Top 5: Bands I've Seen Live.

I'm sure you all know me by now if you follow me - I have a huge love for music and bands.

Music awakens something inside me and makes me feel things - happiness, sadness, good memories and bad memories.

I spent a huge chunk of my late teenage years and early twenties travelling the country seeing lots of bands at different venues and I loved the sense of adventure and independence gigs gave me.

So tonight, I thought I would put together my top 5 bands I have seen live.

5. Courtney Love - Birmingham 02 Academy - 18/5/2014.

Courtney Love has always been one of my top female vocalists for years. Since the first time I heard Hole I was in love, she's got this incredibly raspy voice that sounds great whatever she sings.

We all know that she's had some troubles in the past but that doesn't affect her writing great anthems and just being an all round babe.

I saw her in 2014 at the Birmingham Academy and she was excellent, the atmosphere was amazing and everyone was singing along, it felt really special as it was a small venue and I got chatting to loads of other Courtney Love fans there, we shared our love for her and had a great time.

4. Green Day - Genting Arena - 27/10/2009.

I had previously seen Green Day when they did their world tour for the American Idiot album in 2005 - I was lucky enough to join 59,999 other Green Day fanatics at the Milton Keynes National Bowl for one of the best shows of my life.

But this one just pipped it to the top.

When I saw Green Day at the Bowl, I was quite far away from the stage so I had to watch on the big screen, this gig at the Genting Arena in 2009 was different, I had gotten a spot right in front of the stage where I could properly see Billie Joe, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool and I was ecstatic.

They stormed through an almost three-hour set playing most of the songs from their then new album - 21st Century Breakdown and made sure they got all the classics in there aswell.

My personal favourite from that night was hearing 'She' for the first time live - that's one of my all time favourites.

Billie's crowd interaction was on point too, inviting members of the audience up onstage to play the bands instruments and sing their first ever song - 'Knowledge' at one point Billie Joe was firing Green Day t-shirts out of a cannon to the fans!

I had an amazing night, I jumped, I danced, I sang until I had no voice left and exited the Genting Arena feeling exhausted and sweaty, but on cloud 9 that I had just been given an amazing night thanks to Green Day.

3. Kaiser Chiefs - Tollwood Festival - Munich, Germany, 22/6/2009.

I have nothing but huge love for this band.

Kaiser Chiefs took me on a huge journey around the country early on in 2009, when I followed them on their UK tour, I did 9 out of the 10 dates they played which were: Nottingham, Sheffield, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Liverpool, Cardiff and London and I had a whale of a time. I met up with all my other Kaiser buddies, had so much fun and met the band almost every night after the gig and they were lovely to be around and talk to.

I took it one step further after the UK tour and managed to get tickets to see them play the Tollwood Festival in Munich, Germany.

This was going to be one of the biggest adventures and feats of independence I had ever taken. 

I traveled from Birmingham to London where I then boarded the EuroStar to Paris, an hour after arriving in Paris I was set to get on an overnight train to Munich.

The journey was fun, but tiring and when I arrived in Germany I went straight for a few hours sleep before having a look around the Tollwood site.

Kaiser Chiefs came on at 9pm and the little tent we were in exploded with excitement.

Ricky Wilson is such a ball of energy, jumping up and down, running to each end of the stage, climbing up the rigging and his crowd interaction was second to none. He always made sure the crowd were involved just as much as he and the band were and he would always mount the front barrier to sing to the crowd.

The entire gig was mind-blowingly good and although I had seen them 10 times in a few months at the point, the setlist was incredible and I enjoyed every second of it.

2. Oasis - Cardiff Millennium Stadium - 12/6/2009.

Oasis are one of my favourite bands in the whole world. They are the epitome of 90s and I grew up listening to them and loving them.

In June of 2009, I took my brother to Cardiff Millennium Stadium to see Oasis. My brother adores Oasis and for Christmas I bought hima ticket as I had always promised to take him to see them, and man, did I live up to that promise!

We arrived in Cardiff at 10am that morning, determined to get a front row spot, to ensure my brother had the greatest time before he became a Dad.

An after arriving we were called over by a security guard who gave us Gold Circle wristbands meaning we were at the very front, behind 79,999 other Oasis fans, my brother almost died in excitement and I was totally buzzing for it. 

The gates opened at 3pm and we flooded in, running for our lives to get that all important front barrier for the show.

The show opened with The Peth - a band fronted by film star Rhys Ifans (Harry Potter, Mr Nice, Notting Hill) who sported a broken ankle and a crutch at that time, next up were Conventry lads The Enemy, followed by Leicester's finest - Kasabian.

Oasis came onstage at 9:30pm and the whole place just went up.

Liam Gallagher sporting his green parka jacket and his trademark snarl and Noel Gallagher looking, sounding and playing as cool as ever on Lead Guitar.

They performed an incredible 3 hour set, playing songs from their album Dig Out Your Soul and classic anthems like Wonderwall, What's The Story Morning Glory? and we were treated to a beautiful acoustic version of Don't Look Back In Anger from Noel and with the help of us fans, the rendition bought me to tears.

We left Cardiff with our heads in the clouds, completely knackered and tipsy. A week later we were met with news that Oasis would be no more, so we were lucky to catch them before they split up.

1. Bon Jovi - Aston Villa Football Ground, 9/6/2013.

I think you all know by now that my favourite band is Bon Jovi. I have loved them from an early age and I listen to them all the time.

I had seen them twice before this time, but the gig at Aston Villa was the best one I had been to.

I asked my best friend Rachel to come with me to see them as she is quite a big fan too and as soon as she screamed "YES!!!" down the phone I knew this was going to be a day to remember.

So the day of the gig rolled around and we set off early to yet again ensure we had a great spot inside the football ground.

While queuing in the blazing June sun, we met two lovely women, a mother and daughter who were equally excited to be seeing Bon Jovi too. So we spent the afternoon chatting and drinking and just having a great time.

Gates opened at 4pm and we raced to the barrier.

Bon Jovi came onstage and I screamed like a 12 year old at a 1D concert, and so did a lot of other women, we just love Jon Bon Jovi, and who doesn't?! 

The only disappointment was that guitarist Richie Sambora wasn't there and was replaced with Phil X, who totally wailed on guitar, but it just wasn't Richie.

Bon Jovi played a 3 and a half hour set showcasing songs from their new album What About Now and belting out all the songs we love like Livin' On A Prayer, Its My Life, You Give Love A Bad Name and my all time favourite song - Wanted Dead Or Alive.

I got emotional throughout and teared up at the songs that meant a lot to me because in all honesty, Bon Jovi mean a great deal to me, I grew up listening to them, I cried along with their love songs when my past relationships failed, I sang along to them at the top of my voice when I was happy and you always, always throw in the air guitar when Livin' On A Prayer starts playing on a night out. Their music has been there for me through the good times and the bad and that's why I adore them.

Bon Jovi ended the gig with Always, arms and lighters were up in the air, the crowd sang their hearts out and me and Rach were clutching each other, swaying along together, singing our heads off.

It was a wonderful day and we left Aston Villa absolutely wore out, voiceless and sunburnt, but it was bloody well worth it.

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed sharing my great memories of some great gigs.

What are your favourite bands you have seen live?

Love, 

Please note: All photos are mine.