Oasis tickets!

My big brother was a big Buddy Holly fan. So I was raised on him. He was also a Rolling Stones fan and went to see them in Belfast. We never had the Beatles in our house. Mum was a Dean Martin fan, dislike Frank S. She also liked country music, so Patsy Cline all the way. She had a great blues voice.

Van Morrison, is a Belfast son. My big brother used to go see him way back in the 60s when he started with Them. He has written some brilliant songs but a weird man. I worked with a woman who went to his concerts and said one night he was all into the crowd, the next time you went he just performed with his back to the crowd.

LOVE Sam Cooke!!!!! If you ever get to hear A Change Is Going To Come, the hairs on your arms will stand up.

I love Billy Joel as well. But cannot stand Up Town Girl! Might be because Westlife

I remember back in 2014 when there was a huge clamour to get tickets to see Kate Bush on her one off set of concerts - Now Kate Bush is someone I absolutely love and yes I would've loved to have seen her as I never got the opportunity to see her back in the day. I didn't even bother to attempt to get a ticket as I knew at that time I wouldn't be able to afford even a basic ticket and that they'd be nigh on impossible to get anyway and of course they sold out in within 15 minutes and then started to appear on secondary sites for ridiculous amounts.

historymystery said:

Two of my favourites seen live were Elkie Brooks and Chris Rea. Both great performances.

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I like Elkie, i have DVDs and CDs and I have also seen her live twice over the last 10 years, I think she told the audience she was 70, but still as good as ever. They were in a small theatre so quite an intimate performance.

donna255 said:

My big brother was a big Buddy Holly fan. So I was raised on him. He was also a Rolling Stones fan and went to see them in Belfast. We never had the Beatles in our house. Mum was a Dean Martin fan, dislike Frank S. She also liked country music, so Patsy Cline all the way. She had a great blues voice.

Van Morrison, is a Belfast son. My big brother used to go see him way back in the 60s when he started with Them. He has written some brilliant songs but a weird man. I worked with a woman who went to his concerts and said one night he was all into the crowd, the next time you went he just performed with his back to the crowd.

LOVE Sam Cooke!!!!! If you ever get to hear A Change Is Going To Come, the hairs on your arms will stand up.

I love Billy Joel as well. But cannot stand Up Town Girl! Might be because Westlife

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I used to practise my drums to Up Town Girl as it had such a strong rock beat.

donna255 said:

My big brother was a big Buddy Holly fan. So I was raised on him. He was also a Rolling Stones fan and went to see them in Belfast. We never had the Beatles in our house. Mum was a Dean Martin fan, dislike Frank S. She also liked country music, so Patsy Cline all the way. She had a great blues voice.

Van Morrison, is a Belfast son. My big brother used to go see him way back in the 60s when he started with Them. He has written some brilliant songs but a weird man. I worked with a woman who went to his concerts and said one night he was all into the crowd, the next time you went he just performed with his back to the crowd.

LOVE Sam Cooke!!!!! If you ever get to hear A Change Is Going To Come, the hairs on your arms will stand up.

I love Billy Joel as well. But cannot stand Up Town Girl! Might be because Westlife

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I don't mind uptown girl but for me it's a rousing song that me and my mates would stomp around the dancefloor to in the 1980's bellowing out the lyrics and pumping our arms into the air so happy memories there, but it's not typical of what I love about his music. What I love beside the fact he's a good singer/tunesmith is the way his lyrics tell a story. I like uptown girl but not as a Billy Joel song if that makes sense! It's a similar story for Dexy's Midnight Runners when they churned out Come on Eileen, I mean it totally catapulted them into the mainstream but I prefer their other stuff especially the older stuff like Geno and there there my dear. Again I've got nothing against come on Eileen, it's good rousing song like Uptown girl but they're just crowd pleasers really!
Saw Elkie Brooks a few years ago it wasn't planned but a workmate posted on FB "I've got 2 tickets for Elkie Brooks tonight at the dome but we can't go now anyone want them free" So I thought why not? So I grabbed a mate a we went...it was great but certainly not anything I'd have booked tickets for in advance.
Biggest surprise for me was Steeleye Span I know I've mentioned this before but got dragged along reluctantly with my dad when my mum had flu so couldn't go and it was downright amazing!

merryone said:

I don't mind uptown girl but for me it's a rousing song that me and my mates would stomp around the dancefloor to in the 1980's bellowing out the lyrics and pumping our arms into the air so happy memories there, but it's not typical of what I love about his music. What I love beside the fact he's a good singer/tunesmith is the way his lyrics tell a story. I like uptown girl but not as a Billy Joel song if that makes sense! It's a similar story for Dexy's Midnight Runners when they churned out Come on Eileen, I mean it totally catapulted them into the mainstream but I prefer their other stuff especially the older stuff like Geno and there there my dear. Again I've got nothing against come on Eileen, it's good rousing song like Uptown girl but they're just crowd pleasers really!
Saw Elkie Brooks a few years ago it wasn't planned but a workmate posted on FB "I've got 2 tickets for Elkie Brooks tonight at the dome but we can't go now anyone want them free" So I thought why not? So I grabbed a mate a we went...it was great but certainly not anything I'd have booked tickets for in advance.
Biggest surprise for me was Steeleye Span I know I've mentioned this before but got dragged along reluctantly with my dad when my mum had flu so couldn't go and it was downright amazing!

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I saw Steekeye Span in a small theatre when they had just started to become known.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, but my wife left after a few songs because of the excessive volume.

I adore Kate Bush, been a fan since Wuthering Heights.

The problem with N.I. is starting late 60s right up until the late 90s. Most bands and singers refused to play Belfast because of the troubles, bombs going off etc.

I hate Come On Eileen with a passion. They used to play it all the time when I did Zumba. Another is Human League Don't You Want Me and Spandau Ballet Gold. Oh, I will add Culture Club Karma.

donna255 said:

I adore Kate Bush, been a fan since Wuthering Heights.

The problem with N.I. is starting late 60s right up until the late 90s. Most bands and singers refused to play Belfast because of the troubles, bombs going off etc.

I hate Come On Eileen with a passion. They used to play it all the time when I did Zumba. Another is Human League Don't You Want Me and Spandau Ballet Gold. Oh, I will add Culture Club Karma.

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I'd vaguely heard of the Human league before Don't you want me came out so I can't comment on their stuff prior to that but yes it's a typical example of an overplayed song that ends up defining the band. Spandau Ballet is a band I absolutely love and I've got nothing against Gold at all but again it's pretty much come to define them and again you're right about Karma Chameleon definitely not their best work imo - same as the other two you mentioned. Another one I'd like to add to the list is UB40's Red Red wine and let's not forget Madness house of fun - Again I like it but it's imo not my favourite - but hey a crowd pleasing number is a good boost for the band/artist concerned.

merryone said:

I remember back in 2014 when there was a huge clamour to get tickets to see Kate Bush on her one off set of concerts - Now Kate Bush is someone I absolutely love and yes I would've loved to have seen her as I never got the opportunity to see her back in the day. I didn't even bother to attempt to get a ticket as I knew at that time I wouldn't be able to afford even a basic ticket and that they'd be nigh on impossible to get anyway and of course they sold out in within 15 minutes and then started to appear on secondary sites for ridiculous amounts.

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Now I would have loved to get the chance to see Kate Bush but I actually wasn't that bothered about missing her last live shows because after reading the track list I realised that she didn't play any of my favourites at all (apart from Running Up that Hill).
If someone only plays live once every 20 years I do think the fans have a right to expect at least a greatest hits section in the concert line up but there was no Wuthering Heights, no The Man with a Child in his Eyes, no Babooshka, no Rubberband Girl etc, etc.

merryone said:

I remember back in 2014 when there was a huge clamour to get tickets to see Kate Bush on her one off set of concerts - Now Kate Bush is someone I absolutely love and yes I would've loved to have seen her as I never got the opportunity to see her back in the day. I didn't even bother to attempt to get a ticket as I knew at that time I wouldn't be able to afford even a basic ticket and that they'd be nigh on impossible to get anyway and of course they sold out in within 15 minutes and then started to appear on secondary sites for ridiculous amounts.

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I loved Wuthering Heights and I bought the CD it was on, and CDs had only recently become available.

I played it through, and disliked most of the tracks, but I recorded it onto casette anyway and then returned the CD (you could in those days as they were very expensive).

Then I played the cassette a few times and got to really like it (although I would say it is an acquired taste).

So I went back to the same shop and bought it back!! And I've bought several others since.

donna255 said:

I love Billy Joel as well. But cannot stand Up Town Girl!

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That one aside, the only one without thinking too much that sticks out of his: aka, one I like, is The River of Dreams. (Granted, had to look up the title).

Thinking back to the old days, when there was no such thing as "online" if a concert was popular people would literally have to queue up outside the box office and if necessary they'd have to camp outside over night and once they'd gone they'd gone. Sometimes you could buy tickets in places like Virgin records as well as the venue box offices. I do remember when queuing up to get into a concert there'd be touts trying to offload tickets onto passers by but other than that there was no silly money changing hands. The Who concert was a case in point, it was about 1978 and it was a bit of come back tour and my friend who had a major crush on Roger Daltrey really wanted to go - I wasn't too fussed so I passed but she managed to find another couple of mates who were up for it. Their parent's allowed them to queue up overnight to get them. On the night of the concert my mate phoned me to say one of the girls was ill so would I like to go, you can pay later so I said yes and I'm so glad that I did as it was absolutely amazing and I've loved them ever since and this was just before my Quadrophenia days, so after I'd seen the film I was even more chuffed that I'd been able to see the Who in concert!

Kate did the Ninth Wave live, which was the other side of Hounds of Love. Now that was iconic. To be honest, I love Cloud Busting over Running Up That Hill.

Billy Joel wrote so many classics, Innocent Man CD full of hits. Only A Woman from the 70s, Don't Go Changing covered by Barry White, but Billy's version is the best. I love, Only The Good Die Young.

My fave Billy Joel songs are Anthony's song (moving out), Piano man, My life, River of dreams and Downeaster Alexa. I like most of his stuff tbh- The only one I'm not so keen on is we didn't start the fire.
Whilst I'm here - let's hear it for 10cc - bliddy love 'em!

ClaireKelly said:

The Stranglers! Now you’re talking

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I was very late to the party with The Stranglers, so never got to see the original line up.
I obviously had heard stuff like Golden Brown, Peaches and No More Heroes but it wasn't until Mr MA chucked a couple of their CD's in the car that I really started to appreciate them.
I'd always wanted to go to The Royal Albert Hall and achieved it in March as they played there as part of their 50th Anniversary tour.
I love this interview Sian did on BBC breakfast telly

madaunty said:

I was very late to the party with The Stranglers, so never got to see the original line up.
I obviously had heard stuff like Golden Brown, Peaches and No More Heroes but it wasn't until Mr MA chucked a couple of their CD's in the car that I really started to appreciate them.
I'd always wanted to go to The Royal Albert Hall and achieved it in March as they played there as part of their 50th Anniversary tour.
I love this interview Sian did on BBC breakfast telly

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I was going to go this March but health issues meant I ended up selling my ticket!
I did see the original line up which was brilliant. They are still a really good band and well worth seeing. Very sad that Dave and then Jet have both passed away. Had some great times following them.

Poor Brian May has had a stroke. Say life changing. So the days of touring with Adam Lambert are over.

stratobuddy said:

I like Elkie, i have DVDs and CDs and I have also seen her live twice over the last 10 years, I think she told the audience she was 70, but still as good as ever. They were in a small theatre so quite an intimate performance.

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She was fantastic when I saw her. Incredible 'bluesy' voice and covered Chris Rea's 'Fool if you think it's over' - made a great job of it, too!

merryone said:

I'd vaguely heard of the Human league before Don't you want me came out so I can't comment on their stuff prior to that but yes it's a typical example of an overplayed song that ends up defining the band. Spandau Ballet is a band I absolutely love and I've got nothing against Gold at all but again it's pretty much come to define them and again you're right about Karma Chameleon definitely not their best work imo - same as the other two you mentioned. Another one I'd like to add to the list is UB40's Red Red wine and let's not forget Madness house of fun - Again I like it but it's imo not my favourite - but hey a crowd pleasing number is a good boost for the band/artist concerned.

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My favourite Spandau one is 'True'. Nothing against 'Gold' though. Tony Hadley of Spandau always reminded me of the actor John Duttine (or perhaps I should say John Duttine reminded me of Tony Hadley?)

donna255 said:

Poor Brian May has had a stroke. Say life changing. So the days of touring with Adam Lambert are over.

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Donna, I just saw that on the newsfeed! If I remember rightly, he was quite seriously ill a few years back, but recovered well. Hope he recovers from this latest medical problem very soon.

When I was a young teen, I had a thing for blues music and Elkie Brooks was in a band called Vinegar Joe with Robert Palmer as join singer. I have one of the albums.