CONCERT TICKETS FROM WOLVERHAMPTON & BIRMINGHAM

The Boo Radleys had their moment in the spotlight in 1995 when "Wake Up Boo!" was a hit single for them. The same year, the band played Wolverhampton Civic Hall and, I must admit, they didn't impress me much.

This Wilko Johnson show Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall on 20 December 1994 was up to his usual standard. As it was just before Christmas, it was also a great way to kick off the festive season with fellow gig-goers Trevor Sims and Chris Capper.

I first saw The Undertones at a free festival in Zuider Park, Rotterdam, in September 1980, so I jumped at the chance to see them at Birmingham Odeon the following year when a ticket became available.

Two days after The Undertones gig, I was back at the Odeon for The Teardrop Explodes. I don't know why, but this gig didn't match my expectations, though I remember that "Reward" and "Tiny Children" were very good. Julian Cope was fairly eccentric, though nowhere near like he was a few years later on his solo tours.

Towards the end of 1981, I saw Orchestral Manouvres in the Dark, or O.M.D. as they had now become, at the Odeon. They had a large teenage audience at this time and I remember feeling slightly aged, at the grand old age of 19!

I reviewed this Nanci Griffith show on 9 October 1995 for Rock 'n' Reel and was struck by the rather too civilised audience, some of whom were drinking tea in the interval.

This concert by Kirsty McColl on 19 May 1995 was a great memory, and all the more precious since her tragic death five years later.

Another singer who met an untimely end was Jeff Buckley. This gig in 1995 was fantastic, and I'm not just saying that because he died a couple of years later. The weather was appalling, with heavy snow delaying the train back to Shrewsbury after the show, but it was well worth the effort.

Dr Feelgood at Birmingham Odeon on 1 December 1980 was my first experience of seeing Lee Brilleaux, and I'll never forget his ill fitting suit and manic stare. A great show!