This is one of those Facebook things that go the rounds - and I completed mine today (slack day in office!):
Right, I've filled in a few of these for other people, and here's another one of that ilk. We've tried albums, but this one is about live gigs you've seen.
I was asked to keep to a formula, and list the favourite concerts I've ever been at, but I've modified that a little, as you'll see below.
I don't expect everyone to figure this out quickly, memories do fade over time and are unrepeatable. I myself haven't taken very long to fully consider this - if I did, I'd probably remember a few more good gigs.
Of course, I wish I'd managed to see more of the old blues artistes in their heyday - I managed a few later on in their careers - Bo Diddley, BB King, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, even Chuck Berry. I also wished I'd managed to get to see Led Zeppelin in their full pomp - and Cream of course. I've seen Jack and Eric as solo acts and even Jack and Ginger in a pseudo Cream set-up with Gary Moore on lead (B, B & M). I also regret not seeing my favourite pop act from the 60's, the Small Faces, but the one I really kick myself for was when I was offered tickets to go and see the Beatles, who were on a package tour with Helen Shapiro and Roy Orbison (I think) in Glasgow in 1963. I was still at school and it would have meant a) finding the money - I was skint, and b) telling my parents, who I didn't think would have approved.
Anyway, here goes, starting with gigs from the distant past of bands/artistes in their prime:
1) Jimmy James & the Vagabonds at a little dance club (whose name I have forgotten) just off Sauchiehall St in Glasgow in 1965. It was the height of the soul scene and Jimmy (as did Geno Washington, who I've seen twice since) was making the most of touring the UK in the absence from these shores of the American soul acts we really wanted to see - Otis Redding, Sam & Dave etc. The atmosphere was electric - at 16, I'd never experienced anything like it.
2) 3) & 4) Also in Glasgow, Greens Playhouse (later the Appollo) was the first venue to offer proper rock gigs - as opposed to the old package tours where various artistes did 20 minutes each (as per Beatles gig above). My favourites from that era - 1969, 1970, 1971 - were gigs by the Rolling Stones (Mick cracking the whip down singing Midnight Rambler), Jethro Tull and the Faces.
5) & 6) were both at the City Hall, Candleriggs, Glasgow about 1970 - firstly Taste, with Rory Gallagher in great form, then Stone the Crows, with Maggie Bell giving it big licks, with Les Harvey on guitar (before his electrocution).
7) & 8) In 1979, we had been living in the South East for 5 years, but having a young family meant I never had the chance to go to any gigs in London, but, knowing we were leaving soon and heading up to Edinburgh, I snuck out a couple of times - firstly to Dingwalls where I saw a very young Joe Jackson, who had just released "Is She Really Going Out With Him?", and then to the Roundhouse to see Graham Parker and the Rumour (with support act Pere Ubu).
9) 1979/1980, now in Edinburgh, I went to the Playhouse with brother Barry to see Talking Heads and the Specials - strange double billing, but it worked OK. We were in the balcony and I remember Terry Hall f-ing and blinding at us to get up and dance like those down in the stalls!
10) 1983, back at the Playhouse, Jo and I went, with my American work colleague Carter Yates, to see Bo Diddley perform. We had great seats - second row of the stalls - but the place was far from full, and Bo took it upon himself to try to create atmosphere and demanded that everyone got up on their feet and danced and clapped along from almost the very first song. I always hate this - you should never be forced to do it - if the urge takes you, fair enough, but if, like me, you just want to sit down, watch and listen, then you shouldn't be publicly "shamed". Despite this, I have very fond memories of watching the great man close up.
11), 12) & 13) were all gigs at AECC. Generally, I hate big arenas - poor sound, no real atmosphere, too far from the stage and too many people - but I did enjoy seeing Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Radiohead here in the last few years.
14) & 15) Conversely, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is a terrific venue - great sound and you get a good view from any seat in the house. I've been to a number of good gigs there, but the most memorable were B B King about 15 years ago and James Taylor about 5 years ago.
The next lot are my favourite types of gig - smaller venues:
16) Wilko Johnson at the Douglas Hotel, Aberdeen about a decade ago. I'd seen Wilko at Dingwall's back in 1979, not long after he'd left Dr. Feelgood, but seeing him again in Aberdeen after such a gap was memorable. His presence on stage and the noise he makes with his guitar are astonishing. I've seen him since in the Lemon tree and he was great again, but this gig in the Douglas Hotel stands out in my memory.
17) Nils Lofgren - seen him 3 times at the Lemon Tree and once at the Music Hall. He was great every time, but the Lemon Tree's acoustics are so much better than the Music Hall. His best gig there was the time it was just him and his brother Tom - can't remember exactly when it was - probably about 7 or 8 years ago.
18) SAHB at the Lemon Tree - both times I've seen them there they have been great, but the first time must have been about 10-12 years ago and I remember us going right to the front and singing along with the band. Pity Alex couldn't have been with us. The following day (Sunday) I was off to Boat of Garten on a golf trip and I recall my ears were still ringing when I got home on the Monday evening!
19) Blockheads at the Lemon Tree - have seen them twice - in 2006 and 2009 - both times excellent. Norman Watt- Roy is something else, and Derek the Draw does pretty well on vocals so long as you're not expecting another Ian Dury.
20) Glenn Tilbrook at the Lemon Tree - the first time was 2004, I think. He called himself a human jukebox and was walking through the audience playing requests. Much better than when we travelled down to the Carling/O2 in Glasgow to see the reformed Squeeze 3 years ago - terrible acoustics spoiled a great back catalogue.
21) Tony McPhee at the Lemon Tree 6 or 7 years ago. Extended guitar solos strongly featured, but enough old Groundhogs material to make it interesting.
22) Seasick Steve at the Music Hall in 2008. Next to AECC (and SECC etc), the MH is one of my least favourite venues, but SS is such a great showman it made it all worthwhile.
My last three are not favourites at all - in fact, they were hugely disappointing in so many ways:
23) Peter Green at the Douglas Hotel in Aberdeen about a decade ago. This was not long after his return to performing after 30 odd years of exile - many of them allegedly spent in a looney bin. He was so poor, he didn't/couldn't even play the solo on Albatross - his rather heavy handed bandmate had to do that. So sad to see such a great man fall so far.
24) Ian Hunter at the Tunnels, Aberdeen in 2008. He's getting on a bit, but he doesn't think so. One or two numbers were OK, but, overall, it was pretty boring.
25) Billy Bragg at the Lemon Tree, Aberdeen in 2006. He was everything I feared - over-politicised and ranting.
Of course, one of the other ways of seeing some of the older artistes who you perhaps missed first time around is to go to see some of the many tribute acts that do the rounds. There's loads of Beatles ones - Bootleg, Cavern, Billy Shears Band etc. We've also seen the Counterfeit Stones, Australian Pink Floyd, Australian Doors, a Jimi Hendrix, From the Jamm, a Small Faces memorial and many more. Most of them are pretty good and they've usually got such great material to work with that you can't fail to enjoy most of it.
That's my lot, now let's see yours!
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