Music has always been a massive part of my life. I studied it at university and went on to build a career around music. So it' s quite shocking that I can't remember the first ever concert that I went to! But that's more to do with the fact that my mum has been taking me and my sister to music events since we were tiny. Unfortunately though my mum also can't remember the first concert that she took us to.
I have a very eclectic taste when it comes to music and I love live music events and have been very fortunate to have gone to so many events during the course of my life, and it's one of the things I missed most during the lockdown period.
What was the first concert you ever went to and how was it?
Oasis of course! I might have been about 16. All my mates were into Oasis (might have been the manchester connection!) A totally mad night out and one I'll definitely never forget. Champagne Supernova is still one of my all time faves.
M People up in Manchester with my mates... and my mum who was chaperoning us! Hehe. I used to love M People loads. It was a boss night out and the start of my love of live music events. Heather Small is an icon!
Toni Braxton at Hammersmith in maybe... 1995?I'm a huge fan of Toni's and I love her distinct voice. there really isn't another artist who sounds like her. I was a fan as soon as she came out with Breath Again. I went with my mum, my aunt and two of my cousins. It was the first time I'd seen someone famous in the flesh before so I was very excited. We all had a really cool night.
First ever concert? Take That at Wembley! I had to nag and nag at my mum to get her to allow me to go with my mates from school. Eventually she gave in. I was a mad Thatter and totally in love with the band. Even today I'm still a big fan. This was a very memorable gig and one that I saw practically just down the road from where I lived. I loved everything about it and it seems like it was only yesterday that I was at the gig screaming at Mark that I loved him! LOL!
Boyzone in I think 1995. That will shock a lot of people because everyone knows I'm a massive Blockhead but I never got the chance to go to a New Kids concert when they were mega famous the first time round. But I'm also a big Boyzone fan so I'm glad that theirs was the first concert I got to go to. I went with some friends from college who were also really into Boyzone. Probably the way I was into the New Kids. Ronan was my favourite from Boyzone. As I'm half Irish, it was great to see these five talented young guys flying the flag for Ireland. 😊 And they really did put on a fantastic show!
That would have been an American rock band who's name I don't quite remember in the late nineties, not long after I moved back to Britain. I had agreed to accompany a friend to this gig but they weren't really my cup of tea which explains why I don't remember much about them. But not long after that, I did go to the first concert that I actually do remember which was TLC.
Seeing Muse when I was about 15 in West London. I was mad, mad, mad about their Absolution album. I pretty much used to play it on a loop! And I had the biggest crush on Matt Bellamy. So when I heard that they were playing Earls Court I just had to go. I went with a group of my mates from school - some were doing GCSEs like I was, and we went with some of the older kids from sixth form as well whish was dead handy as there needed to be an adult in the group! I was worried my parents would say no but they were really cool about it. So we all went and had a great time. And I had my first cheeky vodka that night as well! Good job I didn't get home totally ratarsed! 😂
Dire Straits in the mid 80s. A few of the lads were going and they asked if I wanted to go too as well and of course I did, as I was quite a fan. I won't lie, I quite fancied myself as Mark Knopfler and I have the photos to prove it. Sadly I didn't have his talent, money or luck with the ladies! I remember we had to travel down to London for the concert. We stayed in this could have been worse B&B as it was all we could afford. Most of us didn't fare too badly but one of the lads was bitten by goodness knows what! Still the gig was great and the band put on a fantastic show. I saw them a couple of times after that as well in other parts of the country.
I came to the world of concerts quite late in life (I was in my twenties!) which surprises a lot of people as I love music and going to gigs and stuff. The first concert I ever went to was a Maroon 5 gig at Shepherd's Bush (in West London for those who aren't familiar with the area.) There's an interesting little story as my youngest sister actually won the tickets in a radio phone-in. My other siblings and I went crazy when she got through - goodness knows how the presenter heard her over all the noise!
The tickets were for the concert and a meet and greet before the show. But on the day, my sister and I, I'm embarrassed to say it, we chickened out! We did go to the concert however, and we could tell by the way Adam Levine kept staring up at us in the balcony where we were seated, he was thinking, "So those were the two no shows!" But it was a great show and we have no regrets. We were seated not too far from Mickey Madden and maybe some of the other band members, as the opening acts took to the stage, one of them being The Like. I still have pics of that night at home somewhere taken on... a disposable camera! Disposable camera, goodness that seems like a whole other lifetime ago!
Reading other posts, I’m sure I’m the oldest person on this forum.
I saw The Rolling Stones when they came to Australia in 1973, as a 12-year-old. My aunt, who is only 8 years older than me, had a spare ticket after a friend of hers couldn’t go, so she asked me (and my parents) if I could go.
Unfortunately, I didn’t really appreciate the day, as I had wanted to go out with a friend of mine, but as I had already agreed to go with my aunt and another friend of hers to the concert, I had to go. I acted like a typical whiny kid that day according to my aunt, who always reminds me of it when I see her.
But one thing that sticks in the mind about the day was riding on the train into Sydney that day, sitting behind my aunt and her friend, was overhearing them say this might be the last time they could see The Stones as they would probably be breaking up soon.
You can get it wrong sometimes. Needless to say, I remind her about those comments too!
I’m pretty sure that was the first concert I went to (Feb 73).
New Kids on The Block! That's right guys I was a Blockhead! Haha! I may have been about eleven and I saw them in Seattle with two other friends about the same age. Two of the moms took us. That was the first time I'd ever been to a concert and while I wasn't too close to the stage, It was the closest I'd ever been to any of my idols. I felt so grown up and it was all so exciting. My musical tastes have since changed - alot - but the New Kids will always be special to me.
My first concert would be Hootie and The Blowfish when I was maybe 13 in Seattle. But a very important concert was a Black Label Society concert in Oregon where a very good friend of ours (my husband's best friend and his best man) played guitar in the band that opened up for BLS. My husband is a HUGE BLS fan and Zakk Wylde is his idol. Though no - we didn't get to meet Zakk unfortunately but just to be there and see the band live and see our friend do his thing was very special.
It were Duran Duran in Manchester when I were about 15. I went with my then best friend, Kym. Even now the band have a very special place in my heart. Oh and I were definitely an Andy girl!
First concert - Elastica in around 1994 I think. But the most memorable was The Smashing Pumpkins in 1997. I went to see them with friends and it was just a brilliant night out and the vibe at the venue was electric! Music especially live music is a pretty big deal in our family, so we try to go to concerts and festivals whenever we can.