This was my first outing to a major concert in 1979 (sorry Dad, the Jazz band I didn’t think really counted). Queen Live Killers tour 1979 at Newcastle City Hall. I was completely blown away and eyes were popping out at the bicycle race song. Completely outrageous Freddie Mercury balancing on the shoulders of 2 guys dressed as Superman. It was their transition from glam rock too, a really poignant change in style. What a night for a 13 year old.
Thanks @DrEm for starting off this thread. As I stated earlier I think my first concert was Blondie at Hammersmith Odeon just after Parallel Lines had been released so before Blondie became huge. I can’t remember much about the concert (except for what Debbie Harry was wearing) but I know for my friends and I aged around 16 or so, seeing Debbie Harry live had a profound effect…
I was the only Israeli who was into the Shoegazers scene in British music in the early 90’s… Or so I thought, until I went to see Lush perform in a legendary club in Tel Aviv called Roxanne… There were so many others who were just like me! We all swayed to the sound of the layered guitars and revelled in the ethereal ambience… I was 16, and in a state of pure bliss, and it probably helped cement my ambition to come and study in England as much as the Bard did!
Starting to feel more like a counselling thread for some! @JReed, my Dad was at school with Brian Rankin (Hank Marvin) and played with a number of jazz bands. He told Brian that he’d never make it…
Ha ha! Oh, but I was! And I loved Ride! Their poster hanged above my army barracks bed!!
No one in my school even heard of these bands… I remember writing a ‘summary of 1992 in music’ for the school paper, and one of my fellow students said “according to your ‘summary’ I must have lived abroad this year!”
Ps - whatever happened to Lush, Ride et al?!!
The good old Brighton Centre! not a bad venue! I had my graduation there, and shook the hand of the then VC Richard Attenborough… But more importantly, saw an amazing gig by Faithless there… it didn’t do much good to my tinnitus!!
Staying in Brighton - I wonder if any members were present at Brighton Dome, 1974, when ABBA won the Eurovision…?
Further to @DrEm’s thread-starter, here is Freddy on the shoulders of my good friend Alan (20 at the time) who worked on the crew for the tour. He went on to become tour manager for The Stranglers, Eurythmics, Terence Trent d’Arby and others. I’m godfather to his son.
My first gig was to see the long-forgotten and oft-overlooked Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine at Cambridge Corn Exchange. The second one, a few months later in November ‘92, was a bit more notable though - Kingmaker at Cambridge Junction, supported by a then little-known band called Radiohead. They were pretty good!
My first concert was a free open air gig in Derby watching my hero at the time (my guitar teacher).
The band was called gorilla and was a progressive metal band with killer riffs and dodgy hair. Must’ve been 1996 or 1997.
I kid you not, the lead singer went on to be sworn in as the mayor of derby last year.
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