Q Magazine's Best Gigs Ever
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Apr28
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Here's something that's wound me up hugely, Q Magazine's "Top 100 gigs of all time", the top ten of which were in today's Evening Standard:
Radiohead Glastonbury 1997
Nirvana Reading 1992
Oasis Knebworth 1996
Coldplay V2003
Brian Wilson Royal Festival Hall 2004
Madonna Earls Court 2001
The Beatles Apple 1969
REM Trafalgar Square 2001
Queen Live Aid 1985
Pink Floyd Earls Court 1980
How many of those would you describe as a gig? None of them I would say, but as this is something voted for by readers of Q, only gigs that had a huge attendance had a good chance of getting enough votes to appear... so I think the top ten can mostly be written off, but I won't be buying Q just to see what the rest of the top 100 are. Not sure exactly what my top ten would be, but unless you're first choosing your favourite band, and then picking the only time you ever saw them because you don't go to many gigs, a festival is unlikely to have been the best combination of performance and atmosphere. I would have to slot in Blur at Goldsmith's College, a cheeky Reading warmup in 1999, but as it was a small show there are unlikely to have been enough Q readers there for it to chart. Another reason the full chart might be annoying is the presence of small gigs just like that the voters are unlikely to have attended. Wonder if any Darkness shows made it in?
A bit of local news to finish this megapost - there's trouble at Red Square, people who bought live / work units with no intention to work in them are being served with notices that require them to return the flats to business use. Also from the Evening Standard.
2004 :: Comment / reply
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odd little flats these...the garden is a postage stamp filled with brighton beach pebbles...all the neighbours can see in your house as its written in your lease you cannot put up nets as it goes against the architects creative vision (too common)...and that fountain thing in the middle leaves the courtyard all slippy...and what with the high wall and the guard at the gates, doesnt it remind you of a low security prison for media types?
HANGINGBIRD :: 29 Apr :: 2004 :: Comment / reply
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The Darkness at Hammersmith would def make it into mine, but as you say, that was as much about being there in a big group. Others I'd say would be: Beta Band at the Astoria; Primal Scream at Brix Academy (with Death in Vegas supporting); Radiohead's tent gig at Victoria Park; the Chemical Brothers at V two years ago (okay, not strictly a gig); and Blur at Mile End. Actually, also the Longpigs at Norwich Waterfront, but I bet that didn't make it into Q...
