Gigging... Memories part one...

Well, I guess it wasn't the best of starts to my gig going days.. but you have to start somewhere right? So off I trotted to see XTC, can't say I recall very much about them or the gig apart from coming away thinking the support was bloody good!! that was provided by a band called Gods Toys, fine fine band they where too!!


Next up was Siouxsie and the Banshees, I think time had just about crawled into the year 1980.... After one gig and thinking I was a hardened gig go'er I decided to head for the front once the opportunity arose, I had decent tickets second row, Chelmsford Odean, so It shouldn't have posed a problem getting there, security was somewhat tight, for the support, a rather wonderful chap by the name of John Cooper Clarke, Bard of Salford and quite probably one of the best Punk poets ever! (never really did get into Attila the Stockbroker!!!!) anyhow Mr Clarke did all his classics... The day my Pad went Mad, I married an Alien from Outer space, Chicken town, the whole works, stopping briefly between poems to sup a bit of beer and chew ever more madly on his gum while saying "Ta", what a geezer!!!
Next up the banshees, security retreated.... strange? oh well, over the seat in front and right in the middle of the stage just to left of centre, right at the front clinging on... Easy peasy I thought... these hard core punks ain't all that.................... well.... Untill the band came on stage.... there was a surge and bang I went right into the stage.... then the first cords of Israel got licked out........ and well..... Lets just say the gig was all round wonderful... and I had a 8 inch black bruise right round the middle for a few weeks afterwards!!!

I think the next one I managed to get to was the Kings of the Wild Frontier tour 1980... Adam and the Ants... Fantastic night, whoever the support was got blown away by the thundering 2 drumset royal family....... momentous evening, jolly good night out and a very happy walk home singing "we are the family of wild nobility!!! " it made up for missing them in 79 when the done Dirk wears white soxs et al!!


Next if I remember correctly was the Cure..... 1981, no support as it was the Carnage visors tour.... Which was the Cures own "film" and feck me it was dull dull dull, this has to go down as one of my least enjoyable gigs from the early days!!!!!!!!!

(The above gigs all at Chelmsford Odean)

Next I think was My first of many many many many nights at the Y Club, or as it was known then the YMCA! no, no dodgy crap disco.........
But a special start as I got to see at the time one of my FAV bands, the UK SUBS!!!! Who where blinding, got to have a chat with Nicky Garret and the main man Charlie Harper afterwards, thoroughly nice chaps the pair of them, even gave me a can of Special Brew from the rider!!!! happy happy days!!
Support was 3 bands, the rather good Special Duties, one of Colchester's finest punk bands, an awe inspiring display from a band called Brutal Attack!! and it was brutal, they played Paranoid at around 5 times the Sabbath speed, should give you some indication eh????
the other band......... ermmmmmmmmmm they had a synth??? and me being a blinkered pup, well it kinda washed over me