[Closed] Your first gig.

Some random rock and roll band with my parents in the 60s. They went dancing and there were live bands.

Then we went on holiday to a folk festival in the South West around 68/69. I can find no trace of it on the Net.

The first of my choice was Slade at Birmingham Town Hall in early 73. Oh for a time machine.

Magnum, October 1986 at St Georges Hall in Bradford.

OMD Liberator tour, Royal Court Liverpool, '93(?).

Ian Gillan Band, Double Trouble tour, 1981 at the Liverpool Empire, supported by….Budgie! Let’s rock!

I think I was at that gig as well! Definitely saw Gillan at the Empire around that time anyway. My only memory of the gig was the cages on either side of the stage which had topless girls dancing!

Iron Maiden, Beast on the Road tour at St George’s Hall Bradford 1982 as a 14 yr old doing something without mum and dad sorting it all out for the first time.

The Clash, 1980, Bristol, at the, ah hem, Colston Hall. Crap venue syndrome, was a bit boring TBH, saw them a couple of years later at the Locarno and were brilliant.

Rainbow 78/79 ish at Newcastle City Hall

Kiss at Bingley Hall in Stafford 1984 I think so I was twelve. It smelled like a cow shed (it was) but they were pretty epic.

I was there for the Dynasty tour 5th September 1980 (still got the ticket), went to see them on the last UK tour with the same mate

Sex Pistols, Lesser Free Trade Hall, 1976.

A lot of quality first gigs here but if that's true, and I'm pretty sure it isn't, you've won the thread.

I'm surprised no one has claimed The Spiders from Mars last gig at the Hamersmith Apollo in 1973. If everyone who claimed to be there actually was then there must have been 500,000 in the audience.

My first gig. Roxy Music at the Glasgow Apollo 1982 and I still have the programme.

Terrorvision at the LCR in Norwich.

Twas great.

Loads of little local bands in the mid-ish 80s ('87/'88) - The Black Sky and The Jilted Brides were my regular local gigs.

First 'proper' gig was Transvision Vamp at Rock City in '88 (a bit of Googling tells me it was October 10). They were way better than they had any right to be.

Tom Robinson Band, support act was Stiff Little Fingers, .Oxford Apollo , 1978

I think it was Blur on the first night of their seaside tour 1995, the day after they released the Great Escape. Cleethorpes nightclub Pier 39, totally inappropriate venue. Warm up act was Matt Lucas - utter crap.
Damon Albarn spat beer in my face for some reason.

Feeder at the Caird Hall in Dundee in October 2002 I think. My flat was only 200m away at the time. Thought it was ok but not really a concert person.

Chuck Berry at the Bradford Alhambra. ‘96 I think.

Paul Simon - Gracelands Tour, Royal Albert Hall, 1986 (I think)

@uponthedowns

A lot of quality first gigs here but if that’s true, and I’m pretty sure it isn’t, you’ve won the thread.

I may have misremembered, given I hadn't been born at that point in time.

A lot of quality first gigs here but if that’s true, and I’m pretty sure it isn’t, you’ve won the thread.

i took that as a joke, not for one minute did i think that he/she was one of the 40 or so people actually there. kudos if true tho.

EDIT: ah, it would appear it was actually a joke. anyway, i didnt see you there so you cant have been.

INXS at the NEC in 86/87?

Bowie Wembley Arena May 4th 1976, due to one of the music papers getting the tour dates wrong and again on May 6th for the final night.

Bowie Wembley Arena May 6th 1976, due to one of the music papers getting the tour dates wrong and again on May 8th for the final night.

Tried to edit but reposted in error🙀

Misty In Roots, 1986, Deptford

Queen, Kind Of Magic tour, Wembley, 1986 (also my first introduction to bottled piss throwing in the scrum at the turnstiles). Supported by INXS, The Alarm and Status Quo so a good day all round for a super excited 15 yo.

I saw Sky with my parents at the Capitol Theatre in Aberdeen when my age was still in single digits. Setlist.fm suggests this was either on the 4th of February 1983 or the 18th of May 1984.

There was quite a big gap before I started going to gigs without my parents. I saw Baddiel and Newman at Aberdeen Music Hall in 1992 or 1993, but they weren't a band, obviously. So skip forward another few years and you get Tori Amos at the Clyde Auditorium on the 22nd of May 1998 and Sparklehorse at the Fleece and Firkin in Bristol on the 21st of July that year. That last gig in particular was probably what really got me going to gigs semi regularly.

I was a bit of a late-comer but saw The Wonderstuff somewhere in Exeter when I was a student. 1989. They had just released 'HUP' and The Bass Thing was on bass...

Supported by EAT and Ned's Atomic Dustbin 🙂

sparkyrhino

Peters and Lee ,Gt Yarmouth early 70’s

Ah. In *that* case, you've just reminded me: I saw Val Doonican in St Helier. 1979 🙂

Climax Blues Band at Baswich Church Hall in 1968.

(Although they were called Colin Cooper's Climax Chicago Blues Band in them days so I also couldn't get it right)

Charlatans at The Lower Refectory Sheffield, 9th March 1990.

1998 Depeche Mode's, Music For The Masses Tour. My elder brother was huge fan but had to work, so I went instead, I wasn't a fan (nor a hater) before the concert but have been a fan ever since.

Oasis at Exeter Westpoint in 1997. Mad for it. Also passed out from a combination of the heat and not eating all day. I've never lived it down.

Chaka Kahn. Poole Arts Centre. 1986. It was my mate's 13 birthday treat. Around the time of the breakdance craze and movie.

Prodigy 1st tour in Panama Joes Cardiff
Not too shabby.... I think?

The Boss at Bramall Lane in 1988 I think, then in sep 1989 I discovered JBs in Dudley as a 16 year old. It's all a haze, but we saw loads of bands there between 89-91 including Manics, Blur, Ride, Levellers etc. £3 in on a Friday night to the best 300 ish capacity venue in the Midlands/UK.

First real concert was Madness at Edinburgh Playhouse 1983.
It was a bit wild for a 12 year old, they were supported by Joe Boxers.

First over 18's concert was Half Man Half Biscuit at Coasters in Edinburgh 1986.

Rainbow, down to earth tour supported by Saxon.  Deeside leisure centre 27th Feb 1980.

Saxon at the Cresset in Peterborough c1987 I think.

U2, Cardiff arms park 1987. Joshua tree tour. I was 17. Another bus and ticket deal from a local travel agent. (Hinckley Leicestershire). Broke down on the way I think I remember.

^^^^^^ I was probably at that charlatans gig. @matt10214

Jethro Tull…

@docrobster They had only just released Indian Rope, it was a last minute thing as we were supposed to be going to the House Of Love but it sold out!

Supertramp with Joan armatrading Birmingham odeon about ‘75? 45+yrs ffs

Edinburgh Playhouse randomly frequent here!

New Order. 24 January 1981. Middlesbrough Rock Garden.

Uriah Heep - Hammersmith Odeon - circa ‘73.

Meatloaf, MAR 19 1988, Mancchester Apollo. THe programme I bought DEFINITELY listed it as the Bat Out Of Hell 10th anniversary World Tour, but setlist.fm have it as the Lost Boys and Golden Girls Tour

@lovewookie
November 8th 1990.

A coach trip by magpie records in Worcester to see Queensryche at Newport centre.

I saw them a few nights earlier in Bradford. Great tour. I also saw Geoff Tate play the entire album in Manchester recently (well, most of it, they got on stage quitelate and I had to skip early to get a train home). He's still got the voice, that's for sure.

double post

Aerosmith, Wembley Arena in 1989.

Very enjoyable, but the only mainstream rock gig I've ever been to. I went indie shortly after that second gig was Carter USM.

CARTER U.S.M. About 30 years ago, somewhere in Birmingham. I was 14 with my best mate, my Dad was chaperone, think he enjoyed it equally.

It was mint.

Having read back through the thread, if I could magically transport to any of these gigs I think it'd be between Bowie and Meatloaf (which I didn't expect).

Bruce & the ESB
Wembley Stadium 4th July 1985

CARTER U.S.M. About 30 years ago, somewhere in Birmingham. I was 14 with my best mate, my Dad was chaperone, think he enjoyed it equally.

Could that have been Goldwyns?. They filmed the gig for Snub TV.

Spear of Destiny at the Powerhouse Birmingham, according to the internet this was 1984, which means I was 14 when me and two friends got the train from Northampton to go.

I remember the support band quite well - Twenty Flight Rock, and also being picked up by a very friendly crowd after slipping over on a can of hairspray someone had lost.

Some punk band at leeds poly, sneaking in without paying from some political thing in the offices above in 1977 aged 15. Nursing a can of lager and trying not to be too eyes on stalks at girls in string vests and little else. First 'name' band I remember, I regret to say was boomtown rats at leeds uni union. Oh dear. Think I was dragged along. I saw a lot of cooler bands shortly after with Clash being the obv highlight .

(Had tickets to see buzzcocks 1979 at leeds uni supported by joy division, more importantly, that someone mentioned as a much cooler first gig. I was well seasoned by then mind, but had maths homework or some shit so passed tickets on, dag nab it. (Another music in a difft kitchen was the first album I bought which does pass the cool test.)

after slipping over on a can of hairspray someone had lost.

Tell me it was a goth gig without telling me it was goth gig.

Manic Street Preachers at Cambridge Corn Exchange. I was 17 I think, not entirely sure. I spent most of the gig snogging a random girl who was wearing far too much White Musk perfume.

Another one for .. Gary Glitter.

Mine was at Newcastle City Hall about 1972/1973.

@matt10214
Maybe not then. I was well into them though back then. Memory a bit hazy. I bought Indian rope on 12” from a record shop upstairs in afflecks palace. I remember seeing them at Manchester academy very early. That time between oct 89 and may 1990 was start of my second year at uni and I had caught the madchester bug completely. Culminating in spike island of course but seemed like a cool gig at the lower refec every week. Inspiral carpets many times. The farm (at the leadmill), world of twist etc etc.

I recall my second ever gig would have been transvision vanp oct 88 at the lower refec. Intro week. Some hard faced girl slagged me off as I was wearing the U2 T-shirt from my first ever gig the year before. My musical journey soon progressed though once the roses and Mondays had start to take over even our side of the Pennines!

Last ever gig was last night… about 40 kids in a room listening to “scouse indie” from bandit. My mate’s son bought the tickets but couldn’t go. So 2 fifty somethings watched from the sidelines. My ears still ringing. Can’t beat it.

@docrobster I saw them three times in Sheffield in 1990, March at the Lower Refrectory, week after Spike Island at the Nelson Mandela then November at the Octagon. I saw a different band most weeks that year brilliant time for live music in the city!

Oh to be that age again!

Runrig - somewhere in London in the mid eighties.

Therapy? in the mid-nineties at (randomly as they didn't really do much live music there) the Cardiff Astoria.

Sex Pistols, Lesser Free Trade Hall, 1976.

ha ha. You should read this... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Swear-Was-There-Changed-World/dp/0954970497

Monsters of Rock 1981

I didn't remain a hard rock fan for very long but for a 16 year old kid on his own watching the ACDC bell swinging it seemed pretty epic.

Bowie, Torquay Town Hall, 16/06/73
Hawkwind, ditto 30/06/73
........think the latter were so loud structural damage was caused and don't recall any later gigs at that venue

Rick Wakeman At Leeds Uni , 1974 ( I think)
Followed in the rest of the 70s by way more than I can recall

Leeds Uni did really good gigs in the 70s 🤗

Good thread.
Trying to remember....
I think it was The Jam at canterbury Uni....79/80 perhaps?

Shakin’ Stevens, Usher Hall in Edinburgh. God knows when that was. My folks took us.

Edit: October 1982. Bloody hell!

AC/DC March 1988 Wembley Arena. Would've been 15. Followed by Motley Crue with Skid Row (and White Lion) support also at Wembley Arena Nov 1989.Hair metal-tastic!

The Police, Leeds Queens Hall 1979

The Prodigy - Plymouth Pavilions - 1991 i think

My folks took us.

I hope you called Esther Rantzen the next day!

Supertramp with Joan armatrading Birmingham odeon about ‘75? 45+yrs ffs

Also with Chris de Burgh, that was the tour I saw them at in Bristol, and I still have a tour programme for it, would have been 1974.

Madness supported by th Go-go's at the Peterborough Wirrina 1979 it was fantastic as a 16 year old and still would be today.

Def Leppard - February 1980 at Malvern Winter Gardens.

Michael Jackson, Glasgow Green 1992

Can still remember it vividly

1982 Spandau ballet, odeon new st Brum

The Police at some place in Leeds with the Belle Stars supporting.

And very close to the last gig I ever went to. It was all standing and there was a rail running about halfway across the crowd area which we thought was a good idea to stand in front of so nobody could crush forwards when they started. Genius thinking until they said the band wouldn't come on until everyone had moved back from the stage. Got very dodgy for a while for a small group of 16 year olds getting crushed against said railing.