topic Re: Who was your first live band? in The Round Table

Who was your first live band?

hill-walker — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 15:38:15 GMT

Inspired by comments on another thread, I thought this might be a bit of fun, and nostalgia, in the run up to Xmas 🙂

So, to kick it off:

Tyrannosaurus Rex (before they abbreviated to T-Rex), 1969, Guildford Civic Hall.

Tickets were 10s (50p) but they over sold, and ran out of space, so had to sit me, and around 40/50 others, on chairs along the back of the stage! Magic 🙂

Re: Who was your first live band?

pixiesen2012 — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 16:09:49 GMT

the stranglers Guildford Civic hall about 1976!

Re: Who was your first live band?

hill-walker — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 16:13:50 GMT

@pixiesen2012 wrote:
the stranglers Guildford Civic hall about 1976!

Small world! I was living over Byfleet way then... you?

Re: Who was your first live band?

rosliston — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 16:53:22 GMT

From memory was The Walker Brothers approximately 1964 at Stourbridge Town Hall. The Entrance Fee was just a couple of Shillings I think?

They were amazing.

Re: Who was your first live band?

pixiesen2012 — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 17:08:10 GMT

Ripley

Re: Who was your first live band?

tommystrezures — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 17:13:34 GMT

My brain is a bit fuddled on this one, probably due to the type of music I used to listen too, one notable early one was with a friend to see Robert Plant in Band of Joy it was a one off national gig, in the late 1980's. The biggest drum kit I have ever seen! Otherwise Pink Floyd at the old Wembley stadium, and Genesis in 1987.

Re: Who was your first live band?

hill-walker — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 17:17:22 GMT

Oh, just down the road then. I used to be a regular in The Ship.

Re: Who was your first live band?

pixiesen2012 — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 17:36:13 GMT

the White Hart was my watering hole, played darts for them even when I was underage as my dad was the team captain!

Re: Who was your first live band?

kidmore_kats — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 17:42:21 GMT

Family, featuring Roger Chapman and Rick Grech and Blossom Toes at the Top Rank Suite Watford 21st February 1969.

There may have been earlier ones, but as they say, if you can remember it, you weren't there.

I do remember this for several reasons

1) The Top Rank in Watford was well known for mindless violence, skinheads, expensive Double Diamond and extremely aggressive bouncers. You had to wear a tie to get in

2) It was introduced by John Peel

3) The Top Rank management and staff had absolutely no idea how to deal with several dozen hippies turning up for a concert, probably because nobody tried to glass anybody

4) A local geezer had raided the local department store (Clements) and taken arm fulls of ties to hand out to those who arrived tieless and wouldn't be allowed in.

5) Both bands were excellent

6) At precicesly 11.30, in the middle of "The Weaver's Answer" all the lights went on, the stage started to revolve and we were "instructed" to leave.

I've had better evenings, to be fair I've had a lot worse, but it has stayed with me ever since.

Re: Who was your first live band?

bidicus*maximus — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 18:02:43 GMT

Foghat... roughly 1970.

Re: Who was your first live band?

kidmore_kats — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 18:33:54 GMT

For a "Conversationalist" that's pretty sparce... #justsaying

Re: Who was your first live band?

treetopsminicottages — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 18:49:54 GMT

My first ever live concert was to see the late great Gene Pitney at the Finsbury Astoria.

The Troggs were special guests.

Sadly I also saw Gene on his very last tour to UK in 2006 before his untimely death in Cardiff during that same tour.

Re: Who was your first live band?

hill-walker — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 18:52:47 GMT

Ah... the posh end of town 😉

Spent many an evening in there too; it was a bit more salubrious than the Ship, so more in keeping if my wife was with me. We very likely crossed paths then.

Re: Who was your first live band?

tech-tonix — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 05:42:14 GMT

Robin Trower / John Miles at Mancs Free Trade Hall

a1once — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 22:10:35 GMT

I can not remember in what order I saw them, but in 1973 at the Liverpool Playhouse and the Royal Court Theatre, I saw David Bowie, (Ziggy Tour), Pink Floyd and Rod Stewart/Faces. Saw them mainly due to the people I knew at the time. I am a big Bowie fan and seeing him live was spellbinding and awesome. Rod made everyone get up and bop. I never did like Pink Floyd and they left me cold.

Later in life, I saw Michael Jackson, T-Pau and Paul McCartney at least three times.

sunflowers4me59 — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 22:20:22 GMT

I also used to love seeing Gene Pitney, we were due to see him in Tunbridge Wells but he died a few days before getting there.

Dare I say the first live band I saw was Gary Glitter and Glitterband at Alexandra Park, Hastings, about 1974. Name not to be mentioned now!

Re: Who was your first live band?

*guinevere* — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 10:44:06 GMT

This makes me sound ancient, but I saw Eartha Kitt in Manchester in 1970. She was as fabulous as you would expect, and great value for money.

After that I saw a lot of the 60s bands who played locally, The Searchers, Billy J Kramer, The Moody Blues, great days.