Van Halen 1978, Manchester Apollo

[OB1]

Great post. My first ever gig. 13 years old. Older cousin took me to see Sabbath but VH changed my life forever that night. We were about 10 rows back, centre stage.

Your first gig is always special but to experience a young, hungry VH was a complete mindf**k. I found the gig on Youtube a few years ago. It is astonishing.

They will always be my favourite band. Their albums were so well produced and engineered by Ted Templeman and Don Landee that the music simply doesn't age. Live, they were untouchable. I was front row both nights on the next 2 tours (the biggest lighting rigs I ever saw at the Apollo) and all 3 gigs are the best I have ever experienced.

TT did a fantastic job of producing VH, absolutely faultless.

All VH's appearances at the Apollo were awesome. The lighting rig for the 1980 Invasion was something else, something like 750 bulbs - an absolute monster. I also went to see them at Leicester DeMonfort Hall and both London Rainbow gigs in 1980. At Leicester the stage was relatively small and half the rig was over the audience.

I think the rig on the 1981 tour, which didn't make it to the UK, was even bigger and did a neat trick at the end of the show with the front half tipping over at the end of the gig and revealing a huge VH logo studded with white lights, which I was fortunate to witness from the 5th row of Madison Square Garden, my gig of the next decade.

VH have been one of my top 3 bands ever since that first album.

 

[OB1]

Was lucky to see their 75 and 76 gigs at FTH .... up there with the best for sure ....

Only saw their Feb '77 gig but it was one of the great nights at my favourite venue.

 

[OB1]

Blue Oyster Cult at the Free Trade Hall with the lasers was the best gig in Manchester :-)

The city was on flame with rock n roll that night; I think I enjoyed their first appearance at the FTH a bit more though.

 

[OB1]

And yet now, years later, Sabbath are still killing it whilst Van Halen are a bloated bunch of twats where every song has an Eddie solo lasting 5 full minutes.

Going to see what I hope will be Sabbath's very last show at the NEC in Feb.

Saw VH a few years back in New Jersey and they were good but Dave's voice has deteriorated quite a bit.

 

[Blackcrowes]

Stuff yer Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall, this was the Manc gig of the decade .... the breath of fresh air to hard rock that was Van Halen on their first UK tour, as support to Black Sabbath. Having bought their debut and being amazed a such a new guitar sound courtesy of Eddie Van Halen, and loving Dave Lee Roth's OTT frontman act we were all looking forwards to it.

They were young, different and fresh .... Sabbath were old, tired and about to sack the (even then) punch drunk Ozzy ... it was a massacre. VH blew Sabs offstage .... embarrassed them really. When they (Sabs) returned to the Apollo for another night, on the second leg of the (ironically named) Never Say Die Tour, they had booted VH off it, and had the awful Tanz der Youth as support (Brian James ex Damned's new band) to ensure it didn't happen again ....

Van Halen went on to world dominance and Sabs went with Dio and never sounded the same ...

Just recently found the soundboard recording from it.
http://www.themightyvanhalen.net/1978/05/22/1978-manchester-england-manchester-apollo/

Bloody hell this brings back memories - gig was awesome

 

[Sunny Coast Blue]

Sham 69 gig was the best. Squirty's bang on for a change.

 

[squirtyflower]

Sham 69 gig was the best. Squirty's bang on for a change.

What do you mean "for once"?

 

[kashmir]

Can I add that I saw Genesis with Phil Collins (RIP) as a drummer at the opera house in 73 and at the palace in74 we miss you Phil

 

[MCFCTrick]

Blue Oyster Cult at the Free Trade Hall with the lasers was the best gig in Manchester :-)

Japan supporting them ... in their NY Doll's era, but still a total mismatch, lol ..... Love both bands still to this day ...

 

[OB1]

Japan supporting them ... in their NY Doll's era, but still a total mismatch, lol ..... Love both bands still to this day ...

Japan did not go down well that night! Sadly it was the only time I saw them: I like all their phases, musically; Quiet Life probably my favourite album of theirs.

BOC are high on my list of favourite bands - hugely underrated, IMO.