First an A-Z of bands seen I can add to as I go (for bands seen multiple times the number follows in brackets (and I dare say there are plenty of errors cos numbers!), *to be seen at next gig, artists most important to me in bold):
- 10PenceForToast
- All Time Low
- All To Ruin
- All Us On Drugs
- Annisokay
- Apathy Avenue
- As December Falls
- Ashes
- Ashestoangels (19) - abbreviated as A2A
- Asking Alexandria
- As Sirens Fall
- Atilla
- Bad Pollyanna
- Beyond Recall (4)
- Black Veil Brides
- Bloodhounds
- Cadence
- Camcorder
- Citizen
- Clear The Auditorium (2)
- Colt45
- Compounds
- Continents
- Creeper (2)
- Crossfaith
- DEAD! (2)
- Decade
- Decadent
- Denial Of Humanity
- Dinosaur Pile Up
- Drama Club
- Elessar
- Escape The Fate
- Everyday Sidekicks (2)
- Fall Out Boy
- Farewell, My Love
- Far From History
- Fearless Vampire Killers (21) - abbreviated as FVK; fan base called The Lost Hearts
- Forever Never
- Fort Hope (2)
- Ghosts As Alibis
- Glimpse Of Misfortune
- Goodbye The Sunset (2)
- Goodnight Harvey
- Griever (2)
- Hacktivist
- Heaven Asunder (3)
- Her Dark Embrace
- Hindsights
- INME (little bit)
- Junior
- Karl Ficarotta
- Koshiro
- Lacey
- Landscapes
- Little Bribes
- Madina Lake
- Mallory Knox (little bit)
- Milk Teeth (little bit)
- Miss Vincent
- Montroze
- More Than Most
- Myth City (5)
- NeverFound (3)
- Neverise
- New Kids On The Block (3) - the most obvious odd one out
- New Politics
- Nothing More (little bit)
- Only Rivals
- Out For Tomorrow
- P
- Q
- Revelation
- Saint The Sinner
- Scout Killers
- Shontelle
- Silhouettes
- Solace In Nightmares (2)
- Steven Battelle
- Sunset Sunday
- SWMRS
- Syren City
- The Blackout
- The Broken Kings
- The Dead XIII
- The Dead Romantics
- The Pretty Reckless
- The Reaper
- The Species
- The Super Happy Fun Club
- The Used
- Thrice
- Tonight Alive
- Trash Boat
- Ugly Love
- Valens
- Veridian
- Villains
- VUKOVI
- What Now
- William Control (2)
- X
- Y
- Zoax (6)
Date - Venue - Who I went with
'Event', if applicable
Support Act(s)
Headliner
(Numbers in brackets indicate artists I've seen multiple times)
* indicates band I primarily went to see
Notes
4th December 1991 - Wembley Arena, London - Jo Bardell from school
unknown - on Googling for an answer this show is listed as being December FIFTH??? I'm sticking with the 4th until I see concrete proof I've had the date wrong for TWENTY EIGHT YEARS. My friend Zubia was there on the 4th so I'm taking that as us being right and the interwebs being wrong! Zubia also reckons the support was either Gerardo or Biscuit...
New Kids On The Block (1)*
25th January 2009 - Hammersmith Apollo, London - my younger daughter Kathleen
Shontelle
New Kids On The Block (2)*
This show was added to the tour, so it isn't mentioned on the t shirt (see 30/10/16 - matinee), as a 'fan appreciation' show - a comparatively intimate concert such as they hadn't played in years and very much like the Hangin' Tough Live VHS video filmed in an LA theatre I used to watch after school! They later said "In fact, we all agree that London's Hammersmith Apollo was without question one of our favourite concerts ever!"
I got 5th row balcony seats...in amongst people who'd paid megabucks for 5* VIP packages - and they even came up to the balcony to sing 'Tonight'. It was also noteworthy as being the show when Jonathan Knight dropped his trousers.
14th April 2013 - O2 Academy 2, Oxford - Erin and Kathleen
What Now
The Reaper
Fort Hope (1)
Fearless Vampire Killers (1)*
My first ever rock gig. I was actually really chuffed there were a fair few non-teenagers in the room...until it transpired they were the parents of The Reaper!
Laurence pointed toward me during Fetish For The Finite (captured for posterity HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt16A1tFJLA&t=5s) and I have the same line - "I can't stand another night knowing you're not mine" - translated into Ancient Greek by my OU classics professor and tattooed around my right thigh.
After the show I went to meet Laurence to get my album signed and he said "You're Heggie, right?" I remember I squealed but very little else. It was a VERY important moment to me :)
26th April 2013 - Remedies, Bridgwater - solo
'Superheroes Party'
Out For Tomorrow
Karl Ficarotta
Scout Killers
Ashestoangels (1)
Fearless Vampire Killers (2)*
17th July 2013 - Fleece, Bristol - Erin and Kathleen
Her Dark Embrace
Ashestoangels (2)
Fearless Vampire Killers (3)*
21st October 2013 - Fleece, Bristol - Erin and Kathleen
Ashestoangels (3)
The Super Happy Fun Club
Fearless Vampire Killers (4)*
Madina Lake
Madina Lake's farewell tour
23rd Descember 2013 - Fleece, Bristol - Erin and Kathleen
Everyday Sidekicks (1)
Koshiro
Beyond Recall (1)
Ashestoangels (4)*
The night of the floods AKA the one where we nearly froze to death.
10th March 2014 - Exchange, Bristol - elder daughter Erin
Beyond Recall (2)
Ashestoangels (5)
Fearless Vampire Killers (5)*
The one with the purple hair and where Erin scared Laurence!
15th March 2014 - O2 Academy, Brixton, London - Erin and Kathleen
Only Rivals
Tonight Alive
All Time Low*
After My Chemical Romance did the thing on my birthday in 2013 I resolved that if I got the chance to see All Time Low and / or Fall Out Boy I would just go for it...who knew the two would pop up a week apart?!
22nd March 2014 - SSE Hydro, Glasgow - Erin and Kathleen
New Politics
The Pretty Reckless
Fall Out Boy*
Unable to make the London date I thought what a pity it was I couldn't go to Glasgow ON MY BIRTHDAY...then I wondered WHY I couldn't go to Glasgow. First time booking my own flight anywhere ;)
21st April 2014 - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - Erin and Kathleen
NeverFound (1)
DEAD! (1)
Fearless Vampire Killers (6)*
31st May 2014 - NEC, Birmingham - solo
New Kids On The Block (3)*
I knew it was over before I went but it was still hard knowing for sure. Went in a version of Donnie's HOMEBOY outfit with Adidas, faux leather jacket, ripped jeans...and the FVK 'inkblot' tee ;)
28th August 2014 - Fleece, Bristol - Erin and Kathleen
Heaven Asunder (1)
Bad Pollyanna
Ashestoangels (6)*
William Control (1)
Nikki Kontinen of Bad Pollyanna later ended up in the Ashestoangels line-up
4th October 2014 - O2 Academy, Brixton, London - Erin and Kathleen
Drama Club
Fearless Vampire Killers (7)*
Atilla
Black Veil Brides
30th October 2014 - Tunnels, Bristol - Kathleen
The Dead Romantics
Goodnight Harvey
Beyond Recall (3)
Ashestoangels (7)*
1st November 2014 - The Dome, Tufnell Park, London - Erin and Kathleen
'Cabaret Of The Damned'
Valens
Ashestoangels (8)
Fearless Vampire Killers (8)*
22nd December 2014 - Exchange, Bristol - Kathleen
unknown
Beyond Recall (4)
Solace In Nightmares (1)
Ashestoangels (9)*
20th February 2015 - O2 Academy Bristol - Kathleen
Decade
Landscapes
The Used*
7th March 2015 - Southampton University - Erin
'Takedown Festival'
This one takes a slightly different format as it involved moving around different stages (each with its own headliner) and seeing bits of different acts' sets.
Bands I saw a decent chunk of / whole set:
Ugly Love
Ashestoangels (10)
Creeper (1)
Griever (1)
DEAD! (2)
The Blackout
Fort Hope (2)
Fearless Vampire Killers (9)* (Obsidian Stage Headliner)
Bands I saw only small portions of:
INME
Milk Teeth
Mallory Knox (Main Stage Headliner)
This was the one with all the injuries.
21st April 2015 - Tunnels, Bristol - solo
Never Found (2)
Everyday Sidekicks (2)
Syren City
Ashestoangels (11)*
William Control (2)
I had just heard that my cousin Allister had brain cancer - A2As Ugly Club GOT TO ME
7th May 2015 - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - Erin's friend Maddy
Ghosts As Alibis
Myth Cith (1)
Annisokay
Fearless Vampire Killers (10)*
Not a gig but on 9th May 2015 I went to the Landseer Public House in London for a meet up with Fearless Vampire Killers. This was when I got Laurence to copy out the Latin for the first of my CFTD tattoos. I went to London for a meet up of just Lost Hearts (FVK fans) at some point but I'm not sure I made a note here of when that was.
19th May 2015 - The Exchange, Bristol - Kathleen and Maddy
Goodbye The Sunset (1)
Myth City (2)
Zoax (1)
Fearless Vampire Killers (11)*
21st May 2015 - The Haunt, Brighton - solo
unsure if there was a local support cos I missed the very start
Myth City (3)
Zoax (2)
Fearless Vampire Killers (12)*
The one with the elbows.
22nd May 2015 - Joiners, Southampton - Erin
Glimpse Of Misfortune
Myth City (4)
Zoax (3)
Fearless Vampire Killers (13)*
The one with the fainting.
27th June 2015 - The Fleece, Bristol - Erin
10PenceForToast
Elessar
Goodbye The Sunset (2)*
Having been VERY taken with Goodbye The Sunset I took Erin to see them. It was very awkward as, aside from bar staff and the other bands playing, we were the only ones there! To add insult to injury there was no late train so we had to leave before set headliner band 'We Deny' even came on.
28th July 2015 - Thekla, Bristol - Erin
missed set by Refuge Of The Fallen
The Dead XIII
Farewell, My Love
Ashestoangels (12)*
Dual Headliner Tour - A2A had the headliner slot for the hometown show.
9th August 2015 - The Dome, Tufnell Park, London - Solo
'Havoc Festival'
Ashes (not -toangels, different band entirely)
Myth City (5)
Hindsights
Villains
All Us On Drugs
Zoax (4)
Forever Never
Fearless Vampire Killers (14)*
It was supposed to be a dual headliner with Glamour Of The Kill but they pulled out having just announced their split. Met Mama and Pops Wooly at this one.
5th September 2015 - various venues, Nottingham - solo
'Macmillan Fest'
Little Bribes
The Species
Neverise
Colt45
Silhouettes
As December Falls
Lacey
Fearless Vampire Killers (15)* (Stage Headliner)
I chose to go to this one as my cousin Allister had been diagnosed with Cancer in April; the night before the show I heard his treatment had failed. He died 21st April 2016.
Before the show I saw FVKs tour manager Steve Dillon - he clocked my FVK hoodie and we exchanged a smile. I will always regret not at least saying hi as he died 23rd March 2016.
It was a multi stage day festival but as I didn't even know where I was I didn't dare move.
This was the one where I gave Laurence the Catvengers tee.
17th October 2015 - Louisiana, Bristol - solo
Solace In Nightmares (2)
Heaven Asunder (2)
Ashestoangels (13)*
16th December 2015 - The Scene, Swansea - Maddy
Never Found (3)
Revelation
Continents
Fearless Vampire Killers (16)*
The one where I gave Laurence an 'I love ewe' tote bag because he'd just been handed a rather fragile gift and was looking a tad worried, poor lamb.
8th March 2016 - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - Maddy
Clear The Auditorium (1)
Miss Vincent
VUKOVI
Fearless Vampire Killers (17)*
The one where I bunked in with Maddy @ Swansea uni and came home with a stinkin' cold.
25th April 2016 - The Exchange, Bristol - solo
Sunset Sunday
Saint The Sinner
Ashestoangels (14)*
My cousin Allister had died 4 days before - and about a week after A2A released 'How To Bleed'. I had been stuck in a loop of 'Bound and Broken' and 'Ghost In The Machine' - they played both. I think I may have howled.
8th June 2016 - Thekla, Bristol - solo
Heaven Asunder (3)
Fearless Vampire Killers (18)*
Escape The Fate
It's very easy to say so in hindsight but something felt 'off' at this gig. Virtually everyone was having a shit year - I hoped that was something to do with the vibe I was getting. Given what happened next I'm not so sure.
Fearless Vampire Killers did the thing on 4th July 2016. As I say, 2016 was shaping up to be an epically shit year so I sadly wasn't surprised. I've blogged about it separately so I shan't go into it here. Grateful to them for at least announcing it properly - I was actually quoted in Kerrang! about how shitty the way My Chemical Romance did the thing (ambiguous statement on website scaring fans with no confirmation for DAYS) and later (1st Nov 2018) the band Creeper hung up their 'Callous Hearts jackets at the end of a gig and announced "not only is it the last show of this album, but it’s the last show that we’ll ever do" and that was that! Nasty to drop it on your fans like that imho.
EDIT: Bizarre timing but the day after I posted this blog THIS:
https://www.kerrang.com/features/wtf-is-going-on-with-creeper-right-now/?fbclid=IwAR0Ot4Y10VCXP0koPBythkM-cXdjESYJMosGi9Cdxw4Kb3rWsPPsMeALcVQ
came up - not that it makes any difference to my opinion. There's being theatrical, there's going media silent for nearly 11 months...but this was like dumping your partner at a party in front of all your mates and then expecting them to welcome you back a year later. If you're gonna do the thing, make it clear. Don't hurt the fans who you rely on for your damn income.
17th July 2016 - Hobos, Bridgend - solo*
'Shield Fest'
Missed first two acts Calling Apollo and Coast To Coast
Clear The Auditorium (2) Their final show!
Far From History
Veridian
All To Ruin
Junior
More Than Most
Fearless Vampire Killers (19)* or Kierless Vampire Killers!
First off the asterisk by 'solo'...once FVK announced the split and that THIS would be the only booked gig they were going to play things got serious. I had booked to go with Maddy (having decided to miss FVK at Shield Fest the previous year in favour of Macmillan Fest as I couldn't do both) but we had fallen out - I confirmed with her that she didn't want the spot so I offered up a bed if anyone wanted somewhere to stay so they could go. Paula accepted the offer. Later, Tasha would put out a call on Twitter for someone in Taunton to crash with so she and her partner could get there so we did that too! So although technically I went by myself it was a group effort.
Naturally emotions were running high but it was an AMAZING show, not that I'm at all biased you understand. Where FVK were a dual lead vocalist group Laurence can clearly do the job just fine-slash-better so I came away feeling confident that they'd be fine just as soon as they decided what to do next.
I had painted THIS:
Showed Laurence my newly inked Latin tattoo (which I'd FINALLY booked just before the split and got done days after) and got him to write out another one - 1st is Tu eris in solis radios aurorae ("You'll be there, in the sun's first rays of the morning" from 'City Falls To Dust') 2nd is "Hic sanguis meus eris usque in diem morior" ("You'll be here in my blood til the day I die" from the same song and Lost Hearts' go-to lyric following the break up).
Forever providing a link to Katherine's video of the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8Z7qlb7koI It was an absolutely magical atmosphere. Emotions were running high but the Lost Hearts are an amazing bunch and I think we all decided to work hard at making it a really special night four the lads.
26th August 2016 - Reading - solo
'Reading Festival'
I mostly stayed at the Lock Up Stage where FVK had been due to perform and the line up went like this:
SWMRS
Trash Boat - FVKs replacement
Creeper (2)
Superheaven - did not see
Citizen
Dinosaur Pile Up
Nothing More - only saw the last song (Salem) with its chorus of 'burn the witch' and felt legit worried I was about to get flambeed...did a hand-slap with the frontman so this makes the list by the barest of margins
Hacktivist
Crossfaith
Thrice - the band I was looking forward to seeing but they didn't play any of the tracks I knew!
Asking Alexandria (Stage Headliner) - saw three songs and headed home cos long walk and much depression.
Despite being from Reading I had never been to the Reading festival (born in the RBH '78, lived in Woodley '78-'81, Tilehurst '81-'84, Woodley again '84-'94, various Reading & Wokingham addresses until '97 and by 2016 I was prepping to move back to Woodley from deepest, darkest Somersetshire (where I had also never been to the Glastonbury festival). When FVK booked to play Reading it seemed like an omen...then they split, pulled out and I ended up going anyway. It was pretty horrible tbh thinking of what should have been.
30th October 2016 - Underworld, Camden, London - Paula
Farewell Show - Matinee
Zoax (5)
Fearless Vampire Killers (20)*
Naturally no power on this earth was keeping me from the farewell and I made a booking for the four of us - Paula and I having agreed to bunk in together again - but I held back when they announced the matinee as obviously it existed to provide tickets for people who'd missed out on getting evening tickets. However, as it got closer to the shows and tickets remained available...
In a parallel to seeing NKOTB (31/05/14) in a Donnie themed outfit with FVK tee I went to the matinee in a Laurence themed outfit with NKOTB tee! Skinny black jeans, calf length DMs and the untrendy band tee - I actually found one on ebay for the tour that included 25/01/09!
30th October 2016 - Underworld, Camden, London - Paula, Erin and Kathleen
'Farewell Show'
Ashestoangels (16)
Zoax (6)
Fearless Vampire Killers (21)*
I went with this Magenta-from-The-Rocky-Horror-Picture-Show themed outfit for the evening show:
Like the canvas I did for Shield Fest I decided to go FIVE better:
It was a very difficult show...but the only bit I cried for was A2A playing Ghost In The Machine. For me, Shield Fest was the 'proper' farewell.
15th December 2016 - The Louisiana, Bristol - solo
Montroze
As Sirens Fall
Ashestoangels (16)*
I nearly lost the plot when they played Ghost In The Machine and Ugly Club back to back - cried on Dex!
No gigs in 2017 partly due to FVK's split and A2A being quiet but also I moved to Woodley as mentioned, graduated uni, my eldest graduated, my youngest left for uni, got a new job...
29th March 2018 - Boston Music Rooms, Tufnell Park, London - solo
Decadent
Camcorder
Ashestoangels (17)*
I actually got through Bound And Broken TWICE and Ghost In The Machine. I love those songs but my poor feels take them hard... I requested How To Tell The Truth (as always) at the VIP acoustic but Crilly confessed he'd forgotten it!
I was booked to see A2A again on June 24th 2018 but my mum had her stroke on April 16th and was released from hospital into my care on June 21st so that was that. I honestly thought my gig-going days were done.
12th September 2019 - Boston Music Rooms, Tufnell Park, London - solo
The Broken Kings (1)*
Steven Battelle
After being in-at-the-death of FVK it was a real blessing to be there for Laurence, Drew and Luke's rebirth first ever performance as The Broken Kings. Steven Battelle, formerly of LostAlone, who I never got to see live, was really good. The one where I missed the last train and had to walk across London at night with very little idea where I was going - guided by Google maps which tried to send me through a locked park and PokemonGO! Got home 0530!!!
Blessings be to Paula without whom I never would have realised I could go. Kathleen mum-sat for me.
27th October 2019 - Facebar, Reading - solo
Compounds
Denial Of Humanity
Bloodhounds
Ashestoangels (18)*
Griever (2)
The last date of a co-headlining tour and I cannot describe what it felt like to see Reading on the list! Griever had the headline slot. Erin mum-sat for me.
18th March 2020 - The Bunkhouse, Swansea - solo
?
Apathy Avenue
Cadence
Ashestoangels (19)*
The first date of a tour that was cancelled for
The show itself was very surreal as it was being live-streamed for the people who'd, probably quite sensibly, decided not to attend... there were about seven ticketholders in the room at most and in all honesty I was one of only three I know of for sure.
I wasn't entirely sure of the support list because most of the original line up had decided to stay home too! It also made for a very unusual set.
Cadence did a cover of The Darkness' "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" which I honestly thought was the making of my year until Ashestoangels finished their set with Guns n' Roses' "Rocket Queen"!
It was a pretty special night though - A2A (sans Falkor) gave it their all as ever. Hope to see them on the flip side...
