I suspect it was the first concert any of us had ever been to. You can see how little we knew about concerts because we bought tickets for the Circle. (We thought that was the posh seats and that we'd have a better view!) The tickets cost £1.50, which seems unbelievably cheap by today's standards. However, I earned £0.80 a week from my paper round, so it cost me two weeks' wages!As I found out more about Hawkwind, I did get slightly concerned. I was worried that we'd be surrounded by drug using hippies. And when I heard about Stacia, I started to panic that my parents would hear about her too and that I wouldn't be allowed to go. (Actually, since I was only 14, I am amazed I was allowed to go at all. We went in on the train and came back late at night on our own. Different times!)
Needless to say, Stacia had left the band some time before and when we got to the concert, as far as I could tell, there were no drug using hippies anywhere in sight (or scent).
To be honest, I remember very little about this, my first concert, and my first experience of the legendary Glasgow Apollo. I remember thinking it was one of the best events that I'd ever attended. I remember that it was loud. I remember enjoying the music and afterwards, I bought the album they were promoting: Quark, Strangeness and Charm - an album I still really enjoy listening to. And I remember that I couldn't wait to go to more concerts... lots more.
I loved it! I loved the spectacle. I loved the noise. And most of all, I loved the excitement generated by the live event. I was hooked.
How much do you remember about your first concert? What is it about live music that makes it so exciting?
3 comments:
Blue Oyster Cult at the Apollo, full details here: http://www.inthewilderness.com/apollo/index.asp?s_id=1&m_id=14&action=show&band_ID=97&yr=1978#29.04.1978
We'd seen them on TOGWT and liked the look of the lasers. Don't Fear the Reaper was out so how could a bunch of 14 year olds resist? Japan were the support and I remember nothing of their set. I do remember seeing David Sylvian getting into a car in West Nile street as we were coming out of the Apollo.
Was Glasgow city center any less of a scary place on a Saturday night back in the late 70's than it is now?
Will I be allowing my daughters to go to gigs on their own ten years form now? Who knows?
Hello Douglas
Interesting first gig. I assume you've seen the SNL Spoof of the recording of Don't Fear The Reaper.
My own daughters were older than 14 when they went to their first gig. I ran them there... and picked them up afterwards. Different days. :-)
AC/DC, 1980 for the Back in Black tour. Ahh, the Glasgow Apollo. Getting kicked of the bus for having the wrong ticket and having to walk the rest of the way into town.
Also, I now know what the 'More Cowbell' t-shirts in the NYC NBC store are all about.
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