FabSwingers.com forum: What is the biggest music act you have seen in the smallest venue

By *usman 199 OP Man
over a year ago

Stockport

Morning just everyone

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By *ntrigued32Couple
over a year ago

Nottingham

House of pain - in a small nightclub

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

David Bowie - BBC Radio Studio 2, Maida Vale. 2002

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By *2000ManMan
over a year ago

Worthing

Bon Jovi at the Brighton Centre. It was their first gig in the uk as support to Kiss. Probably only support band I've seen where you got the feeling they would be huge.

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By *ack688Man
over a year ago

abruzzo Italy (and UK)

"David Bowie - BBC Radio Studio 2, Maida Vale. 2002"

We clearly have a winner here!

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By *asterR and slut mayaMan
over a year ago

Bradford

"Morning just everyone

Bob Dylan in Manchester once

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By *etric5555Man
over a year ago

BISHOP AUCKLAND

Depeche mode local club

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By *edkent69Man
over a year ago

maidstone

Prince, Electric Ballroom, Camden, 2014

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By *ack688Man
over a year ago

abruzzo Italy (and UK)

Nanci Griffiths in a tiny venue in Manchester before she became popular in the uk.

Quite a few bands including The Darkness and Nick Cave at a couple of recordings of Later that I got to attend at the BBC studios

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Chaka Khan....The Li_elight Aldershot.

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By *heikyerboutiMan
over a year ago

Hinckley

Jane's Addiction in a tiny club in Birmingham on the 'Nothing's Shocking' tour.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Example - rock city, before he hit the big time & did stadiums. His star fell after a couple of years but he still has a place in my heart

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Blondie at the Brighton Centre. It was my first ever concert.

Well, my 1st was Gary Glitter but we don't talk about that...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Paul Weller at the 100 club

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Bon Jovi at the Brighton Centre. It was their first gig in the uk as support to Kiss. Probably only support band I've seen where you got the feeling they would be huge."
I was at that gig and Bon Jovi were certainly the best that night

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By *r SproutMan
over a year ago

the middle

"House of pain - in a small nightclub

D."

Was there room to jump around?

Mind is the darkness at the carling academy

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Texas (Charlene Spiteri) in the room spanning tower bridge!

I won the tickets in a radio contest, it was brilliant.

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By *oquars19458Man
over a year ago

sheffield

The tourists in a club in Wakefield

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By *heikyerboutiMan
over a year ago

Hinckley

Trapeze at Snoopy's Nightclub in Cannock, don't look for it; it's not there anymore.

Glenn Hughes - Deep Purple

Mel Galley - Whitesnake

Dave Holland - Judas Priest

Geoff Downes - Yes, Asia, Buggles etc.

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By *ickdasterdly51Man
over a year ago

Lingfield

The Jam at the Marquee Club, also U2 on the bottom of the bill at the Electric Ballroom (we decided to go upstairs to the bar).

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By *heekyDemandCouple
over a year ago

Leicester

Saw Faithless at Rock City in Nottingham

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By *heikyerboutiMan
over a year ago

Hinckley

"The Jam at the Marquee Club, also U2 on the bottom of the bill at the Electric Ballroom (we decided to go upstairs to the bar)."

Forgot I'd seen U2 at Wolverhampton Poly, the year Boy came out.

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By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

Beth Hart and Jack Savoretti both at the De la Warr in Bexhill

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Stranglers and sex pistols at Guildford uni... 1977

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By *inAndTonic21Couple
over a year ago

Merseyside

Fun lovin criminals at a uni venue at the height of their reign

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By *handlerMonicaCouple
over a year ago

Leicester

"Fun lovin criminals at a uni venue at the height of their reign

Saw them in a local pub at around the same time, just 200 capacity, fantastic gig.

Also seen The Killers in a 7000 person venue, which felt pretty intimate for a massive stadium band

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By *orphia2003Woman
over a year ago

Tonypandy.

Manic Street Preachers in some tiny venue in Cardiff.

Prince. Shepherds Bush empire

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By *cotCouple666Couple
over a year ago

Central Belt

Michael Buble at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh. That was 2004 and he wasn't that well known at the time.

Beth x

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By *imon_hydeMan
over a year ago

Stockport

Jarvis at the Deaf Institute

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By *a LunaWoman
over a year ago

South Wales

The Beautiful South at The Newport Centre

Many, many moons ago.

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By *atnip make me purrWoman
over a year ago

Reading

"David Bowie - BBC Radio Studio 2, Maida Vale. 2002"

Epic

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Magnum at the rig rock city nottm , he was not allowed to build his platform to sing from as he is a short arse ,couldnt see sod all, sony banned all live performance of their music in a contractual dispute, he sang em anyway.Bruce Dickinson at the same venue ,l asked him to sign album to Francis Rossi, he told me to fuck off.

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By *heikyerboutiMan
over a year ago

Hinckley

"Magnum at the rig rock city nottm , he was not allowed to build his platform to sing from as he is a short arse ,couldnt see sod all, sony banned all live performance of their music in a contractual dispute, he sang em anyway.Bruce Dickinson at the same venue ,l asked him to sign album to Francis Rossi, he told me to fuck off."

Another one I forgot about, Magnum in a pub in Wolverhampton, a charity gig just before (or maybe after) 'On a Storyteller's Night' was released.

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By *eacupsbearCouple
over a year ago

York

Slayer at rock city.

They were selling out stadiums at the time.

Rage Against the Machine at the ULU in London

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By *ravelling_WilburyMan
over a year ago

Beverley

Oasis at Hull Ice Arena

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By *ntrigued32Couple
over a year ago

Nottingham

"House of pain - in a small nightclub

Was there room to jump around?

Mind is the darkness at the carling academy "

Mosh pit!!

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By *ichaelangelaCouple
over a year ago

notts

The who

Small faces

The kinks

Little stevie wonder

At a little club called The Dungeon. In Nottingham in the1960s.

Also The Beatles at Nottingham Odeon Cinema in the 60s.

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By *0ng0 furyMan
over a year ago

Birkenhead

U2 @ brady's liverpool

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By *ean counterMan
over a year ago

Market Harborough / Kettering

Iron Maiden in 1986 or 1987 at Leicester De Monfort hall. Small venue and one of the biggest and best bands ever ! Unbelievable!!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Edwin Starr at the muni theatre in colne

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By *heikyerboutiMan
over a year ago

Hinckley

[Removed by poster at 12/08/23 18:42:30]

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By *heikyerboutiMan
over a year ago

Hinckley

Do the likes of Rock City, DeMontfort Hall and various Odeon size theatres really count as 'small' venues?

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By *rHotNottsMan
over a year ago

Dubai & Nottingham

Quite a few at Rock city, Tool, Faith no More, Slash, Pantera, Rage against the machine.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Morning just everyone

Skepta in a small nightclub in Worcester

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By *rHotNottsMan
over a year ago

Dubai & Nottingham

"Do the likes of Rock City, DeMontfort Hall and various Odeon size theatres really count as 'small' venues?"

Rock city is max 2000, the small disco downstairs where faith no more played first time is around 400

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By *ittlemiss Hal O weenCouple
over a year ago

Southampton

Papa Roach at Southampton guildhall

Example at Bournemouth o2 academy

Stone sour , same venue

Manics at shepherd's Bush empire

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By *usman 199 OP Man
over a year ago

Stockport

"Do the likes of Rock City, DeMontfort Hall and various Odeon size theatres really count as 'small' venues?"
course they do

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If l remember the downstairs bar at rock city, the rig, didnt have a bar ,had to go upstairs , the 'stage' was 6 inch high.

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By *heikyerboutiMan
over a year ago

Hinckley

"If l remember the downstairs bar at rock city, the rig, didnt have a bar ,had to go upstairs , the 'stage' was 6 inch high."

That's a proper small venue. I've seen some brilliant bands in there (interviewed a few in the changing rooms down there too).

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Example - rock city, before he hit the big time & did stadiums. His star fell after a couple of years but he still has a place in my heart

Elliot is still alive and well living Australia raising his family touring and making music. Living his best life.

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By *heikyerboutiMan
over a year ago

Hinckley

"Do the likes of Rock City, DeMontfort Hall and various Odeon size theatres really count as 'small' venues?course they do

I'd say not, to be honest. They were just standard venues when bands used to do 'proper' tours.

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By *imi_RougeWoman
over a year ago

Portsmouth

The Prodigy at a local leisure centre, 1993.

Dermot Kennedy at The Brook 2019 (500 capacity) he now sells out the O2 in London and various large venues in Ireland/America, Glastonbury twice

Tom Grennan at Southampton Guildhall/Victorious he's sold out the o2 and performed at Glasto

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By *eyond PurityCouple
over a year ago

Lincolnshire

Stereophonics done a gig in Leeds O2 to prepare for a stadium tour - got to see them up close and personal.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"If l remember the downstairs bar at rock city, the rig, didnt have a bar ,had to go upstairs , the 'stage' was 6 inch high.

That's a proper small venue. I've seen some brilliant bands in there (interviewed a few in the changing rooms down there too)."

After a motorhead gig in rock city we met Lemmy downstairs chillin after the gig.

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By *hesblokeMan
over a year ago

Derbyshire village

I saw Stan Bush in a hotel conference suite

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Tom Walker before he played big concerts/radio hits.. in Koko I think. Or O2 Kentish Town.

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By *os_GoddessofdawnWoman
over a year ago

In the clouds

Soundgarden at Brixton

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Please feel free to take your pick as to which you consider is the "biggest" of these...

Robert Plant in a marquee in Cambridge to about 20 or so of us.

Green Day in a snooker club in Huddersfield.

Nirvana in a pub in Leeds. They were just the support band that night too.

Joan Baez in a small tent with about a dozen of us.

My mate's unknown band playing a pub in Leeds but their support bands that night were 10,000 Things who's singer Sam Riley went on to be a Hollywood film star and opening up that evening were the Kaiser Chiefs.

The Sisters of Mercy playing a few secret warm up shows in various pubs in Leeds.

Oh and I saw a band called The Cockroaches in a tiny club in Paris. They usually use their more well known alias of The Rolling Stones when they play 0ther (much larger) venues.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Breaking Benjamin acoustic tour.

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By *luebell888Woman
over a year ago

Glasgowish

Deacon Blue and The Proclaimers played a gig at my local town hall. They were amongst 6 up and coming bands which were not famous at the time.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Super Grass. UEA Norwich about 20 years back. Fantastic!

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By *rtic explorerMan
over a year ago

ring road bristol

Foo fighters in Frome

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By *uterspace1978Man
over a year ago

Bexley

Muse @ Cambridge Corn Exchange

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I saw The Kooks, Libertines, Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs in tiny venues supporting others, I think pretty much all before they were signed or released a song so I didn’t know anything much about them at the time.

Black Keys in Rescue Rooms in Nottingham and Confidence Man in Stealth was pretty tiny too given what they play now.

Loads at Rock City and O2 venues. Yeah they have smaller rooms, the big room in Rock City for example is Comparatively huge.

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By *ornyguyMan
over a year ago

Hillsborough, NI

Muse at the Venue in Edinburgh.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

5ive in Newcastle ??

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By *imply DeeWoman
over a year ago

Wherever

Adore Delano in O2 Academy Islington and the after party.

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By *aeganaWoman
over a year ago

birmingham

1st time I seen evanescence was small for them at the o2 academy tbf.

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By *arHHHTV/TS
over a year ago

Birmingham

Pro tip for seeing artists in small venues - jump on a flight and head to Amsterdam! I lived there for a good few years and saw a lot of relatively big British bands play in small venues as they weren’t big enough in The Netherlands to sell out bigger gigs, so over a few years at a 600 odd capacity venue I’ve seen…

Muse

Biffy Clyro

Chemical Brothers

Orbital

Pendulum

Chase & Status

Stone Roses

Plus loads of other bands you would probably say are a bit smaller, all in a tiny venue with a load of ex pats going a bit crazy!

Also, you get to fall out of there and experience the rest of Amsterdam…..so a win all round!x

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By *eavenNhellCouple
over a year ago

carrbrook stalybridge

U2 manchester uni theyre first gig on the mainland cracking night dragged along by my big brother

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By *asman69Man
over a year ago

Bradford

Me too with cypress hill

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By *ink Panther 123Man
over a year ago

Colnbrook

The Beat last year in a venue called The Boiler Room in Guildford, certainly lived up to its name. Fucking boiling!

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By *orflondonerMan
over a year ago

Wood Green

Madness(as the Dangermen), Dublin Castle,Camden Town.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Saw Ash play a gig at tiny place called the venue, Redditch in November 2000.

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By *orksRockerMan
over a year ago

Bradford

Saw Iron Maiden on the Number of the Breast tour in Bfd St George's Hall.. A small venue, but this was 1983 lol

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By *rHotNottsMan
over a year ago

Dubai & Nottingham

Sleaford mods in a local pub in Sherwood notts

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By *ensual 2Couple
over a year ago

Blackpool

Hall & Oates .. Jazz Cafe Camden London …promo night . so good ..

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By *eliWoman
over a year ago

Amy Winehouse in a kind of grotty pub in Camden. Always going to be one of my top gigs. It was incredible. Atmospheric to be clichéd.

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By *orksRockerMan
over a year ago

Bradford

"Hall & Oates .. Jazz Cafe Camden London …promo night . so good .."

Jealous.. love these.

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By *ictoriaathomeTV/TS
over a year ago

Huddersfield

Tom Jones at the House of Blues in San Diego, small club, maybe 200 people!!

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By *ontowatchMan
over a year ago

east sussex

Good album I saw them on that tour

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By *ontowatchMan
over a year ago

east sussex

I tend to agree . Those are for me medium size venues

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By *cott73Man
over a year ago

brighton

Blur at the Zap Club in Brighton. Must have been 1990/91.

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By *mateur100Man
over a year ago

nr faversham

GnR in the old Marquee. This was just before Appetite struck

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By *ousewifeonheatCouple
over a year ago

watford

Robbie williams in a theatre in watford

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By *ltmeeMan
over a year ago

wrexham

I saw Muse support the band 'Live' at Manchester Academy shortly after their debut album released. Practically blew the main band away.

Saw Eminem at the same venue.

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By *aughty but nice...Man
over a year ago

Staffs

Paul Heaton in a pub

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Simple Minds at their peak in Glasgow Barrowlands

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By *eather_uktvTV/TS
over a year ago

Manchester

The Who in a small club in Altrincham.

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By *ealitybitesMan
over a year ago

Belfast

Hothouse Flowers in a local pub about 5 years ago with only 40 people there.

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By *ycanNightsMan
over a year ago

Workington

The Prodigy at Glasgow Barrowlands

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By *partharmonyCouple
over a year ago

Ruislip

I saw David Gilmour (formerly of Pink Floyd) in the Rainbow Theatre in London when he did a gig for Radio 2.

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By *partharmonyCouple
over a year ago

Ruislip

"Hothouse Flowers in a local pub about 5 years ago with only 40 people there. "

That's criminal! I hope that's not their regular audience now.

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By *partharmonyCouple
over a year ago

Ruislip

This is cheating, but in 1993 I saw Bruce Hornsby at the Jazz Café in Camden a few days before he played with the Grateful Dead at the RFK stadium in Washington DC.

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By *odgerMooreMan
over a year ago

Fulwood

Ian Gillan in a pub in Liverpool under another name… hahaha he thought no one knew - we all knew because the lads in his band told us week’s ahead

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By *heGateKeeperMan
over a year ago

Stratford

I saw Einaudi in a pretty intimate venue but I can’t remember which as I’ve seen him 3 or 4 times now

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By *ivek68Man
over a year ago

york

Edwin star in a small club in York

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By *ad NannaWoman
over a year ago

East London

Depeche Mode in a small club in pub type venue, before they became famous.

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By *ealitybitesMan
over a year ago

Belfast

"Hothouse Flowers in a local pub about 5 years ago with only 40 people there.

That's criminal! I hope that's not their regular audience now. "

No they are still playing to massive audiences.

It was a one off and almost a practice gig before they went on tour that year.

It wasn't very well advertised which I think was deliberate and I only heard about it that morning. Tickets were only a tenner.

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By *hiny-SinnersCouple
over a year ago

Vale of Glamorgan

Def Leppard in the Granary, Bristol before they exploded.

Paul Young with the Q Tips at a small student venue in Bristol.

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