600.

Well, we got here, blog number 600, how did that happen? I know before anybody is a smart arse, its because I’m boring and I need to get a life, so here it comes when life was peachy and I had no worries or debts etc, it’s all about the music, see if I care, I do but don’t tell anybody else that, they might find out I actually had a life!

Newcastle city hall is without a doubt my favourite music venue, and I have been in a few, there’s just something about it I have been there with family and friends, I have been there by myself, it is my favourite since day one, I have seen bands I love, I like and bands I have hated but I still love the venue.

There’s too many too name especially in a small blog like this, I haven’t been there that much over the last 5 years, a few times but life keeps getting in the way (damn it) Covid didn’t help but my knees are the biggest issue, I can’t stand for long periods as I have no cartilage (see previous blogs) in my knees so if I can grab a seat I will.

I have seen bands abroad and by and large most venues fall into the same category, PAP! There is one or two in the states I like, both relatively small the House of Blues in Disney Springs Florida (Downtown Disney back in the day) but my Favourite was/is Vamped in Las Vegas, were we given a fantastic booth and the vibe was fantastic, it didn’t hurt we were on the guestlist that night, but it is a great venue.

In Europe I went to the North Sea Jazz Festival a couple of times and although most of the gigs were in arenas (with a few small club gigs) these were all pretty slick operations with a good vibe, I never got a bad vibe which occasionally mars gigs in England, usually because people get hammered and then behave despicably, it spoils the gigs, I haven’t got an issue mixing it with arseholes, but I’m a lot older and as I’ve said my knees aren’t what they used to be!

Theres a few good venues in the UK (Nottingham Rock City, the Marquee before it was demolished in London, and I quite like the Underworld in Camden, but its usually the venue that sets the vibe for the band and if the band are happy its usually a pretty good gig. I wont name and shame the venues I don’t like as there are quite a few, but by and large I’m not a huge fan of gigs in Glasgow or Manchester, it might be the city’s and not the venues, but there are always tons of crap at those locations. As for London there’s some good ones and great ones but there are bad ones as well, I’m not a huge fan of the Royal Albert hall and for the life of me I do not have a clue why, it just has a weird vibe, mind you I have been there when the Proms have been on and had a great time, its probably just me, again the Hammersmith Odeon, some good gigs (Stevie Wonder) some poor (way too many to mention), and I will put my hand on my heart and say I have never enjoyed a metal act there!

Seeing artists in small clubs before they were big is a good laugh, or even artists on the way down after being a headliner in  arenas and are now playing “clubs” can be just funny, I mean I nearly saw Bruce Springsteen on The River  in the City Hall but I dint know who he was LOL, I never thought I would get to see the likes of seeing Kiss in the City Hall and they played it like is was a massive arena, I saw Diamond Head at the city hall on the Borrowed Time tour then jump 20+ years and seeing them in Trillian’s just across the road from the city hall, both gigs great and the band were excellent before, during and after the gig Fish at the Riverside (both old and new) and various Haddington conventions, the venue helps but it’s the audience enjoying themselves that matters the most, god I sound like a bloody hippy.

I probably don’t have many gigs left in me unless I get my knees sorted (doubtful) at the moment I am on 4997, 3 more to hit the magic 5000, I used to write them down (yes I have always been sad) and give them a 5 star rating, list the support acts the same mini reviews write the set lists down, those books went the way of mystery over thirty years ago, I mean in 1984 I attended 310 gigs, no wonder my brain is fried, I could never remember them all, never mind the support acts, I might try before the brain revolts! I always get asked who was the best the gig and to be honest it changes depending on the day and the mood, one of the worst gigs I ever attended (for free) was Soft Cell (there was free drink) who were simply horrendous and very drunk at least they admitted it on stage bless them (remember that for the moment because I do circle back to them) the worst gigs I have attended from headlining superstars were……….Roger Taylor at Newcastle Riverside, he really didn’t want to be there and boy was he bitter I left after 4 songs, and Queensryche on the Empire tour, I left after 5 songs.

Theres been more good ones than bad ones but the best support act I saw (apart from FM with Gary Moore) was Marc Almond supporting Cher at the Newcastle arena, (there’s a bootleg from the show where you can actually here me say “oh for fucks sake”) but he was great, I didn’t know most of the songs but he was sober in tune and funny between the songs, I tip my hat to him as it was indeed a bloody good gig. The only artist I never got to see was Steve Walsh who sang solo and with Kansas (either would have done) I mean come on Arthur Askey was my first ever gig with Lulu supporting what a fab first gig the rest have all had to match them, lol I kid you not!

So, there you have it, will I do another 600 blogs? I would love to but I think it’s unlikely, I could pump them out daily but I prefer quality to quantity (god help when I retire and I have but time on my hands) so thank you for sticking around for the ride here’s to the however many more I have left in me, keep spreading the word stay safe and stay alive, until the next time…..Toodles!

And yes i do still miss the Newcastle Mayfair!