Your Top Ten Gigs and Worst Gig Ever

[Xolo1974]

Ok, I was born in December ‘74. So I don’t have the spectrum that many do on this forum. I reckon it’s an interesting topic though.

Surprisingly enough, my number one gig was only a few weeks ago. Didn’t think I’d be saying that at the age of 43. 

1. Roger Waters - Perth 2018. 

2. AC/DC - Donington 1991. As a 16 year old, great show. Opening song - Thunderstruck 

3. Roger Waters (The Wall) - Perth 2012.

4. Gomez - Melbourne 2002.

5. The Black Crowes - The Royal Court, Liverpool, England (1991 or 1992 I cant remember it was after their first album). 

6. Pearl Jam - Perth 2009 - The year I emigrated, waited years to see them. Great show. 

7. Buddy Guy - Fremantle Blues and Roots festival 2012. Best guitarist I’ve ever seen live. By a country mile 

8. Roger Waters - Bangkok, 2002 (during a 9 month backpacking trip to SE Asia and Australia - where I met Mrs Burbridge - the Aussie). 

9. Gary Moore - Liverpool Royal Court 2000. Great show. Very modest and humble man. Brilliant guitarist. 

10. Metallica - Donington 1991. Not a massive fan, but they blew me away. One week after the release of the Black album. 

Sadly, Page and Plant 1998 in Manchester UK do not make the cut. Terrible acoustics at the Manchester Evening Arena. An off night for JP as well. 

Worst gig - there’s been some shockers - The Stones (Steel Wheels tour in Manchester UK in 1991 - they were shite....basically, just too old, sterile, a parody of themselves), U2 in Manchester in the Vertigo tour (I was expecting them to be shite and they didn’t disappoint - went as a favour to a mate). But the wooden spoon goes to Guns N Roses in Manchester in 1993. Absolute Crap. After having the midweek gig cancelled and rescheduled to the Sunday, they came on stage 2.5 hours late and played 1 hour 20 minutes at a stadium gig. Nearly incited a riot. When the crowd were less than impressed “hey fuck you” was all Slash had to say. Nobhead. Got the brains of a fuckin rocking horse. 

[IpMan]

Best:

Led Zeppelin - April 10th 1977 (first concert ever, I was 9)

Page & Plant - 98' tour Phoenix, AZ (a brilliant night for all)

Don Henley - 1990 tour Chicago (bar none, the best sound I ever heard at any gig and the most professional approach)

Paul McCarney - 1990 tour Chicago (this was at the smaller venue and was stellar..his tour closing gig at Soldier Field a few months later I also attended but was nowhere as good)

Rush - Power Windows tour 1985 Phoenix

Robert Plant - 1985 tour Phoenix (the stage setup was insane, kept waiting for Robert to fall off the damn thing. After the break Robert came out with slicked back hair & leather jacket...backup singers in poodle skirts for the Honeydrippers set. Just brilliant).

Robin Trower - 1990 Chicago (very small club, I was no more than five feet from the guy the whole show. What a live player)

The Isley Brothers - 2007 Phoenix (Celebrity Theatre, again front row. After watching Ernie play it was obvious where Hendrix got a good chunk of his style from).

JPJ - 1999 Las Vegas & 2002 Phoenix (JPJ is one of the most talented players out there, in fact, if JPJ would have replaced Page as lead guitarist on some of those bad 77' dates he would have been on par with Page ala 73'. Not a flashy player like Page but JPJ the man can play very fast and clean, plus his phrasing is excellent. This guy can not only play several instruments, but he can play those instruments better than just about anyone else. He is a white Prince for all intent and purpose when it comes to multi-instrumentalism).

 

Honorable Mention:

Pat Benetar & Billy Squire - 1981 Chicago

Ok, this is gonna be a curveball: Warrant w/ Cinderella in 1989 at a really weird gig at PV Park Phoenix. Cinderella were really great live and so was Warrant. Janie Lane was simply a very gracious host and the band played well. For such a large crowd Janie made it feel like a club gig. I was never a fan of either band before this but I became one at that show. RIP Janie.

 

Worse:

Van Halen - 1984 Phoenix (Holy shit, EVH out Paged Page this show for sloppy playing due to alcohol and who knows what else. Mike Anthony walked over to the sound guy, sad some words, and EVH's guitar was pretty much cut except to the stage monitors. Rest of the band was good but EVH was so bad it was crazy. I have never seen or heard such a poor performance from a professional guitar player in my life).

Aerosmith - 1990 Chicago (this was the worse gig I have ever witnessed, everyone played with complete and utter indifference, played poorly, seemed obvious they all wanted to be anywhere but there. This was a co-bill with a young and hungry Black Crowes which were the exact opposite. BC was stellar and playful. Everyone in my group thought Aerosmith was gonna have to bring their A+++ game after that performance, instead Aerosmith just caved. 30 min into Aerosmith's set and more than 70% of the audience left...we stuck it out for another 10 min before calling it a day).

[The Only Way To Fly]

On 3/17/2018 at 4:17 PM, Xolo1974 said:

4. Gomez - Melbourne 2002.

LOVE for Gomez! I don't remember when; but I saw them tear the roof off at a gig in Chicago in the early 2000's. 

Eddie Vedder - solo Chicago theater 

Jane's Addiction - Brixton Academy 1991 with Primus 

Nirvana Chicago - Nov 1994 - with Jawbreaker & Mudhonney & Bob Cat Gothwait as MC between sets

Pearl Jam - Soldiers Field 

The Alarm - Chicago - Rivera 1986

Worst Gigs: 

Grateful Dead - Chicago 1995 - was very sad to watch.....

[chillumpuffer]

On 17/03/2018 at 11:47 AM, Xolo1974 said:

Ok, I was born in December ‘74. So I don’t have the spectrum that many do on this forum. I reckon it’s an interesting topic though.

Surprisingly enough, my number one gig was only a few weeks ago. Didn’t think I’d be saying that at the age of 43. 

1. Roger Waters - Perth 2018. 

2. AC/DC - Donington 1991. As a 16 year old, great show. Opening song - Thunderstruck 

3. Roger Waters (The Wall) - Perth 2012.

4. Gomez - Melbourne 2002.

5. The Black Crowes - The Royal Court, Liverpool, England (1991 or 1992 I cant remember it was after their first album). 

6. Pearl Jam - Perth 2009 - The year I emigrated, waited years to see them. Great show. 

7. Buddy Guy - Fremantle Blues and Roots festival 2012. Best guitarist I’ve ever seen live. By a country mile 

8. Roger Waters - Bangkok, 2002 (during a 9 month backpacking trip to SE Asia and Australia - where I met Mrs Burbridge - the Aussie). 

9. Gary Moore - Liverpool Royal Court 2000. Great show. Very modest and humble man. Brilliant guitarist. 

10. Metallica - Donington 1991. Not a massive fan, but they blew me away. One week after the release of the Black album. 

Sadly, Page and Plant 1998 in Manchester UK do not make the cut. Terrible acoustics at the Manchester Evening Arena. An off night for JP as well. 

Worst gig - there’s been some shockers - The Stones (Steel Wheels tour in Manchester UK in 1991 - they were shite....basically, just too old, sterile, a parody of themselves), U2 in Manchester in the Vertigo tour (I was expecting them to be shite and they didn’t disappoint - went as a favour to a mate). But the wooden spoon goes to Guns N Roses in Manchester in 1993. Absolute Crap. After having the midweek gig cancelled and rescheduled to the Sunday, they came on stage 2.5 hours late and played 1 hour 20 minutes at a stadium gig. Nearly incited a riot. When the crowd were less than impressed “hey fuck you” was all Slash had to say. Nobhead. Got the brains of a fuckin rocking horse. 

I'll do mine tomorrow but I also the Crowes on that tour in Manchester. Did they have a Cannabis leaf as a backdrop? Surprised they made your top ten. They were really poor. Sluggish and played every song slow and I really loved their first 2 albums. I gave up on Rock music after that show and went raving and listened to Dance and Techno.

[chef free]

Wow!  Tough challenge, I've seen a lot of shows.  Here's what comes to mind right now.

"Best" shows (more like most memorable right now!):

Grateful Dead, Closing of Winterland, Dec. 31, 1978.  What can I say?  Last show at Winterland, the Blues Brothers LIVE, three sets of Grateful Dead including the first Dark Star in years AND breakfast at 7 am?

King Crimson, Nov. 27, 1981.  The reunion of King Crimson after a seven year hiatus, such intense playing, crowd on their feet for the whole show, Fripp actually STOOD UP during his solo in Frame by Frame!

Grateful Dead, Sept, 12, 1981. The most high on LSD I ever was in public! Sparks off the fingertips, shared hallucinations, the whole deal. Everyone was totally dosed, during the set break it was "dead" silent as we all grinned like fools, the Dead's keyboard player came out and played the some mellow music to bring the crowd down a little before the second set.  My future and current wife (37 years so far!) and I were WELDED TOGETHER FOREVER!

Queen, Dec. 16, 1978.  Can a band be perfect?  This was one of those shows that was so involving that it seemed to last about 20 min.  If you are a Queen fan, look up the setlist!

Patti Smith, Jan. 24, 2015.  I was a big fan but never caught her back in the day, my wife too, now our youngest daughter is a fan.  To quote her "That was the most high energy, non-ironic punk show I've ever seen!

The Blind Boys of Alabama, Feb. 8, 2003. A spiritual experience!  We were clapping and singing and shaking our hands as Jimmy Carter (lead singer) walked through the parting crowd doing the 100 foot mic cord routine!

King Crimson, Oct. 3, 2014.  The opposite of the '81 show, perfectly rehearsed, great improv sections, totally poised yet unmistakably CRISMO!  And three drummers?

Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Concord Pavillion, date unknown, pretty sure late '90's, That Crazy Horse grinding Wall of Distortion!  Show ended with about 45 min of Down by the River>Hurricane>Powderfinger!  Nuff said!

Snack Sunday (look it up!)  March 23, 1975, My first outdoor rock festival, my first Dead show, plus The Doobie Brothers, Santana, Jefferson Starship, Tower of Power, Joan Baez and finally The Band backing Bob Dylan and Neil Young!  Bob even managed to whip up some new lyrics for his current hit Knocking on Heaven's Door!

Montrose, Sept. 27, 1975.  The original band with Sammy Hagar, touring their second (and final) album!  I stood against the stage in front of Ronnie and when he squatted down to play the solo on I Got the Fire, we all laid our hands on his Les Paul as he wailed away!

Honorable Mentions:

Phil and Friends, Dec. 31, 2000.  Susan Tedeschi Derek Trucks opened.  Phil's guitar players were Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule) Jimmy Herring (Aquarium Rescue Unit), at midnight three wizards were carried to the stage where they were revealed to be Mickey Hart, Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann!  It was the first time they played together since Jerry died!

Yes, Oct. 07, 1978.  Yes In The Round, on a rotating stage, as each member faced you, they were up in the mix.  It was the first show I ever went to that sounded really good, better than the best home stereo I'd ever heard.

 

Worst Show:

Without a doubt it was Aerosmith Dec. 1, 1977.  So bad for so many reasons!  Mostly the totally fucked up band, they were out of tune, Joe Perry could barely stand, the sound was horrible, the crowd was unruly, absolutely nothing good to say about this show!

Dishonorable Mention:

Led Zeppelin, July 24, 1977.  The single most disappointing show I ever saw!  Man, I had high hopes, I had tickets for the Oakland '75 show but we all know what happened there.  I waited for two more years, hoping for their return and WOW what a bummer!  The band was a couple of hours late, Page was obviously totally wrecked and he looked like a junkie, the band seemed pissed off and bored, except for Plant, and the performance was dull.  Yes I said it, I saw Led Zeppelin live and I was bored!

 

[IpMan]

One of the things I notice here are the same bands both best and worse, sometimes on the same tour but different dates. Talk about what a difference a day makes, or a few years makes.

[IpMan]

6 hours ago, chef free said:

Wow!  Tough challenge, I've seen a lot of shows.  Here's what comes to mind right now.

"Best" shows (more like most memorable right now!):

Grateful Dead, Closing of Winterland, Dec. 31, 1978.  What can I say?  Last show at Winterland, the Blues Brothers LIVE, three sets of Grateful Dead including the first Dark Star in years AND breakfast at 7 am?

King Crimson, Nov. 27, 1981.  The reunion of King Crimson after a seven year hiatus, such intense playing, crowd on their feet for the whole show, Fripp actually STOOD UP during his solo in Frame by Frame!

Grateful Dead, Sept, 12, 1981. The most high on LSD I ever was in public! Sparks off the fingertips, shared hallucinations, the whole deal. Everyone was totally dosed, during the set break it was "dead" silent as we all grinned like fools, the Dead's keyboard player came out and played the some mellow music to bring the crowd down a little before the second set.  My future and current wife (37 years so far!) and I were WELDED TOGETHER FOREVER!

Queen, Dec. 16, 1978.  Can a band be perfect?  This was one of those shows that was so involving that it seemed to last about 20 min.  If you are a Queen fan, look up the setlist!

Patti Smith, Jan. 24, 2015.  I was a big fan but never caught her back in the day, my wife too, now our youngest daughter is a fan.  To quote her "That was the most high energy, non-ironic punk show I've ever seen!

The Blind Boys of Alabama, Feb. 8, 2003. A spiritual experience!  We were clapping and singing and shaking our hands as Jimmy Carter (lead singer) walked through the parting crowd doing the 100 foot mic cord routine!

King Crimson, Oct. 3, 2014.  The opposite of the '81 show, perfectly rehearsed, great improv sections, totally poised yet unmistakably CRISMO!  And three drummers?

Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Concord Pavillion, date unknown, pretty sure late '90's, That Crazy Horse grinding Wall of Distortion!  Show ended with about 45 min of Down by the River>Hurricane>Powderfinger!  Nuff said!

Snack Sunday (look it up!)  March 23, 1975, My first outdoor rock festival, my first Dead show, plus The Doobie Brothers, Santana, Jefferson Starship, Tower of Power, Joan Baez and finally The Band backing Bob Dylan and Neil Young!  Bob even managed to whip up some new lyrics for his current hit Knocking on Heaven's Door!

Montrose, Sept. 27, 1975.  The original band with Sammy Hagar, touring their second (and final) album!  I stood against the stage in front of Ronnie and when he squatted down to play the solo on I Got the Fire, we all laid our hands on his Les Paul as he wailed away!

Honorable Mentions:

Phil and Friends, Dec. 31, 2000.  Susan Tedeschi Derek Trucks opened.  Phil's guitar players were Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule) Jimmy Herring (Aquarium Rescue Unit), at midnight three wizards were carried to the stage where they were revealed to be Mickey Hart, Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann!  It was the first time they played together since Jerry died!

Yes, Oct. 07, 1978.  Yes In The Round, on a rotating stage, as each member faced you, they were up in the mix.  It was the first show I ever went to that sounded really good, better than the best home stereo I'd ever heard.

 

Worst Show:

Without a doubt it was Aerosmith Dec. 1, 1977.  So bad for so many reasons!  Mostly the totally fucked up band, they were out of tune, Joe Perry could barely stand, the sound was horrible, the crowd was unruly, absolutely nothing good to say about this show!

Dishonorable Mention:

Led Zeppelin, July 24, 1977.  The single most disappointing show I ever saw!  Man, I had high hopes, I had tickets for the Oakland '75 show but we all know what happened there.  I waited for two more years, hoping for their return and WOW what a bummer!  The band was a couple of hours late, Page was obviously totally wrecked and he looked like a junkie, the band seemed pissed off and bored, except for Plant, and the performance was dull.  Yes I said it, I saw Led Zeppelin live and I was bored!

 

Strange, I heard the 23rd was the weaker of the two and that the 24th was actually pretty good. Then again, they were on the bill with a young and hungry Judas Priest who just released Sin After Sin so they needed to bring their A game following that.

[chillumpuffer]

OK I go all "memory issues" when I think of gigs i have been to. Most were between 1976 - 1985. So if I have done a list before and contradict myself then there you go. Dates I can remember as i still have the tickets, others the year will have to do (ish). 

The Cats Whiskers:

Led Zeppelin: August 4th 1979. Obvious choice and Todd Rundgren was on the bill and my emotions took over. The rest of the bill was shockingly bad. Thankfully it was a warm sunny day

Budgie: spring 1976. I green 14 year olds first ever rock gig. Had side circle front row seats in The Free Trade Hall and dangled my legs over the rail. Loved it.

Rush: June 2nd 1977. Rush's second ever gig in the UK after Sheffield. Had cheapie seats and sneaked in the stalls and went right down the front in front of Alex . Fabulous show 

The Police: Manchester All Saints Polytechnic. Sometime in 1978. A freebie. Walked in one Friday evening. Guy on the door said there was a great sounding band on supporting a local act. He let us in and I sat on the stage on front of Sting. All bleached hair and jumpsuits. I was the only long hair in there. They were tremendous

Patti Smith: 1978. A mate suggested we go. I had only heard "Because The Night" and the "Easter" album. I wasn't sure I would enjoy it but it was right up there in great gigs

AC/DC: October 29th and 30th 1979. Both shows were great. First night down the front, second night watched from mid way back to really appreciate great rock and roll

Jimmy Page Outrider tour 1988. A resurgent JP playing the last night of his tour in Manchester. Had great seats and he was on inspiring form. We all sang Stairway and Pagey said it was the best night and crowd of the tour. Don't believe me? I have the tape.

Frank Zappa. Hammersmith Odean 1984 Evening show. A complete musician experience. Loved it

Black Sabbath. 1978 Manchester Apollo. One of my favourite bands in the 70's. Didn't disappoint. Heads down, no nonsense, head shaking heavyness. War Pigs blew me away.

Stevie Ray Vaughan. Not sure but 1984 ish. Manchester Apollo. Front row seats. Only problem was the sound kept breaking down. However when he was on, it was insane.

Of course there are loads more I can/can't remember but here are a couple of unforgettable forgettables:

The Stranglers. Black and White tour 1978. A girlfriend took me as i thank for the UFO show earlier in the year. Dreadful. Only played for 40 minutes and walked on and walked off. No hello no goodbye. 40 minutes too much for me. Didn't date the girl again.

Journey. 1978. Unfortunately for Mr Perry and Mr Schon they were paired on the same bill as Pat Travers who opened the show. 15 minutes was enough for us as we headed for the pub, with everyone else it seemed. One of those "You'll regret it when we're famous" moments. Not

Finally Robert Plant: Shaken and Stirred Birmingham 1985. Shocking !! I couldn't believe it was the same guy I saw at Knebworth. Rubbish venue the NEC but that didn't detract from a lacklustre, boring show which had only one highlight: Little Feat's Richie Heywood on drums

[SteveZ98]

17 minutes ago, chillumpuffer said:

Black Sabbath. 1978 Manchester Apollo. One of my favourite bands in the 70's. Didn't disappoint. Heads down, no nonsense, head shaking heavyness. War Pigs blew me away.

You saw a lot of great concerts. Thanks for the write up. What did you think of Van Halen when they opened for Sabbath at this show?

[chillumpuffer]

10 minutes ago, SteveZ98 said:

You saw a lot of great concerts. Thanks for the write up. What did you think of Van Halen when they opened for Sabbath at this show?

They had them replaced by the time they added the extra date. Apparently VH were tremendous but even so not a patch on the Sabs. To be fair I didn't go to see support acts unless I had heard of them - some to my chagrin.

[Bong-Man]

Worst is a 4 way tie....

Joe Cocker.....'79 maybe ?  Lol....what a mess !

The Kinks......Shut up and play you idiots !

Stynx.....Bad sign when you walk away from a free show.

ELP....Not their fault.  Sometimes concert logistics just don't work out.  Failed transportation, overdoses, climbing barbed-wire fences @ Olympia...gosh what a teenage mess !

 

Best.......

Page & Plant '98 (Page left it all right here.  It's as simple as that)  

Neil Young & Crazy Horse, '79 Rust Never Sleeps Tour ("You can't be 20 on Sugar Mountain (Neil comes out of the box)....especially when you're seeing the show at 19)

Led Zeppelin 1977 Silverdome

Yes & Donovan, "Going For the One" Tour @ Cobo Arena  (the first show that let me know how good a concert experience could be.  Been over 40 years, and one listen to "Turn of the Century" still takes me right back there).  Donovan's "Atlantis" was kick-ass too.

Rolling Stones No Security Tour (sat 1st row at the 2nd stage.  "Respectable", "Route 66", and "Midnight Rambler" (Mick brings out the whip !)  Sat so close I yelled "Hey Charlie !"....and he gave me a big grin.  Keith was so paranoid I thought he was going to bolt the stage

Joni Mitchell (made me a fan for life)

Santana @ Masonic Auditorium  (came home at 3am because he just wouldn't stop playing.  My 17 year old date had to call home from a pay-phone so her Father didn't think I abducted her.)

Moody Blues @ Masonic Auditorium (seats less than 5,000 with an orchestra too)  Gypsy !!

Jeff Beck & Johnny Lang - Sat front row, and got the whole Jeff experience with the constantly moving highway in the background.

The J.Geils Band - Any Cobo show I attended from '76 -'79.  A Detroit party in the 3rd degree.

Honorable mentions....Any Who or Allman Bros. shows.

[chef free]

11 hours ago, IpMan said:

Strange, I heard the 23rd was the weaker of the two and that the 24th was actually pretty good. Then again, they were on the bill with a young and hungry Judas Priest who just released Sin After Sin so they needed to bring their A game following that.

Plus Rick "Rock and Roll Hoochi-koo" Derringer put on an awesome show!

[chillumpuffer]

58 minutes ago, Bong-Man said:

Worst is a 4 way tie....

Joe Cocker.....'79 maybe ?  Lol....what a mess !

The Kinks......Shut up and play you idiots !

Stynx.....Bad sign when you walk away from a free show.

ELP....Not their fault.  Sometimes concert logistics just don't work out.  Failed transportation, overdoses, climbing barbed-wire fences @ Olympia...gosh what a teenage mess !

 

Best.......

Page & Plant '98 (Page left it all right here.  It's as simple as that)  

Neil Young & Crazy Horse, '79 Rust Never Sleeps Tour ("You can't be 20 on Sugar Mountain (Neil comes out of the box)....especially when you're seeing the show at 19)

Led Zeppelin 1977 Silverdome

Yes & Donovan, "Going For the One" Tour @ Cobo Arena  (the first show that let me know how good a concert experience could be.  Been over 40 years, and one listen to "Turn of the Century" still takes me right back there).  Donovan's "Atlantis" was kick-ass too.

Rolling Stones No Security Tour (sat 1st row at the 2nd stage.  "Respectable", "Route 66", and "Midnight Rambler" (Mick brings out the whip !)  Sat so close I yelled "Hey Charlie !"....and he gave me a big grin.  Keith was so paranoid I thought he was going to bolt the stage

Joni Mitchell (made me a fan for life)

Santana @ Masonic Auditorium  (came home at 3am because he just wouldn't stop playing.  My 17 year old date had to call home from a pay-phone so her Father didn't think I abducted her.)

Moody Blues @ Masonic Auditorium (seats less than 5,000 with an orchestra too)  Gypsy !!

Jeff Beck & Johnny Lang - Sat front row, and got the whole Jeff experience with the constantly moving highway in the background.

The J.Geils Band - Any Cobo show I attended from '76 -'79.  A Detroit party in the 3rd degree.

Honorable mentions....Any Who or Allman Bros. shows.

Ahhh the Yes Going For The One tour. Saw it myself November 77 or 78?  think . Also with Donovan

[Bong-Man]

Quote

Ahhh the Yes Going For The One tour. Saw it myself November 77 or 78?  think . Also with Donovan

Saw the '78 tour too.  That was the one 'in the round".  Enjoyed it, but it was at Olympia instead of Cobo.  Olympia was a wretched place to see a show acoustics-wise.  They were also touring on "Tormato".  Never liked it, never bought it, and "Don't Kill the Whale" still makes me cringe.

I really liked The "Anderson, Buford, Wakeman, and Howe" Tour in the late 80's.  A very intimate affair that highlighted the talents of each member. 

[chillumpuffer]

16 minutes ago, Bong-Man said:

Saw the '78 tour too.  That was the one 'in the round".  Enjoyed it, but it was at Olympia instead of Cobo.  Olympia was a wretched place to see a show acoustics-wise.  They were also touring on "Tormato".  Never liked it, never bought it, and "Don't Kill the Whale" still makes me cringe.

I really liked The "Anderson, Buford, Wakeman, and Howe" Tour in the late 80's.  A very intimate affair that highlighted the talents of each member. 

Must have been 1977 as it was Going For The One tour. Gave up on Yes after 77. Bill Buford now there is a drummer? Saw him with UK -  John Wetton, Allan Holdsworth, Eddie Jobson and Buford in 78

Too early remember Yes when he was originally in them 

[John M]

This is a very difficult question to answer.  I would have to divide shows into large venues and small venues.  I am assuming I would leave out Zep/Page/Page &Crows/Page and Plant/Firm/Plant/Jones/Vultures shows because that would easily fill my top 10.  I am also leaving out classical, jazz, fusion, world music, folk, and bluegrass because that would make this an impossible task. 

I am focusing here on the shows that made the biggest impression on me at the time - shows that really blew me away.   Can't really put them in any order other than chronological.

Larger Venues

June 1975 Pink Floyd Nassau Coliseum - my first concert.  Years later I found out they played early versions of Sheep and Dogs to open this show.  At the time I had no idea.

Dec 1976 Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath Madison Square Garden.  Ted blew the place away, then Sabbath blew Ted off the stage.

November 1977 Jethro Tull, Hartford Civic Center  The sound was so perfect even in a hockey arena.  They played many classics and tunes from Songs from the Wood.

June 1979 Yes in the Round Madison Square Garden - what an amazing spectacle of sight and sound

July 1979 Blue Oyster Cult Mid Hudson Civic Center  The Cult at their peak in a blaze of glory.  Lasers, lasers, lasers.  So many great tunes.

August 1980 Talking Heads, Central Park

August 1, 1982 King Crimson, The Pier, NYC  Their new album Discipline was so incredible.

June 1986 Stevie Ray Vaughan, Mann Music Center Philly (Roy Buchanan opened, followed by the Fabulous Thunderbirds) 

May 21, 1993 The Black Crowes Springfield MA Symphony Hall   My first Crowes show.  The Amorica tour.

Smaller venues

October 1978 Patti Smith Group, Stage West, Hartford CT    Poetry, lunacy, madness, and hyper energized rock. 

November 19, 1980 The Buzzcocks, Shaboo Inn, CT   A Different Kind of Tension tour.  Wall to wall intensity

December 22, 1980 Jim Carroll Band, The Bottom Line NYC   It is something to remember how big an event this was at the time.  So much energy and craziness.

June 12, 1981 The Clash, The Bond Casino, NYC  I know it was past their peak but what a show.   The audience was nuts and we waited a long time for the show to start.

Sept 11, 1981 The Ramones, Stage West, Hartford CT  Glad I got to see them in a small club (also saw them at another small place called the Left Bank in Vernon, NY in 1982)

July 18, 1982 The Dead Kennedys, City Gardens, Trenton NJ  Probably the most intense concert experience I ever had.  The Misfits opened the show.  So you can imagine the scene. 

February 1984 Rory Block, Williams College, MA.   A great introduction to this amazing blues singer/guitarist.  Have seen her many times since.  A one woman tour de force.

March 28, 1993 Adrian Legg (opener), Leo Kottke,  Iron Horse Café, Northampton MA  Perfect sound, perfect and brilliant playing by both.  You could hear a pin drop while each was playing.   Two masters of acoustic guitar and fingerstyle playing.  I went to see Leo and I discovered the amazing Adrian Legg.

April 22, 1998 Dick Dale, Iron Horse Café, Northampton MA  One of the most immense walls of sound I ever experienced.  I thought he would blow the walls down in this little place.  He played like a man possessed.

June 24, 1998 The Black Crowes, Pearl St Nightclub, Northampton MA (same place I saw the opening night of the first USA Zooma tour)  The new songs from By Your Side were a great addition to the set.   The crowd was going nuts. 

Jul 1, 2008 The Black Crowes, Philly.  War Paint !!  The opening of the show was a long and mesmerizing spaced out version of the intro to Movin On Down the Line, featuring No Quarter type keyboards and LUTHER !!  Luther Dickinson was so incredible at this show.  We were standing right in front of Luther at the foot of the stage.

Worst - not really worst, but most disappointing was the Magpie Salute last fall.  Last show of the tour and the place was 80% empty.  So depressing and such a let down.  The band tried but they were obviously tired of a poor selling tour and it seemed forced.  No joy.  To top it off the sound man lost his mind and after the first few songs he cranked everything up so much that it was horribly distorted and muffled.