The first gig you ever went to

Underworld; Metropolis, Fremantle, 1987

And if you do the math, you'll realise that was when they weren't so cool.

I'm a live show virgin (unless you count this one trip I took to Carowinds, a local theme park, where they had Christin artists performing. I'd like to forget that day...)

First concert, Leo Sayer, around '76.:o My uncle was his tour manager and the whole family went to see his show at the Pavillion when he came to Glasgow. I really enjoyed it and own a copy of his 'best of' album to this day. Around easter '79 I saw Joy Division by accident in a small venue in Manchester. My big cousin was a bouncer there and was always getting us into the place. They were good, but it took hearing 'New Dawn Fades' on the radio before I actually bought Unknown Pleasures. First New Order gig was very early '81 in Glasgow, just after New Year, and i'm almost certain it was'nt at the Eggy Toll Plaza as stated on the concert pages of this site, though I can't remember for sure. The set was loud, energetic, and powerfull. I've seen them about thirty odd times since, all round the country but never abroad.

Originally posted by Dutch Jim says: NO! Well, just curious, who of you know them:First concert: KAYAK, saw them in a small venue in Vlaardingen (near Schiedam/Rotterdam). It was fantastic.When looking through the CD's for sale in London, last October, I even noticed a few Kayak CD's being on sale there!! Oh my....

Bloody hell, DJ, I am not sure, but KAYAK may have been my first concert as well. At my school they had these concerts by Dutch bands, about 3 or 4 a year. So in my first year (when I was 12) I had seen Kayak, but also Alquin and Solution; do you remember those?? Dutch symphonic rock, can't beat it :) .

Oh yes my dutch friends. I do know Kayak, but i am proud to say i've never ever seen them!Although the legendary song Ruthless queen is for ever engraved in my memory, i still don't know why. My first gig....pffew, i've gotta dig back in time!Perhaps het goede doel playing on the Amersfoort marketsquare when i was abiout 15 years old so that was in 1980 i guess. Or was it Frites Modern(a punk band) in de Kazemat in Hoevelaken.Nanne Visser probably knows the place.

Oh yes my dutch friends. I do know Kayak, but i am proud to say i've never ever seen them!Although the legendary song Ruthless queen is for ever engraved in my memory, i still don't know why. My first gig....pffew, i've gotta dig back in time!Perhaps "het goede doel" playing on the Amersfoort marketsquare when i was abiout 15 years old so that was in 1980 i guess. Or was it Frites Modern(a punk band) in de Kazemat in Hoevelaken.Nanne Visser probably knows the place.

Oh yes my dutch friends. I do know Kayak, but i am proud to say i've never ever seen them!Although the legendary song Ruthless queen is for ever engraved in my memory, i still don't know why. My first gig....pffew, i've gotta dig back in time!Perhaps "het goede doel" playing on the Amersfoort marketsquare when i was abiout 15 years old so that was in 1980 i guess. Or was it Frites Modern(a punk band) in de Kazemat in Hoevelaken.Nanne Visser probably knows the place. Oh great, its taking ages again to submit reply.....means this post will hit about three times, sorry for that. I'll only reach my 400 landmark sooner!

You don't know what you missed Mario!! Seeing Kayak at the age of twelve is bloody impressive I can tell you I read somewhere that they are still touring, so you still have your chance. I don't think I will bother, don't want to spoil the memory...

Oh yes my dutch friends. I do know Kayak, but i am proud to say i've never ever seen them!Although the legendary song Ruthless queen is for ever engraved in my memory, i still don't know why. My first gig....pffew, i've gotta dig back in time!Perhaps "het goede doel" playing on the Amersfoort marketsquare when i was abiout 15 years old so that was in 1980 i guess. Or was it Frites Modern(a punk band) in de Kazemat in Hoevelaken.Nanne Visser probably knows the place. Oh great, its taking ages again to submit reply.....means this post will hit about three times, sorry for that. I'll only reach my 400 landmark sooner!

Originally posted by King of Nothing My first gig must have been The Frank and Walters in the early 90's. Nobody else seemed to have heard about them, but the Corkers from Cork took the crowd by a storm. Tuneless bastards, just like me. :D

I know the Frank and Walters! I used to love them and I was just listening again and again to their first album when it came out. I love "Fashion Crisis hits New-York" , "Walter's Trip" and "Daisy Chain". They were supposed to be really UNBELIEVABLE in concert but I never had the chance to see them. As for myself, the first concert I went to was New Order in Lyon in January 1989. I was 14... And i did not like it cos they got locked in a room while they were taking drugs and the audience had to wait for more than 1 hour for them!

Guess i'll miss that one again Oh my Ruthless Queen

I went to my first gig at The Free Trade Hall in Manchester, where I saw the Smiths on the Queen is Dead tour in 87 (I was 14)

What a first gig!

Congrats phil. I was and still am a huge Smiths fan. Unfortunately never saw them live.snif snif.

My first gig was the police on the synchronicity. My parents took my brother and me to see them(I was 9). but the sound was crap and we left early. My best gig was probably going to see the replacements in ann, arbor, MI on their farewell tour in '91.

Fucking hell - I wish I also had the chance to see Madness - they were one of my all time favourite ever bands of the early 80s - I was absolutely obsessed with them!

But my first gig came surprisingly quite late in my teenage years - fuck knows why, cuz i started buying records at such an incredibly early age - but it wasn't until 1983 that I saw my first live band (as in proper LIVE POP BAND WHO HAVE HAD CHART HITS) - as all manner of other live bands I've seen years before don't count. So here we go - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark at Liverpool Royal Court in autumn 1983 Support was - wait for it - Howard Jones (ha ha ha ha ha) - he even got asked back for an encore, so blame the Scousers for his subsequent shocking success!! Ha ha

Any other Liverpool correspondents present at this very same gig? (Post- Dazzle-Shits/Pre -Junk Culture, wilderness period, as fas as I can remember)

Morrissey at Starplex in Dallas later released and creatively titled Morrissey Live In Dallas. I think it was 1991. Shows missed because my family are conservative religious nutcases: REM Green Tour in Shreveport, LA - The Cure and New Order in New Orleans in 1989 though not together. Warning to all those on the forums --- Stay away from Louisiana with the exception of NewOrleans (if you must go, go for Halloween, much better than Mardi Gras) Also, with the exception of visiting Jeff, I must urge you to stay away from Texas. Many of my friends have been harassed by the police for no good reason in Texas. Besides, the state is fucking ugly with a bunch of fucking cowboys and rascist bigots clogging the strip-malls (no women are not taking off clothes in these malls) and highways. With the exception of Jeff, of course. In fact, Texas, Lousiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Florida should be sold to Mexico or annexed --- I hate the south.

Originally posted by Martian Gray Fucking hell - I wish I also had the chance to see Madness - they were one of my all time favourite ever bands of the early 80s - I was absolutely obsessed with them!But my first gig came surprisingly quite late in my teenage years - fuck knows why, cuz i started buying records at such an incredibly early age - but it wasn't until 1983 that I saw my first live band (as in proper LIVE POP BAND WHO HAVE HAD CHART HITS) - as all manner of other live bands I've seen years before don't count.So here we go - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark at Liverpool Royal Court in autumn 1983Support was - wait for it - Howard Jones (ha ha ha ha ha) - he even got asked back for an encore, so blame the Scousers for his subsequent shocking success!! Ha ha Any other Liverpool correspondents present at this very same gig? (Post- Dazzle-Shits/Pre -Junk Culture, wilderness period, as fas as I can remember)

I may well have been,not sure, definitely saw the dazzleships tour,I recall the stage, set design for that tour quite well(was it a Saville?) and definitely saw them at the same venue a few times, once The Cocteau Twins were the support. Liz Frazer sounding fucking awful, kept hitting herself as she sang,some observes may have considered it dancing, not so sure.

1st gig - Ian Hunter Band fea Mick Ronson @ Hammersmith Odeon 22.11.79 (mainly for Ronson)

2nd gig - Talking Heads supported by Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark & some Irish beat combo "just off the boat" called U2 @ Electric Ballroom, Camden Town 07.12.79

There seems to be a common thread here - my first gig was also Madness, at Hanley Victoria Hall 1980, quickly followed 5 years later by The Smiths at the same place.

And while we're on this topic, can I just lay to rest the myth about The Smiths / sausage-throwing incident. For some reason this is commonly thought to have happened in Portsmouth, but I and about 2,000 others can 100% confirm that it was at the Hanley gig. I had a great view of it, I was on the balcony like a wuss.

Oops, nearly forgot. First NO gig - Liverpool Royal Court Feb 1986 - I passed out just before encore of LWTUA cos I'd had a tetanus jab the day before. I think the fact that they opened with an earthshattering Perfect Kiss may also have had something to do with it.

Jeff -

My ears still ring from time to time because we were so close to the speaker stacks. Also, the building had VERY high ceilings and the sound was just bouncing all over the place. I remember them about to start to play their encore when Barney says, "Don't let anyone say that New Order don't play encores." It had to be explained to me later........

Brian -

I dont' know where you've been in Texas, but it is NOT ALL fu*&%#g ugly. And, I'm sorry if you and your friends were abused by the police.

Now, while Texas is NOT the rainy wonderland that Seattle is, we do enjoy a certain amount of sunshine. Sunshine means chicks in bikinis. Chicks in bikinis means needing a boat with which to transport said bikini clad females to various lake borne destinations. And this equals many chances to ply the bikini clad female with strong drink in the hope of getting her out of said bikini.

I'll say this: It beats a bunch of pasty, stinky chicks wearing their brothers unwashed flannel shirts.

the first proper gig i saw was therapy playing belfast 1992.

Originally posted by Ken Brough There seems to be a common thread here - my first gig was also Madness, at Hanley Victoria Hall 1980, quickly followed 5 years later by The Smiths at the same place.And while we're on this topic, can I just lay to rest the myth about The Smiths / sausage-throwing incident. For some reason this is commonly thought to have happened in Portsmouth, but I and about 2,000 others can 100% confirm that it was at the Hanley gig. I had a great view of it, I was on the balcony like a wuss.

Would've loved to seen Madness, but the only time they made it round here was in 79 and I couldn't get into the bar, for being underage at that time. I bet this one of the Nutty Boys least fave gigs ever, as said location turned out to be a hard rock place with lots of poodle hair cuts on the patrons.

First concert would then be the Police,with XTC opening (and blowing the headliners off the stage) in 1980

Just to clarify 'Haircut 100' was my real answer, not me pretending to be Huntsman,trying to make him look stupid, like in the first record bought topic.

First gig ever (for me): T.Rex in 72 First and only New Order gig: 25th of May 82 English gigs: Chelsea, Slender Hooks, Fish Turned Human in 79

Apart from that I think I am beginning to shy away from the internet, cos don't have the courage to converse with people I don't know. The performance became rather clowny. "Because I am frightened" (source Magazine) Chosen to make fun of myself instead of other: To mock myself before someone else did it. Rather silly, ain't it.

Bye Drive away in privacy, and please do not follow, now that you have my IP hehe you're only having some fun, right, and I should respect that, shouldn't I? ;) Aaah, the net made me paranoid, and now I'm trapped

Originally posted by Coen van der Voort > Originally posted by Dutch Jim says: NO!> Well, just curious, who of you know them:> > First concert: KAYAK, saw them in a small venue in Vlaardingen (near Schiedam/Rotterdam). It was fantastic.> > When looking through the CD's for sale in London, last October, I even noticed a few Kayak CD's being on sale there!! Oh my....> >

Bloody hell, DJ, I am not sure, but KAYAK may have been my first concert as well. At my school they had these concerts by Dutch bands, about 3 or 4 a year. So in my first year (when I was 12) I had seen Kayak, but also Alquin and Solution; do you remember those?? Dutch symphonic rock, can't beat it :) .

Hey Coen! You're quire right. KAYAK at that time, it was quite special... Especially the old KAYAK albums, the first few: the Last Encore, Starlight Dancer and the KAYAK KAYAK album. Ruthless Queen was much too soft. I liked their first single ever much more: Lyrics.

And as regards Mario, he does not know what he is missing! But he can show his regret and go to a KAYAK concert now, since they have teamed up again since last year (terrible!). Some old fat man, making music again (Barney is a thinner compared to most of them!).