The Cure - Wembley Arena 23rd/24th July 1989

Wowsers. It was baking hot in London and The Cure were coming to the end of their Prayer Tour to promote the Disintegration album. The record itself was hugely atmospheric and dark - a huge commercial and critical success, written during Robert Smith's depression at turning 30. Mixed to be played loud the songs really filled Wembley's cavernous space - The first band I had seen at the venue to do that. The first night was fantastic and would have pleased the neutrals and complete Cure fanatics. I fell somewhere between the two but went to the concert with Lawrence - a total Robert Smith clone with the back combed hair and black uniform (he was certainly not alone)and his girlfriend. Pulling the best tracks from Disintegration, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me and Head on the Door the main set was outstanding - that they came back for 3 encores with 12 tracks from their early material was the icing on the cake. Highlights included Robert's howl of anguish that seemed to last forever on Prayers For Rain and the lights being turned up on Boys Don't Cry watching the whole of the arena dancing for all they were worth - a true 'hairs on the arms standing up' moment.
We were ecstatic and immediately set about trying to get some tickets for the last night (24th) - amazingly we got some returns and did it all again. The final night of the tour was even better with an additional encore bringing the entire gig to nearly 4 hours - we went home sweaty, broke and very happy.

Mainset 23rd:
plainsong
pictures of you
closedown
piggy in the mirror
a night like this
just like heaven
catch
last dance
fascination street
cold
charlotte sometimes
the walk
a forest
inbetween days
the same deep water as you
prayers for rain
disintegration
Encore 1:
lullaby
close to me
let's go to bed
why can't i be you

Encore 2:
the holy hour
a strange day
the figurehead

Encore 3:
play for today
three imaginary boys
boys don't cry
10.15 saturday night
killing an arab

Mainset 24th:
plainsong
pictures of you
closedown
piggy in the mirror
catch
a night like this
just like heaven
last dance
fascination street
primary
the drowning man
lovesong
charlotte sometimes
the walk
a forest
inbetween days
the same deep water as you
prayers for rain
disintegration
Encore 1:
lullaby
close to me
let's go to bed
why can't i be you

Encore 2:
shake dog shake
siamese twins
one hundred years

Encore 3:
homesick
untitled
faith

Encore 4:
m
three imaginary boys
fire in cairo
boys don't cry
10.15 saturday night
killing an arab

The Waterboys - Brighton Centre March 22nd 1989

A trip to the seaside and the memory of Kilburn made the build up an exciting one. Although with hindsight, after the immense performance at Kilburn a month earlier, this could only disappoint. As a standalone gig it was still well above average - the band on top of their game - but overall a not quite full venue and lacklustre crowd contributed to a good but not great evening out. The band still seemed to enjoy it, kicking of footballs into the crowd at the end and throwing in a great cover of Dylan's Rainy Day Women 12 & 35 (Everybody Must Get Stoned) during the encore.

Strange Boat
Fisherman's Blues
Medicine Bow
Twa' Recruitin' Sergeants
The Good Ship Sirius
Has Anybody Here Seen Hank ?
Old England
Sweet Thing */ This Is The Sea
And A Bang On The Ear
Mr Customs Man
Jimmy Hickey's Waltz
When Will We Be Married? *
When Ye Go Away
Be My Enemy
Savage Earth Heart / The Pan Within / Je t'aime */ Higherbound
A Pagan Place
Meet Me At The Station *
Happy Birthday Jay Dee Daugherty
The Whole Of The Moon
________
Follow The Fellow Who Fiddles
On My Way To Heaven
________
Somebody Might Wave Back
Rainy Day Women Nos 12 & 35 (Everybody Must Get Stoned)

The Waterboys - London, Kilburn Ballroom 22nd Feb 1989

I don't think they ever got any better than this. My first realy sweaty, moshing gig and it was a cracker.


Fisherman's Blues
Meet Me At The Station
On My Way To Heaven
Medicine Bow
Strange Boat
The Good Ship Sirius
Twa' Recruitin' Sergeants
Has Anybody Here Seen Hank ?
Old England
And A Bang On The Ear
Mr Customs Man
Jimmy Hickey's Waltz
When Will We Be Married?
When Ye Go Away
Be My Enemy
Savage Earth Heart / The Pan Within / Higherbound
An Cailin Alainn
Bleann Na Bo
The Stolen Child
The Whole Of The Moon

SImply Red - London Wembley Arena 1988

Another trip to the Aircraft Hangar for another dismal gig. I think I just fell in with a bad crowd in the 6th form and follwed like a sheep to several of these awful nights out. This was real '80s soul(less) boy territory - to be fair Mick Hucknall has a good voice - just a shame that the songs are so god damned terrible and that he is such an objectionable git.

Whitney Houston - London Wembley Arena 1988

No I have no real idea why I went either! I think I just fancied her a bit. Anyway a group of us from school headed up to Wembley on the train and the journey through Cricklewood was as eventful as the concert - i.e. not at all. A real stop-start gig, too many ballards, too much wobbly chin warbling and some strangely wooden dancing. And this was when she was at her peak - can only imagine what it would be like today (shudder).

. didn't we almost have it all
. love will save the day
. you give good love
. so emotional
. where do broken hearts go
. love is a contact sport
. band presentation
. saving all my love for you
. he / i believe
. wonderful concellior
. natural woman
. greatest love of all
. i wanna dance with somebody

Marillion - Hammersmith Odeon 16th January 1988

This was a bit of a baptism of fire as first gigs go. Dropped off outside the venue by my Dad (how rock'n'roll) with my mate Chris, we wandered wide eyed into the Odeon amongst the Marillion devotees and suddenly felt very young, clean and naive. We found our way to our seats (it was all seated in those days) and were right next to a complete Fish obsessive with a spider's web tatooed across his face. He stood impassively throughout the whole concert mouthing every single word along with the band and scaring the living daylights out of me... The gig was great though and we managed to survive them playing side two of their Misplaced Childhood album chronologically without jumping from the balcony. Fish swore a lot which I found highly impressive and my favourite tune - Incommunicado blew the roof off.

01 The Thieving Magpie (La Gazza Ladra) 02 Slàinte Mhath 03 Assassing 04 White Russians 05 Sugar Mice 06 Fugazi 07 Hotel Hobbies
08 Warm Wet Circles 09 That Time Of The Night 10 Misplaced Childhood (Part 2) 11 Kayleigh 12 Lavender 13 Heart Of Lothian
14 Incommunicado 15 Garden Party 16 Market Square Heroes

Michael Jackson - July 14th Wembley 1988

Despite what a fruitcake he has become, there is no denying that Michael Jackon was one hell of an entertainer. We got the tickets about a year in advance and by the time the concert came around, I thnk I considered myself too cool for Jacko but was still secretly very excited. We got the coach to Wembley and we were probably around the centre circle of Wembley stadium with a great view of the stage.

The build up was as good as the gig itself and I remember as much about the moonwalking Jacko feet on the enormous video screen before he appeared as I do about the rest of the night.

The major highlights were stellar versions of Man in the Mirror and Billie Jean and some sensational dancing. Other than that nothing but a hazy memory with the smell of stale Wembley burgers and that film of filthy, sticky sweat lingering in the coach on the way home.

The Set List:
1)Wanna Be Starting Something
2)Heartbreak Hotel
3)Another Part of Me
4)I Just Can't Stop Loving You
5)She's Out Of My Life
6)Jackson 5 Medley
7)Rock With You
8)Dirty Diana
9)Smooth Criminal
10)Thriller
11)Band Interlude
12)Working Day and Night
13)Beat It
14)Billie Jean
15)Bad
16)The Way You Make Me Feel
17)Man In the Mirror