..i've been to in my life (so far). sort of in order but the first 4 are probably on par. hard to choose! been wanting to make a note of this for some time, so i never, ever forget them.
1. The Black Keys at The Queens Hall, Edinburgh - 16th November 2008 (with Jill)
Absolutely amazing and they felt so completely raw. We were in the front row and the venue was tiny, and unbelievably hot. So close you could actually feel the sweat dripping from them. Loved, loved, loved the simple set up. Pat's drum kit kept moving, he was going for it that much & it nearly fell off the raised block - someone actually had to point it out from the crowd, he gave a thumbs up & moved it back. I watched him in awe for the entire show and (luckily) managed to get a splintered drum stick which i cherish to this day! There was no barrier or space between the crowd and them - people could 'lean' on the edge of the stage and they actually had to kick a few handbags off!
2. Kings Of Leon at The Carling Academy (O2), Glasgow - 24th April 2007 (with Jill)
I had been introduced to the bands (2 records of) music a while before this but it was the first time i'd actually seen them. Their music, & the bands demeanor hit me like a ton of bricks. They were cool as fuck & I was hooked. Possibly slightly obsessed. It's a relatively small venue (compared to where they are now) and i just knew that I was witnessing something special. The crowd were going mental - i got beer and god knows what else spilled over me & i didn't even care. Particular stand-out memory was the seriously haunting version of Milk. *goosebumps* And to this day I'm sure I saw one of them at bar before the supports came on, while the place was empty. My money's on Jared or Nacho...aaah, the days before runners.
3. The Black Keys at The Carling Academy (O2), Glasgow - 28th October 2010 (with the boy, Jill & Laura)
Following the release of Brothers. The new stuff was clearly going to be a challenge to perform live. The simplicity of previous shows just wasn't going to do it justice, so i was eager to see how they'd do it. Turns out they melted every face in the O2 that night (with some help), disco balls the lot. Fucking phenomenal.
4. KOL, The Black Keys & The Drums at Hyde Park, London - 30th June 2010 (with Jill & Laura)
Such a build up to this show - so much good music in one place, it was always going to be quality. Twas the first time i'd ever heard The Drums & it prompted me to go buy their record afterwards. The newest/most different sound i'd heard in a while and i'm now a huge fan. The Black Keys were playing their new sounds from Brothers, along with a more polished look and i loved it, even though the Londoners didn't seem to realise the awesomeness of what they were in the presence of. Idiots. We still jumped around like lunatics, amid the strange looks from the rest of the crowd! It was the first time I really saw the full scale of how big KOL had gotten and it kindof blew me away. it made me embrace it rather than be precious about it. They killed their set and showcased the new stuff from CASD, so there was a hint of 'privilege' at being some of the first to hear it...amazing. It was a gorgeous sunny day with a festival feel, and i loved every minute of it. oh and i'm sure i spotted Jessie Baylin in the crowd a few beers in - in general, the memories of this day (and trip) will stay with me forever.
5. Be Your Own Pet at Oran Mor, Glasgow - 20th March 2008 (with Jill)
First time i'd ever seen this band and it'll be the only time, unfortunately. I was gutted when i heard they'd split but SO so happy i got to see them at least once. I instantly developed a girl crush on jemima pearl, she looked so cool & her voice was absolutely shit-hot. She even apologised after the show for her voice not being up to scratch as she was sick - ha - i'd never have noticed, i thought it was blinding! They came out, completely hammered through their set, then left. No encore, no nothing. Loved her attitude and the sheer craziness of the songs. Felt really close to them with it being such a small venue & i think they liked being so intimate with the crowd. Remember her absolutely loving that the crowd knew the words!
6. Chris Carrabba at The ABC, Glasgow - 7th April 2008 (with boy)
First time i'd really taken a 'back seat' at a gig. We went upstairs to the more 'chilled out' section and sat for duration of the show. At first i wasn't convinced, i like to get right in the middle of things but it was actually so nice to get another view and watch it all from a different angle - we saw everything. His voice was perfect, the first time either of us had seen him live. Just him & his guitar in the middle of the stage. One day i'd love to see Dashboard as an entirety but it was good to see him solo. The songs mean a lot to us personally and it was amazing to hear them live.
7. The Prodigy at SECC, Glasgow - 7th April 2009 (with Jill)
From the minute they started till the minute they finished, the energy of the band was just amazing, even after being around for so long. I literally couldn't take my eyes off the stage, every song was a belter & they were all over the place, in a good way. We had to stand pretty far back, to have enough space to dance. One of those where we couldn't not dance! The atmosphere reminded me of rez - everyone was goin for it. Freakin awesome.
8. Oasis at Murrayfield, Edinburgh - 29th July 2000 (with sister)
First time i'd ever seen them and they sounded just as good as the cd. Liam's voice was brilliant. Was a reminder of how talented they actually are, amid all the hype and publicity nonsense. They had the crowd in the palm of their hands. Loved that Happy Mondays supported - I knew i'd never see that again. I remember thinking at the time that i was seeing something really special. Plus I bumped into the boy outside, way way before which was a good sign.
9. The Black Keys at Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh - 16th Feb 2007 (with boy, Jill & few others)
The very first time i'd seen them and I actually happened to meet them earlier that day, at Edinburgh airport. They'd been on the same flight as me from NYC to Edinburgh & it was just the 2 of them - no one else, no entourage or roadies - just them, sitting in economy, picking up their bags off the carousel. I loved this and it reinforced the respect i had for them. You could see they worked this hard cos they love it. After a 6 hr flight I was knackered, they were knackered, Dan's eyes were bright red and I felt bad for annoying them but I had to approach them and just say i loved their music and i was seeing them that night and thanks for coming to Edinburgh. Felt like a complete TOOL, and they will probably never remember it, but i will! Proceeded to get very drunk that night on turbo shandies but the gig and atmosphere was epic. So intimate and the pictures i got were ace. 10am Automatic was a high point, remember hearing it coming on and everyone going mental!!!
10. Twin Atlantic at Studio 24 - 2nd October 2009 (with with boy, jilly & drew)
The energy was amazing, they have some hardcore followers and the crowd knew every word to every song and you could tell they were amazed by this! It was like everyone knew that they were getting big and that this was one of the last gigs that they'd play, of this size before they graduated onto bigger venues and bigger tours. The place was absolutely roasting and rammed full! TA played the fuck out of their instruments and gave it absolutely everything - they always do. The stage dive by Sam was amazing!
and a sneaky 11...
11. Modest Mouse at The ABC, Glasgow - 26th May 2007 (with the boy, jilly & drew)
This was a band i'd wanted to see for a long time and I felt somewhat honoured to finally be there - especially since ex-Smiths guitarist, Johnny Marr was on this tour. not worthy. Enjoyed every single second of the show - Float On is a personal favourite & i remember being so happy when they played it. it sounded unreal.
xo
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