A plastic ticket inviting the painted people to get off our heads to Head Music at the Asylum.
All the gigs of my life: Gig 40 – Suede, Friday, April 16, 1999, Asylum Studios
All the gigs of my life: Gig 39 – Kula Shaker, Sunday, March 28, 1999, Kentish Town Forum
My second Kula Shaker gig was an almighty demonstration of the liberating, life-affirming magic of live music.
All the gigs of my life: Gig 38 – Suede, Saturday, March 27, 1999, Astoria
Suede at the Astoria on a Saturday night in 1999. It doesn’t get much better than that.
All the gigs of my life: Gig 37 – Kula Shaker, Friday, March 5, 1999, 100 Club
My first time seeing Kula Shaker, that most ridiculed of bands, and it turned out that they were, in fact, ridiculously brilliant.
All the gigs of my life: Gig 36 – Manic Street Preachers, Wednesday, December 16, 1998, Wembley Arena
“All I can say is, “All we love are lonely RECORDS!!!!” Oh yes.”
My last gig of 1998. An overwhelmingly emotional and perfect way to draw the first chapter of my life in London to a close.
All the gigs of my life: Gig 35 – Manic Street Preachers, Tuesday, December 15, 1998, Wembley Arena
“Oh my screaming sainted leopardskin soul, what an almighty gig that was!”
1998 was ending with two gigs from my favourite band in the world. It’s safe to say, the year went out on a high.
Scruffy’s Top 5 Gigs of 2018
I had an amazing year of gigs in 2018, which is pretty impressive considering how many I missed due to ill health (never going to get over missing the Manics’ Resistance Is Futile tour, quite honestly). Here are my top 5 of the year. The top 2 sit comfortably amongst the best gigs I’ve ever been to in my life.
All the gigs of my life: Gig 34 – Placebo, Saturday, October 24, 1998, Brixton Academy
A powerful and utterly uplifting gig from Placebo.
All the gigs of my life: Gig 33 – Mansun, Friday, October 23, 1998, Brixton Academy
One year on from my last Mansun gig, and I had a deep-seated need to be crushed against a barrier once again, screaming at the brilliance of My Boys. And they sure as hell did not disappoint.
One year of Scruffy Storms!
One year ago today, I made my first post on this blog. Starting a music blog had been a new year’s resolution of mine for an embarrassing number of years, but in 2018, I actually did it! I’ve built up a small but lovely readership which I hope will stick with me and grow in 2019. Lots more excitable ramblings about gigs to come!
And what was that first post? My Spotify 2017 Wrapped graphic! So, to make it a tradition, here is my summary for 2018. Yes, I listen to a LOT of Mansun.
A massive thanks to everyone who’s visited my blog over the year, and chatted with me in social media land. Here’s to more Scruffy adventures in 2019!
