Two weeks without a gig is a bit of a novelty for me in recent years. Good job really. A foot ailment made my last couple hard work.
A drive to Portsmouth (Southsea) for the fast, loud and intricate WHITE DENIM at the Wedgewood Rooms – great small venue – where I found a ledge to sit on near the mixing desk. Watched with one shoe off and foot swelling. That’s commitment.
White Demin – Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea
I was recommended this lot (AEn) as someone I’d like. I did. Really got into them listening to several albums on Spotify. Latest ‘Side Effects’ 2019 and favourite being ‘Stiff’ from 2016. So glad I caught them. Ferocious musicians at times and despite the intensity they still played for over 90mins.
I like the Wedgewood Rooms. Good small to moderate size. Quick bar service. Pubs in easy walking distance. Parking worth looking up if driving – advice on their website helpful.
Went on my own to this one on a Monday night with a 90 minute drive to get there. Still worth it. White Denim don’t come over to the UK much.
I’m a 59 year old grey haired gig goer. I get to a lot of gigs and festivals in a variety of places. The last five years or so it’s cranked up a notch with the help of a similarly (even more gigaholic) enthusiastic mate and my gig-loving wife.
I seem to be on one massive tour and keep squeezing in the music where I can.
Johnny Depp and Alice Cooper with The Hollywood Vampires at Birmingham Resorts Arena (NEC)
I thought I could leave a blog trail as I go on my gigaholic wanderings – the bands – my photos – the venues – the festivals – bits on travel and parking – the odd handy pub and all that stuff.
With Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs at The Roundhouse
All photos are my own unless I mention otherwise. I use a Panasonic compact pocket-sized zoom mostly, a TZ60. Unobtrusive and only ocasionally not permitted, and that’s where there is a no phones or cameras rule which I always abide by. I occasionally take a better Nikon bridge camera to outdoor gigs, especially festivals so the pics there are best quality. Then there are gigs when I forget my camera, run out of battery etc 🙄
Keith Flint of The Prodigy at Victorious Festival
My mobile phone camera is pretty bang average, on an older Samsung A6, but I do take an occasional video clip if it isn’t going to get in anyone’s way – I like a pillar or a wall behind me. In Spring 2022 I started putting these on a YouTube channel. It saves memory on the WordPress account if nothing else but is getting hundreds of views in its own right, occasionally over a thousand. Link to my Grey-Haired Gig Goer channel.
The Covid pandemic hit activities hard but through my blogs you can see the various attempts to keep gig-fit and measures brought in during this awful period in our history.
I never saw The Dead Kennedys back in the the day and despite the split with the unique voice of Jello Biafra, I was drawn to this one and wasn’t disappointed.
90s Madchester boys, Inspiral Carpets, complete their first tour in eight years, at the increasingly notable Cheese and Grain in Frome, Somerset. This grey-haired gig goer is there to see them, 33 years after the last encounter.
Gigs with Ivan 