Best concert you have ever seen

[surfnorthwest]

What was the band lineup for what you would consider the best concert you ever went to. You can post a runner up also

Best show, October 31, 1976 McNichols Arena Denver Colorado (Halloween Night)

Boston
Heart
Black Sabbath

Amazing show! All three bands were on their game that night. Don't know how many of you ever got to see Boston but they were very tight live. Heart was also new at the time and put on a great performance, crowd went nuts when they played flawlessly a medly of Led Zeppelin tunes. Ozzy and Tony were on there game and I was blown away by how loud and good they sounded.. unforgetable night. They opened with Black Sabbath and I remember one of the encore's was a version of Hole in the Sky that makes this still today my #1 concert.

Runner Up

June 25th, 1994 Canada Palace Vancouver Canada

Pink Floyd

You can see this concert from this tour on DVD now, enough said. They played for almost four hours with a 30 minute intermission. If you were there you got high from the smoke inside that place, the Molson 20 oz beers were good too. Happy I got to see my favorite player of all time perform in both Gilmour and Richard Wright.

As a side note my Dad got to see Jimi Hendrix live while we were stationed in Germany. I was only 10 at the time so obviously I did not get to go but many of the guys from the Army base made the trip up to Puttgarden in September of 1970 to see him play. My Dad really was a Carlos Santana fan but liked Jimi's music also. When I used to talk to him about it later he said the audience did not know what to think of his show, as he was doing things on the guitar that night that people did not understand. He also had some great stories about all the fights there that after he had cancelled the first day. My Dad always felt he was lucky to have seen him only days before he died in the UK.

[frank9310]

First concert I ever went to see was Sabbath back in around '72, amazing show. Second after that was Bowie at the Stanley Theatre doing his first US Ziggy Stardust tour with Mick Ronson on some the baddest as Marshall Major tone I've ever heard. Then Zeppelin early 70s when they released thousands of Doves into the audience which my sister was lucky enough to catch one and made it our pet "Zeppy". Then Jethro Tull several times, Roy Buchanan.

Probably favorite all time:

Frank Marino Mahogany Rush - 80s
Bowie multiple shows.
Robin Trower - 70s and 2006 show blew me away
Johnny Winter and Alvin Lee probably teh 2 baddest ass players I've ever seen next to Frank Marino

Though I've been to hundreds of shows from Clapton to Santana, Pink Floyd, Peter Frampton, Frank Zappa-Jean Luc Ponty, Mahavishnu Orchestra - John McLaughlin, Yes, Steve Winwood, Alvin Lee Ten Years after, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer - Humble Pie, Alice Cooper many times, (backstage with Santana) so many shows I can't remember probably from being stoned most of the time.

Man oh man was your dad ever lucky to see Jimi! My all time favorite!

[surfnorthwest]

Man oh man was your dad ever lucky to see Jimi! My all time favorite

Yes he was, but it was basically a bunch of rowdie GI's having a good time he was with. Many of the guys that went with my Dad were guys that got moved to Germany from Vietnam so the guys were cutting loose and rightfully so. He never talked much about the Hells Angels thing that happened there other than to say that the German police took care of their asses. His Captain that was with him had taken some pictures at the show but the camera got ruined by the heavy rain. Would have loved to have had those now.

BTW Frank Jean Luc Ponty

[frank9310]

Ah! Are you talking about the Isle of Ferman 9/6/70? Yeah I heard Jimi was really miserable then. Wasn't that when Billy Cox went home after being too weirded out by all the trippin' and kind of lost it? Then the bikers stole all the money from the show?

Oh yeah Ponty was bad as hell and I think I might have seen him with John McLaughlin too or maybe it was only with John McLaughlin! haha

[surfnorthwest]

Ah! Are you talking about the Isle of Ferman 9/6/70? Yeah I heard Jimi was really miserable then. Wasn't that when Billy Cox went home after being too weirded out by all the trippin' and kind of lost it? Then the bikers stole all the money from the show?

I'm not sure what really happened but I know Jimi played the day after he was supposed too. It was raining both days but the first day they had all kinds of electrical problems which really through the whole festival into chaos. The Hells Angels (I assume it was the German chapter) started a bunch of fights and the police could not handle it until they brought in the big boys from somewhere then they cleaned house. As far a Billy I guess the story is someone slipped a lot of acid into his coffee and he freaked out. Jimi did end up performing though but not for very long.

[frank9310]

Yeah I have a rare magazine article that talks all about what happened in those last couple weeks before he died. One nasty thing after another happening to Jimi and the band from being kidnapped, to ripped off to threatened by the mafia to society taking a radical turn away from peace to violence, to Chaz Chandler his manager and Noel Redding his bassist leaving him to many other failures and his life spinning out of control, though for the most part, he took everything with a grain of salt.

I know a guy who was there and recorded the whole thing was sone US college student who borrowed money to go to that gig and wound up recording the whole show. He said there was lightning striking all around and rain pouring down onto the stage and the equipment was soaked including Jimi's guitar and mic with bad grounding, may walked off stage in fear but Jimi just stood right in the middle of the electrical storm playing away like he was invincible and he was on that day and still IS invincible...

His new album "Valleys of Neptune" drops on Tuesday! Sounds pretty exciting!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 05761.html

[pillagethesound]

Then Jethro Tull several times, Roy Buchanan.

I worked a few gigs for Jethro Tull, he is one cool cat man. Chill as hell and a really nice guy

[slowpokerhino]

Been to many great shows over the years, but I really do think the best (as far as sound quality and the performance of the band) was the Black Crowes a couple of months ago. Just a very solid show from beginning to end.
Runner up would be Joe Bonamassa at a small club in 2003. Took my bass player and there was maybe 100 people there. Had no trouble standing right in front of him for the entire show and even got to talk gear with him after the show. Those days are now long gone for Joe.

[Spotted Dog]

Allman Brothers in Ontario, Derek Trucks' first extensive tour with them, I think he was about 21... he Betts and Haynes all on stage together, freakin' awesome!!! Don't recall the year!!!!?????

[slowpokerhino]

That would be a great show. Have yet to see the Allmans, Warren or Derek live.
For some reason they don't seem to ever come around here.

[Spotted Dog]

That would be a great show. Have yet to see the Allmans, Warren or Derek live.
For some reason they don't seem to ever come around here.

Oh man Rhino. I know you're a hug fan that is a shame. The Allmans did a string of concerts here in SoCal starting sometime back in the 90s, I think we saw them a dozen or more times and they were some of the best shows I ever witnessed. Then all of a sudden they stopped coming, shortly after Dickey was kicked out. Of course his songbook disappeared from their set lists when he did, and I haven't seen them in a long time. Always dreamed of a trip to The Beacon Theatre.

Hope you get your chance.

[MATHIEU]

How's this for $5.00, Kinetic Playground Chicago
opening act Savoy Brown
Next...........Jethro Tull
Headliner......Led Zep

I also saw The Who as back up to Hermans Hermits

Bowie with Adrian Belew, Elton John as warm up (as a trio) to Derek & the Dominoes

[surfnorthwest]

How's this for $5.00, Kinetic Playground Chicago
opening act Savoy Brown
Next...........Jethro Tull
Headliner......Led Zep

I also saw The Who as back up to Hermans Hermits

Bowie with Adrian Belew, Elton John as warm up (as a trio) to Derek & the Dominoes

Man what a concert that had to have been, you know you are old when you can remeber $5.00 concerts. Just think what it would cost to see Zeppelin today if you could even get tickets.

[SteveD]

I paid £2.50 to see Led Zeppelin at Newcastle City Hall in November 1972. My first ever gig! I was 13.

They had no support and played for three and a half hours in total. Nothing else since made as much of an impression on me. Simply mind blowing.

I was also at their 1979 Knebworth show which was also excellent.

[lukemc]

that first zep gig must of been great steve, 1972-1974 is when they were shit hot live.

im not really a gig goer but i really enjoyed john mayall's bluesbreakers last year with rocky athas on guitar,great atmosphere.