1. KILLING JOKE, Ski Patrol, Stroud Leisure Centre, Saturday 27 June 1981

(I had this poster on my wall until it fell to pieces... just found it on killingjokeoncerts.blogspot.com, photo courtesy of Peter Webb...!)

My first ever gig saw me, a skinny young renta-punk a few days past my 16th birthday, taking the train to Stroud with a gang of punks and loafing around Stroud before the gig!

Snuck into the back of the hall as the band were soundchecking and asked passing Killing Joke vocalist Jaz what his real name was; he replied, "Jaz".

Finally got into the hall and hung around, chatting to a member of Bristol punk band Vice Squad down the front. Ski Patrol were an unexciting support, but I stayed down the front for Killing Joke and got crushed under the weight, both of frenzied moshing punk rockers, and of the mighty sinister rhythmic noise of the powerful Killing Joke set! Climbed onstage with a few others and hung on for dear life behind Jaz' keyboards.

A real visceral experience to start my gig career! Got driven back by friend Doug's dad afterwards, sweaty but elated after my first ever gig! The setlist is likely to have been something like Wardance/Follow The Leaders/Change/Exit/Requiem/Unspeakable/Fall Of Because/Primitive/Bloodsport/The Wait/Pssyche/Turn To Red/Tension, as this was the set they played in Amsterdam the following week.