A glorious night cut short in such a brutal way

Do you remember the first gig you went to?

For many of the young people caught up in the terrible events of Monday night in Manchester, that concert would have been their first.

Hearing the stories now, of the dead and the injured and the survivors, has been heartbreaking. Such joy and excitement, shattered into a thousand pieces.

It’s made me think about the first time I went to a gig.

I was 17, so probably a bit older than many of the Ariana Grande fans who went along to support their idol – but the thrill would undoubtedly have been the same.

It was March, I think, and a cold, wintry night – I recall fretting about whether to wear my new plum scarf and matching gloves or not – would they get in my way or, worse, would I lose them in the heat of the gig?

There was a bunch of us, boys and girls, going along that night – school pals who shared a love for Scottish bands like Hipsway, The Bathers, Love and Money, Goodbye Mr Mackenzie...

Going to see Love and Money that night with my friends was a big deal and I do remember it all – bubbling with excitement, tumbling on to the train into town, leaving our East Kilbride safety net behind, then a brisk, giggly walk along Argyle Street, past the Tron steeple, towards the glittering neon lights of the mighty Barrowland.

I still recall the jolt of excitement, seeing the sign for the first time, watching crowds of people flocking through the doors and knowing that soon I’d see my favourite band on stage.

It was a weird mix of nerves and joy – I was finally old enough to be let off the hook and out alone in the big city at night, but still, just a little frightened of the crush of the crowds and the drink-fuelled noise.

But all the nerves disappeared when the lights went down and the band came on.

It was a glorious night and, until they left the arena on Monday, I’m sure the fans in Manchester felt the same.

For them, the experience has been changed forever in the most brutal of ways.

If they didn’t get injured or lose a friend or a parent in the blast, they saw it, or heard it. It will be a memory forever scarred and that’s heartbreaking.

A lot has been said this week so far about the awfulness of this attack and how it is beyond belief, beyond words.

Can this really have happened? Can someone really target children attending a pop concert?

Well, of course they can. The kind of people who carry out these attacks are empty-hearted, soulless individuals who cannot stand to see the young and the happy coming together and being carefree.

They are pathetic, and they are anti-joy - so it’s no surprise that something so celebratory, so human as music, represents everything they hate.