Gigs you've been to

The Welsh Paddy

The Human Flamethrower
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What bands have you guys seen live? Which have been the best? Which have been the worst? Have you ever gone to see bands you've never heard of before?

In my mid to late teens, I pretty much only went to small/local gigs. They'd be friends bands, or whichever up and coming punk and metal bands that would play at my local pub. My first ever "big" show, was catching the Taste of Chaos tour when it hit Manchester back in 2008. Mucc, this Japanese metal band I was obsessed with at the time, were one of the main acts, so getting to see them was incredible. A couple of months after that, I got to see Pendulum play a full band set in Dublin and that was another great experience.

For a good few years after that, it had only been local or up and coming bands that I went to see. From 2017 til now, I'd be going to them on almost a weekly basis. Living in Cardiff during that time had been great because there was a lot of passion for the local music scene. Venues like Moon Club and Fuel Rock Bar especially played host to some amazing bands from around Wales and England. These were some of the best gigs. Because the venues are really small, performances tended to be far more intimate. The floor would be jam packed full of sweaty moshers and the like, headbanging to some awesome music. The amount of times people would slip and fall over spilt beer was hilarious, but it was all cool because everyone helped each other back up. One of my highlights from these kinds of shows was when this rock band from London, called The Kut, played at Moon Club and we got to rock out on stage with them. (Highly recommend checking this band out, by the way, they are incredible. There's a whole bunch of their stuff on YouTube.)

The best gig I'd ever been to though, was in 2016 when I went to see Gogol Bordello, a gypsy punk band. They were insanely passionate and enthusiastic, and it was infectious! Everyone was dancing and having a great time.

This year, I went to my first ever music festival as well. Download festival. There, I got to see the likes of Slipknot, Rob Zombie, Skindred, Tool, Def Leppard, Slayer, Halestorm... It was one of those festivals that had been on my bucket list for a good few years but I could never find anyone to go with. This year, I just bit the bullet and rocked up there on my own. So, it was a pretty daunting experience at first! I got to meet some really cool people though and, being one of those festivals that caters more to rock and metal, it was easy to find stuff in common with people. It was awesome and I'm aiming to go again next year because the line-up is looking pretty damn sweet!

As for bad gig experiences... can't say I've really had any! Except maybe not being able to get inside one of the tents at Download to see The Hu. Really wanted to see those guys, but evidently hundreds of others did too so there was literally no room to get in there haha.

So what are some of your best and worst gig experiences?
 

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A couple of months after that, I got to see Pendulum play a full band set in Dublin and that was another great experience.

:cry: I'm so envious!



I'm not a huge concert attender, the crowds are a bit intimidating to me and I dislike being jammed into a crowded bar with people who smell like B.O. That said, I've been to a handful of concerts since my husband actually is that kind of person. Mostly bands I'm not familiar with or aren't as into as our taste in music is a bit different, but we find middle ground. My only interesting story is when we went to see Chevelle with some friends and I got nailed in the face with a drum stick when Filter was playing their set. Didn't even get the stick. :sad3:

The biggest concert I've been to was when we went to see Hootie and the Blowfish / Barenaked Ladies in August, which wasn't bad since it was outside & less people-y. I have no idea why my husband wanted to go, it isn't even his type of music, but he was really excited, Lol!

I missed the chance a few years ago to see The Prodigy, Pendulum & Linkin Park together. Was more interested in Pendulum & The Prodigy, but I still have regrets :(

Here's a maybe accurate list of the few people I've seen live?

Opeth
Katatonia
Mindless Self Indulgence
The Birthday Massacre
Bush
Chevelle
Filter :dead:
Theocracy
Hootie
Barenaked Ladies
Impending Doom
Through the Eyes of the Dead
Distant Worlds (if that counts?)
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses (?)
Other opening bands I can't remember
Myself in front of the mirror

That last one 👌
 
Yeah, orchestral shows certainly count! :monster:

That's a pretty sweet list of bands you've seen! I forgot I saw Opeth play at Download as well but I only caught the last ten or fifteen minutes of their set haha. Mindless Self Indulgence though! I had a massive crush on their bass player back in the day! :wacky: Katatonia is wicked as well! Huge fan of Cerys Matthews, being Welsh and all. :neomon:

Yeah, gigs are kind of a funny one for me. In almost any other crowded environment, my anxiety would be going through the roof, but oddly I feel like I'm in my element when I'm in a "crowded bar full of people with bad B.O" haha. I mean, eliminating the smell would be a bonus, but in a small room packed full of people moshing and headbanging, it can't really be helped. It's just natural. The worst is when I end up crashing at someone else's place afterwards. It's never planned, so I never have the foresight to have a spare set of clothes and some toiletries. The bus journey or walk back home the morning after is so grim haha. It's the best thing ever when I finally get to step into the shower though!
 
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