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.
May is typically a very busy month for gigs being part of the usual album release cycle and there’s a few today for my trip along memory lane for you down the years.
1981, Whitesnake, Hammersmith Odeon, London
Well this was it my very first gig, thirty nine years ago today. Four fresh faced fourteen and fifteen year olds hop on the bus from Hampton Court to the big smoke of Hammersmith. Being novices we arrived early, bought all the merchandise we could, t-shirts, patches and programmes and we take our seats high up in the circle for the support act, Billy Squier. Let’s just say the set didn’t last long in the memory although that said he made some impact as at least I do remember him.
Graham and I loved Whitesnake and went on to see them several times after this show. This one would have been the ‘Come an’ Get it’ tour and what is considered the definitive line up with ex Deep Purple members, Jon Lord and Ian Paice, the twin guitar attack of Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody, Neil Murray on bass and of course David Coverdale on vocals. Blues rock doesn’t get any better than this and as an introduction to rock it was amazing.
A couple of vivid memories from that night was how loud it was both the band and the crowd. Another one was one of our group falling asleep during the show. Looking back I think he only came along to be cool (as much as a spotty metalist could be in the early eighties) but really didn’t have any interest in heavy metal at all. Finally just watching Jon Lord in action was one of the greatest joys in life. The way he threw his Hammond organ around was incredible.
Whilst my musical tastes have shifted more to Americana and country, rock still holds a special place for me and I enjoy nothing more than seeing a good blues rock band such as Rival Sons.
Looking at the setlist now it’s a greatest hits of the first four albums and Whitesnake probably didn’t get any better than that especially as they suffered from multiple line-up changes and a shift in musical style to a more polished Americanised sound in later years.
It’s safe to say that this show lit the convert blue touch paper and has led to some 850 or more shows since that time. Looking back at my first six gigs I saw all of the members of the classic MK II Deep Purple line up in their respective guises with Gillan and Rainbow, followed swiftly by Sabbath and Status Quo. Welcome to rock n roll. Thanks Whitesnake for starting this all off.
2000, Bap Kennedy, Half Moon, London
Bap Kennedy sadly died in 2016. He was the founding member of Energy Orchard a fine band in the late eighties and nineties. Kennedy was a great songwriter and was ‘adopted’ by Steve Earle when he went solo. This tour would have been off the back of ‘Lonely Street’ which is probably his best album. This was the only time we say him live and he was solo acoustic. Aside from that my memory of the gig itself is poor.
2013 Besnard Lakes, the Garage, London
Besnard Lakes are a Canadian rock band who specialise is long melodic jams with a hint of Sabbath meets Floyd. I think it was probably just Graham with me tonight for this mean and moody set. Minimal lighting which suited the sounds as you can lifted up and transported to some faraway place where musicians just sit down and groove (but in a structured way not like Jazz).
A fine show of guitar based psych rock.
2014, Joe Henry, Purcell Rooms, London
This was one of my early reviews and it was a fine night of acoustic music in the relaxed atmosphere of the Southbank. Such is the esteem that Henry is held within the musical community there are a number of star spots in the audience and one such Billy Bragg who was sat by us walked joined and joined him for a song or two. Clearly a friendship that still lasts as we saw them together on a joint tour a couple of years back.
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.