Memorable concerts
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Blackheart, what's up with Tracii, is he having health issues? I met him a few times back in the day and he was always cool.
I have seen hundreds upon hundreds of shows in my life, so I'm sure I'll post a few stories in here, but here's two of my most memorable shows to start:
Radiohead at a small (less than 500 capacity) club here in St. Louis at the very beginning of the OK Computer tour. Religious experience.
Guns n' Roses opening for Alice Cooper in 1987 in a small Missouri town called Cape Girardeau. This is a pretty cool story. I was 16 years old, and I'd just recently gotten my drivers license. The local arena announced Alice Cooper with LA Guns and Faster Pussycat opening, so I thought that sounded pretty kick ass and I camped out at the arena the night before tix went on sale, and scored front row center seats. The show was still a few months away, and right around that time Appetite for Destruction was released, and it quickly became my favorite album even though no one but me and a few friends had heard it at the time. Next thing I knew, LA Guns and Faster Pussycat were off the tour and were being replaced by Guns n' Roses, so I was even more stoked. Two days before the show, me, a friend, and my little brother who was 7 at the time took my car to the local shopping mall. We were walking around, and suddenly two guys walked past us who were clearly not from Missouri. It was Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin. After overcoming our shock and disbelief, we ran after them and asked if they were indeed who they obviously were, and they were shocked anyone in the mall recognized them. They invited us to hang out and walk around shopping with them for a while and were telling us a bunch of crazy stories about playing to a warehouse full of Mexicans that knew every word to every song, and filming the video to Welcome to the Jungle on a Sunday at a club called Scream. After a while, Axl said they were heading back to their hotel. I asked where they were staying, and it was a hotel almost a mile away, so since they had walked to the mall, I offered to give them a ride, and they accepted. We got into my car, and Izzy asks if he could play a cassette that he had bought, and puts it into my stereo. The first song was Rock and Roll Radio, which Axl cranked and started singing along to at the top of his lungs. In. My. Car. So away we go, me, my 7 year old little brother, my friend, Axl Rose, and Izzy Stradlin, in my 1974 Chevy Nova, rocking out to the Ramones. When we got to the hotel, Axl invited us up to his room, and proceeded to bring in the rest of the band minus Slash, who was in the next room down with his "girlfriend". We hung around for about an hour in Axl's room before I had to leave to pick up my sister. I told Axl that I had front row center seats, and he said "well I guess I'll see you at the show then". Two days later, I'm front row center and GnR are playing still the best show I've seen or heard them play, when in between songs, Axl says "hey everyone, I just want to introduce you to my buddy Chuck" and directs the guy manning the spotlight to shine it on me. "Chuck's a kickass dude, everybody give it up for Chuck." Shit you not. I was an instant legend at my high school, especially a few months later when their popularity exploded and they turned into the biggest band in the world. So, yeah, that's a pretty memorable show for me. :o
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Incredible, XTC, incredible.
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That is pretty darn cool.
I don't go to many concerts; but when I do, it's to see my favorite Japanese indie rock bands. About two years ago I saw my favorite group, Bloodthirsty Butchers, at a small club in Morioka, I was right up by the stage and sung along with a bunch of songs; the band sounded awesome. Sadly, their singer Hideki Yoshimura passed away this May, but I'm glad I got to see them give a kickass concert at least once.
Another great concert was Ling Tosite Sigure (my favorite current band) a unique post-hardcore/progressive rock sort of group that I saw for free since my friend had an extra ticket. A year ago I saw Zazen Boys, another long-time favorite, and they put on a fantastic show; afterward, I was invited to dinner by a Japanese couple I chatted with after the show. Haven't been to any concerts since moving to Nagano, though.
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Xtc, that is the greatest story I have ever heard, no exaggeration. I fucking loved GnR.
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Awesome story! I was a huge fan of G'n'r, they were the first band I fell in love with. Late to the party though, it was 1992 and I was 8. But I had my mum print me the bloody Logo of theirs on a t-Shirt (didn't know where to get merch then). She's a great mum, hehe.
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?!?!!
Awesome
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The picture has gotten f'd up over the years, unfortunately. Wish I still had the negatives.
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Wonderful story there xtc, thanks for sharing that with us.
I've seen GnR many times at small clubs
here in LA, a friend of mine was managing them so I always went. My friend Steve Darrow was playing drums
for them as well before Steve Adler joined, it was pretty cool. They would open for a band then come out
and chat with us, it was usually during the week so the audience was small. Good times.
As for Tracii I think his past is catching up with him a bit, that and he's had some legal issues to deal with
so the stress of that doesn't help. I see Phil Lewis all the time, we shop at the same market and eat at the
same fast food places. Very nice guy.
I have so many stories I could write a book here, anyone else out there have a great story to tell?… -
Has anyone been to legendary shows, not just legendary to you? Mine are:
Woodstock 99
Phish 99/00 Millenium Celebration in The EvergladesAnd yes, I've read Blackheart's list. All of her early shows are legendary…..
I was at both of those as well. They were good and I had more fun at the Phish show than I was expecting, but I'm not sure they hold legendary status for me from a musical perspective, but certainly from a 'what the f is going on around me'… And obviously they're legendary (at least Woodstock) because of all of the hoopla that went down.
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Good call Mike C, legendary shows would be great to hear about.
RocknRoll I'll PM you about the AC/DC gig.
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In the late 70s there use to be a yearly show at the superdome called " a day of rocknroll" on one ticket we saw Johnny winters, Rick derringer,blue oyster cult, nazareth, heart,Ronnie montrose,the eagles but memorable is used very loosely here
we were sooooo baked by the second act. I saw the first lozzapalosa(spelling?) in Dallas in the early 90s with Janes addiction, Rollins, butthole surfers, body count, sioxie and the banshees, I had just sobered up from years of alcohol and drug abuse so I remember the whole gig! -
I would of given my left ball to see the damned, Johnny thunders and the heartbreakers in 77 blackheart was that in LA or London? Walter Lure was in New Orleans a couple of months ago doing a memorial gig for Thunders, who died of a methadone overdose a couple of blocks away from the club. RIP L.A.M.F.
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I saw the Damned in 1977 at the Starwood in LA, Dave had the whole vampire thing going on and Rat tried
to hit on all the girls after the gig! Saw them again in 1979, one of my fave bands.Saw Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers in August of 1978 at the Whisky in LA, they played Friday and
Saturday night, two shows a night, I saw all four. Joan Jett and Steve Jones were there for all the gigs too,
we stood together. It was about 80 degrees at night that weekend and I remember Walter Lure coming outside
between the sets and talking to us because it was so hot in the club.
Johnny was so strung out he could hardly stand up, didn't matter though, the gigs were classic.
