King Arthur
Concert Coverage

Buster Bloodvessel of Bad Manners — Buster of Bad Manners

Jared Leto up close in Philadelphia — Jared Leto preaching to the crowd during Church of Mars

Favorite Shorts

Switchfoot leaving the stage with Drew Shirley, guitarist for Switchfoot, giving me a fist bump. Yeah!

In the mosh pit with my son at Breaking Benjamin.

About "Live! From King Arthur

The first real concert I ever attended was Fleetwood Mac at the Spectrum in Philadelphia on November 21, 1979, in support of their Tusk album.

We had just moved from a rural community, so I had no idea what to expect. I had been to the Spectrum once or twice before when my dad took me to a 76ers game, but this was nothing like that.

The scene was completely different from today. No one had mobile phones or cameras. You were thoroughly searched on the way in. It's funny that now you practically need a phone-with recording devices-to get in, since it's the only way to have a ticket. Back then, everything felt more raw and communal. The parking lot alone was an event. Once inside the Spectrum, pre-concert rituals included Frisbees flying through the air, beach balls bouncing around, and the occasional blown-up surgical glove drifting over the crowd-depending on what people managed to get past security. I was in awe of it all.

The highlights of the concert itself were Mick Fleetwood's showmanship and Lindsey Buckingham's guitar virtuosity. Even behind a massive drum kit, Mick was a performance all by himself. I still vividly remember him pounding through "Tusk," wild and primal-pure power and personality, just like the song's lyric, "Real savage like." And then there was Lindsey: this mild-mannered-looking ax-slinger who didn't even use a pick. Hearing those *Rumours* songs live, with his intricate guitar work soaring through the arena, completely blew my mind.

I hadn’t really thought about writing about that concert until today, when I started looking back and realized how important those memories become as you get older. The more I thought about it, the more the night came alive again in my mind—decades later, still vivid. It has to be good for brain health. It even motivated me to dig out my original vinyl release of Rumours, and sure enough, I found handwritten notes on the back marking the songs with little details, like "Stevie" next to "Dreams" and "Gold Dust Woman."

So go ahead—feed your head and think back to your own first concert. I’ve been to hundreds of shows, performed hundreds of times, worked as a stage manager, and helped put on concerts and festivals—but I can still remember my first one. It changed my life, and it’s still keeping me alive. 🎶

Here are some other concerts written up by myself, friends, and family. If you have details about any of them, or would like to contribute, please do. Email help@membrane.com

King Arthur Concert Coverage

Favorite Shorts

About "Live! From King Arthur

Alphabetical Concert Coverage Guide

King Arthur
Concert Coverage