My Top 6…gigs at the Royal Albert Hall

(originally uploaded by the_moog)



Between acts at the Albert Hall last week I started looking around the venue thinking of all the different places I'd sat and I suddenly realised that I'd been to quite a few shows so here's a top 6 (but aside from the first one they're not really in any order)...

1. Joanna Newsom - September 2007 - Seat: Arena floor
   
   The view from the floor was surprisingly good although it helped to have an aisle seat. Spectacular show...but I've said all that already.
2. 10,000 Maniacs - November 1989 - Seat: Box
   
   We were in a box to the left of the stage, a friend of mine got the tickets through his work - we shared the box with this nutter who sang along at the top of his voice for most of the show (until I asked him not to and then he mimed for the rest). I think Indigo Girls may have supported.
3. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - January 1987 - Seat: Stalls
   
   Elvis was doing a run of shows at the Albert Hall split between being backed by The Confederates and The Attractions...we chose, obviously, to see The Attractions. The seats and the view were excellent, the show wasn't too bad.
4. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - (July 1994) - Seat: Box
   
   In 1992 Elvis appeared on Desert Island Discs and chose a bunch of music pretty far removed from the music that he had made (up until that point) and while I was aware of his high-brow pretensions I was disappointed that he seemed to not love the music he made (or the music that influenced the music he made) it was this point that I stopped being a fan. I was surprised therefore that the Elvis wiki seemed to suggest that I saw him play at the RAH in July 1994. We sat in a box at the back of the hall so the stage was a bit distant. Difford and Tilbrook of Squeeze supported.
5. Cowboy Junkies - 1992 - Seat: Circle
   
   My abiding memory of this gig was the "new" percussionist getting an onstage telling off for making a noise between songs which made me sneer at the precious-ness of the band. I'd loved The Trinity Sessions and quite enjoyed The Caution Horses but my Cowboy Junkies thing pretty much ended there - or maybe, more specifically ended at the point at which Margo turned and stared at the new boy and apologised for him.
6. Frank Sinatra - 199? - Seat: Cheapest - up in the gods...
   
   We had great seats for this - they were (relatively) cheap and supposedly (I think) restricted, but we were looking right down onto the stage, admittedly from a long way away. We could see Frank's autocue and so could easily sing along, even to the songs we didn't know...not that there were any. This was really a case of going because we wouldn't have another chance...and it was in the days when cheap tickets were within reach (rather than the £100 you'd have to pay for the cheapest Barbra Streisand tickets this year!