First, best and worst gigs?

[Vincent Vega]

First - The Housemartins Liverpool Royal Court 1987 - The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death tour, excellent gig, my mate lost his shoe which made me laugh but the jammy bugger found it at the end of the show.

 

Best - really difficult as a few leap to mind (Rage gig that Gus mentions above, Radiohead gig that Chauncey mentions, Pink Floyd at De Kuyp stadium in Rotterdam on the Division Bell tour, David Bowie at Maine Road in 1990, The Verve at Haigh Hall supported by Beck in 1998 ), but if I am forced to choose one it would have to be Arcade Fire at the MEN in 2007, great support with Liverpool's Clinic, great seats and a band that were as exceptional as the quality of their music.

 

Worst - Black Grape Liverpool Royal Court 1997. Should have expected the worst when a pissed and coked up Paul Usher came on stage to introduce the band, Ryder was completely off his face, so much so that the rest of the band were only able to blag it for about 20 minutes before they all pissed off. Inevitably, the band broke up a few months later.

[L19red]

First was Larks at the Park in the early 80's cant remember who exactly was on first but the bill included big country, cook da books and afraid of mice.

 

worst was the very next night when Nick Heywood got bottled off stage.

 

Best for emotional reasons was the paleys reunion gig at the academy a couple of years ago.

[BENIRL]

First - The Horslips at the Fiesta Ballroom. Must have been 79/80 I was 13 or 14 and I sneaked in. I was supposed to be working at Mr Naturals Cookhouse. Summer job.

 

Best- Beastie Boys 1994 at the Tivoli in Dublin. Very tight.

 

Worst- Rolling Stones 4 or 5 years ago. Shite.

 

VV- I see Black Grape supporting Prodigy and they were terrible. That bad it was funny. They were all off their heads

[a stoner]

Saw fish at the Cornwall Coliseum and that was a pretty fucking amazing stage show. All done up like a junk yard with a castle on the hill in hte background and he could disappear and reappear anywhere on the stage. ~Also saw Transvision vamp there with a bird I was shagging in college. All I can say is her pink jump suit was see through enough to show she shaves everything off her minge.

[Ian Sea]

First - Oasis at Bolton in 2000.

 

Best - The Libertines at Manchester Academy in 2004 (I think) or the Rolling Stones in Manchester in 2003 - immense.

 

Worst - Bob Dylan at the MEN in about 2008. I was so disappointed I've not listened to him since.

[Rex Banner]

First - The Living End at the University or Western Australia. I was 14 so it would of been 99 I think.

 

Best - My first was my best, no so much for the music although that was rocking. It was me, a couple of friends and some cute girls running around the city and UWA getting drunk. I got my first BJ and just had a wild time, got home at 2am and had to go to school the next day because it was on a Thursday night. Mum was not pleased, I was.

 

Worst - When I was 18 this girl dragged me to some dance music festival thing, I got a headache 5 minutes after being there and spent the next few hours wanting to leave. I was driving as well so I couldn't leave her there so I was just the miserable sober guy there.

[Jose Jones]

First - Teenage Fanclub, it was in between Bandwagonesque and 13. Whenever that was.

Best - Bit tricky, I will go Pavement supported by Mercury Rev (before Deserter's Songs when they went too nice) at the Foundry, Sheffield Uni. Think that was 94.

Worst - I don't think support bands, club nights or people you saw at festivals should count, as that's just a bit of random chance - soooo I will go with The Coral at Brixton Academy. They souded good, and Brixton Academy is a great venue, it's just they were a bit dull and only had an hour's worth of songs. Quite often an issue when seeing new bands.

[Guest Slim(fast)Shady]

1st.Pet Shop Boys Wembley Arena 1988...brilliant,although i was only 15..found it hard to understand (a bit arty but music was great)

 

Best - U2 Popmart Wembley...was blown away by the stage set up the stage entrance was amazing!

 

Worst -OASIS Wembley Stadium...nutcase crowd,shitehole of a venue and the same ol songs (wonderwall,don't look back etc) wasn't worth the hassle the crowd were causing..i left halfway through

[Guest TK-421]

Few more worst ever:

 

-Oasis, Be Here Now tour, Newcastle Arena. This is how I imagined "Arena Rock". Bland, insipid, going through motions, lifeless performances from the brothers Gallagher. Sanitised rock for the masses. Expensive, foamy beer in crappy plastic cups. Fucking awful.

 

-Beachwood Sparks, somewhere in Shoreditch, East London. Just because you're Beachwood Sparks it doesn't mean you can wait until 10.40pm before taking the stage on a Tuesday night. Then have the nerve to tell the crowd you're waiting for them to shut up before playing. Cheeky scumbag hippies.

 

-Shack, Newcastle Uni. Mick Head looked like he didn't know which city he was in. Six songs was six too many.

[Medazza]

First - that I was taken to - Five Star!

First - that I chose to go to - Duran Duran - actually a very good live band

 

Best - Springsteen at either MEN or NEC on the E Street Reunion tour - had waited years for them to get back together!

 

Worst - Prince was disappointing - too much titting about and show boating that he failed to play a song in full, but Dylan was worse - saw him in 96 the night before I went the Euro96 final at wembley at a big gig - Clapton, Tom Petty, The Who all played too - all of it was fucking shite!

[Thants]

First - Communards, Hawth 1987

No I'm not gay. I was 14 and it was a free ticket.

 

Best - Too many. Beasties in 96 in Wolverhampton followed by an audience snowball fight as we left. Walkmen 2009 C2 Brighton - they took me somewhere beautiful. Neds, Zap, Brighton 1991 - youthful bliss, moshed my tits off. Cardiacs, everytime I saw them. Get well soon, Tim. I've been to about 300 gigs so I have no idea. Maybe Blue Aeroplanes 1988 Horsham, 2nd gig. I snuck in at the age of 15 and saw my future.

 

Worst - Black Grape Wolverhampton 1996/7.

Too drunk to perform. It's not big and it's not clever you cunt.

[Redder Lurtz]

I find myself wanting to neg thants a lot lately but i take it all back for the neds comment. Saw them at the bizarre festival, germany in 1992 and they were indeed a fucking brilliant live band. And i also moshed my tits off.

[Thants]

I find myself wanting to neg thants a lot lately but i take it all back for the neds comment. Saw them at the bizarre festival, germany in 1992 and they were indeed a fucking brilliant live band. And i also moshed my tits off.

 

You crashed my car

You crashed my car!

I'm in a rage

Get off of that stage

Get off of that stage

Ok

 

Ok

 

When you are going to find out. If you're gonna be a bum all your life then be a bum but not under my roof. I want you to get a decent haircut, get decent clothes and start looking for a job.

You got that?

IS THAT CLEAR?

 

*Thinks of long haired pre-Thants with squidgy nostalgia*

 

Oh fuck I forgot the Wedding Present. Everytime I saw them too.

[Woo]

First - Bootleg Beatles when I was 12/13. They were actually really good.

 

Best - Paul McCartney at Anfield in 2008. Manics at V Festival in 2007 are a close second.

 

Worst - Dirty Pretty Things in the Academy. I got a free ticket and genuinely felt ripped off. They were fucking atrocious.

[Whelan]

First was Deacon Blue in 89, about a month after Hillsborough!

 

Best, Springsteen at Glastonbury, stand alone would be Kings of Leon at the Echo Arena!

 

Worst, It was the Counting Crows in Manchester University in 94, but that was beaten by a long distance by Bob 'Incoherent' Dylan last year!

[Yerma'satexan!]

First: Super Furry Animals, The Lomax 1995

Best: Bob Log III, The 100 Club London 2007 or Gogol Bordello Reading Festival 2005

Worst: Red Hot Chili Peppers Reading Festival 2007

[James]

First: Interpol at Forest National 2007.

Best: Interpol at Forest National 2007.

Worst: Arctic Monkeys at Sportpalace 2009.

[The Golden Eel]

First: Bush at the Ulster Hall in about 1996.

 

Best: Hmmm, tough, tough. Possibly Animal Collective at Oxegen in about 2006.

 

Worst: Maybe The Music in about 2004 - fuckers only played for about 40 minutes..

[KinskiRage]

First - Foo Fighters 1995, Was 14 or 15, some dingy venue in Dublin, I liked their first couple of albums but really came to hate their dull later stuff.

 

Best No. 1 - Yo La Tengo, Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver BC last October. Hard to explain why, the venue, atmosphere, band were all just perfect. Also I hooked up.

 

Best No.2 - Giddy Motors, Whelans 2004. Worth it for the drumming alone, these guys were tight. Of course they split up and are probably mechanics by trade now.

 

Worst - Radiohead, Madison Square Garden, NYC, 2003 - It wasn't that they were particularly bad, it was a totally 'going-through-the motions' type gig where I realised that I didn't really like them much anymore. It was also irritating getting the feeling of Americans being really late into something from this side of the water. Saw them in 96 and 97 for The Bends and OK Computer stuff and those gigs ruled, but I was younger then.

Another contender would be Green Day. I was railroaded into going to see them on their American Idiot tour, biggest pile of juvenile, tedious shite ever.

[Guest PurpleNose]

First - Zion Train.

Best - Run DMC or Rodrigo y Gabriela.

Worst - Lee Scratch Perry. He couldn't be arsed.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

First. Gary Numan at Newcastle city hall in 1980. The light show was just awesome at the time.

 

Best. Dire straits at Hammersmith Odeon 1983. Big Dire straits fan and this concert was one which will live in my memory forever.

 

Metallica at Hannover Germany 1993. Fucking wicked concert.

 

Worst. Ultravox, Germany ( can't remember which city it was ) 1986. Utter fucking shite.

[Christian]

First - Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy at the Town & Country Club in Kentish Town, guess around 91

 

Best - The Specials at Brixton last year. Jaw dropping good.

 

Worst - Wu Tang Clan in 1998 at Brixton when only 3 turned up. I did get a free ticket to see Limp Bizkit at Wembley Arena around 2000 or something and it was fucking tragic.

[Teflon Don]

First: The Boo Radleys at the Royal Court in October 1995.

 

Not bad for a first gig, I reckon, The Boos at their (brief) commercial peak touring Wake Up, supported by Electrafixion - McCulloch and Sergeant's 'comeback' band before fully resurrecting the Bunnymen.

 

Best: Blur at the MEN last June.

 

Perhaps a bit of premature nostalgia on my part, but their reunion (and reconciliation with Coxon) was long overdue, and though the set was little more than the 'greatest hits' and a warm-up for playing Glastonbury the following weekend, it was absolutely spot-on and even better than when I'd last seen them as a 4-piece at the Royal Court in 1997 (just after 'Beetlebum' had come out).

 

[by the way, the best 'event' I've ever been to was the Hillsborough Justice Concert in 1997 - Stereophonics, Smaller, Space, Dodgy, The Beautiful South, Manic Street Preachers and Lightning Seeds. What a brilliant and poignant day that was.]

 

Worst: Morrissey at the Echo Arena last November.

 

The 'bottling off' incident, which resulted in only one-and-a-half songs being played before Moz left the stage within about 7 minutes of coming on in the first place. He'd been great at the Empire in May as well, massively disappointing.

[Tuppy Glossop]

First : Led Zeppelin 1969 Royal Albert Hall (The first Pop Proms) I was a sperm of 14. Work it out.

Best : V hard. Isle of Wight 1970 Hendrix. Part of musical history, just to have seen the man was enough. If I only have one more choice, then I'll have to go with the Alabama 3, Bristol O2 Academy 2009 great live band IMO (A close run thing with Neil Young at Phoenix 1996, but I can't remember an awful lot about second half of the show.)

Worst: Nina Simone, Bishopstock Blues Festival 2001. V sad; voice shot to pieces and famous bad attitude to the fore; felt sorry for the band.

[Redder Lurtz]

First : Led Zeppelin 1969 Royal Albert Hall (The first Pop Proms) I was a sperm of 14. Work it out.

Best : V hard. Isle of Wight 1970 Hendrix. Part of musical history, just to have seen the man was enough. If I only have one more choice, then I'll have to go with the Alabama 3, Bristol O2 Academy 2009 great live band IMO (A close run thing with Neil Young at Phoenix 1996, but I can't remember an awful lot about second half of the show.)

Worst: Nina Simone, Bishopstock Blues Festival 2001. V sad; voice shot to pieces and famous bad attitude to the fore; felt sorry for the band.

 

You just became my new favourite person.