50 odd gigs - revisited

10cc? That's a lot of spunk

David Whitehall is on my Screenwriting course. The first time I met him he'd just returned from Amsterdam after seeing Lambchop over there; that's the sort of thing I do. I knew he'd be a prime candidate to list 50 memorable gigs - I wasn't wrong. Thanks for taking the time David, I appreciate it.

'Hi John, I've enjoyed doing this 50 Gigs list, though in the next life I'll definitely keep my ticket stubs! These are the ones I remember, but I was surprised to see how few I'd been to in the 90s; must've had something to do with being a parent! So, from the top:'

August 1964, The Jimmy Shand Band, Oban, Scotland. At 7 years old, first experience of live music. Remember joyfully stamping my feet to traditional Scottish music.

December 1972,  Lindisfarne, BBC recording ('Full House'), University Theatre, Newcastle. Taken by my parents, the first time I'd seen a 'rock' band: three (very loud!) songs from their Dingley Dell album.

April 1974,  Strawbs, Newcastle City Hall. First gig with mates - remember they played 'Lay Down' and 'Part Of The Union' - one of my dad's favourites: earlier that year, he'd gone on a one day strike from his job as a bank employee - my dad, the rebel!

More cc on the other side too

September 1974, 10cc, Newcastle City Hall. Re-scheduled gig so City Hall only half full. Rapturous crowd - three encores, the last one a jam : 'We've run out of songs!' Found my way into their dressing room after the gig (relieved not to find them engaged with groupies) and all four signed my ticket.

October 1974, Roxy Music, Newcastle City Hall. Knew that when I grew up, I wanted to be Bryan Ferry.

January 1975, Supertramp, (support Gallagher and Lyle, Chris de Burgh), Newcastle City Hall. Remember being mesmerised by the visuals to 'Rudy' and 'Crime of the Century'.

September 1975, Paul McCartney and Wings, Newcastle City Hall. His first tour since the split doing Beatles songs: gave my all in harmonies to 'Yesterday', until the bloke next to me told me to 'Shurrup!'

August 1976, Eric Clapton, Newcastle City Hall. In his band was young gun guitarist Larry Colyell. Remembering him doing a solo: Clapton watched, languidly put his fag on the machine head of his Strat, then did one of his own, fingers tearing up the fret board - genius.

December 1976, Joan Armatrading, Albert Hall, Nottingham. First gig I saw as a student. 'I am not in love, but I'm open to persuasion', the opening line to 'Love and Affection'. Newly arrived in Nottingham, I shared her hope.

January 1977, Genesis, Leicester de Montfort Hall. The Phil Collins Show - brilliant.

September 1977, Peter Gabriel, Newcastle City Hall. Remember him at one point disappearing off stage, re-appearing at the back of the hall, walking through the crowd and, predictably, being mobbed.

December 1977, Lindisfarne, Newcastle City Hall. 2,000 raucous Geordies welcome local heroes. So many highlights, but Alan Hull playing 'Winter Song' was/is a thing of beauty.

October1978, Mitislav Rostropovich, Nottingham Albert Hall. Dragged there by Olly, a classical music fan, I left knowing I'd witnessed greatness. The sounds he summoned from his cello were sublime.

December 1980, The Kinks, Rock City, Nottingham. Hoped they'd play 'Celluloid Heroes' - they didn't - but compensated with 'You Really Got Me' and 'Waterloo Sunset.

July 1981, Bob Dylan, NEC Birmingham. For some, his voice is an acquired taste, but I was struck that night by how powerful it was. Also remember with amusement the puzzled looks on people's faces, forced into a game of 'Guess The Classic' by his radical re-interpretations; though he did play something that sounded a bit like 'A Simple Twist Of Fate' so I, at least, went home happy.

July 1982, Rolling Stones, Roundhay Park, Leeds. Got a bus with a crowd from Selectadisc (Nottingham's late, lamented record shop). Stones supported by Joe Jackson, on stage sweetly taking photos of the crowd: 'I've never seen a crowd this big !' From our position (on a hill, seemingly several miles away) Jagger's voice drifted on the wind.

December 1982, Dire Straits, NEC Birmingham. 'Love Over Gold Tour' and Mark Knopfler's wonderful guitar playing. At the time, remember him promoting a new fangled invention: the Philips Compact Disc Player. I bought one soon after!

May 1983,: Robert Palmer, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. Always loved 'Johnny and Mary' and 'I Woke Up Laughing' - remember RP looking very stylish in a black, bolero jacket. I wanted one immediately!

December 1983, The Police, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. Took my girlfriend (who became 'the wife') - bought as a surprise for her birthday. I was definitely surprised by the parking ticket I got after queuing for tickets at 4 a.m.), and remember being unimpressed by Sting's use of an on-stage trampette.

December 1985, Dire Straits, NEC Birmingham. 'Brothers In Arms' tour. A favourite band in the 80s, and happy to catch them whenever I could.

December 1986, Level 42, NEC Birmingham. Remember a portion of the arena being curtained off, so not a sell-out, but hits got played.

August 1987, U2, NEC Birmingham. The Joshua Tree tour. Allied incredible power with melodic subtlety. A stunning gig and after it, to show solidarity, I even bought a U2 tee shirt - which inevitably shrunk in the wash.

January 1988, Eric Clapton (featuring Mark Knopfler), NEC Birmingham: marvellous duelling on 'Layla' and 'Sultans of Swing'.

October 1990 : Prefab Sprout, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. Heard 'When Love Breaks Down' on the radio for the first time and remember the DJ saying 'Not if but when love breaks down' - struck by the apparent inevitability of love failing, I've been a fan ever since. And Paddy McAloon? Up there with vintages McCartney for melodies and hooks.

October 1990 : Everything But The Girl, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. Even Tracey Thorn's voice and Ben Watt's harmonies were over-shadowed by seeing Prefab Sprout the night before.

June 1995, Ry Cooder, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. He tours so rarely, it's always good to see a legend. Played 'in the round' and remember the atmosphere being reverential - like being at a classical concert.

June 1998, Lightning Seeds, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. Loved 'Jollification' (still do) and Ian Broudie has written some superb love-lorn songs ('Telling Tales', 'My Best Day').

March 2000, Prefab Sprout, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall and Warwick Arts Theatre. Catch 'em when you can: they didn't tour very often, brilliant when they did, but sadly now, not at all.

April 2001, Neil Finn, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. So comfortable with the audience, cheerfully encouraging banter and in total control. Great voice, great songs: clearly loves performing.

April 2004, David Cassidy, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. If forced to express a preference, I would say David Cassidy over Donny, or any of The Osmonds. This was a surprise present for my wife, Therese but I was impressed: he played with an energy and a joy I really hadn't expected.

October 2004, Kings of Convenience, Warwick Arts Theatre. Two Norwegian guys playing guitar, harmonising beautifully, singing songs worthy of Simon and Garfunkel. Perfect.

Mr. Hawley's setlist: got to stay awake

May 2006, Richard Hawley, Rescue Rooms, Nottingham. Performer and stand up comedian. Brilliant. Standout track ? So many, but 'The Ocean' was especially memorable.

August 2006, Paul Buchanan and The Blue Nile, The Sage, Gateshead. Beautiful, melancholic songs, great voice: Buchanan captivated an adoring audience.

August 2007, America, Ogden County Fair, Utah. Assumed America hadd split up years before, so I was thrilled to discover they hadn't, and stunned to discover they were performing in Ogden, Utah at exactly the same time as we (me, Therese and our two daughters) were visiting family close by in Salt Lake City. 'Horse With No Name', 'Ventura Highway' - so many classics, and afterwards they signed my copy of their greatest hits. A definite result!

America in America

November 2007, Arcade Fire, Nottingham Arena. Special for me, because I took our eldest, Lucy -her first gig with her dad! It was memorable too for front man Win Butler - arenas are difficult venues for a band to connect with an audience and the band didn't: the show never recovered after a shoe thrown from the crowd hit Win Butler straight in the face. Not unsurprisingly, he vowed never to return to Nottingham. And he hasn't.

The mighty Glenn Campbell

October 2008, Glen Campbell, Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall. Catch the legends while you can, and make sure you're there for the start of the gig! Ticket said 7.30. No gigs start on time. This one did, so missed a few of his hits but did get to hear 'Witchita Lineman' - stunning. Hadn't known he was such a brilliant guitarist either. And although I hadn't intended to, I waited outside after the showe with a few hard core fans and he signed my ticket. I've been in the presence of greatness.

November 2008,  Fleet Foxes, Nottingham Trent University and Leadmill, Sheffield. Impressed with a band who, at the time, were relatively under the radar. Took our youngest, Rebecca, to the Sheffield gig: her first gig with her dad. J.Tillman, their drummer, was support. Soon after, he left; re-emerging as Father John Misty.

June 2009, Neil Young, Nottingham Arena. Not a big fan, but he's not a legend for nothing. His presence completely dominated a packed arena. A triumph.

October 2009, Kings Of Convenience, Warwick Arts Theatre. The duo returned, plus a piano accordionist and double bass player. As perfect as their 2004 show.

October 2010, Badly Drawn Boy, Nottingham Albert Hall. Sadly, a sparsely attended gig but a tremendous performance from Damon Gough showing no evidence of his apparent grumpiness. Took Lucy and delighted when he played 'The Shining' and 'Magic In The Air,' two of our favourites. Support was from The Candle Thieves - met them at the interval and we've loved them ever since.

October 2011, Bob Dylan, Nottingham Arena. Support from Mark Knopfler who acknowledged his back catalogue with a couple of Dire Straits songs. Then, a 90 minute set from Dylan during which he engaged with the audience - just the once - when he introduced his band at the end.We loved it! I watched through binoculars fascinated by the interplay between his band and the tight focus they had on Dylan's every move. Great band, and though Dylan's voice was shot, still a great gig.

March 2013, Julian Lloyd Weber (with Nottinghamshire Youth Orchestra), Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. He played Elgar's Cello Concerto - I'd had it on CD for ages, so it was a thrill to hear it live.

May 2014 : Halle Orchestra conducted by Sir Mark Elder, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, Mahler 6th Symphony : melody and melancholy combined, with an apocalyptic ending. Played nationwide on American radio immediately after 9/11 : easy to see why.

January 2015, First Aid Kit, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. Just two sisters, a slide guitarist and a drummer, but what a sound : such gorgeous harmonies. Half way through, a full house fell silent as the two girls unplugged, went to the front of the stage and did an entirely acoustic version of 'Ghost Town' to an audience enthralled.

July 2015, Chris Difford, Poppy and Pint, West Bridgford, Nottingham. Not often you get to see a rock star perform in your local! Not really a Squeeze fan, but Chris Difford showed himself to be a wonderful raconteur and performer. Great support from Arcelia and slide guitarist Melvin Duffy - and we only had two streets to walk home.

July 2015, Bert Bacharach, Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall. Sang, played piano, conducted his band - still very much got it at 87!

September 2016, Brian Wilson, Southend Pier. Glorious Beach Boys singalong : another 'oldster' who's still got it.

June 2017, Adele, Wembley Stadium. One woman and a crowd of 95,000: an unbelievable occasion. Great sound, great show 'Set Fire to the Fire' and the fireworks that accompanied it, just awesome.

David, left, and Lambchop

October 2017, Nile Rogers and Chic, Liverpool Echo Arena. Non-stop party time, a packed crowd on their feet dancing from the first note of 'I Want Your Love' to 'Good Times' 90 minutes later: the most joyous gig I've ever been to.

October 2017, Lambchop, Zonnehuis, Amsterdam. Small venue - a lovely Art Deco theatre filled with 150 knowledgeable and appreciative fans. Wonderful interplay between Kurt Wagner's guitar and Tony Crow's piano : a consistently beautiful sound.

Up Up and Away

The passing of Glen Campbell this week was sad. Very sad. But as I touched on back in April, the Campbell we all knew and loved had already gone. We'll miss him, I'm sure, and none more so than Jimmy Webb: this week has seen as many column inches given over to the writer of Wichita Lineman, as the singer. And rightly so. It's been labelled the finest song ever written in the twentieth century. I for one wouldn't disagree with that.

As well as the other ubiquitous hits he scored for Campbell, Webb also wrote songs (prolifically) for many other artists. This is one of my favourites. A friend of mine is going to a Balloon Fiesta this weekend, so it's quite fitting. Check out the 5th's natty threads.

The 5th. Dimension - Up Up and Away

It's Jimmy's birthday next week - he'll be seventy-one. Happy Birthday Jimmy, from all at Medd Towers.

Heartbreaking

Glen Campbell's days are numbered, it would appear. His dementia, now full blown Alzheimers, was first diagnosed back in 2012 and has all but taken away one of the greatest guitarists (certainly the most versatile) of all time. As well as having hit after hit in his own right, Campbell played on singles as diverse as I'm a Believer, Strangers in the Night (that's right, Sinatra) and Unchained Melody; and a ton of other stuff by The Beach Boys (he was a stand-in for Brian Wilson in 1964/5), Mamas & the Papas, Dean Martin and Bobby Darin. Seeing recent footage of, let's not mince words here, this legend is nothing short of heartbreaking; best to remember him this way - a mesmerising TV appearance including a masterclass in how to play guitar, and a jaw dropping solo rendition of Wichita Lineman. I strongly urge you to watch it.

I love Any Trouble's homage to the great man. I saw Clive Gregson perform this beautiful song at a house concert a couple of years ago, and it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention; there's not many songs that can do that these days.

Any Trouble - When I Hear Glen Campbell Sing

Show me a sign

Jimmy Webb gave Glen Campbell three geographically themed monster hits in the sixties that, to this day, remain Campbell's legacy: Galveston, By the Time I Get to Phoenix and Wichita Lineman. Campbell, the original Rhinestone Cowboy and one time Beach Boy, now suffers with Dementia and will probably never sing them again.

I had these songs in my head when I woke up this morning, so this week's canvases practically painted themselves.

Before Johnny Cash bowed out in 2003, as part of his Rick Rubin produced series of American albums, he recorded, for me, the definitive version of Wichita Lineman.