The Life and Loves of an Air Guitarist - Part 2
The 90’s
June 1990 and after a long gig free period I was once again seeing Robert Plant. September 1991 and I saw Dire Straits which is easily the worst gig I’ve been to. They were about to release a new record (“On Every Corner”) which was very country music influenced and as no one knew the songs the gig didn’t flow from the slow country songs to the great songs that made them famous. It was also not helped by the fact we were as far from the stage as you can get and near the merchandise stand so during some of the quieter songs you could hear people buying t-shirts etc. Amazingly on the 27th October 1991 Saxon were playing in Worcester so I had to go and see them again and even though there were not all that popular they still played with the enthusiasm of when I first saw them at their height in 1982. The venue was the Northwick Theatre (now an antiques centre) which was built in 1938 and the original interior followed plans by Art Deco designer, John Alexander. This meant you had people in leather, denim and Lycra surrounded by wonderful Art Deco mouldings!
1992 was a good year in many ways. In July I saw Fishbone for the first time (see separate Fishbone section) and in October I saw Ugly Kid Joe. Then in November I met Jane and shortly afterwards we went to see Bon Jovi which I think rates as one of my top gigs for atmosphere. After three gigs in one year I managed the same in 1993 this time seeing Living Colour in April, Robert Plant in July and Aerosmith in October. The Robert Plant gig was poor which after the three previous ones being so good was a big let down especially as I had told Jane it would be very good! The one highlight was the support band was Texas who had a big hit in 1989 (“I don’t want a lover”) and a brilliant début album but hadn’t been successful in the charts since and so seemed to be largely unknown by the audience.
After six gigs in two years I hit another drought only seeing Raging Slab with Jane in 1994 at JB’s in Dudley. This was a small club venue and in fact Jane met the female member of the band in the toilet and got chatting with her! I also spoke to another band member afterwards and we could possibly have hung out with them but I didn’t push it. Idiot!
Again one gig in 1995 this time Terrorvision, and Jane and I were possibly the oldest people there – we certainly felt like we were. Still it was a great pop rock gig.
1996 and as a birthday present for our daughter Pippa we went to see Alanis Morrisette in April, then the following year in May we took her to see Aerosmith – as she had complained when we went to see them in 1993 without her! She still mentions us “sneaking out” to go!
Shockingly it was to be five years before I went to another concert!
June 1990 and after a long gig free period I was once again seeing Robert Plant. September 1991 and I saw Dire Straits which is easily the worst gig I’ve been to. They were about to release a new record (“On Every Corner”) which was very country music influenced and as no one knew the songs the gig didn’t flow from the slow country songs to the great songs that made them famous. It was also not helped by the fact we were as far from the stage as you can get and near the merchandise stand so during some of the quieter songs you could hear people buying t-shirts etc. Amazingly on the 27th October 1991 Saxon were playing in Worcester so I had to go and see them again and even though there were not all that popular they still played with the enthusiasm of when I first saw them at their height in 1982. The venue was the Northwick Theatre (now an antiques centre) which was built in 1938 and the original interior followed plans by Art Deco designer, John Alexander. This meant you had people in leather, denim and Lycra surrounded by wonderful Art Deco mouldings!
1992 was a good year in many ways. In July I saw Fishbone for the first time (see separate Fishbone section) and in October I saw Ugly Kid Joe. Then in November I met Jane and shortly afterwards we went to see Bon Jovi which I think rates as one of my top gigs for atmosphere. After three gigs in one year I managed the same in 1993 this time seeing Living Colour in April, Robert Plant in July and Aerosmith in October. The Robert Plant gig was poor which after the three previous ones being so good was a big let down especially as I had told Jane it would be very good! The one highlight was the support band was Texas who had a big hit in 1989 (“I don’t want a lover”) and a brilliant début album but hadn’t been successful in the charts since and so seemed to be largely unknown by the audience.
After six gigs in two years I hit another drought only seeing Raging Slab with Jane in 1994 at JB’s in Dudley. This was a small club venue and in fact Jane met the female member of the band in the toilet and got chatting with her! I also spoke to another band member afterwards and we could possibly have hung out with them but I didn’t push it. Idiot!
Again one gig in 1995 this time Terrorvision, and Jane and I were possibly the oldest people there – we certainly felt like we were. Still it was a great pop rock gig.
1996 and as a birthday present for our daughter Pippa we went to see Alanis Morrisette in April, then the following year in May we took her to see Aerosmith – as she had complained when we went to see them in 1993 without her! She still mentions us “sneaking out” to go!
Shockingly it was to be five years before I went to another concert!
Labels: Aerosmith, Alanis Morrisette, Dire Straits, Fishbone, Raging Slab, Robert Plant, Saxon, Terrorvision, Texas, Ugly Kid Joe
posted by Colin | 12:16 PM
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