What's the 12 best gigs you have been to?

[Superphil]

Led Zep - O2, 2007
Metallica Earls Court, 1996
Motorhead Brixton 25 years anniversary
Gong - Brighton Corn Exchange
The Christians - Brighton Top Rank
Saxon - Astoria, St Georges Day early 2000s
Ozzy - Brixton 1995
Saxon - Brighton Centre 1981
Motorhead - Worthing Assembly Hall, about 1987
Prince - Wembley Arena (can't remember when but the one with the circular stage, 1990ish)

 

[GT49er]

Not going to bother counting a dozen, but here are a few that spring to mind:
The Who - Liverpool Uni 1971;
Jethro Tull - Liverpool Uni 1968/9 (support act to the Searchers) and 1972;
Pink Floyd - Liverpool Uni 68/69 (using borrowed gear - their convoy had broken down on the motorway!);
Michael Chapman - Liverpool Uni 69/69;
Fairport Convention - Liverpool Uni 68/69 (with Sandy Denny);
Velvet Underground - Liverpool Uni - 1970ish;
Country Joe McDonald - Bath Festival 1970;
Leonard Cohen - IoW Festival 1970;
The Oyster Band - Gloucester Guildhall four or five years ago;
Jennifer Batten - Shoreham, 5 (?) years ago.

 

[tinycowboy]

Slowdive - Oxford Jerico Tavern 1990
Felt - LSE 1987
Cocteau Twins - Town & Country (?) 1986
Wedding Present - ULU 1987
Cure - Glastonbury 1990
Railway Children - Africa Centre 1987
Flaming Lips - London Forum (?) 2003
Prince - Wembley Arena 1998
Mogwai - London Upstairs at the Garage 1997

I think that's enough.

 

[spring hall convert]

Did anyone see Captain Beefheart at The Dome? I think it was '73 or '74. I've heard quite a few stories about it.

Suprised not to see it on this list so far, it seems to stick in the mind of those that were there.

 

[spring hall convert]

Caribou - Swim tour. Saw them 7 times on this tour, all amazing. Turned Shepherds Bush Empire (usually a hellhole) into a sweaty festival tent. Worked a small Bestival crowd into a frenzy. An amazing tour.

Did you see them at The Freebutt? One of the hottest gigs I've ever been to.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nigeyb/sets/72157623755619859/

That's still the only time I've seen them. Catching them at The Warehouse Project in Manchester later this month though.

 

[Simgull]

Tricky....

The Clash - Lyceum 1980?
The Fall - The Venue - 1982?
The Undertones - Kilburn National 1982?
My Bloody Valentine - Roundhouse 2011?
Husker Du - Electric Ballroom 1984?
Jesus and Mary Chain, MBV, Priimal Scream (missed Blur as went to the bar) -Brighton Centre 1990
Wedding Present/James - Ritzys Leeds 1987?
New Order - Brixton International Aids Day 1987
Edwyn Collins - Comeback gig Dingwalls 2010
Pixies - Brixton 1989?
Jack White - Hammersmith? 2012
Link Wray - Sherpherds Bush 2002?

 

[Trufflehound]

Stiff Little Fingers / Robert Rental & the Normal - Camden Electric Ballroom March 10, 1979. Not my first gig, but the one that changed my life. There was no going back after that.

The Clash / The Members /Aswad - 'Southall Kids are Innocent' RAR gig at the Rainbow, July 1979. Blinding gig; missed the last train out of London, so bought tickets off a tout to see the midnight showing of Moonraker at the Leicester Square Odeon. Spent the rest of the night being chatted up by winos showing off their stabbing scars in Waterloo Station while waiting for the first train out on Sunday morning. Happy days - the things you can get away with as a 17-year-old.

Gang of Four - Hammersmth Palais, March 1981. Still the best gig ever.

Gang of Four - Amsterdam Melkweg, April 2004. Just after they reformed with the original line up. Was scared beforehand they wouldn't live up to my memory. Needn't have worried. Still the second-best gig ever.

Neutral Milk Hotel / The War on Drugs - Tivoli, Utrecht, May 2014. Wow. Just wow.

Gogol Bordello - about 6 times, 2006-2014. They never let me down.

!!! (Chk! Chk! Chk!) - Pukkelpop Festival Belgium, 2005 & 2013. You'd never guess from their decidedly average records what a brilliant live act they are.

The Birthday Party / The Fall - Hammersmith Palais, April(?) 1982. Both bands at their peak at the time. To have them play one after another was a godsend.

The Wedding Present - Hammersmith Klubfoot, 1987. In a sweaty little room above the Clarendon pub.

The Pukkelpop Festival, Belgium 1991, in general: Sonic Youth / Frank Black / The House of Love / The Pogues / The Ramones, all on one stage on the same day. Even if I did miss a then-virtually-unknown Nirvana, who were on at 11am having been called in as a last minute replacement (they were supporting Sonic Youth on their European tour and were in the area). Although, with hindsight, having seen the film '1991: The Year Punk Broke' I now know I saw Kurt Cobain dancing like a loon at the back of the stage during SY's set - I just had no idea it was him at the time.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Pukkelpop Festival, Belgium 2013. Down at the front with the other 'furious nodders'...

Siouxsie & the Banshees / The Human League - Rainbow, 1979. Organisers foolishly left the seats in place. The first 15 rows were reduced to firewood after about 2 songs.

Is that 12 already? I was just getting started.

 

[Tarpon]

Ŷ

Always wanted to see black Uhuru.

On reflection that was 84 not 87. Not that it matters.

 

[Tarpon]

On reflection that was 84 not 87. Not that it matters.

Wrong again. 86. Had to look it up.

 

[Robinjakarta]

Jimi Hendrix, Dome, 1967
Cream, Top Rank Suite, 1968?
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, St James' Park, Newcastle, 1985?
Queen, Wembley Stadium, 1985
Eric Clapton, Royal Albert Hall, 1987
Lady Gaga, Singapore Indoor Stadium, 2012
Joan Baez, Ephesus, Turkey, 1988?
U2, Ninian Park, Cardiff, 1985
Genesis, Wembley Stadium, 1985?
The Who, Plumpton, 1969
Eclection, Jimmy's, Steine St, Brighton, 1968. Great band like Fairport Convention for short time
The Motion, various Mid Sussex venues around 1966
The Beach Boys, Tooting Granada/Finsbury Park Astoria/Hammersmith Odeon 1965/66

 

[Worried Man Blues]

I seem to have a fragile grip on my memory..............

Lindisfarne Genesis Brighton dome 72?
Eagles Hell freezes over Wembley ?
ELP Wembley arena 7? responsible for my tinnitus
Dire straits Wembley Arena 7?
Queen Rod Wembley Stadium Kind of magic
Eric Clapton* Albert Hall
Kneb 79 Led Zep. Quo Commander Cody; Chas & Dave and Fairport Convention.
Bryan Adams
Chris Rea Brighton Kingswest ?
Strawbs Focus Basingstoke 200?
Wishbone Ash
The Holmes Bros. Borderline
Wilko Johnson Oxford Apollo?
Bob Dylan Van Morrison both crap!
Stan Webb Brewery Oxford
Clarence Gatemouth Brown*
Bo Diddley Near Tottenham court road!
Buddy Guy South bank
BB King possibly Bournmouth
John Mayall
Ollie Brown Nags Head High Wycombe

 

[boik]

Again, in no particular order:

XTC "Christmas Party" - Music Machine 1980? - They just played and played and played. Can't believe Andy Partridge was crippled by stagefright.
New Order, ACR, Happy Mondays - GMex Centre 1988 - Completely manic.
Infadels - La Scala 2006 - The only gig I've been to where everybody was jumping so much I was genuinely worried that the building might collapse.
Wedding Present - Concorde 2005? - I'd seen them loads before but was worried that the "comeback" might be a letdown. Gedge attacked so much I think he broke about a dozen strings.
Banshees/Cure/Spizz - B/C - Just perfect from beginning to end.
Bloc Party - Concorde 2004 - the electricity in the room that night was amazing.
Devo - Rainbow 1980 - First time I'd seen a post punk band do a staged show. Spellbinding.
Ruts - Marquee 1979 - The Ruts were my favourite punk band and severely underrated in my opinion.
The Go! Team - Concorde 2005 - Didn't know anything about them and wasn't expecting much. Thought they were amazing, but went downhill fast after that.
Ian Durys Rock and Roll Circus - Streatham 1979 - Complete with Alberto y Los Trios Paranoias and "The worlds rudest Punch and Judy Man"!
The Sundays - Southsea 1992 - first gig with my beloved wife.
Red House Painters - Commenwealth Institute 1995 - probably the best out of all of the ties I've seen them.

Special mention for all the Piranhas/Nicky and the Dots gigs all over Brighton. Great days.

 

[bassking]

Frank Zappa
Sham 69
Pistols
Meteors
NOFX
Brian Brain
Public Image
Discharge
Cockney Rejects
Anti nowhere league
Dropkick Murphys
Crass

 

[Miximate]

A few that stick in my mind

Rory Gallagher - Dome
Black Sabbath (Ronnie James Dio) - Brighton Centre
Queen, Status Quo and Inxs (all on same day) - Wembley Stadium
Jam - Brighton Centre
Stevie Wonder - Brighton Centre
Procul Harem - Nevada
Chris Rea - Brighton Centre

Worst -
SADE - Brighton Centre - Depressing, sounded all the same
Lighthouse Family - Brighton Centre - Boring, boring, boring! (imo)

 

[Withdean and I]

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Hyde Park, 2009.

Also meant to add....

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Coventry, Ricoh Arena, 2013

The Foo Fighters - Wembley Stadium, 2008 (Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin were guests for the encore!!!)

Coldplay - Emirates Stadium 2012

The Who - Brighton Centre 2008 ish

Fat Boy Slim - Brighton Beach (the big one!!!)

The Fishermans Friends - Port Isaac, The Platt, Summer 2014

The Prodigy - Brighton Centre

Oasis - Earls Court

Paul McCartney - O2 Arena

U2 - Cardiff Arms Park, 1987, Joshua Tree Tour

Page & Plant - Wembley Arena

 

[wigman]

Pistols Finsbury park
Piranhas Buccaneer
Buzzcocks Coalition club
Sham 69 Concorde 2
SLF Blackpool winter gardens
Pistols O2 Birmingham
Pistols Brixton x5
Buzzcocks Brixton
Sham 69 Brixton
Sussex Pistols Worthing
Anti Nowhere League Redhill
Peter & The Test Babies, too many dates to mention.

Pistols Finsbury Park were amazing,
Sussex Pistols, Inn on the Prom was always a great night,
Peter and the Test Tube Babies at the Richmond one Sunday lunchtime was legendary.

 

[matbha]

Frank Zappa
Sham 69
Pistols
Meteors
NOFX
Brian Brain
Public Image
Discharge
Cockney Rejects
Anti nowhere league
Dropkick Murphys
Crass

Wow the best band I have seen is IronMaiden by a mile ,and I have seen a few .

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Take that , earls court
regards
DR

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Can't recall all of the dates:

Led Zeppelin - Earls Court 1975 (wow)
Bruce Springsteen & the E St Band - Brighton Centre 1980ish ('The River')
The Who - Charlton
The Who - Brighton Centre
U2 - Top Rank, Brighton
Stranglers - Brighton
Ry Cooder - Brighton Centre
Pink Floyd - Wembley Stadium
Don McLean - Boston Pops
Bruce Springsteen & the E St Band - Crystal P****e Athletics Stadium
Bruce Springsteen & the E St Band - Hyde Park
Bonnie Raitt - The Dome, Brighton
Steve Earle - Cambridge Corn Exchange
Joe Bonamassa - Brighton Centre 2013
The Hamsters - various gigs around the South and East from the 90s onward.

 

[The Modfather]

The Jam - Bton Centre - 1980
Smiths - Dome 1985
The Men they couldn't hang - Pavilion 1985
Birdland - Zap club 1989
Happy Mondays - Top Rank 1989
Stone Roses - Spike Island 1990
Blur - Sussex Uni -1993
Ocean Colour Scene - Electric Ballroom, Camden 1996
Supergrass - Concorde - 2002
Arctic Monkeys - Komedia 2005
The Charlatans - Hammersmith Palais 2005
Specials - Bton Centre -2009