David Faers and Andrew Cowen recall their first gig as Jayne Howarth takes her daughter to her first live outing.

Roxy Music by David Faers: It was 1973. Or was it 74? Anyway, the date wasn’t as important as the place and the sense of occasion – and that explained the sudden adrenaline rush as we stepped on to the street outside London’s Finsbury Park tube station.

A quick rummage inside my jacket and there in my hot, sweaty little hand were the tickets.

The tickets that, ahem, my ever-so-slightly trendy aunt in PR had given me. The source didn’t matter, of course, although the fact that they were free made the jaunt from Hertfordshire an even great pleasure.

A quick scuttle across the road and there we were on the awkward island site flanked by Seven Sisters Road and Isledon Road.

A quick flash of the tickets and there we were inside. Only cliches can describe the sensations felt by two fairly innocent 15-year-olds from the suburbs as we clapped our eyes on some of the exotic creatures of the night that greeted our gaze. We were completely taken by surprise, of course. Watching Roxy Music strut their stuff on Top of the Pops had given us a strong hint of what was to come and their glam rock meets art school rock meets creatures from outer space was the stuff of legend – at least for us.

But seeing some of their fabulous fans was another thing. We’d made a bit of an effort, of course, but baggy white high-waisters were no match for some of the serious Roxy Music aficionados with access to weekly wage packets and London’s trendy shops.

The rest of the evening was a bit of a blur, I have to admit. Roxy Music were brilliant, of course. This was when the band were at their creative peak – before Eno left the band – and I remember boring the pants off anyone who would listen for weeks afterwards. Sad man that I am, I still have a slightly rusty Roxy Music badge to remind me of that night – the first of what turned out to be thousands of night-time forays to rock and roll venues the length and breadth of London and the Home Counties.

It was confiscated by the deputy head the first Monday morning I wore it to school, but returned at the end of the week and is, I am sure, a bone fide collector’s item. Not that I would part with it – or the memory of that night.

Tangerine Dream by Andrew Cowen: "My first gig was Tangerine Dream at Sheffield City Hall in 1975. I was there because my older, hip cousin had been to see them earlier in the week at York Minster and he spoke of it as some sort of mystical revelation.

"Everyone had sat down on their coats in the darkness and zoned out to the abstract blarts and bloops of the cosmic German three-piece synth gods.

"My main recollections are of people shouting ‘Wally!’ before the lights went down and being told off by one bearded hippy for waving my poster bought at the merchandising stall around.

"All you could see on stage was a huge bank of twinkling lights as the band chose darkness to be their friend and I remember little about the music.

"Luckily, parts of the gig were included on the album Ricochet released later that year and I've since got hold of a bootleg of the whole show. Maybe, if you listen closely, you can hear the sound of a 13-year-old's mind going ‘pop’."

It was this that led us to wonder if the current generation of youngsters will share equally happy memories of their first gig.

Jayne Howarth to take her daughter to see the Sugababes at the NEC Arena this weekend. This is her verdict:

"When you look back at the first gig you ever went to, you hope it won’t be with a sense of embarrassment. It’s a fair bet that anyone who says the Sugababes popped their concert cherry will be able to hold their heads up high in years to come.

"Judging by the number of small girls in the audience – my own daughter included – they experienced their live music epiphany. It was the night they discovered the sheer excitement of live music.

"It was the night they will never forget – for all the right reasons.

"Why? Well, this band is cool, they can sing and entertain and all three look utterly fantastic. They may have had three different line-ups since they formed nearly a decade ago, but with every new member they have grown in stature.

"Make no mistake; this is not a fluffy girl trio. Keisha (the original band member), Heidi and Amelle (the newest) may look good, but they have substance. Kicking off with Red Dress, the ‘babes hit the ground running with their greatest hits tour.

"For fans old and young, they were treated to a feast of hits including Freak Like Me, Too Lost in You, Ugly, Push the Button, Round Round and, of course, Walk this Way, the number one hit for Comic Relief they recorded with Girls Aloud.

"There might have been wide smiles, laughing and dancing from them, but there were more sombre and reflective moments. When they sang Stronger a series of video images showed starving children in Africa and concluded with the band’s commitment to the Making Poverty History campaign. The response was to be expected: rapturous applause and a distinct feeling of unity and strength.

"That the audience loved them there was no doubt, so it was surprising there was so little dancing in the aisles. This gig cried out for some boogieing.

"The audience also warmed to support group Dragonette, an indie-pop band now based in London. Canadian lead singer Martina, clearly a wannabe Gwen Stefani with a dominatrix bent, strutted her stuff as she showcased a handful of songs. Danceable, bright and poppy, we will be hearing a lot more from this foursome."

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