Indeed
2 Likes
I have to add Hugh Masekela at RFH
Although I put Lucinda Williams at the Barbican in my list tbh the best I saw her was at the Hollywood Bowl at the O2 with @coco and @Wayward, her and her band the Buick 6 were superb that night.
3 Likes
Yes, that would be one of my favourites too. The way at the beginning she was upset with everything, took the crowd with her and then treated us to that emotionally raw performance was fucking brilliant! I wasn’t sure if she had sort of got pissed off on purpose but whatever, it worked! Cracking sound in that place. 
1 Like
ah yes, saw him at Leeds Poly a few times in 1980s
1 Like
Cathal was a founder member of Microdisney who were my joint favourite Irish band of the mid 1980s along with That Petrol Emotion. ‘Only losers take the bus’ by Fatima Mansions is an all-time classic. I’ve lost track of how many times I saw both bands.
1 Like
I never saw Micro Disney and only started listening to them once The Mansions had formed. 
In my view though Cathal should be known as one of the best writers and performers of the last 30 odd years. At their (Fatima Mansions) peak, no one could touch them as a live band.
Was that in 2009. I saw her that year with Buick 6 in Leamington, they were superb.
Buick 6 played a support slot and told us how pissed off Lucinda was so we all had to cheer her up.
She did a lot from West with real attitude.
Isle of Wight 2012. Friday, Tom Petty. Saturday, Pearl Jam. Sunday, Springsteen (all the hyperbole is true)
Ian Dury & The Blockheads. What a fecking rythym section.
Midlake, secret pub gig in Leicester. Magical.
The Fall because they were…The Fall.
Billy Bragg’s Woody Guthrie tour.
Roxy Music supported by The New York Dolls.
The Bickershaw Festival 1972. Hawkwind (Lemmy on vocals) Dr John, Beefheart, String Band, Donovan, Family, Kinks, Country Joe, New Riders of the Purple Sage folowed by 5 hours of The Grateful Dead.
The Byrds
Incredible String Band, every single time.
Stones in 73 & 76.
Crystal Castles for sheer brilliant insanity
The Jam, Elvis Costello & The Undertones 1978 ish.
Prince, because.
2019 standouts, The Prods (last nite) & Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
6 Likes
2016 I think. Buick 6 played support, then when Lucinda came on she complained about the venue, I think because it is kind of commercial and she seemed ashamed about that. Then she started singing and said she couldn’t hear herself and at one point it looked like she was going to walk off. It felt quite tense, the crowd were encouraging her to carry on and she was nervous but warmed up after feeding off the crowd’s enthusiasm. Once she was ‘there’ though she had us eating out of her hand. She was bloody brilliant and just oozed rock n roll charisma. I had the feeling afterwards that she did it to create tension and to test the crowd but whatever it was, it worked!
2 Likes
Been to some amazing gigs, and some absolute shite. All part of the fun.
Pulp, 1996, Sheffield Arena. Peak of their powers in their home town. Electric.
Metallica, 1991, Birmingham NEC. Memorable because I left via the wrong entrance, missed the coach home which had my coat on it and spent the night alone in Birmingham New Street station. Vowed never to be homeless. Horrible.
Tori Amos supported by The Divine Comedy, 1994, Nottingham Convert Hall, before she turned into self-indulgent twaddle.
Mansun 1998&2000, O2 Brixton/De Montfort. Worst. Support. Bands. Ever.
Muse, 2003 Nottingham Arena. Bunch of cunts, but somehow amazing live. You love them in spite of yourself.
Damien Rice, 2007 Nottingham. Possibly tied with Pulp for best ever. Fucking incredible live and a cunt for never seeming to play in the UK any more 
Sigur Ros, 2008, Empress Ballroom, Blackpool
Beirut, 2010, Brighton. 400 miles in a day to see their one UK date.
Midlake, 2010, O2 Leicester. Supported by Jason Lytle AND John Grant. YES!
Her Name Is Calla, 2011, a pub in York. Grand total of 4 in the crowd. I love this band.
Placebo, 2015, De Montfort. Finally forgave them for cancelling some years earlier when the roof blew off Rock City.
Nick Cave 2017, Nottingham Arena. Mesmerising.
Manchester Orchestra, 2017, O2 Birmingham. Fucking love these.
5 Likes
Been to some howlers, including Van Morrisson in Manchester. As bad as the stories suggest. Glad I didn’t pay.
I think all of us who saw him on that tour would have it up at the top of our lists. I remember all of it but the best memory is of me Kev and Pete getting carried away at the end of Stagger Lee punching the air and screaming when he’d dragged some semi-naked Thor look-alike up onstage to humiliate, fucking brilliant!
This bit: 
“I’m a bad motherfucker, don’t you know
And I’ll crawl over fifty good pussies just to get to one fat boy’s asshole”
Said Stagger Lee
Just then Billy Dilly rolls in and said, “You must be the mad motherfucker called Stagger Lee”
“I’m Stagger Lee”
“Yeah, I’m Stagger Lee and you better get down on your knees
And suck my dick, because if you don’t you’re gonna be dead”
Said Stagger Lee
Well, Billy Dilly dropped down and slobbered on his head
And Stag filled him full of lead
Oh, yeah
2 Likes
Freebie @ Granada TV studios around 1972
Recheduled after the Manchester Arena bombing.
They played what the fans wanted to hear at this one. Immense, moving & humbling.
4 Likes
I did that in the late 90s during the middle of winter,. As you say, Horrible and bloody cold.
I went to see ZZ top earlier this year in that London’s wembley area.
It was memorable for being the most mechanical performance I’ve ever witnessed. Granted, they’re getting on a bit and playing the same old songs for 40+ years must be tiresome, but even so they could’ve at least tried to engage with the crowd. Instead they finished playing and just walked off without saying a word.
The band I have seen most often yet the memories are hazy…
Found them one year by accident while wandering/stumbling around the fields of Glastonbury as the sun was setting.
1 Like
I had similar when I went to see Interpol. It crushed me.
I’d bought the tickets almost a year before, booked a hotel round the corner, made a weekend of it.
Crushing, yes.
The Average White Band - The Renfrew Ferry (1993)
Devo, 3/6/80, Rainbow, Finsbury Park.
3 Likes