A recent post here got me started thinking about various concerts that I've been two in my life... some of have been sooo amazing (for various reasons) while others were not nearly as good as expected.
Great show... I saw Van Halen in the early 1990s. The concert was simply amazing. Why? We had seemingly bad tickets to the right and BEHIND the stage. We were in the upper level (first row) looking down on the band kinda from the side/back. At first we were bummed, but Sammy kept running to the back to sing and play to us. We weren't that far from the stage, just at a bad angle (we DID see a bunch of the back of the band for most of the show). But it was soooo cool to have Sammy running back every 5 minutes to scream at the 300 - 400 of us in the back. Plus, when the giant VH logo was lit on fire it was so close to us that we all got super hot. Very cool.
Not so great show... it was actually probably a decent show, but I was expecting so much more so it was a little lame. It was Guns N' Roses... I don't know... I was soooo psyched to see the show and then it was kinda like - "ok". It was a ho-hum concert, but since I was so hyped to see them it was a let-down. Plus, we were a million miles away.
Another lame experience was Counting Crows. We had phenomenal seats (15th row) and I really liked them at the time. They sounded great, but the freakin' singer (Adam) kept singing the lyrics differently. He changed the arrangement of literally 50% of the songs. So, all the fun of singing along was taken from us. I can't stand it when your favorite songs are played in a different tempo, key, etc...
So, what are some of your great and no-so-great experiences??
-=- Steve
"If the moon were made of ribs, would you eat it?"
Worst:
A strong candidate was a Joe Cocker show in the mid '70s where he was so stoned he could hardly stand up, kept forgetting his words, was getting booed by the audience, and when he finally fell over, pulling the mic stand down on top of him, and got carried off, the audience cheered.
The absolute worst, though, was a Bob Seger concert in Birmingham, Alabama in 1978. I'd seen him put on a rocking show in about 1974, before he got into his ballad phase, and was really looking forward to it. Took my new bride to hear him with eager anticipation. He acted sloppy drunk. Then he went off stage, but the music, obviously taped, kept going with his part on it. The keyboard player was pouring himself drinks, the guitarist and bass player were talking to each other with their arms at their sides, and the sax player was strutting around jamming to the tape in the spotlight. Seger's voice on tape was still going strong. That went on for a long time, as the stoned zombies on the floor cheered and held up their lighters. I was furious, as in those days I didn't have much money and that concert was a big ticket item.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Best:
U2, Joshua Tree tour, LA Sports Arena. I was a stage guard, standing about 15 feet from The Edge the whole night. Of course, I wasn't supposed to be looking at the show ... ;)
Worst:
U2, Joshua Tree tour, LA Memorial Coliseum. We had seats way up in the nose-bleed section. Basically watched the show on the big video screens they had going. The sound took so long to reach us that is was delayed and out of sync with the video. Total waste of time.
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
Best: Pearl Jam in St. John's. Septemeber 24th, 2005. I had seats in the second row on the floor. About 15 feet from the band. They rocked, it was my favourite moment so far in my life. The second night was good two, I was with some friends, and my sister came over to out seats for a few songs.
I've never seen a really bad one. I saw Alexisonfire one time, the first band was awesome, as were AOF, the second band were useless.
Vacate is the word...Vengance has no place on me or her...Cannot find a comfort in this world.
Worst:
The absolute worst, though, was a Bob Seger concert in Birmingham, Alabama in 1978. I'd seen him put on a rocking show in about 1974, before he got into his ballad phase, and was really looking forward to it. Took my new bride to hear him with eager anticipation. He acted sloppy drunk. Then he went off stage, but the music, obviously taped, kept going with his part on it. The keyboard player was pouring himself drinks, the guitarist and bass player were talking to each other with their arms at their sides, and the sax player was strutting around jamming to the tape in the spotlight. Seger's voice on tape was still going strong. That went on for a long time, as the stoned zombies on the floor cheered and held up their lighters. I was furious, as in those days I didn't have much money and that concert was a big ticket item.
Wow Ricochet! I was at that show! I am originally from Birmingham. Funny I dont remember a lot of it but I was 15 at the time and just happy to be at a show.
Interview guy: What is the source of your feedback?
Neil Young: Volume.
Follow up to the original thread.
One of the worst shows I can remember is Bob Dylan. That was in Birmingham as well...Late 70's maybe 1980. Hard to remember. He was wearing some weird looking white makeup and sounded pretty awful. It was a big letdown.
Best show? Saw a lot of great ones. Recent great shows have been Dave Matthews and Ben Folds..Shows from my teenage and early twenties years. John Denver, ELO, also a great 50's revival show with Bo Didley, Chuck Berry, Sha Na Na and others. Really hard to pick a best one since my memory is not as good as it used to be. I wonder what could have caused that? :roll:
Interview guy: What is the source of your feedback?
Neil Young: Volume.
Well, the best is hard to say. Maybe Hootie & the Blowfish, August 2005 in Atlanta in Chastain Park. I totally recommend seeing someone at that venue. great place. Maybe NiN/David Bowie back in '95 in Dallas.
Worst is 50 Cent, if you count the 5 mintues of me watching him prance on stage going "uh uh" while the radio versions of songs plays on the PA. It was at Voodoofest in NOLA in '03. Ludacris was on before him and was a GREAT show, I was very surprised. It just made 50 looks that much stupider.
If you don't count that, maybe Bon Jovi in '99? maybe 2000. Forget the year. In Dallas, again. Was actually a very good show, until right at the end. They were playing a song off the new album that I really hated to begin with. Then, all the sudden, they just stopped playing. Total trainwreck. Jon makes some comment about how he realized he was on the wrong lyrics when he say a chick in the first row singing different words than him! He forgot the lyrics! They started it back up and finished up. Everything except that one thing was great, but it burns me to this day that I spend that money on the concert, a hotel, and everythign else, and he can't remember some lyrcis to a two-bit song everyone has already forgotten!
No question. Blue Oyster Cult backed up by Rush!
Yes, I am old, what can I say? :)
Alex still had the hair and everything. I'm not sure, but I think that may have been the only time I have ever seen them play By-Tor and the Snow Dog in its entirety, and I have seen Rush over 25 times.
Best - SRV and Joe Cocker June 22 1990, I actually went to see Joe Cocker ( I was young, forgive me) But Stevie just blew me away, turned me into a Blues-a-holic. Unlike Ricochet I've seen Joe Cocker a number of times and he always really entertains, of course these were all mid-80's and on.
Worst- Springsteen nov 9, 2002. Wasn't horrible just far below expectations. It was forgetable, this question had me going through my ticket stub jar and when i came to the boss I thought, thats right I did see him.
Avatar- Correy Harris 8/12/2006 Heritage Music Blues fest, Wheeling WVa
Wow so many goodones:
Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult with ZZ top, Stone Temple Pilots were all great shows
The two worst were: Golden earring - Singer was so drunk he forgot all the words to their one hit Radar Love and I think it was Frank Zappa with Dr. Hook, it just suxed.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Best - SRV and Joe Cocker June 22 1990, I actually went to see Joe Cocker ( I was young, forgive me) But Stevie just blew me away, turned me into a Blues-a-holic. Unlike Ricochet I've seen Joe Cocker a number of times and he always really entertains, of course these were all mid-80's and on.
Worst- Springsteen nov 9, 2002. Wasn't horrible just far below expectations. It was forgetable, this question had me going through my ticket stub jar and when i came to the boss I thought, thats right I did see him.
The Springsteen show, was that an E Street Band Concert?
Vacate is the word...Vengance has no place on me or her...Cannot find a comfort in this world.
off he goes, Yes it was. the big man, and little steven were there. like I said, it didn't suck. I just felt like he "Mailed it in". I had heard for years about these marathon, monster, high energy concerts he put on and when I finnally decided to put up the $ to see him it seemed like any other rock show I'd seen, nothing special.
Avatar- Correy Harris 8/12/2006 Heritage Music Blues fest, Wheeling WVa
^That's too bad. I'd love to see Springsteen in concert. I think my cousin saw one of the Canadian shows on that tour acutally. If I were to see him though, I'd like for it to be the folk rock side of Springsteen, like Nebraska, Devils and Dust, and so on.
Vacate is the word...Vengance has no place on me or her...Cannot find a comfort in this world.
Worst - a tie between Joe Cocker about 1979 and Dire Straights about 1989
Best - Bob Dylan about 1990
ashamed of naming this band ( KIZZ) Where awesome about 1978
Latest band I seen was - Dixie Chicks in I think 2000 ( Iliked their show )
I am still to see AC-DC one day hopefully
Here is to you as good as you are
And here is to me as bad as I am
As good as you are and as bad as I am
I'm as good as you are as bad as I am
Worst:
A strong candidate was a Joe Cocker show in the mid '70s where he was so stoned he could hardly stand up, kept forgetting his words, was getting booed by the audience, and when he finally fell over, pulling the mic stand down on top of him, and got carried off, the audience cheered.
LOL!!! I also was at a Joe Cocker show in the mid '70's, in Austin, TX, (actually, it was one of those 5 or 6 band, all day and night things, and Joe hit the stage just as it was getting dark), but at this one he actually fell off the stage! He came out stumbling, covered in sweat and yelled something unintelligible into the mic. The band started up and he missed his cue. Once he finally caught up and started singing, the audience immediately began to boo, he was so obviously wasted. He struggled through maybe three songs and was into his fourth when he got too close to the edge of the stage. It was like when you see the proverbial train wreck about to happen and everything kind of slows down and you can see every movement like it was in a slide show, frame by frame. He was at the edge of the stage and he kept leaning out (or weaving out, if you prefer) and then he went to turn. He made about a quarter turn when he started leaning ... and leaning ... out over the audience. All of a sudden his leg came up, like he was trying to balance himself and that was all she wrote! He disappeared into the crowd up front! Just a few seconds later a voice came out of the PA ........ "Ladies and Gentlemen ........ Joe Cocker!" The crowd booed and hissed and the next band came on and everything was fine again! LOL! :D
..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´ -:¦:- Elecktrablue -:¦:-
"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"
