1. The Beatles, The Regal Cinema, 26 November 1963
“The Beatles, a four-man “rock” group with weird hairstyles as a gimmick, sang and played their current hits, ‘Love Me Do’ and ‘Please, Please’”. That's how plainly the Cambridge News described John, Paul, George and Ringo when they first played the Regal Cinema opposite Emmanuel College (now the Arts Picturehouse) in support of American singer Chris Montez earlier that year: pre-fame, pre-mania and not actually that good.
But when they returned to play two sell-out shows in November, they made the front page two days running. By this time, The Beatles had two number 1 hits (‘From Me to You’ and ‘She Loves You’). Their debut LP Please Please Me, released in April, went straight to number 1.
The first headline (of November 26) read: “Beatles Here – Smuggled in a Black Maria”. It was frenzied madness all over town, as fans attempted to track down the correct swarthy vehicle. The whole force was on hand yet the elaborate security measures taken by the police almost collapsed.
Cambridge News related events with a fascinating insight into the logistical minutiae: “The police van was planned to meet the Beatles and their manager at the City boundary near Trumpington, but the large car, with the four signers had almost reached Lensfield Road before it was spotted by the police.”
“Det. Sgt. Harry Fox of the Cambridge C.I.D. who was patrolling the area in another police car heard an emergency message over the car radio from Chief Insp. R. W. Barlow who was in the police wagon, and he managed to intercept them near Brooklands Avenue.”
“The Beatles were switched from their own car into the police vehicle and driven down Trumpington Road, Lensfield Road and Tennis Court Road into the grounds of the Cambridge University Laboratories.”
“Then the van, with an escort of motor cycles drove through the grounds into Downing Place to the back of the Regal Cinema.”
“The Beatles hurriedly left the van and rushed into the rear entrance of the cinema before 200 screaming girls broke through the police cordon and rushed along Downing Place.”
“Once the Beatles were inside the cinema the doors were slammed shut.”
Inside that evening, they were met by hundreds of squealing girls. The paper tells us how “only a small part of the gig was musical”, a result of the piercing cacophony of screams and shouts from high-strung teenagers “tearing at their hair and waving their souvenir programmes”.
It was Beatlemania, the outset of a cultural revolution, the ultimate you-had-to-be-there spectacle… Frankly, it’s nigh-on impossible to imagine another concert of this cultural worth ever happening here again, unless Adele plays a secret set in Clown’s next week or something, and even then…
2. Jeff Buckley, The Junction. 22 June 1995
Why. Was. I. Only. Nine. Months. Old? As part of the ‘The Mystery White Boy’ tour, Big Jeff rocked up over the road to play the likes of ‘Last Goodbye’ and ‘So Real’, as well as his defining Nina Simone, MC5 and Leonard Cohen covers. One can only imagine that timeless, potent voice absorbing the whole room. Two years later, to everyone’s dismay, he drowned.
3. Radiohead and Sparklehorse, Corn Exchange. 6 November 1995
As gigs go, they don’t get much grander than early RADIOHEAD supported by SPARKLEHORSE (whose late frontman Mark Linkous is one of the most sorely underrated singer-songwriters of all time). Any Radiohead mavens will appreciate a setlist, so here it is: The Bends, Bones, Anyone Can Play Guitar, Bullet Proof..I Wish I Was, High & Dry, Lucky ,Creep, Man-O-War, Planet Telex, Vegetable, Bishop’s Robes, My Iron Lung, Just, Blow Out, Fake Plastic Trees, Subterranean Homesick Alien, Nice Dream, Street Spirit (Fade Out), Stop Whispering and You. And as if that didn’t rile you enough, a pre-The Bends Radiohead played the Junction twice in 1992.
4. Amy Winehouse, The Junction. 19 November 2006
I was nearly reduced to the tears by the YouTube footage I just found of ‘Love is A Losing Game’ and ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’ being performed at the Junction. As one of the many with whom her music only really clicked after tragedy, this is one palpably recent gig that I’ll never forgive myself for missing.
5. The Clash, Corn Exchange. 11 November 1977
It was the year of the ‘White Riot’: punk was pillaging the zeitgeist and The Clash offered an artful, pared-down alternative. They’d just released their debut full-length which was still intrinsically ‘punk’ but at the same time fused reggae beats and ideals with early, straightforward rock ‘n’ roll.
6. The Strokes, Corn Exchange. 22 March 2002
Reviews of this gig were mixed. In the wake of that inescapable Garage Rock Revival, along with the White Stripes, Kings Of Leon and The Hives, The Strokes were the ubiquitous Emperors, the ones on everyone’s to-see list. They only played for fifty minutes and the sound was ‘awful, really boomy’. WowThatsGreat on the ‘Motley Fool’ forum says of the gig: ‘The Strokes were formulaic, going nowhere, bringing little new. They were tight, post punk, twenty three years too late.’ Meanwhile, Xfm had some nicer words: they describe Casablancas’ inimitable insouciance as a bottle flies past his head and summate with ‘they doggedly refuse to disappoint. They may not be flawless, but they’re still peerless.’ Take your pick.
7. Animal Collective, The Portland Arms. 20 October 2003
2009's Merriweather Post Pavilion was the record which really brought them into the limelight, but crit-revered AC had been making that same brand of neo-psychedelic esoterica since the turn of the decade. This gig came along just after they released that un-pigeonholeable five-track oeuvre Campfire Songs, which featured tunes such as 'Doggy' and 'Moo Rah Rah Rain'. The 100 or so attendants witnessed something special. Similarly, two years later, Dan Snaith's kooky Caribou also played the Portland.
8. Blur, The Junction. 28 April 1990
If this year's Brits reminded us of one thing, it was how much we missed the old, juvenile Blur. They played in Cambridge five times (hopping between the Corno and the Junx) in the 90s - the first in 1990, the last in 1997. But it's the first gig which resounds really importunately for me; their shoegazy 1991 album Leisure is by far their best.
9. My Bloody Valentine and Mercury Rev, Corn Exchange. 2 Dec 1991
Also that year, those almighty Kings of shoegaze MBV brought all their FX to the corno. Kevin Shields and co infamously spent £250,000 of Creation's money on Loveless (fortunately it turned out to be one of the best albums of our epoch) and here was a chance to see it incarnated live, drone, dream and drugs to the max. Support came from NY's Mercury Rev, whose 1998 album Deserter's Songs would be similarly lauded.
10. Fugazi, The Junction. 6 May 1992
Hands down the second most game-changing, forward-thinking, gut-pummelling, cell-damaging, hardcore-twisting, guitar-maiming, genre-defying something-punk troupe of all time (first place: At The Drive-In). Two years after they dropped magnum opus Repeater, one can only lilt in reverie at how terrifyingly terrific the moshpit must have been.
The rest?
Muse, The Junction. 21 Feb 1998.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t deny how ‘epic’ a Bellers and co. gig would have been in the 850-capacity J1.
Stone Roses, Corn Exchange. 1 Dec 1995
I’m one of a select bunch who favours Second Coming over The Stone Roses. Call me an idiot, but either way, imagine John Squire’s transcendental jangles soaring over the balcony, Ian Brown impersonating a monkey, Mani grooving and Reni doing his Keith Moon expressions, and then tell me this gig was crap.
Arctic Monkeys, The Soul Tree. 25 Aug 2005
Sob.
Queen, Corn Exchange. 9 March 1974
Not much of a fan, but still, IT'S QUEEN, ennit.
Adele, Corn Exchange. 1 May 2008
Her ubiquity is founded on true talent and musical integrity and she deserves all the plaudits she gets. You should be gutted if you labeled her lamestream back in ’08.
Mumford & Sons, The Portland Arms. 22 Feb 2009
The Mumfords stopped by at the Portland three years back. Ostentatious private school dweebs, yes, but imagine the bouncy, enthralling pub sing-alongs present here. Ellie Goulding and Two Door Cinema Club have also played The Portland pretty recently, fyi.
Oasis, Corn Exchange. 4 Dec 1994
‘I’m feeling Supersonic, give me gin and tonic.’ Oasis before the middle-aged lad-Dads eloped in tow.
Gorillaz, The Junction. 23 March 2010
A warm-up gig prior to their Coachella and Glasto headline slots, Damon and friends debuted material from Plastic Beach and played all the famous ones too. Audience members around me had travelled from as far as Spain, even Turkey.
Flaming Lips and Bob Mould, The Junction. 9 Jul 2002
Quite possibly what would have been my favourite gig ever. A post-The Soft Bulletin Flaming Lips supported by Husker Du’s Bob Mould. No, no, no, no, no. I need to relieve myself somehow…
Coldplay, The Junction. 2 Oct 2000
Ah yes, having read all this, we can now console ourselves with the fact that we MISSED Coldplay when they played the Junction back in 2000. Thank the Lord.
