davepb24

Another little anecdote which I didn't actually witness but do trust the couple of mates who mentioned it, at different times... Marillion were playing in Birmingham, probably the old Hummingbird, a few mates (some years before I met them) were there, one of whom, Ben, is a *very* big Maori lad...apparently waiting at the bar Fish tried to muscle his way past Ben to get served, Ben was having none of it and told him to wait his turn like everybody else... a while later one of the band's crew came and found Ben and said Fish was quite impressed about somebody standing up to him and invited him for a post-show drink backstage. Ben said "Tell him he can go and .... himself" (I have also found myself stood next to the singer of a well known goth troupe at the same bar in the Hummingbird, shortly before they went on stage, so it wasn't unknown lol)

Another big fan of the Fish era version, right from Market Square Heroes, saw them at Birmingham Odeon on the Script tour and I have still never seen anyone hold an audience so completely entranced as Fish did that night. Saw them again in Cardiff shortly after I started uni, memorable for both introducing me to the Cardiacs and especially for Fish's reaction to the audience's behaviour toward the Cardiacs... last time I saw them was at the NEC on the Clutching At Straws tour and at that point the bigger venue just didn't work. And unfortunately have just never got into the Hogarth era at all.

Update: couple of mates put both in the front yard for me this morning, and both claimed by a downstairs neighbour this evening!

Very long shot in the circumstances but can anybody in the Birmingham area use a sofa bed or double mattress...? The catch... they will need to be collected TOMORROW from Gravelly Hill and carried down one flight of stairs, unfortunately due to a knackered back I could just about manage the cushions, both are a two-man job. I had offered them to a charity who had already taken a bit of other stuff but they have let me down twice now and I have to hand the keys to the flat back tomorrow. Sofa bed is in excellent condition, has fire safety tag; mattress cover is a bit worn but it's still good (supplied by Medequip, not sure if that's a recommendation lol)

Was there as well 🙂 he's still got it all right!

Often the main topic in our group... several are decent guitarists (but never been in bands), one has a couple of shows on Hard Rock Hell radio (and another did till earlier this year), several do regular gigs and festivals; and the lovely lady I met a few months back has quite similar musical tastes to my own, not to mention some of the same vinyl 🙂

mostly acquired out of my student grant in 1985: Hounds Of Love - Kate Bush Misplaced Childhood - Marillion Low-Life - New Order Love - The Cult

Great Barrs Of Fire

I Erdington The Grapevine

KK's Priest at his SteelMill tonight with Paul Di'Anno supporting (caught the end of first support wasn't massively impressed but bought their CD so will give them a proper listen later Di'Anno was in a wheelchair...OK seen a one-armed drummer way back...knew he'd been ill but wasn't expecting that...didn't seem to affect his enthusiasm, a glorious romp through the early Maiden era, "Phantom Of The Opera" being the song that got me into Maiden all those years ago KK's lot were ... can't really explain... only other time I ever saw Priest was 42 years ago... played a few off their upcoming album which obviously nobody knew... when their voice over video demon thingy came out with "we will take you... Beyond... The Realms... Of Death..." (Glenn's masterpiece of course and a song that means a lot to me)... don't know who the guitarist was who played that solo but it's my all time favourite bit of metal guitar and he just nailed it... don't mind admitting my eyes seemed to spring a bit of a leak. All in all fantastic night

Saw them at Donington in 1982 (the Abominog lineup), although I don't recall too much of it these days I do remember being quite impressed at the time

saw them in Birmingham a couple of weeks back, they just keep getting better

A week ago now... When Rivers Meet at the Asylum in Brum... almost ducked it through another sort of anxiety attack even though I booked the meet and greet beforehand so glad I made it in the end, awesome performance and they are wonderful people as well...and a shout out to Arielle didn't catch all her set but an artist doing her own merch stand afterwards has to be supported 😀

Just listened to "Ghost Star" by OMD, first of their new (ie from this century!) songs I've heard. Beautiful, and wouldn't have been out of place on Dazzle Ships

While in the sixth form at school a young lad was breaking into the first team of my favourite football club, who happened to have the same name as me - I succeeded in convincing quite a few of the younger kids that it was really me...never got asked for an autograph but somebody did once ask me if I could get them tickets for a cup semi-final...

Two particularly awful ones: Def Leppard, Leicester 1987 - utterly bland forgettable tripe; Sisters Of Mercy Birmingham 2001-ish, like watching somebody impersonating them on BGT or something, competent but totally soulless

Was so far from the stage he could have been playing a tennis racket for all I could see, an NEC hall is possibly not the best place to experience an artist like Suzanne Vega! Will have to see if I can dig out the live tape I have from round about that time and if it still plays see if I can tell from that

Mike Visceglia in the NEC car park after a gig 1987 (and me with the glowing eyes behind...)

A mate keeps going on about how great Behemoth's cover of the Cure's "A Forest" is ... up there with the worst I've come across I'm afraid

Statues Quo Gillian Uriah Sheep Breastie Boys Allen Sex Friend

Difficult one... the first three bands I ever saw live, 40+ years ago, are all still around, two of them I would much rather hang on to the memories of when they were great, Status Quo and Judas Priest - Quo have become their own tribute act, and sorry but Rob Halford can't quite do justice to stuff like "Beyond The Realms Of Death" these days. The third of the trio is OMD... having more or less reunited the original lineup every Y**T*** video I see of them now makes me wish I was there, they really can still do it! Then... as a bit of an old goth... Sisters Of Mercy... saw them about 20 years ago, Eldritch and a couple of hired guns going through the motions, utterly forgettable... and Fields Of The Nephilim... saw the classic lineup several times, last saw them at a festival at the NEC some years back, apparently with the Prodigy's guitarist among others... ok they could play the old stuff perfectly but there was just something missing (on a lighter note I'm sure Carl McCoy actually cracked at least three quarters of a smile at the end of that!)

Added the local Wetherspoon as I'm more likely in there than at home lol (and it is quite close!)

OMD, via Alexa... and being reminded why I went off them big style after about 1984...

The Cult's debut (as The Cult at least lol) "Dreamtime" is my favourite record of all time... have heard it slated by many people including later band members but nothing they've done since comes close for me

One consequence of having played them a couple of times is the realisation the turntable on my 20+ year old Littlewoods catalogue stereo has probably carked it 😞 ... looking at replacements lol