after my first gig, 10cc at Hammersmith Odeon, 17th March 1983. I was 13, and had never experienced anything like it. I never remember gigs in detail unless I didn't enjoy them, but what I do recall is a feeling that this was what I wanted from life. I was indescribably happy afterwards.

Top Rank club, Brighton, Thirty flippin' years ago.I remember thinking how loud it was. Me and me mate stood nervously on the balcony, 'staring at the rude boys'.

The only band I'd seen live up to then were called Clouds at a holiday caravan site clubroom in Winchelsea, Sussex. They always closed with Tie A Yellow Ribbon.

It's not Mirror In The Bathroom, is it?

... Metallica, the ...And Justice For All Tour.

I banged my head so hard I had whiplash for about a week afterwards...

The night after they didn't play an encore and the crowd trashed the seats. I was 15 and went with my mate Gary who, soon after, discovered that all the desirable girls in our year liked soul and disco, sensible lad, not like me.

But Elbow at Sheffield Arena knocked the spots off that - the best arena gig I've been to since U2 did Zoo TV in 1992.

Queens Hall, Leeds on the TransGlobal Unity Express Tour in 1982.
My digital watch steamed up and stopped working, so hot was it...

Crime Of The Century Tour - must have been 15 or 16 - they were really good - went with mate Paul. Got tickets for their next tour but then a girl said she would like to go so went with her instead of Paul - ah fickle youth.

Guns n Roses, Wembley Stadium 1992.

I didn't even like Guns N Roses, just went along as a mate had a spare ticket. It was ace though. I was 14.

Guildford Civic Hall, 1971. I was 14. Free had just split for the first time and Paul Rodgers was the support act, fronting a 3-piece called Peace. Don't remember much about them except no Free stuff and the final song was an 8 minute epic about the last tree on Earth. Mott then came on and shaped my life from that moment. Fantastic, loud, stack heels, Maltese Cross guitar, glitter, silver, sweat....God, I loved them. For the next few years they were MY band. I didn't go to the recent Hammy Odeon gigs because I didn't want to spoil the memory - twat! All the Youtube footage looks fantastic and I wish I'd been there.

late June 1977.

One of Steve Hackett's final 6 gigs with Genesis.

Setlist:

Sqounk
One for The Vine
Robery, Assault and Battery
Inside & Out
Firth Of Fith
Carpet Crawlers
In That Quiet Earth
AfterGlow
I Know What I Like
Eleventh Earl Of Mar
Supper's Ready
Dance on A Volcano
Los Endos
The Lambs Lies Down On Broadway
The Musical Box
The Knife

I thought the band were pretty good, I suppose, but I didn't like being at the back of an enormous great arena, with the stage absolutely miles away. This is an attitude that I maintain to this day.

I was trying to impress a girl!

Didn't work.

1996, Bon Jovi at Maine Road when I was 13. They had Skunk Anansie, Ricky Ross & a band called Alone supporting & were pretty darn good. I remember the bass making my throat shudder & from then I was hooked to live music!!

nb. My first one should have been Nirvana at the Gmex in 1994 but Mr Cobain decided he didnt fancy it!

Great start for your son with an elbow gig btw! Did they play my current favourite?;

So for me it was the Stranglers, Victoria Hall, Hanley May/June 1977. Me and a mate sat on the balcony well away from all the gobbing riff-raff, starting a long and ongoing trend of searching out the comfy seats at gigs. Support was from Chelsea. Loved it. Loud and raucous.

Incidentally, I'm off to see Elbow in Brum. Not read a bad review yet so no pressure then. Here's hoping they make the NIA seem cosy like they seem to have managed everywhere else.

at Hammersmith Odeon supported by John Mellencamp ( ne Cougar )around 77/78. A bit underwhelming if I remember rightly. Gig number 2 though was The Ramones at the Rainbow. Much more my cup of tea.

October 13th 1983. Gary Numan (supported by Tik & Tok) I was 15 and loved it. I'm off to see him again next week.

Sky at the Manchester Apollo (on the "Sky 3" tour, I think.) My Dad was a massive fan and I remember him going nuts during "Toccata". A few weeks or months later we saw Mike Oldfield - Dad's big favourite - on the "Five Miles Out" tour.

My first "proper" gig was Prince at the NEC on 29th June 1990 I think, on the "Nude" tour.

Going to see Elbow at the MEN Arena this Friday (please say hello if you see me - I'm very amiable). Really need to do some work on their new album before then as I still don't like it at all apart from "Lippy Kids".

1991 - Portsmouth Guildhall.
Ably supported by Kingmaker and a rumoured apprearance by the Wonder Stuff didn't materialise.
Nevertheless a tremendous evening and a large part of the making of me.

If you don't count being taken along to see the likes of The Merseybeats, Vince Hill, Paper Lace, Roy Castle et al at a local nightclub (don't ask - "Just tell them you're 15 son and don't let on...") it would have been a brace of tickets requested for my birthday in August 1980 or 81. First up was Thin Lizzy (with Snowy White) at the Cornwall Coliseum in St Austell - great gig and a fantastic intro to proper gig going. Ended up crushed up against the barrier at the front right between Phil and Scott - couldn't have been happier. A couple weeks later I was back to see Elkie Brooks (seated this time, surprise surprise). Yes, I had eclectic tastes as a teen.

Mind you, it was a rocking gig and once she's got the obligatory Pearl's A Singer, Nights In White Satin and Lilac Wine out of the way the gig went into full on R'n'B and rock 'n' roll mode. Fantastic backing band and the 20 minute encore of Leiber and Stoller numbers (her mentors in her early career) was jaw-dropping.

It's been all donwnhill from there!!

1978 at Swansea's Brangwyn Hall. And couldn't work out which one was Uriah, that's how wet behind the ears I was.

Couple of weeks later was Steel Pulse at Top Rank, much better.

.. at the Kursaal, Southend mid 70's. We virtually had a school trip.

...Bon Jovi on the New Jersey tour, supported by Dan Reed Network (anyone? anyone?). I was about 16. We got one of those ticket+coach deals from Peterborough down to London which seemed to take an absolute age, but we were so excited it was unreal. I vaguely remember DRN, who weren't terrible, but I will never forget the opening to Bon Jovi's show. They'd been doing 'Lay Your Hands on Me' as the opener for some time on that tour, which is what we were all expecting, but they opened with 'Raise Your Hands'. From blackness to huge spotlight on Richie Sambora and that cracking opening riff. I just couldn't believe the sound. The volume. And I was 4 rows from the BACK!

I grew out of Bon Jovi a couple of years later, as you do, but I'll always cherish that gig. The journey down, and all my friends. Seemed like a dream come true at the time. Ahhhh.

Supported by Chris Rea - Edinburgh Playhouse Feb. 85

With my older sister and her boyfriend.

I really loved that show loved EC for a few years after that. Ironically, I think these were the few years that are thought by some as the low point in his career.

Next few gigs included Red Wedge, Tal Farlow, Marillion and the Stranglers. What a weird teenager I was.

Last gig was the Stanglers. Fantastic.

Roundhouse, Chalk Farm. The Pretty Things, Keith Christmas & String Driven Thing. Still smell the Patcholie oil. Sunday at the Roundhouse became my habit for a while. Man, Isotope, Stray, Magma, Pink Faries, Dr Feelgood, Groundhogs, Brinsley Schwarz... Oh those names.

"Farewell to Kings" Tour. Had no idea who they were, just failed in the evenings original quest to have at the underage drinking. Went to the concert on the off chance.

They were very good indeed.

words can't describe how good they were at Sheffield on Saturday night. I want to be Guy Garvey's friend - awesome frontman.

First gig? Howard Jones, Hammersmith Odeon c. 1985. He was supported by Strawberry Switchblade. Limahl in the audience. They don't make 'em like that anymore etc

Wembley Arena in 1977, remember being stunned and deafened for days. Still love Going for the One now.

@hammy odeon 1980
my and my mate got taxed by some skins at the tube beforehand, suprisingly enough the old bill didn't want to know. Great first gig, 'dancing' in the seats