The Borderline Tour, October 25, 1980.

Front row seats! John Hiatt was in the band, too.

Indescribably good.

for SRV.

Best for me were:

My Bloody Valentine at Minehead Butlins a couple of years ago.
De La Soul at the Jazz Cafe, Camden around 2005.
Grinderman at HMV, Oxford Circus 2008ish
Faith No More, Portsmouth Pyramids mid '90s.
The Wonder Stuff, Phoenix Festival 1994
Basement Jaxx, Brixton Academy 1998
Super Furry Animals/ Blur, Brixton Academy 1998(?)
Pixies, Brixton Academy 2009

I'm sure I have forgotten about more than I can remember.

24-7 Spyz 1990-ish
Lo Fidelity Alstars 1997ish
Boo Radleys - 1994 ish
Throwing Muses - 1992 ish
Supersuckers and Zen Guerilla 1999 ish

All at King Tuts. We were slightly spoilt in Glasgow with that venue. Other non King Tuts gigs

Janes Addiction Glasgow Barrowlands- 1990 ish
Public Enemy - Same venue samish year
Spiritualized - loads of venues loads of times
Underworld - The Arches 1994 ish (played for around six hours I dimly recall)

Peter Gabriel, Glasgow Apollo, 1983 /4ish
Kraftwerk, Glasgow Apollo, sometime in the mid-eighties
Danny Wilson, Glasgow Pavilion, 1990ish
Elvis Costello's 'fabulous spinning songbook' tour, early 90s (I think)
REM, Brixton Academy, 2003ish
Roxy Music, Scottish Exhibition Centre, 2004ish
Steely Dan, Glasgow Armadillo, 2005ish
Rammstein, SEC, 2006ish
Brian Wilson, Glasgow Armadillo, 2006ish
Justin Currie, Oran Mor, 2008ish

Black Sabbath, Leeds Queen's Hall, 1980 (my first)
Rush, Deeside Leisure Centre, 1981 (Moving Pictures, 2112, Spirit of Radio, and I was on the front row...)
Robert Plant at Leicester Uni, 1984 or thereabouts.
Ian McNabb and Crazy Horse, Glastonbury 1993 (for being the first band I ever saw at Glastonbury, but it was a great set as well.)
Afro-Celt Sound System, Glastonbury 1998 I think, (acoustic set due to rain shorting out the PA)
Teenage Fanclub at T In The Park, 2000-something (I was verr drunk)
Blur at T In The Park, 2001 I think (again, verr verr drunk...)
Seasick Steve at Bingley Festival, 2010
Eels, Manchester Academy 2010

The Stooges - Hammersmith Apollo 2005
Public Enemy - London Forum, 2003
Blur - Glastonbury 2009
Eminem and Dr Dre - Brixton Academy 2000
Oasis - Hammersmith Apollo 2005
Stone Roses - Exeter University 1995
Super Furry Animals - Royal Festival Hall 2004
These Animal Men - Exeter Cavern Club 1994
S*M*A*S*H - Doctor's Tonic, Welwyn Garden City, 2011
Primal Scream - Glastonbury 2003
Radiohead - South Park, Oxford 2001

Leonard Cohen - Manchester Opera House 2008
The National - Stoke Sugarmill 2007
James - MEN Arena - 1998
Depeche Mode - Royal Albert Hall 2010
PJ Harvey - Royal Albert Hall 2011
The Pogues - Manchester Academy 2001
Joanna Newsom - MAnchester Bridgwater Hall 2007

Stiff live stiffs Newcastle Polytechnic 1977..the next day the town had sold out of new boots and panties

Pere Ubu and Gang of Four Mayfair Newcastle 1980 or 81..Pere Ubu were transcendent...not known to most of the crowd but winning them over with David THomas bouncing up and down and hitting a lump of metal with a hammer asking 'where is the top? Where is the top? I want to go over it"

The Only Ones demonstration how to smoulder on stage...Same venue, 80 or 81 again (it was a confusing time with a number of things getting in the way of clear memories)

The Triffids Melbourne 1984. A revelation live

John Cale Thebarton Theater Adelaide 1993. Pins were heard to drop

Roy Harper Royal Festival Hall Last November. A performance of startling power. Not a dry eye in the hall etc

The Stone Roses - Blackpool Empress Ballroom 1989
The Smiths - Kilburn National Ballroom 1986 (two ballrooms! must be something in the acoustics)
Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band - Wembley Arena 2005
Big Country - Hammersmith Odeon 1985
Transvision Vamp (yes!) - Brixton Academy 1989
The Stone Roses & Manic Street Preachers - Wembley Arena 1995
AC/DC - Wembley Arena 2002
U2 - Birmingham NEC 2001

Most of my gig going was done in the 90's but none stood out like those mentioned above. Some pretty good (McNabb, Manics) but others really, really shocking (Sleeper, The Coral, Cast, Oasis, Lightning Seeds). So much mediocrity and blandness.

David Bowie - Oxford New Theatre 1973
The Ramones/Talking Heads - Swindon Brunel Rooms 1977
The Clash/The Specials - Aylesbury Friars 1978
Gang of Four/The Pop Group - London Electric Ballroom 1979
Joy Division/Killing Joke/A Certain Ratio - Wycombe Town Hall 1980
The Pogues - London Hammersmith Clarendon 1985
Run DMC/Beastie Boys - London Hammersmith Odeon 1986
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - London Brixton Academy 2002
Public Enemy - London RFH 2003
Wilco - London Roundhouse 2011
Wire - Oxford O2 Academy 2011

But then my friend Jason’s first gig was The Beatles. And the first gig he played was supporting David Bowie. Bah.

but here goes-

all in Edinburgh

Usher Hall/Empire early 70s
Family- usually in a triple bill with the likes of Black Sabbath/Chicken Shack/Savoy Brown/Blodwyn Pig
Keef Hartley Big Band

Tiffany's late 70s
various local bands in the early punk days- Valves, Monos, etc
Toots and The Maytals
various early Costello gigs
Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias (blew away the support act The Police...)
Went to see the Clash at the Craigmillar Festival- but the buggers never turned up.

Ingliston late 70s
Talking Heads/ Undertones/ Chieftains/Steel Pulse/ Van Morrison and others- have heard criticisms of this gig but I thought it was great day

Odeon
Ian Dury and the Blockheads - late 70s

Playhouse
Joni Mitchell 83
Kid Creole! early 80s Great show- left after the 4th encore, to find out the next day that they had played for another half hour.

Liquid Rooms
Alabama 3 2007

Voodoo Rooms
John Otway 2010 - love him!

all dates approximate.

Ramones, supported by Talking Heads at Strathclyde Uni in '77. Met Da Brudders afterwards.
Neil Young - Glasgow Apollo '76 - acoustic set, followed by electric set with Crazy Horse. Heard 'Hurricane' for first time and he came back 3 times for encores.
Neil Young - Glasgow Apollo '73 - Eagles were support band and Neil did 'Tonight's the Night' (unreleased) in its entirety, which alienated a good 80% of the audience.
Undertones - London Marquee '79 - sweat pouring down walls
Beefheart - London Venue '80. Relieved to see him at last, having been thrown out of '74 gig at Apollo after 4 numbers for excessive drunkenness. (V difficult achievement in Scotland)
Marvin Gaye - London Venue '79

I was really annoyed to find that the Ryan Adams gig at the Royal Festival Hall had sold out.

By way of consolation I found that Bellwether, a band I was quite fond of from Minneapolis who did not sound unlike their hometown counterparts The Jayhawks, were on that same night at The Borderline.

No-one else I know was interested so I went down on my own.

It was quite a full bill. There was a set by a band called Utah Carol who were followed by a solo set by an American woman whose name I forget, but it may have been Dana something.

I'd seen a guy moving around the venue wearing a stetson. My main thought was I hope he doesn't stand in front of me wearing that.

Anyway to my surprise he appears up on the stage with a three piece band and plugs in. It turns out his name is Robert McCreedy. He'll be unknown to pretty much everyone reading this, but he has a small claim to fame as the writer of Two Seconds, which remains one of the highlights of Laura Cantrell's first album and her live set.

He was simply brilliant. For about 35 minutes he played one of the greatest, storming rock sets I've ever seen. Here was an almost complete unknown coming across with the charisma of prime period Jagger or Springsteen or any other rock great you can name. He played a couple of numbers from a band he had been in called The Volebeats (not that I knew their work), a couple of other songs which I also didn't know, the aforementioned Two Seconds and Big Star's September Gurls. One of the guys from the Borderline appeared at the side of the stage and tapped his watch. That was it, and he was gone a couple of minutes later.

Sod Bellwether, I and the 50 or so others present wanted more McCreedy. But it wasn't to be.

Bellwether to be fair played a pretty decent set. But for us in the audience they were a bit anti-climactic.

I've looked out for Robert McCreedy tour dates ever since, but as far as I know he's never been back. I can't understand why he's not at least a regular on the club circuit; he should be huge. He should have been playing to a sold out Festival Hall that night.

There's always hope. Not much, but it's there.

*Whistles nonchalantly and walks away with hands in pockets*

My 5p's worth

Iggy Pop - 1979, Brighton Top Rank
Pat Metheny Group - 1998 - London Sheperhed Bush Empire
Sting - 1986, Edinburgh
Metallica - 2009 -Nottingham Arena
Ian Dury & the Blockheads - 1978 - Hammersmith Odeon
Frank Zappa - 1982 - Hammermith Odeon
Frank Zappa - 1988 - Brighton Conference Centre
Steely Dan - 1996 - NEC Birmingham
Yes, 1977 - Wembley Arena
Thin Lizzy/ Graham Parker and the Rumour/ Aerosmith/ Ultravox/ John Miles (!) - 1977 Reading on the Saturday.

and loads more, of course.

Prince - Dortmund, 1987, Sign O' The Times tour. Blindingly brilliant in every way
Clive Gregson & Christine Collister's farewell concert, QEH, about 1993 - Christine sang like an angel that day, and her rendition of the heartbreaking Beguiling Eyes (by Stephen Fearing) was one for the ages.
Shawn Colvin, Shepherd's Bush, circa 1992 - A consummate performer: singer, guitarist, writer, raconteur.
Michael McDonald, Jazz Cafe, late 90s. This was a warm-up gig for Wembley Arena. He and his band pretty much took the roof off the joint.
Richard Thompson, 100 Club, circa 2000. Mind-bogglingly fabulous guitar playing, even by his unearthly standards.
Jane Siberry, Borderline, early 00s. Unique and genius
Pooka, Ronnie Scott's, circa 2000. God I miss them!

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Bingley Hall, Stafford 81
Echo and the Bunnymen - Royal Court Liverpool 81
Teardrop Explodes - Liverpool University 80
Neil Young - Wembley Arena 82
Bob Dylan - Birmingham NEC 81

A few highlights...

- Levellers, Middlesbrough Town Hall 1996
- Manic Street Preachers, Newcastle Telewest 1998
- Morrissey, Hartlepool Borough Hall, 1999
- Oasis, Murrayfield Stadium, 2000
- Pulp, Dalby Forest 2002
- Paul McCartney, M.E.N. 2003
- Ed Harcourt, RNCM 2004
- The Magic Numbers, Manchester Bier Keller 2005
- Paul Weller, Manchester Apollo 2006
- Manchester vs Cancer (Noel Gallagher, Echo & The Bunnymen, Ian Brownm McCalmont & Butler, The Charlatans, Paul Weller) 2007
- Eels, Bridgewater Hall 2008
- Neil Young, Manchester Apollo 2008
- Leonard Cohen, Glastonbury 2008
- R.E.M. LCCC Manchester 2008
- Blur, Glastonbury 2009
- Bruce Springsteen, Glastonbury 2009
- Wilco, Green Man 2009
- The Flaming Lips, Manchester Academy 2009 (and every other time I've seen them)
- Iron And Wine, Green Man 2011
- Paul McCartney, M.E.N. 2011

Plus many more including every time I've seen Teenage Fanclub, Cold War Kids, Gomez...

Ramones - Newcastle City Hall 1977
Clash - Newcastle Poly 1978
Wire - Newcastle Uni. 1978
Talking Heads - Newcastle City Hall 1979
2 Tone tour - Newcastle Mayfair 1979
Bruce Springsteen - Newcastle City Hall 1981
Hoodoo Gurus - Melbourne 1983
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Newcastle City Hall 1988
Matthew Sweet - Newcastle Riverside 1993
Tindersticks - Newcastle Riverside 1994
Nick Lowe - Newcastle Riverside 1994
Emmylou Harris - York Barbican 1996
Ed Kuepper - Sydney 1997

The Smiths - Camden Electric Ballroom 1983
The Blue Nile - London Palladium 1996
Inspiral Carpets - Manchester Academy 1992
Sigur Ros - Alexander Palace 2008
Divine Comedy - Reading Concert Hall 2010

Salif Keita - in Leeds in about 2005
Bill Frissell and Djelimady Tounkara also in Leeds maybe the year after.
Costello - I've seen him so many times and to me they've nearly all been wonderful.
The Bhundu Boys back in the early eighties - completely irresistable, infectious, unbounded joy.
Solomon Burke - Manchester Academy - mighty and magnificent.
Thad Cockrell and Caitlin Cary - Newcastle - the rekindled spirit of Gram & Emmylou
Nick Lowe - recent tours of his playing those songs he obviously wrote with me in mind.
John Prine - Manchester Bridgewater - songs to make grown men cry
Ska Cubano - Band on the Wall - crazy but wonderful
Also - any gig at the old International club in Manchester - just great nights out

...not really, off the neatly compiled spreadsheet more like...

Black Flag - London Lyceum Oct '82
Blue Aeroplanes - London Town & Country Club Sep '91
Brian Jonestown Massacre - Oxford Zodiac May 2002
The Cramps - Hammersmith Palais May '84
The Damned - London Lyceum Dec '81
Discharge - London 100 Club Aug '83
Fatima Mansions - London Astoria Jun '92
Fuzztones - Hammersmith Palais Dec '85
Go-Go's - London Shepherds Bush Empire Feb '95
The Gun Club - London Town & Country Club Oct '90
Hanoi Rocks - London Lyceum Oct '82
Iggy Pop - Brixton Academy Dec '88
Killing Joke - Hammersmith Palais Jan '84
Len Price 3 - London Fiddler's Elbow Apr 2011
Muttonbirds - London LA2 Jun '98
Pavement - Reading Festival Aug '92
Pixies - London Town & Country Club May '87
Ramones - London Lyceum Feb '85
Shack - London Shepherds Bush Empire Nov '99
Sisters of Mercy - London Camden Electric Ballroom May '84
Soundtrack of Our Lives - Slussens Pensionat Sweden Aug 2003
Sparks - London Festival Hall Jun 2004
Stranglers - Reading Festival Aug '87
The Three Johns - Hammersmith Clarendon Nov '85
The Who - Wembley Arena Nov 2000

Rush - Edinburgh Odeon, 1979
Peter Gabriel - Edinburgh Odeon, 1980
Otway and Barrett, Aberdeen , 1980
Elvis Costello - Glastonbury, 1987
New Order - Reading, 1989
Beta Band- liquid Rooms Edinburgh, 2004
The Black Keys - Liquid Rooms Edinburgh, 2007

Tubeway Army - White Lion pub, Putney (late 70's)
Leo Kottke - Union Chapel (90's)
Morphine/American Music Club/Jeff Buckley (Reading - mid 90's - smaller tent - all on same bill in one afternoon)
3 Mustaphas 3 (somewhere in North London - early 90's - amazing multi-instrumentalists)
Eric Johnson - (Marquee)
Pogues with Joe Strummer (Town & Country)
Green On Red (Mean Fiddler)
Long Ryders (Hammersmith Palais - 80's)
Big Town Playboys (100 Club)
The Rapiers (Demon Records party Brentford - 80's)
Mason Ruffner (Tipitina's - New Orleans - 1991)
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee (The Venue - Victoria)
David Johansen (Lyceum - late 70's).
Frank Zappa - Knebworth - 70's.

The Replacements, Marquee, 1991
Black Crowes, Brixton Academy, 1993
Nirvava, Reading 1992
Wondermints, Borderline, 2000
The Hold Steady, Borderline, 2007
Prince, Iceni Club, 1996
Paul McCartney, Millennium Stadium, 2010
The Shazam, Water Rats, 2000

A magical night of ska influenced frugging from start to finish.

The worst has to be John Martyn at the Queens Hall Edinburgh in about 1988. We were kept waiting in the rain for 2 hours before he came on about midnight. Unfortunately, he was heavily herbally stimulated and making no sense.Sad, because I loved his music.

I swore i'd never pay to go and see him again and I didn't. Although I was at the taping of some BBC Scotland rock show at the Fruitmarket gallery in Glasgow about 10 years later and he popped up as a late replacement for Louden Wainwright . He was sharp and funny (and using his Glaswegian accent) and went most of the way to restoring my adoration.

Also fell asleep during the Moody Blues at the Glasgow Apollo in 1980. Can't call it the worst gig, but must be in that ballpark.

and by some considerable distance: Manic Street Preachers October 1994.
Best atmosphere at a gig: Dexys Midnight Runners 2003/04. I've been to see The Pope play in front of a million devoted believers. The Dexys gig was like that...but with "This Is What She's Like" as an encore.

Supertramp, Earls Court, 1983

My second gig (aged 14) and I had an almost mystical experience. Rog n' Rick and the lads were on top form and played everything I'd wanted to hear and more. Probably the happiest I've ever been in my life.

Genesis, Birmingham NEC, 1984

My friend Elliot's dad Stan drove us up from London after school. I was so bloody excited. I can remember to this day being absolutely stunned by the then-cutting edge Vari-Lite rig... it was like Close Encounters for real. The music wasn't half bad, either.

Stevie Wonder, Wembley Arena, 1987

Stunning. An unforgettable evening, made perfect by the fact that he played I Just Called to Say I Love You and Part Time Lover back-to-back so that all right-minded folk could pop out to the bar. As I re-entered the venue, pint in hand, the band struck up the opening riff to Sir Duke...

Little Feat, Town and Country Club, 1989

Their first reunion show in London, and it was magnificent. There was such an air of expectation in the venue before they came on and they didn't disappoint one bit. Funky classic followed funky classic and I can remember the place practically exploding when they started up Dixie Chicken.

Robert Palmer, Town and Country Club, 1990

Perhaps the slickest live show I've ever been to, performed as a revue with no gaps between the songs. The band was superb and the man himself in fantastic voice. Genuinely great night out.

Bingo Hand Job, The Borderline, 1991

Blagged my way into the gig after making a waitress in the adjoining Break for the Border restaurant feel sorry for me as I didn't have a ticket and convincing her to get hold of one for me. A special evening... perhaps the last occasion on which R.E.M. played as a quite popular college rock band before going mega.

Neil Young and Booker T. and the M.G.'s, Finsbury Park, 1993

It takes a special band to make one not miss Crazy Horse... but this was Booker T. and the M.G.'s for gawd's sake! To reclaim a much-devalued word, they were awesome. It was a very windy day and this had the effect of turning the park into a kind of giant Leslie speaker. Young's guitar at the start of Like a Hurricane was just extraordinary.

Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Shepherds Bush Empire, 1998

From the moment they took to the stage with a savage version of The Wanton Song, it was obvious that the night was going to be special. I'd seen Page a few times before and he'd been incredibly erratic. Not this time. He was electrifying. Fluent, passionate and genuinely inspired. I can remember hearing people in the crowd gasping as he played something particularly other-worldly and brilliant. Plant was equally engaged and they left the stage to deafening applause.

Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, Embassy Rooms, 1999

A perfect venue for their sweet soul music; low stage, tables and chairs, supper club vibe. The atmosphere was relaxed and informal and the crowd warm and really appreciative of their beautiful songs. Magical.

Richard Thompson, 100 Club, 1999

Wow. I'd seen the great man numerous times but he was on fire that night. I can remember him having technical problems with his guitar during Tear Stained Letter. After switching "axes" he poured his evident frustration into a solo of rare brilliance employing feedback, finger tapping and every other technique that one wouldn't normally associate with him. My friend Phil - a serious guitar nut - turned to me the end of the song and just said "Fuck".

AC/DC, Wembley Arena, 2000

Rock. N'. Roll. Angus and Malcolm, I salute you. How anyone can not love that band is quite beyond me.

Radiohead, South Park, 2001

Hometown gig, biblical downpour, staggering performance. They played Pyramid Song, I looked up at the stars in the night sky through sheets of rain. One of the most perfect moments of my life.

Steve Forbert at Birmingham University - 1980
The Jam - Woking YMCA 1981
Talking Heads - Hammersmith Odeon 1981 (U2 supporting)
Wilko Johnson's Solid Senders - Woking Civic Centre - 1977 (my first)
Bruce Springsteen - St James's Park - 1985 (both nights)
The Beat & The Selecter - B'ham Univ 1981
Joy Division - B'ham Univ 1980
Alejandro Escovedo - Tingewick Village Hall - 2011
REM - Newcastle 1985
Sunday evenings at the Roundhouse in 1978-79 were always great (Adverts / Buzzcocks etc etc)

Spot the 20 year gap that we're now addressing.

The Jam, Glasgow Apollo, December 1979
Blondie, Glasgow Apollo, December 1980
Killing Joke, Glasgow Nite Moves, Summer 1983
David Lee Roth, Edinburgh Playhouse, 1985
Was (Not Was), Glasgow University, September 1987
Fishbone, Amsterdam Paradiso, Summer 1991
Steve Wonder, London Ronnie Scott's, March 1995
Lewis Taylor, Glasgow King Tut's, November1996
David Bowie, Glasgow Barrowland, July 1997
dEUS, London Astoria, 1998
Bjork and the Brodsky Quartet, London Union Chapel, 1999
Lauryn Hill, Brixton Academy, 1999
David Bowie, Glastonbury, 2000
Bjork, London Royal Opera House, December 2001
Lewis Taylor, London Subterranean, 2000
Kraftwerk, Tilburg 013, July 2005
Battles, London Astoria, 2007
Devo, London Forum, 2008

REM & Radiohead-Milton Keynes Bowl 1995
Live 8 - London 2005 (well, the last 4 acts)
Neil Young-Fleadh, Finsbury Park 2001
The Jayhawks-Barbican 2001
Calexico & Moonlight Mariachi Band-Barbican 2004
Pavement-Brixton Academy 1994
Teenage Fanclub-Brixton Academy 1997
Ian McNabb-Goldsmiths, New Cross 1996

Here's a clip of the Calexico gig:

That'll do for the moment!

... at a little venue (can't remember the name) on Wood Street in Liverpool. It was the "I'm With Stupid" tour - she played bass - I was stood right in front of her.

Can't leave this one out...It was after Nick Cave played Reading 92 which was fantastic..John Peel came out before hand and told the audience that if anyone threw Mud which they were doing Nick would leave...No one threw Mud. This show was special..Rowland S.Howard came out...Shane McGowan was there as well and sang "What a Wonderful World" with Nick. Very special.

In order:

Leonard Cohen - Brum Odeon 1979
David Bowie - Kingston Poly 1972
Bob Dylan - Earls Court 1978
Bruce Springsteen - NEC 1981
The Clash - Coventry 1977
John Cale - Warwick Uni 1975
The Who - Oval 1971
Patti Smith - Brum 2005
Led Zeppelin - Empire Pool 1971
Jackie Leven - Keresley 1997
Neil Young - Edinburgh Playhouse 2008
Roy Harper - Kingston Poly 1974
The Ramones - Warwick Uni 1977
Richard And Linda Thompson - Warwick Uni 1977
Leonard Cohen - Glastonbury 2008
Belle And Sebastian - Bath 2004
Hole - Glastonbury 1999 (real surprise this)

Fraternity - Pinnaroo Institute 1971 - Adelaide folky-rock band featuring one Bon Scott on vocals in front of probably less than a hundred people in the back blocks of South Australia.(Included in the best because it was my first. I saw Slim Dusty at the same venue about 12 months later.)

Chuck Berry - Apollo Stadium Adelaide 1973

Little Richard - Apollo Stadium 1974 (The place went off - the highest of high energy performances I have seen apart from the next in my list.

Radio Birdman - Marryatville Hotel Adelaide 1977 - 3 nights running - they were a bit flat the third night - the first two were blistering in intensity (and volume)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Apollo Stadium 1978.

The Birthday Party - Shandon Hotel Adelaide 1982 (In the middle of over 40C heat wave)

The Gun Club - Strawberry Hills Hotel Sydney 1984

Alex Chilton - The Synagogue Adelaide 1995ish

The Rolling Stones - Front and centre at The Enmore Theatre
Sydney 2003

Best gig I regret NOT going to (despite having the opportunity) - Tom Waits Festival Theatre Adelaide 1978

Public Enemy - Reading Festival 92?
Transglobal Underground - Clapham Common ...early 90's
U2 - 'Smile Jamaica' Dominion Theatre London...89?
Ian McNabb - Milton Keynes Stables '06 (half the audience end up on stage for sing-along...Pretty Vacant etc)
Neil Young & Crazyhorse - Finsbury Park Fleah 90's
Queens Of The Stone Age - The Roundhouse 2011
Suede do "Suede" - Brixton Academy 2011

Humble Pie/Preston Guildhall 1974-ish: my first gig...place half full..Steve Marriott completely pissed...magical!
Lynyrd Skynyrd/Liverpool Empire (and Knebworth) 1975: saw them several times and they were just immense live...worst gig: Rolling Stones at Knebworth - shambolic but not in a good way
J Geils Band/Manchester Free Trade Hall 1976: About 50 people there but just a brilliant live band
Graham Parker/Southside Johnny/Manchester Palace Theatre 1977: horn sections! Both superb
Chic/Sheffield City Hall 1979: half full but entire audience dancing...Sister Sledge medley...touched Nile Rodgers' hand
Roger Chapman/Sheffield University 1979: rocking funky band and Chappo completely pissed - it helps I think
Human League/Psalter Lane Art College, Sheffield 1980: when they were doing the slideshow around "Being Boiled" time...strange but lovely
Shalamar/Sheffield Lyceum 1984: please no laughing at the back...packed out with party people post-Friends album...body-popping! and a band full of Solar sessioners
Slim Gaillard/Sheffield University 1986: hugely entertaining - played the piano with the back of his hands...
The Whispers/Birmingham Odeon 1985: more Solar stuff...12-piece band with horn section and just a great night out...
Bobby Womack/Birmingham Odeon 1987: he'd just done the Poet albums and had a singer called Altrina Grayson who is probably the best "live" vocalist I've ever seen...grown men weeping...
Art Pepper/somewhere down Narborough Road in Leicester 198?: playing in some mock tudor room attached to a pub...arrived late but sat next to his wife at stage side...he could swing but really it was his ballad playing that caused the emotional problems
Didn't do much in the 90s but more lately:
Tower of Power/Munich 2006: probably my favourite live act...40 years on and still the funkiest band on the planet - more horn sections!
Michael Franks/Las Vegas 2008: very much acquired taste - and a bit smooove for people on here - but I'm a big fan...looked like a Chemistry teacher at a school disco but a very cool unique song stylist
Allen Toussaint/Joe's Pub New York 2008: re-located to New York post-Katrina he played a Sunday lunchtime set running through an entire history of New Orleans music..spoke to him afterwards - a very nice gentleman...
Bill Charlap/New York 2009: probably because it was at the Village Vanguard where I'd always wanted to go...effortlessly swinging piano player with top notch rhytmn section
Ashford and Simpson/Birmingham 2009: soul weekender audience...entire audience weeping...

OMD - Leeds Uni 1984 (first ever gig so perhaps influenced by that - but I've never seen an audience move like it...)
Queen - Knebworth 1986 (and we didn't even know it was the last gig)
Peter Gabriel - Verona Ampitheatre 1987 (god, the Italian audience!)
Tom Robinson - Cambridge Corn Exchange 1987 (hometurf and he really threw himself into it)
Joe Jackson - Hammersmith Odeon 1989 (he played the whole of his latest album 'Blaze of Glory' and no one even murmurmed about the 'old hits')
David Byrne - Brixton Academy 1991 (?) (Rei Momo band - what a sound!)
REM - MK Bowl 1995 - with Blur as a support band!
Waterboys 2008 - Warwick Uni (when they did Fisherman's Blues as an encore I was probably the happiest man on the planet)

and if you don't mind me being pretentious:
Fretwork (a Renaissance music quartet) - Holywell Music Rooms, Oxford 1991 (Never heard anything so delicate and beautiful - and completely new to me)
Halle Orchestra - St George's Hall, Blackburn - 1993 (they played Hall of the Mountain King so fast the lead violinst nearly caught fire, and then closed with The Lark Ascending and I sobbed - a lot)

Genesis - Bristol - Wind & Wuthering tour - my first time of seeing them
The Blue Nile - Dominion - their first London concert - stunning
Explosions In The Sky - Reading South St - mind-blowing noise
Sigur Ros - Hamm Apollo / S'oton - best live band in the world
Pat Metheny Group - Offramp tour Hamm Odeon - they played As Falls Wichita and I went to heaven (see Travels live album)
The Who - Swansea Vetch Field 76? Moon was astonishing.

and

Neil Young always great apart from Greendale which I hated.
Hammersmith acoustic - he was late on and cross
Wembley - Landing On Water tour
Fleadh
Finsbury Park
Reading
Hyde Park
Some festival near Stratford Upon Avon

Brinsley Schwarz at QUB McMordie Hall, around about 1972 maybe

Fleetwood Mac at Ulster Hall Belfast about 1970, the 5 piece line up with Danny Kirwan

June Tabor at Bury Met about 10 years ago, with her 5 piece chamber group inc Huw Warren and Andy Cutting

k d lang at Manchester Free Trade Hall doing Ingenue

Ry Cooder / David Lindley family quartet at Manchester Apollo, a very hot night, probably late 90's

RT band inc Teddy Thompson doing Mock Tudor at Manchester Bridgewater hall, about 2000?

Gillian Welch / David Rawlings at Creekside Stage, Merlefest in April 2006. I had one of about 200 seats. Thousands of people showed up. She broke the Creekside record by miles, and probably had more than the Main Stage during her set. Absolutely mesmerising from start to finish. The previous day, on the Main Stage, she'd sunk without trace

Lyle Lovett with 9 piece band on Cayamo Cruise in 2009. Absolutely top notch performance

re the above posts; I'd love to have seen the Keef Hartley big band. Too late now :(

Muse and Foos at Wembley Stadium

Justin Currie at The Union Chapel

Rory Gallagher Ulster Hall, Belfast early 80s - Mind blowing and an education for me about how good quality rock music doesn't need gimmicks. Just a guy in denims and a battered Fender Strat.

Ozzy Osbourne, Belfast 1986ish - 2 nights in a row? Ozzy was the antichrist to the Paisley-ite bible bashers and Belfast Ayatullahs in those days.

Deep Purple NEC Birmingham 1987 - Ritchie Blackmore was our God incarnate.

AC/DC, the first time at Wembley Arena 1988 - Angus was amazing.

The Stones, Wembley 1990 Steel Wheels tour - its a matter of historical record how good they were live. Bill left the band shortly afterwards.

The Mission, at Brixton 1990 - Gawd, we were so pissed that night.

Paul Weller, Vienna 1998ish where he played a pokey little club.

Velvet Revolver, Brixton, a few years ago - just before they broke up. Just ball busting hard rock'n'roll.

Recent years - Oasis at Wembley, Primal Scream in Brixton, Iggy and the Stooges at Knebworth, Seasick Steve a few months ago, Foo Fighters (twice) and Green Day.

I've seen lots of other hard rock and metal bands over the years, including at Donington and Knebworth. Standouts include Rush (3 times), ZZ Top (4 times) UFO (twice), Metallica (3 times), Saxon (5 times), Motorhead (9 times), Ted Nugent (twice), Aerosmith (3 times) Iron Maiden (5 times), Motley Crue and Kiss (pure Spinal Tap but very entertaining).

Last years Roger Waters' The Wall show was not just a gig to remember but a highlight of my journey thru life. Superlatives are not enough.

Clapham Grand about 1995. Aimee Mann, Shepherds Bush Empire 2000, The Men They Couldn't Hang at The Forum 1991, Springsteen on the Born In The USA tour at Wembley. Of those, I think Kirsty was the best.

In rough order, with some guesses as to the year. Only one entry per act/band. These are shows I remember feeling were brilliant at the time

The Jam - Liverpool Empire 1978
Magazine - Liverpool Empire 1979
The Police / The Cramps Liverpool Empire 1979/80
The Specials - Shrewsbury Cascade Club 1979
The Specials/Selector/Dexy's - Shrewsbury Music Hall 79 or 80
UFO - Wolverhampton Civic 79 or 80
UB40 - Shrewsbury Music Hall 1980
UB40/Elvis Costello/Madness/Selector/Squeeze/Rockpile/John C Clarke - NEC 1981
Echo and the Bunnymen - Albert Hall 1984
Icicle Works - Marquee 1986/87
House of Love - ULU 1988
REM - Hammersmith 1988/9
Mary Margaret O'Hara - Dominion 1988/89
Nirvana - SOAS 1989/90
Big Jack Johnson and Frank Frost / Otis Clay - Clarksdale Blues Festival 1991
Altan - pub in Walthamstow 1991
Chris Wood and Andy Cutting - Chipping Norton 1992
Waterson Carthy - Aylesbury 1996 ?
Iris Dement - MK Stables 1999 (ish)
Radiohead - Earls Court 2003
Drive By Truckers - Borderline (2003/4)
John Prine ( and Iris Dement) Barbican 2001 ?
Magnolia Electric Co - Scala 200?
Mercury Rev Shepherd Bush Empire 2006
Antony and the Johnsons Shepherds Bush Empire 2006 ?
Bellowhead - Bush Hall 2006
Decemberists - Shepherds Bush Empire 2007
Wilco - Shepherds Bush Empire 2007
Elbow / Fleet Foxes - RFH 2008
Mars Volta - Forum 2008
Tindersticks - RFH 2009
Eliza Carthy - Luton Hat Factory 2011

Sorry, got a bit carried a way there, but I did think all these were brilliant and in my memory at least, they still are

When looking through a big stack of ticket stubs I remembered seeing Amon Tobin...I wasn't familiar with what he did but I had some free passes to a "jazz" festival taking place at various venues and myself and a friend decided to check it out...just himself and some graphics behind...not sure if he had turntables or a computer or what but he proceeded to create these massive dense trippy rhythmic soundscapes that had the 1000 or so people grooving and dancing..not a "DJ" set as such because I didn't recognize any tracks just maybe the odd sample so it was obviously his own stuff. I remember thinking at the time that no band could create these sounds with a bunch of instruments and while I had respect for electronic artists before(Tangerine Dream..OMD..Depeche Mode..etc..) my respect went to a whole other level after that...saw him again a couple years later but it wasn't as good. That earlier gig had my friend and I looking at each other with big grins going..wow. EDIT: Saw The Chemicals Brothers as well back in 99 or so...they had way more gear on stage so you could see them pushing buttons and turning dials and manipulating the sound...or at least that was the impression I got..;-)

Tom Waits
Hammersmith 2004 - its Tom - need I say more?

The White Stripes
Shepherds Bush 2002. a Q Magazine gig (they were supported by the Von Bondies and The Dirtbombs) and they were devastatingly good. Jack broke off Fell In Love With a Girl to sing a chorus of 'Shine On Harvest Moon'.

Leonard Cohen - thought sod the O2 Dome so went down to Brighton. Despite being back by the mixing desk he made that place so intimate. Even his well practised off the cuff remarks and ad libs were charming the pants n knickers off the place.

Brian Wilson
world premiere of Smile at the RFH. Never known a feeling like that. Felt we were collectively holding our breath all the way through. The ovation at the end blew the roof off the dump.

Elvis Costello
Meltdown 2001. Great solo set with stacks of rarely played stuff, then a small set with the Brodskys and then the 1st appearance of the Imposters kicking through a fierce set. Joy. Plus support slot from the great Ivor Cutler that baffled half the audience.

REM
1st night at Brixton in 2003 as warm up for Glastonbury. Stipe was in strangely chatty mood telling stories about seeing the Smiths there on the Meat Is Murder tour, throwing Mozza like shapes stc. Gave the mic to the audience at the end of ITEOTWAWKI and played Buck's guitar whilst he did star jumps behind. He then picked up Stipe in his arms and carried him off. I swear all that happened.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
The Troxy 2009 (?) First gig at the venue and was an absolute belter. Loud as hell, with the brilliant Dig Lazarus Dig to play. Although Cave rarely disappoints. the Grinderman show at the Garage last year was pretty damned perfect.

Pixies
1st night at brixton on the reunion tour. Might not have been best nights setlist wise but the atmosphere was incredible.

Eels
so many to choose from but the "With Strings" date at the Albert Hall was pretty special with all the great stuff from Blinking Lights to play

Ash
Nottingham Rock City 2001. the Free All Angles tour and they played a perfect set. Nothing from the 2nd album, Freshness injected by Charlotte added to the band.

Blur
Reading 99 - I loved "13" and so was so looking forward to this. The crowd were quiet and appreciative during the opening 'Tender' and then exploded when bugman kicked off. The washing machine effect that Song 2 had on the audience at the end of the night was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

Neil Young - Hammersmith 2008.
he played Ambulance Blues. Was 2nd row from front. Grown men wept. Brill acoustic set followed by raging electric set topped by "Down By the River" as the pump organ descended from the roof. Could have done without the 30 minute 'No Hidden Path' thou.

Rory Gallagher - Cardiff Top Rank - 1980 - he could play a bit to say the least. He lent into the audience and offered up his Strat for a strum. I haven't washed my right hand since.

Captain Beefheart - Cardiff University - 1980 - bonkers

Nina Simone - Ronnie Scotts - 1984/85 - I blubbed.

Son Volt - Astoria (I think) - late 90s/early 2000?- electric.

Neutral Milk Hotel - Shepherds Bush Empire - late 90s. insanity from start to finish.

White Stripes - Ally Pally - 2004 - Jack gave me a pass to watch from the side of stage. Mentally brilliant.

Jim Jones Review, Metro Sydney in 2011 - pure ear bleading theater
XTC, Dunstable Civic Hall - none more Word. Probably 1980-81
Slade (with U2 and Discharge as support), Lyceum, probably 1980
Donnington Monsters of Rock (AC/DC, Slade, Whitesnake) - hilarious, intentionally and otherwise.
Georgia Satelites, Markthalle Hamburg - that rocked. They may have been pissed. I was.
Pat Metheny Group, Fillmore San Francisco - amazing.
Hothouse Flowers, State Theatre Sydney - absolutely joyous atmosphere
Tom Robinson, Lewisham Town Hall.
Del Amitri, Slims San Francisco - start of an unhealthy long term addiction.
Crowded House, Selina's Sydney - Woodface tour

........and these were the best ones.

Led Zeppelin - The 02 2007
Black Crowes - 3 times in London between 2000 and 2011, superb.
Smashing Pumpkins - the best one being an acoustic show at the Raymond Revue Bar in Soho just before Siamese Dream came out in 1993
The Pixies
Pearl Jam 1993
Nirvana live at Reading 1992
Eric Clapton at the RAH, various times during the 90's but best was the last night of the 1993 season.
Wedding Present 1992, Brixton
Iron Maiden 1992, Wembley and their final show with Bruce at Pinewood Studios, 1993.

Screaming Blue Messiahs, Marquee 1987.

I met my wife there. :)

\o/ \o/

...particularly mind-blowing

Muddy Waters - Alexandra Palace, 1980 (I think)
Tom Waits - Dominion Theatre, London, 1985
Tom Waits - Hammy Odeon, London, 1987
Talking Heads, St.Albans Civic Hall, February 1978
Echo & the Bunnymen 2-set club show, Manchester International, 1985
Elvis Costello at Hemel Hemstead Pavilion, 1979 and 1980
The Waterboys, Chippenham Golddiggers, 1986
Doll by Doll, Manchester Gallery, 1982
Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Union Chapel, Islington, 1996?
Ali Farka Toure, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, 1996?
The Jam, Sheffield Top Rank, 1982
Linton Kwesi Johnson, Sodra Teatern, Stockholm, around 2004
Elliott Smith, Studion, Stockholm, June 1998
Keith Jarrett, Konserthuset, Stockholm, 1993 and 2001
Aswad, Manchester University, 1981
Jeff Buckley, Gino's Stockholm, mid-nineties?
Leonard Cohen, Globen, Stockholm, 2008
The Only Ones, Electric Ballroom, London, 1980
Michelle Shocked, Drill Hall, London, 1987
David Bowie, Earls Court, 1978
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Cirkus, Stockholm, 2011

Peters and Lee at Pontins mid 70's cos it was my first gig and I got backstage for an autograph and kiss fom Diane Lee.
Dick Dale at the Garage Islington
James Brown Hamersmith Odeon 82 I think
Art Blakey Ronnie Scott's '92
Buzz and the Flyers Yarmouth '80
Run DMC & Beastie Boys Brixton mid 80's
Rufus Wainwright couple years back Sheperds Bush
Georgie Fame Wag Club 84
Blamange Beat Route 82 cos I pulled
Dr John solo acoustic gig at the Barbican.

.... I'm a bit hazy on years

Dr Feelgood - Kursaal, 1975 (First ever gig)
Specials, Madness and Selecter, 1979 (Two Tone tour) - De Montfort Hall
The Jam (as Johns Boys), 1980? - The Marquee
Elvis Costello (supported by the Pogues), 1983 - De Montfort Hall
The Stone Roses, 1988 - International II
Edwyn Collins, 2005 - ICA
Roddy Frame, 2006 - Ronnie Scotts

top gig. the roar that went up when Kevin was asked 'Kevin, what's she like?" was immensely pleasing. Rowland punched the air in triumph at the end of the gig, Shame the momentum was lost again but we live in hope

in the tiny, tiny St Bonaventures in Bristol. I have no idea how she ended up there (at least twice), but she held me and about 100 other people absolutely enthralled. Marvellous.

Also, All About Eve playing acoustically in Bath College of Higher Education's Gym, with Marty Wilson-Piper blistering on acoustic

Tori Amos + piano in a little club in Middlesbrough in 1988. Spellbinding. Smitten enough to join the extremely Fotherington-Thomas fan club immediately afterward.

Seeing Floyd at Wembley in 1986 was memorable as it was a band who'd split when I was 11 and I assumed there would be no chance to catch them live. It set a standard for Stadium sound (and lights) which I've not heard or seen bettered

Robert Plant playing in Newcastle around "Manic Nirvana" that was pretty good - he even played a corking guitar solo, which rather surprised me.

Thommo on numerous occasions. Always value for money

Decemberists charity gig at the tiny Liberty theatre in Astoria, OR. Never experienced such goodwill from an audience. It was like going to a friend's party.

Some surprising Older names...Mazzy Star...At the Drive In...

Genesis - Oundle School, between the releases of Trespass and Nursery Chryme, about 1971?

Magma - Oundle School, the MDK tour, 1973?

Camel - Oundle School, just before the release of Mirage, 1973/4?

Greenslade - Oundle School, Bedside Manners tour 1973 or 74

Van der Graaf Generator, near Victoria Station around Sep 75 - pre-Godbluff tour

Johnny Thunders - Bristol Poly around 1976

Gentle Giant and PFM - Bristol Colston Hall 1976

Yachts - Bristol University around 1977 or 78

Waterboys - Norwich University, around 1988 - This is the Sea tour

Squeeze and Danny Wilson - Norwich University about the same time

Neil Young - Las Vegas 1991 the Weld tour

but the best ... VdGG at the RFH in 2005 - first reunion gig.

My No. 1 gig overall: Pink Floyd, Earls Court, 1994 (the Pulse concerts). Even more spectacular than I'd dreamed it could be, and the quality of the sound was astonishingly good. We screamed ourselves hoarse.

Best atmosphere: Rammstein, Montreal, 2011. The fans went absolutely MENTAL throughout. I've never felt such excitement in a crowd, and it was so, so thrilling. When 'Du Hast' began, I thought the building would explode from the sheer passion of everybody inside.

Most magical moment: Ultravox, Cardiff, 2009. Seeing the boys walk on stage after so long apart, for a gig I never thought I'd see. The warmth and enthusiasm from the audience was wonderful to behold. And when Midge sang 'Oh, Vienna!' I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Roll on their new album!

Radiohead - Houston (The Woodlands), May 2008
Morrissey - Houston, 2007
Muse - Houston, 2008
The Shins - Houston, 2008
Band of Horses - Houston, 2006
Oasis - Loch Lomond, August 1996

Dublin '83 to '87...mostly at the SFX

The Smiths supported by a four-piece James
Echo & the Bunnymen
New Order
...Aztec Camera at McGonagles. I wnet out and bought a guitar the next week
The Waterboys at the Olympic Ballroom

'87 to '00 the London Years...a few picked from a multitude

Jonathan Richman (loads of times but especially at the Mean Fiddler)
The Hank Wangford Band - Anniversary Re-Union at the Mean Fiddler around '89 - There were about 20 of them. It went on forever.
Edwyn Collins - (loads of times too but his Shepherd's Bush Empire gig after he had a hit with Girl Like You and so played Rip It Up for the first time I'd seen him play it - Triumphant)
TACK>HEAD - Kilburn National Ballroom January 1990 - The greatest gig I've ever seen. They were phenomenal.
That Petrol Emotion - The Farewell gig at the Clapham Grand circa 1992?
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band at the Jazz Cafe - early 90's. I enjoyed it so much I went back the next day to see them again.
George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars at the CLapham Grand. early 90's. A relay marathon of funk. A crowd of around 1000 at the start. Less than 100 left by the time they stopped playing.

I'm sure there were loads more but those are some that spring to mind from my rock'n'roll years.

Pantera Glasgow Barrowlands 1993 (serious energy, 15 year old me was blown away)
REM Stirling Castle 1999 (brilliant venue and set)
Beck Usher Hall 2003ish (a rare full acoustic set)
Teenage Fanclub Milan 2005 (great gig for loads of reasons)
Johnny Flynn, The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool 2010 (very intimate, dedicated a song to me and my wife)
Edwin Collins backed by Teenage Fanclub, Mono, Glasgow 2009 (say no more! Very special gig, lucky to be there)
Laura Marling, Fired Art Cafe, Fort William 2009 (Place was packed to capacity, about 60 people. Free venison sandwiches for drive home. Miss Marling sold us a cd by the support act. Starstruck for first time in my life!)
Roger Waters, Manchester, 2011. (incredible spectacle)

Ive enjoyed an excellent half hour at work reading all the previous posts - great stuff!!

Heres my favourites...

17-5-1974 Steely Dan Palace Theatre, Manchester
31-5-1974 Lou Reed, Free Trade Hall, Manchester
14-10-1975 Roxy Music, Belle Vue, M/c
17-6-1978 Bob Dylan, Earls Court
23-11-1978 The Clash, Apollo, M/c
09-6-1979 The Jam, Saddleworth Arts Festival
11-11-1980 Split Enz, Rotters, M/c
07-01-1982 Elvis Costello, Royal Albert Hall
25-01-1984 Prefab Sprout, Hacienda
13-03-1984 The Smiths, Free Trade Hall
29-05-2003 Bruce Springsteen, Lancashire Cricket club
17-11-2003 David Bowie, Manchester Evening News Arena
08-05-2005 Paul Weller, Empress Ballroom, Blackpool
06-10-2009 Mott The Hoople, Hammersmith Odeon