Who have you seen live?

[Rob McCow]

Rolf Harris has been a very popular act when he's played his tunes at some of the big festivals.

[Simon R]

I'm updating mine for the sake of it...

Spice Girls (minus Geri) - Earls Court 1999
Spice Girls (with Geri) - O2, 2007, 2008
Oasis (plus Happy Mondays and Doves) - Wembley Stadium 2000
Robbie Williams (plus Toploader and ABC) - Milton Keynes 2001
Dolly Parton - Hammersmith 2002, Wembley 2007, O2 2008
Melanie C - Shepherds Bush and Astoria 2003
Madonna - HMV Oxford Street in-store 2003, Earls Court 2004 and Wembley Arena 2006
Belinda Carlisle - Shepherds Bush and Here and Now 2004 and Peterborough 2006
Kim Wilde, Limahl, Buck Fizz, Nik Kershaw and Midge Ure - Here and Now 2004
Christina Aguilera - Wembley 2003
Beautiful South - Shep's Bush 2003 and Hammersmith 2004
Hanson - Shep's Bush 2004
Erasure - Hammersmith 2005
Kylie Minogue - Earl's Court 2005 and Wembley 2007, 02 July 2008
Jason Donovan - Hammersmith 2008
Sugababes - Wembley Arena 07, (with Gabriella Cilmi) Albert Hall 2008
Sinitta, Sonia, Hazell Dean, The Sheilas and Nathan Moore - Club PA, Birmingham 2007
Darren Stanley Hayes - Albert Hall 2007

with Dame Cyndi Lauper booked at Hammersmith Apollo for October and Mrs Ritchie at Wembley la Stade in September.

Give it 2 me...yeah!

[Zombie Adric]

Bands I have seen (I won't put the dates in because I can't remember most of them).
Most of these I didn't go see out of choice, just tagged along with friends.

Blink 182
Lost Prophets
Green Day X2
Hard-Fi
Good Charlotte
Placebo X3
Lola Ray
The Streets
John Barrowman
McFly
Little Chris

[Si Hunt]

I can now add another Kylie Ann Minogue entry. And not a great one! Do your hits woman! Not "Ruffle My Feathers".

Si.

[Carol Baynes]

Ok, it's about time I did this.

In the order that comes into my head...

The Who
Tony Bennett
Pulp (x4)
Isobel Campbell and MArk Lanegan (x2)
Elastica
Moloko (x2)
Roisin Murphy
Saint Etienne (x3)
Garbage
Menswear
Graham Coxon
Hugh Cornwell
Goldfrapp (x4)
Duran Duran
Beth Orton (x3)
Chrome Hoof (x4)
Circulus (x4)
Grandaddy
Groove Armada (x2)
Alabama 3 (x2)
Kirsten Hersh
Ian Brown (x2)
Primal Scream (x2)
The Charlatans
Morrissey
Beck
Gomez
Placebo
Slipknot
Shed Seven
Royal Trux
Ween
Lauren Leverne
Boss Hogg
Foo Fighters
Utah Saints
Asian Dub Foundation
Les Rythmes Digitales
Fatboy Slim
Tokyo Dragons
The Duke Spirit (x2)
Th eighteenth day of May
The Cherry Bombers
The Brian Jones Town Massacre
The Beep Seals
Soul II Soul
Blondie
Hot Chip
Sly and the Family stone (last year, first time they'd played in the UK for decades!)
The B-52s
Kings of Leon
The Levellers
KT Tunstall
The Subways
Amy Winehouse
Crowded House
Seasick Steve (x2)
REM
Ash
Patti Smith
Chemical Brothers
The Creatures
Billy Bragg
The Cardigans
Red Snapper
Shakin' Stevens
Neil Diamond
John Mayer
The Enemy
Martina Topley-Bird
Vampire Weekend
Duffy
Reverand and the Makers (x2)
The Long Blondes (x2)
The Whip
Joan Baez
John Cale
Edwyn Collins
The Prodigy
The Family Mahone
Leonard Cohen
The Accidental
Echo and the Bunnymen
John Smith (folk guitarist)
Public Enemy (they were great by the way- performing all of "It takes a nation of..." in it's entirety earlier this year)


There are probably as many names again- more famous ones I can't think of right now, support acts, local musicians....who I've long forgotten the names of. I watch live music all the time- it's such an integral part of my social life. I saw about six acts yesterday at the Hedgefest day in Whalley Grange, Manchester. But there's only two names I can remember to put on the list!

[Rob McCow]

Ha ha you saw Menswear!

That's a superb list though!

[Carol Baynes]

Ha ha you saw Menswear!

That's a superb list though!

I almost left them off! Embarassment!
My friend was pally with Chris Gentry (the guitarist) and we got backstage and everything! Whooo!!!! Manchester Academy, April 1995, if my memory serves....Pity they were the aural equivalent of dog piss though!

[Captain Tancredi]

Having wandered around the Mathew Street Festival in Liverpool yesterday, I was entertained by a John Lennon tribute act called Instant Karma and an unsigned Turkish band called Karavan (named after the Barbara Dickson song, one assumes). Thing was, I need to go without my mum and dad- some people had the right idea and took picnics and just moved between the stages according to what they fancied.

[Carol Baynes]

I've just read your thoughts on watching Goldfrapp live in Leeds, Ian. It was wonderfully niave and wide eyed with excitement, and I'm made up for you that a gig had such an impact. That's the power of music and creativity for you! I've seen them about 4 times myself and great they are too!

[Captain Tancredi]

I am at this very moment listening to Alison singing 'Winter Wonderland' on the Starbucks Christmas CD I bought yesterday.

[Mr BHT]

Madonna in 1993 - back in the days when she was something special!
Tina Turner in 1996 and 2000 - not bad, but a bit of an android on stage, lots of power but no warmth
Garbage in 1999 - brilliant gig!
Belinda Carlisle in 1999 - meh!
Kirsty MacColl in 2000 - awesome concert, probably the best I ever went too
Mel C in 2000 - twas okay
Goldfrapp in 2005 - twas okay too!

Not really much of a music fan these days. Some great names mentioned in these lists. Would like to see Beth Orton, Loreena McKennitt, Sarah Mclachlan and Jewel though.

[Pip Madeley]

Madonna, Mel C, Belinda Carlisle, Kirsty MacColl... Si Hunt will love you!

[Si Hunt]

Kirsty MacColl in 2000 - awesome concert, probably the best I ever went too

OOOOOOOOOh I'm so envious! That was, literally, a once in a lifetime chance.

Si.

[Dave Tudor]

Must have been one of her very last.

[Si Hunt]

It was THE last, and her finest by all accounts.

Si.

[Mr BHT]

OOOOOOOOOh I'm so envious! That was, literally, a once in a lifetime chance.

Si.

It was such a strange year 2000. I was going through a bad patch - shit job, unrequited love, anti-depressants, life changing events, but Tropical Brainstorm really lifted me out of a dark hole. It was so upbeat, and so well written, although Titanic Days will always be my favourite.

As for the gig, I just happened to be in Sheffield one May afternoon looking for something or other and there was a poster promoting her concert there for the following night! It was a real case of serendipity. I got my ticket, and went along, got right to the front.

Kirsty came on - not glammed up in the slightest. No make up, hair scraped back, ordinary clothes and literally just belted out some fantastic songs from Tropical Brainstorm along with a handful of hits. The sound was the best I've ever heard at a concert - Here Comes That Man Again sounded like it got louder and louder all the way through, Walking Down Madison was pure class and the whole concert just kicked ass.

And then in the December it was all over. I admit I cried on more than one occasion.

[Mr BHT]

Madonna, Mel C, Belinda Carlisle, Kirsty MacColl... Si Hunt will love you!

Well he might not - I can't stand Madonna, Mel C or Belinda Carlisle these days!

[Si Hunt]

I cry every year! And of course it's coming up to the anniversary again. When we go into London I always find the bench in Soho square and sit on it for a bit. Sometimes I have to move a tramp on his way to do so.

There's a joke in Alan Partridge where he answers the question "What's your favourite Beatles album" with: "I think I'd have to say... The Best Of The Beatles!". There's no such album of course, but these days I find the Kirsty album I play most is the anthology, "Croydon to Cuba". I just love it. You can either choose some snappy early feel-good fodder like "Patrick" or "Terry", or put on Disc 3 for some melancholy tracks like "Caroline", "Manhatten Moon", "Can't Stop Killing You". "Dear John" is THE ultimate heartbreak song of course.

Of the regular albums, I'd agree "Titanic" is perhaps her most emotionally deep and complete; the times I've walked down the street to "You Know It's You" or "Soho Square". It does tend to get a bit disposable towards the end, so sometimes you just have to put on the Bonus Disc on the re-issue and have "Fabulous Garden", "King Kong" and "Touch Me" instead. If I'm not playing "Croydon to Cuba", it'll be "Titanic Days".

Or "Electric Landlady", which contains my favourite ever Kirsty song "He Never Mentioned Love".

Si.

[SiHart]

Time for an update I think:

Wet, Wet, Wet (1989)
Genesis (1992)
Crowded House (1994- the best gig I've ever been too)
Phil Collins (1994)
Morrissey (1995)
The Boo Radleys (1995)
Blur (1995)
Blur (1997)
Genesis (1998)
Pulp (1998)
The Manic Street Preachers (1998)
Garbage (1999)
REM (1999)
Steps (2000)
Toploader (2001)
Neil Finn (2001)
Bob Dylan (2002)
Bryan Ferry (2003)
Grandaddy (2003)
ReGenesis (2003)
Simon and Garfunkel (2004)
Lemon Jelly (2004)
The Finn Brothers (2004)
The Finn Brothers at the Albert Hall (2005)
REM (2005)
Super Furry Animals (2005)
ReGenesis (2005)
Think Floyd (2006)
Franz Ferdinand (2006)
Scissor Sisters (for free in Leicester Square) (2006)
Lorraine Bowen (2006)
Tribute to Jim Capaldi (2007)
Soul Brittainia at the Barbican (2007)
Air (2007)
The Ghosts/ The Feeling/ Crowded House/ Peter Gabriel (2007)
Genesis (2007)
In The Cage (2007)
Crowded House (2007)
Athlete (2008)
Neil Young (2008)
Jim Noir (2008)
The Doctor Who Prom (2008)
The BBC Radiophonic Workshop (2009)
Blur (2009)
Franz Ferdinand (2009)

Si xx

[Simon R]

I'll update mine an'all...

I'm updating mine for the sake of it...

Spice Girls (minus Geri) - Earls Court 1999
Spice Girls (with Geri) - O2, 2007, 2008
Oasis (plus Happy Mondays and Doves) - Wembley Stadium 2000
Robbie Williams (plus Toploader and ABC) - Milton Keynes 2001
Dolly Parton - Hammersmith 2002, Wembley 2007, O2 2008
Melanie C - Shepherds Bush and Astoria 2003
Madonna - HMV Oxford Street in-store 2003, Earls Court 2004, Wembley Arena 2006, Wembley Stadium 2008.
Belinda Carlisle - Shepherds Bush and Here and Now 2004 and Peterborough 2006
Kim Wilde, Limahl, Buck Fizz, Nik Kershaw and Midge Ure - Here and Now 2004
Christina Aguilera - Wembley 2003
Beautiful South - Shep's Bush 2003 and Hammersmith 2004
Hanson - Shep's Bush 2004
Erasure - Hammersmith 2005
Kylie Minogue - Earl's Court 2005 and Wembley 2007, 02 July 2008
Jason Donovan - Hammersmith 2008
Sugababes - Wembley Arena 07, Albert Hall 2008 (with Gabriella Cilmi)
Sinitta, Sonia, Hazell Dean, The Sheilas and Nathan Moore - Club PA, Birmingham 2007
Darren Stanley Hayes - Albert Hall 2007
Cyndi Lauper - Hammersmith Apollo 2008
Girls Aloud - 02, 2009
Bananarama - Relentless Garage , 2009.

It's been a fairly quiet year for us gig wise but at least we didn't spend too much.

[Rob McCow]

I don't know if I should say this, but that's an incredibly hetero list of testosterone-fuelled concerts.

[Pip Madeley]

Updated to include this month....

Bands/artists you've probably seen or may have heard the name of:

Keane (x5)
Marillion (x4)
Genesis (x3)
Phil Collins (x3)
Maximo Park (x3)
Bloc Party (x3)
Muse (x2)
Jarvis Cocker (x2)
Steve Hackett (x2)
Patrick Wolf (x2)
Paul Carrack (x2)
The Bravery (x2)
The Futureheads (x2)
Electric Six (x2)
Goldfrapp
Franz Ferdinand
The Zutons
Razorlight
The Hives
The Fratellis (before they were big)
Hard-Fi (before they were big)
The Subways
The Bees
Reef
Robots In Disguise
Stephen Fretwell

Bands/artists most people probably haven't heard of:

IAMX
Something Corporate
iForward Russia!
Kubichek!
Pretty Girls Make Graves
Feist
Finch
The Colour
Captain
Mando Diao
Keith
Blackbud
Hot Club de Paris
Bob Log III
White Rose Movement
28 Costumes
The Kills

and tribute bands:

G2 Genesis (x2)
The Musical Box
Genesis In The Cage
ReGenesis
Whole Lotta Led

[Matthew T]

Ran into an old friend a few weeks ago, and we've had an amazing time since then - he moved to London a few years ago and now works for Ministry of Sound, so he got us backstage passes for Clubland Live this weekend just gone.

Spent most of the time backstage, but I have managed to add Darren Styles and Cascada to my list of tacky dance acts that I've seen live. Both were amazing!

Natalie from Cascada is also one of the nicest people I've ever met, a real down to earth fun girl. It was fabulous going to the after party in her car and being whisked thru the club to the VIP lounge by security! I also met Agnes, Ultrabeat, N-Dubz and various other dance acts who you've probably never heard of. A fantastic night!

[Si Hunt]

Sounds great fun Matt! Bet you felt like a star!

Si.

[SiHart]

This year is shaping up to be a year of gigs! We're off to see Neil Fimm tomorrow (wooo!) and have tickets to see Crowded House, Rufus Wainwright, The Bootleg Beatles, Bjorn Again (well OK, I'm going to see them with my Mum... is that tragic, I don't know) and exctingly the Suede reunion at the Albert Hall next month!

Si xx