The History Of The National Bowl-00-5644

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Many pass it on the daily commute to work while others live close enough to hear the musical acts that have graced the stages over the year like Status Quo, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi and Eminem. It truly is a remarkable piece of history that will be forever etched in the life of Milton Keynes not just for its music, but for what is around the next corner as well.

Early days

One of the first acts to grace the hallowed bowl-shaped arena in Milton Keynes was the legendary ska and reggae singer-songwriter; Desmond Dekker. This was way back in 1979 when the venue first opened and the same year that Margaret Thatcher came to town to officially open the now famous shopping centre. Many other acts followed in the footsteps of Desmond Dekker over the next few years including UB40, The Police, David Bowie, Squeeze (famous for their ‘Cool for Cats' song) all culminating into one show that put the bowl well and truly on the concert map; Status Quo.

Who played at the National Bowl?

Status Quo turned up for their last gig of their ‘End of the Road' tour in 1984 and at that time is was thought it would ...
... be their last concert together. For two of the band it was in fact their last gig with Status Quo as bassist Alan Lancaster and drummer Pete Kircher left the band in 1985.

Over the next eight years there were various artists that came to play at the National Bowl and they put on some great performances as did the fans who turned up to watch them. Michael Jackson arrived in 1988 amid a flurry expectation and delivered; Bon Jovi then came the following year, which was to be their first of five appearances at the National Bowl making them the act that has played there the most.

In 1992 a joint Sony/Pace venture acquired the venue and built a permanent sound stage on the grounds and changed the name to ‘The National Bowl'. The Boss, Bruce Springsteen himself, was the one to launch the revamped National Bowl in his unique style in 1993. It now held more people and facilities inside the amphitheatre that were all greatly improved. Other acts to follow in the same year included Guns N' Roses, Metallica and Bon Jovi for their second visit; making it a year of very loud music for those living close by!

The National Bowl in 2010

As music evolved so did the types of band that were coming to play at the National Bowl and there would be a succession of bands that catered for a different crowd. Jamiroquai, Foo Fighters, Take That and Oasis all held concerts in this unique venue and every one of them was a sell-out. The Prodigy are set to entertain crowds in July 2010 and as always the National Bowl prepares itself to welcome thousands of visitors into its 65,000-capacity holdings to watch the best of the best in the music world.

The last 10 years have been a roller coaster ride for the venue with talks of it shutting down, being turned into a casino and all manner of other ideas. However, the current tenants have plans to take the site into the 21st century with the introduction of a year-round in-door facility, a new Milton Keynes Greyhound Stadium with bars and restaurants that can cater for 3,500 patrons and a 120-bedroom hotel. All of these are just ideas for now, but the forward planning is there for all to see.

About the Author:

Milton Keynes is home to a wide variety of music venues, including the famous http://www.mkweb.co.uk/bowl/home.asp. For all the latest information on http://www.mkweb.co.uk/music/home.asp, visit MKWeb.