Your First Gig

[Darkness]

I saw The Macc Lads,

When I was young Macclesfield was my second home. My mates girlfriend had a demo tape of a local band she knew...
We went to see them play a gig in a field in Styal (the middle of nowhere). Great night until someone called the cops and the gig got closed down. The first appearance of the "Macc Crack" that night...

My first gig was CHARGED GBH, BLITZ, ABRASIVE WHEELS & THE DESTRUCTORS Manchester Apollo October 23rd (I think) 1981.

[Bunny]

Fields of the Nephillim, Wolves Civic in 88 I think

[dilla]

The Jam,Liverpool '78.Closely followed by the Stranglers(many times)

[Master Ray]

ähm.., Marillion 1986.....

I bloody love Marillion, Sam37, do not be ashamed of that!  Seen them many times...

Possibly the only band with a fanbase as devoted as NMA...

[philipk]

Big Country, Brixton Academy 1989 aged 16. A genuinely life changing experience.

[Phill]

Few local / mates bands at the cat house in Wordsley
But the first big gig was -
Iron Maiden - seventh son of a seventh son tour.
Birmingham NEC 1988.
Was 16 at the time - think it was a big deal for me folks to let me go on me own.

[Rusco]

When I compare your first gigs with mine, it seems your youths begun with bands that had true street credibility that kick ass no matter how old you are when you listen to them. Jam, Stiffs, Abrasive Wheels... You name it.

But who cares, there are tons of good music along with some extraordinary, fantastic and rare legends that only some bands could reach to (like the one that comes from Bradford). But when you was a child and something was said to be "rock" it sounded something really hard, strange and exiting thing to find out.

[moontan]

Master Ray-I was a huge fan of Fish era Marillion.
Saw them many times with him and the atmosphere was always really intense.

[lostockboy]

New Order at The Hacienda in Manchester on the 13th August 1987.  It may of been  a good dance club?, but certainly not the best venue to watch a band

[DannySan]

New Order at The Hacienda in Manchester on the 13th August 1987.  It may of been  a good dance club?, but certainly not the best venue to watch a band

I was at that gig 

[wilf]

Eela Craig at Kongresshaus Salzburg in 1978 (Austrian progrock band who actually had a hit with Chris de Burgh's A Spaceman Came Travelling in the same year), aged 16. Me and some friends actually sneaked in through the emergency exit and didn't pay a penny (well, Groschen it was at the time). Oh the folly of youth!

Then there were some Austrian singer-songwriters who nobody knows. First international gig probably Kraftwerk at Cirkus Krone in Munich in 1981. 

[lotus]

Golden Earring and Chicken Shack
A festival and I managed to get in in the afternoon, was back home before 10:00 (and my parents didn`t know I was there)

[szmurf]

Saw a few local punk and metal bands in high school, but first real gig was Tom Petty.

[Ron B]

 Well Besides some early Motown Revues that I went to very early in my youth I would say 6 or 7 I don't remember the Acts the 1st gig I went to that would be known would be in 1974 in college in Arizona I caught the twin bill of Robin Trower as the headline Act and Peter Frampton as the opening and that was the time that Frampton Comes Alive was not out yet It did come out after that tour. I went to see Robin Trower since he had that Hendrix style and his Album Bridge of Sighs had been released and was the big hit.

The next concert was in April 1975 and that was Pink Floyd in Tuscon Az one of the greatest concerts I have ever seen I can still remember it after almost 40 yrs later and Yes I did have some chemicals in me  and even thru my Acid Haze I remember the set list what the stage set up was like and the trip going to the gig from Tombstone Az to Tuscon Az where I was staying with a few college buddies.

[Anna Woman von NRW]

Oh dear..... Showaddywaddy at Chatham Central Hall somewhere around '78 

Then U2 on Joshua Tree Tour, Wembley stadium with Lou Reed supporting