Just thinking that it would be intertesting for everyone to post their fave gigs by 80's bands. For the record, I'd state thus;
10 - Feargal Sharkey at the Glasgow Barrowlands circa Oct/Nov, 1985. Perhaps my greatest single Barrowland memory was when Feargal launched into "Listen To Your Father" and the crowd, to a manjack, went quite, quite ballistic. As the song was being played, Feargal quite clearly got into the whole vibe and gave it much welly. When it ended he declared that it had been so good that they would do it again. And they did!
9 - Robert Palmer at Tiffany's, Glasgow circa 1983. A roomful of lusting women and a man with a voice that could charm angels. "Pride" and "Johnny & Mary" were bloody brilliant.
8 - Midge Ure at the Renfrew Ferry last year. Bugger me, the wee man can sing.
7 - Julian Cope on the St. Julian tour at the Barrowlands. For me, he began to disappear up his own archibald after this. Brilliant set liberally sprinkled with old Teardrop numbers.
6 - ABC at King Tuts about 3 years ago. Small venue, big voice. Magnificent.
5 - China Crisis at Bourbon St., Glasgow. Faded Eighties stars play the chicken-in-a-basket circuit and storm the place. Arizona Sky has never sounded so good.
4 - Echo & The Bunnymen at the Barrowlands on the Evergreen tour. With the Bunnymen it's either brilliant or bollocks. That night they scaled the heights.
3 - Deacon Blue, 1989 at Berkley Campus, University of California, San Francisco. On the cusp of fame and fortune and me and my mate were the only two people in the place who had heard of them. Great banter with the band and, as ever, great set.
2 - Thompson Twins at Wembley Arena, "Into The Gap" set. At the height of their powers and one of the great performances from an 80's band. Pure pop played with power, precision and poise.
And my winner is...............
1 - Pete Wylie at King Tuts around 3/4 years ago. The Mouth of the Mersey, The Liverpool Lip - call him what you will but what a show. Packed and the lads were wigging out in the front row and we whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Story of The Blues, Sinful, Heart As Big As..he played them all and 'fessed up that it was one of the best gigs he had ever played.
