"Spilling out into the night with your ears ringing"

 

“Many of us remember an amazing gig, bobbing up and down with friends, clutching a can of beer, as your feet stuck to a tacky nightclub carpet. After you had shouted yourself hoarse at the band for an encore, you spilled out into the night with your ears ringing. I vividly remember those nights – the youth, the energy, the excitement. ‘Rock Collecting’ will capture some of those moments, helping them endure the test of time. Imagine someone in 200 years’ time looking at your faded band t-shirt and ticket stub from a night out at TJ’s, Le Pub or the Kensington Club and smiling.”

Oliver Blackmore, Newport Museum & Art Gallery

"These nights offered just what they said on the tin. It was cheap, it was sweaty and it was definitely fun"

Rhys

I AM THINKING PARTICULARLY OF THE CONCERT IN THE NEWPORT CENTRE WHICH STARRED THE EVERLY BROTHERS. I BELIEVE IN NOVEMBER 1987, WITH VERY ABLE SUPPORT FROM RALPH MCTELL.

A. Mason

I SAW BILLY BRAG AT THE DOCKS SOCIAL CLUB (MINERS BENEFIT), BLURT, GIVE ME MEMPHIS, THE THREE JOHNS, RED LORRY YELLOW LORRY, BUTTHOLE SURFERS, HUSKER DU AND MANY MORE AT STOW HILL LABOUR CLUB. CERTAINLY OVER 100 GIGS I WOULD SAY AT TIS AS WELL AS GIGS AT THE NEWPORT CENTRE.
I ALSO WORKED CASUALLY SELLING PROGRAMMES AT THE NEWPORT CENTRE FOR RUN DMC, ROACHFORD, CLIFF RICHARD, I HAVE TOO MANY STORIES TO EVEN BEGIN TO SPEAK ABOUT

C. Bertram

I ATTENDED MANY GIGS DURING THE PERIOD, FROM THE JAM AT THE ROUNDABOUT PUB TO VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR IN ST WHOOLOS CHURCH HALL, STEELEYE SPAN, KEVIN AYERS IN THE LITTLE THEATRE AND MANY IN THE STOWAWAY CLUB. DR JOHN IN THE KENSINGTON CLUB

C. Scott

I HAVE BEEN GOING TO GIGS IN NEWPORT SINCE THE MID 60S. CAUGHT JOHN LEE HOOKER AT THE MAJESTIC BALLROOM IN 1965. ALSO JOHN MAYALL WHEN CLAPTON WAS IN HIS BAND. ALSO BEEN PHOTOGRAPHING ARTISTS SINCE THE LATE 70S. DID YOU KNOW THAT JIMMY REED PLAYED NEWPORT. BLESS THE MAJESTIC.
THERE USED TO BE A CLUB ON MALPAS ROAD CALLED PLATFORM I, AND AMEN CORNER BAND PLAYED THERE A LOT.

D. Lewis

I FEEL QUITE EMOTIONAL ABOUT BOTH NEWPORT MUSEUM AND THE EXQUISITE HEIGHTS OF THE NEWPORT MUSIC SCENE. I WAS A REGULAR LURKER IN THE FORMER FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE, TAKING SPECIAL PLEASURE FROM THE FOSSIL, ROMAN AND CHARTIST EXHIBITS.
THE LATTER BRINGS FORTH JOYOUS MEMORIES OF FREER DAYS, WHEN THE FUTURE WAS A RED CARPET OF POSSIBILITIES. BEFORE LIFE, BILLS AND RENT GOT A FIRM GRIP.

D. Miller

EIGHTIES MATCHBOX B LINE DISASTER, AT TI'S IN 2008. IT WAS JUST REALLY NICE, BUT DIRTY GIG. IT'S THE ONLY TIME I'VE BEEN TO T'S.
FUNNILY ENOUGH, I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING APART FROM THE GIG REALLY, I JUST REMEMBER BEING THERE AND WEARING REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE SHOES.
BY THE TIME I'D GOT TO THE GIG I HADN'T SLEPT IN ABOUT 20 HOURS. BUT I'M GLAD I WENT BECAUSE I CAN SAY THAT I HAVE BEEN TO T'S.

F. Gillet

BRITISH SEA POWER, LE PUB. 2003. I THINK THAT THIS GIG STAYS IN MY MEMORY BECAUSE THE STAGE WAS UNIQUELY DECORATED IN FOLIAGE AND THE BAND HAD A UNIQUE LOOK. BUT ALSO, THEY WERE A YOUNG BAND WITH LOTS OF ENERGY AT THE TIME, HAVING JUST RELEASED THEIR FIRST ALBUM.
THE FACT THAT THEY'D TAKEN THE EFFORT TO DECORATE THE STAGE IN A UNIQUE WAY AND THEN PROCEEDED TO CLIMB TO THE RAFTERS DURING THE PERFORMANCE...
IT WAS CERTAINLY MEMORABLE

J. Farley

MY BAND, THE ABS, SUPPORTED THE POUGES WHEN THEY CAME TO JAMES ST LABOUR CLUB. AFTER THE GIG, SHANE MCGOWAN HELP US PUSH OUR VAN IN THE RAIN!
I ALSO SAW THE BAD BRAINS THERE, WHAT A NIGHT THAT WAS! I WAS DRAFTED IN TO HELP PROTECT THE BAND FROM BEING OVERWHELMED BY THE CROWD AS THERE WAS NO STAGE!
MANY GREAT MEMORIES.

J. Oldfield

"I SAW JOOLS HOLLAND IN THE KINGS HOTEL WITH MY PARENTS WHEN I WAS 14. IT WAS AMAZING AND THE VENUE WAS FULL OF ENERGY. AFTERWARDS OUR FRIEND ROBERT WANTED TO GET AN AUTOGRAPH SO (IM GUESSING AS I WAS THE ONLY KID THERE) JOOLS INVITED ME, MY PARENTS AND ROB INTO THEIR SUITE FOR A SANDWICH, DRINK AND A CHAT AFTER THE SHOW.
WILL ALSO NEVER FORGET SEEING HOTHOUSE FLOWERS AT NEWPORT CENTRE FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN I WAS 12 (AGAIN WITH MY VERY COOL PARENTS) AND SEEING LIAM (THE LEAD SINGER) HAIR SWISHING AROUND WHILST HE HAMMERED AT THE PIANO AND SANG LIKE HIS INSIDES WERE ON SHOW.
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MORE BUT I WOULD SAY THESE ENIGMATIC ARTISTS WERE SOME OF THE MAIN ONES MADE ME WANT TO START MY OWN BAND - AND IN MY VERY OWN HOMETOWN!"

J. West

I WAS A STUDENT AT THE THEN GWENT COLLEGE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, BACK IN THE EARLY 90'S. IN DECEMBER 1992, DURING MY FIRST TERM, I WENT TO SEE MY FAVOURITE BAND LITTLE ANGELS FOR THE FIRST TIME AT NEWPORT CENTRE. COMING FROM BRISTOL, AND BEING USED TO THE COLSTON HALL, NEWPORT (ENTRE SEEMED JUST LIKE A SPORTS HALL TO ME!
I REMEMBER THE EVENING FAIRLY VIVIDLY AS I WENT WITH A GUY ON MY COURSE WHO I HAD A HUGE CRUSH ON. I WAS SO SHY, AND LOOKING BACK I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT THE NERVE TO ASK HIM TO GO WITH ME! AS IT WAS, WE BARELY SPOKE TO EACH OTHER DUE TO MY NERVES AND SHYNESS! THE GIG ITSELF WAS BRILLIANT, AND I NOT LONG AFTER THAT COT THEIR ALBUM "JAM" WHEN IT WAS RELEASED IN 1993. LITTLE ANGELS WERE SO UNDERRATED I THINK - I STILL PLAY THEIR MUSIC TO THIS DAY.

L. Thomas

I RECALL GOING TO SEE THE DARLING BUDS PLAY AT A VENUE ON JOHN FROST SQUARE THAT HAD A BASEMENT ROOM (I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE VENUE), MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE 80S.

WE WENT TO SEE ELTON JOHN AT THE NEWPORT CENTRE ON 21ST NOVEMBER 1985. MY LATE MOTHER-IN-LAW QUEUED FOR THE TICKETS. I REMEMBER THE DATE BECAUSE IT WAS THE DAY THAT OUR NEPHEW WAS BORN; HIS PARENTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE CONCERT, BUT WERE AT THE ROYAL WENT HOSPITAL MATERNITY UNIT INSTEAD!

OTHER BANDS I REMEMBER SEEING AT THE NEWPORT CENTRE WERE DEACON BLUE (STANDING NEAR THE FRONT;
WE STILL GO TO SEE THEM WHEN THEY ARE ON TOUR), THE SPECIALS AND PAUL HEATON AND JACQUI ABBOTT.

CAERLEON ARTS FESTIVAL HAS BEEN COING FOR YEARS NOW, AND THEIR FREE MUSIC WEEKEND IS ALWAYS A GOOD DAY OUT.

R. Weller

ONE OF MY EARLIEST BIG GIGS WOULD BE FOo FIGHTERS. 22 NOVEMBER, 1997 AT NEWPORT CENTRE. WELL, APART FROM BEING SOAKING AND CROWDSURFING FOR THE FIRST TIME I REMEMBER THAT DAVE GROHL AND TAYLOR HAWKINS BOTH HAD DRUM KITS ON STAGE THE SAME TIME. SO, THEY HAD THIS MASSIVE DRUM OFF, AND IT WAS JUST SO LOUD. IT WAS IMMENSE.
BUT I JUST REMEMBER IT BEING A REALLY GREAT GIG. I WAS SURPRISED SUCH A MASSIVE BAND WOULD COME TO NEWPORT.

T. Eams

THE FIRST GIG I EVER WENT TO WAS THE THE POGUES IN PILL LABOUR CLUB 1984, I WAS 13!
I ALSO USED TO GO TO GIGS AT STOW HILL LABOUR CLUB, PROBABLY 1984-1985. I WENT GIGS IN BRAHMS AND LIST. WHICH WAS A WINE BAR DOWN THE SIDE OF THE MARKET.
BETWEEN 1985 - 1989 I WAS IN EL SIECOS / TJS AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK.

V. Jones