Bands: you were there at the beginning
Discussion
audidoody said:
Dire Straits at the Hope & Anchor in Islington around 1977 ("effin 'ell - that guitarist is AMAZING!')
Anecdote alert:Work colleague played as a hobby before Dire Straights existed. He was auditioning for a new guitarist. Turned the chap down because he didn't have his own car, or amp or some such trivial thing.
It was Mark Knopfler,
regards,
Jet
I am in no way a Dire Straits fan, but its a great true story…
Mark Knopfler was the Tuesday afternoon guitar teacher at my brother's primary school (Staples Road in Loughton Essex) - used to show up on a big motorbike with his guitar case strung over his shoulder
My brother never learn to play properly - clearly the bloke was a rubbish teacher
Mark Knopfler was the Tuesday afternoon guitar teacher at my brother's primary school (Staples Road in Loughton Essex) - used to show up on a big motorbike with his guitar case strung over his shoulder
My brother never learn to play properly - clearly the bloke was a rubbish teacher
Have seen a few, and missed the chance to see others.
Manic Street Preachers - played Edinburgh Venue in April '91 to about 40-50 people
Nine Inch Nails - same year, King Tut's in Glasgow
Nirvana (sort of) - Dave Grohl and Kurt Cobain played an acoustic set in the Southern Bar in Edinburgh to about 30 people under the pseudonym Teen Spirit
Kasabian - saw them play to about 100 or so people in a club in Dallas, when they were just starting to get some momentum here. Not the most polished performance as it was constant stop/start.
Others include bands such as Faith No More, Soundgarden and others in smaller clubs or student unions in the early 90's
Manic Street Preachers - played Edinburgh Venue in April '91 to about 40-50 people
Nine Inch Nails - same year, King Tut's in Glasgow
Nirvana (sort of) - Dave Grohl and Kurt Cobain played an acoustic set in the Southern Bar in Edinburgh to about 30 people under the pseudonym Teen Spirit
Kasabian - saw them play to about 100 or so people in a club in Dallas, when they were just starting to get some momentum here. Not the most polished performance as it was constant stop/start.
Others include bands such as Faith No More, Soundgarden and others in smaller clubs or student unions in the early 90's
Amy Whinehouse - Just some random gig i got dragged to in London by a girl I was trying to bed, (I did bed her in case you are wondering), but thought that Amy Whinehouse was s
t and still do/did (whatever the tense for a dead musician is)
Panic! At the disco - when they were supporting Fall Out Boy
Arctic Monkeys - Somewhere up north on a very drunken night out, bought Alex Turner a drink after!
Some dude called Ed Sheeran whoever he is.
Capdown - Although they never really made it big, shame really! (old friend of mine used to sleep with the drummer)
Anecdotally George Michael used to be a barman for Harrow Squash Club where my grandfather was a member, he once asked him to borrow some money for his band to audition, my grandfather turned him down, following year WHAM! (literally and figuratively)
t and still do/did (whatever the tense for a dead musician is) Panic! At the disco - when they were supporting Fall Out Boy
Arctic Monkeys - Somewhere up north on a very drunken night out, bought Alex Turner a drink after!
Some dude called Ed Sheeran whoever he is.
Capdown - Although they never really made it big, shame really! (old friend of mine used to sleep with the drummer)
Anecdotally George Michael used to be a barman for Harrow Squash Club where my grandfather was a member, he once asked him to borrow some money for his band to audition, my grandfather turned him down, following year WHAM! (literally and figuratively)
My Dad worked with Mick Jagger at an insurance brokers! 
Sadly, none of the bands I've seen as support acts have ever made it big (and most didn't deserve to...)
I don't tend to go to tiny venues to see unknown bands - Not because I don't want to, but because there's none on my doorstep.
M.
Sadly, none of the bands I've seen as support acts have ever made it big (and most didn't deserve to...)
I don't tend to go to tiny venues to see unknown bands - Not because I don't want to, but because there's none on my doorstep.
M.
PurpleTurtle said:
I've watched Elbow from their very ealy days playing pubs and fleapits. Great to see them headlining festivals and playing massive arenas, not least because they are still the same down to earth bunch of blokes.
When they released The Seldom Seen Kid album (a last throw of the dice to 'make it' on a big scale) I was at a fanclub-only gig at Paddington Library where 'One Day Like This' got its first public outing. I knew instantly it would be a massive hit and would accompany weddings and TV montages for years to come. It was quite something to be there to hear that and instantly think "bingo, massive hit record". I imagine producers love that, when they just know when they've discovered a big hit.
Define 'big'. Id have thought cast of thousands, grace under pressure and the Glastonbury gig at which it was recorded had already put them there.When they released The Seldom Seen Kid album (a last throw of the dice to 'make it' on a big scale) I was at a fanclub-only gig at Paddington Library where 'One Day Like This' got its first public outing. I knew instantly it would be a massive hit and would accompany weddings and TV montages for years to come. It was quite something to be there to hear that and instantly think "bingo, massive hit record". I imagine producers love that, when they just know when they've discovered a big hit.
for me: Coldplay in some pub in Manchester in early 2000 shortly before yellow was released.
The music: ok. It that huge in the way they were touted to be, but 3 of the band were in the year below me at school. called themselves Insense and were one of the regular 'school' bands which would play the local wmc's.
jet_noise said:
audidoody said:
Dire Straits at the Hope & Anchor in Islington around 1977 ("effin 'ell - that guitarist is AMAZING!')
Anecdote alert:Work colleague played as a hobby before Dire Straights existed. He was auditioning for a new guitarist. Turned the chap down because he didn't have his own car, or amp or some such trivial thing.
It was Mark Knopfler,
regards,
Jet
Paolo Nutini at the Kashmir Klub (a tiny venue below a pizza restaurant off Marylebone High Street run By Tony Moore, former keyboard player in Cutting Crew) in the early 2000s. He was pretty good, but no better than many of the other unsigned artists who played there. Success in the music industry is largely predicated on luck, isn't it?
'Opening' night of Wolf Radio at Wolverhampton Watermill club or something like that.
Some new Pop groups doing a live set.
Five was one of them, All Saints another. Can't remember the third as I was deep in conversation with one of the All Saints
By the end of the year all three were 'known'.
Other than that I know the bloke who owned the rights to at least 2 Moby tracks. Didn't renew licence and the slightly reworked releases are now considered seminal.
Some new Pop groups doing a live set.
Five was one of them, All Saints another. Can't remember the third as I was deep in conversation with one of the All Saints
By the end of the year all three were 'known'.
Other than that I know the bloke who owned the rights to at least 2 Moby tracks. Didn't renew licence and the slightly reworked releases are now considered seminal.
Saw Oasis early on. Duchess of York in Leeds & Sheffield Leadmill. Around 1993, the Duchess gig probably had less than 100 punters.
Radiohead, this had hardly anyone there from memory. Fine Bristolian group Strangelove supported who I enjoyed more.
Coldplay at The Leadmill. Muse supporting. Got very drunk afterwards with the bands as my mate knew Coldplay's tour manager. No Chris Martin though as he would be "drinking green tea & writing songs in his room"...this from (I think) the guitar player!
Radiohead, this had hardly anyone there from memory. Fine Bristolian group Strangelove supported who I enjoyed more.
Coldplay at The Leadmill. Muse supporting. Got very drunk afterwards with the bands as my mate knew Coldplay's tour manager. No Chris Martin though as he would be "drinking green tea & writing songs in his room"...this from (I think) the guitar player!
I saw Radiohead in a pub in Blackburn when I was barely out of short pants, must have been less than 50 people in there, ran to reidys the next day and bought "Drill" EP on CD, 6 months later they'd got that jeans commercial and released Pablo Honey, I sold said CD to buy an eighth I think a fee months later, its probably worth a mu t now, I daren't find out how much.
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