Any metal and punk fans out there?

[Dave Ward]

I was watching a few YouTube reaction videos - to Dire Straits & Pink Floyd - the USA reactees seemed to be about 20-25 years old. All seemed to say ' how come nobody told me about them?' Mark Knopfler & Dave Gilmour guitar solos amazed them - I couldn't understand how any music fan hadn't heard of them!
Several things came to mind - all these tracks were over 4 minutes long - so weren't played on radio - all were 70s-90s ( old = no good ) - they're British, sad to say, non USA artists are mostly invisible, and those that aren't, are normally thought to be USA groups ie Black Sabbath & Deep Purple!
Radio One was the only nationally available station when I was growing up - but John Peels' & later Bob Harris' late night shows introduced me to music beyond the Radio One Top Ten. I assume in the US that the independent commercial radio stations, specialising in one genre of music ( country, blues, jazz etc ) never played the range of music that was my background music when I was studying!
Dave

 

[Waspie]

I was watching a few YouTube reaction videos - to Dire Straits & Pink Floyd - the USA reactees seemed to be about 20-25 years old. All seemed to say ' how come nobody told me about them?' Mark Knopfler & Dave Gilmour guitar solos amazed them - I couldn't understand how any music fan hadn't heard of them!
Several things came to mind - all these tracks were over 4 minutes long - so weren't played on radio - all were 70s-90s ( old = no good ) - they're British, sad to say, non USA artists are mostly invisible, and those that aren't, are normally thought to be USA groups ie Black Sabbath & Deep Purple!
Radio One was the only nationally available station when I was growing up - but John Peels' & later Bob Harris' late night shows introduced me to music beyond the Radio One Top Ten. I assume in the US that the independent commercial radio stations, specialising in one genre of music ( country, blues, jazz etc ) never played the range of music that was my background music when I was studying!
Dave

Radio stations for me were Radio Luxembourg, (108FM???) Then the pirates, spending a year near Harwich it was Radio Caroline were the likes of John Peel and co gained their followers. Was there a United States in the 60's???? Not in my little world.

 

[Dave Ward]

Luxy reception was poor in my area & the pirate stations weren't powerful enough! For some reason on Luxy, I developed a dislike to Emperor Roscoe. In 1974, just as I was starting in the MN, local commercial radios were starting up in the UK & widening choice ( in my case Radio Hallam )
Dave

 

[Tim Marlow]

When I was a teen both Luxembourg and Radio one were very difficult to pick up in my area. For the youngsters who don’t get this R1 was only on medium wave and (I think) used the same frequencies Radio 5 live uses now. I didn’t take to any of the presenters either, I found them smug and irritating in the extreme. Very smashy and nicey….I therefore went away from radio to TV programs like the Old Grey Whistle test, Rock goes to college, The Tube, Revolver etc for new and varied music. Otherwise I used recorded sources, swapping tapes with my mates to increase the breadth of music available to me. The only music stations I listen to now are Radio 6 and Planet Rock.

 

[Dave Ward]

The only thing I listen to is...........Spotify
Dave

 

[Scratchbuilder]

I was watching a few YouTube reaction videos - to Dire Straits & Pink Floyd - the USA reactees seemed to be about 20-25 years old. All seemed to say ' how come nobody told me about them?' Mark Knopfler & Dave Gilmour guitar solos amazed them - I couldn't understand how any music fan hadn't heard of them!
Several things came to mind - all these tracks were over 4 minutes long - so weren't played on radio - all were 70s-90s ( old = no good ) - they're British, sad to say, non USA artists are mostly invisible, and those that aren't, are normally thought to be USA groups ie Black Sabbath & Deep Purple!
Radio One was the only nationally available station when I was growing up - but John Peels' & later Bob Harris' late night shows introduced me to music beyond the Radio One Top Ten. I assume in the US that the independent commercial radio stations, specialising in one genre of music ( country, blues, jazz etc ) never played the range of music that was my background music when I was studying!
Dave

Yes Dave, I have seen a few of these videos, where people of different cultures, and would never dream of listening are intorduced to music they have never heard but are then converted. Ironically I was the same with 2Cellos, being told about them and dismissing them, I then listened and the bug was set.

 

[Gavalaar1980]

I'm old enough to have seen plenty of punk and new wave bands in their heyday, and also old enough not to remember many details!

Rather fabulously a mate kept meticulous records of gigs he attended (for a while at least), and who he went with, so I know on good authority at least some of the gigs I went to, where and when, including (this is just a small selection - we were mad for it!):

Sept 76, Hyde Park, Supercharge, Steve Hillage, Kiki Dee and Queen

March 77, Fairfield Halls Croydon, Five Hand Reel, Kate and Anna McGarrigle

Oct 77, Thames Poly, Germs, Darts

March 78, Thames Poly, The Pirates

April 78, Victoria Park Hackney, Misty in Roots, The Ruts, The Clash

April 78, The Roundhouse Chalk Farm, The Bishops, Pere Ubu, Graham Parker & The Rumour

May 78, Lewisham Odeon, Matumbi, Whirlwind, Ian Dury & the Blockheads

November 78, Lyceum Ballroom in the Strand, The Records, Jona Lewie Rachel Sweet, Mickey Jupp, Reckless Eric, Lene Lovich

November 78, Electric Ballroom Camden, Gardez Darkz, The Police

January 79, Hammersmith Palais, John Cooper Clarke, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Elvis Costello & The Attractions

March 79, Lyceum Ballroom in the Strand, The Mekons, The Fall, Human League, Gang of Four, Stiff Little Fingers

May 79, Rainbow Theatre Finsbury Park, The Records, The Jam

July 79, Electric Ballroom Camden, The Modettes, Selecter, Madness, The Specials

July 79, Lyceum Ballroom in the Strand, Interview, Madness, the Pretenders

September 79, Dingwall Camden Lock, Madness

February 80, Woolwich Tramshed, Splodgenessabounds

September 80, Hammersmith Palais, The Bodysnatchers, Toots & The Maytals

November 80, Music Machine Camden, Joe King Carrasco & The Clowns, Dirty Looks, The Equators, Any Trouble, Tenpole Tudor

November 80, Lyceum Ballroom in the Strand, The Fire Engines, The Thompson Twins, Josef K, Delta Five, the Teardrop Explodes

November 80, Marquee Club, The Fix, U2

December 80, Hammersmith Palais, The Undertones

Truly remarkable to see bands that went on to become enormous way down some set lists.

I'm so glad my mate kept this record - and I'm gutted that when I went to see bands with other mates we didn't keep records. So many amazing gigs, lost forever to me!

That's quite an extensive list here Paul! I have kept most festival and gig tickets over the years so i could compile something similar. Admittedly a lot of those bands you've listed I'm unfamiliar with, probably because of my age etc. But yeah my first gig was way back in 1998, and yeah, memories fade. I can only remember fleeting hazy snippets of the first gigs I attended!

Regards,


Gavin.

 

[PaulinKendal]

That's quite an extensive list here Paul! I have kept most festival and gig tickets over the years so i could compile something similar. Admittedly a lot of those bands you've listed I'm unfamiliar with, probably because of my age etc. But yeah my first gig was way back in 1998, and yeah, memories fade. I can only remember fleeting hazy snippets of the first gigs I attended!

Regards,


Gavin.

Get that list written down, Gavin! Seriously, stuff that's unremarkable at the time becomes much more significant, but usually by then you've forgotten all about it.

For example, we saw Madness before they'd released any records, performing on their home turf in pubs and tiny venues in north London, and the stage would be invaded by dozens of their mates partway through the first number, and they'd stay there for the entire set. It was, ahem, complete Madness, but we knew they were a bit special even then.

We saw The Police in a half empty venue to a decidedly lukewarm reception - their first single 'Roxanne' had been released a few months previously and completely bombed. They must have been close to packing it all in. (Roxanne was re-released a few months later, got to No. 12 in the UK charts and they were away).

And we saw U2 at the Marquee when they'd just released their first LP 'Boy', they'd failed to chart with 'I Will Follow' - I find it incredible that, decades later, we saw them at a sell-out at The Gabba in Brisbane.

And a list will remind you of amazing gigs you'll never then forget - well worth scribbling it all down now!

 

[Tim Marlow]

Reminds me of when I saw The Human League in the basement of a club in Bournemouth in around 1979. About twenty five punters in what felt like an underground car park. Not really my sort of music, but they were damn good at it. They got signed up not long after.

 

[Waspie]

Reminds me of when I saw The Human League in the basement of a club in Bournemouth in around 1979. About twenty five punters in what felt like an underground car park. Not really my sort of music, but they were damn good at it. They got signed up not long after.

Sounds like the old bowling alley in Bournemouth. It was called Chelsea Village in the early 70’s.
Saw many many of the old soul bands there. Four Tops and such.
Best laugh was Lulu getting bood off and her band asked to stay.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Possibly, but possibly not. The club was a new wave place and the area the band played in was flat floor, no staging area at all.

 

[Waspie]

Bournemouths my old stomping ground. Mrs W hails from there and most weekends were spent throwing a wicked welly down town. Can’t think of anywhere else as you described. Mem sahib can’t think of anywhere else unless they converted the ice rink!!

 

[Tim Marlow]

Sorry mate, only went once so can’t remember the name. I wasn’t much of a clubber, mostly because they did let in leather jacketed bikers. My usual Bournemouth haunts were the Winter Gardens and Poole art Center down the road. Used to be a good blues club there as well, but I can’t remember its name either.

 

[Miko]

I'm a bit late to this thread, as I am with my musical preferences, I have a brother who has five years on me so in my formative years his influence drove my choices, lot's of early Bowie up to around 1975, and similar era of Alice Cooper and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band! and the first three Queen albums, Bohemian Rhapsody killed my Queen fandom. I came to appreciate Led Zeppelin later in life, it was '78 and '79 I discovered The Stranglers and Sex Pistols, most of the 80's was a void for me music wise, it was the rise of 'Brit Pop' (not over keen on that term) but Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene and the like got my toes tapping again. But today, I have a thing for all girl Japanese indie bands, and no, i don't mean sodding Baby Metal!! the music is fine but those little gothic lolita pixies up front are a bit annoying!

Try this for size, Shishamo from their third album

Miko (I have a 'thing' for lead singer guitarist song writer and music composer/arranger Miyazaki Asako-chan!)

 

[SteveT]

I'll be honest, I've never been into punk or metal, I wouldn't knock it for a second but it's just not my thing.
(I'm mainly into late 50's onwards stuff like Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, Fats Domino, Eddie Cochran etc)

 

[Dave Ward]

gothic lolita pixies up front are a bit annoying!

I'm afraid all those Japanese/Korean all-girl bands look a little creepy to me, just like all the hentai cartoons - let's face it - looking at teenagers dressed in school uniform in the UK would soon get you rightly into serious grief!
Dave

 

[Tim Marlow]

I'm a bit late to this thread, as I am with my musical preferences, I have a brother who has five years on me so in my formative years his influence drove my choices, lot's of early Bowie up to around 1975, and similar era of Alice Cooper and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band! and the first three Queen albums, Bohemian Rhapsody killed my Queen fandom. I came to appreciate Led Zeppelin later in life, it was '78 and '79 I discovered The Stranglers and Sex Pistols, most of the 80's was a void for me music wise, it was the rise of 'Brit Pop' (not over keen on that term) but Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene and the like got my toes tapping again. But today, I have a thing for all girl Japanese indie bands, and no, i don't mean sodding Baby Metal!! the music is fine but those little gothic lolita pixies up front are a bit annoying!

Try this for size, Shishamo from their third album

Miko (I have a 'thing' for lead singer guitarist song writer and music composer/arranger Miyazaki Asako-chan!)

Never really got Bowie, apart from Ziggy. Love early AC and SAHBs though. Always thought Queen were a phase you went through on the way to better stuff. Did you catch on to Bebop Deluxe? One of the great underrated bands to me. Saw the stranglers about a dozen times, always a good band up until they tried to go “pop”. Prefer SLF to the pistols. Not got into Japanese stuff, but my daughter is. She has just come back from Warsaw where she saw Dir En Grey two nights running. Love Studio Ghibli animation though. Light years ahead of western stuff.

 

[therapy]

Oh yes, Bill Nelson. Still have to play the old red vinyl copy of Furniture Music rather loudly at regular intervals.....

Nick

 

[Tim Marlow]

Oh yes, Bill Nelson. Still have to play the old red vinyl copy of Furniture Music rather loudly at regular intervals.....

Nick

That’s got to be autocorrect, assume you mean Futurama

 

[Miko]

That’s got to be autocorrect, assume you mean Futurama

Nope, he means Bill Nelson's Red Noise, his band that followed Bebop Deluxe, their two singles being 'Furniture Music' and 'Revolt into Style' a complete departure from his Bebop days, Futurama was a great album along with Sunburst Finish but my face was Axe Victim!
Mr Nelson lived about twenty minutes from me back then