My second and so far last gig from the Prodigy. There’s one very obvious thing to note about this gig: it did not, of course, happen on the date displayed on the ticket. The 7th of July 2005 is a date remembered for the terrorist attacks that occurred across London’s public transport system during the… Read More All the gigs of my life: Gig 98 – The Prodigy, Sunday, August 7, 2005, Brixton Academy
My first gigs of my 30s saw me carrying on where I’d left off in my twenties, with another duo of shows from the Manics. This 2005 Manics tour has some legendary status amongst their fans. Not promoting any album, just the “Past, Present and Future” of the band, it was a glorious celebration of… Read More All the gigs of my life: Gigs 96 and 97 – Manic Street Preachers, Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th April 2005, Hammersmith Apollo
Seeing out my gigging 2004 in the best way possible: a Manic Street Preachers winter tour. It was a year and a half since I’d last seen the Manics, at Move festival and the HMV signing of summer 2003, and my life had changed drastically in that time. 2004 had been a year marked by… Read More All the gigs of my life: Gigs 94 and 95 – Manic Street Preachers, Thursday 9th and Friday 17th December 2004, Wembley Arena and MEN Arena
My first time seeing the Prodigy, who just turned out to be one of the greatest live bands I’ve ever seen. ‘Absolutely bloody amazing.‘ If I have any regrets when I look back on my gigging life, one is absolutely certain: it took me far, far too long to get round to seeing the Prodigy… Read More All the gigs of my life: Gig 93 – The Prodigy, Friday, December 3, 2004
A dazzling and quite literally dizzying gig from Nick and co. 2004 was coming to an end. It had been a year marked by a sudden and intense explosion in my social life, especially during the spring and summer months. By November things had settled down somewhat, but I still found myself much more active… Read More All the gigs of my life: Gig 92 – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Wednesday, November 10, 2004, Brixton Academy
A glorious gig from the glorious Delays. Looking back on my music-fan life from my current 45-year-old vantage point, one thing becomes very clear. The turn of the millennium marks a stark divide in my musical obsessions, and every band that I truly and utterly love began their career in the 20th century, not the… Read More All the gigs of my life: Gig 91 – Delays, Wednesday, September 22, 2004, Shepherd’s Bush Empire
My last David Bowie gig – and the UK’s as well. David Bowie’s headlining set at the Isle of Wight festival in 2004 marks the end of an era. For me, it was my last ever David Bowie gig, less than a year after I first got the chance to see him. More significantly, it… Read More All the gigs of my life: Gig 90 – David Bowie, Sunday, June 13, 2004, Seaclose Park, Newport (Isle of Wight Festival)
A summer seaside frolic with My Boys. June 2004 stands out in my memory as a bright and shiny month. On the 1st of the month I had my final exam for my psychology diploma, and my mind was full of plans for an exciting future pursuing a career in the field (which, alas, never… Read More All the gigs of my life: Gig 89 – Manic Street Preachers, Saturday, June 12, 2004 Seaclose Park, Newport (Isle of Wight Festival)
A stormingly entertaining evening from Duran Duran. At a bit past midnight on the first of January 2004, I stumbled slightly champagne-dazzled into the spare room of my parents’ flat in Canada, to log onto their computer with only one thought on my mind: I must buy a ticket to see Duran Duran! Why I… Read More All the gigs of my life: Gig 88 – Duran Duran, Wednesday, April 14, 2004, Wembley Arena
March 2004. A month full of Placebo gigs and major life-changing events. “Run away from all your boredom…” My first gig of 2004 saw me much the same person as I’d been for the previous few years. I was still living in hospital accommodation, working part time at my Outpatients job and studying for my… Read More All the gigs of my life: Gigs 85, 86 & 87 – Placebo, Monday 1st, Tuesday 2nd & Tuesday 30th March, 2004, Brixton Academy
