What was the FIRST concert you went to?

Well I've put up with this for long enough hoping somebody from my generation would post.

My first concert was Tommy Steele!! Royal Cinema Plymouth 1954 I think
(Oh my god!!!or Who??? you cry).

It was his appearence on the Royal variety show followed by that other youngster Cliff who I also went to see, that prompted this.

To retrieve some credibility I also promptly followed that with in roughly this order
Count Basie Orchestra complete with Joe Williams
Buddy Holly
Erroll Garner
Duke Ellington Orchestra
Segovia

(I was playing in a school Jazz band at that time)

regards
GEOFF

"Just trying to make a NAIM for myself"

Motorhead at west runton pavillion when i was around 15 - boy was it LOUD.

phill

Naim CD5 + Hicap/Nac 112 + HiCap/Nap150/PMC GB1

The Fabgear Fleetwoods at Butlins, Pwthelli (apologies for crap spelling) in 1963 - ish

cheers

Nigel

Status Quo at Stafford Bingley Hall '76ish (Blue for you tour). Sounded like they were playing in a cattle market

First gigs I've taken my kids to (this deserves a thread of it's own!), Chris age 11, Dream Theatre, Manchester Apollo, Jon age 9, Rush at MEN Arena. ROCK ON!

David

Hi,
My first concert was Guns and Roses.
Had the time of my life

Maria

Sounded like they were playing in a cattle market

Thats exactly what Stafford Bingley hall was a cattle market

music IS Analogue

First concert also Status Quo - in 1972 at Preston Guild Hall. Probably the "Piledriver" tour. Saw them half a dozen times in the 70's/80's. My favourite live act for atmosphere and excitement despite (or maybe because of!) their "3 chord" reputation.

Second concert was a rock&roll group called Fumble, in Lytham. After the concert we were chased aroung town by a large group of greaser/hells angel types - very scary.

Steve D

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First gigs I've taken my kids to (this deserves a thread of it's own!),

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I took them to see Blur, but the poor mites were falling asleep by the time they came on!

First gig THEY took ME to was to see the pre "Up the bracket" Libertines. Cool eh? Pity I didn't enjoy the music though

The very first live music would have to be Hawkwind at a strange alternative event in Windsor circa 1977.

First serious gig Simple Minds at Hammersmith Oden 1981, during the Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call tour. Hotly followed by New Order, Caberet Voltaire, New Order, etc.

Not really sure the first one I went to...probably something my mother drug me to.

The first one I remember that was of my own choosing was Pearl Jam in St. Louis, Summer of '98. Seems like forever ago as I've been to many more since then.

Aric

Mark Twain-
Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth.

I'm loving reading about all of these great shows!

As for me it would have been the great Bill Bruford with Jeff Berlin, the "unknown" John Clark and Dave Stewart at the Roxy - Sunset Strip - Hollywood in 1980.



"Before you play two notes learn how to play one note - and don't play one note unless you've got a reason to play it." - Mark Hollis (1998)

I remember going to a Paul Simon concert back in my college days, soon after he split with AG. So that was probably Rhymin Simon album, as i remember he was touring with a small gospel group that were amazing in themselves.

Wished I'd seen Dylan with The Band or even Elton John in Yellow Brick Road. But my parents weren't amused by a teenager going to a big concert in the early 70's Southern California days.

Life is analogue, enjoy it while you can.

Spear of Destiny 1988 when i was 15!

An all seated gig, but as soon as the band came on everyone (including me) ran to the front and starting rocking!

Stuff was being thrown all over the place, people were ripping the ashtrays off of the seats and throwing them!

That was bad enough, but imagine my amazement when big comfortable velvet chairs (which were once bolted to the floor) started flying past my head!

It was radio rental, chicken oriental, mental!

and then 6 months later (when i was still 15 years old) me and a friend bought tickets to see Del Amitri.

They were playing in an aberdeen nightclub on a monday night. Me and my friend (armed with fake ID) borrowed shirts, ties and blazers from our dads and went to this gig (shiny shoes an all).

when we got to the que, of course everyone was in jeans and T shirts, we must have looked a right pair of plonkers!

the doorman took one look at us and said sorry boys there is no way your getting in.

we sold our tickets for a fiver to punters at the door, got the bus home, and blew the rest of our pocket money in the local pub (thanks to the fake IDs)!

I.O.W. 1968

Bob Dylan and the Band, Sydney Stadium 1966

Gala opening concert of the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne, probably about 40 years ago. I cannot remember the name of the band but they certainly played Symphony No 7 by Beethoven and the Mozart Clarinet Concerto.

There, is that the first classical concert in this thread??

Phil.

Sly and the Family Stone- 1970, outdoor concert in Massachusetts. Damn good, too. david

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PA behind the band??? Can you say: "uncontrollable feedback"????!!!

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Read the technical details of how it was done here:
http://www.dead.net/cavenweb/deadfile/newsletter19soundrap.html

ELO at Wembley, touring with their spaceship set to support Out Of The Blue. I was only a kid, and it was great!

Pete.

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Originally posted by bazz:
Bob Dylan and the Band, Sydney Stadium 1966

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Then they built the Eastern Suburbs railway line and the place was demolished :-(
I wish I'd been there when it was in full swing and the likes of Johnny O'Keefe played there!
Sadly, long gone before my first trip to Sydney..........

Computers are supposed to work on 1's and 0's - in other words "Yes" or "No" - why does mine frequently say "Maybe"?......

Blythe

The Stadium was a Sydney icon of its time, much like the old Trocadero dance hall on George St. It was as you say demolished to make way for the eastern suburbs railway line.

The Stadium was originally a boxing venue, with fixed seating, so "in the round" was the only concert mode available. It was also made entirely of corrugated iron, which made for interesting acoustics! Very reverberant as you would imagine. Close to the stage was best.

All the headline acts of the day appeared there, Bill Haley & the Comets, Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Roy Orbison, The Hollies, Paul Anka, Ricky Nelson,Johnny Cash, The Everly Brothers, Gerry & the Pacemakers, even Crash Craddock (who remembers Crash!) the list goes on and on.

One other interesting thing about the Stadium. The stage slowly revolved during a performance, but only part way. It then turned fairly abruptly and went the other way.

I recall Bob Dylan getting caught out by the reverse motion, toppling over and being caught by one of the band members as he fell.

Think it was Chris Rea... I saw him in Hanley years ago before he was famous. I wasn't impressed. Saw Emmy Verhey play the Sibelius Violin Concerto in the same hall years later and have been classical ever since: it made an impression!

T.Rex at the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool in March '71.
FR