Clyde 2

I went to my first ever gig on October 21, 1971 ... The Who at Green's Playhouse in Glasgow.  It was a life changing moment.
 
The crowd ... The volume ... The noise ... And my heroes on that legendary stage was pivotal in shaping my life and career.
 
From that night on there was never enough minutes in the day to listen to records and go to gigs.  After four decades, i'm delighted to say i still feel like that.  I attend an average of three gigs a week - every week - 52 weeks of the year.  Year in, year out.
 
So to mark the 40th anniversary of that first gig I hosted a special programme looking back at my "top 40 greatest gigs of all time" - counting down from no. 40 to no. 1.
 
I started out with more than 80 contenders - from acts in tiny clubs to massive venues such as Madison Square Garden, Hampden Park and Wembley Stadium - and it was sheer agony editing the list down to a final 40 concerts.
 
There were a few surprises along the way from Pavarotti to the Bay City Rollers while some of the great acts who failed to make the cut included:  Abba, Tom Waits, The Blue Nile, Bon Jovi, Supertramp, Queen, Adam and the Ants, AC/DC, George Harrison and Barbra Streisand.
 
But I reckon my top 40 is a good cross section of acts from different musical genres.  Here they are:

 
 
1.  U2:  ZOO TV TOUR:  AUGUST 7/8, 1993, CELTIC PARK, GLASGOW.
I think this was the show where U2 got everything right both musically and visually.  The production - where the band starred in their own massive live TV show - was incredible. High point of the gig was a satellite link to a bomb shelter in Sarajevo where a woman was able to send a message to her son who'd fled the war zone and found his way to Glasgow.  All that plus Zoo Station, Mysterious Ways and One.  It doesn't get much better. 
 
 
2.  DAVID BOWIE:  THE ZIGGY STARDUST TOUR:  MAY 18, 1973.  (TWO SHOWS).  GREEN'S PLAYHOUSE, GLASGOW.
Bowie was like no other pop star.  He seemed other worldly ... beamed down from another planet.  From the opening power chords of Hang On To Yourself the audience was transported into another universe.  I'd never seen anything like the Japanese style costumes and the flame red hair plus the sunburst logo painted on his forehead gave Bowie a unique visual appearance.  The Spiders - led by the legendary Mick Ronson - were a killer band.
Who would have guessed that within weeks Bowie would have killed off Ziggy only to kick start one of THE most musically creative periods in rock history?
 
 
3.  THE SEX PISTOLS:  NEVER MIND THE BANS TOUR.  DECEMBER 25, 1977.  IVANHOE'S, HUDDERSFIELD.
When I informed my dear old mum I wouldn't be coming for Christmas dinner she asked if I had to work.  When she discovered I was going to see a punk rock band in Huddersfield you could have measured her explosive reaction on the Richter Scale.  But it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see an act at the very peak of their musical power and notoriety.
In the afternoon, the group played a benefit Christmas Party for the children of striking fireman.  When I arrived Johnny Rotten was still handing out presents while Sid Vicious and girlfriend Nancy Spungen scowled at anybody who came within a five foot radius. 
Some people had said the Pistols couldn't play.  Don't you believe it.  They were thrilling.  Rotten wore a tee shirt saying:  "Never mind The Rich Kids ... we're The Sex Pistols" as they powered through tracks from their debut album including God Save The Queen, Anarchy In The UK, EMI, Liar and Pretty Vacant.  It was the last gig they played on UK soil before going to the US in January and imploding.  Simply stunning.
 
 
4.  THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERTS:  OCTOBER 29/30, 2009, MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK.
The bill comprised of Hall Of Fame inductees who invited special guest acts who had inspired or helped shape the music they made.  So you had Jerry Lee Lewis, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Stevie Wonder, Simon and Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Metallica, Jeff Beck, Aretha Franklin and U2.
The special guests included:  Patti Smith, Dion DiMucci, Annie Lennox, Mick Jagger, Smokey Robinson, Lenny Kravitz, Lou Reed, Ray Davies, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Black Eyed Peas, BB King and Billy Joel, to name but a few.
I didn't want the gigs to end.  Highlight?  Almost impossible to choose just one ... but it's got to be Bono, Mick Jagger and Fergie of Black Eyed Peas duetting on Gimme Shelter.
 
 
5.  FRANK SINATRA:  JUNE 10, 1990.  IBROX STADIUM, GLASGOW.
Ol' Blue Eyes had not performed in Glasgow since the 1950s.  But he was asked to return to help celebrate Glasgow's status as European City of Culture.  When he walked on stage at the massive soccer stadium the odds were stacked against him.
There was chaos as seats were reassigned and the audience were still trying to figure out where to sit.  It was a bright summer's night with blue skies.  The stage - in the middle of the pitch - was miles away from the audience.  Sinatra was used to playing in more intimate indoor venues.
But the maestro plucked victory from the jaws of defeat.  He overcame the odds, at one point walking off stage and down on to the running track to serenade wheelchair bound fans with Strangers In The Night and Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered.  He was so overwhelmed by the reaction of the crowd he even played an encore ... something unheard of during his amazing career.  It was a master class in how to work an audience.  Pure genius.
 
 
6.  PAUL McCARTNEY:  JUNE 20, 2010.  HAMPDEN PARK, GLASGOW.
It was Macca's first appearance in the city since 1990 and boy did he make it count.  Opening with a powerhouse Venus And Mars/Rockshow he powered through a stunning two hour set comprised of Beatles', Wings' and solo classics which was simply awesome.
The legend rolled back the years - singing brilliantly and looking cool too - as he held the tough Hampden crowd in the palm of his hand.  But, can you really go wrong with a set list which featured:  I'm Down, Eleanor Rigby, Back In The USSR, A Day In The Life, Let It Be, Hey Jude, Helter Skelter, etc?  Who'd have thought as a live act Macca would have hit his peak when he'd just received his bus pass?
 
 
7.  THE ROLLING STONES:  SEPTEMBER 1/3, 2003.  SECC, GLASGOW.
I first saw the Stones at Green's Playhouse in Glasgow on their 1973 Goat's Head Soup Tour ... and have seen them every time they've played in Scotland since.  I've also seen the supergroup in a variety of different venues such as the RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., Brixton Academy and Hampden Park.
But these unbelievable shows were THE two greatest gigs I've ever seen at the SECC.  The band were on fire and it was almost like seeing them in an intimate club venue as the walls of Hall 4 seemed to shrink in. 
Before the second gig, I got to interview Keith Richards in his dressing room which as you can imagine was a thrill.  I got a great picture with Keef, Ronnie and Charlie.  My boss said it was the first time he'd ever seen me with my arm around a pop star where I was not only the youngest but also healthiest looking person in the snap.
 
 
8.  LIVE 8:  JULY 2, 2005.  HYDE PARK, LONDON.
The bill for this amazing gig - organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to focus attention on the G8 Summit at Gleneagles - outstripped Live Aid of 1985.  And that's saying something.
U2 lined up alongside Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, The Who, George Michael, Madonna, Elton John, Travis, Velvet Revolver, Mariah Carey, The Killers, Annie Lennox and Stereophonics to name but a few.
Although I was covering the gig for my newspaper it was so well organised I actually got to watch 90% of the show ... which is pretty unusual working at those large scale events.  The defining moment was when Roger Waters was reunited with Dave Gilmour, the late Rick Wright and Nick Mason to perform one last time as Pink Floyd.  History in the making.
 
 
9.  LED ZEPPELIN:  AHMET ERTEGUN TRIBUTE CONCERT.  DECEMBER 10, 2007.  02 ARENA, LONDON.
There were more than 120 MILLION ticket applications for this surprise appearance by Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham.  I was lucky enough to get one.  Everywhere you looked in the audience a famous face looked back at you.  I met Peter Gabriel, Liam and Noel Gallagher, Glen Matlock, Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream and Paolo Nutini ... who'd all come to see the legendary Led Zep.
Any fears the gig would turn into a nostalgia trip were soon dispelled.  Led Zep never sounded stronger than when they stormed through classics like Rock And Roll, Black Dog and Kashmir.  It was another moment in history and I was there.
 
 
10.  SIMPLE MINDS:  JUNE 6/7, 1986.  IBROX STADIUM, GLASGOW.
I saw the Minds' first ever gig at Satellite City disco in 1979 and have travelled the world with them.  I've been to shows at Rock In Rio, Wembley Stadium, King Tuts ... plus those seminal gigs at Glasgow Tiffany's and Barrowland.
Pushed to focus on one period though it would have to be Ibrox when they became Scotland's first ever genuine stadium rock band.  The bill comprised of In Tua Nua, Hipsway, The Waterboys, Lloyd Cole And The Commotions and The Cult.
The Minds rose to the stadium challenge effortlessly with a set which focused on their classic album Once Upon A Time.  I've never seen them better.  For me, that's saying something.
 
 
11.  BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND:  JULY 14, 2009.  HAMPDEN PARK, GLASGOW.
If there was a dull moment I must have missed it.  The Boss was on fire and it was an honour watching him duel with ace guitarists Miami Steve Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren with a priceless and seemingly never ending catalogue of great songs.
 
 
12.  LIVE AID:  JULY 13, 1985.  WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON
Yet another period in rock history from Status Quo's opening riffs of Rockin' All Over The World.  Memorable moments include Queen, U2 and Bowie introducing the famine footage which accompanied Drive by The Cars.
 
 
13.  THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND:  THE XMAS SHOW.  DECEMBER 18, 1975, GLASGOW APOLLO.
My all time favourite Scottish band provided a musical and visual spectacular which was part rock 'n' roll and part vaudeville in equal measure.  No wonder people still rave about this show.
 
14.  PRINCE.  LOVESEXY TOUR.  AUGUST 6, 1988.  NEC, BIRMINGHAM.
Prince performed in-the-round in a breathtaking show which had everything.  Highlight?  Prince sitting on the roof of his red Corvette singing closer Alphabet Street.
 
15.  KATE BUSH:  APRIL 13, 1979.  USHER HALL, EDINBURGH.
Her one - and only - UK tour was a total triumph.  She broke new ground with a show of stunning music and choreography. How I wish she'd do it all again.  It was a priviledge to see her.
 
16.  BRIAN WILSON.  PET SOUNDS.  JANUARY 25, 2002.  CLYDE AUDITORIUM, GLASGOW.
I watched a genius at work.  How could a guy write such a musical masterpiece at the tender age of 22?  Up there with the finest classical composers.  Awesome.
 
17.  THE STONE ROSES.  JUNE 9, 1990.  GLASGOW GREEN.
The Manc legends played in a 12,000 capacity circus marquee on the Green and showed just why they were one of THE most influential - and thrilling - bands of their generation.  They never reached such dizzy heights again.
 
18.  CREAM.  THE REUNION.  MAY 2/3/5 & 6, 2005.  ROYAL ALBERT HALL, LONDON.
I was too young to see the band play in the Sixties ... so this was a rare chance to see three legends in action.  When I walked past Ringo Starr and Tom Hanks on my way to my £125 seat I knew it was going to be something really special.  It was worth £125 alone for their stunning version of Badge.
 
19.  ALICE COOPER.  NOVEMBER 10, 1972.  GREEN'S PLAYHOUSE, GLASGOW.
Mary Whitehouse tried to have Alice banned from Britain and questions were asked in the House of Commons about whether this 'depraved monster' should be allowed into the country to corrupt our youth.  It all added to one of the greatest gigs of all time.
 
20.  PETER GABRIEL.  SECRET WORLD TOUR.  MAY 26, 1993.  SECC, GLASGOW.
Gabriel interpreted his amazing songs in an inspired stage production which broke new ground.  If rock really has been elevated to an art form Gabriel is one of the people who helped put it there.
 
 
21.  SIMON AND GARFUNKEL.  OLD FRIENDS TOUR.  JULY 14, 2004.  M.E.N. ARENA, MANCHESTER.
The pair reunited for a tour which showcased the riches of their stunning catalogue.  Bonus was their special guests ... The Everly Brothers. 
 
22.  ROXY MUSIC:  COUNTRY LIFE TOUR.  OCTOBER 23, 24 & 25, 1973.  GLASGOW APOLLO.
A band who seemed to get better with every album.  Was this a peak period?  I'd say so as they appeared to break new ground song by song.  Viva Roxy.
 
23.  OASIS.  JULY 15, 1995.  IRVINE BEACH.
I interviewed Liam and Bonehead for the first time at the Darlington Hotel in nearby Ayr.  They were hilarious.  This was the gig which elevated them from Barrowland status and you could see bigger arenas and stadiums beckoned.
 
24.  THE CLASH.  LONDON CALLING TOUR.  JULY 4, 1978.  GLASGOW APOLLO.
Support acts were The Specials and Suicide.  Strummer was on fire.  The set included White Man (In Hammersmith Palais), Complete Control and White Riot.  Out of this world.
 
25.  TALKING HEADS.  FEAR OF MUSIC TOUR.  AUGUST 3, 1979.  HAMMERSMITH ODEON, LONDON.
I travelled on the overnight train to London Euston to witness David Byrne unveil his awesome nine piece funk orchestra.  Support act were a then unknown outfit called U2.  Whatever happened to them?
 
26.  STEVIE WONDER.  SEPTEMBER 9, 2008.  M.E.N. ARENA, MANCHESTER.
A few months previously, I'd interviewed the musical genius at the Savoy Hotel in London.  One of the highlights of my journalistic career.  So was this show.  Personal highlights included my all time favourite love song, Knocks Me Off My Feet and closer, As.
 
27.  DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS.  JUNE 29, 1981.  TIFFANY'S, GLASGOW.
I could have chosen a gig from any period of Dexy's stunning career which also included the Too Rye Aye and Don't Stand Me Down tours.  But frontman Kevin Rowland never seemed more relevant than when marshalling his gang of rock roughnecks.
 
28.  FREE.  1971.  GREEN'S PLAYHOUSE, GLASGOW.
The second ever band I saw live.  They were like a musical supergroup with four brilliant components ... singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Paul Kossoff, bass player Andy Fraser and drummer Simon Kirke.  Another life changing moment.
 
29.  MICHAEL JACKSON.  BAD TOUR.  MAY 23, 1988.  FLAMINIO STADIUM, ROME.
The ultimate pop showman.  Great songs.  Spectacular production.  Pure soul.  What a shame it all had to end so tragically.
 
30.  THE NELSON MANDELA TRIBUTE CONCERT.  APRIL 16, 1990.  WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON.
I'd attended the first Nelson Mandela show at Wembley in 1988 when the great man was still incarcerated in Robben Island.  By this show, he'd won his freedom after 26 years in captivity.  I went to the gig with Simple Minds and the bill also featured Peter Gabriel, Neil Young, Jackson Browne and Terence Trent D'Arby.  The moment when Mandela suddenly appeared in the backstage village was sheer magic.
 
31.  PATTI SMITH.  MAY 22, 2007.  O2 ABC, GLASGOW.
To see the Queen of New York punk up close was fantastic.  She was on fire from first song to last and high points included Dancing Barefoot, the classic Because The Night and a mind blowing closer of Rock And Roll N*****.
 
32.  THE BAY CITY ROLLERS.  1976.  GLASGOW APOLLO.
Yes, really.  I was too young to see The Beatles in the Sixties ... so wanted to witness a real pop teen phenomenon.  The Rollers were massive - not just in Britain but in Germany, America, Japan and Australia.  The show was sheer hysteria and the band whipped up the audience with a collection of GREAT three minute pop songs.
 
33.  THE ASSOCIATES.  1979.  TOOTING SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, LONDON. 
Billy Mackenzie, Alan Rankine, Michael Dempsey and John Murphy - still THE definitive Associates' line-up - were booked to play the college's annual Rag Week ball.  They faced a capacity 500 crowd of guys in hired tuxedos and gals in cocktail frocks.  Mackenzie led the opening song playing a one-stringed guitar with a fork he'd nicked from the canteen.  Songs from their landmark debut album, The Affectionate Punch instantly alienated 98% of the audience who retreated to the safety of the downstairs disco bar.  They played to a handful of people who knew, just knew, they were seeing something special.
 
34.  BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS.  1976.  GLASGOW APOLLO.
Interest in reggae in Scotland at the time was limited to pockets of fans who'd attend specialist clubs.  But Marley effortlessly pushed the genre into the musical mainstream ... without diluting the power of his music or lyrics.  When he sang:  'Everything's gonna be alright' in No Woman, No Cry it struck a chord.  It was an honour to watch him so joyous at work.
 
35.  THE FACES.  JULY 25, 1972.  GREEN'S PLAYHOUSE, GLASGOW.
I queued out overnight at the Terminal One Club in St. Enoch's Square to buy tickets.  The Faces started the gig when they rolled out of the bar at the Albany Hotel.  The set comprised of songs from A Nod's As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse plus more of their classic hits.  It ever an act epitomised the term 'good time rock 'n' roll band' ... it was The Faces.
 
36.  PAVAROTTI.  MAY 16, 1990.  SECC, GLASGOW.
When it comes to opera ... I don't know my arias from my elbow.  But this was a rare chance to see the legendary Italian tenor at work.  He was almost like an Olympic powerlifter as he waited in the wings - warming up - before walking on to deliver his musical masterpieces backed by a full orchestra.  Before retreating to psyche himself up again for his next performance.  Highlight?  Nessun Dorma ... what else?
 
37.  CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG.  SEPTEMBER 14, 1974.  WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON.
This was my not only my first ever gig in London but also my first big stadium show.  The dream bill featured Joni Mitchell, The Band, Tom Scott & The LA Express and Jesse Colin Young.  Neil Young stole the show.
 
38.  ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS.  SEPTEMBER 2, 1977.  SILVER THREAD HOTEL, PAISLEY.
The City Fathers had banned punk rock from Glasgow after a 'mini riot' at a previous Stranglers' gig.  So we were all bussed to nearby Paisley - ruled by different council by-laws - to get our punk fix.  Costello played in the function suite of the ageing hotel.  No stage ... the band just set up their gear in corner.  As he powered through songs from debut album, My Aim Is True you could see instantly he was a special songwriting talent.
 
39.  ORANGE JUICE.  1981.  STIRLING COMMUNITY CENTRE.
Edwyn Collins, James Kirk, David McClymont and Stephen Daly were either completely shambolic or totally inspired when it came to live performance.  This incredible show was definitely the latter.  Little wonder they'd be regarded as one of THE most influential bands in Scottish rock history.
 
40.  THE WHO.  OCTOBER 21, 1971.  GREEN'S PLAYHOUSE, GLASGOW.
Where it all began.