Probably the first significant gig I went too was Portishead at Christchurch's renowned town hall (still one of the most incredible auditoriums in the world). This would have been 1998. I was 17 and had just started my first band equipped with a borrowed 4-track recorder, a battle-wary Korg M1 and a set of dubbed DJ Krush cassettes.
I'd been a fan of Portishead for a minute, and managed to hustle enough money (pooling part-time pay and selling bespoke bike parts) to get a concession ticket when the powers-that-be opened up the bleachers/dress circle for general admission. Even though I knew the sound would be compromised (the dress circle is the raised area behind the stage), I had to see them.
![](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/OCMQ4VZK2TWQMOKXSBGH5S2J3U.jpg?auth=8b7c07929e930c88ff990471e7f86a56d203743804af787d4b5e4d95f9bd8058&width=16&height=8&quality=70&smart=true)
Portishead: Beth Gibbons (left), Geoff Barrow (centre) and Adrian Utley