HEAVEN & HELL (BLACK SABBATH) @ NEC, Birmingham 13/11/2007:
I mean, it was my first proper concert. I was 15, and I can't believe it's been nearly 20 years now! Black Sabbath under the Heaven & Hell moniker (Dio/Iommi/Butler/Appice). Iced Earth when they had Tim 'Ripper' Owens on vocals and Lamb of God around the Sacrament era in support.
JUDAS PRIEST @ NEC, Birmingham 14/02/2009:
Scott Travis' bass drum was so bloody loud I could feel it through my entire body. Also the only time I saw Priest with KK Downing. Plus, Nostradamus was the latest album at the time. I don't know if we'll ever hear anything live from that album again.
SONISPHERE FESTIVAL @ Knebworth 01 - 02/08/2009:
Check out this blog post. I went into detail about the entire festival.
NILE @ Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton 16/12/2009:
Ulcerate were one of the openers, and they were jaw-droppingly good. Also, I met Karl Sanders!
OVERKILL @ Civic Hall Bar, Wolverhampton 24/02/2010:
The only gig I've ever attended with nearly continuous strobe lighting. Strobe lights + mosh pit = a very strange sensation indeed. It was like being in a pit running at a lower frame rate. Still never experienced anything like it since.
DYING FETUS @ 02 Academy, Birmingham 30/04/2010:
One of the support acts was the technical death metal band Origin, and I remember bassist Mike Flores continually guttural growling "COOKIE!!" into the mic during soundcheck. It was like a personal meme for me and my mate for a while. Also, my birthday is in April, and this was the first concert I attended where I was finally, legally allowed to drink.
My first Bloodstock festival, and amazingly still the only time where it rained pretty consistently for the duration of the weekend. Cannibal Corpse's set had the biggest mosh pit I'd ever seen.
MOTORHEAD @ Civic Hall, Wolverhampton 24/11/2010:
By far the loudest gig I've ever attended. Maybe the only time I've ever felt I needed earplugs. I know some people wear them regardless, but I'm too far gone to care at this point.
SAXON @ Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton 18/04/2011:
Wolfsbane opened, and Blaze Bayley was stood around at the bar meeting everyone after their set! Super nice chap.
THE SWORD @ The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton 06/01/2013:
I swear there were more hipsters in the crowd than there were metalheads! Good gig from what I remember anyhow.
GHOST / GOJIRA @ 02 Academy, Birmingham 23/03/2013:
Both bands are fucking huge now. Ghost were still a metal band at this point too.
Can't think of anything really notable, other than the fact it was a really good weekend. Basically I just wanted to say that I seriously miss Sonisphere, and wish it was still a thing.
DAMNATION FESTIVAL @ Leeds University 01/11/2014:
I was moshing to Cannibal Corpse and was completely unaware for some time that my nose was bleeding everywhere badly. Also, I got to see Bolt Thrower.
BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR @ Catton Hall, Walton-on-Trent 06 - 09/08/2015:
Sooo... much... weed...
RIOT FEST @ Douglas Park, Chicago 11 - 13/09/2015:
Only festival/concert I've been to abroad. Saw a multitude of different bands/acts... everything from Anthrax, Living Colour, Motorhead, Faith No More and System of a Down to Echo & the Bunnymen, Billy Idol, Merle Haggard and Cypress Hill.
BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR @ Catton Hall, Walton-on-Trent 11 - 14/08/2016:
I actually got to see Venom live. Since 2006 they've played the UK 4 times (according to Setlist.fm at least). 3 times in 2006 and the performance at Bloodstock I was present for in 2016. Also, this was the year Harambe died. The chant of the festival was "Dicks out for Harambe" to the tune of Twisted Sister's 'We're Not Gonna Take It' (who headlined the Saturday night).
In all my years of concert going, I only have 2 guitar picks - Billy Grazaidei of Biohazard (and that was only because my mate gave it to me), and Terrance Hobbs of Suffocation! Attendance was pretty low, but it was still a good night. And then we got harassed by a passive-aggressive nutjob on the way back to the train station!
THE ROLLING STONES @ Principality Stadium, Cardiff 15/06/2018:
Martin Roberts from Homes Under the Hammer was sat in the row in front of me, maybe 4 seats to the left. After about half an hour, people noticed and were taking photos with him.
SMASHING PUMPKINS @ Wembley Arena, London 16/10/2018:
Smashing Pumpkins played a 3 hour set which I totally wasn't expecting. Also, Myrkur opened, which was odd.
ORANGE GOBLIN @ KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton 08/02/2019:
I was stood in the centre of the crowd maybe 4 or 5 rows from the front of the stage. Vocalist Ben Ward threw a plastic pint glass of beer at the audience, and it hit me right in the middle of the face!
DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL @ Donnington Park, Leicestershire 14 - 16/06/2019:
Rain. Non-stop rain for 5 days. Cold. No sleep. Drunk 24/7. And I wouldn't have had it any other way!
ANNIHILATOR @ KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton 16/10/2019:
There was a seriously drunk guy continually heckling Jeff Waters to play '21'. Eventually Jeff caved in and played the first 20 seconds of '21' just to shut the guy up.
AGNOSTIC FRONT @ Mama Roux's, Birmingham 19/11/2019:
Vinne Stigma played guitar in the middle of the crowd for at least a song or 2. Weirdly, in all my years of concert-going, I don't think that had happened at any gig I'd attended until then.
URIAH HEEP @ KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton 07/12/2019:
Maybe the most pissed I've ever been at a concert? Great night either way!
NAPALM DEATH @ 02 Institute, Birmingham 20/03/2020:
Pretty sure this was the last time I was in a mosh pit. Someone flew into me and seriously hurt my shoulder. It was painful to lift my arm up and it took at least 2 months to recover. I also remember sitting there in agony on the train on the way home! Can't really be bothered with moshing anymore. Also, this gig was just days before the first lockdown hit the UK in 2020.
BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR @ Catton Hall, Walton-on-Trent 11 - 15/08/2021:
First festival I attended after all the lockdowns. Got COVID immediately afterwards! Totally worth it.
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL @ 02 Institute, Birmingham 26/11/2021:
Jesse Hughes' tears of joy after the crowd chanted his name continually!
INGESTED @ The Asylum, Birmingham 18/03/2022:
A lot of crowdkilling/hardcore dancing dickheads, unfortunately. But then again, there were deathcore opening acts.
BLOC PARTY @ 02 Academy, Birmingham 26/05/2022:
Not the sort of band I'd normally go watch live, but fun. I must've drank at least 9 pints of Shipyard though, plus at least 3 pints of Guinness in Wetherspoons before I even got to the venue.
BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR @ Catton Hall, Walton-on-Trent 11 - 14/08/2022:
Disgustingly hot, heatwave weather. At least 30-35 degrees Celsius every day, and no shade other than inside the Sophie Lancaster or New Blood stage tents. Warm beer all weekend.
DEEP PURPLE @ Utilita Arena, Birmingham 25/10/2022:
The concert was supposed to have taken place 2 years prior, but COVID changed that! Still, awesome show. First time seeing Deep Purple (and their first tour with Simon McBride), so a special moment for me.
POLYPHIA @ 02 Institute, Birmingham 12/05/2023:
All I can say is thank god for the bar, 'cos there's no way I could enjoy this band sober. Zzzzzzzz.....
AMON AMARTH @ Civic Hall, Wolverhampton 14/06/2023:
Great night! And then I walked into a lamppost during the walk back to the train station.
FOO FIGHTERS @ Villa Park, Birmingham 27/06/2024:
Geezer Butler came on stage at one point, and the Foo's performed 'Paranoid' with him!
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND @ Wembley Stadium, London 27/07/2024:
The Boss put on one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. Plus, Pierce Brosnan walked right past me twice!
DEEP PURPLE @ bp Pulse LIVE, Birmingham 04/11/2024:
First concert I took my fiancée to.
TESTAMENT / OBITUARY @ 02 Academy, Birmingham 08/10/2025:
Destruction supported - always wanted to see them, and I finally got to. The cherry on top was meeting Schmier at the bar afterwards! Very friendly guy!
SAXON @ Civic Hall, Wolverhampton 14/11/2025:
Surprised I even made it to this one! Storm Claudia meant the wind and rainfall was insane that day. I was genuinely shocked the trains ran on time both ways, considering how fucking useless they are in this country.
