The Best Concerts You've Been To....

underdog

Pearl jam at mk bowl in the summer, they are always great but it felt very special this time. Last date of the tour, it was if the band didn't want to get off the stage, you could see how much fun they were having. 3 hours plus of one of tightest gigging bands you will ever see, with a spectacular back catalog to call on, perfect weather, lovely setting and a band just enjoying what they do.

mart

John_P said:

Standout gigs...
Marillion "garden party" in 86 with Gary Moore and Jethro Tull -  I wasn't old enough and experienced with gigs to really appreciate what a great show that was.
...

I'd almost forgotten that one - an absolutely brilliant day.

Other highlights for me:

John Martyn in 1990 - amazingly inspirational, although primarily because it made me decide that from then on the only bass I would play would be fretless.

Status Quo at the Marquee in 85, three days before live aid. Ok, it was John Coughlan's band, but with Bob Young IIRC, and Parfitt and Lancaster joined in for a few songs to warm up for the big gig they had at the weekend.

Floyd at Wembley in 88. I don't like huge gigs, but it felt like their sound was big enough to suit the place.

Fish in Aviemore in 89, playing at the bar with borrowed instruments cos of a double booking. Amazing cosy atmosphere.

Deep Purple in Barcelona in 94, with Satriani on guitar. Quite surreal, but good fun.

And an honourable mention for Purple at Wembley Arena in 87 or 88, when Blackmore didn't come back on for the encore, so we got to hear Smoke on the Water played with no guitar part!

I'm sure there's some others, but my memory ain't what it used to be.

ICBM

mart said:

And an honourable mention for Purple at Wembley Arena in 87 or 88, when Blackmore didn't come back on for the encore, so we got to hear Smoke on the Water played with no guitar part!

The fact that they were able to play it without him must have pissed him off even more than whatever caused the hissy fit in the first place .

He almost didn't play Woman From Tokyo (if I remember right - don't think it was SOTW) in Edinburgh on that tour - started it, stopped, then thought better of it and started again.

richardhomer

mart;430093" said:

John Martyn in 1990 - amazingly inspirational, although primarily because it made me decide that from then on the only bass I would play would be fretless.

I saw John play over 30 times - but the hands-down best I ever saw him was at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester in 1990 ('The Apprentice' tour).

He was on blinding form.

Alan Thomson who played fretless with him is a wonderful player.

There is (was?) a DVD (filmed at the London dates) from the tour, featuring David Gilmour on the last three songs - including a tear-jerking version of One World.



As you might be able to tell - I love John's music.

Skipped

For the music: The Who at Leeds University (not that gig) and The Who at The Oval cricket ground.

For Jaw on the Floor moments: Derek and the Dominoes at Leeds Uni. (It simply did not look like EC. I think it was the hair).

For tugging at the heartstrings: Beth Neilsen Chapman in Sheffield (a small intimate gig in what I think was a former magistrates court).Trisha Yearwood at Manchester Apollo.

For all of the above: Steely Dan at the NEC.

mike_l

These are personal highlights of my first concert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=s6M3zdjcOxk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=R5ed77NXGyY

Enjoy Ricky's rant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SV9LLiDMr0&feature=player_detailpage&list=PL8F79BD10B4BD266C

 

 

Jalapeno

rlw said:

Lyle Lovett at Festival Hall was close.

Went to see Dire Straits in Knebworth in the 80s, they were crap.  Lyle Lovett as support on the other hand was superb.

Others of note

James, on one of their early 00s retirement tours.

Stereophonics on the Just Enough Education tour

Early 70s ELO at Watford Town Hall, with guest Marc Bolan

Favourite gig - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Royal Albert Hall 2012

Danny1969

richardhomer said:

Philly_Q;429865" said:

It was great, the guy was absolutely amazing and the sounds he made with that Tele were so at odds with the way he looked!  

He used the support band, Martin Stephenson and the Daintees (I think!) as his backing band!  Very old school.

One of my all-time guitar heroes.

He came from a devoutly Christian family - his father was a preacher IIRC - he looked as though he ought be one.

There was something transcendent about his playing at its best. And died in his forties. I real loss.

Amazing player, so many tones and expression from just a Tel

For those who wanna taste, go to 14:10 for Sweet Dreams 

RichValentine

In rank order:

Prince, Hop Farm Festival (2011?)
Stevie Wonder, Hyde Park
The Eagles, MGM, Las Vegas 2014
Santana, House of Blues, Las Vegas, 2014

mart

richardhomer said:

mart;430093" said:

John Martyn in 1990 - amazingly inspirational, although primarily because it made me decide that from then on the only bass I would play would be fretless.

I saw John play over 30 times - but the hands-down best I ever saw him was at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester in 1990 ('The Apprentice' tour).

He was on blinding form.

Alan Thomson who played fretless with him is a wonderful player.

There is (was?) a DVD (filmed at the London dates) from the tour, featuring David Gilmour on the last three songs - including a tear-jerking version of One World.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gmdKT4SShDY

As you might be able to tell - I love John's music.

Yep, 'twas the Apprentice tour. And yes, I've got the DVD. To be honest, although the DVD is good, it doesn't have that special something that I felt on the night. But that's fine, in a way it's nicer that there was something mysterious and magical that happened that night and is too illusive to be captured on a video.

boogieman

I saw John Martyn sometime around the mid 70s. A mate of mine was at Surrey Uni and the students union had managed to book him. Wish I could say he was great that day, because I love JM's music. Unfortunately he was so pissed/stoned/both he could barely stand. At one point a roadie came on and tried to prop him up with a mic stand to stop him falling over. They eventually found him a chair so he could continue, but he was on atrocious form.

richardhomer

^ That was always a risk seeing John live. He was completely out of it at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester on the Sapphire tour.

He arrived on stage about two hours late.

I felt really annoyed at his lack of professionalism - but (regrettably) this was part of who he was. The fact he only lived to 60 shows how truly self-destructive his behaviour was....

A flawed genius.

Deadman

The Damned, Newcastle City Hall 1986
Paul Weller, Hereford Leisure Centre 2000
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Leeds 1999
Gogol Bordello, Oxford Zodiac 2008
Pearl Jam, Hyde Park 2010
Eddie Vedder, Manchester Apollo 2012

StageStruck

In no particular order

Status Quo Frantic Four Reunion (Glasgow 2013)
Dan Baird (Glasgow King Tuts 2011)
Deep Purple, tough choice so 2 nominations (Glasgow 1996 / Royal Albert Hall 1999)
The Who (Glasgow 2014)
Sensational Alex Harvey Band (too young to have seen them 1st time round, but any occasion from 1993 onwards)

Honourable mentions to Dr Feelgood, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Brian Wilson

EricTheWeary

Ooh, I've seen Feelgood twice and they would have honourable mentions from me too. The non Brilleaux version maybe just a tribute act really but a fine one nonetheless that stood up to the one I saw decades before ( guessing it was Gypo on guitar back then but I'm not sure).

JMP220478

Too many to call best but Rainbow 1977 Liverpool - rising tour - dio / Powell / Bain / Carey line up - Strat smash ! Lynch Mob - Poole 80's - Logan & George - sublime ... Waysted - Liverpool royal court - support to Dio - memorable cos I was drunker than Pete Way

bingefeller

Steve Vai in Vicar Street Dublin circa 1999 (Ultra Zone tour).

Michael Schenker in Belfast - can't remember the exact year but maybe 2007 / 2008.  The tour originally got cancelled until Michael got himself cleaned up then he came back later in the year and played a fantastic show.  

NervousJohn

In chronological order

Jeff Buckley in 1994 in La Belle Angelle in Edinburgh

Richard Thompson 1000 year show in Basingstoke Anvil. Probably 2008

King Creosote at Haarfest in 2010

Glossary and Austin Lucas at the Palmeria in Brighton in 2012

That should do.

Philly_Q

JMP220478 said:

 Waysted - Liverpool royal court - support to Dio - memorable cos I was drunker than Pete Way

I saw them on that tour too, Bristol Colston Hall.  Could've been a really good band if they'd ever managed to keep a stable lineup for more than one album.

FelineGuitars

A few random ones...

 Queen - Wembley Arena1980 and Wembley Arena 1984

Great White  - Town and Country Club 1992

Judas Priest/Scorpions - Hammersmith 

Accept / Dokken - Hammersmith 1986

Atomic Punks - 14 Below (West Hollywood club) 

Steel Panther - 229 club London - priceless and the small venue made it feel even better

Tigertailz with Steevi Jaimz - Marquee 1986 (just had the best time)

Queensryche - Town and Country Club 1988 - unlike Philly Q I was at the front

Thunder - Town and Country Club 1990

Extreme - Marquee Club

Ace Frehley - London Astoria 2009 - amazing gig!