By the end of the 1980s getting cameras into events was becoming increasingly difficult and equally I was suffering from chronic back problems. I also got married and concerts took a bit more of a back seat during the 90s as I embarked on a career that lasted over a third of a century. I did not even try and take a camera into any gigs I did get to.
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I became a lot more choosy about who I would go to see usually restricting it to one or two major acts a year. Many of the higher profile bands I saw in the 1980s are still around, although personnel have changed in most of them and some are starting to decline a little (in one or two cases a lot!), with some of the original members no longer around. Having said that I’ve seen AC/DC a few times as well as the Who and Queen. These guys can still put on superb performances and the likes of Roger Daltrey, Brian May and Angus Young seem to improve with age. They are certainly assisted with the significant improvements in technology over the years, but those acts that do continue to play to massive crowds 30+ years later are more reliant on their perpetual talent. Many of these guys are now in their 70s (one or two in their 80s!), but still retain the ability to put on great shows.
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In 2017 on a business trip to the west coast of the USA I went to a Roger Waters gig in Las Vegas. I was surprised at just how many white lights there were where people were filming much of the gig on their phones.
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As I was approaching retirement I started going to a few more gigs and in 2019 I decided to take a compact camera into an Elton John concert. Despite being some way from the stage and with a relatively low magnification some of the pictures came out very well. Much better indeed than my OM10 could do from a similar distance. I started travelling a bit further afield for gigs, with a camera stashed in my pocket. I would also write down some of my thoughts and experiences much more in real time, and include some of my ramblings with the photos I have posted here.
2019
A new era as I embark on a new photographic journey. Initially this was a case of experimenting to work out both what was possible and how to get the best of these new gig experiences along with my photographic memories. A passion rekindled, or an obsession? Readers can make their own minds up.
Initially I stuck to familiar territory, mainly Dublin and Manchester (where I could also take in football and/or cycling at the Manchester velodrome).
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Index
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Elton John
Farewell Yellow Brick Road
3Arena, Dublin
13 June 2019
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A familiar face if ever there was one, having seen Elton numerous times in the past and having photographic memories of three of those gigs. One thing that was new? I think I can safely say that this was the first time I had seen him without a hat. And a very impressive mop it was. This was the first iteration of his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour. Little did we know that the tour would still be running four years later. Things would certainly get a lot more uncertain and to some extent chaotic as any semblance of normality would disappear early in 2020 as the pandemic grabbed hold of all our lives pretty much eliminating the live music scene for eighteen months or more.
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For now though everything was normal. This was Elton's farewell tour which made it unmissable. I took a compact Canon camera that had a quite limited zoom, and my seat was in the upper section of the 3Arena. I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Yes not much in terms of decent close ups, but some great panoramics of the whole stage and not bad pictures when zooming in as much as I could. In fact it was far superior to anything I would have got from my pre digital SLR cameras. And having instant playback allowed me to easily adjust particularly for exposure in the complex stage lighting. All in all a decent enough effort, although it would not be long before I was looking to upgrade to get even better photos.
The Eagles
3Arena, Dublin
8 July 2019
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I had also booked a ticket for an act with a global reputation over nearly 50 years, but an act I had never seen before. Emboldened by the ease of my initial efforts with Elton John I anticipated no issues and ensured I had a camera in my pocket, The camera was the same, but I was in the lower section of the arena, quite a bit closer to the action. Again though panoramics would play a part as we would have up to six members of the band spread evenly across what was a very wide stage.
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As well as getting photos from my seat, as they returned for their encore I moved down from my seat and into one of the corridors between the arena and concourse to get some photos from a little closer and indeed the other side of the arena. Arena staff will normally move on people standing in those areas, but they were busy preparing for a mass exodus leaving a little more freedom for a few minutes.
MC50
AO Arena, Manchester
4 October 2019
I had checked the venue website to work out what cameras would be allowed. Security would be very strict in an arena I had seen Brian Cox in the day before it was bombed at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017. Their rules were very clear. No camera with a removeable lens allowed. I now had a Sony bridge camera that looked like a "proper" camera, and had a very extended zoom, but the lens was not removeable. Security checked. They pulled, they pressed buttons, but the lens was not removeable and I was let in with it. Without doubt this camera produces stunning quality, certainly in my personal experience.
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First up a band I had never heard of, but supporting one I had seen before. This band was billed as MC50, but they were actually called MC5. They had taken this temporary name to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of their first album, "Kick out the Jams", although they had originally formed in 1963. Guitarist Wayne Kramer had been part of this band throughout their history
The Stranglers
AO Arena, Manchester
4 October 2019
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I had seen the Stranglers once before, at Manchester Apollo in 1986, That was one occasion in the 1980s when I did not take a camera. A product of the punk era, but at the "sophisticated" end of the genre. Only two "originals" remained in 2019, JJ Burnell and Dave Greenfield. Well actually Greenfield joined a year or so into the "life" of the band in 1975. I suspect there were not many punk bands with someone on keyboards. Drummer Jet Black had left the band in 2018 and lead vocalist Hugh Cornwell had left to embark on a solo career in 1990. The lead vocalist now was Geordie Baz Warne. There was little hint of their punk origin as they delivered songs that had originated in that punk era but in a very polished manner. A band I would be happy seeing again.
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Alice Cooper
Ol' Black Eyes Is Back
AO Arena, Manchester
4 October 2019
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Having spent much of the 1970s and early 1980s under the influence of various substances Cooper had turned himself into a very respectable "senior" seemingly happier to spend his time on a golf course rather than in a bar. His wife, Cheryl, accompanied him on stage and he had assembled an excellent band of musicians.
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I was not far from the stage and the Sony bridge camera was excellent at recording Cooper's stage persona almost literally warts and all. Yes a decent editing platform helps, but Cooper's stage show lends itself to getting some great photos.
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Tiny Magnetic Pets
Olympia Theatre, Dublin
29 October 2019
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I was seated towards the back of the stalls for my first visit to Dublin's Olympia theatre. Although quite bulky I could get the Sony bridge camera into a pocket in my coat and I knew that with smaller venues like this they only tended to search bags. There was no issue at all getting the camera in and I was quite discrete when using it, waiting for any nearby venue staff to turn away, but there was very little attention and I was able to take photos with relative freedom. It was only a handful for the support act, a 3 piece Irish band, Tiny Magnetic Pets.
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Midge Ure
The 1980 Tour
Olympia Theatre, Dublin
29 October 2019
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Ure was revisiting the 1980s playing Visage songs in the first half and the best of his Ultravox back catalogue in the second half.
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Paul Young
Supporting Cher
3Arena, Dublin
1 November 2019
Not someone who I would go out of my way to see, but an artist who was very popular, particularly in the 1980s. One who I had seen at Live Aid and indeed would see at another charity event in 2020. 10 years younger than the headline act, but that is not so obvious based on these pictures!
Cher
Here We Go Again
3Arena, Dublin
1 November 2019
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2 gigs in 3 days was certainly not something I was used to, but before long I would be cramming more and more into various road trips.
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Maybe not typically my kind of music, but Cher was and remains a global star. When the opportunity to get a ticket arose I did not pass it up. I was a few rows back in the lower tiered section and again I had the Sony bridge camera with me. I was surprised to see a number of people turn up and sit in the same row as myself but across a gangway all with digital SLR cameras. My immediate thought was they had much bigger issues than me if taking photos was frowned upon. It only dawned on me about 10 minutes into the performance when they all got up and left that they were all official photographers. More people were brought in to fill their seats. All those official photographers only got limited photos of one of the numerous personas adopted by Cher, whereas I was happily snapping away throughout the show (albeit a little more carefully after the official photographers were escorted out). I had the Canon compact as well as the Sony bridge camera and got decent photos from each.
Jack Broadbent
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
25 November 2019
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A short flight to Birmingham and a train into the city centre where I checked into my Travelodge before finding my way to the Symphony Hall, which was in easy walking distance of the hotel.
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This trip was primarily to see Ronnie Wood's Chuck Berry tribute. I also had a ticket for the same show in Manchester two days later, but I would be flying back to Dublin the day after this gig before heading to Manchester again by air a day later.
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For this show I was perhaps halfway back in the downstairs section and had the bridge camera with me.
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The support act was Jack Broadbent, who was mainly a solo artist, but would also bring his father on stage to play bass guitar. Jack would play acoustic guitar as well as as slide guitar. He would reappear later for Ronnie Wood's encore when he shared a microphone with Imelda May.
Ronnie Wood
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
25 November 2019
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I missed a trick as Ronnie entered the hall along the walkway a couple of seats to my left, Imelda May joined Ronnie on stage and I managed to get a number of great pictures of the pair of them as well as individually, with many of the ones of Ronnie coming out particularly well.
Jack Broadbent
Manchester Opera House
27 November 2019
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Another short flight, but this time with a couple of photos from the Birmingham gig I was hoping to get signed. I had a second row "Soundcheck" ticket, meaning I would get to see Ronnie and Imelda before the main gig. Ronnie just got on with it and there was no way I was going to get his attention. However as they were leaving the stage I managed to grab Imelda's attention and she happily signed a photo of her and Ronnie and another of her and Jack Broadbent. The format for the actual show was similar to Birmingham, but as I was so close to the stage I only brought along a compact camera. I also managed to get Jack Broadbent's autograph on the same photo as Imelda had signed as I was exiting the venue.
Ronnie Wood
Manchester Opera House
27 November 2019
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I had hoped Ronnie would make a similar appearance as he made in Birmingham, particularly as I was right next to the right gangway, but alas he did a "regular" appearance from the side of the stage.
Johnny Mac and the Faithful
3Arena, Dublin
5 December 2019
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A Scottish band supporting a Scottish legend. The fact they were Celtic fans (as, of course, is Rod Stewart) went down particularly well in Dublin.
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Only on stage for 30 minutes or so, the dynamism of frontman John McLoughlin, was clear. Like a Duracell bunny he made the most of the slot and they were a great act to open up.
Rod Stewart
3Arena, Dublin
5 December 2019
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I had limited myself to a Sony compact camera on this occasion. I was again in the tiered seating and the photos were not as good as I would have liked, resulting in me logging onto Amazon the following day to order a high magnification Canon compact camera.
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The next road trip involved Roy Wood in Holmfirth on the Wednesday, United playing Alkmaar in the Europa League on the Thursday, the Darkness in Manchester on the Friday with two one hour sessions Manchester Velodrome thrown into the mix.
Roy Wood
Holmfirth Picturedrome
11 December 2019
A well known town in Yorkshire where Last of the Summer Wine had been filmed over 37 years. The Picturedrome has won awards as one of the best small music venues in the country. All standing, with a capacity of only 650 many of the acts appearing there are tribute bands. Tonight we had an original though. One who had been a driving force behind a number of bands going back over 50 years. The Move, the Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard. In the run up to Christmas we were definitely going to be treated to "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" along with other major hits such as "See My Baby Jive", "Blackberry Way", "Angel Fingers" and "Flowers In The Rain" which was the first record ever played on BBC Radio 1.
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By the time I was getting into music Wood was on the wane but some of his songs were timeless. He may have been playing to relatively small audiences, but his talents and the quality of his music remain high. At one stage he played bagpipes, one of his many musical talents, and a very enjoyable festive season gig it was.
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After the gig I returned to my hotel on the outskirts of Greater Manchester, which was an interesting journey, with dense fog having descended and making the narrow Pennine roads a bit more challenging than usual.
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REWS
Manchester Academy 1
13 December 2019
My first trip to Manchester University since I graduated over 37 years previously. In the 1980s gigs were held in the hall of the Student Union building. Now there is a dedicated building and three separate music venues, this being the largest.
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The support act was a three piece band from Northern Ireland, REWS - a worthy enough warm up for the main event.
The Darkness
Easter is Cancelled
Manchester Academy 1
13 December 2019
I had been a follower of the Darkness when they first became part of the music scene. A modern "Glam Rock" band, albeit at the heavier end of the genre. However they dropped off the radar fairly quickly as substance abuse took its toll on frontman, Justin Hawkins.
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They were back though and this was my first opportunity to see them live. And they put on the best show of any I witnessed during 2019. It really made me wonder why they were playing such a small venue. I guess though that did mean it was not too difficult to get a place close enough to the stage, and I got some great photos. They played their new album, the prophetically named "Easter is Cancelled", during the first half. They then reappeared in different gear to play all their hits in the second half.
