Who: Queen + Adam Lambert
Where: Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
When: 13th January
What better way to start the year than to watch my favourite band of all time (the classic line up at least) with their latest charismatic frontman? It's a shame that Freddie left us too soon but I for one love the fact that Brian May and Roger Taylor still tour the world performing the songs we love. Anyone who read my previous post late last year will know that despite my love of Queen that I had had reservations due to the hefty price tag. However as predicted it was a truly fantastic night. Brian and Roger were as always on fantastic form and Adam Lambert was a revelation. The band had rang in the New Year on BBC1 so that had already whet me appetite. However by the time the band hit the stage performing mid-80's cut 'One Vision' I was already at fever pitch. Queen's years with Paul Rodgers were fantastic but his bluesy style eliminated the opportunity to perform classics such as 'Killer Queen' and 'Don't Stop Me Now'. Adam Lambert ticked them all off like it was effortless. Roger taking the mic to sing 'It's A Kind of Magic' was of course a personal highlight for me and Freddie's appearances on the big screen were truly chilling in the best way possible. If Brian and Roger decide to call it a day after this tour, they've wrapped it up in style!
Where: O2 Apollo Manchester
When: 6th March
This particular gig will always hold a special place in my heart as it also kicked off my stag weekend! In fact the gig was my entire reason for picking Manchester as my stag weekend location. My best man and two of my groomsmen joined me a day early to catch Steel Panther (surely the quintessential stag do band) who were promoting their 'All You Can Eat' album.
I should probably point out at this point that Kimbo (the bloke randomly peeking out of the bottom right hand corner had NEVER heard the band before. I don't mean he was a casual fan. He had literally never heard a Steel Panther song before. He'd only come as it was part of the stag weekend. Seriously commendable if you ask me. Oh boy did he not realise what was coming...
In a rare moment for me personally we missed the support acts that night. We were too busy having some drinks and generally being stag like. We made sure not to miss the Panther though. They took the stage... well after shooing off some dwarf lookalikes who'd made the stage before them. The hilarity continued in earnest as they took tracks from all three of their hilarious albums to create a setlist that would challenge most metal bands today. The moment I'll never forget? When the band performed their latest single at the time; the blatantly titled 'Gloryhole'. What was so unforgettable? Well first off (if you're not easily offended... I'm serious!) watch this video below... go ahead I'll wait.
"Well it was good... not as good as the Big Reunion though!"
Wow... just wow.
Where: The Garage, Glasgow
When: 11th June
So this was actually the 6th time I've seen Kentucky's finest (and I'll be making it 7 in February) but they never fail to disappoint. I'd go as far to say that this was actually the greatest gig I've EVER been to.
My wife and I made the trip to Glasgow to see the Cherry warm up for Download. My birthday was the next day and this gig doubled as a birthday celebration/second honeymoon (or as we dubbed it 'Honeygig'). Unfortunately Kayl was rather ill and we nearly didn't make it to the gig! However she managed to make it through the show and what a show it was! The Garage is a tiny venue with a 750 capacity. We managed to get pretty much to the very front of the Garage and had an amazing view of the band. I'm sure I've covered my love of Black Stone Cherry many times. I've watched them grow from support act to bonafide arena headliners and believe that their next album (out early next year) could be the album to blast them into the stratosphere. If that's the case, this gig may be the last chance to see a huge band in such an intimate setting. The guitars were loud, the vocals were on point and I still get chills when I think about that night. They were as always phenomenal, but to be that close to the action is something I'll forever be thankful for. February can't come soon enough.
Who: Radio 2 Live at Hyde Park
Where: Hyde Park, London (obviously)
When: 13th September 2015
The same week we were heading to Glasgow for Black Stone Cherry, I received some amazing news. The Corrs; one of my favourite bands of all time announced that they were reuniting to record a new album... and that they would kick off their return at Hyde Park in September! The very day after BSC I had bought tickets and was counting down the days to the big event. Now of course there were other acts performing; the Corrs weren't even headlining but as my friend Ian and I drove down to London, there was only one performance I was excited about. That isn't to say I didn't have a great day watching some fantastic perfomances.
We arrived just in time for folk singer Kate Rusby who I'd heard very little of before Hyde Park. Her set was only 20 minutes but it was enough to get over how great her music is and piqued my interest in checking her out in the future. Up next was... Leona Lewis so as you can imagine this was a perfect opportunity for a food/toilet break and to find a good position for what for me was the main event.
The last time I saw the Corrs was in 2004, shortly before their hiatus. It was one of the first gigs I ever went to and it set in stone my love for this talented Irish family. Those who share my love of rock and metal may scoff but the Corrs are a lot more than they seem on the surface. They're a phenomenal family band, all of whom are multi-instrumentalists and excellent singers. They're closer to the likes of Fleetwood Mac than the bubblegum pop that surrounded them in the late 90s. It's that reason that they were given a rapturous reception by Hyde Park. The feeling was indescribable. It was like seeing old friends for the first time in years. I was just ridiculously happy. The Corrs haven't missed a beat and they ran through the hits in quick succession. By the time they played 'Toss the Feathers' to end the set, their 30 minute set had felt like 10. I loved every minute but wanted more- surely the aim of any live band. Fortunately shortly after they announced their new album 'White Light' on November 28th and a UK tour in January. You can be assured that I'll keep you updated.
Next up was Canadian rocker Bryan Adams. It wasn't really until the Corrs left the stage that I realised that I would be seeing 'the' Bryan Adams live. He's been doing this for so long that you know you're in safe hands. Having said that it was surprising that he didn't perform his definitive hit 'Everything I Do (I Do It For You)' (he must really hate that song) but he still did all the other hits you'd expect. Plus I can tick Bryan Adams off my gig bucket list.
Before Rod Stewart headlined the show, it was the turn of legendary producer Giorgio Moroder to take to the stage. Where I was standing it didn't go down hugely well. Ian and I enjoyed it and it was really interesting to hear all the classic songs that Moroder had a hand in. However some of the fans around me were simply impatient for Rod and seeing a 70 year old man who looked like Maurice from Beauty and the Beast with a backwards cap on his Macbook wasn't cutting the mustard. Maybe he was the wrong act for the wrong show.
Then it was the actual main event. Rod Stewart hit the stage after a bit of miscommunication and delved deep into his back catalogue. My parents played so much Rod Stewart growing up that there were times that I suddenly went back in time about 20 years. I would love to have heard 'Sailing' or 'Maggie May' but some of the songs Rod chose hadn't been performed in over 40 years. I certainly can't complain when Rod performs stuff from his Faces days! I may just have to catch Rod Stewart on another tour one day.
Overall the festival was fantastic and if money isn't an issue and the line up is good I'd have no hesitation going again next year. Hyde Park is always a special place for live music (curfews permitting. Rod was the latest victim of this at the end of the night.) and I've no doubt the festival was a huge success.
Who: Madness
Where: Durham County Cricket Club, Chester Le Street
When: 26th September 2015
When my wife and I got married back in May, we picked 'It Must Be Love' by Madness as our first dance. I've loved Madness for years and it seemed like the perfect song for both of us. When it was announced that Madness were touring throughout the summer and that the tour would finish in our home city of Durham it seemed like it was meant to be.
This tour was a bit special in that Madness were taking over racecourses, sports arenas and in this case a cricket ground. We splashed out a little extra and bought the 'Gladness' package. That got us a T-shirt upon entry, a lanyard as well as access to an exclusive 'Gladness' beer garden. The beer garden was cordoned off and the bar itself was a black London style taxi cab. We got a free plastic Gladness cup and sampled Madness' lager; the lager that inspired all this beer garden-y goodness. The set up at the cricket ground meant we could enjoy the support acts while sipping some lovely alcoholic beverages.
By the time Madness came on the crowd was merry and ready for a good time. I've seen the band twice previously but there was something special about seeing the band with my wife just months after dancing to them in front of our friends and family. The cricket ground setting just seemed to add something unique and the band had a lot of fun. By the time they got towards the end of the set they had us in the palm of their hands. 'House of Fun', 'Wings of A Dove' and 'Our House' were rattled off in quick succession before wrapping up with 'It Must Be Love'. Personally as I'm sure you can imagine it was just a lovely moment. Kayl went as far as to say it was the best gig she's ever been to. Next time they come to your town you MUST check them out!
So yeah it's been a vintage year for gigs and it's not over yet. As I mentioned in my previous post I'm off to see Fozzy again in December. As my gig buddy (and my best man last May) is emigrating to Canada, I decided to treat us both to VIP tickets. We've seen the likes of Aerosmith, Metallica and AC/DC together and I thought that a VIP experience would be a great way to send him and his lovely wife off to the True North in February. Rest assured you'll hear all about it here!
What gigs have you been lucky to check out this year? Feel free to chat about it on the Facebook page or tweet me @NorrisApproved3!
See you soon!
