My first gig was probably Black Sabbath in what was the old bus depot know as the Queensway hall in Leeds. Most recently was the Laura Cox Band in Leeds and the Strutts in Sheffield, I’m s’posed to be seeing Nick Masons “Saucer full of Secrets” in May but due to events that’s been postponed until October.
In between I saw AC/DC at the monsters of Rock, The Rolling Stones voodoo lounge tour x2 (Melbourne cricket ground & Sheffield), Pearl Jam in Auckland NZ, Genesis, Bon Jovi, Metallica and a few others at the NEC.
The Faro Motorcycle Concentração on the Algarve is where I’ve seen Rodger Hodson, Europe, Billy Idol, Joe cocker, iron maiden, Deep purple, and most bizarrely Saint Dominic’s Gospel choir doing covers of heavy metal. All the faro bands sets can be seen on YouTube.
Lisa Stansfield at Sheffield city hall was probably my most embarrassing moment
One of my regrets was never seeing Free on stage, I have all their albums plus their solo projects but never got to see them alas. Another favourite gig was seeing the Sutherland Brothers supporting Cat Stevens at Oxford’s New Theatre early 70’s, the Sutherlands had just released ‘Sailing’ as a single and this was one of their first live renderings of it. Of Course Rod Stewart covered it, the tv programme picked up on it and the rest was history. I still prefer the original though! 
I also saw Led Zepp at Oxford, again early 70’s, and I had to pay a ‘tout’ outside for a ticket (£5) which was half a weeks wage then for me. 
Then they were late as their train broke down and didn’t come on stage until 10pm, however ‘The Band’ had just released Rock of Ages (a double album) and that was played over the sound system and they then became one of my favourite bands. If you have never seen Martin Scorcese’s film of their final performance at Winterland ‘The Last Waltz’ then give it a go, it’s got everyone who was big at that time (mid 70’s) on stage with the group.
Pete.
windrush:
One of my regrets was never seeing Free on stage, I have all their albums plus their solo projects but never got to see them alas. Another favourite gig was seeing the Sutherland Brothers supporting Cat Stevens at Oxford’s New Theatre early 70’s, the Sutherlands had just released ‘Sailing’ as a single and this was one of their first live renderings of it. Of Course Rod Stewart covered it, the tv programme picked up on it and the rest was history. I still prefer the original though!
I also saw Led Zepp at Oxford, again early 70’s, and I had to pay a ‘tout’ outside for a ticket (£5) which was half a weeks wage then for me. Then they were late as their train broke down and didn’t come on stage until 10pm, however ‘The Band’ had just released Rock of Ages (a double album) and that was played over the sound system and they then became one of my favourite bands. If you have never seen Martin Scorcese’s film of their final performance at Winterland ‘The Last Waltz’ then give it a go, it’s got everyone who was big at that time (mid 70’s) on stage with the group.
Pete.
I never knew the Sutherland Brothers were the original band to release ‘Sailing’, 
, you learn something every day.
You mention not seeing Free live… I think Paul Roger’s was set to tour with Bad Co this year, (virtually same band of surviving Free members as you know) but with all this crap that’s going on now it will be maybe a later date that it kicks off.
windrush:
One of my regrets was never seeing Free on stage, I have all their albums plus their solo projects but never got to see them alas. Another favourite gig was seeing the Sutherland Brothers supporting Cat Stevens at Oxford’s New Theatre early 70’s, the Sutherlands had just released ‘Sailing’ as a single and this was one of their first live renderings of it. Of Course Rod Stewart covered it, the tv programme picked up on it and the rest was history. I still prefer the original though!
I also saw Led Zepp at Oxford, again early 70’s, and I had to pay a ‘tout’ outside for a ticket (£5) which was half a weeks wage then for me. Then they were late as their train broke down and didn’t come on stage until 10pm, however ‘The Band’ had just released Rock of Ages (a double album) and that was played over the sound system and they then became one of my favourite bands. If you have never seen Martin Scorcese’s film of their final performance at Winterland ‘The Last Waltz’ then give it a go, it’s got everyone who was big at that time (mid 70’s) on stage with the group.
Pete.
Yeah saw “The last waltz” many years ago in France of all places.Brilliant film. Sympathize with you not seeing the original Free but at least there are some members still alive.
One of my all times favourites was Hendrix and I was just a little too late to see him live in London. Nearest I got was seeing Mitch Mitchell drumming in a fantastic line up at the Golden Lion at Fulham Broadway in the late 70’s. 
robroy:
I never knew the Sutherland Brothers were the original band to release ‘Sailing’, , you learn something every day.
You mention not seeing Free live… I think Paul Roger’s was set to tour with Bad Co this year, (virtually same band of surviving Free members as you know) but with all this crap that’s going on now it will be maybe a later date that it kicks off.
Composed by Gavin Sutherland Rob. I have their ‘Lifeboat’ album (Sailing isn’t on it strangely, but might be on the later reissue?) and one when they later teamed up with Quiver.
Pete.
windrush:
One of my regrets was never seeing Free on stage, I have all their albums plus their solo projects but never got to see them alas.
Turn it up as high as your ears can stand.Everything in life never got any better than that year to '72 and probably never will.Too young by around 10 years for me unfortunately.
youtube.com/watch?v=bpLv4M4paSI
Isle Of Wight 1970?
I was there.
.
Long story, but at 15 years old I was working as a waiter in a holiday camp. A load of is poles into an old van on the Sunday night and went to the Festival for a few hours. All the fences were down by then and Devastation Hill and the arena were open, so I got to see Jimi Hendrix. Didn’t much appreciate his music until later but “I was there!”
.
Later saw some big and small bands at Southampton Guildhall, University and pubs.
Who, Ten Years After, Mott the Hopple, Osibisa, Squeeze, Iron Butterfly, Jethro Tull.
20 minute drum solos, I don’t miss at all. The Prog Rock bands sent me to sleep.
Carryfast:
windrush:
One of my regrets was never seeing Free on stage, I have all their albums plus their solo projects but never got to see them alas.
Turn it up as high as your ears can stand.Everything in life never got any better than that year to '72 and probably never will.Too young by around 10 years for me unfortunately.
youtube.com/watch?v=bpLv4M4paSI
Yes I listen to them a lot on youtube Carryfast, I was 19 going on 20 then. Folk forget just how young the band was, my age and younger, with Andy Frazer not much more than a kid when the album Fire and Water was released.
Until I was engaged in 1973 my pal and me attended ‘gigs’ and bought albums most weeks, but courting a lass in Matlock when I lived in Reading (and only on 40 pence an hour as a HGV fitter!) plus travelling up to Matlock every weekend took all my cash and I didn’t get to see another concert for almost thirty years. I bought everything by Pink Floyd up to Dark Side of the Moon, but never bought any of theirs since as money was tight. I still have my mono (yes, MONO!) version of Piper at the Gates of Dawn though which I bought in 1967! My wife’s taste in music was The Batchelors, Val Doonican, Harry Secombe and Cliff, she hated my stuff! However when I play something of mine from the early 70’s now she remarks that actually it was quite good! 
’
Pete.
Franglais:
Isle Of Wight 1970?
I was there.
.
Long story, but at 15 years old I was working as a waiter in a holiday camp. A load of is poles into an old van on the Sunday night and went to the Festival for a few hours. All the fences were down by then and Devastation Hill and the arena were open, so I got to see Jimi Hendrix. Didn’t much appreciate his music until later but “I was there!”
.
Later saw some big and small bands at Southampton Guildhall, University and pubs.
Who, Ten Years After, Mott the Hopple, Osibisa, Squeeze, Iron Butterfly, Jethro Tull.
20 minute drum solos, I don’t miss at all. The Prog Rock bands sent me to sleep.
Yeah at least you saw him but from what I believe he was a little bit under the weather that day. 
windrush:
Carryfast:
windrush:
One of my regrets was never seeing Free on stage, I have all their albums plus their solo projects but never got to see them alas.
Turn it up as high as your ears can stand.Everything in life never got any better than that year to '72 and probably never will.Too young by around 10 years for me unfortunately.
youtube.com/watch?v=bpLv4M4paSI
Yes I listen to them a lot on youtube Carryfast, I was 19 going on 20 then. Folk forget just how young the band was, my age and younger, with Andy Frazer not much more than a kid when the album Fire and Water was released.
Until I was engaged in 1973 my pal and me attended ‘gigs’ and bought albums most weeks, but courting a lass in Matlock when I lived in Reading (and only on 40 pence an hour as a HGV fitter!) plus travelling up to Matlock every weekend took all my cash and I didn’t get to see another concert for almost thirty years. I bought everything by Pink Floyd up to Dark Side of the Moon, but never bought any of theirs since as money was tight. I still have my mono (yes, MONO!) version of Piper at the Gates of Dawn though which I bought in 1967! My wife’s taste in music was The Batchelors, Val Doonican, Harry Secombe and Cliff, she hated my stuff! However when I play something of mine from the early 70’s now she remarks that actually it was quite good! ’
Pete.
The Piper album was their first studio album.
You should get it valued.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Prices vary that much Rob, I was offered a few hundred for it around 20 years ago until the chap realised it had been played (almost to death on my old Alba deck from the early 60’s!) and the offer dropped suddenly to around £20! There are loads on ebay at varying prices, mine is staying where it is though. I sold a lot of albums, plus all my singles, many years ago to pay for a trailer and some of the singles made good money. When we married the Mrs worked for the guy who ran The Pavillion in Matlock Bath for 17 years and he got sent all the demo discs from agents etc. He never bothered with them and gave them all to the misses and she brought them home. I had never heard of the bands so wasn’t interested one bit and never played them, it turned out that some were early demo recordings by Blur and Oasis plus some other bands!
Of course Matlock Bath Pavillion hosted lots of groups in the sixties and seventies, Cream played there on their farewell tour and the wife got all their autographs and Ginger Bakers drumsticks. She was only young, and at school then of course, (her family cleaned there so she got in for free) but didn’t like any of the bands! She saw Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Alan Price, Georgie Fame, John Mayall plus many other groups, and they meant nothing to her at all as she only liked Cliff Richard! Such a waste!
Pete.
So not only the album, but also Ginger Baker’s drumsticks could be worth a few quid…providing you can authenticate them.
I thought I had a collectors item with an LP entitled ‘‘Introducing The Beatles’’, turned out it was an American album which was not rare.
I have got a 78rpm of Elvis …Hound Dog, with Don’t be cruel on the flip side, these things are totally breakable, so they can’t be that many about you would think.
Knowing my luck it will be worth nowt.
The drumsticks were thrown away before I met her Rob, it would have been a job authenticating them anyway as drummers must get through hundreds!
Pete.