I was listening to Roger Waters’ The Wall Live in Berlin earlier today, and was reminiscing about listening to it on the radio the day it actually happened. It must have been a fantastic experience to have actually seen it live. Same for Live Aid at either location, The Concert for Bangladesh, Woodstock (the real one, not the recent marketing machines), the first Farm Aid, Simon & Garfunkel in Central Park, etc. I was at the second and third Lollapalooza in the early 90’s, but that’s not really what I mean. Sure, it drew hundreds of thousands, but that was a tour. I’m thinking of concerts that lasted only a day or so, and shaped a generation in a way.
Have any dopers ever been to a major “historical” (for lack of a better word) concert? Did you know going in that it was going to become such a huge event? What were some of your thoughts when you realized that it was much more than just a concert? Do you still have any souvenirs or prized posessions from the show?
Like I said, I’ve never been to one, so I will be living vicariously through your recollections.
I have been to both Bonnaroo concerts and I plan on going again this summer.
A three day camping and music experience is amazing. Hanging out with friends, both old and new, discovering new music, eating nothing that is not from a grill…I love it.
The 15 hour drive is no fun though.
Per the OP, I thought I knew what the concert was going to be like, but it was different than I expected. Very calm and mellow. I did not expect it to be run so smoothly. Especially after the last woodstock fiasco.
And I still have tons of crap I got there; they give out CDs to the people that attend and do a nice job of making the tickets themselves collector’s items. And I buy all the DVDs and CDs that they officially release. And I download a lot of full sets of bands I saw there on Furthur.
Not that historical, but I was at the Stones show that Gn’R opened for when Axl threw his tantrum. Was standing outside waiting to get in when we heard him whining like a little bitch.
She told me she loved me like a brother. She was from Arkansas, hence the Joy!
I don’t know how “concert” this really is, but I was at Chicago DJ Steve Dahl’s Disco Demolition at Comiskey Park in 1979. Shortly thereafter, despite the damage to the field, Comiskey Field again played host to Dahl’s fans with a large “Day In The Park” concert, which I also attended. The concert included Eddie Money, Molly Hatchet (on their first ever tour), Thin Lizzy, Santana and Journey.
I attended The Smashing Pumpkins final concert at the very cozy Metro in Chicago back on December 2000. Four and a half very loud, very emotional hours. Unforgetable. Untoppable.
I was there. That’s me, the infinitessimal tiny dot next to the second light tower on the right in the big crowd shot. Still have my “faceless crowd member” mask too. It was an okay show, but beset by technical problems. The sound went completely dead right after Ute Lemper did her bit in “The Thin Ice,” and didn’t come back until just before “Mother.” They actually announced, just as the sound came back up, that they were going to redo those songs after the show, but they never did. I still have no idea when they redid them for the album, or whether they just recorded off the monitors and edited out the announcement. Needless to say, none of that made it into the album/video.
Also, a lot of the guests thoroughly sucked. Cyndi Lauper doing “Another Brick in the Wall Part II”? Van Morrison croaking out “Comfortably Numb”? Gimme a freakin’ break. But it was most assuredly a damn fine spectacle, particularly given the time and place where it was held. Definitely worth the 8-hour drive each way.
Wow. That’s really cool, and I bet something you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
I remember reading about the crowd’s reaction to that line “Can you fake it for just one more show?” Even reading that gave me chills, I can’t imagine actually having been there.
I saw Pink Floyd sans Roger Waters three times. Once from (literally) front row center while in, shall we say, a rather interesting state of mind.
Each Pink Floyd show was far, far superior to The Wall in Berlin.
[sub]But certainly, the history of the moment kicked ass in 1990. Did I mention how I had to sneak past the Red Army to get to the show on time? True story.[/sub]
Ok, so this is only major to a minor subset of people, but they’ll Understand:
Genesis with Peter Gabriel, at Memorial Hall in Kansas City.
“Selling England By The Pound” tour
“The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” tour
To me, major concerts are very personal. Tori Amos at a tiny club called Schubas in Chicago, April 29, 1992, which was also the night that the jury aquitted the cops in the Rodney King beating, and the riots started. No one knew about it until after the show was over.
Seeing Happy Rhodes for the first time at a smoky bar in Albany, NY, also in 1992.
Seeing Jane Siberry for the first time in 1990 at the Park West in Chicago, before we even lived here (we flew up for it).
Those are major to me, unlike the Who, Bowie, Simon and Garfunkle and Pink Floyd shows I saw (great shows!) but was very distanced from since they were all in large stadiums.
OK, now, not to cheapen anyone else’s stories, but this is what I was looking for. I remember listening to the concert on the radio, Westwood One feed, I believe, and wondering what was going on . I recall only the vocals going out, not the pre-recorded stuff, though. And I remember when I saw the video of the concert, which I misplaced and haven’t seen in years, that the show flowed smoothly, with no mention of the audio gaffe. Perhaps what we have on film and tape is actually a dress rehersal video and not the actual concert. (Either way, it still sends chills…)
I, too, was unimpressed by Van Morrison. Paul Carrack kicked major ass on Hey You, though! And I remember it was right around that time that I became familiar with James Galway, through my mom’s Windham Hill Samplers. Hearing him on Goodbye Blue Sky was beautiful, as well.
How did you come about seeing the show? And you can’t tease us with the Red Army story; please follow up on that.
A buddy and I drove from Houston to Dallas to see the Ronnie Lane benefit at Reunion Arena in 1983:
Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Joe Cocker, Kenney Jones, Andy Fairweather Low, Paul Rodgers, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman were the “big names” but seeing Simon Phillips in his prime was something that I will never forget, when Jeff Beck walked onto the stage they basically “dropped the needle” on “There and Back” WOW!.
After the show we jumped in the car and hauled back to Houston, we both had to be at work at 7:00, not much got done the next day as we worked together.
Equipoise, Genesis with Peter AND the Lamb tour?, you suck!, I think I love you.
1974 - I was at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles when Elton John was in concert. It was the first concert held at Dodger Stadium since the Beatles in 1965 (?).
If you own the LP or CD of Rock of the Westies, you’ll see that concert on the inner sleeve. And if you look reeeeeeal close, about halfway back in the field, you’ll see me.
OK, I’ve never seen me in that picture. But if someone does see me, please let me know.
I was at the opening concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland (at Municipal Stadium) in 1995. The acts were too numerous to mention, but highlights included Chuck Berry, Springsteen with the E Street Band for the first time in years, John Fogerty doing Creedence material for what I believe was the first time in years (I may be wrong), and a surprise appearance by Bob Dylan.
I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, but the concert was almost disappointing, mostly because it was being done primarily for the benefit of HBO, which was showing it live. It was the feeling you get at a wedding when you realize that everything is being done for the photographer.
I was also at Farm Aid in Louisville later that same year. Neil Young followed up John Mellencamp’s Vegas revue with a solo acoustic set that was just right.
The usual way–bought tickets and drove there on the Autobahn. I lived in Germany for years.
Although the East German borders were open for ordinary folks, Americans associated with the U.S. government or military still had to process through the same old channels at the border crossings. When we got there, the line was so long there was no way we would have made it to the show on time. So after waiting around for an hour, getting increasingly distressed while watching thousands and thousands of German cars scream by unimpeded, we just got back in the car and joined them. Drove right past the Soviet soldiers at both border crossings. They saw us, but clearly didn’t give a damn.