Big names at small clubs

[caja-dglh]

Big names at small clubs

The White Stripes at King Tuts Wah-Wah Hut is probably the main one that was incredible. Though lots of Arab Strap and Mogwai gigs in near empty rooms - more the standard local band rather than an early tour situation.

Oh, Boards of Canada at the Venue, Edinburgh. In about 1998, before anyone really knew who they were or that they were never going to play live. It was supporting Autechre, with three 1980s TV's at the front of the stage showing skateboard videos.

[Bored Of Education]

Big names at small clubs

Hold on, are we talking about big bands at small clubs before they got famous as well or just big bands doing more 'intimate' or secret gigs.

If it is the former as well

Manics at the Camden Falcon early on - Rubbish Alarm copyists

Voice of the Beehive at the Camden Enterprise for their first gig - we were supporting.

The Shamen at a small venue in Hampton Court - Again we were supporting

Nirvana at SOAS - Only went to see Tad who I missed as I assumed they were headlining. Nirvana were rubbish Police copyists

For the latter sort of gig, I saw the Manics and Sepultura do secret gigs at the second Marquee.

I suppose The Young Gods always played smallish venues, so it's kind of futile to name them, but the gig at the Subterania was my favourite one of theirs.

I was at that gig. Brilliant, one of the best I have ever been to. I also saw the Rollins Band there.

Actually, thinking about it, I supported Rollins doing his first spoken word gig over here at Dingwalls. We were playing, he was speaking.

In the Carter USM/Eat vein although I wouldn't particularly call them big, we gave Mega City Four and The Senseless Things some of their first gigs supporting us.

[Cal Alamein]

Big names at small clubs

Seems we did a thread like this awhile back.

Flaming Lips second gig was at a VFW hall - I was one of about 15 people there. The next time I saw them play was at a packed house party.

U2 at Cains Ballroom in Tulsa, 1981 I think. Perhaps 75 people in attendance. Around 30 years later, they play at OU's football stadium, 70,000 people.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Big names at small clubs

Oooh, I saw Flaming Lips play at the Islington Powerhaus, long time ago.

I used to really like that venue, saw some great gigs there.

[adams house cat]

Big names at small clubs

Late 60s/early 70s The Boat Club, Nottingham had lots of outfits that later became huge - Deep Purple, led Zepellin, Free, Jethro Tull, Supertramp, Savoy Brown, King Crimson.
Cream at Nottingham Technical College

In reduced circumstances:

Townes Van Zandt - The Wheatsheaf, Stoke
Blue Oyster Cult - a bar in Harrisonburg VA (also saw Ratt there)
Average White Band in a small tent at the Warren County fair.
Gene Vincent at a funfair in France.
Maria Muldaur at Sweet Carolines, Winchester VA
Paul Revere and the Raiders at high school dance in North Dakota
Steppenwolf at a ski lodge in Michigan
ZZ Top rehearsing a tour in Shreveport LA

[Cal Alamein]

Big names at small clubs

Steppenwolf at a ski lodge? Paul Revere and the Raiders at a HS dance in ND?

Can't believe anyone can top AHC's impressive list...and I have a feeling he was only getting started!

[evilC]

Big names at small clubs

adams house cat wrote:

Gene Vincent at a funfair in France.

That... that's... just remarkable!

Someone like Marc Almond would have sold his soul for an experience like that! I probably would have been second in the queue behind him, too.

[Purves Grundy]

Big names at small clubs

Lucia Lanigan wrote:

I suppose seeing The Darkness at London's little 93 Feet East venue, about a week before they became massive, would count. Brilliant gig, Justin riding his friend's shoulders around the venue with a cig hanging out of his gob while soloing was a neat trick. About 100 people in the room, I'd guess.

In the absence of BOREDOFEDUCATIONISACUNT I guess it falls to me to relate the time that he and I saw the Darkness play in front of an audience of 8 people (manager, girlfriends, me, BOEIAC & two random people) in the back room at The Castle in Tooting. It was the first time Justin ever wore the catsuit in public. Less than two months later Permission to Land was released.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Big names at small clubs

Probably Primal Scream, touring their second album, in a pub in Bolton. About thirty people there.

Two years later they released Screamadelica.

[Benjm]

Big names at small clubs

I saw Primal Scream around then at a pub in Cannock.

When the 'bands you saw before/after they were famous' threads were running I remember thinking it could arguably go on both.

An oddity was The Pet Shop Boys at a half empty Hammersmith Apollo in 2010, six months after they sold out the O2 arena.

It was a charity do for Mencap so maybe the fans thought it would be one of those three song per act variety bills and stayed away. As it was they played the full touring show (with building block set) and very good it was too.

[VTTBoscombe]

Big names at small clubs

The Specials above the Village Bowl in Bournemouth, in a bar really , not in the main "concert venue" - I use that expression with a degree of sarcasm. .
It was after Gangsters; but before the Two Tone Tour (with The Selector and Madness);
It were a bit packed.

[WOM]

Big names at small clubs

benjm wrote:

An oddity was The Pet Shop Boys at a half empty Hammersmith Apollo in 2010, six months after they sold out the O2 arena.

That's an interesting phenomenon, that. Paul McCartney & Wings played Skydome in Toronto in the early '90s and you couldn't find a ticket. Christ, there must have been 50,000 people there and it rocked.

He did a second pass maybe 8 or 9 months later and they couldn't give the tickets away. I remember them running radio ads for 2 for 1 tickets.

Surly Macca's tipping point isn't 50,000 seats, no more and no less, but whatever mania was in the air had passed as quickly as it had come.

[adams house cat]

Big names at small clubs

The Steppenwolf show wasn't that good. Kaye was the only "real" member.

The Paul Revere show was outstanding. The crowd was half kids and half their parents who remembered the glory days. The band tore the place up. Terrific.

Townes Van Zandt kept complaining that the pubs in Stoke closed at 11.

ZZ Top played their tour set then called for requests. As and old school Texas bar band they either knew or could work out all of them. Great show.

Oh, and Cal. Thanks. I'll e-mail you later.

[Max Payne]

Big names at small clubs

Supergrass at Exeter Uni about 4 years ago, Road to Rouen tour. Great gig too. Also saw Beck in Manchester Uni in a tiny room getting booed because he wouldn't play 'Loser' and played pretty much all of One Foot in the Grave instead. Faith No More at Manchester Academy because they could have filled it 10x over doing King for a Day.

[Calvert]

Big names at small clubs

Contrarian that I am, I love that, when bands refuse to play their big song because they're actually sick of it.
I worked at a Maria McKee gig years ago and she point-blank refused to play Show Me Heaven no matter how much the audience whined. I'm sure there's loads of other examples.
The Damned used to play New Rose first to get it out of the way every time they came to our place yet morons were still shouting for it later.