With the country still in the midst of lockdown and no sign of any live music in the foreseeable future if at all this year I thought I would take the opportunity to look back in the archives, sounds posh I know but it’s just an spreadsheet, and revisit gigs I attended on this day down the years. I will keep this going until I can attend my first gig again in person so hopefully this also brings back memories for my gig going chums who have joined me on this great musical journey down the years.
A couple of corkers today for my trip down memory lane for you down the years.
1990, Hall & Oates, Town & Country, London
Thirty years ago blimey, Antony and myself make our way to see the great Hall & Oates. And great they most certainly were. All the hits are here and more as seen on a setlist of another date of the tour. This was a masterclass of super soul pop music. Everyone knows the words and it was probably ninety minutes of perfection. Another contender for my top fifty gigs of all time without a doubt. Sadly they couldn’t repeat this show a few years back at the O2 with a set beleaguered by sound problems. Thankfully I still have the memory of this former show.
2007, the Hold Steady, Electric Ballroom, London
I reviewed the July 4th show at Portsmouth here last month on the same tour. We enjoyed it so much we did it again a few weeks later and it was even better second time around. Touring off of the masterpiece that is ‘Boys and Girls in America’ it’s a breathless ninety minutes of guitar based rock n roll at its finest. Stunning stuff and we moshed until we could mosh no more.
That’s it for today’s trip down memory lane. Here’s hoping we can get to some form of normality soon. Support your small local venues and smaller artists in these difficult times, stay safe and keep on rockin y’all.