but it's certainly fresh in the memory.

I saw Janelle Monáe last Wednesday. The gig started with a compere introducing her as if it were a theatrical performance rather than a gig. The PA then played the first track from the album (which is around two minutes of string quartet) while the stage was pitch black, the band sneaked on and the names of all those who had worked on the album were projected onto the back wall like film credits. Then, the lights went up and there were three hooded dancers in the centre facing away from the crowd as the band started playing Dance or Die. One of the dancers was Janelle, but it was clear which one, and it wasn't until the end of the first verse when she turned round that we knew.

In fact, the whole gig was full of such examples of showmanship. I loved it - give me that over meat n' potatoes indie posturing any time

First song Party Hard. Jarvis standing on a monitor stage right performing his signature dance moves. His Stars In Their Eyes doppelganger standing on a monitor stage left doing the same.

The into to a gig in Walthamstow (ahem) in 1986 has yet to be bettered, in my eyes. Loads of dry ice and Wagner, very VERY LOUD and then KABOOM as if flying out of the fog in true cartoon style and RAMAMAMALAMALAMA for about an hour. Very cool.

I quite liked them, then. Shit album, mind.

Easily the best start to a gig for me was "down the front" at the New Theatre in Oxford for the 1979 "Bomber" tour.

Before it started we were drowned in Dry Ice that was so thick that you could barely see the guy you were squashed up against. Then, after quite a wait, when the band started it was with the manic drumming of the classic Overkill during which the fog slowly cleared to reveal the lighting rig which was decked out to resemble the skeleton of an old WWII bomber.

Quite fantastic, and the best line-up Motorhead ever had!

Managed to get backstage afterwards too, which was quite an eye-opener for a teenager.

... but Wayne Coyne exiting a castle in a giant bubble and heading for the stage while carried over the heads of the Camp Bestival crowd a couple of years ago impressed the hell out of me.

Hammersmith Odeon, December 1973 - I went to see Elton John, the biggest pop star in the world at the time. Picture the scene - the house lights go down, the audience is cheering in anticipation, and a spotlight picks out a lone figure in an outrageous costume walking on to the stage.

You guessed it - Bob Harris, dressed as Father Christmas

as he walked through the audience to get to the stage, while the band played "Intruder".

I was in the second row, it was one of the first few gigs I'd been to, and frankly, I could have died happy after that.

at the Town and Country Club, mid-1990s. It wasn't so much that they did anything spectacular, it was more the stage set up they employed. There was no curtain, so one could see from the front of the stage to the rear of the venue. The band were quite a way back and were all positioned very close together around the drumkit. Their proximity to each other seemed to focus their energy and made them sound so visceral and exciting. It was such a simple idea, but so effective, and I've never forgotten it.

I saw Suede on their final tour (at least until their current reunion) and as the lights went down and the dry ice swirled the PA played 'Jerusalem'. Simple but very effective.

Wasn't even much of a fan at the time - 4 hours late, stage transformed into huge tongue and lips - one false start to change a monitor, I think. Don't know the name of the piece of music but sort of jolly "Home Service" 1940's tune over the PA - "Ladies and gentlemen - The Rolling Stones." Keef smoking a fag in the spotlight - it sounded like a wasp in a jam jar but it was Satisfaction - 200,000 people seem to go nuts - At that moment I am watching the coolest man on the planet - ever!

...in Lancaster 1974.

The opening number is "The Faith Healer" which has a very long throbbing intro, which the band play in semi-darkness with Alex wielding a hand held spotlight dressed up to look like a space age rifle or some such, sending out beams of light across the audience. In comes the guitar, up come the lights and there they are: Zal Cleminson dressed as The Fool, Chris Glenn the cartoon Clockwork Orange droog, Hugh McKenna in a pink silk dressing gown & cravat & Alex as a punk rock pirate, brothel creepered foot propped up on the monitor declaiming "Let me put my hands on you".

It's a bit like this:

This, incidentally, might have the best end to a gig as well - after doing Framed, which involves Alex spray painting over & then tearing through a wall made out of polystyrene & then eating it whilst proclaiming his innocence, he rolls into "Anthem" -dead slow, loads of dry ice, small female singer and is that? Can that be? Yes, that is a troupe of bagpipe players...

A bit like this:

And then this:

Vambo still rools, OK?

The band come on and Lemmy's first words are

'We're Motorhead and we ARE Rock and Roll'

They then launch into the Ace of Spades.

However, probably the most magical was Midnight Oil at the Greenbelt festival sometime in the mid-90s. There was a huge and impressive firework display behind the audience and as they came to a crescendo, the band started with a lone digeridoo (played, if memory serves, by a one armed man) before slowly building up the first number. Most impressive

on Pet Sounds tour

Lights down and the sound of chatting. Soon clear it is the Beach Boys goofing around in the studio, joking, warming up and then there is Brian quietening them down before 'ok, lets go'. Then bang into the present with the house lights on as they crash into 'Little Girl That I Once Knew'

U2's opening on the Zooropa tour - the video screens the Nazi imigery and all out sensory overload.

AC/DC Razor's Edge tour - a few blinking lights as thunder rolls round the PA, with a few lightning flashes thrown in before the Thunderstruck chant begins and the crowd joins in. Angus' guitar kicks in and he's 20 ft above the stage headbanging away in a single spotlight, Brian Johnson is picked out in another spot when his vocal kicks in and then when the whole band come in, lights up, place goes apeshit

All these are worthy great openings. I've been going to gigs for 35 years, and seen most of the greats, so am moderately cynical about it all. But I was blown away by Metallica who are about the only rock band I've seen use lasers well besides Pink Floyd:

This was also a great psychedelic introduction; didn't need mushrooms for Gong this night:

Sign 'O' The Times. The whole band marching down ramps onto the stage, all playing snare drums in an extended intro to the song, then we get "Oh, Yeah!", the man is there and so begins one of the best shows I have ever seen.

Edit: I've just read my gig-journal entry of the concert. Prince was already on stage singing when the drummers came on. Glad I got that sorted!

After what seemed like an interminable acoustic set, he casually strummed and sang "He's a fine figure of a man, and handsome..." and just at the "...too" the curtains drew, every light on the stage seemed to be beamed at the audience and The Attractions were going about their business as only they knew how. You could have cut the atmosphere with a rolled-up ten pound note.

1981 Brisbane. The tolling of a huge bell preceded Angus Young flying on a wire from the back of the hall to the front, playing guitar courtesy of some sort of wireless setup. I didn't see that coming.

Hells Bells indeed!

Billy Bragg at the Kilburn National, late 80s, when he was still playing solo. Billy strolls on stage, plugs in his guitar and plunges straight into a passionately thrashed version of the Buzzcocks’ ‘Ever fallen in love...’ Absolutely spine-tingling.

At the end of the summer of 77 when the Stranglers were on their second national tour, No More Heroes had just come out (album and single).
They came on stage (after, if I recall correctly a fabulous set by Yachts) Hugh Cornwell shouted out "There's no more heroes, so don't make any" and they launched into the song.

It may not seem that special now, but to my 18 year old self at my first open air stadium gig (well, second: I saw this gig and a previous London date the same summer), this impressed me. I was quite a long way back but I could still feel the heat.

There was a genuine buzz of gossip and anticipation doing the rounds of the Festival that Kurt had either died, OD'd, or was in hospital, and nobody knew for sure if they would play.

There was no official announcement either way so there was tension right up to the moment before they were due on stage, the band appeared but one of them was pushing a wheelchair with Cobain in it, there was a real shock through the crowd until he leapt up threw off his hospital smock and launched into the first song.

... it's still the same winner.
Black Crowes, 1992-ish, The Brixton Academy.
After the usual panto of roadies checking amps, trying out guitars and so forth, some authentic-sounding Middle Eastern music starts up. The lights dim. Joss sticks are lit onstage.
The lights go out, to the usual chorus of squeals and catcalls.
The riff to No Speak No Slave starts up, and a straggly net of lights are turned on, hanging down from each side of the proscenium arch and across the front of the stage. The riff goes on for what seems ages (probably about a minute). Then, as the music keeps playing, the net of curtains parts in the middle and draws apart, very slowly.
Finally, as the curtains reach each side, the stage lights come on, the Crowes riffing away, and Chris Robinson strides forward, mic-stand held in the Rodular manner, singing 'Rooster crows at the break of dawn..'
The air is full of bubbles that have, unseen, been cascading from some source above the stage for a while. The place smells like incense and bifters. The stage looks like a cross between the deck of a pirate ship and a head shop. In front of this impressionable student are Stones circa '72, the Faces and Zeppelin combined.

They ambled onto the stage. We all applauded. We were just sooooo happy to see them. The atmosphere was tense..not a word from the band. They take their places. Silence falls. Waiting.
5(?)ghostly notes start to build..it's "A Walk Across the Rooftops" and it sounds EXACTLY like the record - sheer sonic perfection...
It was the perfect collision of fever dream / perfect reality and beautiful art. The entire hall started to lift upwards.

Keele University, early 80s. 'Come on, come on, come on' was cranked up by the band, faster and faster for about thre minutes. Then Gary appeared centre stage on a podium and in the spotlight - in bacofoil with a startled expression on his face.

A few years ago at Earls Court, the band's appearance was preceded by a whole load of people wandering around the arena in surrealist inspired costumes. Extremely bizarre but very effective.

PA playing "Geno", the band come on stage,

"Bernie Rhodes knows, dont argue"

Bedlam !!

It made my 53rd birthday rather wonderful.

Hammersmith Odeon 1984.

Ian Anderson walks on stage and takes sheets off a series of figures (under wraps, geddit), revealing band members who then start playing.

Finally, he whips off the last sheeted figure to reveal...a naked wumman! How we cheered.

I thought the entire Apollo was about to levitate.

many years ago in Sheffield. The whole band run on stage, drop to the floor and start doing press-ups. Not something you see everyday.

weezer coming onstage at leeds festival last month - the band start playing a jam and rivers nonchalantly comes on messing with a football then straight into hash pipe - i was the oldest swinger down the front by a long chalk but it was worth it for the exellent show.

(stop laughing at the back)

A coffin was brought on stage with great ceremony amid clouds of dry ice and a pulsing kick drum. The lid was removed and Peter Gabriel climbed out in his Rael costume before the band went into 'Back Into NYC'

..and here it is :-)

The intro was a stereotypical stadium show - opening announcement, pyro, the band plays a big crashing start into 'In The Flesh?', crowd goes nuts, Spitfire flies over from back of the auditorium, crashes into PA, huge pyro

Then the members of Pink Floyd walk on stage... At that point it became apparent not only had we all been duped by 'The Surrogate Band' but also that the evening wasn't going to be your conventional show at all.

"So you, thought you
Might like to go to the show

To feel the warm thrill of confusion
That space cadet glow

Tell me is something eluding you sunshine?
Is this not what you expected to see?
If you wanna find out what's behind these cold eyes
You'll just have to claw your way through this disguise"

loved it. what can I say? it was proof positive that the guy actually existed. The fact that I found the then most princely sum of forty squid in the mud lightened my mood somewhat too!

was just about the most exciting start to a gig I've seen/heard. no prizes for guessing who. The fact that they started every other track the same way just made it funnier and added to the thrill. Saw them again a few years later and they just did it again. Splendid.

After half-watching the support band, I was chatting with the friend I came with prior to Depeche Mode's 1987 show at Wembley Arena. The house lights were fully on and there was the general chatter of people out for the night. Most people were in their groups, most sitting, some standing - general relaxed roaming around going on.

Then, without warning, the repetitive opening bars of the piano-led instrumental track PIMPF suddenly start. Conversations abruptly stop. The entire audience of several thousand rise to their feet as one. The excitement and anticipation was unbearable as PIMPF led into Behind the Wheel.

This was right place/right time stuff. The band were still in their 20's, very hungry and certainly on the brink of massiveness. I still get shivers when I hear PIMPF.

was before Noah & The Whale at Latitude when they played an orchestral instrumental version of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' over the PA, resulting in a mass crowd karaoke session. I could see the band in the wings but they waited until it finished & then came on with big grins on their faces.

on the winter 1994 Costello and the Attractions tour, at least in the Uk when I saw him, they came on to an audiobook reading of a suitably fruity bit from 'Princess In Love' by Anna Pasternak

Or maybe I just dreamt that.

social club in Liverpool, mid 80s - it was a Miners' benefit, I forget the exact venue. The band came on minus vocalist and played an instrumental track. As it drew to a close,the fey fop of a singer comes racing down from the back of the hall to jump onstage and join his band. Except security have obviously not been informed of this, and they grab him. I remember laughing as I watched him try to explain what was going on as two guys held him by the neck and shoulders. Eventually they let him climb onto the stage where he collapsed breathing oh so dramatically until it was time for the next song. Possibly the worst band (I) ever (saw).