Monday 15 March 2021.

Monday 15 March 2021. Over 24 million first doses of the covid vaccine have been given out in the UK. ---------- Great to see BODY COUNT win a Grammy Award on Sunday for Best Metal Performance. Check out the track on YouTube - BODY COUNT - Bum-Rush (OFFICIAL VIDEO) I have seen BODY COUNT live a couple of times. ---------- KISS classic album "Destroyer" was released 45 years ago today on 15 March 1976. I bought it on release and two months later i saw both KISS debut London shows at Hammersmith Odeon in May 1976. ---------- Happy Birthday to PENNY LANCASTER (Mrs Rod Stewart) who is 50 today. On Monday i will put up a photo of Penny and myself together at a nice event. ---------- Happy Birthday to HOWARD DEVOTO who is 69 today. His main band were Magazine but he was also the original Buzzcocks singer before Pete Shelley. I saw Magazine three times during 1978/1979 and their reunion tour several years ago. ---------- Happy Birthday to DEE SNIDER from Twisted Sister who is 66 today. I had a random meeting and photo with him at the ICE Gaming Show at Excel in Feb 2020. I saw Twisted Sister three times during their 1980s heyday period. Twisted Sister,Lita Ford Hammersmith Odeon , London 15.06.1984 great fun double bill. Twisted Sister,Shy Hammersmith Odeon , London 24.03.1986. Dee Snider is a great front man . Twisted Sister,Shy Hammersmith Odeon , London 25.03.1986. ------------------------ Tuesday 16 March 2021. The Cheltenham Festival starts today for four days - The Gold Cup is on Friday. This time last year , they managed to get 50,000 full capacity each day just before the first covid restrictions lockdown ,that started just a few days later. There was a lot of critisism over whether it should have been held. This year it will go ahead without crowds at the Racecourse due to ongoing coronavirus restrictions. It is live on ITV every afternoon. ----------- One year ago this week, "normal" gigs came to a standstill due to the first lockdown. I was at these shows that week... 11 March 2020 - Bryan Ferry at The Royal Albert Hall. 12 March 2020 - The Cat Empire at Shepherds Bush Empire. 13 March 2020 - Elvis Costello & The Imposters at Hammersmith Apollo. 14 March 2020 - Jim Davidson at The Beck Theatre, Hayes. 16 March 2020 - Boris confirms covid lockdown to start pronto. ----------- BBC4 10pm. Crock of Gold | A Magnolia Pictures Film | Directed by Julien Temple | Own it on DVD released Dec 2020. CROCK OF GOLD – A FEW ROUNDS WITH SHANE MACGOWAN deep dives into the life of the tortured Irish vocalist, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of the Pogues. I first saw Shane on stage when he fronted The Nipple Erectors in Jan 1979. I have seen Shane on stage a dozen times with The Pogues and The Popes. The first time seeing The Pogues was 1985 at Hammersmith Palais. Their shows always had a fantastic atmosphere. ---------- 16 March 1996 - 25 years ago today. Sex Pistols held their press conference at The 100 Club to announce their "Filthy Lucre" world tour. I did not go to it, as it was impossible for me to get time off from my day job. I did see five shows on that superb tour. 23 June 1996 - Finsbury Park, London (main support was Iggy Pop). 04 July 1996 - Le Zenith, Paris, France. 11 July 1996 - Aquatica, Milan, Italy. 17 July 1996 - Shepherds Bush Empire. 21 July 1996 - Phoenix Festival, Stratford Upon Avon. 1996 was that incredible year when The Sex Pistols reformed with original members and KISS reformed with original members and make up - I saw all four of their UK shows. Donington (main support was Ozzy Osbourne), Birmingham, Manchester, Wembley. KISS tour actually was spread over 1996/1997 so i ended up seeing them twice in 1997. 10 June 1997 - Flanders Expo Arena, Ghent ,Belgium. 05 July 1997 - Finsbury Park, London (main support was Rage Against The Machine). The Finsbury Park show was the last date on their very successful 1996/1997 reunion tour.

Posted 14th March 2021