“Going to Exeter and discovering it had a large venue in the Great Hall, and a good reputation for attracting big bands, was fantastic for a (just) 18 year old who was into music.

“What were the stand out gigs? For me, the first big one was AC/DC in early 1977. Few had heard of this new band; I hadn’t before that gig. I won tickets by selling more Rag Mags than anyone else in a competition. Great gig, but why was one of them wearing shorts? And he still does! I remember it being different, exciting, powerful and loud! I had the customary ringing in the ears for several days afterwards.

“The Xmas gig of 1976 featuring Heart was memorable for various reasons. It was a great evening with great music but there was a free Pernod promotion. Pernod was new to me, and unfortunately I took a liking to it. I woke up the next day, on the floor, in the same clothes, in my hall of residence room, in a very sorry state. No idea how I got back (it was three miles away). I’ve not touched Pernod since.

“Performers seemed much more ‘normal’ back then, as they occasionally mixed with the students. Ralph McTell was seen in the Ram having a beer before his performance, and I played darts against Fairport Convention in the Ram before their gig, with a friend playing pool against Thin Lizzy before an early 1976 gig.”

Alan Cottee (Geography, 1979)

“I was a fresher in 1980 and, looking back now, it’s hard to appreciate the wealth of live music we were offered because at the time I took it completely for granted that you could see bands like Echo and the Bunnymen, Tenpole Tudor, Aswad and U2 in the space of a few weeks. U2 were beginning to make some waves at the time running up to their first gig at Exeter – in ‘The Pit’, in Cornwall House. Entry was £1.25.

“Fast forward three years to 1983 and U2 (playing the Great Hall) had become an established name. The band arrived for the sound-check mid-afternoon. There were the usual messages coming through from the university staff in Northcote House to keep the noise down but the band persisted, Bono paying particular attention to get Larry Mullen’s backing vocals from the drumkit right. They then went to the Rougemont Hotel in the city centre to relax pre-gig. It was around then that news began to seep through that the album ‘War’ had gone to the top of the album charts, knocking Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ off the top spot. The band were late to return to the venue due to the celebrations at the hotel and, as I led them from their bus with their half-drunk bottles of champagne up the stairs to the dressing rooms in the Great Hall, they were clearly buzzing!”

Paul O’Carroll (English, History and Sociology, 1983)

“Whilst a student I signed up as one of the stage crew – we were known as ‘humpers’ as I recall – to help put together and then dismantle the set before and after gigs. If you were on ‘earlies’ you’d meet outside the Great Hall in the afternoon (I was studying economic history so my diary wasn’t too troubled with lectures!) then help unload the truck and, if you were lucky, get to listen to the sound check. ‘Lates’ involved packing everything up after the show and finishing in the middle of the night but there was a chance you might meet the band. (I remember having a beer with Jim Kerr after the Simple Minds gig in 1982 and also going to a party with Mari Wilson and the Wilsations).

“You were paid for your shift in either cash or tickets but everyone preferred tickets because if the show was a sell-out you could sell your spares at a higher price. No one likes touts but as an impoverished student it was a useful way to make a few quid and top up your grant!”

David Hacon (Economic and Social History, 1983)