Ray's Gigs

Daily news and reviews of gigs bars clubs restaurants product launches films theatre fashion shows books art galleries hotels competitions interesting places to visit ...and much more!

Friday 25 June 2021.

Friday 25 June 2021. CRAIG DUFFY MEMORIAL WAKE at The Forum....7.30pm to 11pm.. Well known band tour manager Craig Duffy died in a car crash on 21 May in Somerset. He had long stints as tour manager for Blur and Duran Duran and also tour managed Gorillaz, Fugees, Franz Ferdinand, Lily Allen, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madness and U2 at various times. Around 300 guests here at his fave live music venue. All of BLUR are here but surprisingly nobody from Duran Duran was here. Original Damned drummer Rat Scabies was here. I saw plenty off punk t-shirts here, 3 X Clash, 2 X Pistols, I X Damned, 1 X Buzzcocks. Mainly an older crowd of family, friends and folks from the music industry including promoter reps from the likes of Live Nation and Metropolis and pr folks, roadies, truck drivers etc. Djs played tunes and speeches were given , with photos of Craig on the big screen. Tables downstairs and general seating upstairs with food and drinks including a bottle of Laurent Perrier champers for each table and group of guests. Well known band touring caterers "Eat To The Beat" provided the food. ----------------- Saturday 26 June 2021 Happy Birthday to MICK JONES who is 66 today. I was lucky to see him loads of times on stage with his various bands dating back to Sept 1976 when I saw The Clash at The 100 Club Punk Rock Festival. Check my Facebook page for a photo of us together. ----------------- Sunday 27 June 2021. I can remember buying this show on bootleg video back in the 1990s. Check it out on YouTube...excellent quality and the band are on fire. SEX PISTOLS The filthy lucre tour, Tokyo (JAP), 16 novembre 1996. Oddly they have added a couple of tracks from Phoenix Festival 1996 at the end of the footage. ----------------- Monday 28 June 2021. Happy Birthday to MEL BROOKS who is 95 today...yes 95. Mel Brooks is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker , with many great films under his belt. ----------------- Tuesday 29 June 2021. EURO 2020 megaclash as England play Germany....5pm kick-off. I was again up at the Trafalgar Square Fan Zone to watch it. It was raining when we arrived in the West End, but thankfully no rain during the game. The three group games were for key workers only but tonight was public ballot so more rowdy. A great atmosphere, and folks dancing on the tables and hugging when England scored. Over 35,000 people applied for the 350 pairs of tickets. A great win for England. ----------------- Wednesday 30 July 2021. Happy Birthday to ANDY SCOTT from THE SWEET who is 72 today. He is the sole surviving member of this great glam rock band from the early 1970s. In Dec 1973 they were the first of 52 shows that I saw saw at the legendary Rainbow Theatre. My last show there was in 1981 and the venue closed in 1982 and was left empty until 1995 when the building was taken over by a Brazilian church which is still there.