Gig memories: Foo Fighters at Brixton Academy in 1995

 
Foo Fighters
Built To Spill
Brixton Academy, 15 November 1995

Sadly Neil Young has cancelled on me again. The first time was back in 2003 when I was supposed to see him at Brixton Academy and arrived at the venue excited only to find a notice saying that due to illness the show was kaput. This time, again it couldn't be helped, but Poncho from Crazy Horse has hurt his hand and the the final dates of their tour all had to be cancelled. This means that instead of rocking out to a sprawling Shakey solo tonight at the O2 Arena I'm instead here writing this post. So rather than reporting back on the Neil show I may as well reminisce about a happy gig memory.

Gig memories: Pearl Jam back in 1992

So I'm seeing Eddie Vedder solo for the first time this week and I'm pretty excited. Me and Eddie go back a long way: Pearl Jam was the first gig I ever went to by myself, all the way back in February 1992 at the tiny ULU just before they became hugely famous rock stars. It's needless to say that gig probably changed my life and one day I will write a full Gig Memories post all about it. But in the meantime, rather incredibly and very generously, their support act that very night, Claytown Troupe, has recently uploaded footage of that very gig onto YouTube and it's brought back some very wonderful memories. Pearl Jam are still one of the best live acts in the world but from the clip you can see there's an youthful excitement, energy and joy that will never be matched again and it's amazing to experience it again in some small way.

Gig memories: David Bowie at Wembley in 1995

David Bowie
Morrissey
Wembley Arena, 18 November 1995

I recently discovered an old review I wrote for this show at the time, written on a school computer. It's full of teen pretension and I completely dismiss old rock stars (aside from Neil Young funnily enough) and Bowie's 80s output. I don't really know why because I love a lot of Bowie's 80s work (particularly the Scary Monsters and Let's Dance albums and even the first Tin Machine record) but I was the midst of my punk rock phase then and just a snotty kid. But even that couldn't stop me loving Bowie.

Gig Memories: Leonard Cohen at the O2 in 2008

Leonard Cohen

O2 Arena, 17 July 2008

So, I had planned to go see Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter tonight but due to a bout of the flu this week I've been stuck indoors while everyone else has been enjoying the unusually sunny April weather. Since I can obviously no longer write about that show I thought instead I'd reminisce about a show I went to a few years back that I've been thinking a lot about lately: Leonard Cohen at the O2 back in 2008.

Gig Memories: Afghan Whigs at Subterania

The Afghan Whigs
Subterania, 25 August 1998

Years back because I used to go to a lot of similar gigs I would see quite a few of the same faces at them (this still happens to a lesser degree and now they tend to be older than me for some reason!). One guy I used to chat to was a moody, quiet type who had hung out with The Breeders and met Kurt Cobain. My best friend hated him but he would always be worth talking to because he would always recommend great bands I didn't know. One time, appalled that my favourite band was Dinosaur Jr ("I can't stand that guy's voice!"), he told me I should listen to The Afghan Whigs instead.

Gig Memories: Jeff Buckley at Cambridge Junction in 1995

Jeff Buckley

Cambridge Junction, 22 June 1995

Back when I saw Jeff Buckley in June, 1995, hype was beginning to rapidly build around him: he was young and beautiful, the son of a cult legend, critically acclaimed and his album was just utterly, hauntingly beautiful. Even MTV had started to sometimes show his video for Grace (yes, this was back when MTV showed videos) and I was just desperate to see him live having missed the last time he played London, for some weird reason, at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire. So, despite living in London, when he announced a pre-Glastonbury date at the Cambridge Junction, I resolved to get there somehow and persuaded my brother to drive me there. I’m really glad I was so enthusiastic about seeing him because it turned out that, along with the Glastonbury appearance, these were Jeff’s last ever shows in the UK.

Gig Memories: Elliott Smith at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in 1999

Elliott Smith

Shepherd's Bush Empire, 21 April 1999

Seeing Elliott Smith live back in 1999 has to be one of my most special concert-going memories. I saw him twice that year and both times were unique and beautiful but the headlining show at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire was, looking back, so filled with classic songs performed with such joy and heart, that it was pretty special.

Gig Memories: The Afghan Whigs at Reading, 1994

On the weekend of the Reading Festival, here's an unreleased track by the still oh-so-awesome Afghan Whigs played at Reading in 1994. I was there in the crowd, it was a fantastic show. I met Greg Dulli that day, who was breathtakingly handsome back then, tanned and slim and oozing sex appeal. He told me his sister's name was also Sharon and gave me a kiss on the lips. Good times indeed.

Gig memories: Here's to The Losers

I went to see St Vincent again tonight (I'll post about that later) and while joking that Annie Clark might dedicate a song to me (perhaps Actor Out Of Work?) I was reminded that I did once have a song dedicated to me at a gig years ago, something I had completely and utterly forgotten.

Sweet gig memories...

Soundgarden playing the Camden Underworld in London
(my shoulder and hair is just seen in the corner in front of Chris Cornell)

I've been to so many gigs over the years often I have trouble remembering them all, so recently I've been trying to compile a list of every gig I've ever been to and it's been tougher than I imagined.