Worst Gig Ever!

The worst gig I have ever been to is Avril Lavigne "The Best Damn Tour" in May 2008.

I loved "The Best Damn Thing" album to the point I had overplayed it waiting for the night of the gig. It would be my first time seeing Avril live and I had got the tickets for my 16th birthday. I again had no idea who the support act was going to be and when I got there there was younger girls with posters reading "I <3 J-Bros". I did not even know who these "J-Bros" were until they came on stage I realised it was the Jonas Brothers from Disney Channel.

HOW could they achieve such status as to tour with a pop princess? So after enduring what felt like a lifetime of Jonas Brothers and the adoring screaming little girls it was finally time for Avril.

The best thing about the whole night was the outfits and glittery microphone. Everything else was average including her singing live.

I was so disappointed. And being old enough to go without an adult, I was getting increasingly angry at pushy mums trying to get their daughters to the front. Avril did not engage much with audience at all (something I had come to expect especially after attending Angels & Airwaves only one month before). The set was short and at the end she did not even come on for an encore (this is the only gig I have been to where this is the case).
Safe to say after that I just enjoyed album versions of her music in the comfort of my own home!

Favourite Gigs!

I have been to too many gigs to count but I am going to mention a few that I have loved!

I am not ashamed to admit the first concert I ever went to was Steps in the late 90's.

It was held at the SECC and at about 6 years old I attended with my mum and best friend.

Songs performed included Tragedy and 5,6,7,8 and overall I had a brilliant night. It is here where my love for live music and concerts began!


My all time favourite concert was Angels & Airwaves at the O2 Academy on the 11th of April 2008.

It took some convincing to get my friend to go with me as they are not everyones cup of tea. However a surprise on the night was that the support act were You Me At Six another one of both of our favourites so she ended up having a good night anyway! Here is a clip from the night which i still get goosebumps listening to 3 years on :D



A more recent gig I attended on June 26th last year was P!nk at Hampden Park. This was my first stadium gig and despite the high price for alcohol and the disgusting toilets resembling the festival experience, it was an outstanding night. Thankfully the weather was fine! The stunts at this show were incredible,

starting with Pink bungee jumping from a huge crane with loads of balloons.

It finished with Pink strapped into a harness in order to come right into the audience - flipping and rotating in all directions. This stunt went wrong at the gig in Germany leading to the singer being hospitalised.
It wasnt too serious and the star did continue the tour and repeat the stunt in the remaining locations - brave lady!

Glasgow Talent

Glasgow has prouduced a number of successful acts over different music genres. To name a few - Franz Ferdinand, The Fratellis, Amy Macdonald, Biffy Clyro, Deacon Blue, Glasvegas, Lulu, Travis and Twin Atlantic.

This said, my personal favourite would have to be Paolo Nutini (not that im biased or anything because he did go to my school!). Paolo was born in January 1987 and altough his dad is Italian the family have been in Paisley for 2 generations. It was thought that Paolo would follow the tradition and take over the family chip shop business however he was discovered by accident at a performance in Paisley town hall and from there exceeded everyones expectaions to become a worldwide success.

He left Paisley for London at only 17 years old. He gained support slots with the Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse and KT Tunstall.

His debut album "These Streets" was released in 2006 and eventually went multi platinum. It featured the songs Last Request, Jenny Don't Be Hasty, Rewind and my favourite - These Streets. A line in These Streets is "Im used to Glenfield Road and spending my time down in Orchy" and I have to admit I felt rather smug when attending a Paolo gig, I overheard a girl asking her friend "whats arkeeee?" and inside I knew Paolo was referring to Orchy Crescent where his best friends live.

He has performed in a number of the venues mentioned in my earlier blogs including King Tuts and The Academy. At new year 2006/2007 Paolo performed at the Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh and it was broadcast live on the BBC. In true Glasgow style he was shall we say a bit more than tipsy however this did not stop him giving a performance to remember.

After having such a successful start it was a long wait for Paolo's second album "Sunnyside Up" which did not appear until 2009. It was worth the wait however and to this day is one of the only albums both me and my dad agree is sensational. I don't know how Paolo will top this with his next album but I have every faith that he will and look forward to hearing it!

About Hampden Park

Scotland's national stadium in Glasgow (obviously primarily used for football) has hosted a number of music events in recent years.
It was originally built in 1903 however any signs of the original stadium are nowhere to be found nowadays. Concert wise it can hold up to 55,000 people with a side stage or 90,000 people with an end stage.

The hugest names in music have played at this venue - top 10 would be U2, Bon Jovi, P!nk, AC/DC, Coldplay, Take That, Oasis, Robbie Williams and The Red Hot Chili Peppers with Biffy Clyro.

About Barrowlands

The Barrowland Ballroom opened in 1934 making it one of Glasgow's oldest music venues. It is instantly recognisable by its neon sign lighting up the East End of Glasgow.

The original building was destroyed by a fire in 1958 and was totally rebuilt and opened again as a dancehall on Christmas Eve of 1960. When pop and rock concerts became more popular the Barrowlands adapted to become a concert venue. It can now hold around 1900 people (and therefore always sells out when big acts perform).

Even smaller bands such as All time Low (a personal favourite of mine) managed to sell out the venue and left many fans (including myself) disappointed. It was recently voted the best music venue in the UK by a British music poll.

The Legends that are U2 were among the first bands to play. It now attracts mainly indie, rock, alternative and metal bands but Scottish acts in particular are inspired to hold their gigs there.

It is a little shameful to say that English band Ocean Colour Scene held 5 consecutive sell out nights in 2001 and still hold this record. The downstairs standing area allows the audience to get very close to the stage and is where the immense atmosphere is created. There is also an upper balcony area which is mainly seated and somewhat removed from the vibe below.

There is also a smaller venue inside known as Barrowlands 2 which is similar to ABC2 in that it allows unsigned and upcoming bands a chance to play at the venue.

This is also where the big bands hold their after parties. Every year the Barrowlands host an event in the main ballroom showcasing local talent which gives the upcoming bands a chance of playing on the big stage and getting their music heard by people all over Scotland.

Glasgow's own Amy MacDonald in her song "Barrowland Ballroom" sings that "nothing beats the feeling of the high Barrowland ceiling when a band begins to play"

About King Tuts Wah Wah Hut

King Tuts in Glasgow in my opinion is the perfect small music venue for upcoming bands. With a capacity of only 300 it creates an intimate atmosphere and a cosy environment. It is owned and managed by DF concerts (well known local gig promoters). It is also unlike other venues in that it holds a 1AM license which allows gigs to last much later than in other venues around town. It first opened in 1990 and established a reputation for showcasing new talent as well as famous bands "first Scottish appearances".

In 1993 an unsigned Oasis played there which led to them being discovered and signed by record label "Creation". Other bands which played there early in their careers include Paramore, Biffy Clyro, Coldplay, The Strokes, The Verve, Blur, Radiohead and Travis(who played under their original name Glass Onion).

King Tuts also runs a tent at T in the Park. King Tuts Wah Wah Tent has seen acts such as Snow Patrol, Manic Street Preachers and the View perform there over the years.

About SECC Glasgow (& Clyde Auditorium)

The Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre (SECC) is where some of the biggest music events in Glasgow are held. There are 5 main halls in the building with the concerts normally being held in hall 4 which seats 12,500 people or hall 3 which holds up to 5000.

The main building opened in 1985 with a concert by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. It quickly became known by locals as "The Big Red Shed" due to the appearance of the outside of the building resembling a huge red warehouse. However this nickname became redundant in 1997 when it was repainted grey.

In 1995 construction began on another addition to the SECC complex - known as the Clyde Auditorium - it opened in 1997 with a 3000 capacity and is referred to locally as "the Armadillo". The building quickly became one of modern Glasgow's most iconic images.

The ever increasing success of the complex has led to planning of a third venue - "Scotland's National Arena"- a 12500 seat venue which is expected to open in 2013.