Bully for you

The blog is contracting, the numbers are still good, but life is intervening and not in a good way, so  the numbers retract and only the true readers stay, I have been down, but not beaten just so much crap going on and work dumping a 6 months work load and for it to be completed by September 7th (hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha) I have had to give my head a shake and as always some of you kind people have been enquiring what's up, its personal, its not me and we are all fighting and keeping our fingers crossed that's all you need to know, not happy with that, ooops you have me confused with someone who gives a rats ass!

That's not what the blog is about, I need to do some blogging simply for my own sanity, its all about my top ten gigs well sort of, I have seen loads of bands ( I have mates who have seen ten times as many as I have) buts its not all about the big occasion, I have seen some out standing bands I may have blogged about some of them (me with my reputation) as well I have a bucket list of bands I will never see, Kansas (with Steve Walsh) TRB, Frank Sinatra to name but a few, because that's all there is and the main reason why they are there is simply because they have died or retired, I have to admit if I won the lottery I would be off in a shot in a tour bus hitting all the gigs I want to!

Now my top ten isn't going to be what you lot expect yes some will be big named bands, but some  of the bigger name bands who I have seen I just can't pick one, I couldn't name my top Kiss gig or my top Judas Priest gig all great for different reasons the same way as I cant name my worst gigs (Queen's magic tour springs too mind simply for the set list although the band were great as always) for exactly the same reason.

So here we go in reverse order my top ten gigs (sometimes multiple gigs but as always I'm starting to digress)

10: ELO - NEC 1986ish the gig wasn't the best the band were quite ragged, if memory serves me right it was a charity do,  some of them going through the motions, but they did perk up when George Harrison walked on stage, what do I remember specifically of the gig well the fact that I was pissed (no surprise there) just the silly grin on my face the whole set although I did sit down while George was on stage...........well I had had a drink................HIC!

9: Fish - I know go figure why so low, well when you have seen as many bands as I have something has to give, if I'm honest I prefer the big Scotsman solo to being with that band ( a bit like the Scottish play you shouldn't say their name) there are three gigs that spring to mind two on the Vigil tour the first gig at Newcastle City Hall although not the first gig of the tour I think I did about fourteen for luck well I was single, it was just the way he slid on to the stage doing Faith healer, the second time was the second leg when he played the University Hall beyond the City Hall, he was raging about the hassle non students (hey that was me) getting in, the conventions come close but the best gig was in Dalkeith masonic lodge for the launch party of Fellini  Days and Ten year old Tara played her piano piece and the drive back was quite exquisite, well at least we didn't die but that's another blog for another day!

8:Diamond Head - The Borrowed Time Tour I thought I had seen the future the band were awesome Tank the support were pap probably angry because people didn't want to see them (shame as they are a great band now) I did four dates of the tour and I was prepared to sell my soul I had seen them before but this was simply majestic I have seen them since but this ticked all the boxes!

7: Robert Cray Newcastle University with  the Montgolfier Brothers supporting a great little hot house of a gig this was before he was famous 100 people in a cramped room, just pure joy the first time I ever enjoyed the blues! go figure me with my reputation.

6: The Flakes (various pubs in Newcastle) a local band who we used to try and catch when ever they played the local pubs the bass player used a Chapman stick and they were interesting in a Zappa kind of way, they were only a three piece but probably one of the most refined bands I ever saw.

5; Holy Cow Trillian's Newcastle, a band that had so much talent and should have been huge I tagged along simply for a pint and the crack,  I then discovered Davey Patton from Hellanbach was the guitar player and I was interested, I bought the 5 track ep and I still play it to bits Doris Brendal the vocalist has a great website with her music and an extended version of the EP for sale on her site go hunt it out you won't be disappointed.

4; The Cross Newcastle Mayfair Roger Taylor of Queen having some fun, I actually took my ex wife who I was divorcing at the time, I don't remember  a support band but again we probably got their fashionably late, I never saw Roger have so much fun, I have never seen a full Roger gig since as he has become Po Faced and thinks he's as important as David Bowie (why would you want to be like David Bowie), but this was a fun gig.

3: Blackmore's Night York Opera House nope not Rainbow or Deep Purple but the band that he has with his now wife, at over three hours he laughed he joked he played his cotton little socks off, he even came back at the end of the set with a sweeping brush to clear the stage, a fab gig, one that lives on in my heart, people mock but what they should do is listen, as he has done some fantastic music the album for this tour "fires at midnight" still gets hammered on the old MP3 player more consistent than your Jimmy Page's and Jeff Beck's, oh that's right his face doesn't fit (I know how that feels) give me his hey nonny nonny music over the plagiaristic Led Zeppelin......ooops inside voice!

2: John Wesley The Riverside Restaurant Courtyard Haddington , this was meant to be a Fish acoustic set at one of the conventions but he decided to save his voice although he was there in the audience, so he let his new quiet unassuming guitarist play a short set just him and his instrument of choice, godamn those eight songs were seared into my skull it was mind blowing, I sat in silent awe when we got to the gig on the night I only bought a couple of Fish T-shirts but I bought all of the John Wesley Back catalogue and the album that the set list was from (under the red and white sky which you can download for free off his website you cheap skates) is still my favourite all time album the album just talks to me the rest of his stuff is good but that album and that gig was mind blowing! as you can tell as me and the wife grabbed him after the gig (see picture below)

So what's number one Y&T, Dan Reed Network, Hellanbach, Electric Boys, Jane's Addiction, Val Doonican no its...........................................

1: Bessie and the Zinc Buckets the best damn band on the planet, hell Jake E Lee tried to buy my Buckets T-shirt off me when we were in Vegas (another story told in Restrooms of the strip) the picture at the bottom is the boys playing Newcastle City Hall  where they delivered a three hour with all ex members getting up and having a go, I still play the cassette of their album (more like demo's) Sex Drugs & Sausage Rolls! the crowd were a tad quiet mind you they are more used to seeing them play in sweaty pubs and fields at Biker rally's, if they ever come to a venue near you go and see them and have your life changed for ever with the power of music!

Why these gigs well usually because of my friends who I was with and tomorrow it might change actually the top three won't but the rest fluctuates, I'm alive I miss my friends but I don't forget them, its what you need to live your life good music good friends its all you actually need until the next time ............Toodles!