What, where and when was your first ever concert, and why was it memorable for you

…I lived in Plano for 2+ years and caught a number of shows at Starplex during that time. I enjoyed my time in Texas, I met a lot of folks who enjoyed having fun while living there. Like the bumper sticker said in the Texas gift shops, “I wasn’t born here, but I got here as quick as I could” …

@Innocent_Bystander that is very interesting and whilst we see Ritchie in every picture with his black strat he did play a Gibson ES 335 up to 1971 so I reckon you witnessed a moment in history which was the last outing of that guitar before he switched to strats.

I was there!

Not consistently the same one - unless he swapped for a spare before smashing it up and theiwing into the audience, which happened st least a couple of times in my presence - once in the Albert Hall being caught by the person sitting in front of me (infuriatingly!).

Thanks for the guitar info.

I saw Nils with TP supporting on the same tour, Hammersmith Odeon. I had only seen TP playing on the Old Grey Whistle Test earlier in the week so was expecting something good but whilst I am a great fan of Nils Lofgren I don’t think I have ever witnessed a better support band in my life before or since.

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The Untouchables bat the Top Rank Club in Brighton. The first time I’d ever experienced a live band and it was a revelation for this fresh faced nineteen year old art college student!

Electric Light Orchestra at Wembley, December 1981. I was seven. I remember an R2D2-style robot trundling on stage to perform “Prologue”, and Jeff inviting us to clap hands/stamp feet during a medley.

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I’d been to see a few bands in local clubs, but my first “proper” gig was Iron Maiden at the Marquee in June/July 1979, I was 15 and had just finished my O’Levels. The visceral power of the music, the sheer power of the bass lines,the whole experience addicted me to live music for the rest of my life.

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Lynyrd Skynyrd. Birmingham Odeon , 1977 when I was still at school. Pete Haycock from the Climax Blues Band jammed on the encores. It was VERY loud. Their plane crash was six months later. Very sad.

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Upstairs at the long-since demolished “Kingston Hotel” in 1968 to see ‘Yes’ supported by ‘Juicy Lucy’.

‘Yes’ didnt turn up, something for which, in later years and with hindsight, I am grateful… :expressionless:

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@staniand

Indeed I do remember The Keef Hartley Band.

Keef was playing the second time I frequented the Kingston Hotel in 1968.

My main memory of the clammy gig, being so close to the low stage, was how much the poor chap (bare above the waste apart from his cowboy hat and Red Indian wristlets) was seriously in need of a bucket of underarm deodorant.

So true, Mike! I think the Red Indian get up followed the Halfbreed album and seemed to stick from there onwards.

Eric Clapton at the Gaumont theatre Southampton, 1978. First term at University. Support was Muddy Waters. Ignorant students that we were, none of us had heard of him, and thought it was a local Hampshire band !

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First big gig was Genesis at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, around February 1978 ( first tour sans PG, sadly). My sister bought me the tickets for my 16th birthday. I reciprocated on her 50th for what, sadly, was her last concert in 2010: we saw Jeff Beck (first hearing of Nessun Dorma) opening for Eric Clapton (best return to I Shot the Sheriff in twenty years) at the new Toronto hockey rink, Air Canada Centre it’s called. There were lots in between, of course - all through high school Karen worked at the Dominion grocery store which was one of the first ever ticket sales outlets and she got first crack at a silly number of great events in those precious years. Not the only reason I miss her, of course, but those are main memories of growing up together for me!

Regards alan

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The first memory I have of a concert venue was not really a concert, but at junior school age my father took me to a Gilbert Briggs speaker demonstration at the Colston Hall, Bristol. All I can recall is being unable to tell whether the clarinet was live or recorded.
Growing up in the 60s and 70s I was lucky to see many big names, stand out moments may have been Hendrix, Colosseum, John Mayall (from the blues guitar thread, support was Duster Bennett).
Outstanding light show was Quintessence at the Victoria Rooms, SAHB at the nurses school was memorable, as was sitting next to and chatting with Buddy Rich’s daughter.
I cannot remember the Isle of Wight festival…

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The Who at Charlton Athletic FC ground on 31 May 1976 the first show in the Who Put The Boot In tour. It was an all day event featuring several support acts including Widowmaker, the Streetwalkers, Little Feet and Alex Harvey. The Who’s light show included a red laser which was beamed around the four sides of the ground. It was the first time I’d seen laser light. It absolutely lashed it down and being an open air gig, we got drenched. When Roger Daltrey ran on stage he slipped over and said, “You must be the best fans in the world”. We were.

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Saw the Who on the same tour at Celtic Park, the Outlaws were also supporting Little Feat and SAHB, great gig all for £4 at ticket.

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That’s correct. I’d forgotten the Outlaws. I really enjoyed Widowmaker and the Streetwalkers.

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The Who supported by Paul Young’s The Q Tips at Southampton Gaunont 1979 I think I was about 10 with my parents. Then in the same year I saw The Jam at the Brighton Centre_memorable purely as my first 2 gigs.

There’s a theme here and I guesa I may break it! I was 16 and went to Donington to see Metallica in ‘95. Was incredible. So much so that I have seen them almost 100 times since then! It was my first time seeing other bands such as Machine Head, Slayer and Therapy also but I was there predominantly to see Metallica.

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