What shows have you been to?

Jodie · Someone's Looking At You

What shows have you been to?

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Have a read on this section Jodie and you'll see who I've seen over the past month or so.

I wanted to see the Red Hot Chilli Peppers last year but was ill and couldn't manage to stand for several hours

I think it was you who got me into Green Day, I'd never taken much notice before but you mentioned them or it was on your website or something and I downloaded some of their music. They are excellent!

Jodie · Someone's Looking At You

Wow i got someone into a band... yey! Heh cool. What song's you like? Have you heard their version of I Fought The Law, it's very good.

franna · V Deep

I'm several multiples of 15, and I couldn't recall every show I've been to if I tried.

I've been busy this summer, though. Sting (froze my ass off!), U2 twice (a container of COBL confetti sits on top of my monitor), Tom Petty (I may have to see every tour from now on until they stop), John Fogerty/John Mellencamp (where I learned that I really wasn't much of a Mellencamp fan, and I have a lot of questions about the function of a rhythm section in a rock band courtesy of the Fogerty experience), Queen Latifah/Jill Scott/Erykah Badu (where I fell in love with Jill but had my doubts about Erykah...the Queen was, well, the Queen), Ozomatli (amazing), David Gray (why wear a suit onstage when it's sweltering in the venue? interesting for all the switching of piano and guitar among band members and within songs...also I love his drummer), Patti Smith (ROCKED!! last night).

Upcoming are most likely Kurtis Blow, Chuck Brown (both are free shows), and possibly Matisyahu and Royskopp (neither are free). Oh, and U2 at least another 3 times (have tickets in hand for 3 shows, there are a total of 7 in the city - so I'll probably end up at more).

Jodie · Someone's Looking At You

Cool

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

If you are not just talking recent - well, seeing as I'm very nearly 40 a fair few more than Jodie

Here's a few:

BTRs
Thin Lizzy
ABC
Culture Club
The Levellers
The Buzzcocks
Madness
Duran Duran
Paul Young
Elvis Costello
Depeche Mode
Tears for Fears
Human League
U2
Beautiful South
Elkie Brookes
Madonna
Elton John and Eric Clapton
Phil Collins
Lime House Lizzy (Thin Lizzy tribute band)
and loads more

Rita · House on Fire

Over my many years, lol, I've seen:

U2(twice)

Meat Loaf (several times)

Peter Gabriel (twice)

Nickelback

Keane

The Darkness

Chris Rea

Madness

Jethro Tull

The Thrills (twice)

Paul McCartney

and I was at Live 8

I'm sure there are others but I can't remember any more. Going to see James Blunt in February at Brixton and I want Fran's U2 tickets, lol! and I'm still hoping to see Damien Rice.

-- Edited by Rita at 13:08, 2005-08-07

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Part 1

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

RE: What shows have you been to?

franna · V Deep

We're talking about first shows? I think my first was Arlo Guthrie / Judy Collins in 1970.

Others (in no particular order whatsoever): Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, The Who (too late - in 86 or so), The Stones (1979 & 1982), The Grateful Dead (several times, I was dating a DeadHead - but latest would be the mid 70s), Jethro Tull, Phil Collins (the stage power died at the critical moment of "In The Air Tonight", he stormed off stage, PISSED as hell), New Riders of the Purple Sage, Frank Zappa (twice), Joni Mitchell (several times), James Taylor (probably several times, most notable was the night after he married Carly Simon and he brought her onstage), Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Crosby, Stills & Nash (several times), Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (several times), Neil Young (solo) (I might well have seen Steve Stills solo, and Crosby and Nash as a duo, too), Simon & Garfunkel, Paul Simon (solo, several times) (and yes, I was at the Concerts in the Park), The Allman Brothers (several times), The Black Crowes, Bonnie Raitt (several times), Hot Tuna, Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, The John Pizzarelli Trio, Mavis Staples, File, Celia Cruz, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Bruce Springsteen (at The Bottom Line), Dire Straits (at The Bottom Line), John Mayall, Aztec Two Step, Steve Goodman, Don McLean,The Moody Blues, Ani DiFranco, Joan Osborne, Jackson Browne, Earth, Wind & Fire, John Sebastian, Steve Winwood, Mel Torme, Cyndi Lauper, Cher, Little Feat, Jefferson Airplane.

I'm sure I'll remember more.

Deeply regret never seeing Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin or Ella Fitzgerald. (among others).

-- Edited by franna at 23:51, 2005-08-07

-- Edited by franna at 23:52, 2005-08-07

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

franna wrote:

Phil Collins (the stage power died at the critical moment of "In The Air Tonight", he stormed off stage, PISSED as hell),

Thank heavens for small mercies! If only there had been a power cut in the midst of him recording all his records (and his films and his videos....)

That happened when I went to see Dodgy @ the 100 Club, the singer tried to just shout! And when the Strokes did Clampdown at Ally Pally. That must have been fated! (Strangely enough on the same night Geldof played Union Chapel nearby).

franna · V Deep

ArrGee wrote:

Thank heavens for small mercies! If only there had been a power cut in the midst of him recording all his records (and his films and his videos....)

Aw, c'mon, he's a good drummer.

Katharina · Dave

ArrGee wrote:

That happened when I went to see Dodgy @ the 100 Club, the singer tried to just shout! And when the Strokes did Clampdown at Ally Pally. That must have been fated! (Strangely enough on the same night Geldof played Union Chapel nearby).

And where were you ArrGee? At the Strokes show or Geldof? Lol.

Katharina · Dave

My first show was the Norwegian boy band A-ha.

Does anyone remember them?

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

I do remember A-ha and their videos... Didn't get to see them live though.

The Sun Always Shines On TV....

Ian · House on Fire

A potted history of The Rathole

Ocassionally people ask us what we do for a living when we're not bobbing about with Geldof. Well Tina is a musician and I do some journalism and music promotion. In the mid '80's to mid '90's I ran quite a successful music venue in Tamworth called The Rathole. It was based above a trandy wine-bar, Manhattans. But the upstairs was in severe need of attention. It was lamost derelict. But it was perfect for an indie/rock venue. Many of you will be too young to remember most of the bands that used to play there, and people like Franna and MJ probably won't have heard of many of these bands. But I am sure the elders among us, like Mark Boyle and Arrgee will remember this lot with fondness.

Bob Geldof and Band (never got to promote the Rats but have done shows with Bob and the band)
Dr. Feelgood
Ocean Colour Scene
Echo & The Bunnymen
Thousand Yard Stare
Pop Will Eat Itself
The Buzzcocks
The Toy Dolls (Yes Mark, we had to put the show on at the Tamworth Arts Centre as Rathole was under refurbishment)
The Cranberries
Wolfsbane
Teenage Fanclub
Adorable
Primal Scream
The Primitives
Manic Street Preachers (they cancelled on 2 ocassions)
Zodiac Mindwarp
Hawkwind
Gay Bikers On Acid
Thatcher On Acid
Blythe Power
The Wonder Stuff (one of Miles fave early venues)
The Senseless Things
Hugh Cornwall
Midge Ure
Tom Robinson - what a lovely man, like M & S sandwiches and Tina's sandwiches
Cabaret Voltare
Lush
Mega City Four
The Telescopes
Martin Stephenson (just a great guy - so damn funny - off his tree)
The Brilliant Corners
Five Thirty
The Soup Dragons
Catherine Wheel
Crazy Head
Inspiral Carpets
Midway Still
Nutmeg
Corner Shop
Back to The Planet
Radiohead
The Tansads
Pulp
The Yogots
Spiral Eye
Lindisfarne
The Strawbs
Fairport Convention
Dick Gaughin
Pierre Bensusan (5 hour sound check - 1 man 1 guitar - no kidding)
Show Of Hands
Bert Jansch
Chip Taylor - brilliant solo performer he's the guy that write Angel Of The Morning and Wild Thing - also the brother of Jon Voight (Tina swoons)

By the mid 90's I was getting too old for all this indie stuff so I started to run acoustic events. Still do that to this day. Ocassionally put on theatre productions.

Rita · House on Fire

I'm just relieved Ian didn't include me in his list of "elders among us" lol

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Me too.

I forgot REM, I saw them just a few weeks ago... and I remembered Ultravox and Wham and Spandau Ballet

I certainly can't top Ian's list.

Ian · House on Fire

I have really enjoyed this thread because it's brought back happy memories for me from my indie promoting days. I have just dug out My old records and forgot bands like:

The Candyskins
Mighty Mighty
St. Etienne
Birdland
Onion Head
The Sandkings
Ride
Katydids

Only the die hard late '80's/'90's indie fans will remember most of these. I have just found an old contract. We paid the Wonder Stuff £50 and a case of beer. I ocassionally promoted a few comedy nights, Frank Skinner was a regular with us and again was £50 and a few beers. It really was quite a buzz promoting bands in their early stages and then watching them progress and 6 months later they mostly became darlings of the NME and Melody Maker.

Many ocassions, some quite well known bands who had already had front covers of the music press, played to some really small audiences. The Cranberries for instance, I think we had around 40 ish paying punters thats all. But Delores was great and the gig was great too.

There is a well known pub venue in London called the Hope & Anchor whihc U2 played twice. The gig room is extremely tiny, there is a plaque there giving the date when U2 played there. It tells you they played to an audience of 9. You wouldn't believe it would you?

Ian

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Katharina wrote:

ArrGee wrote: That happened when I went to see Dodgy @ the 100 Club, the singer tried to just shout! And when the Strokes did Clampdown at Ally Pally. That must have been fated! (Strangely enough on the same night Geldof played Union Chapel nearby). And where were you ArrGee? At the Strokes show or Geldof? Lol.

Obviously at the Strokes! Oddly enough, the two occassions I got closest to seeing Geldof solo have been in churches (Paradiso, Amsterdam/ Union Chapel, Islington) and both times I was thwarted, firstly by the odd policy of the Paradiso of having to be a member to get a ticket; VoL tour, but I rectified that in time to see the Happy Mondays, was close enough to see the red of their eyes. And then the Union Chapel one when as luck would have it I already had tickets for the Strokes. I was torn, never having seen the Strokes and Geldof doing the old Rats songs, but I figured that Geldof would be back at the Union Chapel someday (he won't because they don't do gigs anymore).

Anyone got a nice church for hire?

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Ian wrote:

A potted history of The Rathole Ocassionally people ask us what we do for a living when we're not bobbing about with Geldof. Well Tina is a musician and I do some journalism and music promotion. In the mid '80's to mid '90's I ran quite a successful music venue in Tamworth called The Rathole. It was based above a trandy wine-bar, Manhattans. But the upstairs was in severe need of attention. It was lamost derelict. But it was perfect for an indie/rock venue.

Pulp

Pulp? Crikey, tell this man!

http://www.geocities.com/truthandbeauty.geo/other.html

And the Hope & Anchor is one of the great venues! Couldn't tell you who I ever heard there, none became famous! Did come across a few bands before they were famous like Marillion and the Fixx (big in US, not so much in UK), but they were at the nearby City University and Pulp and Dodgy at the even closer Garage [the more observant will note I spend a lot of time in Islington]. Rathole sounds a bit like the Garage! (though the trendy wine bars are down the road)

Must admit my one regret in all my gig going years was not to see Dr. Feelgood. I had the chance, but just didn't. And now poor Lee Brilleaux has gone, I never will see them (though a band with the same monicker exist, it's not the same). Nothing more impressive than a man smoking his way through a gig!

The smallest crowd I was ever at for a gig was for the Sweet in about 1983. They didn't turn up until gone midnight and most people had gone home, so there was only about 60-70 people left [City University again]. But it was like a stadium gig with the lighting rig and the pyrotechnics, and ended up being a really good night (though sadly the bar has shut at midnight).

Tina McBain · Administrator

Arrgee, for Christ's sake don't encourage Ian. He is driving me mad with his nostalgic nonsense. I remember that period of our life with trepidation. Not only did we promote the Rathole, but also other shows at varying venues in the midlands. The Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath, Birmingham, The Que club in Birmingham, Sinatra's in Birmingham, The Dial, The Wharehouse, and The Flowerpot in Derby. and the Wheatsheaf in Stoke.

Now just imagine this. Ian doesn't drive, he has a chauffer (Me), we get to the gigs, he can't do technical stuff either, but I can (so I do this too), he didn't like manning the door, so guess who did that. Some bands needed feeding (you've guessed it). Then at the end, when I have paid the bands and chucked them out, Ian strutted about like a f***ing sergeant major telling me and everyone how bloody good he is at this promoting thing.

Most of the bands as I recall were complete ****e. The Primitves were good, and Delores from the Cranberries was delightful, we got on very well. She came to see my pig (no a real one, not Ian, (although he is a pig too)). There was a band called Beef, with the female vocalist who looked as if she would kill anyone who crossed her path. But was really sweet.

I remember Ian's excitement, like a kid a Christmas when we had Corner Shop. I can honestly say that in the millions of gigs I have been to, they were probably the worst thing I ever saw. God only knows how they ever charted. They must be from a huge family that is all I can say.

Last night Ian spent three hours trying to remember other band names and trying to woo me with his knowledge - failed again.

I am putting my foot down now. Don't encourage him - ask him questions and beware, you will get the answers and its like War & Peace when he starts.

Tina

-- Edited by Tina McBain at 18:10, 2005-08-09

-- Edited by Tina McBain at 18:12, 2005-08-09

-- Edited by Tina McBain at 18:18, 2005-08-09

-- Edited by Tina McBain at 18:19, 2005-08-09

Ian · House on Fire

I have the wrath of Tina on my back Arrgee. I can't really remember that much details about the Pulp gig. At the time we had so many acts they all merged into one. It was like a conveyor belt. We used to do gigs all over, not just The Rathole. I think it may have been in Derby or the Que Club in Brum. I have a vague memory that it was about the time they had just got out of a restrictive contract with fire records. and seemed pleased just to be playing again.

The way we used to book the bands was just really by taking a look at the NME, Melody Maker etc... Next Big Thing columns and of course most of them were nothing of the sort. They just had their five minutes of indie fame.

We used to have bands on mainly who were on the up. But the one gig I vividly remember is the Primitives who were sadly on their way down, they had already had chart success with Crash. But because people knew who they were, the place was packed. The dressing room at The Rathole was at the back of the hall oposite the stage, Tracy Tracy had to make her way through the crowd with people pushing to get to her for a grope, she was surrounded by bouncers, it was quite scary for her, but they performed a fantastic show.

The Toy Dolls were another band we had after their success with novelty hit Nellie The Elephant. The Rathole was packed with pogoing punks all waiting to mosh to Nellie. Unfortunately the band do not play their biggest hit live, as they said it almost ruined their career. We had a lot of disappointed neutrals although followers of the band knew full well that this was the case.

I had thought of digging out the old memorabilia from the garage, but Tina has locked it and thrown the key away - cow!

Here are the ones I thought about last night:
Bleach
Beef
Radical Dance FAction
New Fast Automatic Daffodils
Carter The Unstoppable Sex MAchine
Kingmaker - trio from Hull - one of my faves
Neds
The Mighty Lemon Drops
Freight Train
Rescue
Family Cat
Family Gotown
Surf Drums
Darling Buds
The Rose Hips
The Moonflowers
Milk
The Miltown Brothers
The Shop Assistants
The Field Mice
Cake

Cheers Ian - don't forget to do the rat!!

-- Edited by Tina McBain at 15:22, 2005-08-09

-- Edited by Tina McBain at 18:11, 2005-08-09

-- Edited by Tina McBain at 18:13, 2005-08-09

-- Edited by Tina McBain at 18:20, 2005-08-09

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

Jodie what did you start here? LOL

MMbullybuddyGP · Drag Me Down

wtf, you've all been to a lot of great stuff! I've only gone to see Michael Crawford (original Phantom of the Opera...not in POTO but in a concert he had a few years ago), Marilyn Manson, VNV Nation, and the Neville Brothers...Aaron Neville was sick that night but it was still cool.

Tango · In the Long Grass

you have gud taste jodie.at 14 iv not seen many.busted,mcfly the usual stuff.tho i have seen meatloaf and was at edinburgh 50000.meatloaf was a laugh.hope to see some more interesting bands like mcr soon tho

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Ian wrote:

I can't really remember that much details about the Pulp gig.

Probably wasn't Pulp then. You'd never forget them

Katharina · Dave

Looked through the ticket stubs. Apart from A-ha (first) and Bob Geldof (most shows by one artist), these are the shows I've seen. I've left out some names you wouldn't know (local). They're in no particular order.

Teenage Fanclub, Levellers (3 times), Therapy? (5 or 6 times), Björk (2), Faith No More (2), Iggy Pop, Anthrax, Living colour, Suicidal Tendencies, Rage against the machine (twice), The wonder stuff (3 times), UK Subs, An Emotional Fish (twice), The Cramps (twice), Del Amitri (twice), Deacon Blue (4 times), Sugarcubes, The House of love (2), Christy Moore, Power of Dreams, Happy Mondays, Throwing Muses, Lemonheads (3), Carter USM (2), The Wedding Present, Goodbye Mr MecKenzie, They might be Giants (4), Midnight Oil, Morrissey, Inspiral Carpets, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, The Farm, Les Negresses Vertes (2), The La’s, Dave Stewart (7), The Legendary Pink Dots, The Silencers (15), EMF (2), The Pogues, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Sundays, The Mission, Paul McCartney, Simple Minds, Hothouse Flowers (2), The Pixies, Aztec Camera, Sinead O’Connor, Rolling Stones, Runrig, Fischer-Z (6), Red Hot Chili Peppers, Babes in Toyland (3), East 17, Oasis (2), Body Count, Billy Bragg, Chumbawamba, Alice Donut, SNFU, Fugazi, Mudhoney, NOFX, Bad Religion, Dinosaur Jr., Violent Femmes, Black Sabbath, GWAR, New Model Army, Fish, The Saw Doctors, Alice in Chains, The Tragically Hip, Henry Rollins, Manic Street Preachers, U2, The Frank and Walters, Prodigy, The Cardigans, Ash, Pulp, Ocean Colour Scene, Dodgy, Die Sterne, Robbie Williams, Franz Ferdinand, Blur (3), Julian Dawson.

I can't believe I'd forgotten about so many of them! Like with you Ian, this is bringing back many happy memories for me...

-- Edited by Katharina at 21:19, 2005-08-15

Ian · House on Fire

The list of gigs I produced earlier were ones that I had worked on as either the promoter or publicist. The list I am about to undertake is the one where I paid cash for my tickets, which I suppose does make a difference. I have left out the artists who appeared at Live 8 and Murrayfield.

Adam Ant - Live Aid
Adam and the Ants - Derby
Aerosmith - Birmingham Odeon
The Alarm - Birmingham Odeon
Big Country - Birmingham Odeon
Bjork - With the Sugar Cubes - Royal COurt Liverpool
Boomtown Rats - dozens and dozens of times
Davie Bowie - Live Aid, Milton Keynes Bowl, NEC and guesting with Iggy Pop at Birmingham Odeon
Billy Bragg - Cambridge Folk Festival
Eric Clapton - NEC, Live Aid
Phil Collins - Live Aid
Julian Cope - Wolverhampton Civic Hall
Climax Blues Band - Liberal House, Tamworth
Elvis Costello - Live Aid
Dexys Midnight Runners - Birmingham Hippodrome
Dire Straights - Live Aid
Dr. Feelgood - numerous ocassions
Desmond Dekker - Burton Arts Centre
Bob Dylan - NEC
ELO II - Nottingham Royal Court
Fairport Convention - Cropredy
J. Geiles Band - twice supporting the Stones
Gary Glitter - Night Out Birmingham
Peter Green - Huntington Hall
Steve Gibbons Band - NEC supporting The Who
Steve Harley - Wolverhampton Civic
Ben Harper - Worlverhampton Civic
Iggy Pop - Birmingham Odeon
James - Burberrys Birmingham
Jesus & Mary Chain - Humming Bird, Birmingham
Elton John - Live Aid
Kid Creole - Birmingham
Levellers - Cambridge
Dubliners - Kings, Birmingham
Joan Baez - Cambridge
Lowden Wainwright - Cambridge
Men The Couldn't Hang - Birmingham
Lindisfarne - Derby
Nils Lofgren - Flowerpot Derby
Pogues - S****horpe and Burton
Bad Manners - Derby
Girls School - Derby
Paul McCartney - Live Aid
Meatloaf - NEC
George Michael - Wembley
Paul Weller and the Style Council - Birmingham Odeon
Edwin Starr - loads of times
Gonzales - Tamworth Assembly Rooms
The Who - NEC and London

Ooops! Forgot:
The Rolling Stones, Leeds and Wembly
The Stranglers - Derby Assembly Rooms
U2 - Derby Assembly Rooms & Wembley
Del Shannon - The Mackadown, Birmingham

That's all I can remember for the time being but there is bound to be more.

Ian

-- Edited by Tina McBain at 09:26, 2005-08-16

camilladk · Tonight

Jules: Wow some great concerts you have been to

-- Edited by camilladk at 18:55, 2005-08-16

camilladk · Tonight

Wow Jules totally brilliant your music taste you got

How was the Wham concert?

franna · V Deep

You may now add Kurtis Blow and Chuck Brown to my list. (Go Go is surprisingly trance inducing, don't know why that surprised me.)

Tango · In the Long Grass

thats one hell of a list!