I’ve been listening to a lot of music recently and found
myself reflecting on the range of artists who I had also seen live at some
point over the last 34 years. Here’s a list of all the ones I can remember.
(I’m sure there are more, and certainly there are some festival performers I –
and the musical world – have forgotten totally.) I’ve star-rated them; where
I’ve seen the act more the once the ratings are in order of appearances. It’s
too big an ask to identify dates for them all, though I do have a fair few
programmes, ticket stubs and other memorabilia relating to lots of the gigs.
As a result of this retrospective on live music, I feel
privileged to have seen many of the acts. Quite a few no longer perform or have
disbanded. A number of performers have died.
The three big live music regrets I have are:
1. Not going to see Led Zeppelin at Knebworth in 1979
2. Not seeing Bob Marley on his Uprising tour in 1980
3. Choosing to see Teardrop Explodes instead of Stiff Little
Fingers in 1983 (Julian Cope hated the rest of the band, was touring only for
contractual reasons, wouldn’t play his hits, and Stiff Little Fingers split that
year)
There’s a clear rock leaning in this list, with very little
that might be called punk or pop. And there are many gigs that I remember as being just
fantastic nights of entertainment, hence so many four- and five-star ratings.
And one or two turkeys.
Here’s the list – if anyone reading it can remember any I’ve
forgotten, let me know!
Daevid Allen ****
Tori Amos ****
Joan Armatrading ***
Jeff Beck ***
Big Country ***
Black Sabbath ** (Ian Gillan on vocals – awful)
Carla Bley ****
Blue Oyster Cult ***
David Bowie *****
Billy Bragg ****
Chris de Burgh ***; ** (I know, I know)
Camel ****
Eric Clapton ***
Alice Cooper *****; *****
Julian Cope *****; ****; ****
The Cramps *****
Deep Freeze Mice ****
Divine ** (Lots of miming, but somehow fitted)
Bob Dylan ** (Had his back to the audience for most of the
show)
Eels *****; ***; *****; ****
The Enid ****
Eurythmics ***** (Small venue just after they’d hit stardom)
David Gilmour *****
Gong *****; ****
Steve Hackett ***
Roy Harper ****; ****
PJ Harvey *****; *****; *****; *****; *****
Hawkwind *****
The Housemartins ***
Neil Innes ****
Jethro Tull *****; *****; ****; ***;
Elton John ***
Kerfuffle *****
Lindisfarne ****; ***
Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul *****
Marillion *; ***
Ralph McTell ***
Liza Minnelli ***; *****; *****
Van Morrison ***
Dolly Parton ****
Pendragon ***
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers ***
Pink Floyd *****; *****; ****; *****
Pretenders ***
Prince ***; *****
Q-Tips *
Suzi Quatro ***
Eddi Reader *****; *****; ****; ****
John Schofield ** (I didn’t ‘get’ jazz at the time)
Andy Sheppard ****
Jane Siberry ** (Only performed one song from the half a
dozen albums I have)
Siouxsie & The Banshees *****
Sky ***
Jimmy Somerville ***
Spiritualised ***
Bruce Springsteen *****
Steel Pulse **
The Stranglers ***; *****; ****
System 7 ***
Teardrop Explodes ****; *
Thin Lizzy ***
Tina C *****; ****
U2 ** (Tedious)
UFO ** (More Spinal Tap than Spinal Tap)
Stevie Ray Vaughan **
Tom Waits *****
The Waterboys ***
Roger Waters *****; *****; ***
Wishbone Ash **
Neil Young *****
The Who ****
Dweezil Zappa ****
Frank Zappa *****
