Time of Arrival

(Warning, slightly lengthy post)...

For me, Mins, it depended on the age I was and who I hung out with in the years I was going down.  Initially, afraid of not getting in, myself and the lads (without memberships) would queue with the other non members staring in awe at the members strolling by us, past the bouncers, into the corridor towards the hall.  We used to queue from around 8.30pm to try to ensure we got in (and we didnt sometimes before we got our cards) - yeah, it started at 9pm alright.  When we did get into the Hall (shortly after 9), the place was almost deserted apart from a few rockers headbanging here and there in the hall.  I remember thinking "where is everybody" in those early days and I felt like a total newbie when all the "cool dudes" started to show up at 10pm or after.

A year or two onwards and I was hanging around with a slightly different group (the other lads stopped going) and we would never show our faces until 10pm or just after on Saturday (although a few of us would head down early on Sunday nights for the albums played - Sunday crowd was older and their musical tastes were closer to mine).

Later in the 80s, a lot of the crowd I used to hang around with had moved on and a group of 'new' groving friends and me would meet in the Neptune and we would head out there on the last bus to Sybil Hill, getting there around 11.40pm.  I must admit that I felt a bit out of place by then though (being in my 20s) and stopped going shortly after..

All good times though....looking back..

 

Mel.

 

Hi,

Yes I did forget about the emergency "lash" in Bridgets....well said and belated congrats on THAT experience...I usually staggered to some conifer off the Avenue in the Annes. I am remembering for some crazy reason my drink was Carling Black Label...why I ask ???? that or Carlsberg...strange choice.

I WENT to that concert in Phoenix Park !!!!!! I remember getting dropped off at 08:00 and was just about holding up by the ungodly hour U2 came on. It was my first experience of an outdoor concert and all the delights that came with it..sweat, crushing, pushing, drinking, puking, mashed feet, bad breath, starving, loosing your place at the front cos you had to head to the portaloo, giving in and retreating to the back for some air...MAD.

I remember it so well. The whole line up was fantastic....I still listen and love all that stuff...U2, SIMPLE MINDS, BIG COUNTRY even though I had Judie Tzuke, Led Zepp, Black Sabbath, Genesis, Fleetwood Mac, Yes, The Doors, Steely Dan etc etc beaten into me as a kid from my brothers......so pissed to hear about Stuart Adamson though -nice guy...big loss. Went to a FISH gig in Lisbon recently...ex Marillion lead singer incase you don´t know. Was a 20th Anniversary Tour of the Misplaced Childhood Album. What a gig...what a night..another great Scot and of course I thought of the Grove when he sang "Kayleigh"...a good slow set number.....

I recently got all my vinyls shipped to my home here and I can tell you there is not a dry eye to be had when I crack open a "cerveza" and listen to a couple...we used to have a special dance that went to " In a big Country"...almost like a mixture of a trad.jig and a line dance....weird....yes and those braces !!!.

Hey what about Simple Minds....I say that and the first thing that comes to mind is the movie " The Breakfast Club"....great theme tune.

I found a great store here in Madrid that has and had stocked all the original Brat Pack Movies....Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, 16 Candles....Molly Ringwald type stuff...amazing......bought a whole bunch.


Great experiences the whole lot.....I associate all of the above with the Grove, Sing Out, Manor House, St Pauls, Battle of the Bands gigs in The Sheiling, Live Aid ...and much much more............fun, fun times.

All the best, hasta luego...

Mins.

14/08/83 says google for that gig.

Also on the bill were Steel Pulse and Perfect Crime and if I am not mistaken a Northern Irish band (I think) called "Big Self" who had 1 great song that Cecil played from time to time too - any suggestions? Something about "the sun on the roof again" in the chorus?.  Probably the best line-up I've ever been at,never ever forget looking at the sky that day and marvelling at how blue it was! (and that was before the flagons kicked in).  On the Simple Minds subject, Someone Somewhere in Summertime takes me back instantly to that day, also The American was another track of theirs that Cecil favoured but was always impossible to dance to without looking like a gobsh!te ... won't even talk about plaguing him to play Up on the Catwalk (he did once or twice) ... guilty pleasures 

Have to admit I went early in the beginning, afraid I wouldn't get in.

Sundays were always different, felt older somehow.

When we realised cool people came at 10.00 we all did the same!!!

Hey Rolo,

I think that means we're the "cool people" everyone's talking about!!!!

 

 

Any takers on

TIME OF ARRIVAL.

Go back to the first post on the Thread and add yer bit if you like.

Mins.

This is an easy one.

When we ran out of bread in the DH. Or the Barony Inn at the back of Coles in Fairview. 

 Arrived nearly always around 10pm  on  a Saturday and later on a Sunday when the hall seemed to take longer to fill up.

Can still see small groups ( of maybe 3 or 4) headbanging to a L.P. somebody would have brought down for Cecil to put on before the crowds arrived....even remember lone headbangers on occasions!

Does anyone remember sitting on the floor with legs crossed and headbanging......  was that preserve of the alcove?

Ah Jen

 

I think a little elitist is OK especially when one went to

THE REAL GROVE

 

Rock on Dayo