Our very own Steve Muscutt has decided to take the plunge to help get the feature off the ground, we understand that it won't be long until we are floating around the offices in requests from people all over the world, if you want to get involved, do it now !!
Your Name?
Steve Muscutt
Where do you live (town/city)?
Rattery, South Devon
Age now?
42
What was your FIRST ever gig that you attended?
Apart from random events with my parents in the mid 70's, my first REAL gig was a great band called The Bolshoi (nothing to do with the ballet!)
Where was the gig?
Seale Hayne University in Newton Abbot, Devon
When was the gig?
Hmmm, must have been when I was about 15 years old so.....1987
Do you remember who the support act(s) was/were?
Nope.....I did drink 2 cans of Carling Black Label lager before we went in so my memory is a little fuzzy!
Who did you go with?
There was a load of us went, I think I remember Graham & Chris Venning, Spenser Smith and maybe Richard Thompson? I do recall seeing Tom and David Kennedy at the gig with Martin Apps (local Smiths fans)
How did you get there?
Liz Venning (Graham and Chris's mum) drove us there in her blue VW Polo, we did get lost and ended up in Dartington (where I remember having a wee after drinking 2 cans very quickly).
What do you remember most about the show?
We met Trevor Tanner (singer) before the show and he signed a poster for Graham with the words 'Dig the groovy strides' as Graham was wearing a pair of black and white stripey trousers, I bought a Bolshoi enamel badge that I sold on eBay to someone from Florida who now works with Trevor Tanner putting on a live music night every week. The show was very hot, being small, we were squashed at the front of the crowd, I was pressed up against a light that was very hot so we all got really sweaty!
How did you feel the moment the lights dimmed and the ‘intro’ music started?
Amazing, we were listening to one of their albums called 'Friends' and they opened with a track called 'Away' which is brilliant, they were our idols for a long time and Graham and Chris's band even did a cover version of 'Television man'!
Was it indoors or outdoors?
Indoors
Did you buy a T-Shirt?
I somehow already owned a Bolshoi T-Shirt before the show, god only knows where it came from as they were quite an underground band back in the late 80's, maybe Chris's older sister got it for me, can't remember!
Did you like the band MORE after you saw them live?
Loved them even more after I had seen them live, they were amazing, had the crowd eating out of their hands all night!
If you didn’t already own them, did you go and buy more of their music AFTER seeing them live?
I think they only had the one album out at the time but I did go looking for the 7" records!
Are you still a follower of the act/band?
I do still listen to them quite a lot actually, I think there is something about the music you listened to when in your mid to late teens that shapes your tastes and stays with you. I do listen to Trevor Tanner's solo stuff too so I guess i have 'moved on' with the band as they did split up a very long time ago, great band!
How many times have you seen the act/band now?
I only saw them live the once, being young, it was tough trying to get people to drive you up and down the country to see gigs, you were too young to go on your own and stay over so gigs were quite hard to come by. Obviously no bands ever played in the town that we grew up so we were very much at the mercy of older brothers and sisters ferrying us to the shows with them!
What advice would you give to a young fan looking to attend his/her first gig?
Don't drink (too much), get in with a crowd where there is at least one driver and make sure you have some money to buy a T-Shirt or a souvenir as you will look back on it and remember how you felt when they came on stage and started to play.