I wasn't at Loch Lomond, sadly. But a few of my mates went on a bus from my bit.

There was a few support bands if I remember rightly. Was more like a festival from what I heard.

The Manics and Ocean Colour Scene were two of the support bands iirc mate.

Last edited by Tek (11/8/2016 6:53 pm)

Fuck, 20 years ago, Jesus Christ.

I too was at Knebworth Benny, from memory I couldn't get a ticket for Loch Lomond.

Wasn't it a two or three days thing, three days Knebworth and two days at Loch Lomond maybe?

Anyway, it was one of the weirdest weekends of my life, I'd just left school and was working at the Megabowl where I bumped into a boy I was at school with, was in my year, got on fine with him but didn't knock about with him (he was from Dryburgh and me the Hulltoon) anyway he mentioned his brother or sister had two tickets for Knebworth that they were trying to get rid of and did I know anyone that was looking.  I should have said this was for two days.

Said I didn't but would love to go and he said so would he and we there and then decided to go together.  We were both 17 and he looked about 12, there was a bus from Glasgow Buchanan street to Knebworth leaving at 5am the next again day with the tickets so we decided to meet at Dundee (days before mobiles....) bus station the following night for a 7pm bus to Glasgow.

Got to Glasgow about 9pm and must have tried for near fucking two hours to get into pubs with no luck, I'd managed to get a carry out from one shop while we wandered then about 11pm we went into a Pizza Hut that served us bevie until 1am, then tried about half a dozen clubs and got knocked back from them all so bought some weed and went to the bus station.

Passed out and woke up just as the bus arrived, got on and straight away wired into this group of lassies from Inverness who had loads of cider and 20/20, totally fucked the whole day I think it was the Manics, Ocean Colour Scene and maybe the Charlatans that played, I remember Paul Weller (who was my hero) played with either OCS or Oasis, incredible day.

Back on the bus after the gig, sure it took about 16 hours to get back to Glasgow then a bus back to Dundee and home about 48 hours after I left.

Don't think I've seen the boy I went with again since then, in fact I can't remember if I seen him after getting on the bus in Glasgoe to go down to the gig, fuck I hope he's not still waiting on me.  Sure he was an Arab too, Jamie - if you're reading this I'm back up the road bud.

Andy you must've worked at the bowling with a mate of mine Ross?

Andy wrote:

Fuck, 20 years ago, Jesus Christ.

I too was at Knebworth Benny, from memory I couldn't get a ticket for Loch Lomond.

Wasn't it a two or three days thing, three days Knebworth and two days at Loch Lomond maybe?

Anyway, it was one of the weirdest weekends of my life, I'd just left school and was working at the Megabowl where I bumped into a boy I was at school with, was in my year, got on fine with him but didn't knock about with him (he was from Dryburgh and me the Hulltoon) anyway he mentioned his brother or sister had two tickets for Knebworth that they were trying to get rid of and did I know anyone that was looking. I should have said this was for two days.

Said I didn't but would love to go and he said so would he and we there and then decided to go together. We were both 17 and he looked about 12, there was a bus from Glasgow Buchanan street to Knebworth leaving at 5am the next again day with the tickets so we decided to meet at Dundee (days before mobiles....) bus station the following night for a 7pm bus to Glasgow.

Got to Glasgow about 9pm and must have tried for near fucking two hours to get into pubs with no luck, I'd managed to get a carry out from one shop while we wandered then about 11pm we went into a Pizza Hut that served us bevie until 1am, then tried about half a dozen clubs and got knocked back from them all so bought some weed and went to the bus station.

Passed out and woke up just as the bus arrived, got on and straight away wired into this group of lassies from Inverness who had loads of cider and 20/20, totally fucked the whole day I think it was the Manics, Ocean Colour Scene and maybe the Charlatans that played, I remember Paul Weller (who was my hero) played with either OCS or Oasis, incredible day.

Back on the bus after the gig, sure it took about 16 hours to get back to Glasgow then a bus back to Dundee and home about 48 hours after I left.

Don't think I've seen the boy I went with again since then, in fact I can't remember if I seen him after getting on the bus in Glasgoe to go down to the gig, fuck I hope he's not still waiting on me. Sure he was an Arab too, Jamie - if you're reading this I'm back up the road bud.

​Brilliant story!
 Tickets for both LL and Knebworth went on sale on May 13th 1996, I remember the date because it was my wee sister's birthday. I sat for hours hitting redial. When I did get through, LL had sold out. I'd asked a few mates if they had wanted LL tickets too so when I phoned around them all to say I'd failed, we all agreed we'd go to Knebworth if we could. So I sat for another 2 hours or so and managed to get through - but everything had sold out....apart from "coach deals". I asked what this was, she said you get a ticket AND bus travel from Manchester and back. So, using my Dad's MasterCard, I got the briefs! As was often the case with a bunch of 16 year olds, when it came to chasing up the money with the 4 others that were going, it didn't prove easy. "Cough up or it's getting sold!"

Anyway, as was also common with 16-year olds, 3 of them dropped out (without paying) and it was just me and my best mate from school, Tully. I'd read in The Sun (I know) that tickets were going for hundreds of pounds so it was my plan to sell the 3 spares outside. We were going to the Sunday gig, and in The Sun that morning, it said tickets had been changing hands outside for £2,000! Wow, I was gonna do some serious business! 3 tickets, £6 grand, OYF!

So, Tully and I get the National Express from Dundee to Bolton on the Friday, I had family friends there. We mooched around Bolton on the Saturday and got up early on the Sunday morning and ordered a taxi to the pick up point in Manchester. The coach arrived and curiously, it was full - what would have happened had the 3 that pulled out managed to come? Anyway, I had no idea where Knebworth was, it was just somewhere in Englandshire. We eventually arrived and I set about getting my £6,000!

But, of course, tickets weren't going for anything like that outside. There were loads of touts selling at face value, I tried to sell my 3 to a tout but he wasn't interested. I managed to shift one of them for £50 but that was that!

Anyhow, we get in, eyed up the merchandise and identified items intended for purchase at the end. Kula Shaker were about to start so we got a really good spot. The bass absolutely rattled my chest, I'd never experienced anything that loud before or sound actually affecting me physically.

Kula Shaker had only had two singles out - Grateful When You're Dead and Tatva - both of which I'd bought so I was keen to see them. I remember liking one about 'you treat me like a woman when I feel like a man' - that turned out to be Hey Dude which went to number 2 in the charts.

I can't remember the order, but also on were The Charlatans, Dread(ful) Zone and the MSP. A Design for Life went down a storm.

We got a cracking spot for Oasis, I don't remember much about the gig itself except a rumour going around that Robbie Williams was going to join them on stage as a surprise guest!

Just before the end of I Am The Walrus, we decided we'd make a run for it to the merchandise stalls before there was a big queue, but I could barely walk, much less run! It was so tightly packed that I'd not been able to move for around two hours so my legs being still all that time made them painful to move again!

Anyhow, we got to the merch, I got a giant poster, a programme and a t-shirt - all of which I still have today. I've still got an unused ticket somewhere!

When we'd arrived, the bus driver had told us that if we weren't back on the coach within 30 minutes of the end, he'd leave without us. It took an age to find the coach and we worried we were going to get left behind. We found it eventually and it turns out the driver had been talking pish, we sat for around TWO HOURS until the driver was authorised to go.

I can't remember much about the trip back to Manchester but the next morning, The Sun (I know) had been really negative about both shows talking about drugs being everywhere, rain, the price of burgers, the price of pints and generally made it all sound like an expensive washout.

Chris Evans had asked for people at the gig to phone up - so I did and I had a wee rant to him about The Sun!

In the weeks that followed, there were loads of magazines covering the weekend, Select, Melody Maker, NME, unofficial publications...I bought them all! Still have one or two somewhere. The Sunday had been live on Radio 1, I'd got a mate to record it for me so I listened to that cassette religiously for weeks.

I wore my Knebworth t-shirt with pride for a long time after. It wasn't only the biggest thing that the biggest band ever did, it was a wee 'coming of age' thing for me and Tully, it was our first adventure by ourselves and to be writing about it 20 years later to the day makes me glad that a spotty, skinny, bumfluffed 16-year old me persevered on the phone and got tickets.

Here I am aged 36 and able to say, "I was there." Brilliant. 

BennyBoy wrote:

Andy wrote:

Fuck, 20 years ago, Jesus Christ.

I too was at Knebworth Benny, from memory I couldn't get a ticket for Loch Lomond.

Wasn't it a two or three days thing, three days Knebworth and two days at Loch Lomond maybe?

Anyway, it was one of the weirdest weekends of my life, I'd just left school and was working at the Megabowl where I bumped into a boy I was at school with, was in my year, got on fine with him but didn't knock about with him (he was from Dryburgh and me the Hulltoon) anyway he mentioned his brother or sister had two tickets for Knebworth that they were trying to get rid of and did I know anyone that was looking. I should have said this was for two days.

Said I didn't but would love to go and he said so would he and we there and then decided to go together. We were both 17 and he looked about 12, there was a bus from Glasgow Buchanan street to Knebworth leaving at 5am the next again day with the tickets so we decided to meet at Dundee (days before mobiles....) bus station the following night for a 7pm bus to Glasgow.

Got to Glasgow about 9pm and must have tried for near fucking two hours to get into pubs with no luck, I'd managed to get a carry out from one shop while we wandered then about 11pm we went into a Pizza Hut that served us bevie until 1am, then tried about half a dozen clubs and got knocked back from them all so bought some weed and went to the bus station.

Passed out and woke up just as the bus arrived, got on and straight away wired into this group of lassies from Inverness who had loads of cider and 20/20, totally fucked the whole day I think it was the Manics, Ocean Colour Scene and maybe the Charlatans that played, I remember Paul Weller (who was my hero) played with either OCS or Oasis, incredible day.

Back on the bus after the gig, sure it took about 16 hours to get back to Glasgow then a bus back to Dundee and home about 48 hours after I left.

Don't think I've seen the boy I went with again since then, in fact I can't remember if I seen him after getting on the bus in Glasgoe to go down to the gig, fuck I hope he's not still waiting on me. Sure he was an Arab too, Jamie - if you're reading this I'm back up the road bud.

​Brilliant story!
 Tickets for both LL and Knebworth went on sale on May 13th 1996, I remember the date because it was my wee sister's birthday. I sat for hours hitting redial. When I did get through, LL had sold out. I'd asked a few mates if they had wanted LL tickets too so when I phoned around them all to say I'd failed, we all agreed we'd go to Knebworth if we could. So I sat for another 2 hours or so and managed to get through - but everything had sold out....apart from "coach deals". I asked what this was, she said you get a ticket AND bus travel from Manchester and back. So, using my Dad's MasterCard, I got the briefs! As was often the case with a bunch of 16 year olds, when it came to chasing up the money with the 4 others that were going, it didn't prove easy. "Cough up or it's getting sold!"

Anyway, as was also common with 16-year olds, 3 of them dropped out (without paying) and it was just me and my best mate from school, Tully. I'd read in The Sun (I know) that tickets were going for hundreds of pounds so it was my plan to sell the 3 spares outside. We were going to the Sunday gig, and in The Sun that morning, it said tickets had been changing hands outside for £2,000! Wow, I was gonna do some serious business! 3 tickets, £6 grand, OYF!

So, Tully and I get the National Express from Dundee to Bolton on the Friday, I had family friends there. We mooched around Bolton on the Saturday and got up early on the Sunday morning and ordered a taxi to the pick up point in Manchester. The coach arrived and curiously, it was full - what would have happened had the 3 that pulled out managed to come? Anyway, I had no idea where Knebworth was, it was just somewhere in Englandshire. We eventually arrived and I set about getting my £6,000!

But, of course, tickets weren't going for anything like that outside. There were loads of touts selling at face value, I tried to sell my 3 to a tout but he wasn't interested. I managed to shift one of them for £50 but that was that!

Anyhow, we get in, eyed up the merchandise and identified items intended for purchase at the end. Kula Shaker were about to start so we got a really good spot. The bass absolutely rattled my chest, I'd never experienced anything that loud before or sound actually affecting me physically.

Kula Shaker had only had two singles out - Grateful When You're Dead and Tatva - both of which I'd bought so I was keen to see them. I remember liking one about 'you treat me like a woman when I feel like a man' - that turned out to be Hey Dude which went to number 2 in the charts.

I can't remember the order, but also on were The Charlatans, Dread(ful) Zone and the MSP. A Design for Life went down a storm.

We got a cracking spot for Oasis, I don't remember much about the gig itself except a rumour going around that Robbie Williams was going to join them on stage as a surprise guest!

Just before the end of I Am The Walrus, we decided we'd make a run for it to the merchandise stalls before there was a big queue, but I could barely walk, much less run! It was so tightly packed that I'd not been able to move for around two hours so my legs being still all that time made them painful to move again!

Anyhow, we got to the merch, I got a giant poster, a programme and a t-shirt - all of which I still have today. I've still got an unused ticket somewhere!

When we'd arrived, the bus driver had told us that if we weren't back on the coach within 30 minutes of the end, he'd leave without us. It took an age to find the coach and we worried we were going to get left behind. We found it eventually and it turns out the driver had been talking pish, we sat for around TWO HOURS until the driver was authorised to go.

I can't remember much about the trip back to Manchester but the next morning, The Sun (I know) had been really negative about both shows talking about drugs being everywhere, rain, the price of burgers, the price of pints and generally made it all sound like an expensive washout.

Chris Evans had asked for people at the gig to phone up - so I did and I had a wee rant to him about The Sun!

In the weeks that followed, there were loads of magazines covering the weekend, Select, Melody Maker, NME, unofficial publications...I bought them all! Still have one or two somewhere. The Sunday had been live on Radio 1, I'd got a mate to record it for me so I listened to that cassette religiously for weeks.

I wore my Knebworth t-shirt with pride for a long time after. It wasn't only the biggest thing that the biggest band ever did, it was a wee 'coming of age' thing for me and Tully, it was our first adventure by ourselves and to be writing about it 20 years later to the day makes me glad that a spotty, skinny, bumfluffed 16-year old me persevered on the phone and got tickets.

Here I am aged 36 and able to say, "I was there." Brilliant. 

Was that the second day Chris?

Had always heard Oasis were really dissapointing on the second day because they'd got pished all night long after the first night.

Liam himself admits this in the NME article above. He also says he didn't even know they were playing two nights haha.
 

BennyBoy wrote:

I wore my Knebworth t-shirt with pride for a long time after. It wasn't only the biggest thing that the biggest band ever did, it was a wee 'coming of age' thing for me and Tully, it was our first adventure by ourselves and to be writing about it 20 years later to the day makes me glad that a spotty, skinny, bumfluffed 16-year old me persevered on the phone and got tickets.

Here I am aged 36 and able to say, "I was there." Brilliant. 

Great story Benny, I haven't seen Tully since we left Bell Baxter, such a nice guy. Hope he is doing well, tell him Sieb says hello!