Favourite bands you never saw

Rush

REM played my Uni 1984 (Reckoning era), before they got huge.

I was away that weekend. I think that was a real missed opportunity.

I'd also have loved to see Kirsty MaColl live. Very sad.

Bruce

Two monetary choices:

1968. I had enough pocket money to see one of two package tours at Brum Town Hall. I went to see Moody Blues, Spencer Davis, Manfred Mann et al. which was great, but thought I'd catch the Track tour, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, some other time. I didn't.

1975. Two concerts close together at the Rainbow, enough cash for one. Again. Went to see classic lineup Doobie Brothers, who were fine, thought I'd catch Little Feat next time around. Guess what...

They're the only two realistic ones. I'd have given anything to see The Doors at the Roundhouse (too young and too skint to travel), and classic era Quicksilver Messenger Service never made it here.

I've already mentioned on the favourite concerts thread Live Aid at Wembley in 1985 as being the concert I really wished I'd attended, but in terms of bands I wish I'd seen (even though I mightn't have been old enough or even alive), how about these:

Mahavishnu Orchestra

Sandy Denny (I so nearly went to what turned out to be her penultimate concert, but foolishly...)

Genesis (on the Lamb Lies Down tour)

Jimi Hendrix

Miles Davis, Bill Evans, John Coltrane

and loads more.

I was thinking about this when I thought of starting the other thread. The two bands I wish I'd seen are firstly Gang of Four, who played at the Uni but I hadn't heard of at the time and for some reason didn't go. They were in my view one of the very best post-punk bands. The second is Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Somehow, despite seeing The Jam, The Clash, R.E.M. and loads more I missed Ian Dury. And now he's gone of course. 

Bowie played Slough College in the early 1970s and I never went...

And when The Beatles played The Adelphi in Slough I was only 13 and never likely to be allowed out.

steve

Hungryhalibut posted:

I was thinking about this when I thought of starting the other thread. The two bands I wish I'd seen are firstly Gang of Four, who played at the Uni but I hadn't heard of at the time and for some reason didn't go. They were in my view one of the very best post-punk bands. The second is Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Somehow, despite seeing The Jam, The Clash, R.E.M. and loads more I missed Ian Dury. And now he's gone of course. 

I was fortunate to see Ian Drury and The Blockheads at Leeds Uni. Absolutely brilliant and I couldn't believe my eyes (and ears) when the saxophonist actually played the two saxophones at the same time during Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick. The Jam were awesome. Except the last time I saw them and they just didn't seem to gel. They split up weeks later. I wasn't surprised.

Led Zeppelin (too young). I'd love to have gone to the O2 later on but hey, that's me and 19 million others. I saw both tours of the Page & Plant reunion and also Robert Plant in various solo incarnations. 

Queen.

Nirvana. I had tickets to a gig at Manchester GMex but unfortunately Kurt met his tragic end a few weeks before it was scheduled.

I also missed Led Zeppelin (too young) but enjoyed seeing Mr Plant a few years ago at the Royal Albert Hall.
I was very lucky to see Queen who were far better than I ever thought they'd be. Blew me away totally!
Nirvana would indeed have been a bit special.

Another who missed Zeppelin but I did see Page & Plant in Manchester. Was lucky enough to catch Queen in early 1975 when they played Lancaster Uni on the Sheer Heart Attack tour.

The Beatles.

Admittedly, it may have been tough to hear much above all the screaming with the amplification of the day, but just to have been in the same room with The Fab Four and witnessed their presence on stage would have been worth the the price of admission. 

Ah, for me, The Housemartins. Always loved them but they broke up just before my gig-going started. 'I Smell Winter' is one of my all-time fave songs; Paul Heaton's voice is special.

Tom Waits. And a good Van Morrison concert .

blythe posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

I was thinking about this when I thought of starting the other thread. The two bands I wish I'd seen are firstly Gang of Four, who played at the Uni but I hadn't heard of at the time and for some reason didn't go. They were in my view one of the very best post-punk bands. The second is Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Somehow, despite seeing The Jam, The Clash, R.E.M. and loads more I missed Ian Dury. And now he's gone of course. 

I was fortunate to see Ian Drury and The Blockheads at Leeds Uni. Absolutely brilliant and I couldn't believe my eyes (and ears) when the saxophonist actually played the two saxophones at the same time during Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick. The Jam were awesome. Except the last time I saw them and they just didn't seem to gel. They split up weeks later. I wasn't surprised.

Still have the drum sticks with his hand signed label I got from Ian for selling shed loads of the album.

Bob Seger had tickets but he cancelled the tour

John Mellencamp again had tickets but came down with flu.

Louisana Red

Muddy Waters

Allman Brothers with Duane

amongst many

joerand posted:

The Beatles.

Admittedly, it may have been tough to hear much above all the screaming with the amplification of the day, but just to have been in the same room with The Fab Four and witnessed their presence on stage would have been worth the the price of admission. 

I'd have loved to have seen them too but I was too young. Like you say, I wonder if I'd actually have heard anything anyway!

The Associates for me, Billy Mackenzie is the greatest singer ever. Really sad his untimely death, really regretted having never seen them live.

Nick

Billy and his whippets lived up the road from me when I was a student. Used to give each other a nod on passing.

What a beautiful voice he had. I'll put on 'The Rhythm Divine' now in his honour.

G

Queen. My Godfather and I had agreed we would go together, but unfortunately Freddie died before we had the chance.

Cake. Lucinda Williams. Lou Reed. Roxy Music. Beach Boys.

Otis Redding,  Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin

Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac  - too young. Saw FM in early 90's. Great concert but a different era.

The Beatles - Hamburg era - too young, wrong country

Pink Floyd circa 1968 - too young. Saw them in 92, without Roger of course.

Also a single concert - "Concert for George" in 2002 . I love watching the DVD as there's so much love and affection for him by all the artists involved. Easily the finest tribute concert ever.

Confining myself only to those that were contemporaneously feasible and that I could have seen had I been quicker off the mark/ could yet see...

10cc, Dire Straits, London Wainwright, Keith Urban, Willie Nelson, Pink Floyd, B.B.King...

and a second category I'd add - artists I have seen, but wish I'd seen earlier in their careers and in smaller venues:

The Who, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Led Zep, Clapton, Jeff Beck, U2...

Redmires posted:

Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac  - too young. Saw FM in early 90's. Great concert but a different era. 

For once it is great to be so old I saw them all.   I used to go to friday & saturday night (all weekend) gigs around London,   A lot of gigs at the time were often casual affairs were people Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood & numbers of other now very legendary faces just turned up to jam.    Can't remember the first time with PF but it was very early days,  I thought them a bit weird at the time,  the holy herb helped but once Sid moved over & David joined full time they blossomed.      I went to all the legendary places around London in those days, places like Eel Pie Island, Richmond,  Hampstead, Round House  Klooks Kleek, Marque, 100 club & +++  & saw them all  .....  How about ISB, Nice, Tull & Who in a 10pm to 6am all-nighter ???  & I mean all those bands (& more) in one night at Middle Earth (the saturday night Round House club - still have my membership card)  

ewemon posted:

Bob Seger had tickets but he cancelled the tour

John Mellencamp again had tickets but came down with flu.

Louisana Red

Muddy Waters

Allman Brothers with Duane

amongst many

Boom. While I saw REM in 1984, a year or so earlier I chose to not see a Muddy Waters show which is a notable regret for me. That and missing Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter do a tenth anniversary show of Reckless Burning. Sadly, there are more...