First ever gig/concert

Sonic Youth, in Hammersmith.

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My first was the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert. 11th June 1988 at Wembley Stadium (the old Wembley).
We were about 15 rows from the front and saw, in no particular order, amongst others;
Stevie Wonder, Dire Straits, Simple Minds (1st of 3 times I saw them), George Michael, Sting, Phil Collins, Brian Adams, Eurythmics, UB40, Whitney Houston, Eric Clapton, Joan Armatrading and the Bee Gees.
Not too bad, for a first concert?
We wanted my son to have a similar start for his concert CV. So we got tickets for Michael Jackson at the O2, but we all know how that worked out!:worried:
Managed to pull it out the bag though, as we took him to see Prince at the Hop Farm in Paddock Wood. 20,000 people and a three hour set. Awesome!:grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:!

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Didn’t see that tour

My heyday was the NWOBHM the greatest era in music bar none ever full stop

Ample though they were. 52 inches I was told.

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1986, Knebworth Park in Hertfordshire… Queen “The Magic Tour” Supported by Belouis Some, Big Country and Status Quo… Was a gorgeous day, and what turned out to be the final concert with Freddie fronting Queen :frowning:

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michael jackson at roundhay park ( leeds ) in 1989 (ish) :thinking: :thinking:

edit… googled it… august 1988 :+1:

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Don’t remember the venue or the exact date, 1958 ?, the first rock 'n roll acts I saw were the “Larry Parnes Stable”, Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Vince Eager, Joe Brown etc., etc… The first BIG name I saw was at Walthamstow Granada in 1960, Little Richard, completely bonkers, stripped down to his Y Fronts, and Gene Vincent who performed from the body of the theatre because he didn’t have a work permit.

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Genesis at the Empire Pool Wembley in 1974.
That was my closest big venue (30 minute train ride) and I saw quite a few of the big acts there.
Acoustics were absolutely abyssmal for all, but what some lost in quality they made up for in volume; Deep Purple for instance.

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Slade at KGH in Blackburn 1972

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Free in the late 60’s at The Troutbeck Hotel Ilkley. The police came and naively told them to turn down the volume, you guest it, they wound it up.
I probably saw Jimi Hendrix there about the same time but my memory is not what it was.
:heart:

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WOW! Some really greats there!!! :heart: Paul Rodgers - THE voice of Rock, bar none! :+1: :+1: :+1:

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Fleetwood Mac @ The Staples Centre, Los Angeles. 2003.

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Saw Don Felder in Florida 2019

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Really!!! shrew how did I miss them, even from the distance I was at :flushed:

I use to go to Saturday morning pictures there, 6d to get in, 6d for Liquor and mash at Manzies pie and mash shop in the High Street. Great bunch of Rock ‘n’ Roll acts you saw there.

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My first ever gig was seeing local group “A Vacant Lot” playing Stones/Yardbirds/Animals/etc stuff in Rhodesia. A highly professional performance doing the covers better then the original records which I had almost played to death. One of the best ever gigs.

First UK gigs I can actually remember were at the Bristol Corn Exchange: Alexis Korner, 6th Dec '66; John Mayall 's Bluesbreakers (Peter Green), 31 Jan '67; Pink Floyd (Syd Barrett), 28 Mar '67. All truly memorable and mostly excellent. My mate Pete knew the Floyd so we took them to a local pub for a pre-gig drink.

I went to many Uni concerts before and after the Corn Exchange gigs but most were just an alcoholic blur apart from Screw/Yes/Who on 7th Dec 68 when I first met SWMBO.

Star turn at my final hall of residence ‘Ball’ in May/June ‘69 was a very, very early Shakin’ Stevens and the Sunsets, poor to begin with, but a lot better by the end of the evening.

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8th December 1980. Queen. Wembley Arena

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Not my first but one that I will never forget was THE SEX PISTOLS at Brunel university Uxbridge December 1977 . We stood backs against the wall as people were throwing beer and spitting at each other. Mayhem…

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Some classic bands there. Did Shakin’ Stevens actually get better or was it the effect of the alcohol :beer::wink:

We filmed a couple of their gigs locally a few years later. My section provided ‘video assists’ so the director could see what the film cameramen were shooting and tell them when to change magazines.

I was lucky to escape going to any of those SP gigs, but in April '83 did enjoy watching the master Sergiu Celibidache at work rehearsing LSO at Trinity Church and then in performance at the Royal Festival Hall.

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