davepb24

Was there as well 🙂 he's still got it all right!

Often the main topic in our group... several are decent guitarists (but never been in bands), one has a couple of shows on Hard Rock Hell radio (and another did till earlier this year), several do regular gigs and festivals; and the lovely lady I met a few months back has quite similar musical tastes to my own, not to mention some of the same vinyl 🙂

mostly acquired out of my student grant in 1985: Hounds Of Love - Kate Bush Misplaced Childhood - Marillion Low-Life - New Order Love - The Cult

Great Barrs Of Fire

I Erdington The Grapevine

KK's Priest at his SteelMill tonight with Paul Di'Anno supporting (caught the end of first support wasn't massively impressed but bought their CD so will give them a proper listen later Di'Anno was in a wheelchair...OK seen a one-armed drummer way back...knew he'd been ill but wasn't expecting that...didn't seem to affect his enthusiasm, a glorious romp through the early Maiden era, "Phantom Of The Opera" being the song that got me into Maiden all those years ago KK's lot were ... can't really explain... only other time I ever saw Priest was 42 years ago... played a few off their upcoming album which obviously nobody knew... when their voice over video demon thingy came out with "we will take you... Beyond... The Realms... Of Death..." (Glenn's masterpiece of course and a song that means a lot to me)... don't know who the guitarist was who played that solo but it's my all time favourite bit of metal guitar and he just nailed it... don't mind admitting my eyes seemed to spring a bit of a leak. All in all fantastic night

Saw them at Donington in 1982 (the Abominog lineup), although I don't recall too much of it these days I do remember being quite impressed at the time

saw them in Birmingham a couple of weeks back, they just keep getting better

A week ago now... When Rivers Meet at the Asylum in Brum... almost ducked it through another sort of anxiety attack even though I booked the meet and greet beforehand so glad I made it in the end, awesome performance and they are wonderful people as well...and a shout out to Arielle didn't catch all her set but an artist doing her own merch stand afterwards has to be supported 😀

Just listened to "Ghost Star" by OMD, first of their new (ie from this century!) songs I've heard. Beautiful, and wouldn't have been out of place on Dazzle Ships

While in the sixth form at school a young lad was breaking into the first team of my favourite football club, who happened to have the same name as me - I succeeded in convincing quite a few of the younger kids that it was really me...never got asked for an autograph but somebody did once ask me if I could get them tickets for a cup semi-final...

Two particularly awful ones: Def Leppard, Leicester 1987 - utterly bland forgettable tripe; Sisters Of Mercy Birmingham 2001-ish, like watching somebody impersonating them on BGT or something, competent but totally soulless

Was so far from the stage he could have been playing a tennis racket for all I could see, an NEC hall is possibly not the best place to experience an artist like Suzanne Vega! Will have to see if I can dig out the live tape I have from round about that time and if it still plays see if I can tell from that

Mike Visceglia in the NEC car park after a gig 1987 (and me with the glowing eyes behind...)

A mate keeps going on about how great Behemoth's cover of the Cure's "A Forest" is ... up there with the worst I've come across I'm afraid

Statues Quo Gillian Uriah Sheep Breastie Boys Allen Sex Friend

Difficult one... the first three bands I ever saw live, 40+ years ago, are all still around, two of them I would much rather hang on to the memories of when they were great, Status Quo and Judas Priest - Quo have become their own tribute act, and sorry but Rob Halford can't quite do justice to stuff like "Beyond The Realms Of Death" these days. The third of the trio is OMD... having more or less reunited the original lineup every Y**T*** video I see of them now makes me wish I was there, they really can still do it! Then... as a bit of an old goth... Sisters Of Mercy... saw them about 20 years ago, Eldritch and a couple of hired guns going through the motions, utterly forgettable... and Fields Of The Nephilim... saw the classic lineup several times, last saw them at a festival at the NEC some years back, apparently with the Prodigy's guitarist among others... ok they could play the old stuff perfectly but there was just something missing (on a lighter note I'm sure Carl McCoy actually cracked at least three quarters of a smile at the end of that!)

Added the local Wetherspoon as I'm more likely in there than at home lol (and it is quite close!)

OMD, via Alexa... and being reminded why I went off them big style after about 1984...

The Cult's debut (as The Cult at least lol) "Dreamtime" is my favourite record of all time... have heard it slated by many people including later band members but nothing they've done since comes close for me

One consequence of having played them a couple of times is the realisation the turntable on my 20+ year old Littlewoods catalogue stereo has probably carked it 😞 ... looking at replacements lol

Have recently acquired two different original vinyl versions of it from a mate (at some cost lol) rather excellent!

Joy Division "Closer" or Fields Of The Nephilim "The Nephilim" both have pretty great first sides (for those who remember two sides on the same disc/tape 🙂 ) but second sides that are just on a different planet

Right at this minute a covers band in a pub in Boldmere, not too bad... singer has a remarkable resemblance to Jenna from Blakes 7...!

If I couldn't have Hooky's spot maybe Barry Adamson with Magazine and the Bad Seeds