The best gig you never went too

quote:

Originally posted by Rockingdoc:
Beatles on Saville Row Roof
Cream farewell at the Albert Hall
Hendrix at the Marquee

Hi Doc!
You mean you saw Jimi Hendrix, Beatles and Cream live in concert?

I nearly went to see Alfred Brendel play the Hammerklavier at Symphony Hall in Birmingham... I never booked, and it turned out to be one of the great man's last public performances of that towering masterpiece.

So I was pissed!

EW

Led Zeppelin, Knebworth House 1979.

I'd just turned 16 that year and had gone to one gig slightly closer to home but I wasn't allowed to go to this one. Had to go on summer hols with the family. Of course we all know this was the last time they played in the UK and the European gigs of 1980 never seem to be regarded very highly - perhaps overshadowed by what followed in September of that year.

Ironic that a few years later I should find myself working for British Aerospace in Stevenage - literally across the road from Knebworth Estate. One of my first gigs after I arrived there was The Firm (at Wembley Concrete Barn ... er Arena) featuring a very laid back Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers. A month after that was "The Return of the Knebworth Fayre" - featuring Deep Purple MKII amongst others.

But I still look back to August 79 as the biggest "if only" of my gig going experiences.

Cheers
Scott

Woodstock

Spent three days in Oxfordshire looking for the festival

Van Morrison at the Rainbow Theater, London '73.
I have the BBC footage but its scant compensation.

Back in the early Seventies Frank Zappa performed at the Saddlers Wells opera house, at least I think that's what it is/was, it was near St Martin's in the Fields, Picadilly et al. I went to that show, but I hadn't a clue about his music. Since I've listened to much of Zappa's live recordings, and I regret that I didn't hear Zappa live when I finally managed to understand it better.

When was that legendary Sex Pistols Gig in Manchester Free Trade Hall? 1976?

Famous for there being less people at the concert than have claimed to have been there since.

Jonathan

Just after the release of In The Court of Crimson King I declined to see King Crimson @ The Roundhouse, Dagenham, Essex. I had decided to study for some insignificant college test. If anyone else has made a smart move to miss KC, here are some tour dates to check here

I did finaly get to see Robert Fripp last December at The Junction in Cambridge. Bobby was the Support for Porcupine Tree's last gig of 2005 and performed his Soundscapes to a bemused and mainly patient audiance. Respectful applause was greeted with a smile and a couple of hecklers were dealt with like a Comedy Store Pro. I doubt I will see such self indulgence again, so I hope KC tour soon and witness a mellotron attack on culture.

The following year I missed Pink Floyd & Orchestra - Performing Atom Heart Mother at The Bath Festival of Blues & Progressive Music in 1970. I had been up for 48 hours and decided to crash in one of the large tents, away from the 'Noise'. My friends told me of the fantastic atmosphere as the sounds swept up the valley. I also missed the Fireworks! The Festival was at Shepton Mallett, Somerset. Bands also included; Canned Heat, Steppenwolf, Johnny Winter, It's a Beautiful Day, Fairport Convention, Colosseum, Keef Hartley, Jeffereson Airplane, Frank Zappa + Mothers, Moody Blues, Flock, Byrds, Santana, Dr John, Country Joe, Hot Tuna and Led Zeppelin. The Compares were John Peel & Mike Raven, Not bad for a £2.50 weekend ticket.

The following year was the first Glastonbury, no idea who appeared though.

A Smart Kid - Denis

Funnily enough I was thinking about this on in the car on the way in to work this morning. I think mine would have to be:

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Hammersmith Palais. I can't remenber the date but support was a roadie playing flamenco guitar and if I remember correctly SRV arrived directly from hospital in a black cab.

Zappa - managed to see his last (I think) UK tour in both Brighton and London (Wembley?). I just loved the whole no-playlist thing with Zappa and that you got a different set each night.

I did start to wonder though if I had picked them subconciously as they were dead. You want what you can't have.

Nothing much really tempt me we watch live music now. Probably put it down to my age.

worm

quote:

Originally posted by worm:

Zappa - managed to see his last (I think) UK tour in both Brighton and London (Wembley?). I just loved the whole no-playlist thing with Zappa and that you got a different set each night.

Nothing much really tempt me we watch live music now. Probably put it down to my age.

worm

I saw FZ at Emire Pool in 1974 - Overnite Sensation tour - and he was quite amazing.

I agree with your sentiments about current bands - probably only HMHB and Karine Polwart that I would go out of my way to see live. I prefer classical concerts these days.

the best gigs would have to be the 3 floyd gigs i went to....absolutely stunning ( all three) but perhaps the wall concert stands out in the memory bank.
never got to see zepplin live which i regret immensly, the nearest i got to that was plant/page which was awesome anyway.
scotty

Lots of regrets

Thin Lizzy, many chances to see them at Guildford Civic hall but never got around to it.

Genesis in the Gabriel years. I was to young

Cream Reunion, tried for tickets, but pricing was extortionate.

Stevie Ray Vaughan, any gig would have done.

Pink Floyd The wall, not sure why I never went to that one

Led Zep Anything again.

quote:

Originally posted by DenisA:
Just after the release of In The Court of Crimson King I declined to see King Crimson @ The Roundhouse, Dagenham, Essex.

Denis,

As a rule I don't like much pop/rock but In the court of the crimson king* has always been a favourite of mine and would, I am sure, have loved to see KC perform in concert.

My first experience of high end Hi-Fi was listening to the 'Hot August Night' mobile fidelity recording of a live Neil Diamond concert. I'm attached to that recording if only for sentimental reasons as it brings back memories of a long lost love. I would have liked to have been at the concert with her.

The Beatles Saville Row gig - who wouldn't? Also the George harrison et al 'Concert for Bangla Desh' and the recent Pink Floyd (is a DVD available???)

Regards,

Erik

*Though not the record cover which is perfectly dreasful IMO.

It may not mean much to many here but I was due to see Tool at a small nightclub in Bradford in 1996. Sadly the lead singer dropped out with a sore throat.

Tool haven't toured for many years now and certainly not in the UK. Shame. Good job I saw them supporting Rage against the machine the year before. Utterly outstanding.

Live Aid.
My mate called & asked if I wanted tickets, but I had a demolition squad booked for that saturday, so said no. Strange, but the job took forever as we were all watching the tv.

the best gigs i never went to, would have been mostly because i was too young.

Pink Floyd- Knebworth 1975/Animals Tour
Led Zeppelin- anything pre Knebworth August 11 1979 (was at that one, couldn't get to 4th on holiday with parents )
Free- anything

Thin Lizzy- Renegade Tour, had tickets for Newcastle City Hall but was cancelled
Missed the last hour, due to having to catch a train, of the penultimate live performance of Bon Scott(AC/DC)in January 1980

Cactus with Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice.
In 1970 I just turned 15 and went to see a concert in Montreux with Black Sabbath, Taste and Cactus. During that concert the LIVE TASTE album was recorded. Unfortunately the Cactus concert was cancelled. I am still today a big fan of Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert, and I think the Vanilla Fudge CD Now and Then from the year 2005 is still fresh and rocking.
Urs

See here - http://forums.naim-audio.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/58019385/m/2562934307

Who I would have loved to see in concert.....
The real Pink Floyd, and probably The Doors!

There's still hope for a U2 gig though....

Hendrix - Any one would do.

Or Stevie Ray Vaughan the night he died. Apparently he was on fire that night.

Mark

Erik,

Missing KC playing 'Mars' with a full on mellotron attack, grates even now! My only Clasical LP at the time was 'The Planets' / Sir Adrian Boult & The New Philharmonia (1967). I prefer that to Charles Dutoit & The Montreal Symphonique (1987) version. Some compensation is listening to KC's blistering 'The Nightwatch' from the Amsterdam Concertgebrow (1973).

Denis

quote:

Originally posted by worm:
Funnily enough I was thinking about this on in the car on the way in to work this morning. I think mine would have to be:

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Hammersmith Palais. I can't remenber the date but support was a roadie playing flamenco guitar and if I remember correctly SRV arrived directly from hospital in a black cab.

worm

It was in (I think) October of 1986 - I was there and was absolutely blown away. Having been listening to the first couple of albums since release (plus his work on Bowie's Let's Dance) I thought I had an idea of what the gig would be like but he was in another league to anyone I've seen before or since. It was only later I heard that he went straight to hospital after the gig although it appears now he actually arrived from hospital. I hadn't heard that before.

Whatever, it makes no difference as SRV, that night, was on fire. I saw him again at Hammersmith Odeon a couple of years later and this time he had the keyboards in the band and although still fantastic, to me that first gig with it's rawness would be hard to beat.

I had tickets for the 1990 tour and was visiting my parents when my Mum told me "a musician playing with Eric Clapton" had died in an accident.

Cheers
Scott

quote:

Originally posted by Chillkram:
Or Stevie Ray Vaughan the night he died. Apparently he was on fire that night.
Mark

You're a sick man Mark

http://www.psyche-hq.de/links/plasmatics.jpg

At Hammersmith Odeon when i was a wipper snapper. Drove all the way from Durham with me pals. Arrived at the Odeon to find out the London Fire Service had cancelled it because they were concerned that blowing a car up on stage might infringe health & Safety. As if..............

Neil Young at Brixton Academy (bout 3 years ago) again trailed down from Durham. Got to Brixton............Neil had a bad dose of the flu......gig not rearranged. Neil Young in such a small venue.....doh. Apparently he'd played a blinder the night before in the same venue.