h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I wish I hadn't asked now.

Scissor Sister's at Brixton were good a couple of years ago, but that was helped by it being a totally impromptu, sitting in a pub and spotting a tout kinda' thing.

For sheershowmanship, a gig (somewhere in London, smallish venue, but cannent remember which one) was Elton John accompanied soley by Ray Cooper the percussionist, about '82

Cooper totalled outclassed and performed Mr John - it was brilliant

Other memorable ones were the '79(? possibly '76) Hyde Park Concert with Queen, and for charisma, Joan Armatrading (early 80s) at the Rainbow. A little woman with a BIG stage presence.

I also saw Led Zep at Knebworth in 79, along with Fairport Convention, Chaz and Dave(1) and Santana as support groups. The support groups were great, but I was bitterly disappointed with Zeppelin; musical masturbation at its most pretentious.

Or to put it simply, codswallop

BK!

Sorry, can't agree Led zep are codswallop!!
....their early stuff is classic, their later stuff not as good, but at their finest Led Zep are brilliant!

Oh I agree about Led Zep *recorded* music, especially their studio work

I just didn't rate their live gigs even a smidgeon. I expect a band as big as that to give the crowd a good show - not play the same three notes over and over again and expect applause

I'll stick by what I say - IMO Led Zep live were pants when I saw them at Knebworth

Bob Dylan @ Royal Albert Hall 1965
The year before he lost his mind – a BRILLIANT acoustic performance
David Bowie @ Earls Court 1978
The year he said he was doing it for the money! I ended up standing on a chair in the fourth row and he was definitely NOT doing it solely for the money – he was loving it
The Beatles @ Finsbury Park Astoria 1963
Really pissed off ‘cause you couldn’t hear any music for the screaming but it was a great experience anyway (my first ever big concert on my own)
Bob Marley @ Leeds University Bar 1975
The hottest day of the year in many senses!
Patti Smith Every one of the 7/8 I have been to; special mention to the most recent when she played the complete Horses in it’s right order at the Festival Hall
The Clash @ The Lyceum
Patti and the Clash are the ONLY bands I have seen who could play ANYTHING at a second’s notice – NO SET LIST TO FOLLOW – just what they felt like
Moving Hearts
Every one of the 20+ that I’ve been to topped by the one at the Lisdoonvarna Festival when they followed Van Morrison to finish the festival
Remmy Ongala
Every one of the 20+ that I’ve been to with the very best ones at the Africa Centre in London
Ian Dury and Viv Stanshall in Hammersmith the night Charles and Diana got married
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan @ WOMAD - Mersea Island
The first time I saw him – the night his manager came out and apologised for the fact that Nusrat was going to have to stop because the instruments were going out of tune after he had already played for more than three hours (at 3 am!)
And finally, the first time I saw the following GREAT African musicians (thanks Peter Gabriel for WOMAD)
Youssou N’Dour, Baaba Maal, Salif Keita, Toumani Diabate, Burundi Drummers, M’bilia Bel, Papa Wemba, Tabu Ley Rochereau, the late S. E. Rogie, Khaled etc etc

Sorry to go on and on but I have been to some incredible concerts

I am afraid we will have to agree to disagree, as I put Led Zepplin at Earls Court as the second best gig I have ever been to, second only to Jam concert, and I have no reason to change my mind!

Huw Lloyd-langton (of Hawkwind)and band at the Lincoln Imp in Scunny a few yrs ago.

Small cozy venue. It was as if I had written a list of all my fave Hawkwind songs and asked him to play them. All in a room not much bigger than yer average living room.

In fact it was like asking Hawkwind round to your house for tea. Brilliant.

>> but I was bitterly disappointed with Zeppelin; musical masturbation at its most pretentious. <<

A description I usually reserve for Flink Poyd.

Mine would be Queen at Milton Keynes Bowl, '82 (Hot Space). Just totally blew me away about my previous conceptions of what going to a concert were!

Others that stand out...XTC at Canterbury Odeon (as was) simply because it's an XTC gig, and I was there (They're pretty rare - see here for more info A3100285 - shameless plug! ) XTC remain one of my favourite bands ever.

Recently, I went to see We Are , and they definitely have a lot of energy - the songs ain't half bad either! Check them out. The Empire take a lot of beating live, too - you can't help but dance to their CDs, so imagine what their live shows are like!

RF

Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Emerson Lake &Palmer, The Who, at the I.O.W. Pop Festival 1970

Snow Patrol - 14.02.06 - Mandela Hall Belfast
Showcasing their new album to a secret gig. On Valentines Day


Ash in Luxembourg October 2004 - interviewed them backstage afterwards

The Stranglers - Coleraine Uni - 1977
My first gig.

There's been a gig hiding in the back of my head since the first post.

The best gig I've *ever* enjoyed was Pixies at Brixton Academy a couple of years ago. Absolutely mind-blowing.

**Compares posts 8 and 27**

Who'd have thought my old local would get mentioned twice?

Great gigs; cack beer.

B

>>Just remebered Pink Floyd Main Road Manchester can't remember the year, though *thinks* ....nope, still not coming to me around 20 years ago though <<

Magwitch - I can help you. It was 8th August 1988. Me and my mum went as a pressie from because he had been to see them a few times on that tour in Germany. In fact, we saw them together almost a year later at the Mungersdorfer stadion in Köln.

Bovril King - are you secretly ?

He agrees, Led Zep at Knebworth 1979, but he wants to know which date you went.

he also agrees with Floyd at Earls Court, in fact rarely a week goes by when he doesn't mention it.

I offer (and I truly can't decide, so sorry for the long list)

-John Mellencamp - yonks ago - Philipshalle, Düsseldorf
-Bob Dylan - 1990 - Tanzbrunnen, Köln (the day Romania (?) knocked Germany out of the World Cup)
-Peter Gabriel - Oberhausen Arena about 2 years ago
-Midnight Oil, open air festival at Suchtorf around 12 years ago (I'd just got my first tattoo, which I think was for my 30th birthday, or just before)
-Crowded House - E-Werk Köln around 1990 (Together Alone tour)
-Dire Straits (Brothers in Arms tour) Köln Sporthalle
-Tom Petty - yonks ago - Essen Grugahalle
-Neil Young - every time
-The Black Crowes - Köln E-Werk (Southern Harmony tour)
-Elton John singing Love Lies Bleeding at the Rock am Ring. Possibly 1996 (last time I went, I was pregnant at the time)
-Iron Maiden - every time, particularly the Monsters of Rock 1988

ok, up to now I would have said, every time, without hesitation, John Mellencamp.

But now I think about it, the best gig for sound, performance, general atmosphere and the general -ness of everything: Midnight Oil at Suchtorf. Bloomin' Brilliant.
(bit worried that is actually Bovril King )

Yes Beta, anyone would think the Imp was the place to be.....

Had a think about this, and other fave gis were:

a) my first in 1985, Dr and the Medics, the Fuzztones and The Damned at Sheffield City Hall.

b) Alice in Chains at Nottinghams Rock City

c) Faith No More at Scunny Baths Hall and later at Sheffield Arena

d) Steve Vai Project (supporting Aerosmith) at Shefff Arena

e) Red Shift (folk) at Scunny Baths Hall

f) Ric and Simon (Fairport C) at Cleethorpes folk festival

g) Steeleye Span at Sheff Leadmill

h) Ice T and the Goats at Leeds Uni??

i) Henry Rollins at Leeds Uni

I could go on...

here are three:

1.Pink Floyd at Sheffield City Hall doing Atom Heart Mother
...err...1970ish.

2.John Martyn at Chalk Farm, Danny thomson on bass, Steve Winwood on kbds...errr...76ish

3.CAN at Bradford Uni ...erm 73ish

alec.

Sho

maybe Bovril King

Another band that i loved, probably no one heard of them was Mournblade at the Greyhound in Fulham, mid 80's, excellent band

also saw Bad News from the 'comic strip' fame at Hammy odeon again mid 80's, they were totally cr*p but it was brilliant

relieved to see that you posted that while was watching rugby.
so I know BK isn't in secret!

fot the date Sho

>ok, up to now I would have said, every time, without hesitation, John Mellencamp.<

Never seen him, I wish I had, he's one of my faves

In date order - not favourite order...

Madness - Hammersmith Odeon, 23rd December 1980
Queen (The Works) - Wembly Arena, 5th September 1984
Freddie Mercury Tribute - Wembley Stadium, 20th April 1992
Robbie Willams - Knebworth, 2nd August 2003
Simon & Garfunkel - Hyde Park, 15th July 2004
KT Tunstall - Shepherds Bush Empire, 21st September 2006

If I had to pick the best it would be the Freddie Tribute - by a mile.

I shall start with -
Neil Young - Brixton 2003
Radiohead - Glasto '97
Rage Against the Machine -Glasto '94
David Bowie - Isle of Wight "04
and finish with -
Johnny Cash - Glasto '94 - very memorable
Halcyon days indeed--------------<