Gigs/Concerts I've been to, Part 5

1994 was a quiet one for gig attendances, possibly because I had just finished University and spent that summer on the dole, the only time I’ve ever been unemployed in my life. There was only one gig in the Limelight, indie-hip-hop chancers Collapsed Lung, who were I either supporting or the main act on a bill that also featured Credit To The Nation. We didn’t get many rap bands venturing over to these parts, so I was keen to try them out. Both bands disappeared without trace not long after, but it seemed a good idea to go catch them at the time.

The other concert I took in was the fallout from Reading festival, Sunstroke, which took place in Dublin’s Dalymount Park. For those not in the know, Dalymount is a football stadium, home of Bohemians. I was going to this one on my lonesome and had procured a bus service, from Skelton Travel in Lurgan to get there. The line-up for Sunstroke was Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Therapy?, Ice Cube, Helmet, Frank Black, Terrorvision, My Little Funhouse and Scheer. To my utter dismay and disappointment, on the way down, news broke that Soundgarden would not be making the gig. I was busting to see them as I was a big fan, but the rest of the line-up was still mostly appealing.

This was the time Dave Navarro from Jane’s Addiction, one of my all-time favourite bands (and guitar players) was playing with RHCP so I was super excited to see him in the flesh and hear him play. The band appeared on stage wearing silver foil outfits with light bulb helmets and turned in a typical RHCP performance, full of energy. Getting to see Ice Cube was special as he was a big star from US hip-hop circles and as I said, hip-hop artists tended to give us a miss on their tours. Looking back, I have it to say I saw Helmet, touring their classic album ‘Betty’. They’re about to release a new album too. Being a massive Pixies fan, who I didn’t see before their split, it was enthralling to see Frank Black, albeit he was promoting his solo album, which was less enthralling. Local heroes Therapy? and Scheer also put in good turns, holding their own on an international bill.

I’d catch Therapy? again the next year, this time at the Ulster Hall. They played the same day as Black Grape and I bumped into Kermit and Bez in the Chicago Pizza Pie Factory that afternoon. Bez was very friendly and clearly off his noggin. After enquiring if I was going to see his band, only to be told otherwise, he pronounced Therapy? as “good lads them Therapy?” and off I went ecstatic at meeting someone so famous. A homecoming gig for Therapy? is always a raucous affair and ‘Troublegum’ had notched them up some serious airplay and recognition.

Britpop was starting to become a massive phenomenon and so tickets were purchased for leading exponents Blur. The King’s Hall was the venue and Al (my band mate and school buddy) was in tow. So we had to go to the King’s Head bar for drinks before the gig. At the absolute height of their commercial success, Blur attracted to their shows at this point in time, serious amounts of teenage girls. Promoting their ‘Great Escape’ album the venue was jam packed with squealing excited girls and you could hardly hear the band for the cacophony they created. Al was never one for gigs, so we didn’t make it to the end (pardon the pun).

Pulp had also been having monster hits from their ‘Different Class’ album and they played a sold-out Ulster Hall. Jarvis truly has an incredible stage presence as he shimmied and sashayed across the stage like a sexually charged Geography teacher in his suit. He always has a crowd eating out of his hands and that night was no different. By this time Suede had risen to premier indie darlings and so the Ulster Hall was the size of venue they would sell out. Brett had moved on from the foppish arse smacker to something more muscular and swaggering and he always gave 100% when performing.

The other show I went to in 1995 is one of those gigs you have to pinch yourself that you were at. It just seems unreal to think that The Beastie Boys played Belfast. Even more ludicrous is the gig was in the Nugent Hall, an off building of the King’s Hall, normally a cattle shed at the Balmoral Show. The support on the night was The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, who were fucking mental. Hugely enjoyable even if it seemed to be just Jon hollering “BLUES EXPLOSION” while waving his hands in front of his theremin. My memory of the Beasties gig is hazy at best people, so apologies for that, but I know the band captivated from start to finish, switching up from old-school hip-hop to the fuzzy hardcore and slinky jazz they had started to fuse into their albums. Again, it was so good to have caught one of my favourite bands who I’d loved from their debut album.