I Was There: Gigs That Changed the World

by Mark Paytress

Woodstock. The Isle of Wight. Bowie at the Hammersmith Odeon, 1972. Nirvana at Reading, 1992. Gigs that changed the face of music and the very foundations of popular culture. Now, leading rock journalist Mark Paytress recreates the sights, smells, and sounds of the 20th Century's most talked about moments in the history of live music, debunking myths and recreating the bands' --and the fans'--experiences. There's something here for every musical taste-- from Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall in 1938, to Bob Dylan, to Live Aid. Complete with amazing photographs that capture the essence of these now legendary shows, this is a true compendium for any music fan or anybody who's ever thought, "I wonder what it was like to be there?"

Genres: Music

128 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2004

About the author

Mark Paytress is a journalist, author and broadcaster. A regular contributor to MOJO magazine, his work has also appeared in numerous publications including The Guardian, Radio Times, Q, Rolling Stone, Crawdaddy, Maxim, La Repubblica and Record Collector.

His books include Bolan: The Rise & Fall Of A 20th Century Superstar (Omnibus Press), Break It Up: Patti Smith’s Horses And The Remaking Of Rock’n’Roll (Piatkus), I Was There: The Gigs That Changed The World (Cassell), BowieStyle (Omnibus Press), The Rolling Stones Files (Quadrillion), The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars (Schirmer), Siouxsie & The Banshees: The Authorised Biography, Vicious: The Art Of Dying Young and critical guides to the work of The Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Nirvana and the Sex Pistols.

Mark has contributed to various television and radio programmes (Night Waves, Front Row), and in winter 2008/09, researched and presented two documentaries for BBC Radio 4, Here’s Kenny (about DJ Kenny Everett) and Stash: The Dandy Aesthete Of Swinging London.

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the firsthand accounts from so many sources, and about so many critical performances over generations of music. Good stuff.