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.
Four of the best for today’s trip down memory lane for you down the years.
2018, Tom Morello, Bush Hall, London
I can’t believe this was two years ago as it seems like yesterday. An extraordinary evening with Tom Morello that I reviewed here at the time. A great chance to see the master in such an intimate venue.
2014, Allah La’s, Oval Space, London
We didn’t go to Oval Space many times. A slightly weird venue in Hipster Ville, Hackney. I reviewed this gig here at the time. As is usual with this band you are never quite sure what they are all on but they manage to keep it together to put on good shows. A lovely hippy trip back down the decades for a full sixties jangly pop night out.
2003, the Thorns, Union Chapel, London
A lovely acoustic gig with the very brief lived Thorns with a certain Matthew Sweet in its ranks. I think that this was their one and only UK headlining gig after they supported the Jayhawks in the same year. With only one album we got that in full and it certainly fitted the atmospheric setting of the Chapel. Good stuff
1986, Magnum, Guildford Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey
For those who don’t know Magnum were a brummie new wave of British heavy metal band and mighty fine they were too. Graham and I loved them and saw them many times. They were on the softer side of metal and probably more rock than all out metal too. So much so tracks from their classic ‘On a Storytellers Night were often used by the BBC as beds for various sports shows.
Given the suburban location of the venue it was no surprise that the band were drinking in the foyer bar before their set which you wouldn’t necessarily see at the Odeon for example.
It’s the Vigilante tour and whilst not a strong as ‘Storyteller’ has a couple of good tunes. Luckily the set takes in a lot of the old stuff and we chalk this one up as another great show by the Brummie rockers.
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.