellowjackets - Ronnie Scotts, November 2011. Classy jazz in a classy venue with my lovely family. Punch Brothers - Barbican, November 2018. Genre bending progressive acoustic bluegrass band using just one mic in London's most comfortable concert hall.
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 09:47 - Oct 13 with 1998 views
Stevie Wonder at Wembley Arena in 1980. He played for over 3 hours and the place was bouncing. Honourable mentions for Rod Stewart and the Small Faces (Hammersmith Odeon early 1970’s) and for Ian Dury at Kentish Town (early 90’s, he wasn’t well, but it was still brilliant).
Highlights for me David Bowie - several times from Milton Keynes x2 to Wembley Arena and Wembely Stadium Echo and The Bunnymen 1983 Royal Albert Hall 1984 The Smiths at Guildford Civic Hall - small band starting out called James were the support U2 Wembley 87 Joshua Tree Tour - Lou Reed and The Pogues supported The Killers at Royal Albert Hall - the one that was filmed for the DVD Kings of Leon - private concert in Vegas Recently Banquet Records in Kingston have been putting on small and acoustic shows at the the old Odeon now Pryzm nightclub in Kingston. Seen Elbow, Texas, Foals, The Specials, Ride and most special The Who fortheir smallest gig since 1970!
My current favourite live artist is John Bramwell (ex front man of I am Kloot). Outstanding singer songwriter and raconteur!
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 10:32 - Oct 13 with 1925 views
Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 10:31 - Oct 13 by collegeranger
Highlights for me David Bowie - several times from Milton Keynes x2 to Wembley Arena and Wembely Stadium Echo and The Bunnymen 1983 Royal Albert Hall 1984 The Smiths at Guildford Civic Hall - small band starting out called James were the support U2 Wembley 87 Joshua Tree Tour - Lou Reed and The Pogues supported The Killers at Royal Albert Hall - the one that was filmed for the DVD Kings of Leon - private concert in Vegas Recently Banquet Records in Kingston have been putting on small and acoustic shows at the the old Odeon now Pryzm nightclub in Kingston. Seen Elbow, Texas, Foals, The Specials, Ride and most special The Who fortheir smallest gig since 1970!
My current favourite live artist is John Bramwell (ex front man of I am Kloot). Outstanding singer songwriter and raconteur!
Thanks for the tip, college. Just looked him up and I love this first song I found.
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 09:16 - Oct 13 by BrianMcCarthy
"The Dubliners were superb at Southampton and Guildford."
Ted,
The Dubliners were booked to play in our family's hotel/club in West Cork back in the 80's. Professionals to a man, they all arrived suited and booted many hours in advance. Except for Ronnie Drew who, rumour had it, hadn't managed to pass the first bar on the way into our town. My Dad dispatched two men to haul him from the pub, give him a room, and put him to bed to sober up.
That night, there was no sign of Ronnie in the club or in our hotel and the crowd were baying for the long-overdue headline act. He was tracked down to a bed in a neighbouring hotel. This time, Dad didn't subcontract the job. He calmly walked into the neighbouring hotel, got his room number, kicked the door down, hauled Ronnie from the bed and dumped him into a cold bath.
A newly minted Ronnie was on stage soon after.
I asked my Dad many years later if Ronnie played well.
"No. He was shite".
[Post edited 13 Oct 2021 10:53]
Haha, that's brilliant!
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 11:02 - Oct 13 with 1862 views
I was on the guestlist for the Kilburn National gig on Nirvana's Nevermind tour. The brother of a mate of mine had tour managed them on their previous tour and they asked for him by name. My mates band supported them.
Between the tour being planned and the gig happening, Nevermind had been released and had gone platinum. I got there late and there was a MASSIVE queue of people claiming to be on the list. My & my OH were amongst the very last to be admitted.
The gig was immense. They re-created their studio recordings note perfectly. I've never been to a gig to this day where the entire dance floor was a mosh pit. Front to back, left to right.
A fantastic gig and a high water mark in my live music experiences just as house music was about to take me off in a completely different direction.....
Seeing Pink Floyd setting up a white sheet back stage and a projector at the back of the wooden floored Eel Pie Island hotel for the 1st light show with music I'd ever seen back in late 66/ early 67, when they weren't well known was pretty special. Think they were only the support band.
Greatest show I've ever seen must be Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band playing 4 hours non-stop in a packed 66K football stadium in Gothenburg in about 1985, with a sudden thunder storm hitting during their rendition of Thunder Road.
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 11:13 - Oct 13 with 1840 views
Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 09:44 - Oct 13 by dmm
Excellent thread. Great gigs always stay with us.
As others have said there are too many to list but here's four that are certainly up there for me:
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon tour at Earls Court, May 1973. Even sat at the back of that cavernous venue it was a massive spectacle which included a flying plane crashing onto the stage. Dr Feelgood - The Windsor Castle, Harrow, September 1974. Still to this day, I've never been to a gig with such an electric atmosphere as this one. Yellowjackets - Ronnie Scotts, November 2011. Classy jazz in a classy venue with my lovely family. Punch Brothers - Barbican, November 2018. Genre bending progressive acoustic bluegrass band using just one mic in London's most comfortable concert hall.
A truly impressive list. Was also at the Dr Feelgood gig as it happens, and totally agree
[Post edited 13 Oct 2021 11:16]
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 11:14 - Oct 13 with 1835 views
Free at the Farx club in Southall, while still at school (1970?). All Right Now had just been released. The venue held about 200. I reckon there were about 400 in that night. Couldn't move and chest was still thumping 2 days later. Led Zeppelin @ Wembley Arena (1973?) with support from Stone The Crows ( incl Maggie Bell) and Home. Arcade Fire in Birmingham (2013) Pink Floyd at Live 8 in 2005. Coldplay at Allianz Arena, Sydney (2019) U2 anywhere. Seen them 5 times.
First ever gig was The Nice at Festival Hall. Support was an up and coming band called Yes.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop and now on Bluesky
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 11:16 - Oct 13 with 1831 views
the jam live were a powerful three piece, a different ban live and i saw them at the Ally Pally pavilion march 82 and twice at wembley arena in 82 when they split ( poor sound in there ) the Ally Pally was a cracking night. enjoyed the WHO about 5 yrs ago at hyde park as they bashed thru their catalogue . Weller at the albert hall approx 94 , he was on top form and played a blistering set .
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 11:21 - Oct 13 with 1816 views
Dec - 1977 - Status Quo, Tour: Rockin' All Over the World, Hammersmith Odeon. They were a brilliant rock band - no-one could touch them. Feb - 1978 - The Sweet, Hammersmith Odeon. Played for 2.5hrs. great songs! Oct - 1978 - Ramones, Hammersmith Odeon. Fecking mental. Nov - 1978 - AC/DC, Tour: If You Want Blood , Hammersmith Odeon. Brilliant and LOUD. Jan - 1979 - Rory Gallagher, : Hammersmith Odeon. The Master & Commander guitar player. Feb - 1979 - UFO, Tour: Strangers in the Night , Hammersmith Odeon. At their peak. Dec - 1979 - AC/DC, Tour: Highway to Hell , Hammersmith Odeon. Bon was majestic. Oct - 1980 - Budgie, Tour: Power Supply , Hammersmith Odeon. They should have been huge. Oct -1981 - ZZ Top, Tour: El Loco-Motion , Venue: Hammersmith Odeon. Incredible show - they were out of this world. Dec -1982 - U2, - Lyceum Ballroom, London. They just went for it! July - 1985 - Bruce Springsteen, Tour: Born in the U.S.A. Wembley Stadium. 3hr show. July 1986 - Queen, Wembley Stadium. Freddie was on fire. July- 1988 - Prince, Lovesexy Tour, Wembley Arena. Genius at work.
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 11:28 - Oct 13 with 1791 views
Jimi Hendrix,Chislehurst Caves 1966. Cream, Saville Theatre 1967 Mahavishnu Orchestra - best band of musicians ever to tread the boards.Rainbow.1973. King Crimson,Lyceum Ballroom on The Strand,Midnight Court 12-6 am.1969
Stones at the Astoria '2003 Prince at Roundhouse 2014 Aswad, Meanwhile Gardens Carnival '84 Zep - O2 2007 Gregory Isaacs - Negril Beach, Jamaica '92 David Byrne, Hammersmith 2018 Ravi and Anoushka Shankar at the Barbican 2003 Ramones at the Lyceum 1985 Neil Young, Desert Trip Califonia 2016 Black Crowes at Fillmore SF 2010
Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 11:14 - Oct 13 by derbyhoop
Quite a few for me.
Free at the Farx club in Southall, while still at school (1970?). All Right Now had just been released. The venue held about 200. I reckon there were about 400 in that night. Couldn't move and chest was still thumping 2 days later. Led Zeppelin @ Wembley Arena (1973?) with support from Stone The Crows ( incl Maggie Bell) and Home. Arcade Fire in Birmingham (2013) Pink Floyd at Live 8 in 2005. Coldplay at Allianz Arena, Sydney (2019) U2 anywhere. Seen them 5 times.
First ever gig was The Nice at Festival Hall. Support was an up and coming band called Yes.
I was listening to Free over the weekend having been asked about them by one of my sons. Then had an extended conversation on my WhatsApp QPR mates group on what a bloody good band they were. Really regret never seeing them live.
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 12:24 - Oct 13 with 1693 views
I've seen Paul Simon twice this century & both times he was magical. I do admit to a little bit of bias though!. I am very envious of my brother who paid 5p (one shilling) to see Paul at The Trapdoor folk club, Chesham before he was well known. He spent a couple of years in the UK on this circuit.
Happy 80th birthday today Paul
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Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 12:28 - Oct 13 with 1677 views
Greatest band/artist you’ve seen play live… on 12:09 - Oct 13 by dmm
I was listening to Free over the weekend having been asked about them by one of my sons. Then had an extended conversation on my WhatsApp QPR mates group on what a bloody good band they were. Really regret never seeing them live.
I saw Free at Dunstable Civic Hall shortly after All Right Now had been at number one.
They were very good & they honoured all the bookings they had prior to becoming well known.
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