Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Friday Music: The First Time

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  • Simon Bennett, in reply to Peter Johnston,

    Yes! My memory of Don will always be him leaping around the stage in a woolly jumper, while singing and playing the euphonium - this led me to fandom of The Front Lawn, who became a huge influence on my work later on.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 174 posts Report Reply

  • Andre,

    I think we saw Rolf Harris at school once. He probably felt that Christmas had arrived early.
    My parents dragged us along to see Patsy Rigger and Suzanne Prentice at the Tomarata Hall when I was 10. Luckily this experience didn't put me off music forever,
    The Aotea Square riots was the first concert I went to by myself. It was fun! DD Smash were so amazing! It was a riot!
    I think my first concert by an international band was Dire Straits at Mt Smart, 1 March 1986. I might have caught some Aussie bands like Hoodoo Gurus or Hunters and Collectors at the Galaxy before then though...
    And the October 1986 Shriekback gig was 6 months too late. Great concert though!

    New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 371 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    I was 10 when my mum took me to see Mark Williams at the Sandown Hotel, Gisborne, in 1978. It probably cost a couple of bucks per ticket. On Wednesday evening I walked past Knox Church, just around the corner from where I live in Dunedin. Mark Williams now sings for what's left of Dragon and entrance to see them was $75. Nope, wasn't tempted.

    Went by myself to see Split Enz on the Time And Tide tour at the Gisborne YMCA in 1982. The Mockers supported, both were really good. Years later I found out that the Mockers really pissed off the Enz because they'd drunk all the rider that night and being a Sunday, no booze shops or pubs were open.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • Andre,

    I just remembered... I saw INXS at the Logan Campbell Centre on 11 January 1986. The sound sucked.

    New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 371 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Swain,

    International: David Bowie @ Western Springs on his Glass Spider Tour (1987?)

    New Zealand: An all-day bFM thing at the Gluepot. I wasn't planning to attend - I just popped in because a mate of mine was running a food stall set up inside for the day and he asked me to bring him some stuff from his regular store. I ended up staying for the music although it was almost over by that stage. The one band I remember by name from that day was the Malchicks.

    School: Scarf (!) put on a gig in our school hall supported by two or three bands from our school.

    Japan • Since Apr 2013 • 45 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen D. O'Hoy,

    First gig: 1985 The Hoodoo Fuck Buckets at the Court House Hotel, Bendigo, Australia. It was a mate's band. They sucked. Cool name though.

    First Concert: 1988 Pink Floyd, Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour, Melbourne Tennis Center. Just found someone has put some images and audio from this gig on YouTube

    Since Sep 2013 • 7 posts Report Reply

  • Greg Akehurst,

    First Free School Concert: Golden Harvest played the Northcote College hall in 1978 or '79, I think. They were pretty cool at the time. I remember some of the 4th form girls had "partied" with the band after the show and I learnt (at 13), what the term groupies actually meant!
    First Parent Chaperoned Concert Elton John at Western Springs in 1977 or '78, Mum helpfully pointing out that the pungent cut grassy smell was indeed grass.
    First Solo concert Kiss at Western Springs in 1980. School Cert had just finished. Mum dropped me off at the gate and picked me up later. Not sure I'd do that with my kids when they get to 15. Different times..

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 7 posts Report Reply

  • richard maclean,

    Bulldogs Allstar Goodtime Band at Titahi Bay Intermediate, Quincy Conserve at Mana College, then Rod Stewart at Athletic Park (1979?). My sister saw the Jackson Five at the Opera House (I think) in Wellington.

    wellington • Since Nov 2008 • 9 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Darlington,

    The travelling Christian supergroup Certain Sounds

    Aaarghhh the memories, the terrifying, grisly memories....

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Lindberg,

    The Sweet in 1977 or 1978 at some sports arena in Lund, Sweden. I would have been 10 or so. I was a bit too short to see the guys in the band, but I did indeed notice the soft-porn video- art (well, film probably) playing on the wall behind them as a backdrop.

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report Reply

  • Andre,

    I'm having fun finding bands that don't appear on Wikipedia's list of kiwi bands. In fact, the list doesn't seem to include hundreds of major kiwi bands. Like Peking Man. Or Love's Ugly Children. Or the Hallelujah Picassos. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bands_from_New_Zealand

    New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 371 posts Report Reply

  • tim,

    Talking Heads at Sweetwaters South in 1984
    Thankfully before the internet, so had no idea what they would be doing until David Byrne walked out on stage on his own, wearing an oversized suit & carrying a ghetto blaster...

    Wellington • Since Sep 2009 • 21 posts Report Reply

  • Mike O'Connell, in reply to Hebe,

    First big concert, The Cure @ Chch Town Hall. Hebe, did they play a second concert?I don't recall - though I do recall it cost $6 to get in; Town Hall was pretty full. I think DD Smash were support or was it the Newtones? So a story goes, Robert Smith was banging on the windows of CJ's (Music Store), just after hours, prior to gig desperate for a replacement guitar.

    First pub gig - underage (just) watching Toy Love's final Gladstone appearance later that year; support was Stanley Wrench & the Monkey Brothers which I think featured Tony (Rupert) Green, later of Mainly Spaniards and Haemogoblins; and Nick Strong (who may have been in the Playthings).

    Fortunately my parents never took me to anything musical though I did endure the 'magicians' Kreskin and Uri Geller!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Lambert,

    I have a sad feeling it was probably MC Hammer at My Smart, sometime about 1991ish, followed by EMF at the Auckland Town Hall......

    North Shore • Since Dec 2006 • 6 posts Report Reply

  • Mike O'Connell, in reply to Peter Darlington,

    Talking of Christian rock, two bass players + drums Youth For Christ from Christchurch were anything but!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts Report Reply

  • Dave Patrick,

    Never got taken to a concert by my parents – Dad was in to jazz and there wasn’t a lot of that around (or that he could afford on a minister’s stipend with 4 kids). We did see Godspell at His Majesty's in (I think) 1978 or possibly 1977 - and it was pretty damn good too.

    First concert ever: Golden Harvest at school in 1978 or 1979. We watched because it was better than nothing – I’d just discovered punk, so Golden Harvest didn’t really do much for me.

    First “I paid for this” and International are one and the same: Magazine in 1980. The Kiwi Concert Date archive says it was at the Auckland Town Hall, my memory says it was at Mainstreet. I trust my memory more.

    First New Zealand music gig – any one of dozens of Mainstreet Friday and Saturday nights from 1981 onwards, or whichever Sweetwaters it was that Roxy Music headlined (1981 as well? – the concert archive concurs – and $25 for 3 days!!). The Mockers on Friday night were amazing – 3 guys on the massive Sweetwaters stage, Andrew Fagan totally owning the crowd.

    Rangiora, Te Wai Pounamu • Since Nov 2006 • 261 posts Report Reply

  • Gaz Tayler,

    First stadium concert... 1984, Elton John @ Western Springs.. looking back it was pretty good despite what was clearly an odd time for him having just married German Renate Blauel and his new stuff was not quite as good as his old stuff, I went with a couple of mates and one of their mums took us. I was awed by the size of the crowd

    First concert... not entirely sure, my Mum was a serial prize winner on Radio Hauraki in the 1970's and she won countless records (vinyl baby!) and concert tickets, so I have vauge memories performances by Hello Sailer, Dragon, Split Enz and more in parks

    School concerts of note.. The Mockers, with Andrew Fagan in full purple ape suit and Dance Exponents belting out Victoria to a hall of 13 and 14 year olds... we had no real fucking clue what the songs were really about, but it made for a very rowdy lunch hour!

    I did regret not going to see Bowie on the Serious Moonlight tour @ Western Springs when school mates did

    Auckland • Since Aug 2012 • 14 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Bennett,

    Concert I never saw but will always wish I had: Pink Floyd at Western Springs. 1989.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 174 posts Report Reply

  • Morgan Nichol,

    I was going to talk about my first concert (Alice Cooper, 1990, Supertop, age I thought younger until I looked up the date, and must have been 13) but then I watched that Knoxious video and it's all I can think about. It's fucking fantastic and I'm so happy for Chris.

    Auckland CBD • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • wendyf,

    Oh. *that* kind of concert :-{{ But I'll tell you anyway. It was Lili Kraus and I was about 10. Just after WW 2. At Kawakawa in the King's Theatre. She was a German pianist. And just thinking about that day, when the whole school marched down to hear her, I can smell the dust and old cosmetics and cheap perfume that was always present. And I'm smiling at the magic of that day.

    Not a lot else happened in Kawakawa in those days, apart from the train going through the middle of the town.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 88 posts Report Reply

  • Hugh Wilson, in reply to Robyn Gallagher,

    @Robyn - I went to the De La Soul show at the Auckland Town Hall in 1991, as well, aged 15 or 16, and mainly remember how dorky me and my buddy were sitting right at the back, up top, some way away from all the action ....

    Pretty sure my first convert was the Greenpeace POP (Preserve our Planet) concert at Mt Smart supertop circa 89 or 90 - Toni Childs was the headliner .... incidentally it's a tad depressing to think of what a terrible job we have done at preserving our planet since that time ...

    Soon after the Greenpeace concert I went to Tracy Chapman at Carlaw Park, mainly - ahem - to try socialise with young ladies from Baradene College ...

    Seeing the Violent Femmes at the AKL Town Hall early 90's is another early concert memory

    Melbourne • Since Feb 2013 • 168 posts Report Reply

  • Luke Williamson,

    Thank God there are a few other ancients here.
    First School concert: Living Force I think.
    First solo real concert: Bo Diddley ( I won tickets off the radio) at Auckland Town Hall which would probably have been early 70s. I had two older brothers who were the perfect chaperones. Aged about 12/13.
    Soon thereafter: Canned Heat at Auckland Town Hall, and Santana/Sky Hooks at Carlaw Park (first experience of others smoking marijuana). I was 14.

    Warkworth • Since Oct 2007 • 297 posts Report Reply

  • Jane Brotheridge,

    Boomtown Rats at the Town Hall, I was 14. Was shocked when Bob Geldof said 'fuck' on stage.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2013 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • BlairMacca,

    First international concert was Ray Charles (!) in about 1993 with my parents at the Mission in Napier. At the time I wasn't interested really at all.

    First concert by myself was Pearl Jam in 98 at Mt Smart when I was 15, whole group of us went up from Napier. Funnily enough I am taking my niece to the BDO in February where Pearl Jam will be playing, she is 15 too.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2007 • 208 posts Report Reply

  • Julian Melville, in reply to Mark Easterbrook,

    I remember that '92 Chili Peppers show. They'd just got a new guitarist in after Frusciante quit (Axel somebody?) and he wasn't much cop, and it just wasn't all that great. Until Flea told everyone to take off their tops and fling them round their heads while he launched into Higher Ground, which they dutifully did. Just getting into it and then the tip of somebody's sweatshirt sleeve caught my girlfriend in the eye and flipped out her contact lens, and we spent the best bit of the show trying to find it on the ground.

    My first proper show was Pink Floyd at Western Springs in '87. I wondered why I bumped into almost everyone I knew at that show, but then nearly 1 in 50 people in NZ was there, so maybe it's not that surprising!

    Auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 200 posts Report Reply

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