What is the most unusual concert you have been to

In the very early 80s this "friend" took to me to a "private gig" by this band called Throbbing Gristle. It turned out to be a squat - halfway through the event the Police turned up.................

David

I was 17 and went with three mates. I bought my dad a ticket for the cinema in return for giving us a lift! 

Thinking back it must have been the cyclone line up because I definitely remember the drummer and the vocalist. Those were great times for electronic music. Saw kraftwerk on the "computer world" tour and tim Blake when he played with hawkwind, OMD were fun but lacked a little finesse and ultravox were superb despite the fact that their new vocalist was from a boy band. Gary Numan was supported by a very loud Nash the slash who deafened the audience made up largely of teenage girls. 

Currently listening to karin dreijer-andersson (the knife and fever ray). Now there's a weird concert I'd like to experience!

Martin

Thread is becoming a Tangerine Dream concert experience

First saw them B'Ham Town Hall-Phaedra tour-?74-totally dark-just the redlights from synths and Franke, Froese, Baumann barely visible- very Loud.  In fact TD had reputation in early seventies of being one of, if not the, loudest band of the time.

Also saw them on the Cathedrals tour, Coventry Cathedral, that led to the richochet album, superb.

Much preferred them at this time. when everything was improvised, they could only use keys of C, D or E so would decide as they went on stage where they would start and off they went.  Later, with use of sequencers  the music became more predictable and recognisable and to me lost that spark.  The Bootleg Series Box 1 captures well those early years.

Just wish that the Oedipus Tyrannous Soundtrack they did for the Keith Michel Stage Play at the Chichester Festival  of ?75 would finally get a release, a small section appeared on a Virgin Sampler and I remember Peel playing the whole piece.  TD also performed live on the first night of the play.

Steve

Didn't quite expect this thread to turn out the way it has but I'll  be getting out my stack of TD vinyl this weekend for sure.

GWAR

I think you need not say anything more.

On a slightly different tack, has anyone here actually seen Rockbitch? Thankfully I can say I haven't, but did see half of a documentary on them on Channel 4, I think. I wasn't shocked, but did think, boy are they rough. I will not bother to comment on the music.

Last weekend at Treswell village hall. There's an Italian four piece touring (drums, keyboards and two female singers). I went on the strength of 'jazz' in the description and feared the worst when they came on but they were great.

Cooked some spaghetti on stage and played/sang traditional Italian songs from 50s era Italian 'jazz' clubs.

Pink Floyd The Wall Earls Court 1980.

A load of people in masks on stage to start off with.

Dr Hook at Hammersmith Odeon in the mid 70's coming on dressed up as the BayCity Rollers.

Loads more but it hurts my brain to think.

Stu.

I thought I would mention a couple of gigs where people didn't show up.

1)  Killing Joke at the Hammersmith Riverside Studios in 1982. I was fortunate to get in on the guest list for this short televised gig (I knew a bloke from Malicious Damage label) promoting Empire Song and Chop Chop off the Revelations album, and playing other songs for the audience.

But, convinced the Apocalypse was upon us, Jaz Coleman 'did the off' to Iceland a couple of days before the gig, leaving the band to do the show without him. The drummer sang, and Jaz was represented by a hook nosed dummy stood at the front of the stage, hands resting on a keyboard. They were still good.

2)  Elton John, again 1982, re-united with his 'classic' 70s band for a string of nights around Xmas at the Hammersmith Odeon.

Or not entirely re-united as it turned out. At 10 mins past 9 o'clock out comes Elton onto the stage to rapturous applause. But rather than sit at the joanna he comes to the mike and announces that they     didn't know where the hell Nigel Olsson was. He just hadn't shown up, and of course, pre-mobile phone days, there was no way to contact him. So they would play without him, and we could all have our money back. Fair enough.

They did play, and it was still fun. But then came Elton's staged piece where he progressively fussed over the piano stool and had an aide come (mid song) to adjust it for him. Still unsatisfied (and this all just acting) the aide had to return a few times as Elton appeared to become more agitated over the stool. So the aide brings him a fresh piano stool and plonks a glass of champagne on the piano. 

Still part of the act, Elton doesn't like the new stool and, while the band plays on, picks it up and chucks it into the orchestra pit.

But he threw it too hard, and glancing off the edge of the pit, it bounced into a woman sitting in the front row. It was heavy.

At this point Elton stops acting and just loses it completely. The band stopped playing. Elton looks genuinely shocked and holds his hands over his face. Then follows an angry vocal exchange from the assaulted lady, and the whole hall hears Elton off mike say "Well if you're that hurt why don't you call the fxxking RSPA".

And I kid you not, he stamped his feet repeatedly like a three year old in a tantrum and stormed off. 

That was that.

Priceless. I reckon I had my money's worth and didn't ask for a refund.

And I would love to know what happened to Nigel.

And if Elton remembers the occasion. We know now he was into a major coke fuelled period at that time.

Graham - with regard to Gong.

My thoughts were that a guy well over six foot tall - without his 8" platforms, dressed in a silver spandex bodysuit, and wearing a tv on his head was something rather different than I was expecting!

Ha! - the things one forgets!  Daevid Allen's headgear - from miner's helmets to children's inflatable lifebelts!  Normal in Liverpool mid 70's 

Would loved to have seen early 70's Sun Ra - but I was too young.

Iggy Pop, in the brilliant Paradiso Amsterdam, circa 1998. The only concert I have been to where the audience was begging the volume to be turned down. He rushed around the (small) stage, resembling a bee in a milk bottle, somehow not once getting tripped up by the long mike cord that he was trailing behind him. Priceless.

Paul

Can't remember what year it was, but Captain Beefheart in the backroom of a pub in Eastcote Middlesex,near Pinner. John Peel introduced the band and most of the attention seemed to revolve around him. But when the Captain kicked off his set it wasn't anything short of mind-blowing.The room seemed to be occupied by the local hippies sitting cross legged on the floor.A strong smell of Camberwell carrot and petulie oil seemed to hang in the air.I was wearing a pair of tonic trousers and a Ben Sherman shirt.Quite a culture shock for me at the time but now I love the likes of the Captain,Tom Waits etc.Anyone with any recollections of this gig please and to my fond memories.