The Honda Owners Club

The other night I was loading up some more music for my ipod to take to Weymouth and I thought about all the groups, bands or artists that I’ve had the good fortune to see live over the years and it’s quite a few. I’ve always had a healthy interest in music and played drums in a couple of bands before I got married. I had to sell the drums though to pay for the reception .

At one time I was going to a live gig just about every month; I nearly had a season ticket at the Hammersmith Odeon. I’ll try to put the bands I’ve seen in alphabetical order although I’ll probably have to add to the list as more memories come back to me.

AC/DC Quite a few times, excellent entertainment
Aerosmith Wembley Stadium and somewhere else? Great live band
Black Sabbath Ozzie in all his glory
Blue Oyster Cult Lots of guitars and lasers
Bon Jovi Me and a mate in a sea of young girls at the Empire Pool
Bryan Adams Cardiff Arms Park
Def Leopard In the round at Earls Court
Dire Straights Woburn, I think?
Gloria Estafan Superb return from broken back
Genesis One of the best groups live every time I’ve seen them
Gillan At the Reading Rock Festival probably 1980
Gun Great version of Word Up amongst their songs
Guns and Roses Wembley Stadium
Iron Maiden Hammersmith Odeon
Meatloaf A big experience at Hammersmith
Motorhead Deaf for about a week afterwards
Pink Floyd Awesome every time I’ve seen them
Rush Fantastic Canadian Combo, many concerts
Saxon Another great UK band
Scorpions Great heavy rock outfit
Squeeze Superb
Status Quo How many farewell concerts?
Thin Lizzy Great night at Hammersmith
UFO Another great rock outfit
Van Halen What can I say
Whitesnake Hammersmith Odeon

There are loads more I’m sure which will come back to me and I’ve seen many lesser known bands as well.

There are a few bands that I haven’t seen which I really wished I had though and these include:

The Eagles
Led Zeppelin
Kiss
Queen
Deep Purple
Hendrix
And of course The Beatles

As you probably have guessed most of my music preferences are rock based but I do like other genres as well including Jazz and Funk.

So what bands have you seen live?

Regards

Chimpy

I like your taste in music Chimpy, especially Floyd and Bryan Adams.

Saw Floyd at Earls Court in '96 I think, Pulse Tour and Bryan Adams twice.

Have you seen Australian Pink Floyd? They are that good, Dave Gilmour had them play at his 50th birthday bash. They tour every year..........well worth going to see them.

Probably the only advantage of being born 56 years ago in Leicester is that all the top bands played there, I guess I have been to scores of concerts over the years and I still love live music, but consider myself privileged to have seen (in no particular order):

The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Genesis
Yes - was mad on Yes for years except when that idiot from the buggles fronted.
David Bowie - unbelievable voice
Dire Straights - yes Woburn! an excellent performance from Mark Knopfler
The Animals
The Kinks
The Who - was never a big fan, but you had to see them. Loved Keith Moon.
The Small Faces
The Herd
Cream - including farewell concert
Amen Corner
Jeff Back
Leicester's own Showaddywaddy! - before they were famous, at the Fosseway, my first (sadly not my last) experience of smoking pot was with them.
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac - and subsequent incarnations!
John Mayle's Bluesbreakers
Aynsley Dunbar
Be Bop Deluxe
The Move
Elvis Costello
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - the man, the God, what a waste.
The Tubes - maybe 10 times between '78 and '07- took Di to see them a couple of years ago, she fcuking hated them!
Lynard Skynard
The Undertones
The Idle Race
Squeeze
The sensational Alex Harvey Band - NEXT is always in my car
Pink Floyd

There are others and looking back I can hardly believe it myself, but you must remember, once upon a time there was no internet, bands actually existed outside a studio, they really played instruments, they actually toured and we actually went to see them!

Thanks Chimpy! As I have had a poor nights sleep, it has been a great experience remembering some of those concerts and associated memories, a fantastic period of my life. I lost all my original vinyl, hundreds of albums, to my ex-wife, bless her, but now have around 50,000 tracks in iTunes, some obscure, if you ever need any.

Regards, Al

Loads.

But the best by far were the Floyd gigs:

Knebworth ('74?)
Earls Court (Wall Tour)
Earls Court (Pulse Tour)

Now I restrict myself to the Aussie Floyd tribute band, they are awesome - shut your eyes and you could be back in the 70's. Small(er) venues too.

Caught David Gilmour at the Cadogan Hall this year. He guested on Ron Geesin's "Atom Heart Mother" concert.

Hi Guys

I saw both the Wall and Pulse Floyd tours and they are undoubtedley one of my favourite live acts, just so professional, they make it look all so easy.

After thinking about it over night I remembered a few more.

I've seen the Stones a couple of times, U2, Fleetwood Mac and SAHB without Alex and of course The Who playing Quadraphenia at Hyde Park.

Al, fortunately my wife and and I have about 800 CDs between us and all our previous vinyl collections intact (you can tell I'm still on the first wife ) I have a usb turntable but haven't got round to converting any records yet but I will soon, there's just so much good material there.

Regards

Chimpy

Chimp Boy wrote:Al, fortunately my wife and and I have about 800 CDs between us and all our previous vinyl collections intact (you can tell I'm still on the first wife ) I have a usb turntable but haven't got round to converting any records yet but I will soon, there's just so much good material there.

Regards

Chimpy

Whats your opinion of vinyl as opposed to CD? Dont you think that there is a 'depth' and 'richness' on vinyl that CD's cant replicate? Or is it all in my fat head? Dont you love the ritual of cleaning everything before playing a record? The care and attention always appealed to my OCD nature!

Regards, Al

Hi Al

I think you're probably right. I remember buying our first CD, Brothers in Arms by Dire Straights. You could hear a pin drop on that recording but it was just so clinical. One of my customers makes very expensive analouge audio equipment down on the South Coast and a good living from it. His audio library consists of around 5000 records racked around the room from ceiling to floor. He told me he had another x000 in storage. You won't find a CD in his place though. Listening to a piece on his equipment (probably £30Ks worth) is an experience though and has a warmth that you can't get with CDs.

I don't miss the inconvenience of vinyl though and of course the storage is a lot easier with CDs (easier still with itunes).

Regards

Chimpy

Ok I'm not as old as some of you, but I was around and old enough in the late 70's & 80's to see some bands
How about this lot

Level 42
Earth, Wind & Fire
Genesis
UB40
Spandu Ballet
Duran Duran
SOS Band
Whispers
Linqs
Peter Gabriel
New Seekers
Spinners
Dire Straits
Wombles

I've seen quite a few bands live, mainly punk bands though and many of them not that big, and alot that I cannot remember the names of. I haven't got to that many gigs in the last year (money all goes on bikes at the mo) or so but the recent ones in the last year or two are:

The Stranglers - Many times and always wicked.
The Damned
Goldblade - One of my favorites
Time Again
General Khaki
Nervous Tik
Fun Lovin Criminals
Strawberry Blondes
Nine Inch Nails
Feeder
999
Skid Row
Bootleg Blondie
Lots of cover bands & those at Reading Rock.

I also saw the Sex Pistols last week (my lovely boss gave me a ticket) and that was a blinding gig, the atmosphere was amazing you could practically here the crackle before they even came on and when they did everything just went wild, by the end of the first song we were drenched in beer and sweat and I spent an hour and a bit constantly jumping up and down in the pit . I think that was the best gig I've ever been to so far. I say so far, because in November I get to see my favorite band Rancid, I think that will be wicked.

There are so many bands and artists I would have love to have seen, David Bowie (he is so magical), The Ramones, Iggy Pop, Bob Marley, The Ruts, Adam & The Ants, The Aggrolites and so many more.

Have seen lots of singers and groups live over the years (the advantage of being older!!) The best .............. Bon Jovi - terrific concerts so full of life and go! The worst? David Essex (some of you younger ones won't remember him!) - he was so in love with himself and seemed to be taking the mickey out of the audiance. Who would I liked to see - Led Zepplin - brilliant!

EricaVFR wrote: The worst? David Essex (some of you younger ones won't remember him!) - he was so in love with himself and seemed to be taking the mickey out of the audiance.

But 'Rock On' is such a great song even if he is a twat.

Wot? have I done something Erica hasn't done? Saw Zepplin at the Empire Pool Wembley sometime in the Mid 70's. I believe it was their farewell performance! As my post-Zepplin son's would now say " It was wicked dude"
Graham

Well this is an almost impossible task to name all the bands that I have seen live .... no it is impossible !! I started going to concerts in the late 60's early 70's and saw most of the big names in the Rock scene which way back the was known as "progressive"

I however progressed from rock to Folk and Folk/Rock through bands such as Fairport Convention an Steeleye Span ..... I still love my Rock though even now.

I am myself a musician together with my wife Sandwitch (who is also a memeber here) we play in a Folk/Rock Duo who are called "Sandwitch" we have been playing together for almost 11 years now and have produced 3 CD's which have all been reviewed on a top Folk Folk/Rock website
http://www.folking.com/reviews/cgi-bin/search.cgi?query=sandwitch&Search.x=20&Search.y=10

We have also played at one of the Largest Music festivals in the Uk (for folk and folk related music) Fairport Conventions Cropredy Festival back in 2001.

http://www.mcvax.org/~jghall/fairport/crp1a.html a short but positive report
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/fcfansite/cropredy-2001.htm Posters Ticket Pics and things

Oooops sorry for plugging our Duo

PS: SteveD Pink Floyd at Knebworth was '75 sorry for being a smart arse I was there too my Brother bought me the ticket for my birthday

Whilst searching the web for links related to our Duo "Sandwitch" I discovered a book for sale entitled "Festival Folk" containing photos from Fairport Convention's Cropredy Festival taken to cover 10 years of the festival between 1994 and 2004 (Why these years were chosen is anyones guess as the festival has now been going for around 28 years) and to my suprise discovered that photos of Sandwitch have been included and were listed along side many big names in the folk rock blues world such as Jethro Tull, Robert Plant Richard Thompson Mostly Autumn and many more .... we didn't even now that the book had been published but we soon hope to obtain a copy.



Witch

There's some awesome bands mentioned here, here's a few of mine...although been to so many I'll probably miss a few.....


Metallica
Guns n Roses
Sepultura
Napalm Death
Little Angels
Bon Jovi
Pantera
Faith No More
Pink Floyd
Therapy
Thunder
Soundgarden
Kiss
Ozzy Osbourne
Machine Head
Ministry
Dog Eat Dog
Terrorvision
Skunk Anansie
Fear Factory
The Almighty
Messaugh
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Howard Jones
Paul Young
Megadeth
Madness
Quireboys
Mr Bungle
Wolfsbane
Wildhearts
Entombed
The Offspring
Biohazard
Paradise Lost
Adam and the Ants
Saxon
To name but a few....I'm sure I've forgotten loads, but anyway, these are the ones I can remember for now....and I know most of you will never have heard of half of these bands, but they were all great live. Have to say the ultimate band live has got to be Metallica and Floyd, they are more than awesome.