What was your first live show?

[AxlVanHagar]

Subject says it all.

For me it's almost two answers. Technically my first live rock concert was to be Alice Cooper in Toronto in Aug 1980 for the Flush The Fashion tour. I was 11 and a friends older brother took me to the show. Well we and several thousands of other showed up but Alice didn't and a full scale riot broke out. From the Toronto Star the following morning...
-----------
Toronto Star Wednesday August 20 1980:

The Canadian Rock Festival at the Canadian National Exhibition was cancelled today after thousands of rioting rock fans tried to wreck the Grandstand last night. They bombarded 268 policemen with bottles, chains and other missles during a 30-minute rampage that will cost at least $175,000 to repair.
Furious because headliner Alice Cooper's performance was cancelled after they had waited an hour and a half, they tore out 200 seats welded to steel posts and bolted to concrete. They heaved scores of metal chairs on stage. They didn't brain anybody, but they ruined a public address system and an expensive set of drums. They ripped out steel turnstiles, smashed windows in ticket booths and the Grandstand restaurant, and damaged several cars outside the stadium. All Metro's available policemem raced to the CNE to help the 25 officers on duty.

Police used folding chairs as shields against flying bottles and hunks of broken seats, and they used their nightsticks freely in driving more than 13,000 fans from the Grandstand. Twelve members of the audience went to hospital with injuries ranging from cuts to broken limbs. Five policemen and a security officer recieved minor injuries. Police reported 31 arresets on charges of assulting police, causing a disturbance, causing public mischief, being drunk and possessing drugs.

CNE officals cancelled the rock festival scheduled for this afternoon and evening because the seats couldn't be replaced in time and they were afraid of trouble from people with tickets for them. Howard Tate, assistant general manager, promised a refund for last night's and today's concerts to anyone who mails a ticket stub, name and address to the treasurer, Canadian National Exhibition.

All other performances scheduled for the Grandstand, including rock star Burton Cumming's show tomorrow, will go on, Tate said.
Many fans blamed the CNE management for the riot. They claimed anger grew to the explosion point because officials stalled announcing the cancellation until police reinforcements began arriving. But Tate blamed Alice Cooper.

"Band didn't play" He said the grotesque singer - who was plain Vincent Furnier until he adopted a women's name, make-up and wild stage stunts- didn't notify anyone he was too sick to appear.

Zon, a Toronto band warmed up the crowd from 8 p.m. until about 9p.m. Then the fans had to wait.The mood grew ugly as obvious confusiion backstage led to conflicting announcements of what was wrong.
" It was 9:45 when I first heard that he was sick," Tate said. "I recommended to the general manager behind the stage that they start without Cooper, hoping he would show up. But his band didn't play."

Fifteen minutes later, Cooper's lead guitarist announced there had been a delay getting his luggage through customs. After another 25 minutes he announced Cooper was very ill and had been taken to a hospital by ambulance. The fans exploded, despite publis address assurances that they'd get their money back. "I've never seen anything like that in my 19 years with the Ex," said Tate. "We tried to reach Cooper last night and this morning, but we still don't know where he is, what happened to him or what sort of illness he's supposed to have."

Cooper's road manager Damion Bragdon, said last night Cooper had become ill in New York and missed two flights to Toronto.
When he did arrive at 6:30, "he looked awful and he was burning up from fever. I would not put such a human being on stage. He was so sick he could hardly stand up."

Bragdon said Cooper was examined by a doctor after he arrived at the downtown Holiday Inn and "he's been in his room ever since." The hotel had confirmed Cooper had arrived, but said he paid his bill and checked out a few hours later.

Bragdon denied all rumors that Cooper has fallen off the wagon after treatment for alcoholism two years ago: "There was abosolutely no drugs,no booze and no heroin involved. He's just a very sick man."
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Horrifying to my little 11 year old mind but yet I still loved it and couldnt wait for my next show:D Sadly my mother didn't feel the same way and it was a long wait for that. Finally she relented the summer of 1984 and off to the very same place as the riot 4 years earlier the C.N.E. grounds to see Billy Idol on the Rebel Yell tour. No riots that night but a killer show!

So how about you folks? What are your memories of your first live show experiences?

[merc7186]

AxlVanHagar's post just proves one thing....canadians know how to party. My first live show was the Monsters of Rock tour with Faith No More, Guns and Roses, and Metallica at Rich Stadium in 1989. I had never seen so many people at a rock concert before and the energy they let out was truly an awesome experience. With the exception of the wafting smell of bad weed in the air and some dude throwing up all over himself, in the seat in front of me, it is still one of the best shows of all time for me. Best show ever was Lollapolluza in the summer of 1992 at the Molson Fairgrounds up in Barrie ONT, Pearl Jam (pre-sucking era), Sound Garden, Ice Cube, and Ministry tore it up. The funniest thing about that show was that Red Hot Chili Peppers were the headline and final act of the night, and about half of the crowd cleared out while they were playing.

[FultonPub]

My first live show was a music festival where Foreigner (minus Lou Gramm) and Billy Squier were the headliners. Great show.

My first real 'concert' (non festival) was Van Halen on the F.U.C.K. tour. Awesome show. Alice in Chains opened when they were nobodies and they were awesome. I remember Layne Staley getting a pizza from back stage and throwing out slices in to the crowd. Complete mayhem, pizza chunks flying everywhere including back at the band!

[zanzabez]

Mine was Godsmack opening for Metalica..Awesome Awesome show!

[merc7186]

Mine was Godsmack opening for Metalica..Awesome Awesome show!

That was the last Metallica tour and I thought Godsmack outplayed Metallica. Plus, Sully playing the drums during the drum solo was awesome too.

[Zero3ffect]

My first (but not necessarily my favorite) concert was Cracker, Gin Blossoms, and Spin Doctors at Merriweather Post Pavillion in 1994. I was about 11 years old at the time.

[sjb111]

Not my first, but probably the most memorable:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns_N'_Roses#Use_Your_Illusion_World_Tour
Later in the year they went on the mini-GNR-Metallica Stadium Tour with American heavy metal band Metallica. During a show in August 1992 at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, Metallica frontman James Hetfield suffered severe burns after stepping too close to a pyrotechnics blast. Metallica was forced to
cancel the second hour of the show, but promised to return to the city for another show. After a long delay, during which the audience became increasingly restless, Guns N' Roses took the stage. However, the shortened time between sets did not allow for adequate tuning of stage monitors,
resulting in musicians not being able to hear themselves. In addition, Rose claimed that his throat hurt,[22] causing the band to leave the stage early. The cancellation led to another riot by audience members, reminiscent of the rioting that had occurred in St. Louis one year earlier. Rioters overturned
cars, smashed windows, looted local stores and set fires. Local authorities were barely able to bring the mob under control. This can be seen on video in A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica.

And no, I wasn't one of the dicks who set fire to their seats, rioted, etc. Faith no More opened and were awesome. It's funny but I barely recall Metallica's performance, I didn't even remember they were there until I read the wikipedia info.

My first rock concert was in Grade 5(!), seeing Ozzy Osbourne on the Bark at the Moon tour. Ratt opened.

[ProgNegative]

I guess mine would be the yearly 2000 Bridge School Benefit concert put on by Neil Young once a year. It's pretty cool in that everyone has to play acoustic, so a lot of the bands have to rework their songs, plus it's all for charity. Some of the bands included the Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and of course Neil Young, with Crosby, Stills and Nash. Awesome show, and really fun hearing acoustic versions of some great songs.

My first normal concert would have been Weezer with the Get Up Kids and Ozma, this was before the Green Album was even out so they stuck to playing the songs from the Blue Album and Pinkerton that we all know and love.

[No_Skill]

Fun thread!

Mine was Stabbing Westward (Drill and Ash were the openers) at the First Ave in Minneapolis in '96 or '97. Followed closely by The Offspring at the same venue.

Hey some Offspring could be fun. Bad Habit anyone?

[martini76]

My first one was technically REO Speedwagon at the WV State Fair in '91 (I think), but the first one I knew I was going to and planned months in advance for was Metallica in '92. I really wish I could have gone to one of the FNM/GnR/Metallica shows (preferably one without rioting).

[DesiredFX]

Ted Nugent, The Spectrum, Philadelphia, 1974.

I believe my eardrums are still bleeding.

[jawn361]

Mine was the Faith No More, GNR, Metallica in 1989 also. My favorite of all time was Adamantium, Skarhead , Madball, Blood for Blood and Earth Crisis at the Barn in Riverside, CA. Being a vegan straightedge kid at an Earth Crisis show is about as intense as a show gets.

[King_Nuthin]

My parents took my brother and I to see the Beach Boys at Harrah's in Lake Tahoe around 1981. I believe Brian and Dennis were still around then. We used to sit on our porch and sing the songs while strumming on tennis rackets so naturally we were very excited to go to the show. My folks dressed me up in my plaid suit. My dad greased the valet/usher and we got a table right next to the stage and as we sang along to all the songs as best we knew the words they actually invited us up on stage - but I thought my mom was trying to get me to dance so I clung to my chair for dear life.

My first concert of the non-dinner show variety was John Cougar-Mellencamp around 1983 or 84. Finally at the tender age of 12 I was able to attend a show without my mom or dad - 7 Seconds and Dr. Know at the local all ages establishment.

[King_Nuthin]

Being a vegan straightedge kid at an Earth Crisis show is about as intense as a show gets.
Nah, drinkin a beer and munching on a chicken leg at an Earth Crisis show is intense.

[jawn361]

Nah, drinkin a beer and munching on a chicken leg at an Earth Crisis show is intense.

If getting killed is intense, then I am in full agreement. The kids at those shows were about as close minded to other beliefs as you seem to be (and I was one of them, so I speak from experience). There would always be one idiot who would think they were cool flaunting stuff like that and they usually went to the hospital. Its like going to a Blood neighborhood wearing blue just to show how "cool" you are. It was called hardline for a reason.

Now though it is easy to realize that violence hurt the scene more than anything else, and most of those kids have grown up, including me. There were always the idiots who thought drinking made them cool though to provide entertainment back then.

[tspringett]

Journey (Escape tour) and Loverboy(Get Lucky).

Which I imediately followed up with (about a week later) Judas Priest (Screaming for vengence Tour). Felt a little awkward wearing that Journey Tee-shirt to that concert.

T.

[King_Nuthin]

The kids at those shows were about as close minded to other beliefs as you seem to be (and I was one of them, so I speak from experience).
You don't know a thing about me. It was a silly joke, although one which by your accounts has consequences all too real.

[Manda]

My first live concert? Country singer Terri Clark... ROCK ON!

I've only been to two concerts since then, both being Sarnia Bayfest: the first was Barenaked Ladies, the second was Everclear (I missed Collective Soul, booo).

[ElPatro]

Mine was a Foghat concert on a rainy day. It really, really sucked. They were all drunk, high, or some mixture of both, the bass player kept missing chords, and by the time they played "Slow Ride" (at the end, of course) I wanted to swallow rat poison.

[AxlVanHagar]

Great responses gang, keep 'em coming! Some cool shows are being listed.

[jawn361]

You don't know a thing about me. It was a silly joke, although one which by your accounts has consequences all too real.

That is about right. You get a group of 80 kids all wearing cammo and ski masks, marked up with Xs and practically ODing on adrenaline from the pit, and one guy who thinks its funny to mock them. Not good odds for the guy making jokes, and I don't know how many times I saw people take a beating for less. In the end though, that is what killed the youth crew scene in Southern California. If a fight breaks out every time a venue books a hardline band, then they stop booking hardline bands. Honestly though, some of the best shows I ever went to were hardline or straightedge bands- Earth Crisis, Strife, Raid, Throwdown, Adamantium, Show of Hands, Ten Yard Fight, Youth of Today, Uniform Choice etc. When you are part of a minority who made a personal choice like that, and differ in beliefs and politics from 95% of your peers the jolt you get at an Earth Crisis show is unbelievable.

[Holy_Diver]

The first live show I ever saw was a Jimmy Buffett concert. I have been a fan of Jimmy Buffett since my childhood so it was a great experience and I still go every year. I just went to see Ozzy and Rob Zombie the other night and this summer I'm planning to go see Iron Maiden, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and hopefully more awesome bands of that nature.

[punkrockdoc]

Motley Crue, Theatre of Pain tour. I was 11. I took a cab into a seedy part of downtown Baltimore with three other kids, ages 11, 12 and 14. We lied to our parents and told them we had an adult with us. I remember I couldn't figure out how to flick on a lighter and my friend kept doing it so that I could hold it during "Home Sweet Home" (ha! guess cell phones have made that obsolete).

[Julio_Strikes_Back]

Barney Comes to Cleveland.

[harbingerofdoom]

first was actually moody blues in 8.....8...... 85??? cant remember
was their last tour ever.... im happy that i got to see them live they were actually pretty good on stage.

second show I ever went to was Pink Floyd in 87... that was THE BEST EVER!

[sjb111]

first was actually moody blues in 8.....8...... 85??? cant remember
was their last tour ever.... im happy that i got to see them live they were actually pretty good on stage.

second show I ever went to was Pink Floyd in 87... that was THE BEST EVER!

Floyd....damn, I'm so jealous. I hope they tour again soon.

[xHeLLraiserx]

Greatest Show on Earth!!!

Kiss Love Gun Tour 1977

[topperharley]

Van Halen. 5150 tour. Third row center. It was joyous.

[Kaylasara]

As horrifying as it is - my first concert was...

The Osmond Brothers :eek:

There really aren't a ton of Osmond inspired riots - I was there with about a zillion other people - standing on a folding metal chair to be able to see anything - in the rain.

I was a bit more impervious in the 70s... I also (aparently) had CRAPPY taste then, too.

[Spandrel]

Mine was Styx on the "Paradise Theater" tour in Chicago, 1981. I was like 12, and it was their "homecoming" show on the tour. I had a good time, and got the concert shirt to prove it. :)

[wlorcb]

First concert was back in high school when April Wine played around 1972 or 73. For some bizarre reason, my friend and I were allowed to sit onstage in front of one of the amps. My kids are normal so no chromosome damage.
Since then many concerts, but for all you young guys, don't have a family. Concert going stops at that point.
Had my first date with the future wife on the Toronto stop for the Styx Paradise Theatre tour.
Saw Rush many times. Went to the Hotel California tour stop for the Eagles.
The Who a couple of times. Heart many times. Toronto, Klaatu, Moody Blues, Boston, Genesis, ELO, Meatloaf.

A bygone era when tickets did not cost a fortune to go. Tom Petty had a song about that on 'The Last DJ'

[BAoxymoron]

Rammstien in Munich at age 11 with two 15 year olds oh yeah i was wearing a red Georgia shirt.
now that intense:eek: but it was a cool show

[DesiredFX]

Floyd....damn, I'm so jealous. I hope they tour again soon.

It wasn't really Floyd, though: Roger Waters wasn't a part of the '87 tour.


first was actually moody blues in 8.....8...... 85??? cant remember
was their last tour ever.... im happy that i got to see them live they were actually pretty good on stage.

I saw them in '81 or '82, and it seemed like they were having a very, very off night: the performances were sloppy on every level.

[Pavesk8]

Tesla opening for Poison at the Ottawa Civic Center in 86 or 87 I was like 12. Made my Mom take me and my brother and some friends. I was a big fan of Talk Dirty to Me. Imagine my surprise when it showed up on GH3.

[Pavesk8]

Mine was the Faith No More, GNR, Metallica in 1989 also.

I saw that tour in Montreal.. The night Hetfield caught on fire. Then a riot broke out because GNR only played for 15 minutes. Pretty typical for a trip to Montreal.

[Add-Rock44]

My first show was blink-182 at the Memorial Colliseum in Portland in 2000. I had litterally just moved here (Portland) weeks prior to the show, so it was a nice house warming gift. Even though I had kind of bad seats, I still had a lot of fun.

Now, this show also introduced me to Bad Religion. Why? They were the OPENING ACT! BR opening for blink-182? Bizrre, but true. I remember wanting to see more of them when they were done. And I have. Best middle aged dudes ever!

[rockdawg-1965]

The Tubes - Sacramento Memorial Auditorium 198....2?

[TheLaughingMan9]

Soon to be Somewhere Back in Time, March 14.

[terpfan76]

August 12 1994, Star Lake Amphitheater, Pittsburgh PA.

I had just graduated from high school and was working and McD's. I bought a pair of tix from a coworker the day of the concert and proceeded to search for someone to go with. It turns out that two close friends of mine were going so I hitched a ride with them. It turned out to be probably the best performance I've ever seen...(I've been to a sh!t pile of concerts over the last 13 years...from Toby Keith/Ted Nugent to Martina McBride to Black Label Society).

8/12/1994

Fight (fet. Rob Halford, would have been Candlebox, but they left to play Woodstock) Suicidal Tendencies(would have been opener), and headliner Metallica. Metallica's performance was off the charts. Of all the bands I've seen, Metallica is far and away the best live performer. Their live shows blow their albums out of the water, including the likes of Kill 'Em All, Master of Puppers and ...And Justice for All.


Metallica played Woodstock the following day.

[Voodoo]

My first show was Van halen,,diver down tour in 1982 in Montreal...I saw Kiss 11 times...maiden twice,Motorhead,judas priest,motley crue,wasp,ozzy and black sabbath with Dio on vocals,Anvil(great 80s metal band),Helix and i saw metallica 3 times...one of them was in montreal when they played with GnR and all hell broke loose..lol

[M1k3yBuddha32]

1981... or so. Ozzy Osbourne, Blizzard of Ozz tour. Had to sneak out of the house to go. It was awesome. Also went to the Rolling Stones Tattoo You tour shortly thereafter... with my mom! Opening acts were some guy named Joe Ely (who i have never heard of since, although I did see he had a tune on the soundtrack album for a film called "Roadie" that starred Meat Loaf) and a then-little known band called George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers. Needless to say it was a pretty cool show.

On a side note I remember seeing another opening act that later made it big. Around the same time I saw the J. Giles Band on their "Freeze Frame" tour. Opening the show was a group of kids (literally - they couldn't have been more than 18 or 19) from Ireland. They called themselves U2 and sounded just awful... at the time. Just 4 years later I saw them headlining for their "Unforgettable Fire" tour and then a yeaer or so after that they exploded with "The Joshua Tree" and, well, the rest is history.

[lintball]

Hmmm...first? I saw Quarterflash at a theme park, but not sure if that counts as a real concert.

John Cougar opening for Heart...with my mom. Not sure if that counts either.

Van Halen (with After the Fire...Der Komisar?) in 1982 Diver Down tour. That one counts as a real concert.

[Good]

I'm not proud, but Hall and Oats.

Yeesh

[kanerules]

Well, I unfortunately started my concert-going late. I'm 21 and my first concert wasn't until May 9, 2004...that being Metallica w/Godsmack. Damn was it ever awesome. :D

Since then I've seen Roger Hodgson (singer for Supertramp), Twisted Sister, and April Wine...all very fun to see.

I have every intention of going to see both Rush and Iron Maiden this year, I'm hoping. :D:D

[IslandBoy91]

I saw Nickelback touring with Hinder, Three Days Grace and Hoobastank at the Portland Civic Center in August '06. Pretty good show. Seats werent much.

Last summer I saw Godsmack, a band called Voices of Xtreme opened up for them. Great show, odd venue though, the Merril auditorium in Portland, ME. A really classy theater only seats 1200 and there was no mosh pit or pyrotechnics. great acoustics though. The opening act was a pretty good up and coming band. The manager was the bassist from Iron Maiden and they sounded kind of like a mix of the Guns n' Roses and Iron Maiden.

[AxlVanHagar]

Man thre are some shows listed that I'm quite jealous that you guys have seen, Blizzard of Oz , Diver Down, Pink Floyd, good stuff!! Hrmm...gives me an idea for a new thread.:D

[Mowbrayster]

March 04, 2004 I saw Metallica, that was the first live show I ever went to, and man was it awesome.

[desertwoman]

First concert was Tori Amos in 04, and then Brother Ali last year.

[Cubecubed]

That Tour In 2000 With Green Day and Blink 182 Opened for them.Palace of Auburn Hills I believe.Green Day Embarassed Blink big time lol. Green Day PLayed an Excellent Show, but they never really play a Crappy show.
also, Iwas At the Milton Keynes Concert on Green Day's American Idiot Tour. Biggest Concert in Punk Rock History.100,000+ :P

[JoshuaB81285]

Oct. 18, 2001...I was 16, and my first concert ever was TOOL on their Lateralus run. Great, great show. Way to kickoff concerts in my life.

[Totalimmortal]

i was like 6 years old and my parents took me to see the beach boys. hard to believe that growing up listening to that, i'd end up liking halen and pearl jam and a variety of music in between.

best show i've ever seen: Live, Collective Soul & Counting Crows.
Counting Crows sucked. Adam Duritz was trashed, and I really wasn't expecting much outta them.
Collective Soul opened and only played a few songs, but it was the debut of their most recent album and they were great.
Live. They have the most stage energy i've ever seen. the singer, ed, is very into the music and you can feel that. great live band.

[KMoneyFiasco]

My first show was '91/'92 (sometime around then). Ted Nugent Whiplash Bash. Kalamazoo, MI I can't remember but I think Jackyl opened up.

[TheDude5k]

Pearl Jam - Pinkpop '92. Good stuff.

[terpfan76]

That Tour In 2000 With Green Day and Blink 182 Opened for them.Palace of Auburn Hills I believe.Green Day Embarassed Blink big time lol. Green Day PLayed an Excellent Show, but they never really play a Crappy show.
also, Iwas At the Milton Keynes Concert on Green Day's American Idiot Tour. Biggest Concert in Punk Rock History.100,000+ :P



Was the Greenday/Blink 182 tour sponsored by MTV? I saw Greenday and Blink 182 together in Virginia Beach 5/22/02. Greenday opened, for some reason and totally blew Blink off the stage.

[terpfan76]

Oddly enough, it seems as though half of those that attended the Montreal Metallica, Faith No More, Guns 'N Roses show have posted on this site. I wonder how many of them also attended Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game:rolleyes:;)

[Pinworm45]

First concert was when I was 11 or 12, I saw Ozzy with my mom. He was pretty good, but I'm not the biggest Ozzy fan.

Second, I was 14 or so, I went to see Slipknot, as I met a girl who was obsessed and she wanted to. It was meh. At least they have energy live, and can perform relatively well - I'm just not a fan of what they perform.

A year later, my dad recieved 2 free tickets to see Metallica in a booth. Not one to refuse a booth, free food and drinks and a free hyped concert, we both went. We left 3/4 the way through feeling like we got ripped off, they were so awful live.

I've still yet to see a good concert.

It'd help if good bands actually came to Ottawa..

[Arramis]

My first live show was The Guess Who, I was 10 and my folks took me to this outdoor in-the-park rock concert. The Guess Who were the headliners, 2 "unknown" bands were the opening acts: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers followed by .38 Special. Best concert I've ever attended was the Monsters of Rock concert in 1985 at Zeppelin Field in Nuremburg Germany. Ozzy, Dio, Van Halen, Accept, Scorpions, Judas Priest, and the opening act: Motley Crue. There were other bands too but I was "chemically altered" and don't really remember them.

[Arramis]

Oddly enough, it seems as though half of those that attended the Montreal Metallica, Faith No More, Guns 'N Roses show have posted on this site. I wonder how many of them also attended Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game:rolleyes:;)

it's the same as the original Woodstock concert, 500,000 in attendance, over 5 million claim to have been there.:)

[mercuryshadow09]

Motley Crue, Theatre of Pain tour. I was 11. I took a cab into a seedy part of downtown Baltimore with three other kids, ages 11, 12 and 14. We lied to our parents and told them we had an adult with us. I remember I couldn't figure out how to flick on a lighter and my friend kept doing it so that I could hold it during "Home Sweet Home" (ha! guess cell phones have made that obsolete).

This was supposed to be my first concert but due to a friend losing the ticket's my first show was AC/DC a few year's later!

[King_Nuthin]

i was like 6 years old and my parents took me to see the beach boys. hard to believe that growing up listening to that, i'd end up liking halen and pearl jam and a variety of music in between.
I still listen to the Beach Boys and don't see any reason why that should dictate any of my other tastes in music. The Ramones were heavily influenced by the Beach Boys as were countless other punk bands. I remember Steve Jones bringing Brian Wilson on his radio show when Smile came out, that was a ton of fun, trying to figure out what either of them were saying.

[Byrddoggg]

My dad took me to a few shows but the show I consider my true first rock show was the one I went to with other friends. I was about 13.

1982...Rush. Signals Tour....Charlotte, NC

Some other notable shows Iv'e seen:

1987...Jesus and Mary Chain with NIN as opening act. Small club in Charlotte.
1988...Iggy Pop with Jane's Addiction as opening act. Small club in Charlotte.
First Lollapalooza show.
Smashing Pumpkins numerous times between 1992-1993 at Cabaret Metro in Chicago.

[butchcoolidge]

My first real 'concert' (non festival) was Van Halen on the F.U.C.K. tour. Awesome show. Alice in Chains opened when they were nobodies and they were awesome. I remember Layne Staley getting a pizza from back stage and throwing out slices in to the crowd. Complete mayhem, pizza chunks flying everywhere including back at the band!

I saw VH on that tour in Atlanta. We got to the show late just in time to hear Alice n Chains say goodbye as we where walking in. We never even heard of them before. I am now so sick I never saw them. Going to see VH in Atlanta next month. Seen them in Greensboro last Sep. It was their second show of the tour. Never been to a show where people were more fired up to see a band.

[King_Nuthin]

Its funny, I went to that tour just to see Alice in Chains, it was the 3rd or 4th and last time I saw them live. I wouldn't exactly say they were nobodies during that tour as Man in the Box was getting heavy play and they got heavy exposure to the metal crowd during the Clash of the Titans tour (although they were frequently booed by the crowd who came to see Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer).

[OutlawMcgraw]

mine was nirvana and then that following night saw Metallica. Great time that was. :cool::cool:

[Randal]

Metallica in 95 the Load tour! It was such a great show.

[OldFogey]

In the 60's they had these "showcases." Tons of acts performing about 10-15 minutes. The one I remember (I probably had to be about 11) was a British invasion showcase, with a bunch of acts like the Searchers, Peter and Gordon, Gerry and the Pacemakers, etc.

But a real concert like we talk about nowadays? Great story there.

In the summer of '67 we were driving to Oklahoma from California (Route 66! Yeah!). Passing through Abilene TX there was a sign on the Holiday Inn that Buffalo Springfield was playing that night. I put up such a fuss that we stopped for the night and went to the show. I was 14.

What an underappreciated band that was. As far as I know, they were the first 2 guitar (actually 3) attack band -- Steve Stills and Neil Young trading solos. Not a lot of harmony playing like Thin Lizzy, but still dudes, we're talking 5 years at least before that.

Great songwriting. 4-part harmonies. Bruce Palmer, a phenomenal bass player. Live was always improvised. A real ground-breaking band.

Later that fall, I started going regularly with my buddies (who were a couple of years older) to shows at the Shrine Exposition Hall in LA, where I saw Cream, Hendrix, the Who, the Doors, the Dead, Big Brother, Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green days), the original Steve Miller band (with Boz Scaggs), Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, Arthur Brown, Charles Lloyd with a young Keith Jarrett, the Jeff Beck Band (with Rod Stewart), Springfield again, Electric Flag, Mayall (with Mick Taylor), Jefferson Airplane, .... There was no seating. Only a curtain separated back stage from the audience. We usually were right in front of the stage -- more likely than not in front of the guitar player.

[AxlVanHagar]

In the 60's they had these "showcases." Tons of acts performing about 10-15 minutes. The one I remember (I probably had to be about 11) was a British invasion showcase, with a bunch of acts like the Searchers, Peter and Gordon, Gerry and the Pacemakers, etc.

But a real concert like we talk about nowadays? Great story there.

In the summer of '67 we were driving to Oklahoma from California (Route 66! Yeah!). Passing through Abilene TX there was a sign on the Holiday Inn that Buffalo Springfield was playing that night. I put up such a fuss that we stopped for the night and went to the show. I was 14.

What an underappreciated band that was. As far as I know, they were the first 2 guitar (actually 3) attack band -- Steve Stills and Neil Young trading solos. Not a lot of harmony playing like Thin Lizzy, but still dudes, we're talking 5 years at least before that.

Great songwriting. 4-part harmonies. Bruce Palmer, a phenomenal bass player. Live was always improvised. A real ground-breaking band.

Later that fall, I started going regularly with my buddies (who were a couple of years older) to shows at the Shrine Exposition Hall in LA, where I saw Cream, Hendrix, the Who, the Doors, the Dead, Big Brother, Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green days), the original Steve Miller band (with Boz Scaggs), Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, Arthur Brown, Charles Lloyd with a young Keith Jarrett, the Jeff Beck Band (with Rod Stewart), Springfield again, Electric Flag, Mayall (with Mick Taylor), Jefferson Airplane, .... There was no seating. Only a curtain separated back stage from the audience. We usually were right in front of the stage -- more likely than not in front of the guitar player.


And I thought I've seen some cool shows!

[OldFogey]

And I thought I've seen some cool shows!

I bet you have. I like a lot of stuff now. Love Muse, for example. One reason I like Rock Band is it introduces me to stuff I might not hear otherwise. Already picked up on Anarchy Club.

What I really hate are the arenas. What I really miss is the smaller venues. One reason I mostly go to blues and jazz nowadays, where I can sit right in front of the stage and watch Robben Ford blow the lid off the joint....

[JoeChitarra]

My first "time" was in rome with the AC/DC i dont remember which year ( i think '95) but it was an amazing show! I missed the gnr show cos i was too little!

[AxlVanHagar]

I bet you have. I like a lot of stuff now. Love Muse, for example. One reason I like Rock Band is it introduces me to stuff I might not hear otherwise. Already picked up on Anarchy Club.

What I really hate are the arenas. What I really miss is the smaller venues. One reason I mostly go to blues and jazz nowadays, where I can sit right in front of the stage and watch Robben Ford blow the lid off the joint....

Yea I have seen some cool gigs, my list is the OP, but every era has certain bands that defined that era. You got to see some of them, Hendrix, Floyd etc. I would love to seen Rod STewart and Jeff Beck together, The Doors, y'know stuff that's impossible now.

And ditto on the game turing me on to some new bands that I would not have heard otherwise. :D

I'm mixed on the small club vs big arena show. Sometimes I really like the intimacy of a club but sometimes I really love a huge stage production.

[OldFogey]

I'm mixed on the small club vs big arena show. Sometimes I really like the intimacy of a club but sometimes I really love a huge stage production.

Good point. Took my 10 year olds to Green Day a couple of years back at "AT&T Park" in San Francisco. I'll spare the long, but pretty good, story about how we wound up standing in the field, but we had a great time. (We were a little worried about being the lone family in the midst of a sea of moshers, but most of the people in the field were like us.) I guess more than anything else, I hate the buying process. Especially the way scalpers have taken over.

I'm also not a big fan of arena sound. At least the sound systems are better nowadays, but the arenas are not designed for sound so you usually get a bunch of annoying echos. Might be one reason I enjoyed the Green Day concert so much -- being outdoors, it didn't have any of that.

[OldFogey]

I would love to seen Rod STewart and Jeff Beck together, The Doors, y'know stuff that's impossible now.

Glad you picked that one out. Ron Wood was the bass player in that band. We saw a lot of great shows, and great bands, but we also saw some really bad shows from some legendary bands -- Cream, the Doors and Who among them. Usually you could blame drugs.

But one band that was consistently tight was that Jeff Beck Band. And it was a fun show -- Beck is way more fun than Clapton to watch (and a better guitarist), Stewart was a great front man, and Wood was Woody -- kept the spirit well. He's a hell of a bass player. (Would have loved to see Page play bass behind Clapton and Beck -- oh well, dream on.) Truth is still one of my favorite albums.

For my buds and I that band was probably our favorite live act of the era.

[King_Nuthin]

In Portland we are fortunate enough to have an arena that was built from the ground up as a live music venue. Still I stick to the clubs, partly because I really dislike paying more than $10 to see most bands and partly because I just don't like arena/stadium shows without general admission. I've also got 2 or 3 decent venues that routinely get bands I like that are within a 10-15 minute walk from my front door.

[Brainp0wa]

Hmmm, lets see. It was David Lee Roth - Eat em and smile, and Cinderella opened for them. LOL, I remember when they played Jump and they had some guy playing a keyboard behind a screen so you could see he was playing it but not tell who he was.

[AxlVanHagar]

Hmmm, lets see. It was David Lee Roth - Eat em and smile, and Cinderella opened for them. LOL, I remember when they played Jump and they had some guy playing a keyboard behind a screen so you could see he was playing it but not tell who he was.


That would have been Brett Tuggle:D

[bigE1669]

*Gets up out of rocking chair*

My first concert was Rick Springfield in 1982. I had no choice in the matter, I was 8.
Second concert was ZZ Top - Eliminator Tour 1983, maybe 1984.
Third concert was Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon 1984.
Followed by Iron Maiden & Megadeth in 1985.

*Slowly Sits back down*