I saw them before they were famous

[Fnaar]

Saxon at the Newcastle Labour Club, Sunday lunchtime session.

A friend of mine was once their manager

 

[Ghost Donkey]

I saw Feeder in Leeds when they supported the Wildhearts before they'd released anything. I bought their first singe. A mistake it would seem but the single sold for nearly twenty quid on ebay a couple of years ago and the profit I made would have paid for the Wilhearts ticket too so an overall financial gain on the night in question.

Britney Spears came into my old workplace to plug her first single on CITV (in the school uniform from the video). I think she was only fifteen at the time so a bit dodgy. She'd been number one in America but hadn't released anything in the UK yet so I don't know if that counts.

 

[Brains]

Well as I worked in business I saw quite a few, the ones that come to mind are:

The Cult, before they were called the Cult at Heven
Generation X, local garage band
The Undertones at the Marquee
George Throughgood at the Electric ballroom and a pub in Camden (I still have the ticket, he is now a stadium rock star in the USA)
Squeeze at the St Dunstans school disco
Dire Straits at the local pub, the Sultan, (drummer and kit fell through the 'stage' of pushed together tables!)
The Dammed, many times at parties clubs and pubs
Dr and the Medics, many times, parties clubs and pubs
Kagagogo (well it was a free gig!)
T'Pau - turned down a job with them
Die Toten Hosen (became vast stadium band in Germany)
Boy George and Culture Club
Scritti Politti

and probably many more if I put my mind to it .....

 

[Lardyboy]

Saw R.E.M. at the Town And Country in 84 I think? Memory isn't what it was.

Manics in Cardiff in 90? See above reason!

 

[User169]

Die Toten Hosen (became vast stadium band in Germany)

And worth mentioning simply for one of the best song titles ever...

Eisgekuhlte Bommerlunder!!!

 

[Jim_Noir]

nirvana, saw them in the QMU.. had never heard of them but mates band where supporting them. Needless to say nirvana made it big, mates band didn't

 

[Perfect Virgo]

Queen supporting Mott the Hoople in 1973 at the Bournemouth Winter Gardens.

Boomtown Rats at the Bournemouth Village Bowl in 1978.

Kate Bush on her only tour in 1979 at the Southampton Gaumont.

 

[vernon]

I saw Chris Rea when he was a regular performer in the Bowes Wine Cellar in Darlington.

He was good.

The beer (Vaux) was shite.

 

[gaz]

La Roux, i went to school with her, luckily she didn't sign

 

[TVC]

Simply Red, did a free open spot at Leics Poly in 1984-85, just a couple of weeks before they broke through (and about 6 months before they started to go down hill).

 

[nigelnorris]

Saw Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark supporting Gary Numan at Bristol years ago. Despite what's written in the crap gig thread they were alright then.

haha I came here to post exactly the same thing though I can't remember where. It was at the time of release of the first album, think Electricity had just come out. They were awesome, but Gazza had the edge - think they were still touring as Tubeway Army, it was the Replicas tour in '78.

[Nope just checked the OMD album didn't come out till 1980, maybe they were supporting the PP tour.]

Just downloaded the Gary Numan Pleasure Principle tour video where he came on stage riding in the little car and the radio controlled pyramids were dancing about on stage, happy memories from '79.

Someone else mentioned Dr and the Medics, I remember seeing them supporting The Damned in their early days.

 

[Chuffy]

Catatonia at Edwards in Birmingham in '94. When I saw the name I thought they were going to be a death metal band... I was within a lusty pant of lovely Cerys who was playing a big white guitar and looking a bit worried. I thought she was lovely.

Oh and I saw Muse at Brixton Academy just after the first album was released.

Both of them were supporting an American band called Live who were a 10,000 seater stadium type of band back in the States, so seeing them in a sweaty club was pretty special.

 

[wilko]

Saw quite a few bands play at The Marquee in London before they became mega, back in the 70's. Led Zeppelin, Cream,Taste, Blodwyn Pig, Mott The Hoople to name but a few.

 

[peanut]

Joe Bugner rented a friends bedsit before he became famous ....well you didn't say it had to be a band

 

[Aperitif]

Saw Ginger Baker in his Mum's front garden once - Wealdstone...but Cream were famous by then.
I suppose the Sex Pistols, who came to Chelsea School of Art to "play" one of their first gigs - maybe even the first - in 1975. It changed a lot of things and a lot of people around there...