Written May 2020 – [TBC]
It's not going to take much to remember the gigs of 2020!!
In the UK and on March 23rd, we were put into lockdown because of a worldwide pandemic called Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Gigs 2020
Echo and the Bunnymen Tour – 2019
November 13th 2019 – Southampton Engine Rooms
Aren't concert tickets sh*t online! Much prefer an old fashioned ticket. Emailed to your inbox will never be the same as arriving by post, but I don’t miss queuing around the block at box offices.
Keane – Cause and Effect Tour – 2019
October 5th 2019 – Brighton Centre
Oooo, an away gig. A little trip down to Brighton for see Keane.
Having seen Tom Chaplin playing Queen songs in April, we were now, quite excited about a full band tour.
Glastonbury Festival – 2019
June 26th to 30th 2019 – Worthy Farm, Pilton
June 26th to 30th 2019 – Worthy Farm, Pilton
Here we are, back at the Glastonbury Festival once more. Headliners this year were Stormzy, The Killers and The Cure...a typical mixed bag of sounds. This one was hot, very very hot! So hot, they had even built a pier this year!
Tom Chaplin – Songs of Queen Tour – 2019
April 18th 2019 – Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre
I'm not a massive fan of Queen, but I loved the first album of Keane, Hopes and Fears, which had the classics of "Somewhere Only We Know" and "Everybody's Changing". It would be interesting to see how Tom fused the two things together...
Heaven 17 – The Luxury Gap Tour – 2018
November 16th 2018 – Bournemouth O2 Academy
This month saw me catching up with a band I never got to see before....Heaven 17. I guess because, as far as I know, they never played Leicester?
Touring the 35 anniversary of "The Luxury Gap" album, it seemed a good time to give them a go, now we live near Bournemouth.
Killing Joke – Laugh at Your Peril 40th Anniversary World Tour – 2018
November 11th 2018 – O2 Guildhall, Southampton
You will see a lot of my gigs reported at 25th anniversary tours, 30th anniversary tours.....it's a bit much that they are turning into 40th anniversary tours!!
The Damned – The Evil Spirits Tour – 2018
February 11th 2018 – O2 Academy, Bournemouth
The Damned were back! I hadn't seen them for a while now, well since the emotional Albert Hall in 2016, so was quite excited to see The Evil Spirits Tour was visiting Bournemouth.
U2 – The Joshua Tree Tour – 2017
July 8th 2017 - Twickenham Stadium
U2 played two nights at Twickenham as part of this tour, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of The Joshua Tree album, probably the one that sent U2 into superstardom!
The Living End – European Tour – 2017
July 6th 2017 – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
If The Living End are in town, you have to go. If they are in Portsmouth, it's worth a drive out. Chris, Scott and Andy had recently supported The Dropkick Murphy's in Bournemouth with a short set, so I was now extra excited to see a full set again.
Dropkick Murphys – 11 Short Stories of Pain and Glory Tour – 2017
June 29th 2017 – O2 Academy, Bournemouth
What a bonus tonight. Not only do I get to see The Dropkick Murphy's locally, but they've got my all time faves, The Living End, as their support act!!!
Super Furry Animals – Fuzzy Logic and Radiator 20th Anniversary Tour – 2016
December 7th 2016 – O2 Academy, Bournemouth
A bit of a wet and cold night in Boscombe, to be expected in December! It's been a while since SFA toured, in fact they split up/stopped working for five years, so there haven't been many chances anyway.
Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls Tour – 2016
October 22nd 2016 – The Barrington Centre, Ferndown
A little bit different tonight in many ways. Firstly this wasn't The Wonder Stuff, it was Miles and Erica, but playing their stuff and the Stuffies stuff.
Secondly, this wasn't your usual venue. Never did I think (with due respect) the Miles Hunt would play Ferndown!! But now in folk lore....I was there!
Kasabian – Summer Solstice – 2014
June 21st 2014 – Victoria Park, Leicester
Born and bred Leicester's finest had returned home to play a gig after pretty much breaking the world with their music, but bands don't play Victoria Park, they just don't...
Glastonbury Festival – 2009
June 26th to 28th 2009 – Worthy Farm, Pilton
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts....not just a music festival, but a whole town of creative thinking. Where do you start!!
Reading was an iconic festival, but this is the mother of all festivals.
Onetwo – Castle Park Festival – 2006
August 28th 2006 – Leicester Cathedral
OMD unexpectedly reformed in 2006, but Paul Humphreys was also in collaboration with Claudia Brucken in a side project called Onetwo.
It was exciting to see the two of them turning up at Leicester Cathedral as part of the Castle Park Festival
David Lee Roth – Diamond Dave Tour 2004
March 1st 2004 – Wolverhampton Civic Hall
Don't be daft, no way would Dave Lee Roth be coming to Wolverhampton!!! That was my initial reaction when my buddy Steve told me about this gig.
The Waterboys – Universal Hall Tour – 2003
October 20th 2003 - De Montfort Hall, Leicester
I had The Waterboys bug again so seeing Mike and the boys for a second time this year!
The Waterboys – Universal Hall Tour – 2003
June 14th 2003 - Birmingham Symphony Hall
Well, it's been a while since I saw Mike and the boys! and what a return it was....A great mix of old and new
Gigs 2002
Written in September 2020
Another year of missing tickets. I was working in Market Harborough at the time and living in Countesthorpe, but feel sure I would have been to a few gigs during the year.
Muse – Origin of Symmetry Tour – 2001
November 1st 2001 – De Montfort Hall
After a phenomenal performance as part of the MTV Introducing concert at Shepherd Bush in 2000, this would be my first chance to see Muse on home ground.
Fun Lovin Criminals – Loco Tour – 2001
November 13th 2001 – De Montfort Hall
Fun Lovin' Criminals were a band from New York City and a musical conundrum. Their music was eclectic to say the least. One minute you would be bouncing to a rock song, the next you could have sat in a corner and gone to sleep!
NME Carling Awards – Tour – 2001
January 30th 2001 – De Montfort DSU Arena
Starsailor and JJ72 were great tonight, but there isn't much in my memory bank from this gig....Mansun – Little Kix Tour – 2000
November 3rd 2000 – De Montfort Uni, Leicester Arena
Supported by: King Adora, My Vitriol
The difficult third album!
The initial success of their first album, "Attack of the Grey Lantern" (No.1 in 1997), their top ten second album "Six" wasn't to be matched by "Little Kix".
Coldplay – Parachutes Tour – 2000
October 4th 2000 – Leicester DSU Arena
Support: Lowdown (didn't watch)
Coldplay were on their way this year....They had actually played Leicester twice before this year at De Montfort University in January and then The Princess Charlotte in March.
Bon Jovi – Crush Tour – 2000
August 23rd 2000 – Britannia Stadium, Stoke on Trent Supported by: Starsailor and Toploader It had been a few years since seeing Bon Jovi, they hadn't played in the UK since The These Days Tour in 1995 where I saw them at Wembley and Sheffield. The guys had "split up" but with the agreement of... Continue Reading →
Half Man Half Biscuit Tour – 2000
May 11th 2000 – Princess Charlotte It's gigs like this that remind me that writing all my gigs up was a daft idea and only came about because of this crazy Covid-19 lockdown! But I've started, so I should at least try to finish! It has also shown how much fantastic material floats about in... Continue Reading →
Bush – MTV Five Night Stand Tour – 2000
May 9th 2000 – Shepherds Bush Empire, London Supported by: Soulwax and Muse Try getting a ticket to see this lot for 13 quid these days (ok, I paid a tad more than that as we will come onto later!). You will hear me talk about Top Ten concerts, of which, I think there are... Continue Reading →
Bush – The English Fire Tour 2000
February 27th 2000 – Rock City, Nottingham Supported by: Cyclefly Can't find this ticket, but this was my introduction to Bush live. I'd not seen them live yet, but loved the three albums to date, Sixteen Stone (1994), Razorblade Suitcase (1996), The Science of Things (1999) This was another trip to Nottingham, where all the... Continue Reading →
Super Furry Animals – Guerrilla Tour 1999
November 2nd 1999 – Rock City, Nottingham A trip to Rock City is always fun. No way would I have instigated this one, Super Furry Animals has my friend Scott written all over it!! I'd heard the single earlier that year "Northern Lites", which was a hit and it had been ok, but Scott had... Continue Reading →
The Fan Club Years 