Come For The Party, Come To Make Sure

I've dealt with some of the gigs I went to as a student in Manchester and I'll go on to wrap them up in a final post at some time. But there's one gig that deserves a post all of its own. A gig so stupendous that I'll remember it forever. A gig that I only went to through the great kindness of a friend. I'm not one for making lists of the best gigs/singles/albums/bands etc. but if I were, this gig would be no. 1. It's never been surpassed.

"A friend of mine from the course got me this ticket and I wouldn't mind going but I think it would mean an awful lot more to you than it would to me." Thankyou very much to my old flatmate Tim Sheehy for some of the nicest words that were ever spoken to me. I don't know why I hadn't bought a ticket to go and see The Clash at Manchester Apollo on their 16 Tons Tour but I hadn't and now a good friend had supplied me with a ticket.

The Clash at Manchester Apollo February 4th 1980

I wish I could say that I can remember every minute of it but after 30+ years, there's no chance. What I do remember is that it was loud, very loud, and my ears were still ringing from it 4 days later. This was probably the beginning of the end for my hearing as I now suffer from mild tinnitus in my left ear but I don't think I'd change a thing. I also remember the feeling of elation that stayed with me for the rest of the week as well and can still recall sitting in the luggage rack of the 192 bus on the way home afetr a fantastic night out. I wish I could have seen them earlier in their career and I wished I'd gone to see them again later but I'm happy that I had that one magical night from a band at the top of their form.

Music To March To

How on earth had I never seen Killing Joke before last night. They've been going over 30 years and I've been going to gigs for even longer. It's not like I'm a big fan or anything, I only own the first album, but surely our paths should have crossed at some point, at a festival maybe? But no, this was a first.

Support was provided by The Crying Spell and The Icarus Line. I missed the first due to the lure of The Bodega and anyway I think 7:15 is really a bit early for watching a gig. Far better to have a couple of pints of decent beer (Pale Rider and Prince Bishop if you're wondering) before having to pay outrageous prices for fizzy piss in the venue (£4.05 for a pint of Gaymers!).

I got in just in time to see The Icarus Line, along with a handful of other punters. Not much of a draw but they did a fine job. They said they're from LA but sounded more like they were from Seattle crossed with Detroit. A lead singer who reminded me of Iggy Pop (but without the see through jeans fortunately), a bassist who knows how a bass should hang and a drummer who wanted to be Dave Grohl.

And so to the main event. I have a feeling that if this gig had been in London it would have been in the Electric Ballroom and it would have been goth central. But not in Newcastle, it was a fairly mixed crowd who seemed up for it. And so they should, the back line made it one of the most thundering, gut-thumping nights I've had since I went to an industrial techno night at The Rocket back in the 1990s. As I mentioned, I only have their first album so I only knew 3 or 4 of the songs but with a band that have found their niche and stick to it, I recognised them all.

A complete aural assault of a night out.