What was the best gig you ever went to in London — the one you'd most love to turn back the clock and see again? We asked Londonist readers and you answered in your droves. Sinatra, Prince, the Boss, Kate Bush and Nina Simone all feature in your memories. Got one to add? Do share in the comments below.
"I would probably choose Orange Juice at the Lyceum in December 1982" - Gill
"Hard choice but probably B-52s, Hammersmith Palais, December 1980" - Beattie
"Live Aid at Wembley" - David
"The Smashing Pumpkins, 2000, Wembley. Double farewell show, centre front row rail riding opposite Billy on both nights. Amazing!" - Carly
"Hendrix at the Royal Albert Hall" - Julia
"Ally Pally, 1972, Led Zeppelin. Did about three hours then three encores" - Charlie
"Run DMC and the Beastie Boys, Brixton" - Erica
"The Greedies at the Electric Ballroom, Camden Town. If you were there, you know! - Philip
"Erasure at the Roundhouse" - Steve
"Oasis at the Astoria, 1994. Front row near Bonehead watching Liam in full swagger mode" - Anton
"Rolling Stones. Hyde Park" - Ellen
"When a french au pair in London I Saw Robert Plant at Hammersmith Odeon in the late eighties. He sang songs from his solo albums which I liked. But after a while a special guest showed up... Jimmy Page! The rest of the gig was only Led Zeppelin songs, the crowd and I went crazy!" - Fred
"Prince, Roundhouse" - Le
"Million Dollar Quartet. I went the night after seeing an Andrew Lloyd Webber production that I can't even remember the name of. That cost five times the amount of Million Dollar Quartet" - Cass
"Barry Manilow at the Royal Albert Hall, 1993" - Petra
"Probably Springsteen, Wembley Arena, early 80s. Four hours' worth for about a fiver!" - Mike
"Zodiac Mindwarp at the Town & Country [now the O2 Forum Kentish Town], 1992" - Chris
"Jack White plugged in his guitar at the Marathon kebab shop in Camden around 2am on a night around 2002. There was about 20 people drinking out back. Within 10 minutes we were all dancing on the tables" - Meric
"Rolling Stones at Wembley, 1989" - Karen
"Deep Purple at the Rainbow breaking the indoor sound record" - Steve
"Wham! at Brixton" - Charlotte
"Bowie... 1976 Empire Pool over three nights" - Stephen
"At the Drive-In at the Astoria in 2001 or Oasis/the Verve 1997 at Earl's Court. Sad thing is both those venues are no longer with us" - Andy
"INXS at Wembley with Blondie and Hothouse Flowers" - Karen
"The Specials at the Roundhouse" - Nicola
"Hawkwind at the Village Blues Club (aka the Roundhouse) in Dagenham back in 1972" - Slh Dave
"Frank Sinatra at the Docklands" - Maudie
"No good at dates but Kate Bush at Hammersmith at the end of her first tour and Graham Parker and the Rumour at Hammersmith where they covered Hold Back the Night and I Want You Back. Class" - Peter
"A very recent one — Fall Out Boy at the O2 in 2023. I'd seen them live all over the world but this was the first time seeing them at a solo headline show here in London" - Plaxty
"Daft Punk in Hyde Park, 2007 or any of the five times I saw Prince!" - Simon
"Kyuss at Kentish Town Forum, 2011. First opportunity I had to see them live. Great band" - Jason
"The Lathums, October 21, Forum Kentish Town. First gig after lockdown. Everyone was so happy to be at a gig, the atmosphere was electric" - Gail
"Joy Division, Electric Ballroom, 1979" - Peter
"Quantic Soul Orchestra at ICA" - Andy
"Bowie — his Meltdown performance 2002 at the Royal Festival Hall" - Peter
"The Beatles at the Astoria, Finsbury Park" - Brenda
"Rolling Stones, Urban Jungle Tour, Wembley 199………2?" - Jon
"Bruce Springsteen in Wembley Stadium, July 85 for the Born in the USA tour" - Jean-Michel
"Probably the Eras Tour [Taylor Swift we believe]. Or Garbage when they did the Bleed Like Me tour. Two very different gigs" - Roabouttown
"Red Hot Chili Peppers in Hyde Park, 2004. They had James Brown as a surprise guest. He did an hour and half set before the Chilis came on. Show overran. Lol" - Tony
"The first version of Tommy by the Who at Finsbury Park Astoria" - Hazel
"So many … Bauhaus at Hammersmith Palais (1982) and Nirvana at the Astoria for starters" - Jennie
"Pink Floyd at Wembley, 1988" - Sandra
"Guns N' Roses at the Marquee in 87. Blew my teeny tiny suburban mind" - Jamie
"Leonard Cohen, July 2008" - Dearbhla
"David Bowie at Kingston Polytechnic in 72" - Paul
"George Michael at Wembley in 2005" - Maggie
"Wham! The Final at Wembley. Partly because it was a great concert and partly because in retrospect it was kind of important and I didn't realise that then" - Joanna
"Prince at the Roundhouse" - Jennifer
"Dire Straits, Wembley" - Joanna
"Luther [Vandross presumably] at Wembley or Maze at Hammersmith - Kate
"Led Zeppelin at the Marquee Club" - Graham
"Brian Ferry - Roxy Music, Hammersmith Apollo, 1995. Simply Red , Wembley Arena" - Gayelene
"Iggy Pop at the Rainbow in 1977 with David Bowie on keyboards" - Ian
"The Pogues, Brixton Academy, March 1988. Joe Strummer and Kirsty MacColl as guests" - Honore
"Rolling Stones in Hyde Park" - Amelia
"Foo Fighters at West Ham's stadium, 22 June 2024" - Lee
"Rolling Stones in Hyde Park in July 2022" - Olav
"Queen, 1986, Wembley" - Sarah
"Tina Turner, Wembley with Lionel Richie as support" - Mark
"Muse at the Eventim Apollo back in 2022" - Connor
"Eric Clapton's 70th at Royal Albert Hall" - Ellen
"Siouxie at the Roxy" - John
"The Ramones/The Damned early nineties, Brixton Academy" - Sara
"David Bowie or Kate Bush — both at the Hammersmith Apollo" - Anya
"Paul and Ringo last month" - Catherine
"Beastie Boys Brixton Academy" - Christopher
"Black Sabbath at the Astoria in 1999" - Kim
"Faith No More at the Marquee in early 88" - Christopher
"Rolling Stones. Voodoo Lounge. Wembley. July 1995" - Matt
"U2 at Brixton Academy" - Jo
"Queen at Hammersmith Odeon 1975 or the Led Zep reunion at the O2 2007" - John
"The Clash et al at the RAR concert in Victoria Park" - Indie
"The Who concert at Charlton!" - Alan
"Not sure of the exact date but Steel Pulse supporting at the Roundhouse in 78. Life changing" - Joe
"James Brown at Wembley Arena" - Jacqueline
"Who, Charlton Football ground in 76. And Stranglers, 78, Battersea Park - Rob
"Pogues, Hammersmith Palais, mid 80s" - Neil
"Spice Girls, 2019" - Bobby
"REM, Hyde Park, 2005. Last gig of a World Wide Tour" - Peter
"Girl at Marquee Club!" - Dimpe
"Stones at the old Wembley" - Stephen
"James Taylor & Carole King, Festival Hall London, 1971, which I promoted!" - Brian
"Pink Floyd, Earl's Court, 1994" - Murray
"Michael Jackson at Wembley" - Lene
"Japan, Sons of Pioneers tour, Hammersmith Odeon, 1982 I think" - Helen
"Queen, 86 at Wembley" - Matt
"Queen at Wembley, 1986" - Eliza
"Jill Scott, Brixton Academy" - Robert
"Queen at Wembley!" - Angie
"Matchbox Twenty at Wembley Arena" - Sara
"Charles Aznavour at the Royal Albert Hall. He was already 80+ but it was wonderful" - Sergio
"The Tea Party, at the Garage, Highbury and Islington. June 2000" - Chris
"Cliff at the Albert Hall" - Moo
"Tribute to Jeff Beck, Royal Albert Hall, 2023" - Joyce
"Live Aid" - Maz
"David Gilmore at the Royal Albert Hall" - Joe
"Keb Darge at Madam Jojo's, 1997"- Fredrik
"Wilko Johnson at the Half Moon, Putney. Mesmerising!" - Clare
"Public Enemy at the Brixton Academy, 1988" - Sam
"Moldy Peaches at the Roundhouse" - Andrew
"Levellers in Kentish Town, 1997" - Sonja
"Chemical Brothers at the Roundhouse" - Laurence
"Morrissey at Brixton the night the riots started..." - Kyle
"New Seekers at Royal Albert Hall, 1971" - Larry
"Pink Floyd at Wembley or Earl's Court" - Martyn
"Lang Lang at the Royal Albert Hall" - Gretchen
"Supertramp at the Royal Albert Hall" - Chas
"Live Aid, Wembley" - Ray
"ABC, 1982, playing The Lexicon of Love album in the gold suits. Hammersmith Odeon. So many I could choose but that was my first gig" - Anne
"Thin Lizzy, Hammersmith, 80s" - Patricia
"Weather Report at Dominion TCRd. c1983" - Steve
"Kate Bush, 2014" - Paul
"INXS Kick tour Wembley Arena late 80s" - Mark
"Badura Skoda at St John's" - Michael
"Probably Queen at the Mayfair, Tottenham, 1979" - Marie-Thérèse
"Pink Floyd, 1973, Earl's Court, Dark Side Of The Moon Tour" - Dickie
"The Clash at The Rainbow" - Spike
"War at the Rainbow 1974" - David
"The Clash, Rock Against Racism, Victoria Park, 1978" - Dan
"Bill Haley, Dominion, Tottenham Court Road" - Angela
"There are many, but Pink Floyd reforming for Live8 at Hyde Park in 2005 is the standout — 20 minutes of sheer unadulterated bliss" - Steve
"Smashing Pumpkins Astoria or NIN, Town & Country Club. Kentish Town" - Lee
"Tina Turner, Private Dancer Tour, 1985" - Moira
"An Evening with Pat Metheny Group, 1981, Hammersmith Odeon" - Phil
"Umphrey's McGee at the Brooklyn Bowl at the O2 in 2014" - Al
"Alice Cooper, Hammersmith Apollo, 2000" - Laura
"The White Stripes at the 100 Club, changed everything" - Andy
"The Jam, Hammersmith Odeon" - Laura
"Squeeze supported by Elvis Costello & the Attractions at the Albany Empire, Deptford 1980" - Barry
"Pink Floyd at Earl's Court" - Trevor
"Eurythmics and Midnight Oil. Openers: The Bodeans. Town & Country Club, Kentish Town, June, 1988" - Sean
"Queen (supported by the Alarm, INXS and Status Quo), Wembley Stadium. Kind of Magic tour, late 80s" - Martin
"Bob Marley, 1976, Hammersmith" - Barbara
"Galliano, Sunday afternoon at Dingwalls" - Sharon
"Toots at Hammersmith" - Sean
"Shane McGowan at the Boogaloo in Highgate" - Louise
"Queen, Wembley Stadium, 1986" - Mark
"Queen. Wembley, 86" - Neil
"Either Nirvana at SOAS, if I knew they were going to go on to be massive, or Jean-Michel Jarre, Destination Docklands because it can't have been as bad as I remember it" - Graham
"David Bowie, Wembley, 1987"- Helen
"Parliament & Funkadelic, 1979" - Gary
"Red Hot Chili Peppers, London Arena, 2002" - Kevan
"Sigur Ros at Union Chapel, 2000" - Jay
"Emerson, Lake & Palmer, at the Oval cricket ground, 1972" - Kevin
"The Who at the Valley, summer 1976" - Nick
"Bob Marley at London Lyceum" - Eve
"Moody Blues, Wembley Stadium, 1979" - Genevieve
"U2, Zoo TV at Hammersmith in 92" - Thomas
"Arctic Monkeys at the Astoria" - Ian
"Kosheen, Koko, Camden, April 2024" - Alastair
"Richard Thompson at the Barbican" - Keith
"These Animal Men, 100 Club, 1996" - Nina
"Suede, Astoria" - Sarah
"ELO, Wembley, 1978" - Anne
"Pink Floyd at Earl's Court exhibition centre in 1981. Closely followed by Eurythmics in 1986/87 - the 'red bra' tour!!" - Loraine
"Grace Jones, Covent Garden" - Charlotte
"Motörhead in Brixton, 1995" - Justin
"Beck at the Kilburn National, 1997ish" - David
"Shed Seven at Pryzm last Thursday" - Gareth
"The Cure, Prayer tour" - Simon
"Nina Simone at Ronnie Scott's in 1984" - Carol
"Green Day in Hyde Park" - Melanie
"Kate Bush, Before the Dawn" - Robert
"Low at Union Chapel, 2001" - Georgina
"So many. But probably Sisters of Mercy at the Lyceum, March 85. Only because the journey home was memorable…" - Cath
"Right Said Fred. Brixton Academy. 2001" - Paul
"Sex Gang Children, Electric Ballroom Dec 1983" - Chris
"Manic Street Preachers in 1998" - Jackie
"Blur, Wembley, 2023" - Anne-Sophie
"ELO, Wembley Stadium" - Geoff
"David Bowie and the Spiders, Lewisham, 1972" - Richard
"Prince, Wembley Arena, 1988. I still have the tour t shirt! Doesn’t fit anymore and thinking of selling it!" - Phil
"Maximo Park at the Royal Albert Hall in Autumn 2009... superb, especially the RAH organ accompaniment to their finale song" - Jay
"Fleetwood Mac, 1977, Rumours tour" - Louis
"Lou Reed unplugged at Royal Festival Hall, July 1997" - Chris
"Nina Simone at Ronnie Scott's 1982" - Daleep
"Phil Collins at the Apollo Hammersmith around 1980!" - Teri
"Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Town & Country Club, 1992 when he reformed the Birthday Party for three songs and brought Shane MacGowan on" - Stuart
"Leonard Cohen, O2" - Anne
"Led Zeppelin at the Marquee" - Roger
"Stones in the park or anything by Amy Winehouse" - Richard
"The Stones in Hyde Park" - Raymond
"Proms in the Park (Hyde Park) when BBC used to link up with the Albert Hall" - Ruthie
"Jean Michel-Jarre on the Chronology tour at the old Wembley Stadium, 1993" - Paul
"Eric Clapton Blues Night at the Albert Hall, 1991 or so. Guests Johnnie Johnson, Jimmie Vaughan, Robert Cray, Albert Collins and Buddy Guy" - Pete
"Duran Duran at Wembley Arena, 1994" - Nicky
"The Style Council at the 100 Club, roughly 84/85. Paul Weller was only singing because he had a broken arm" - Tony
"Pink Floyd at Wembley, 1987. Momentary Lapse of Reason tour. Eight feet from the front, totally blown away" - Terrence
"Queen, It's A Kind Of Magic tour at Wembley Stadium" - Ruth
"Has to be Pink Floyd, Pulse, Earl's Court, 1994" - Wendy
"Nina Simone at the Royal Festival Hall" - Julia
"Prince at the O2" - Barbara
"Tom Waits at the Dominion!" - Anne
"Bob Marley and the Wailers at Hammersmith Odeon" - Graham
"Prince at Brixton Academy" - Emma
"Madonna's Girlie Show" - Nick
"Fats Domino, Hammersmith Odeon, 1973" - Peter
"Nick Cave at the O2" - Pallamela
"Prince at Wembley in 1988" - Stelios
"Bon Jovi at Wembley, 1995" - Alison
"India Arie, 2006 at Shepherd's Bush Empire" - Liz
Too many to choose just one...
"So, so many gigs over the years. There are some obvious ones like Live Aid, which was such a great day. Miles Davis on the Tutu tour. Soundgarden at Brixton was absolutely amazing. And the best indie band you've never heard of, the Cooper Temple Clause at Shepherd's Bush" - Julian
"Too many to list but really memorable ones were Bryan Adams at Wembley, Jean-Michel Jarre at the then-new Docklands, Paul Weller at Crystal Palace, Cowboy Junkies at Mean Fiddler and any of the early to mid 90s Fleadhs at Finsbury Park with Sinead O'Connor, Pogues & Kirsty, Christy Moore and Van Morrison and Bob Dylan (although not too impressed with him) to name a few..." - Sarah
"So very many, but, maybe late 80s, early 90s I queued at Wembley box office to get tickets for my folks to see the Highwaymen. On the spur of the moment I got one for myself too. I'd relive that gig because I was ignorant and arrogant at the time, not really caring about who I was watching. But now I know I saw Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and fucking Johnny Cash on one bill. Also I miss my dad" - Jim
"Beyoncé and Jay-Z at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, James Bay in the Royal Albert Hall and Linkin Park in the O2 back in 2008. Impossible to choose just one!" - Katie
"Asking the impossible, I go to far too many concerts to choose one… this is scratching the surface: Depeche Mode, Crystal Palace, 1993 and Memento Mori Tour, 2024; Foo Fighters, 2008, Wembley; The Prodigy, 1992, Camden Palace; George Michael, 2008, Earl's Court; Teena Marie, 2010, O2; The Verve, 1997 Earl's Court" - Nicola
"All of Pink Floyd's gigs" - John
Are they joking?
Abba Voyage - Ian
Steps at TOTP studio - Stuart
Pinky and Perky , Blue Peter studio 1966 - Stanley
And one definitely not favourite gig...
Not Gary Glitter at the Rainbow theatre Finsbury Park! - Annette
