Old Gig Tickets
I wondered the other day if I'd be able to remember every gig I'd ever been to. The first, in the very hazy past when I was very young, was at a village fair in a field somewhere The Wurzels (Cuz I got a brand new combine harvester, An' I'll give you the key) and the last was King Crimson's Beat at Hammersmith Apollo in June 2026 - but the few hundred in between?
In the meantime, cleaning up some drawers I came across some old gig tickets and a couple of theatre tix. Not a bad place to start. Here's a little slideshow with some comments underneath (sorry the type is a bit small) for people who like this kinda stuff - other than me.
CAPTIONS, IF YOU CAN'T READ THEM ABOVE
Burt Bacharach, Royal Festival Hall
Front row at Burt Bacharach. I shook his hand whilst he was chatting between songs.
Paul McCartney, Royal Albert Hall
I could see how Beatlemania took off.
John Williams & John Etheridge, Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham
This was a great concert, two guitar legends, but also significant for me. I bumped into John Etheridge on the tube soon after, had something to chat about and got to work with him years later.
The Beta Band, Shepherds Bush Empire 2004
I think this was their last show in 2004. I used to go to a cafe in Camden. The singer Steve Mason came in and the barista who I used to chat to, turned out to be his drummer.
Richard lll, The Globe 2012
Standing at The Globe for a fiver watching Mark Rylance, he really does seem to cast some magic spell.
The Pixies, Brixton
Ah The Pixies. Can remember seeing them on TV in France for the first time in the 90s, along with the French band Niagara.
Van Morrison, The Great Hall, Downshire Estate, Belfast
Van the Man in his home town Belfast. On the way to the venue, the taxi driver played us Dylan's 14 minute song Tempest.
Pentangle, Royal Festival Hall
Pentangle in 2011. Just checked the line up and it was Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Jacqui McShee, Danny Thompson and Terry Cox.
Brian May, A Village Lost & Found, V & A
This was a Brian May lecture on stereoscopic photography. It was sold out so I wrote to his website. Incredibly he personally responded, and a few weeks later out of the blue arranged a ticket for me. Someone I massively admire musically and generally.
Twelfth Night, Grand Shochiku Kabuki, Barbican Theatre
This Japanese Kabuki version of Twelfth Night at The Barbican was not easy, I ain't gonna lie.
Jerusalem, Apollo Theatre
Mark Rylance again in Jez Butterworth's play Jerusalem which I loved. Theatre's a time and place. Maybe a good thing that it's forever preserved in that bubble.
David Gilmour, Royal Albert Hall
David Gilmour, what can you say.
Blondie, Kenwood
Blondie at Kenwood. I saw a few greats here over the years, sometimes just for free on the lawn outside the enclosure. Placido Domingo, Brian Wilson, George Benson …
The Walkmen, 02 Academy Islington
A friend invited me to this. I liked their song Juveniles.
more to come