I’d been following Ms. Sioux since the early days of punk rock reporting in the UK press, and fell in love with their debut 45, “Hong Kong Garden” in 1978.  It was a UK smash hit and remains one of my favourite singles of the ‘70s.

I was a Banshees nut from then on, and when I finally got to see them live in 1984, I was pretty damned stoked.

HOWEVER ………. this gig is Another in an ongoing sub-thread in the mylifeinconcert.com series that could be called Concert Disasters, with said Disaster happening before, during, or after the show—OR during all 3, for those extra-lucky occasions. (See also: Heatwave, Police Picnic ’82, Flipper, etc.)

Frequently they involve some of the cheap and old cars I was driving in the 80s malfunctioning in some way.  And this is the first of those Car Nightmare Episodes.

Phil Robinson once again returns to the podcast to share his memories of the show.  We each went down with other people with meant Phil was spared the “journey” that the other 3 of us went through. 

There is also a newly-written blog entry for this show below.

So, what the hell happened with this one?  Tune in to find out and hear all about leg casts, “rumours of a gig,” smoking fuses, the little Honda that couldn’t … and cities in dust. 

NEXT ON STAGE: I’ll be selecting and looking back on my favourite London, Ontario shows that I’ve seen through the years, as well as those I missed that I would most like to have seen.

Following that will be an episode looking at two concerts by The Smiths.  Stay tuned for EP 36 I Know It’s Over: The Smiths with Billy Bragg, Kingswood Music Theatre, Canada’s Wonderland, Vaughan, Ontario, June 9, 1985; and with Phranc, Centennial Hall, London, Ontario, July 30, 1986.

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The first show came on the heels of their international breakthrough with the “Red Red Wine” single and its accompanying covers album, Labour of Love, while they were riding high in the local charts with their Gefferey Morgan album for the ’85 show. 

Special Guest Phil Robinson returns with his always splendiferous and humorous memories and observations.  New Special Guest to the podcast and all-round wonderful person and broadcaster, Skye Sylvain joins us in piecing together a hilarious—and sometimes bumpy and not-so-mirthful for her—and very memorable ride through the events surrounding these two concerts, especially delving into the social stuff following the gigs and a particular interview with the band. 

Tune in for further info about those group afterparties, setlist shockers, questionable album autograph signings, “excited” band “members,” contrasting memories about meeting Ali Campbell, Astro’s sweaty towel—once again we’re back to those sweaty towels that were a big part of the previous Episode 32 on the Stray Cats from 1983—a “whoopsy-daisy!” mortification moment that was part of a UB40 interview for Skye, and attempted strangulation.  

You can also read the original 2015 blog entry at mylifeinconcert.com.

NEXT ON STAGE>After years of devoted fandom, I finally get to see the one and only Siouxsie Sioux and her plucky Banshees in a cavernous (but wonderfully air conditioned) venue on Toronto’s outskirts.   

I’d been following Ms. Sioux since the early days of punk rock reporting in the UK press, and fell in love with their debut 45, “Hong Kong Garden” in 1978.  It was a UK smash hit and remains one of my favourite singles of the ‘70s. 

I was a Banshees nut from then on, and when I finally got to see them live in 1984, I was pretty damned stoked. 

HOWEVER ………. this gig is Another in an ongoing sub-thread in the mylifeinconcert.com series that could be called Concert Disasters, with said Disaster happening before, during, or after the show—OR during all 3, for those extra-lucky occasions.  

Frequently they involve some of the cheap and old cars I was driving in the 80s malfunctioning in some way.  And this is the first of those Car Nightmare EPs. 

Phil Robinson will also be back again to detail his memories of the show.  We each went down with other people with meant Phil was spared the “journey” that the other 3 of us went through. 

There will also be a new blog entry for this show. 

So what the hell happened with this one?  Tune in next time to find out.  You’ll be hearing all about leg casts, “rumours of a gig,” smoking fuses, the little Honda that couldn’t … and cities in dust. 

And that is the name of upcoming Epsiode 34, Concert no. 026. Cities In Dust: Siouxsie & the Banshees with Images In Vogue, the International Centre, Toronto, Ontario, July 10, 1984.

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With this episode, I’ve once again jumped backwards in my story, just not as far back as that cabaret show I saw with my parents in the UK in 1977 that was the focus on EP 31, Mum’s the Word.

This time, I jump back to March 26, 1983, when the Stray Cats rocked Alumni Hall here in London, Ontario.

Technically this should have been Concert no. 16, falling between no.15/EP 21 on The Gang of Four at Wonderland Gardens on March 5th and no. 16/EP 24 on The English Beat/R.E.M. at Alumni Hall on April 23rd.  However, as with the previous 1977 entry for EP31, this show was initially meant to be included as part of an upcoming compilation episode.

The reason it was going to be part of the compilation episode is this: I don’t have a ton of memories about this show.

I do remember going, and recall thoroughly enjoying the evening, but that’s about it.  For whatever reason, I have scant memories about this concert vs more detailed recollections for other shows from around this time.

However—and luckily—I seem to be alone in that regard.

Every time I have posted about it on Facebook, there are floods of responses from people, so clearly this was a concert that is in the hearts of many who were there.

Luckily, MLIC podcast regular Phil Robinson as well as Noelle from the Police Picnic ’83 episode (no. 27), and new guest, blogger Marc Hodgkinson, all have lots of great memories from the night to share with this blog and its attendant podcast.

So, here it is and here we are.

Stay tuned for stage dancing, sweaty towels, Britt Ekland sightings, restaurants serving Alka Seltzer with breakfast, Walkman music liberation, and what was the unforgettable message that Brian Setzer imparted to Noelle backstage?


NEXT ON STAGE> Birmingham UK’s reggae outfit UB40 made two trips to London, Ontario, in the mid-80s, playing to a packed and joyous Centennial Hall on March 7, 1984, and then returning a year later almost to the week, to pack out Alumni Hall on the Western University campus on March 14, 1985. 

The first show came on the heels of their international breakthrough with the “Red Red Wine” single and its accompanying covers album, Labour of Love, while they were riding high in the Canadian charts with their Geoffrey Morgan album for the ’85 show. 

Not only will Special Guest Phil Robinson be returning with his always splendiferous and humorous memories and observations, new Special Guest to the podcast and all-round wonderful person and broadcaster Skye Sylvain joins us in piecing together a hilarious—and sometimes bumpy and not-so-mirthful for her—and very memorable ride through the events surrounding these two concerts, especially delving into the social stuff following the gigs and a particular interview with the band.

Stay tuned for stage dancing, sweaty towels, Britt Ekland sightings, restaurants serving Alka Seltzer with breakfast, Walkman music liberation, and what was the unforgettable message that Brian Setzer imparted to Noelle backstage?

mylifeinconcert.com

The cabaret took place between my first (Roxy Music at the London Arena, February 8, 1975) and second (Bob Seger at the London Gardens on May 19, 1978) official concerts. 

My initial plan was to include it as part of an upcoming compilation episode. 

However, I’ve decided that this cabaret was a unique live performance along with being the only one I ever saw with my now 96-year-old mother.  Therefore, I am giving this show its own entry.   

I wanted to take this opportunity to capture not only what she remembers of the event, but also her music-and-technology-related memories from her life growing up in the UK, having been born in December 1926. 

Taking in this show with my folks occurred during a three-week trip to the UK.  The vacation could not have possibly been more fortuitous for me. 

I had been following punk rock from its 1975-ish NYC inception via the underground press, and then later the British arm of the punk scene through the weeklies (when I could get hold of or afford them) which was absolutely exploding through the UK at the time of my visit.  Getting to be there and experience it happening real time was one of the luckiest tunes-y strokes of my life. 

So, in this episode, I interview my mother about the music she’s enjoyed and seen live, but also about the variety of technologies she has used to hear and enjoy it, starting with her hand-cranked family radiogram in the 1930s through to her love of streaming music today. 

Later on, I turn from looking at my mother’s musical youth to my own experiences, including this live cabaret show we saw in 1977, but even more so about the excitement and impact of being able to spend time in the UK at the peak of punk. 

My mother had In Town Tonight.  I had In the City. (Listen or read to find out more about all that). 

Listen to the podcast to hear the full interview as she talks about the musical journey of her life. 

Tune in for Worker's Playtime, “Attention K-Mart Shoppers!,” The Man in Black, children with acid batteries, revelations at Boots—or was it Woolies?—and what was Ethel Merman really like live?

Next on Stage -> I jump a bit more into the future with The Stray Cats at Alumni Hall here in London on March 26, 1983.  Technically this should have been Episode 16 but, as with this 1977 entry, this show was initially meant to be included with the upcoming compilation episode. 

I don’t have a ton of memories about this show, but luckily MLIC podcast regular Phil Robinson as well as Noëlle from the Police Picnic ’83 episode (no. 27) both have lots of great recollections from the night.

Tune in for stage dancing, artistic representations, Britt Ekland sightings, and what was the unforgettable message that Brian Setzer imparted to Noëlle backstage? 

Episode 032 (Concert no. 025) Rock This Town: The Stray Cats with The Bopcats, Alumni Hall, Western University, London Ontario, March 26, 1983

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While I will be discussing the performances by hardcore titans The Circle Jerks and post-Throbbing Gristle offshoot Psychic TV, I’ll also be looking at the madcap trip to Manhattan as a whole, recounting the hijinks that MZ, Miss B, myself, and others got up to.   

If you’ve heard or read EP 25 on the Flipper show at Fryfogle’s, then you’ll have somewhat of an idea of what to expect.

Tune in for destroyed hotel rooms; terrified cousins; "Peace, Love and Groove!"; Danceteria bathroom hallucinations; Brooke Shields' husband, Broadway Bob; and pterodactyls and manifestations.

You can also read the original blog entries for The Circle Jerks and for the Psychic TV show on the mylifeinconcert.com blog.
 

Next On Stage –> I am jumping back further into the past as I recall a cabaret show that happened between my first and second “official” gigs (Roxy Music at the London Arena on February 5, 1975 and Bob Seger at the London Gardens on May 19, 1978). 

I saw the cabaret in Portsmouth, England, in August 1977, and it featured early-60s popster Susan Maughan, she of the 1962 hit, “Bobby’s Girl,” and possibly the legendary Tessie O’Shea. 

I had initially planned to discuss it as part of upcoming compilation episode but have instead decided to make it a stand-alone episode. 

The EP's Special Guest is my 96-year-old mother—we’ll call her Vera Various Artists—who attended the cabaret along with me and my late father.   

My mum shares her vague memories of the evening, including that she feels the legendary Tessie O’Shea was on the bill.  If my mother is right, then boy do I wish I could remember that.  I wouldn’t have known who she was then but I sure do now. 

We do both remember humourist Pam Ayers and the Famous People Players being part of the show. 

My mother also recalls the venue itself, the Portsmouth The Hippodrome but also The King’s Theatre in Southsea, as she grew up in Petersfield, but later moved to Portsmouth after marrying my dad, and both my elder siblings were born there.   

In the interview, she discusses listening to the radio as well as records in the UK as a girl in the ‘30s, and also music and live shows she enjoyed after to moving to Canada in the mid-50s and onwards. 

I also talk about my experiences on this trip in the ultimate UK punk year—1977—amid the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. 

Tune in for dangerous radio batteries, hanging out in British record stores to hear the latest releases, what double album of my mum’s drove me nuts in the ‘70s, punk rock mania, not seeing The Sex Pistols, and what Ethel Merman was really like live. 

That’s all coming up in Episode 31, Concert no. 001.5, entitled UK 1977: VA’s Mum on Ethel Merman and Susan Maughan at the Portsmouth Hippodrome and the Music of Her Life + My UK Trip Amid the Year of the Punk Rock Explosion and Silver Jubilee 

mylifeinconcert.com

He was on his global Serious Moonlight tour for his worldwide smash hit album, Let’s Dance, with the great Rough Trade opening the show and warming up the troops. 

On the exact same weekend a year earlier, I had seen The Clash at this same venue (EP 18).  Now I was back and seeing an even more hotly anticipated show.  And he surpassed my expectations. 

In Part One, Episode 29A, Changes: Bowie, The ‘70s, and Me—a prelude to this episode about the show—I look back on first hearing David Bowie on the cusp of 1973 as well as take an in-depth journey through his recording career, from 1964’s “Liza Jane” through 1983’s Let’s Dance, but also examine his impact on me and the larger culture throughout the rest of that decade. 

In this Part 2, join me in returning back to this CNE show on that gorgeous Labour Day weekend in 1983—ending one of the most memorable summers of my young life with an unforgettable climax. 

Tune in for being caught up in the rush of crushing crowds, Hamlet references, bamboo steamers among the Bowie masses, and the most exciting show of my life.  

Go to the mylifeinconcert.com blog to read the original entry.

Next On Stage –> My final 1983 gig-going-entry recaps a couple of shows I took in during a crazy/nuts four-day trip to NYC.   

While I will be discussing the performances by hardcore titans The Circle Jerks and post-Throbbing Gristle offshoot Psychic TV, I’ll also be looking at the madcap trip to Manhattan as a whole, recounting the hijinks that MZ, Miss B, myself, and others got up to.   

If you’ve heard or read EP 25 on the Flipper show at Fryfogle’s, then you’ll have somewhat of an idea of what to expect.

Tune in for destroyed hotel rooms, terrified cousins, "Peace, Love and Groove," Danceteria bathroom hallucinations, Brooke Shields' husband: Broadway Bob, and Pterodactyls and Manifestations in Episode 30, Back Against the Wall and Discopravity: The Circle Jerks at the Reggae Lounge on Wednesday November 26th, and Psychic TV at Danceteria on Thursday November 17, both in New York City, 1983.

Click on the links above to read the original blog entries at mylifeinconcert.com.

I discuss the show itself in Part 2—(EP 29b, no.22b) Let’s Dance: David Bowie with Rough Trade, CNE Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Saturday September 3, 1983.  First, however, in this prelude episode, I not only take an in-depth journey through his recording career from 1964’s “Liza Jane” through 1983’s Let’s Dance but also through the 1970s themselves.  

In particular, I examine the era’s rock music and how it intertwined socio-culturally throughout the decade as marginalized communities broke through and asserted themselves; Bowie’s influence on the ‘70s; and his seismic impact on me and many other outsiders during this era. 

Tune in for radio oddities, shag rugs, shag haircuts, satin flares, platform shoes, and personal liberation. 

Next On Stage –> This is the big one! THE ultimate! The single most anticipated show I ever attended, when I—along with my co-hort Miss Bennies—and 60,000 other fans, all of whom who were going Absolutely Freakin’ Bananas, moseyed on down to a packed CNE Exhibition Stadium during a swelting Labour Day weekend in 1983, for David Bowie.
 

He was on his global Serious Moonlight tour for his worldwide smash hit album, Let’s Dance, with the great ROUGH TRADE opening the show and warming up the troops. 

On the exact same weekend a year earlier, I had seen The Clash at this same venue (EP 18).  Now I was back and seeing an even more hotly anticipated show.  And he surpassed my expectations.

Join me in returning back to this CNE show on that gorgeous Labour Day weekend in 1983—ending one of the most memorable summers of my young life with an unforgettable climax. 

Tune in for being caught up in the rush of crushing crowds, Hamlet references, bamboo steamers among the Bowie masses, and the most exciting show of my life.  

Listen to it here and click through to read the original blog entry, (EP 29b, no.22b) David Bowie with Rough Trade: Let’s Dance, CNE Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Saturday September 3, 1983

She was undertaking her first-ever tour of Canada, where her records had performed very well, conveniently beginning her tour at my local watering hole here in the Forest City.  

The episode also features a four-minute interview that I did with Marianne six years after this gig, in 1989. 

Tune in for thigh-slappin’ rhythms, shitfaced patrons, contented smiles and … dangerous acquaintances.

Next On Stage –> This is the big one! THE ultimate! The single most anticipated show I ever attended, when I—along with my co-hort Miss Bennies—and 60,000 other fans, all of whom going Absolutely Freakin’ Bananas, moseyed on down to a packed CNE Exhibition Stadium on the Sunday night of a swelting Labour Day weekend in 1983, for DAVID BOWIE, on his Serious Moonlight tour for his worldwide smash hit album, Let’s Dance, with the great ROUGH TRADE opening the show and warming up the troops. 

On the exact same weekend a year earlier, I had seen The Clash, and in the podcast for the show, Episode 18 and the blog entry as concert no. 12, I discuss how seeing them made for the most-anticipated gig I had attended up until that time.  

Well, this David Bowie concert one year later—at the same venue but utilizing the full stadium—left that prior show’s sense of anticipation in the dust as I finally got to see the performer who had long occupied the No. 1 spot on my “Must See” list. 
 

Bowie and his seventies output made a seismic and enduring impact on my life, and in this next episode I will discuss this along with looking at the actual show, on that gorgeous Labour Day weekend in 1983, ending one of the most memorable summers of my young life with an unforgettable climax. 

Also, the great Rough Trade, another act I love and made an impact on me in the 70s and 80s, was the opening act, and I will be talking about them as well. 

Tune in next time for life-changing radio Oddities, bamboo steamers among the Bowie masses, and the most exciting show of my life with Episode 29, Concert no. 22, Let’s Dance: David Bowie with Rough Trade, CNE Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Saturday September 3, 1983 

You can also read the initial blog entry at mylifeinconcert.com, broken down into two blogs: 022a. Changes: Bowie, The 70s, & Me; and 022b. Let’s Dance: David Bowie with Rough Trade, CNE Stadium Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Saturday September 3, 1983.

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This time around the fest featured James Brown, Peter Tosh, King Sunny Adé, Blue Peter, and The Fixx along with the titular hosts. 

While the first fest ran overlong but otherwise smoothly, the 1982 edition was the worst concert experience of my lifetime, even if the music was good. 

As was also the case with 1982, this 1983 excursion came complete with a drug misadventure …. wait, scratch that last bit. What’s the opposite of “misadventure”?  

For this episode, not only will Special Guests aka Phil Robinson be re-joining in looking back on this event, his pal from back in the day, Noelle, also joins us in this episode. The two of them went to festival along with a group of people and reconnect live for the first time since the 80s, and help each other piece together their experiences from that day. 

So, it’s a first for the podcast, with a 3-way interview and reminiscence.   We not only recall the show but also touch on late-night speakeasys, mammaried Police enthusiasts, how lucky we were to have The New Music, import 45s, and where did Simple Minds play here in London in the early 80s? 

Tune in dear listeners for a euphoric day of great music, accidently taking narcotics, being trapped in a revolving door, smashed porcelain smokers on Queen Street West, and a goodbye to the tea-drinking Police, who were in Synchronicity with the world at that moment.  

Click here to read the original 2011 blog entry.

Next on Stage -->: Join me next time as I recall one of my Top Three best shows I have ever seen here in my hometown of London, Ontario, Canada, when the one, the only, the legendary & the regal Marianne Faithfull grants us an audience on a packed-to-the-rafters Fryfogles on a steamy, August night. 

This hotly anticipated show was a distinctly more intimate experience than the Police Picnic.  By this point in time, the former Jagger paramour and ‘60s pop icon was in the final throes of a triumphant, early ‘80s comeback, triggered by her late 1979 LP Broken English, one of the true all-time classics.  At this point in ’83, she was touring her third Island disc, A Child’s Adventure. 

Conveniently, she began her tour at my local watering hole. 

Indeed, this date kicked off her first-ever Canadian tour, with London lucking into hosting this debut performance. 

Join me next time for thigh-slappin’ rhythms, backstage gossip, contented smiles and … dangerous acquaintances. 

021. (EP 28) Dangerous Acquaintances: Marianne Faithfull, Fryfogle’s, London, Ontario, August 15, 1983 

Click here to read the original 2011 blog entry.
 

mylifeinconcert.com

It was particularly extraordinary for me that I finally got to see him at this point in time, not only because I was way deep in Velvets-mania in the early 80s — with all the original Velvets albums finally being widely and easily available, arriving alongside “Edie: An American Biography” — but also because I ended up sitting cross-legged on the stage about two feet in front of Cale as he performed.  Indeed, this was the best seat I have ever had at a live show!

And I thought I’d had it good during the previous fall when I got to park my elbows on centre stage during a Joe Jackson show (EP 19).

Tune in for a disciplined bladder, a set list of my dreams, and being able to see the pores on John Cale’s face. 

Go to mylifeinconcert.com to read the original 2011 blog entry. 

Next on Stage --> It’s the third and final Police Picnic on August 5, 1983, once again at CNE stadium as well as the 4th and final consecutive summer of attending a huge, open air festival.

 While the first fest ran overlong but otherwise smoothly, the 1982 edition was the worst concert experience of my lifetime, even if the music was good.

 As also was the case with 1982, this 1983 excursion came complete with a drug misadventure …. wait, scratch that last bit. What’s the opposite of “misadventure”?

 For this episode, not only will Special Guests aka Phil Robinson be re-joining me to look back on the day, his pal from back in the day, Noelle, also joins us in this episode. The two of them went to festival along with a group of people and reconnect live for the first time since the 80s, and help each other piece together their experiences from that day.

 So, it’s a first for the podcast, with a 3-way interview and reminiscence.

 Please return next time dear listeners for a euphoric day of great music, accidently taking narcotics, being trapped in a revolving door, smashed porcelain smokers on Queen Street West, and a goodbye to the tea-drinking Police, who were in Synchronicity with the world at that moment.

 Go to mylifeinconcert.com to read the original 2011 blog entry, (EP 27, no.19) Police Picnic ’83 featuring The Police, Peter Tosh, James Brown, King Sunny Adé, Blue Peter, and The Fixx: Walking on the Moon, CNE Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Friday August 5, 1983.

Tune in for missing persons, dangerous fire escapes, hostile groupies, and massed stimulant consumption.

Next On Stage –> June was bustin’ out all over when The Velvet Underground’s John Cale came to Fryfogle’s and played an intense, extraordinary set.  

It was particularly extraordinary for me that I finally got to see him at this point in time, not only because I was way deep in Velvets-mania in the early 80s — with all the original Velvets albums finally being widely and easily available — but because I ended up sitting cross-legged on the stage about three feet in front of Cale as he performed. 

Tune in next time for a disciplined bladder, a set list of my dreams, and being able to see the pores on John Cale’s face. 

Click below to read the original 2011 blog entry. 

(EP 26, no.18) John Cale: I Keep A Close Watch, Fryfolge’s, London, Ontario, Canada, Monday June 13, 1983

The show took place as The Beat were in the last throes of their career but also peaking in popularity in North America.  Meanwhile, R.E.M. released their classic debut LP, “Murmur,” during the week of this concert. 

Retrospectively, it marks the sundown of one era and the sunrise of the next. 

Returning Special Guest Phil Robinson has a lot of great memories from the night which he shares.   

Tune in next time for stage invasions, a cultural shift, and wondering what the hell I was thinking. 

We also discuss R.E.M. at Glastonbury and in Ottawa, why the Buzzcocks were the nicest guys in punk rock, hanging out with INXS, standing next to Jerry Dammers at the Blackheath festival, and seeing Pauline Black at Manchester Mardi Gras. 

See the original blog entry on mylifeinconcert.com here

Next on Stage: Tune in next time for what was quite an, er, interesting evening, when San Francisco’s sludge rock contrarian refuseniks Flipper come to town to decimate Fryfogle’s and its audience, about 6 weeks after the Beat/R.E.M. show.  

An evening of debauchery and indulgence ensues for myself and crew of people on that night, one that involves missing persons, dangerous fire escapes, and a foggily-remembered aftershow party comprised of massed stimulant consumption and much silliness, with Flipper — both as persons and performers — interweaving with us at various points of our night (and lining up to see Return of the Jedi, too). 

(EP 25, no. 17) Fucked Up Once Again: Flipper, Fryfogle’s, London, Ontario, Canada, Monday May 30, 1983 

mylifeinconcert.com

For these anniversary EPs, I will be jumping into the future of my series and selecting gigs from throughout my concert=going years that are personally significant for me or that I really want to highlight or talk about. 

And this first anniversary podcast jumps into 1988 and a gig wherein I had some extraordinary revelations that I have never forgotten. 

Join me next time for this Episode 23, concert no. 51, and an unforgettable show by Keith Richards and the X-Pensive Winos at the then-recently—and beautifully—refurbished Fox Theatre in Detroit, on December 8, 1988. 

Unexpectedly, and through a bizarre merging of synchronicity and happenstance, I find myself directly in front of Keith, about 10-or-so feet away, for his entire encore.  And it results in an epiphany. 

I have written a new, full blog entry on the show as a companion piece to the podcast. 

Tune in for avoiding a strip search at the border, being in agony and the healing power of music, and some realizations about rock stars.

Next on Stage: The next concert crystalizes a moment in time, representing a changing of the guards in the alternative music world, when The Beat—or The English Beat as they were called on this side of the pond—come to Alumni Hall in London, Ontario with a new, unknown American band called R.E.M. in tow as the opening act.  

The show took place as The Beat were in the last throes of their career but also peaking in popularity in North America.  Meanwhile, R.E.M. released their classic debut LP, Murmur, during that same week. 

Retrospectively, it marks the sundown of one era and the sunrise of the next.

Returning Special Guest Phil Robinson has a lot of great memories from the night which he shares.  

Tune in next time for stage invasions, a cultural shift, and wondering what the hell I was thinking. 

 Read the original 2011 blog entry here …  

(EP 24, no. 16) The (English) Beat with R.E.M.: End of the Party, Alumni Hall, UWO, London, Ontario, Canada, Tuesday April 12, 1983

And then …. Suddenly …. Everything was off, as the Covid pandemic shut down the planet, including live music.  2020 turned out to be the first year since 1976 wherein I did not see a single live music performance. 

A seriously depressing proposition for an admitted live-music addict.  It also meant I could not finish my initial sequence of podcast episodes of one show from each decade of my concert-going.

And then … Suddenly, in the summer of ’21, through vaccines and the socially responsible sacrifices of many good people, live shows were on again including Caribou’s delayed tour which included a stop here in London, Ontario, in November. 

“But if we buy tickets, will there even be a show?” We wondered.  Or will everything close back down and, Suddenly, it’ll be off again? 

Join me and my guest—Colin, my nephew, aka Fast and Bulbous in past blog entries—for a night of magic (albeit with some asterisks and apprehensions), last-minute decisions, and sprightly social intercourse with the over-served and mushroomed.

Next on Stage: Join me next time for another out-of-sequence show with one of two anniversary podcasts I’ll be doing in 2022.

While I originally launched the written blog on OpenSalon.com on June 3, 2010, and celebrate every year on that date with my own mock-up of a favourite album cover—it was the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers for 2021— I didn’t get around to marking the podcasts’ first anniversary on Feb. 7, 2021.

So, to make up for that, I am going to do two anniversary episodes this year: one coinciding with the podcast launch, and one in June in tandem with the blog’s 12th anniversary.

What I will be doing with these anniversary episodes is that I will be selecting gigs from throughout my concert-going years that are personally significant for me or that I really want to highlight or talk about.

And my first anniversary podcast jumps into 1988 and a gig wherein I had some extraordinary revelations that I have never forgotten.

Join me next time for Episode 23, concert no. 51, and an unforgettable show by Keith Richards and the X-Pensive Winos at the then-recently—and beautifully—refurbished Fox Theatre in Detroit, on December 8, 1988.

Unexpectedly, and through a bizarre merging of synchronicity and happenstance, I find my self directly in front of Keith, about 10-or-so feet away, for his entire encore.  And it results in an epiphany.

I’ll also be writing a full blog entry on the show as a companion piece to the podcast.

Tune in next time for avoiding a strip search at the border, being in agony and the healing power of music, and some realizations about rock stars.

The delayed Beat & REM show from 1983 will be Episode 24.

(EP 23, no. 51) Keith Richards and the X-Pensive Winos: Connection, Fox Theatre, Detroit, Michigan, USA, December 8, 1988

Euphoria ensues. 

I had been listening to the band incessantly during that 1980-83 corridor and was thrilled they were coming.  

This March 1983 concert was not only my first ticketed gig of a musically busy year, it also marks the start of a new and welcome chapter in my life as well.  

This podcast recalls the concert but also reflects on key changes in my social life at this time as I began my 20s and finally found my local co-conspirators. 

Special Guest Phil Robinson, who I met at this time, returns to share his memories of the gig and the party after. 

Phil and I also reminisce about first meeting each other and our favourite live music haunts (Fryfogle’s, The Vic, The Embassy), dance clubs (Notes on Monday Nights, Studio 812), and drinking dens (Singapore’s, The Brunswick, The Richmond) that we and our friends frequented circa 1983-4 in London, Ontario. 

Phil’s cat Oliver also makes an angry and verbal guest appearance. 

Tune in for intensity and celebration, a lipstick covered forehead, and finding your own tribe. 

That and standing next to Catherine O’Hara and Kate McGarrigle in bars. 

You can read the original blog entry at the mylifeinconcert.com blog.  

Next on Stage: The next concert crystalizes a moment in time, representing a changing of the guards in the alternative music world, when The Beat—or The English Beat as they were called on this side of the pond—come to Alumni Hall in London, Ontario with a new, unknown American band called R.E.M. in tow as the opening act.   

The show took place as The Beat were in the last throes of their career but also peaking in popularity in North America.  Meanwhile, R.E.M. released their classic debut LP, “Murmur,” during that same week. 

Retrospectively, it marks the sundown of one era and the sunrise of the next. 

Returning Special Guest Phil Robinson has a lot of great memories from the night which he shares. 

Tune in next time for stage invasions, a cultural shift, and wondering what the hell I was thinking.  

(EP 22, no. 16) The (English) Beat with R.E.M.: End of the Party, Alumni Hall, UWO, London, Ontario, Canada, Tuesday April 12, 1983 

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I first and finally got to see Iggy the previous year when he gave a spirited performance at Police Picnic ’81, a festival I covered in EP 15: The Boiler. 

So how did this second appearance, this time at the historic Wonderland Gardens, stack up against that first one from the previous year? 

Tune in dear listeners for musical scuffles, pushed buttons, and a mini lake of spilled beer. 

To read the original 2011 blog entry, go to 014. (EP 20) Gimme Danger: Iggy Pop with Nash the Slash, Wonderland Gardens, London, Ontario, Canada, Wednesday October 27, 1982 

Next on Stage: Leeds’ furious and funky post-punk innovators The Gang of Four make an indelible, unforgettable visit to London, Ontario’s Wonderland Gardens, four months after the chaotic Iggy Pop gig at the same venue. 

Euphoria ensues. 

I had been listening to the band incessantly during that 1980-83 corridor and was thrilled they were coming. 

This March 1983 concert was not only my first ticketed gig of a musically busy year, it also marks the start of a new and welcome chapter in my life as well. 

This podcast recalls the concert but also reflects on key changes in my social life at this time as I began my 20s and finally found my local tribe. 

Special Guest Phil Robinson, who I met at this time, returns to share his memories of the gig and the party after. 

Stay tuned for intensity and celebration, a lipstick covered forehead, and finding your tribe. 

Read the original 2011 blog entry here …. 

(EP 21, no. 15) The Gang of Four with The Hoi Polloi: I Found That Essence, Wonderland Gardens, London, Ontario, Canada, Saturday March 5, 1983

This marathon set is the subject of Episode 19, Night & Day.  Once again, the effervescent triumvirate of Lady B, Le Chateau et moi take in another concert together: one that far surpassed all our expectations.  

And with the best view in the house.   

The music was ebullient, spirited and unforgettable, even if a certain someone was intermittently beset by curmudgeonness. 

This concert also marks my return to Alumni Hall on the campus of Western University for the first time since seeing Elvis Costello and the Attractions there in November 1978 (Episode 8, Concert no. 3).  Luckily, the student rent-a-cops had officially chilled since then. 

Stay tuned for on-stage elbows, the bitter toll of insincere clapping, and going into Another World. 

Next on Stage: Three weeks after the Joe Jackson concert, Iggy Pop comes to town with Toronto’s bandaged electronic mummy, Nash the Slash, in tow. 

I first and finally got to see Iggy the previous year when he gave a spirited performance at Police Picnic ’81, a festival I covered in EP 15: The Boiler. 

So how did this second appearance, this time at the historic Wonderland Gardens, stack up against that first one from the previous year? 

Please return next time dear listeners for musical scuffles, pushed buttons, and a mini lake of spilled beer. 

To read the original 2011 blog entry, go to Episode 20 (Concert no. 14) Gimme Danger: Iggy Pop with Nash the Slash, Wonderland Gardens, London, Ontario, Canada, Wednesday October 27, 1982

After five years of obsessing over my favourite band in the world, I finally get to see The Clash as part of a huge, passionate, and excited audience at the CNE Grandstand. 

Black Uhuru also delivered a stunning and memorable opening set.  It was also one of the best double bills of my lifetime. 

To say that this visit to CNE Stadium was a far better experience than the 1982 Police Picnic just three weeks earlier is an understatement. 

Special Guests not only drops by once again with his memories of the band and the show, but also reveals his real name! 

Stay tuned for a spirited performance, stage invasions, getting “The Message,” and The Story of Lady Bump. 

Note: Apologies for occasional distortion during the Skype interview portion of the podcast. 

NEXT PODCAST: One month after The Clash—and from one Joe to another—I take in a second, very different five-star (and three-hour) show from Joe Jackson. 

Once again, the effervescent triumvirate of Lady B, Le Chateau et moi take in another concert together: one that far surpassed all our expectations.  The music was ebullient, spirited and unforgettable, even if a certain someone was intermittently beset by curmudgeonness. 

This concert also marks my return to Alumni Hall on the campus of Western University for the first time since seeing Elvis Costello and the Attractions there in November 1978 (Episode 8, Concert no. 3).  Luckily, the student rent-a-cops had officially chilled since then. 

Stay tuned for on-stage elbows, the bitter toll of insincere clapping, and going into Another World. 

013. (EP 19) Night & Day: Joe Jackson, Alumni Hall, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, Monday October 4, 1982 

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Dear Listeners and Readers: Welcome to THE WORST CONCERT EXPERIENCE OF MY ENTIRE LIFE! 

One poster for the show read “…make this your lucky night.” Yeah, right.  

While Police Picnic ’81 was a fairly sober and orderly experience for me and my compadres, the ’82 edition felt like a sadistic joke that wouldn’t stop.  It was a day of being trolled by the concert gods. 

The Talking Heads once again completely blew me away and The Police were radically improved from the ’81 edition, but even those silver linings couldn’t make the metaphoric dark clouds pass.  Even the day’s one miraculous positive came with a big negative. 

It was also my first of many visits to the now long gone CNE Stadium: the 60,000-capcity-for-concerts mega-venue in the heart of Toronto. (I made many visits there between 1982 and 1989, and shows by The Clash, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones are all coming up in this series.) 

Special Guests returns once again, sharing his more cheerful experiences from the day that include hotel stalking, Sting/Boris/pizza confusion, and sleeping in a Henry Moore sculpture. 

Join me in this delightful descent into festival misery and stay tuned for bad drugs, bad sound, obnoxious neighbours, pointless preparations, naive assumptions, swollen bladders, and a nightmare bus ride. 

Correction: The Ginger Ale I mention at 18 minutes is of course Orange Juice.

Read the original 2010 blog entry that I first published on OpenSalon.com here.

NEXT PODCAST:  Come back next time for one of the best concerts I have ever seen. 

After five years of obsessing over my favourite band in the world, I finally get to see The Clash as part of a huge, loving and excited audience at the CNE Grandstand. 

Black Uhuru also delivered a stunning and memorable opening set. 

One of the best double bills of my lifetime. 

To say that this visit to CNE Stadium was a far better experience than the Police Picnic just three weeks earlier is an understatement. 

Stay tuned for bouncing masses, getting “The Message,” and The Story of Lady Bump. 

(EP 18, no.12) The Clash with Black Uhuru: Clash City Rockers, CNE Grandstand, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Sunday September 5, 1982  

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Read the original 2010 blog entry here.  

NEXT PODCAST:  It was Friday the 13th—in more ways than one. 

Dear Listeners: Welcome to THE WORST CONCERT EXPERIENCE OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!

One poster for the show read “…make this your lucky night.” Yeah, right. 

While Police Picnic ’81 was a fairly sober and orderly experience for me and my compadres, the ’82 edition felt like a sadistic joke that wouldn’t stop.  It was a day of being trolled by the concert gods.

The Talking Heads once again completely blew me away and The Police were radically improved from the ’81 edition, but even those silver linings couldn’t make the metaphoric dark clouds pass.  Even the day’s one miraculous positive came with a big negative.

It was also my first of many visits to the now long gone CNE Stadium: the 60,000-capcity-for-concerts mega-venue in the heart of Toronto. (I made many visits there between 1982 and 1989, and shows by The Clash, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones are all coming up in this series.)

Join me in this delightful descent into festival misery and stay tuned for bad drugs, bad sound, obnoxious neighbours, pointless preparations, naive assumptions, swollen bladders, and a nightmare bus ride. 

(EP 17, no.11) Police Picnic ’82 with The Police, Talking Heads, The (English) Beat, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, A Flock of Seagulls, & The Spoons: What A Day That Was, CNE Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Friday August 13, 1982 

See the original 2010 blog entry here. 

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NEXT PODCAST:  Electropop comes to London, Ontario on a freezing March evening with Liverpool’s Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, or as they are sometimes simply known, OMD. 

Their set may have been egregiously delayed but OMD more than made up for it, playing a blazing show to a small but dedicated audience who danced right through the whole thing.  London’s own Mettle, featuring former Demics guitarist Rob Brent, also delivered a terrific opening performance.

Special Guests will return once again with his memories of the show.

Stay tuned for waving OMD members in a restaurant, happy hoofers, and frozen winklepickers.

(EP 16, no.10) Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark with Mettle: Electricity, Centennial Hall, London, Ontario, Canada, Tuesday March 9, 1982.

See the original 2010 blog entry here.

 mylifeinconcert.com

They had been an obsession of mine over the previous 2.5 years since I had picked up their debut 45, the charging and furious “Lookin’ After No. 1,” on a trip to the UK in ’77.  

At this point, they were three albums in, superstars in the UK, and just coming off an international smash, “I Don’t Like Mondays,” which went Top 10 here in Canada.

I kicked off a boatload of ‘80s gig-going in this freezing arena on a bitterly cold night (the bolt opposite of the Bob Seger steambath at this venue in 1978… so much for insulation), warmed up by an engaged and energetic Rats fronted by an animated Bob Geldof (“Sir” and Live Aid were years in the future). 

My pal “Special Guests”—then of London, Ontario, now of Leeds, UK—who you first met in Episode 3 on The Ramones, returns with his recollections and reflections on the evening.

Stay tuned for onstage pyjamas, photo awkwardness, and how our present shapes the memories of our past. 

See the original 2010 blog entry here.

NEXT PODCAST: I have already recorded episodes covering the next two live shows I saw post-Rats (EP 3, no.7—Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Ramones with The Demics and EP 10, no.8—Once In A Lifetime: The Heatwave Festival ) and done a podcast discussing the two shows I was slated to see that fall but were sadly cancelled (XTC in November and Bob Marley in December, as featured in EPs 9A & 9B, no. 20b—Waiting In Vain: 22 Performances I Missed). 

So, my next podcast jumps into 1981 and the sole live gig I saw that year: the first of three Police Picnics, hosted by the titular group. 

It was the second of four consecutive summers where I went to a big open air festival.  While those other fests were more degenerate and adventuresome affairs, this was a more pop-and-pizza/June-Cleaver-style experience for us. 

And while free of mind-altered shenanigans, this first Police Picnic is long on great music and at least 3 killer sets including one by the original Specials playing one of their last gigs and my finally getting to see Iggy Pop for the first time. 

Special Guests also attended this festival and kindly stops by once again to share his memories of that day.  

Come back next time for pelting patrons, a crowd-shocking performance, and Catherine O’Hara sightings. 

Episode 15 (Concert no.009) The Police Picnic 1 with The Police, The Specials, Iggy Pop, Killing Joke, The Go-Go’s, Nash the Slash, John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett, The Payola$, Oingo Boingo, and the David Bendeth Band: The Boiler, The Grove, Oakville, Ontario, Canada, August 23, 1981 

Get a sneak preview by reading the original 2010 blog entry here.

I’ll be discussing how important our local scene—but also local music scenes in general—were and are, especially to and for marginalized people and communities.

1979 was the year I started seeing local live music in bars such as The Cedar Lounge and The York, something that would become akin to “breathing” in my life during the 80s and early 90s.  These counterpoints to a local conservative milieu were an inspiration and creative oxygen for many outsiders within and around the municipality, not to mention providing an essential social service and network.

These nights out and this show pointed to where things in my life were going to be going.

Stay tuned for underage drinking, musical lifelines, and escaping before the police turned up.

NEXT PODCAST:  Dublin’s Boomtown Rats surfaced at the London Gardens in March of 1980: my first live show of the new decade. 

They had been an obsession of mine over the previous 2.5 years since I had picked up their debut 45, the charging and furious “Lookin’ After No. 1,” on a trip to the UK in ’77.  At this point, they were three albums in, superstars in the UK, and just coming off an international smash (except in the US), “I Don’t Like Mondays,” which went Top 10 here in Canada.

I kicked off a boatload of ‘80s gig-going in this freezing arena on a bitterly cold night (the bolt opposite of the Bob Seger steambath at this venue in 1978… so much for insulation), warmed up by an engaged and energetic Rats fronted by an animated Bob Geldof (the “Sir” and Live Aid were years in the future). 

My pal “Special Guests”—then of London, Ontario, now of Leeds, UK—who you first met in Episode 3 on The Ramones, returns with his recollections and reflections on the evening.

Stay tuned for onstage pyjamas, photo awkwardness, and how our present shapes the memories of our past.

(EP 14, no.6) The Fine Art of Surfacing: The Boomtown Rats with B.B. Gabor, London Gardens, London, Ontario, Canada, Wednesday March 19, 1980 + A Meditation on the Amorphous Nature of Memory & Why the Present Is Always in the Past

 (Get a sneak preview by reading the original 2010 blog entry here.)

Coming in December

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It also coincided with a fresh tray of live concert firsts (A gig outside of London!  In Toronto!  At a tiny theatre!  With an authentic ***punk*** audience!). 

The Jam’s debut LP “In The City” was the first punk rock album I purchased, on a visit to the UK in 1977, and I became an instant fan. Between 1978-82, Weller & Co. shared the “My Favourite Band” mantle along with The Clash (Joy Division made it threesome by 1980), and so I was almost verklempt at getting to see my fave raves in Toronto.  The trio were still fairly obscure over here while they were full-blown stars in the UK. 

And boy did they deliver! 

Tune in for winklepickers, opening act confusion, and … the magic returns.

NEXT PODCAST:  My last live show of the 1970s was an even smaller and more intimate gig than The Jam, featuring a trio of the city’s then most-prominent punk bands: NFG, The Regulators, and Sinners.

I’ll be discussing how important our local scene --- but also local music scenes in general --- were and are, especially to and for marginalized people and communities.

1979 was the year I started seeing local live music in bars such as The Cedar Lounge and The York, something that would become akin to “breathing” in my life during the 80s and early 90s.  These nights out and this show pointed to where things in my life were going to be going on a more personal level.

Stay tuned for underage drinking, musical lifelines, and escaping before the police turned up. 

EP 13 (no.005) What’s In The City: NFG’s Second Annual Halloween Bash with The Regulators and Sinners, The Polish Hall, London, Ontario, Canada, Friday November 2, 1979

(Get a sneak preview by reading the original 2011 blog entry here.)

Coming in November

mylifeinconcert.com

In this episode, I pick the 20 artists from the past who I would most like to have seen between the 1920s and 1980 but have now sadly missed forever.

Hindsight is 20/20, or so the saying goes.  So, for my Concert no.020 entry in the original blog series, I published a two-part tribute looking back and honouring what DIDN’T happen: one entry (Episodes 9A & 9B; concert no. 020B) remembering 20 specific performances/concerts I was slated to or wanted to see—but didn’t or couldn’t—from 1980 onward, and another listing for the 20 Acts I Wish I’d Seen, which I discuss in this episode.

Join me as I time travel back to the 1920s and then take a chronological journey through decades and genres (jazz, pop, r&b, rock, reggae, psychedelia, afrobeat, glam, punk, and post-punk), revealing the artists I’d most like to have seen perform live, such as Billie Holiday, The Sex Pistols, Fela Kuti, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, and more.

I also talk about why I am picking each of my choices and what their music has meant to me along with where and when I would most liked to have seen them.  For some of the artists, I have selected specific concert dates.

Get your party favours in order and come with me on a musical ride, revisiting  some of the most interesting and iconoclastic live performers and performances of the mid-20th Century.

So, who would you most like to have seen?

NEXT PODCAST: I’ll pick where I left off after the Elvis Costello show in November 1978 (EP8: This Year’s Model), with this thrilling gig from UK Mod-Punks The Jam.  It also coincided with a fresh tray of live concert firsts (A gig outside of London!  In Toronto!  At a tiny theatre!  With an authentic ***punk*** audience!).

Between 1978-82, Weller & Co. shared the “My Favourite Band” mantle along with The Clash (Joy Division made it threesome by 1980), and so I was almost verklempt at getting to see my fave raves, who were so obscure over here while they were stars in the UK, in Toronto.

And boy did they deliver!

Tune in for winklepickers, opening act confusion, and … the magic returns.

EP 12 (no.004) This Is the Modern World: The Jam with The Dwight Twilley Band, Rex Danforth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Tuesday April 10, 1979 (Get a sneak preview by reading the original 2011 blog entry here.)

mylifeinconcert.com

It was not only my first fest and one of the best single-day bills I would ever see, it was the centerpiece of an insane long weekend adventure that saw me stranded and broke in the middle of nowhere on Sunday morning after two days of partying and mass-imbibing.

For Episode 10 and on the occasion of the festival’s 40th anniversary, I not only discuss the series of brilliant, energetic, & breathtaking sets performed by some of the key artists of the day at their peak, including the Talking Heads’ first-ever performance as an expanded unit and the public debut of the material released two months later as “Remain In Light,” but also relate how I eventually made it back to my home three hours away.  There is also the ramp-up parking lot party the night before and the morning’s beer-for-breakfast cotillion of debauchery before noon even hits or the music starts.

Sit back, listen, and join me on one of the best and wildest concert/festival weekends I ever had.

And when are we ever going to get to hear the original master tapes?  A Heatwave box set, please.

Read the original four-part blog entry written in 2010 on the mylifeinconcert.com website.

NEXT PODCASTS (Coming in September):
 
 Episodes 11 A&B will look back at the 20 Acts from the Past I Wish I’d Seen 

Episode 12 (no.004) This Is the Modern World: The Jam with The Dwight Twilley Band, Rex Danforth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Tuesday April 10, 1979 (Get a sneak preview by reading the original 2011 blog entry here.)
 
 mylifeinconcert.com

Since the Covid Summer of 2020 is also The Summer Without Live Music, I am going to pause my story and instead present two sets of podcast episodes devoted to performances that I missed by artists such as U2, Arcade Fire, The Grateful Dead, Simon & Garfunkel, Lollapalooza 2004, Bonnie Raitt, & more.

Hindsight is 20/20, or so the saying goes.  So, for my Concert no.020 entry in the original blog series, I published a two-part tribute looking back at what DIDN’T happen: one remembering 20 specific performances/concerts I was slated to or wanted to see—but didn’t or couldn’t—from 1980 onward, and another listing the 20 Acts I Wish I’d Seen (and will never be able to) who were performing between the ‘20s and 1980.

The original list dates from 2012, and so I am updating it for 20/20 with two covid-related cancellations for what were to have been my first set of live shows of the new decade.

In this Episode 9B (no.020b) Waiting in Vain: 22 Performances I Missed (Part Two nos. 9-22 1991-2020), join me for the second of a heartwarming two-part podcast looking back at cancelled shows and tours, this time involving U2, Arcade Fire, Leonard Cohen, Simon & Garfunkel, The Grateful Dead, George Clinton, Bonnie Raitt, and more.

I'll be fondly remembering student penury, inclement weather, limited mobility options, instant sell-outs, undersold annulments, ticket-vacuuming bots, competing options and obligations, health-related complications, a global pandemic, and sometimes just being a lazy bugger.

 
NEXT PODCASTS:

Episodes 10 A&B will look back at the 20 Acts from the Past I Wish I’d Seen 

Episode 11 will look back at the 40th Anniversary of the Heatwave Festival outside of Barrie, Ontario (Coming April 23, 2020).

Episode 12 (no.004) This Is the Modern World: The Jam with The Dwight Twilley Band, Rex Danforth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Tuesday April 10, 1979 (Get a sneak preview by reading the original 2011 blog entry here.) (Coming in September)

mylifeinconcert.com

Hindsight is 20/20, or so the saying goes.  So, for my Concert no.020 entry in the original blog series, I published a two-part tribute looking back at what DIDN’T happen: one remembering 20 specific performances/concerts I was slated to or wanted to see—but didn’t or couldn’t—from 1980 onward, and another listing the 20 Acts I Wish I’d Seen (and will never be able to) who were performing between the ‘20s and 1980.

The original list dates from 2012, and so I am updating it for 20/20 with two covid-related cancellations for what were to have been my first set of live shows of the new decade.

In this Episode 9A (no.020b) Waiting in Vain: 22 Performances I Missed (Part One nos. 1-8 1980-1990), join me for the first of a heartwarming two-part podcast looking back at venues surrounded by riot police, mystery no-shows, health-related complications, cancelled shows and tours, student penury, limited mobility options,  lazy patrons, undersold annulments, and Mildred Pierce.

NEXT PODCASTS: In Episode 9B (no.020a) Waiting in Vain: 22 Performances I Missed (Part Two nos. 9-22 1991-2020), join me for the second of a heartwarming two-part podcast looking back at cancelled shows and tours, this time involving U2, Arcade Fire, Leonard Cohen, Simon & Garfunkel, The Grateful Dead, George Clinton, Bonnie Raitt, and more. I'll be fondly remembering student penury, inclement weather, limited mobility options, instant sell-outs, undersold annulments, ticket-vacuuming bots, competing options and obligations, health-related complications, a global pandemic, and sometimes just being a lazy bugger.

Episode 11 will look back at the 40th Anniversary of the Heatwave Festival outside of Barrie, Ontario (Coming April 23, 2020).

Episode 12 (no.004) This Is the Modern World: The Jam with The Dwight Twilley Band, Rex Danforth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Tuesday April 10, 1979 (Get a sneak preview by reading the original 2011 blog entry here.) (Coming in September)

mylifeinconcert.com

While I had followed the development of the US, and then UK, punk/new wave scenes through the press, starting in the mid-70s with Patti Smith and the Ramones, it wasn’t until 1977 that I finally really got to hear a substantial amount of this music. 

This Elvis Costello show from 1978—my third live rock concert—was my first direct interface with any of the new artists, and I was eager to jump into the fray.  And while this show’s energy was high, and I was thrilled to have finally seen one of the new breed of acts I was playing relentlessly at home, there was something about this show that left me unsatisfied. 

My old pal from the 70s—who I will call “Autobahn”—attended this gig with me along with my siblings, and he drops by the podcast to share his thoughts and memories about the concert.  This was his very first show and he has some interesting and different perspectives on the gig than moi. 

Tune in for anticipated bedlam, herbal dental remedies, & Biff’n’Buffy rent-a-cops. 

Also tune in to hear me get the title of Costello’s 1983 album (Punch the Clock) wrong.

 Read the original 2010 blog post here.

NEXT PODCAST:  Since the Covid Summer of 2020 is also The Summer Without Live Music, I am going to pause my story and instead present two episodes devoted to performances that were missed rather than remembering those I attended.

In Episode 9 (no.020b) Waiting in Vain: 20 + 2 Performances I Missed (1980-2020), I reflect on a rich 40 years of Not attending gigs or sets.  Join me in a heartwarming look back at cancelled shows and tours, student penury, inclement weather, mystery no-shows, limited mobility options, instant sell-outs, undersold annulments, competing options and obligations, and sometimes just being a lazy bugger.

Episode 10 will recall at the 20 Acts from the Past I Wish I’d Seen, while Episode 11 will look back at the 40th Anniversary of the Heatwave Festival outside of Barrie, Ontario (April 23, 2020).

EP 9 (no.020b) Waiting in Vain: 20 Performances I Missed + 2 1980-2020 (Get a sneak preview by reading the original 2012 blog entry here.)

Coming in September -> EP 9 (no.004) 

Read the original blog post from 2010 here. 

mylifeinconcert.com

Cublet also drops by once again with a few of his memories from a concert he rates as one of his Top 5 best shows ever.

Tune in for knee-slidin’ dexterity, elbowing patrons, and compelling intensity.

Read the original blog post from 2012 here.

mylifeinconcert.com

Tune in to the Podcast for lucky accidents, set list surprises, and being relatively up-close-n-personal.

Cublet also drops by to share his memories of the show.

You can also read my past blogs about how I discovered Bowie and his continuing impact on my life (Bowie, The 70s, & Me) as well as my review for the first time I saw him live, in Toronto at CNE Stadium on September 3, 1983, with the late, great Rough Trade opening along with selected videos on the blog entry.

mylifeinconcert.com

Aided by notes I wrote in real time as the day unfolded, I look back at the festival, the era, and the music and how it intersected with my life at the time.

With the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ministry, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Lush,

Listen to the podcast for scaffold climbing, levitation, and a "magic" day.

Check out the mylifeinconcert.com blog to see the original notes I discuss in the podcast and a video report on the festival.

The gig marked a moment when the Ramones were to ascend to North American commercial success with the Phil Spector-produced “End of the Century” while London’s Demics were on the verge of breaking nationally.

And then?

Join me and former London, Ontario resident “Special Guests” from Leeds, UK on a journey back to one of the most exciting shows I ever saw in my hometown, as well as looking at the Ramones’ history and how each of us learned about them.  

From Forest Hills to the Forest City: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.

The original OpenSalon.com blog post from 2011 appears here.

mylifeinconcert.com

And a 12-year-old Various Artists was among them, enjoying a life-changing first concert that’s lead to a lifetime live-show addiction. 

Join me, your host Various Artists, on the My Life In Concert.com podcast as I remember the concert and its time. 

Tune in for setlist revelations, dead mics, back kicks, and The Towering Inferno.