Concerts/Gigs I've Been To Part One

My blogs are now going to recall as much as I can remember from the gigs and concerts I’ve been to over the years. Whilst the last few years have seen me venture out a LOT less than I used to, I’ve seen in excess of 150 artists since my first outing in 1984. Some gigs I can’t recall anything about so they’ll get a cursory mention, others will have a lasting memory or detail I’d like to share and maybe you’ll have been to some of these shows too. I thought long and hard about how to go about this, and I reckon the best way is to go chronologically. That way you get to see how my musical tastes and ability to withstand different genres came to be. So, let’s begin…

The first proper show I’d been to, outside of maybe some of my big brother’s band, was an all-star outdoor festival at Ramore Head in Portrush. Indeed, it was my brothers who were heading to the concert on a rain sodden July day when 12 year old me decided he wanted to tag along. After much persuasion I was allowed to go. On the bill were one-hit wonders The Bluebells, new wave act The Lotus Eaters, Dave Edmunds, 70s glam band Sweet and also a certain Gary Glitter. Yes, him. I remember having a dance to the Bluebells’ big hit “Young At Heart” with some older girl who my brothers were probably thinking they’d like to dance with. The only other lasting memory is unfortunately of the headline act. It was absolutely pissing down when a silver foiled Glitter swanned onto the stage pompously, endearing himself by sympathising that we were all still there so late in the night getting soaked. Looking back, it was a bizarre way to start doing something I had no idea I’d do so much of, but the rock n roll live show bug had hit me.

Yet again, it would be my big brothers who would be bringing wee bro’ to see their heroes, the mighty Status Quo. Maysfield Leisure centre would be the place, in 86 and 88. I am pretty sure I saw Quo three times, but can’t remember where or when the third show was. Back then, they were still a pretty heavy no-nonsense headbanging outfit and my vague recollection is of lots of long hair and denim clad backs yet the atmosphere was special and weirdly safe.

I ended the 80s with one of my all-time favourite concerts. We’d been massive fans of Aerosmith since they returned triumphantly with the outstanding Permanent Vacation album. They’d quickly followed this up with the superb Pump album and this was the tour for that record. Re-vitalised and now free of their drug habits, Steven Tyler had first appeared to me in the Run DMC video for “Walk This Way”. I thought he was some caricature rock fiend they had enlisted for the purposes of that crazy video, little did I know that was in fact, reality. We absolutely idolised the man. Everything about him was so over the top and out of this world we gravitated towards one of rock’s greatest showmen. The plan to get to the gig was to get the train from Portadown up to Belfast and walk from Great Victoria Street station up the length of the Lisburn Road, to the King’s Hall. There was a gang of us from school with some older lads and of course they wanted to go into every pub along the way. I’d a strict upbringing and was always told pubs were not places to be so I waited outside each time they went in! Eventually, we made it to the King’s Hall, a giant concrete structure where I’d only been to for the Motor Show and some Disney thing or other.

We bulled our way up to the front row after the support band Balaam and the Angel, in eager anticipation of getting as close to Steve as we could. A giant black curtain was draped across the front of the stage so you couldn’t see behind it. The PA music stopped, and Steven Tyler let out a yell of “Beeeeeeeeeeeelfaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaast” before the curtain dropped to the ground and there they were. Resplendent in flowing gown, chest out and that mic stand adorned with all manner of feather boas and scarves, Tyler spun and whirled manically across the stage to frantic opener “Rats In The Cellar”. We’d made a big mistake though. If you want to be at the front of a gig, you need to be at the VERY front. We were just far enough back to become part of a human washing machine. It was pandemonium as arms and legs became intertwined and we all lost each other in the sea of limbs. This seemed to last for the first few songs as we tried valiantly to regroup further back where standing upright was less of a problem. Initial scares over, it was a band absolutely at the height of their powers and they powered on through new songs and old with consummate ease. Tyler covering every inch of the massive stage, just like he did in the band’s videos. Looking back, it’s hard to believe I saw this band. They’d never play the city again. If they had, I’d have been there, down the VERY front.