I started going to gigs in the Early ’70’s

The first few gigs i attended were in Edinburgh and Glasgow

I vividly recall my first live music experience being Roxy Music during their ‘For Your Pleasure’ tour. Back then, queuing for tickets was the norm and I remember queuing up in British Home Stores in Edinburgh. During the queue, I held up a lighter to the fire sensors above the escalator, triggering the sprinklers and causing us all to evacuate the store.

Eventually, we got our tickets and the gig itself was nothing short of amazing. I’ve seen Roxy a couple of times since, most recently in ’22 and previously about a decade ago, both times at the O2. Roxy Music has always held a special place in my heart and seeing them live before they became a massive success was priceless. Bryan Ferry was like a crooner for my generation and Andy Mackay’s saxophone skills were incredible. I was fortunate enough to see them tour with Eno. All in all, it was an incredible introduction to live music.

During the Tales of Topographic Oceans tour, I saw Yes for the first time in Edinburgh. The drummer played inside a giant shell that opened up on stage. From my seat in the gods, I had a great view of the performance. Starship Trooper was particularly memorable, with Jon Anderson in full voice. I miss the guitar and drum solos of ’70s bands. I believe this tour had the greatest Yes lineup. After the gig, we slept on the floor of our teacher’s flat in Edinburgh. It’s interesting to note that nowadays, it would be scandalous if a teacher bought tickets for school kids and let them sleep in his flat. The Daily Mail would ferment the outrage and ire of its readers.
I did not see Yes again but I did see Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman when they toured in 2016

Over the years I have seen Hawkwind a few times  Hawkwind Hitchin twice Town Hall and Regal 2001 and ’82Hawkwind 25th Anniversary Brixton AcademyHawkwind 50th Anniversary Albert HallAlso lots of other times across the years with various lineup but with Dave Brook  always at the helm.But Nik Turner has also contibuted to the Hawkwind Mythos and I have seen him several time including  at Club 85 and Upstairs at Ronnie Scotts.

In the early ’70s, I first saw Hawkwind in Edinburgh. To get there, I traveled from Burntisland across the Forth to Edinburgh, but I was lucky enough to catch the last train to Fife at Haymarket and didn’t need to spend the night at the station.
The band was epic, with at least a dozen people on stage and vocals shared among the members, led by Bob Calvert. The lineup included Dave Brock, Nik Turner, Lemmy, Dik Mik, Del Dettmar, and Simon King. I particularly enjoyed the interaction between the band members and the dancers on stage.
The venue was thick with smoke, and even non-smokers were getting high from the music and passive inhalation. This experience sparked my passion for Hawkwind, and I’ve seen them many times since with a variety of members with the constant presence of Dave Brock.

I caught The Sensational Alex Harvey Band in the early ’70s, I took a train to Edinburgh from Fife crossing the Forth across the iconic bridge, leaving the Costa De La Fife behind. I had to spend the night sleeping at Waverley after the gig. But, let me tell you, it was totally worth it. Alex Harvey himself was a force to be reckoned with, commanding the stage and engaging the crowd with his Vambo mythos. Clem added some serious flair to the show with his stage presence, but let’s not forget about the rest of the band who were just as tight. I was thoroughly impressed and left feeling like a night at Waverley was more than worth the experience. And with a beer jacket on and my mates by my side, it was definitely a night to remember.

Merchant Navy

During the 70’s and early 80’s I joined the Merchant Navy and used to sail the seas with my suitcase stereo and about 20 of my favourite albums many of which I still have. Then I started buying cassettes, so I could carry more music on my travels.

Hull

While at Nautical College during the late 70’s I used to visit the Uni Bar as we were staying on the Uni site, and there were a few gigs at the Uni amongst the most memorable were John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett, The Damned (they didnt take to kindly being spat at mmm). Van De Graff Generator memorable for the difference to the usual acts at the time but still great. Eddie and the Hot Rods they were Hungry

John Otway The Damned (band) Van der Graaf Generator

Split Enz All I remember about them was the hair, the big hair and of course The Adverts who were much better live than on disc.

Split Enz The Adverts

The Police at Beverley in the Early ’80s was a magic concert it was just before The Police started to become massive. When they played Beverley they were raw and edgy with loads of attitude.

The Police (band)

While in the Merchant Navy I was Dry Docked Amsterdam and while there we managed to see Kate Bush on tour one night then a few nights later Ted Nugent. It was Kates one and only tour so I count myself lucky seeing her.

Ted Nugent Kate Bush

Oasis at Loch Lomond

Tribal Gathering

Kraftwork Faithless The Chemical Brothers Orbital (band) Cornershop Alabama 3