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.
Just a couple today for my trip down memory lane for you down the years
2002 Oasis, Hard Rock Live, Orlando, Florida, US and A
Armed with a nice redundancy check we are over in Florida for a two centre break with a week in Orlando and a week on the coast. I just couldn’t coordinate the changeover well enough so ended up driving the family from Orlando to Clearwater and then Alex and myself driving straight back to Orlando for the gig. We went full Hard Rock with a room booked in the Hard Rock Hotel too. Wow what a nice hotel.
After seeing the classic line up some five years before this is the rebooted Oasis after Bonehead and Guigsy had left. It’s the Heathen Chemistry tour and a bit of a return to form after the ‘drug‘ years. I think that Oasis have a love/hate attitude to the US and I think that’s reciprocated. Its looks like its old out and given by the overheard voices I am guessing at least half of the audience are probably British.
It’s a fine set and whatever you think of Oasis musically and on record, live they are right up there. Liam is the archetypal arrogant rock front man but what a voice. It’s a classic encore with ‘Don’t look back in Anger’, ‘some might say’, ‘My Generation’ and Wonderwall’. It’s a short boat walk back to our hotel where fully rested we take advantage of early access for hotel guests into Universal to have one last go on the coasters before we drove back to Clearwater.
2016 Bryan Adams, Sandown Park, Esher, London
I reviewed this gig on the blog at the time here and there’s nothing really to add. I enjoyed the few hits I knew but the rest went over my heads but many a middle woman left the show very pleased indeed.
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.