Hi, first saw Nick in 1999 in Edinburgh, unless the Kirkmichael guitar festival was before that? Since then i've been to a few Nick gigs and wherever possible tried to spread the word, to say I was chuffed to bits when he came to play my home town (Greenock) in 2006 is an understatement. I pestered the promotor so much that he promised to phone me when the tickets were printed. I ended up with tickets No.1 and 2 :biggrin:. I took along my copy of Passions of Great Fortune to the gig, which Roy had already signed, with the intention of getting an autograph from Nick and during his encore I waited outside the stage door to catch him. He said to give him a few mins and he'd be back out then disappeared into the dressing room. I waited about 20 mins and then the door opened and he said to come in if i wanted the book signed. I went into his dressing room and it was just him and I, he signed the book then started to look through it chatting about each of the pictures and the memories that came flooding back to him. All in he chatted for about three quarters of an hour and weirdly it ended with Nick apologising to me for not being able to chat longer! He had driven up from Hull that day and looked absolutely shattered. They say that you should never meet your heroes as you'll only be disappointed. That certainly doesn't apply in Nicks case, a real down to earth bloke who gave the impression that with a few beers and not such a desperate need for sleep he'd happily chat all night. :cheers2:
What a great story! :biggrin: And it's all true, a genuinely nice guy who's that talented, it's just not fair is it... :wink: *trying to remember why I wasn't at that gig - musta been slacking LOL*
'My most memorable Roy/Nick gig' and/or 'The first time I saw Roy/Nick live' - could be put into a little filler piece in HDO, eh Pete? Would be interesting to others.
Quoting this old post for the SF reference. I thought it was 1999, but I could be wrong. I have the ticket stub someplace. Anyway, it's my most memorable Roy performance 'cause it's the only one I've been to, being an ignorant 'Merukan. It had been 12 years since his last US tour, and he seemed pretty pleased with how this one was going. He promised it wouldn't be another 12 years before he came back and ... well ... 10 years so far (and now Tracy says he's pretty much retired from gigging -- *sob*). Roy was in great voice and humor that night. It was a tiny little club called Bottom of the Hill, and utterly packed to the gills. At the time I couldn't go to Santa Cruz for the next night's gig, so I was highly pleased that my one chance at seeing him came off so well. (Although somebody called out for "12 Hours of Sunset" and he said that would be in the next night's set. Damn.) He said he rather liked the US on the "sides," it was just "the middle" he didn't care much for. Now that I live in the middle I certainly can't blame him. There was one point when a lady started shouting out, "Give me something special!" Roy had her repeat that, thought for a moment, and then recited the lyrics to "The Spirit Lives." I thought it was a cute moment. At the end of the set, the whole fire marshal's nightmare of a crowd gave him a loooong ovation. I don't think there was even a fake excuse for a backstage for him to retreat to, so he did a sort of bewildered walk around the tables and came back for the encore songs. I really couldn't have asked for a more flawless night for my one date with Roy.
Best ever gig has to be on Roys Death or Glory tour(i think) at some part of the university in Manchester. Nick and Roy just mashed it up, so much so, at one stage I thought I was gonna burst with pleasure, mind you I'd had 2 purple hommes. Worst gig was in Liverpool mid eighties, Roys dad had sadly passed away recentley and the whole thing was just horrible. Weirdest gig was Roy in a reggae club in Nottingham, there cant have been more than 20 of us there. They were a few people playing pool at the back of the hall and one of them shouted out for Roy to play something she could dance too. Roy then proceeded to play Same old Rock with some massive effects and echoes which I think frightened the said group to death as they fled.
Yep... that was the night. Imagine that we 'met' over 10 years ago. (T'was definitely '98 - I think - I wasn't with the girl I was with that night in 1999)
Have seen Roy perhaps a dozen or so times...My favourites: Stonehenge 1984 - first time seeing RH (1st festival too) - was just blown away....far away! Manchester Free Trade Hall 1990, the 'Once' tour...I thought it would be a good idea to suggest a trip to see RH to my (ex) inlaws....fantastic show, but unsure what the olds thought of RH sitting smoking a giant spliff with his legs dangling over the stage while inquiring "Is James Anderton (controversial chief of Manc police) in the audience by any channce?" Canterbury Fayre 2003...RH held an outdoor crowd of thousands in the palm of his hand - the best I've ever seen him. Aberystwyth Arts Centre - a few days after 9-11. Lots and lots (and lots) of political banter, a great set....and just before playing an encore of 'Another Day' RH told the audience that the lady he had written the song about all those years ago had just left the theatre minutes ago...awww, as if that song isn't poignant enough eh ...ah the memories...thanks man
So many .......... perhaps the most memorable was on my 18th b.day, April 24th 1970 when Roy was supporting Humble Pie at Sunderland Locarno. Wasn't the best audience for Roy, but it was the very first time I'd seen him do anything more than reciting "White Man" at a Nice gig in Belsize Park while Baz the sound man was trying to get everything linked to another electricity supply for their encore. There's been so many fabulous memorable Roy Harper concerts since then.
Me for one. Nothing is going to top that! I suppose that's a bit depressing though, must keep looking forward!
Roy Harper & Jimmy Page, live on stage playing Same Old Rock, can it actually get any more memorable than that? I've been to a lot of gigs in my time, and this ranks in the top 3 of my lifetime. The other two being the late, great, Frank Zappa.
Last Saturday counts as my top gig. I thought so at the time but thought it might be just a case of being swept up in the moment. However, a few days reflection later, I can't think of a better and certainly more memorable gig than that.
mmm ? Too many good gigs to pick just one, and far too hazy to remember details, but the first time i saw Roy was at The Grand in Clapham, in the early nineties, my brother took me he said you'll love this guy, he had played me a clip of roy giggleing .."let me know after the next joint" and i went based on that. bearing in mind i spent the end of the 80's getting smashed at Pogues, Who, Madness all sort of punk and rock gigs and festivals we were stood there waiting for him to come on stage surrounded by all these heads and then there was a bit of a cheer and a bit of clapping and everyone sat down on the floor and started skining up??? i had never sat down at a gig before or blatently knock one up, but that isn't the reason this gig goes at the top (with some others) of my fave gig list its because i was totally utterly and completly blown away by this old ramblin' hippy who was sat on stage doing stuff with his guitar that was amazing... with a voice that took my ear drums out for bloody good time . i think Nick may have been there ? don't know, i've only seen nick at Roys gigs i think and also it was the first time a song ever made me cry... Evening star and you lot are the first people i've ever told that to
me me me, for his 60th, that was a cracking gig although apparently not my most memorable as i cant remember much,.. smoking rope is crazy
