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Hi everyone!
With 2019 well underway and most of us now recovered from the Christmas and New Year festivities we thought it would be fun for all of us in the Community Team, including a couple of our main contacts within the business, to look back and think of all the gigs we've been to.
We've put together a few stories about our own all-time favourite gigs below, and would love to hear about yours too! 
I've always been (even more so in my teens and early twenties) into the industrial/alternative metal/rock bands, so I was of course super duper excited when my favourite artist Marilyn Manson toured in Europe, and for once, also in Finland. The Helsinki gig for his High End of Low tour in 2009 is definitely my all-time favourite gig. Yes, I was dressed appropriately 
but sadly, I don't have any photos saved from the event. Manson was, as expected, a little bit controversial, a little bit shocking, and as usual, loud and super cool and played many of my favourite tracks. 
I ended up going just by myself as I couldn't manage anyone in my circle of friends to join me due to (very) different music tastes... I met some cool people at the gig though to hang out with. Apart from Marilyn Manson, I have a close second for an all-time favourite gig, which was very different from the above, but also excellent: Sarah Brightman's Harem tour, also in Helsinki, in 2004.
I’d have to say my all time favourite gig was seeing the Foo Fighters live at the Leeds/Reading festival wayyyy back in 2002! The whole festival was a great experience and seeing the Foo Fighters on the final night was the icing on the cake! There was a great atmosphere and being a primarily rock festival the crowd was really into it. The bands performance was fantastic and they played all the classic hits as well as some newer stuff I hadn’t heard before. The highlight of the performance was when Dave Grohl and the bands drummer Taylor Hawkins switched places for a couple of songs! It was definitely one of my most memorable gig nights ever!
I grew up with Harry Potter and other fantastical universes, so seeing the soundtrack of the very first movie played live by a skilled orchestra in the gorgeous Royal Albert Hall was wonderful. The live orchestra added another depth to the performances. It made me appreciate John Williams' work even more, and I fell in love with the adventures of the young witches and wizards all over again. This experience was so special I've since then attended a performance of the third movie and will go see the Goblet of Fire in November this year. 
@Chris_K (Social Media Team):
I’ve not been to loads of gigs as I’m not a massive fan of such crowded events, but my favourite gig was Imagine Dragons at The Hydro last March. Imagine Dragons are one of my brothers favourite bands but he’s never been able to see them live.
When tickets for them went on sale, he tried to get them but couldn’t. Little did he know, I wasn’t as unlucky – I managed to buy two tickets and for his Christmas that year (2017), that was my gift to him. The gig came, and we both went to it together, singing through all their songs, waving our hands about like we were frantic teenagers again. We had a great time, and more importantly, I’ve never seen my bro smile that much… I could see how much it meant to him, getting to see his favourite band live – for the first time.
It was almost a disaster, as due to last year’s Beast from the East, I was stuck in Barcelona (MWC) until flights to the UK resumed again. Things were looking bleak for me getting back home in time and I had to break the news to my bro, but after a bit of luck, I managed to get back home about 12 hours before the gig started!
@ColinO2 (Customer Service & Experience):
Being from Manchester and growing up through the 90’s I was always a massive fan of the Manchester scene and was always disappointed I was a couple of years too young to ever see The Stone Roses live. So when they decided to reform and play there first big reunion gig @ Heaton park in 2012 I had to be there. Safe to say Reni was unbelievable on drums, Mani his usual fantastic bass, John Squire magical as ever and Ian Brown on top form – it was amazing, there was a big group of us who never had the chance to go Spike Island and this helped make up for it. Not only that they were supported by The Wailers, The Vaccines, Kid British and the brilliant Primal Scream – a perfect day and night with Manchester’s finest.
Let us know in the comments if you've been to see any of the artists we mentioned above, and more importantly: what is your all-time favourite gig and why? 
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All time favourite gig ,
Isle of White Festival
1970
Epic!
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I realise that this was up a little while ago but only just came across it whilst having a trawl and just had to add my comments...
I am so jealous of @Glory1 and @Bambino seeing The Beatles at Shea, @Glory1 going to Woodstock; and @jonsie for going to Isle of White festival.
I went to loads of gigs and saw Macca at every post-Beatles gig (solo and with Wings) in Birmingham; saw Queen play Birmingham Town Hall in very early days and Stafford; saw Led Zeppelin at Birmingham Odeon (first ever live performance of Stairway to Heaven) and at Earls Court, London (queued for 28 hours for a ticket outside Virgin Records in Birmingham);
Probably the most memorable concert I ever went to was Garland For Linda - the tribute concert for Linda McCartney. I was five rows from the front and admit I cried my eyes out when Paul came on and played Lovely Linda in memory of his beautiful lovely wife...
Thanks guys for giving me the opportunity of sharing some great memories
