If you could see any band, solo musician, etc right at this moment, who would it be? You are also allowed to borrow my time machine, and go to the past to see any concert of all time.
I would have to see seeing one of Black Sabbath’s first shows would have been the shit, and of course theres Jimi at Woodstock playing that anthem.
So who would you see Dopers? And which show of theirs would you want to catch?
#1. Aug. 29, 1966–Candlestick Park, San Francisco–The Beatles’ final U.S. concert ever.
#2. May 29, 1913–Theatre des Champs-Elysses, Paris–the premiere of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.
The Beatles’ Candlestick Park concert is a great choice. I was thinking I’d rather see them play a set at the Cavern though. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to be that close. While they weren’t as polished then, I think I would go for the more intimate setting.
I’ll also cheat a bit, and say the entire Woodstock concert the first time around. I can’t say I’m a big fan of LSD and sleeping in mud, but I think it would be an exciting part of music history to witness first-hand.
I don’t care where or what show… But I would love to be able to see the Smoking Popes live.
DAMN YOU JESUS! (the band broke up when the lead singer quit to devot his life to Jesus)
I’d probly check out the Acid Tests or a Grateful Dead concert from 1969. Or 1972. Or 1973. Or 1977.
Other than the Dead, it would be cool to see Hendrix on 12-31-69, or Pink Floyd live at Pompeii (I guess the time machine could make me be a crew member or something, couldn’t it?).
The Doors at the Whiskey the night they got fired, when Jim shocked the whole audience with the first performance of “The End” that had the infamous Oedipal references in it.
What a scene that must have been.
#1 - The Velvet Underground playing in 1968 after the release of the White Light/White Heat album, about the time they were playing songs like Sweet Sister Ray. The ultimate line up of the band, with Cale, without Nico. Ooh, ooh, ooh la la!
#2 - The Stooges in 1970-1, with Steve Mackay on saxaphone in tow playing virtually the entirety of the Funhouse album.
#3 - The Dirty 3 at the Lava Lounge, Melbourne, March 1997. Actually, I was there, but I could live with that being every night of my life, particularly the part when Warren Ellis (violinist) pulled me up on stage to dance with the band. Simply the greatest 2 1/2 hours of music I’ve ever experienced.
#4 - The Birthday Party in Melbourne, 1982 (I think) when they played a set of Stooges covers.
#5 - Fates Warning - in 1987 with John Arch on Vocals - I’ve heard one tape, and it kills.
#6 - Johnny Cash - the Folsom Prison show in 1968, although I don’t wanna be a regular audience member (ie inmate) ;).
#7 - Black Flag in 1978 with Keith Morris on vocals. I don’t care where, when or whatever. Even if they just played their first single over and over again, I imagine it would have been the greatest thing ever.
#8 - The Urinals, whenever they recorded their cover of Dizzy Miss Lizzy.
#9 - Pink Floyd in London, 1967, at a show when Syd was together enough to play well, but out there enough to make it extra interesting.
#10 - Rocket From the Tombs, the Mirrors & the Electric Eels Special Extermination Night - the one and only time the 3 bands played on the one bill. I can’t think of much more to say than that :).
For nostalgic purposes, the last shows of bands such as Nirvana, Joy Division, Skinny Puppy, The Doors, or Acid Bath. Oddly, the first three of those bands all split because of suicides.
Right here, right now, I’d see a concert with such a line up:
Act one- KMFDM
Act two- Rammstein
Finale- Megaherz (www.megaherz.com)
Yeah, my list is rather different.
Einstürzende Neubauten, anytime, preferably around the early nineties or the current point in history.
Pink Floyd, any time they performed The Wall live.
Gry - she’s vanishingly obscure, and plays generally only in Europe, and small venues at that. But I hear she’s utterly fantastic live.
Depeche Mode, when they were recording 101 and Music for the Masses. I’d love the ego boost if my voice carried when they invited the audience to sing along.
Velvet Underground? Stooges? The Birthday Party? Pink Floyd with Syd? All right Henry! Stuff I was thinking of, or should have.
And how 'bout- any or all of the early CB’s shows- Ramones, Patti Smith, Television, Talking Heads.
Glad I struck a chord with you betenoir - I’d agree with the others you mentioned, as well as hundreds of others, like early shows by Suicide or The Modern Lovers. I thought I’d narrow it down to 10 though ;).
August 13, 1967-the Grateful Dead at West Park in Ann Arbor, Michigan!
For the following reasons:
1)It was early Grateful Dead with Pigpen!
2)It was in Ann Arbor, my favorite city in the whole wide world!
3)As far as I know, no one bothered to record it, so I would bring a deck and get the show taped!
Then, I would have the complete set of the Dead’s Ann Arbor shows on tape. I already have their 1971, 1979, and 1989 appearances.
Can we mention concerts that never really happened? If so, I would vote for seeing the later-era Beatles play live! To hear them do stuff from albums like Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, White Album, and Abbey Road would be so awesome!!!
I did get to hear Jerry Garcia sing “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” twice, which was pretty cool!
Big Boys, Minor Threat and Trouble Funk in DC around 1983 or 1984. That would have been incredible.
Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra, with George Gershwin at piano, at the world premiere of Rhapsody in Blue, at the Aolean Hall in 1923.
James Reese Europe’s Orchestra, playing The Castle House Rag at Castles in the Air in New York, c1913, with Vernon and Irene danced.
Hendrix in Maui or Atlanta 1970 or any show really.
Led Zeppelin, any of the shows where they were really on.
Pink Floyd on Darkside of the Moon tour
Rush on 2112 tour
AC/DC, any Tour with Bon Scott
Old Sabbath w/ Ozzy
Sex pistols back when
Hawkwind doing space ritual at stonehenge
Metallica on ride the lightning tour
Steve Tibbetts anytime
Ozric Tentacles anytime
King Crimson on Three of a perfect pair tour
Eve nailed my first choice - Gershwin’s debut of Rhapsody in Blue.
I’d also like the ability to travel back to October 1989 and re-visit the second set of the “Formerly the Warlocks” second Hampton show. The return of Dark Star was terrific, but by the time Attics of My Life came around I was too far gone - I’d actually wandered outside and into the parking lot for some fresh air and a little reality check.
The 1975 Great American Music Hall show would have been nice, as would the October 1978 Egypt shows (not so much for the music, which was mediocre, but for the setting).
Jimi Hendrix Live At Winterland. Love the album, would love even more to have been there and watch my idol play his heart out.
Good gods, HenrySpencer, I was going to say The Velvet Underground right after White Light / White Heat. An half an hour of “Sister Ray” would just rule!
Well, so I’m not completely just a “Me, too!” guy, I’d like to see any concert that Charles Mingus gave with the band that recorded Mingus Ah Um. Or the Louis Armstrong Hot Five.
The famous concert where Beethoven, quite deaf, didn’t realize that the audience was applauding. (Which, as I understand it, is kinda a true story).
Or, speaking of Beethoven, Leondard Bernstein conducting Beethoven’s 9th symphony live at the fallen Berlin Wall, with Freunde (joy) replaced by Freheit (freedom).
I second Ozric Tentacles, I bet they are mind blowing.