Spinoff...How about Musical Pimgrimages?

In 1993 I came to Manchester to do my semester abroad simply because I adored The Smiths...so it was a real thrill to be where their songs were about! It was a thrill for me to visit the Salford Lads Club, to see the Iron Bridge, to walk through those Cemetery Gates and to just be in Morrissey country. So fast forward 14 years, I live and am raising my children mere yards away from where Morrissey grew up. Yet I still get a thrill when I go past Southern Cemetery or the Salford Lads Club...even though many of those places I drive by almost everyday.

I met Morrissey this summer and it was one of the biggest thrills in my life to be able to talk to him and tell him how my life panned out all because I was a Smiths Fan way back when.

So...anyone else ever take any Musical Pilgrimages?

(this probably doesn't count, but I also used to love Hello Kitty and on my honeymoon, I made my husband take me to Sanrio Puroland in Tokyo...dur.)

Oh yes!  I'm a student of Irish fiddle and during the summer of 2005 spent a month in West Clare in Ireland learning and playing at the local pubs and getting to know local musicians.  I made a side trip down to Dingle as well.

The next summer I spent it entirely in West Clare.  I learned so much and had a fabulous time.  I also met my husband there!

I've been to Graceland! 

I've done the whole Beatles thing in Liverpool and London.   

And if driving repeatedly by a popstar's house (stalking?) is a musical pilgrimage, then i've done that in Glasgow too. 

I almost forgot, at 19 I had a trip to London planned, inspired by The Clash, but the trip went bust, alas and I didn't make it to London til I was 32 or 33.

Oh yes!  I'm a student of Irish fiddle and during the summer of 2005 spent a month in West Clare in Ireland learning and playing at the local pubs and getting to know local musicians.  I made a side trip down to Dingle as well.

The next summer I spent it entirely in West Clare.  I learned so much and had a fabulous time.  I also met my husband there!

ooooooooooo--have you been to doolin?

i am fantastically proud to have played seisuns in all three pubs there! (i play bodhran.)

i am a dork of the highest degree & can proudly boast of having distributed u2-related graffiti all over windmill lane in dublin.

actually, if it's u2-related in dublin, i've been there, done that. including getting a kiss off bono in the clarence hotel. 

ooooooooooo--have you been to doolin? i am fantastically proud to have played seisuns in all three pubs there! (i play bodhran.)

Hey niku2!  Yes, I love Doolin!  I played at Gus O'Connor's Pub.  My favorite of all though is The Roadside Tavern in Lisdoonvarna.

I've done Graceland too. Also can't live in East TN without visiting the homestead of Dolly Parton!

I've done Graceland too.

Me too - twice !

I'm not really an Elvis fan, but my aunt lives 2 hours' drive from Memphis and it was somewhere close by that we could go when we were visiting from the UK .

When my husband and I were in Glasgow together for the first time we went to Killermont Street (a song by Roddy Frame and through whose fansite we met). We took each other's photos under the sign! If you think that is bad, there's another song by Roddy Frame that has a line in it about "mustdestroy.com" which turns out to be a real company and we saw one of their trucks parked in a street in Lodnon once and got someone to take our photo next to it. The driver thought we were mad! (I know we probably are!).

On our way to New Jersey for a wedding, we arranged our trip with a stopover in Cleveland so we could go to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  Cheesy, yes, but a lot of fun!

I HAD to go to St. Martin in the Fields when I was in London.  (I saw two of my FAVORITE requiems performed!!) 

I have big plans to see some of my fav. bands once I'm living on their turf, too!!

Salzburg...


And back in good ol' 1984 I dragged a friend to Birmingham to visit the Rum Runner... without first checking to see if it was indeed, still open.
(It had been closed for years; the front doors were covered with loads of graffiti and love notes).
My friend did forgive me, but it took some time.

And back in good ol' 1984 I dragged a friend to Birmingham to visit the Rum Runner... without first checking to see if it was indeed, still open.

I guess that would be like making a pilgrimmage to CBGB's in NYC now before checking to see that it was still open (which it isn't!).