Mundane: Check.
Pointless: Check.
Must share: Check.
Back in late 2007, Neil Young did two shows at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby. My wife and I went to one of them. Now it turns out that, unbeknownst to us, the shows were being filmed by Jonathan Demme for a movie that has just been released – Neil Young Trunk Show. I can’t wait to see it – it was a great concert and how cool it is to be able to go see it again! (We were front and center in the balcony … wonder if we’ll show up in any shots?)
Cool. My 5 seconds of live concert film fame came in The Roots Presents: dvd from a few years back. There was an open bar before the show. The rest writes itself. I still whip out my copy of the dvd every so often to crack people up.
On the back of Peter Gabriel Plays Live there’s a picture of him being passed around at a concert in Dayton, Ohio. I’d traveled from Kansas City to Dayton for the show. See the numbers at the top left? I was right “above” the 815-445-1. I was reaching, and was thisclose to touching him, but couldn’t get any closer.
I was also at the Metro Chicago Jeff Buckley concert that was filmed and released on DVD, but we were up in the balcony. I’ve never watched it so I have no idea if any of the cameras ever pointed in our direction. I should explain, I was a HUGE Buckley fan but we got there too late to get any prime spot near the stage, and rather than be way far back, standing up, with taller people in front of me, we went upstairs and found tables. At that point I assumed I’d be getting to see him tons more times. After he died, the DVD was released, but I never could bring myself to watch it. I was there. I don’t want my memories to be overwritten by the DVD’s camera angles and edits. That’s very irrational, I fully realize. I have no problems with watching other live performances. I’ve always thought that one of these days I’ll change my mind, and watch it, but that time has not yet come.
My voice is all over a bunch of HTR clips on YouTube, generally calling out requests for songs or responding to her talking to me from the stage, but those aren’t exactly claim-to-famey.
I was at the concert where the Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe DVD An Evening of Yes Music Plus was taped. I doubt that I’m visible onscreen; if I am it would be as little more than a pixel or two glimmering in the murk.
It’s not a movie, but the very first rock concert I ever attended was released as a live album.
I think the back of my head might be in Cunning Stunts by Metallica, where they show a clip of them dressed as Lemmy doing a set of Motörhead covers.
When I saw KISS in Anaheim last November, Shannon Tweed made her way through the crowd with a camera crew in tow, so I might end up as a pixel or two on Family Jewels.
My brother and I traveled to London to see the second of Pete Townshend’s two Lifehouse concerts. He had bought the tickets as a souvenir, not thinking he’d be able to go. But I was able to find an insanely cheap airfare on one of Virgin Atlantics nearly empty 747s (who the hell goes to England in February?) We managed to get him a passport in a week (pre 9/11). My brother is a workaholic, and he insisted on working Friday, flying up to meet me in Chicago Friday afternoon, and we flew to London sleeping on the plane (thank you Ambien!). We saw the show Saturday night, slept in our tiny hotel room, and flew out Sunday morning. He was back at work Monday.
Here’s an example of “could have been a nameless face in a music video for a fraction of a second, but wasn’t, and am kicking myself for it!”
In high school, Def Leppard was my favourite band (still is, in a sense - my musical tastes are now so diverse can’t really declare a favourite) and in Grade 12 there was a Def Leppard concert coming to the (now demolished) Winnipeg Arena. Needless to say I so wanted to be there, but I guess I couldn’t get up enough money and didn’t go, and was kicking myself over it.
Flash forward a couple weeks/months and I’m watching MuchMusic (Canada’s answer to MTV) and my favourite Def Leppard song (still is) “Pour Some Sugar On Me” comes on. I start watchign the video, then I notice - hey, that looks familiar - hey! that’s the Winnipeg Arena! Not only did I miss the concert, but I missed them filming the video for my favourite song there (that I could have been in)!!!
Was kicking myself a LOT harder for a LOT longer time after that (as evidenced by the fact I’m still doing it 20 years later.)
Joe Jackson made a DVD of a couple shows he did in Seattle and Portland in 2001. I and a buddy were in the front row of the Seattle show. If you watch it, look for the blur in the bright yellow shirt. That’s me.
I attended the final concert of Depeche Mode’s Music for the Masses Tour in Pasadena, CA in 1988. That show was later released as the documentary film 101. We had 10th row seats left-center of the stage. In a few sweeping shots of the crowd, I can spot myself there.
I was at one of the Pink Floyd shows at Nassau Coliseum in 1988 recorded for “Delicate Sound of Thunder” album/VHS tape. Seated way high stage left I could tell Nick Mason was doing very little of the drumming, contrary to what the film would have you believe.
