15 September, 2006

My first ever gig

I read Marni's post today, and it reminded me of a very special life moment for me.

When I was a very little boy, we used to live next to a family who had two teenage children - whom I thought were supercool. At the age of 6, the girl in the house used to babysit me (she would have been around 14 I guess) and play me her vinyl records. She was a bit of a bogan, but at the age of 6 I could not imagine anything cooler than black ugg boots, skinny tight black jeans and a flannelette shirt.

About this time I started to acquire an taste in rock music; the band who really captured my imagination were KISS. Here were these 4 really mysterious men wearing make up and lycra suits, one whose tongue was so long that there were rumours he'd had it lengthened. They played tunes that made this little 6 year old think he was somewhere a million miles away from Perth suburbia. (yes, the suffocation of suburban life was getting to me even at 6 years of age...)

So when my mother heard that KISS were playing a live rock concert at the Perth Entertainment Centre the following year, she decided to do the most amazing thing. She camped overnight in front of the centre with my best friend's mother to secure tickets for us all.

And so it came about that my first ever gig was KISS, at 7 years of age. Mum bought me some skinny black jeans and a Paul Stanley t-shirt, we turned up at the gig, the only slight dampener being when Mum made me put cotton wool in my ears.

I love my Mum. She rocks, much more than KISS .

22 comments:

Cup said...

Your mom DOES rock. I think I want a Ziggy's Mom T-shirt. And I think we'd all like to see photos of you from that night.

Marni said...

That is just SO cool! I didn't get to see them live until a couple of years ago... what a mum!

Tumuli said...

Beyond cool. Rock 'n roll all night.

Dale said...

Wow, that's incredible you lucky Ziggy you! I loved KISS too and actually love their Symphony DVD where they rock out with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

J said...

i don't really listen to KISS but that was a really sweet story! your mom rocks! no pun intended!

okay, yes it was ;)

Anonymous said...

You have me beat by 4 years. My first concert I was 11 years old. "The Who" at SIU for $2.50 lawn seats. When I told my mother I was going to a concert she thought it was opera or the symphony. If she only knew....Vivid memory is hearing Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay" it was SO loud I had NO idea how loud a concert could be. I was hooked.

missy said...

Lucky you ! xx

running42k said...

Holy shit is your mom ever cool. Cuts down on therapy for you.

zuzula said...

what a cool kid you were! my first gig was Bon Jovi. I must have words with my mum about that...

Ryan said...

Well, my Mom got me tickets to Wynonna!

ziggystardust73 said...

Beth - I'll see what my mum has in way of rock child Ziggy pictures!

Marni - I have a feeling Dozer thinks you're a pretty special mum too!

Tumuli - welcome to the madhouse. But at least you now realise you can rock out here whenever you like...

Dale, that stuff they did with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was supercool, wasn't it? I have met Gene Simmons not that long ago though, and he completely ruined my childhood fantasy of what they were like. How very dare he look fat and bloated?

J - aha! me hardy! (attempting to be a fellow pirate very badly... now tell me what's up with the eye patch, girl??)

Bluez - I bet Lay Lady Lay blew you away at 11! ha ha! I was hooked after KISS as well ;-)

Missy - I'm a lucky boy.

Running - there are plenty of other things to support my need for therapy, but my mother (nor father for that matter!) is most certainly NOT one of them.

Zuze - Don't diss the Jovi. I had a bit of a thing for Jon BJ when I was younger....

Ryan - Wynonna? Help me out here, dude?

Ryan said...

Ashley Judd's hick sister from Kentucky!

ziggystardust73 said...

um, Kentucky? ;-)

Dale said...

Gene and family have a *reality* type show on A&E channel here I think. That's all I know.

Marni said...

Gene Simmon's Family Jewels is the new reality TV show that Dale mentions... it is very funny, but it is definitely scary to see the "Demon" as a dad... all though his kids are much more well adjusted than the Osborne offspring!

Semina said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Miz BoheMia said...

Your mom is a happening mama fo sho! FO SHO!!!

Loverboy loved this... he was a huge KISS fan and Lil' BoheMia, at the tender age of 2, looooved Gene Simmons in his full KISS getup... we had a fridge magnet with his picture, tongue stuck out, and she grabbed it and put it on her door! I am seriously not looking forward to her teen years and who she will choose to date! Oy!

And no wonder you are so fab! Can I hang with you? :-) Pretty please???

And I read the post below, GO RANDOM GIRL GOOOOOOOOOOO INDEED!


PS~ That deleted comment was me! I was accidentally signed in as the identity of a friend I am making a template for... and hey, if ever you would like one made for you... :-)

DaBich said...

AHHH KISS! I adored Kiss, still love their music. My ex and his brothers used to dress up just like Kiss, and go to their concerts. I stayed home with the kids :/

My first concert? Nazareth. It was awesome!!!

Anonymous said...

The first concert I went to was Queen. I was 11. My friend and I bought concert t-shirts, and got in trouble for wearing them in class. I guess the woman on the front with the big tits wasn't a part of our "acceptable dress code policy."

-Jason

Anonymous said...

ha ha.. cotton wool.. at least she didnt wrap u in cotton wool like myself hehe xx i luv our mum too shes out of control xx

Dale said...

Nazareth! I used to love them, my older brothers played them all the time. I bought a dvd concert of theirs recently when they played in front a hometown crowd and sounded surprisingly good!

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