My first concert 1980s style

SEEING as how my last two posts including the Young Wan's contribution were about first gigs, I thought I would share with you my first gig. Laugh and I will hunt you down.

Unlike the Young Wan who has been brought to gigs by me and some cool ones as I have already highlighted twice no less, my own Mum brought me to lots of Sonny Knowles concerts. Cool no, but did I enjoy them yeah, come on I was eight years old.

Anyway the theme of this is my first concert with pals. And it was to King when I was 13, remember Paul King of 'Thats what my heart yearns for now, love and pride' and MTV fame.

Isn't he dreamy?

My pals TawdreyAudrey who occasionally leaves a comment here and CC who also pops by now and again were my companions. Well really I was their's because they had tickets and I didn't.

But dolled up we got and off we went because I was going to chance my arm and try to get in free, an enormous passtime in Belfast in the 1980s.

So we went up to the security and I told some cock and bull story about how we all bought our tickets together but I lost mine and was there any chance, please, please, please, please, would they let me in without in. And they did.

This became my job over the years something to do with having an innocent face or something. We would try everyweek to get in free to the Plaza (any other Belfastites remember the Delta and Plaza?) with excuses that a rockabilly took our money and stole our carryouts. The best thing about these clubs was you brought your own drink.

Course when I was actually old enough to go there, is there an age limit on an underground club?, my Mum mortified me one time ensuring I didn't go back for a while.

She decided one Friday night that it would be cool for me to go out with her so off she traipsed to the Plaza thinking I would be there only I was actually at home and tucked up in bed.

When she got home she recounted what happened starting with 'You are going to kill me'. She had called to the door of the plaza and asked the doormen (such a wrong description of them but however) if they knew me and if I was there. Off they went and the next thing she heard all over the place was my name being announced by the DJ saying 'is *my name* here, yer MMMMMAAAAAAAAAs looking ye!'.

The word Ma is a mad one in Belfast and a source of many jokes, my favourite being 'yer MMMMAAAAAS yer da' or the more charming 'tell yer MMMAAAAAA the fivers behind the clock' actually in Belfast they say 'clack'.

Jaysus I couldn't show my face there for weeks.

But back to the King concert, Paul King looked at me when he sang, he really did :)

I remember my ears ringing for days afterwards. Course none of it compared to what it was like going to Dublin for a concert which I wrote about last year here. That was a really magical time for me as a teenager.

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