Your five favorite concerts and why

[Kirby]

My wife and I were talking about this and I think I've seen close to 200 concerts in all sorts of venues in my life. Here are my top 5:

1. Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band - Born in the USA Tour - Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado, 1985.
Phenominal show, the weather sucked, very chilly and rainy but it stopped raining when the band took the stage, started up again during their intermission, and then stopped again for the rest of the concert. So much energy, great crowd, 3 hours just flew by.

2. The Who - 25th year reunion tour 1989 - Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado. I was such a huge Who fan this was an absolute treat. I sat on the left side of the stage and got to watch John Entwistle up close. The guy is a bass legend. I never did understand why Kenny Jones wasn't invited on tour.

3. Jimmy Buffett - summer 1991 - Fidlers Green Ampatheater, Englewood Colorado. I had recently been dumped by a girl that I was very much in love with and I had been just devestated for several months when a friend of mine bought me a ticket and we went with two friends of his from college, both girls. I wasn't really a Buffett fan at the time, but the atmosphere was great, and every bad feeling I had just went away for a couple of hours. I got to hand with my buddy and two really cool girls. This concert broke me out of my depression.

4. Steve Perry, For the Love of Strange Medicine tour, Fall 1994. Paramount Theater, Denver Colorado - I was always a Journey fan and love Steve Perry's voice. This is a pretty small venue and we had a great time. The band was tight, and Perry was funny and genuine with the crowd. I had seen him with Journey, but this was completely different. His new songs kind of sucked, but fortunately he only did a few of them.

5. Billy Joel - Innocent Man tour - McNichols Arena - Denver, Colorado November 1984. I was 15 and this was my first concert. Great show, made me want to go to every concert that came to town.

 

[Othello]

1- The Eagles- they were simply amazing. there is no other act that has ever come close to sounding as good as they did

2- The Grateful Dead- saw them at Soldier Field with The Steve Miller Band as the opening act. There is no concert I've ever been to that I've had more fun at. None even comes close. Draw your own conclusions there.

3- Elton John- I'll be seeing him on his current tour and expect it to rank right here. :>))

4- The Rolling Stones- They played all the songs I wanted to. Good fun and Buddy Guy was an AMAZING openign act.

5- The Violent Femmes/Phish - Saw The Femmes in college and had fun and saw Phish a couple years ago and it was a poor man's Dead concert that I didn't have nearly as much fun as when i aw the Dead. :>))

On a different note.. the best bar band/singers in the world. Got more than a bit drunk watching both of these acts many times. :>))

The Swing Crew - http://www.swingcrew.com/

Tuck Pence- http://www.tuckpence.com/tuckpence.html

 

[T'Baio]

Pink Floyd - Pulse Tour - CNE Stadium, Toronto - 1994 - Because it was Floyd. Duh.

White Zombie w/ The Ramones - Copps Coliseum, Hamilton - 1995 - The craziest, most intense mixing of music and performance art put into a horror film blender. It was awesome.

Neil Young & Booker T. & The MG's w/ Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Blues Traveller - CNE Stadium, Toronto - August 18th, 1993 - The stadium couldn't fill the field to capacity because of fire codes, but people kept jumping out of the stands and running into the crowd on the field while being chased by security all day. During Young's encore, before Keep on Rockin', Young says; "You know, if you all make a run for it, they can't catch everybody!" The rest of the stadium surges onto the field! He's joined onstage by Pearl Jam for his encore. Named by the Toronto Sun one of the top five concerts ever performed in Toronto. http://www.sugarmtn.org/sets/19930818.html

Pearl Jam - Air Canada Centre, Toronto - May 10, 2006 - They broke curfew, the stadium management was trying to get them to stop playing by turning on the house lights, but they kept playing. "Good, they turned the lights on, now I can see you." - Eddie Vedder

David Gilmour - Massey Hall, Toronto - March 2006 - Because it was Gilmore with Richard Wright on keyboards and they played Echoes in its entirety. Duh.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Rolling Stones, 1981 Candlestick Park SF, Ca- Great show. Plus crazy antics in the crowd like pissing off some tweeked out dude who wanted to fight and angering a couple of J Geils fans who didn't care for the Stones.

U2-1986 Oakland Colliseum Oakland Ca-Great show. I was big into U2 at the time.

Bruce Springsteen & the E St Band, 1985 Oakland Collisium- So great I went twice! A Bruce show is like no other. These were my first.

Red Hot Chili Peppers 1985 Keystone Palo Alto, Ca- It was a club but I guess thats a "concert" too. My girlfriend was afraid they'd come out in socks.

Ringo Starr & his All-Star Band, 2000 Memorial Auditorium Eureka, Ca-I was shocked Ringo was playing such a small city much less my small city. I had seen him years before at the Shoreline in Mt View ( seats on the green) but to see him in a small auditorium while sitting on a folding chair was better!

 

[Pingfah]

1. Stone Temple Pilots - Brixton Academy, London 2001.

Simply the most energized and perfectly executed performance I have ever seen. Even the band are on record as saying it's one of the best gigs they have ever performed.

2. Faith No More - NEC, Birmingham 1994.

Mike Patton was on his typical amazing form, gambolling around the stage like a madman. The gig was particularly memorable for the seat cover fight that ensued between the entire audience and the band. 10,000 seats, every single individually numbered cover (from the top and the bottom of each seat so thats probably more like 20,000 covers) came off the seats and was flung through the air like frisbees. The air was just a huge swarm of flying seat covers, and the stage piled up quickly with thousands of them as the band egged everybody on. Feel terrible for whoever had to match them all back up to the seats.

3. Donnington Monsters of Rock, 1994.

Aerosmith, Extreme, Sepultura, Pantera, Therapy?, The Wildhearts, Terrorvision and Biohazard.

A metal fan's dream come TRUE to see Pantera immediately followed by Sepultura. Phil Anselmo fractured his leg, but continued to stomp around like a maniac, can only assume he was on something. Biohazard only made it through 2 tracks before being thrown off the grounds for allowing a crowd invasion of the stage. Aerosmith rocked pretty good. Extreme were typically pansy like, but Nuno Bettencourt was on fire as usual.

4. Queen & Paul Rodgers, NEC, Birmingham 2005.

I mention it not because there was anything remarkable about the gig itself, but because it was a special moment for me. After a lifetime of being a massive Queen fan, and with the band having played their last proper gig with Freddie when I was just 10, this was the closest I was ever going to get to seeing them, albeit without John Deacon either. To finally see my favourite 2 living musicians on a stage together for the first time was brilliant. The gig was OK, but i'm disappointed in the scale of the gigs they put on now. Massive light shows and pomp have always been their thing so fine, but they have too many people on stage now. They used to play gigs with just the 4 of them and that's all they ever needed. Now they have keyboardists, extra guitarists, backing singers, there must have been 15 people on stage.

5. Eagles of Death Metal, Falmouth Princess Pavilion, Cornwall 2009.

A side project for Josh Homme, the vocalist of Queens of the Stone Age, in which he plays drums rather than sings, but that night had relinquished his drumkit to Joey Castillo also of QOTSA. 300 people jammed into a tiny venue, the sweatiest, most high octane gig i've seen. Everybody was going mad dancing, the band were on hilarious form, it was presumably just something they were doing whilst on holiday where I live because they only had one other UK gig booked. They were obviously really pleased to be there and surprised they had managed to sell out a venue in a small seaside resort in England where they are virtual unknowns. What a show. The only gig i've ever been to without hearing a single song by the band first, still wouldn't listen to their albums as the music is too gimmicky and garagey, but it is ideal for playing live for people to dance to.

Have to just apologise for leaving Maiden '92 off the list, probably should have put them in instead of Queen as it was a far better gig.

 

[Sagart]

Not wanting to rub it in following Pingfah's post but my 5 are -

1. Queen - Slane Castle, 1986. This was the first concert I ever went to. The weather was awful, the sound was so-so, there was some crowd trouble but my abiding memory is standing near the top of Slane hill, arms punching the air with tens of thousands of others during 'Radio Ga Ga'...

2. Michael Jackson, Cork 1988. This was the Bad tour and, in hindsight, the beginning of the end of classic Jacko. From here on in, he became better known for his lifestyle. Still, watching him dance on stage, a few feet away from me, was breathtaking.

3. Garth Brooks, Dublin, 1994. During the 90's Brooks was HUGE in Ireland. He sold out 8 shows inn the Point and followed them up with sell out shows in a much larger venue, Croke Park in '97 but this was the height of GB Mania and the atmosphere was extraordinary. Great night!!

4. David Bowie, Dublin, 2003. I was a late convert to the Thin White Duke and was more a fan of early Bowie so when he performed a lot of his early back catalogue at this concert, I was delighted.

Wow, this is tough. So many that could make it into 5th palce. U2 in Dublin last year, Celine Dion in Vegas (not so much a concert as a theatre production), Brian Wilson in London (the entire Pet Sounds album!!), Simple Minds in Dublin, Bruce Springsteen again in Dublin (best value for money - 3 hours, 20 minutes with no support and no break), Harry Connick Jnr in Belfast, then there's all the country artists I've seen Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Reba, The Mavericks. I'll stay with country though for number 5.

5. Keith Urban, Dublin, 2005. I didnt know his material but my sister was a big fan and asked if I would go with her. So, sight unseen and sound unheard, I went. And it was fantastic! Great sound, great band, the small venue making it all the more intense. I was lucky to meet Keith in London a year or so ago and he's a really nice guy so that's why he gets into the top 5.

 

[Pingfah]

Not wanting to rub it in following Pingfah's post but my 5 are -

1. Queen - Slane Castle, 1986. This was the first concert I ever went to. The weather was awful, the sound was so-so, there was some crowd trouble but my abiding memory is standing near the top of Slane hill, arms punching the air with tens of thousands of others during 'Radio Ga Ga'...

Jealous!

I read Brian May was extremely ticked off about the fighting in the crowd and almost refused to play the encore after he was hitin the head by a projectile. But still, I bet it was amazing just the same.

But of course, the all important question, how were The Bangles?

 

[Sagart]

Not wanting to rub it in following Pingfah's post but my 5 are -

1. Queen - Slane Castle, 1986. This was the first concert I ever went to. The weather was awful, the sound was so-so, there was some crowd trouble but my abiding memory is standing near the top of Slane hill, arms punching the air with tens of thousands of others during 'Radio Ga Ga'...

Jealous!

I read Brian May was extremely ticked off about the fighting in the crowd and almost refused to play the encore after he was hitin the head by a projectile. But still, I bet it was amazing just the same.

But of course, the all important question, how were The Bangles?

The Bangles were great. Susanna Hoffs was worried about being electrocuted, given the torrential rain we had in the early part of the day This was at the height of their success and hearing Manic Monday, Walk like an Egyptian, etc, was great. Easy on the eye as well!!

 

[23skidoo]

Bill Haley's Comets, Edmonton, 1998. I've been a Bill Haley fan since childhood, and this was my first chance to see the original band -- not any tribute group, or group made up of members who had never worked with Haley, but the actual men who performed on Rock Around the Clock. Despite small crowds and crappy weather (it was an outdoor venue and it rained) they did a fantastic show. I shot a photo that was later used by them on a CD cover and got to meet the guys backstage and had a great time. I've been friends with them ever since. I later got to see them perform at the Viper Club in West Hollywood in 2005. That was really something, as well. But this was the first time I'd seen them perform live, so this show gets listed here.

Sarah McLachlan, Louis' Pub, Saskatoon c.1991. This was just before she became a mega-star. She had just released her second album, Solace, which I still consider her best work and the best Canadian album of the 1990s. She was playing the university circuit and played the pub at the University of Saskatchewan. It was a great show and to show how early this was, between sets she took a break and sat at the bar where I was able to chat with her for a few minutes. That sort of accessibility would be unheard of now. It was either at this show or a later Saskatoon coffee house appearance that she performed a fantastic sound-check in which she sang "Wicked Game". Sadly to my knowledge she never recorded it.

Bo Diddley, The Palace, Calgary, late-90s. Two words: Bo Diddley. This was a few years before the stroke that ended his career. He was fantastic and the crowd loved him. I recall he kept breaking or dropping his guitar picks so every few minutes you'd see him dig out another one. It never occurred to me to go up to the stage afterwards and see if I could snag one.

Kirsty MacColl, London, late 1991. I was on a month-long trip to the UK and a friend and I went over to London and found out MacColl was performing at a music club in a northwest suburb of London. She did a fantastic show and my friend smuggled in a small video camera and we managed to snag a clip of her performing a couple of songs, which is some of my most cherished video and the show itself was one of my fondest memories of this trip. I also remember what happened after the show: it ran late, and we found ourselves having to navigate our way back to the downtown London youth hostel we were staying at AFTER the Underground had shut for the night!

Laurie Anderson, Calgary, 2004. I'd been a big fan for about 20 years at this point, so when I found out performance artist-cum-singer Laurie Anderson was performing her one-woman show The End of the Moon in Calgary, I jumped at the chance. It was a great, low-key performance. And still fairly new for her as she was having to read from hand-held cards (which actually added to the atmosphere). Part of me wished she'd have also included some of her famous songs like O Superman, but it was still worth seeing her, and afterwards I got to meet her at a "meet 'n' greet" event, which was cool. There was actually a rumor her husband, Lou Reed (yes, that Lou Reed) was going to attend, too, but she mentioned that he had to stay at home in New York and look after their dog!

Alex

 

[Scotty]

4. David Bowie, Dublin, 2003. I was a late convert to the Thin White Duke and was more a fan of early Bowie so when he performed a lot of his early back catalogue at this concert, I was delighted.

That's the reality tour, right? That concert actually converted me. After seeing that show on DVD is became a huge fan of Bowie. I am very jealous.

I have only been to one major concert, thusfar, and that was Tina Turner, Live!, in Arnhem, Holland in may of 2008. I'm a huge fan of Turner and her live shows and it did not disappoint. She might be 70 now, but that was one hell of a show.

 

[1001001]

1. U2 - Zoo TV. Best concert I've ever seen. We skipped our own engagement party when a friend came through with tickets late. We did not regret it.

2. Rush - R30. 31 songs in 3 hours. Like dying and going to heaven, and Rush is the house band.

3. Rush - Vapor Trails. The Professor's first tour after the death of his wife and daughter. The crowd went insane during his solo. It was a very touching moment.

4. Pearl Jam - Yield. Great show from a band at their peak. The simplicity (the set was basically a curtain and candles) and the raw power were exquisite. X opened for them, which was a great bonus.

5. Billy Joel - The Bridge. I've seen him several times but this one stands out. It was 1987, at the Kooyong Tennis Stadium in Melbourne. We slept out for tickets and got front row. It was hot as hell, but we had a great time. Joel is a consummate performer who never disappoints.

I have seen tons of shows in my life, and I know there were other great ones (Porcupine Tree, The Cars, The Alarm, Guns N Roses, Dire Straits.....)

 

[Pingfah]

^ Frankly i'm shocked PT aren't in your list, especially given the legendary quality of their live performances. Still they are up against some stiff competiton there.

Pearl Jam Binaural tour would have been on my list, but for the poor seating position I had, great performance though.

Easy on the eye as well!!

Hoffs still is, very much so.

 

[T'Baio]

Another great one for me was Guns N' Roses in Toronto 2002. With Buckethead on lead guitar. That was a crazy fuckin' awesome show. I've seen Guns N' Roses three times, and I think the energy and entertainment Buckethead brought to the band makes me enjoy that line up even better than Slash. People say Axl has an ego and has to make it all about him, but Buckethead was really allowed to shine and was given several moments in the spotlight, including a bit where he stood on the drum riser and did a routine with nun-chucks during a drum solo!

 

[Pingfah]

^ I think the new album is terrific.

I much prefer it to any of the band's other post appetite output (although I do count myself as a fan of all their stuff), and it really shows how much of the band's creativity was driven by Axl. Slash could no way write music as sophisticated as some of that album, much less play it...

 

[T'Baio]

I think the new Gn'R is pretty terrific myself. It's a shame about whatever cultural misconceptions or disinterest led to it not selling super well.

I think not only does the new album show Axl as the driving force of the creativity, but Slash's output post Gn'R does, as well. Heard his new album? Bo-ring.

 

[Michael Chris]

I've never been to any great concerts. Some pretty good ones though. Just went to an event that was pretty fun this week with a bunch of praise bands

I probably kill my hearing enough on a regular basis from church anyways!

 

[T'Baio]

How do you know you've never been to any great concerts? Wouldn't the best of the good ones be great with no basis of comparison?

 

[Pingfah]

I think the new Gn'R is pretty terrific myself. It's a shame about whatever cultural misconceptions or disinterest led to it not selling super well.

I think not only does the new album show Axl as the driving force of the creativity, but Slash's output post Gn'R does, as well. Heard his new album? Bo-ring.

Not heard the whole thing, but not too impressed with what i've heard. The Chris Cornell track was OK, Fergie was predictably horrible, and Kid Rock? Give me a fucking break

Velvet Revolver are quite bland as well in retrospect, fairly solid rock, but they came up as less than the sum of their parts. Weiland did a bad job on the GnR stuff, Slash etc did an even worse job on the STP stuff, and the original material was just quite uninspired.

 

[Michael Chris]

How do you know you've never been to any great concerts? Wouldn't the best of the good ones be great with no basis of comparison?

I suppose ... ... ... maybe ...

My favorite concert was when I went to a small town in New Mexico to see my favorite band: House of Heroes. There were probably all of 30-40 people there. It was so much fun.

I'm going to one next week in OKC that should be awesome. Going to see a worship band called Hillsong United. I'm extremely stoked.

 

[T'Baio]

Oops...weird double post.