Classic bands/artists you've seen

[kevo]

Following on from the bands/artists you wish you'd seen thread, what classic ones did you see in their prime?

I'm particularly thinking about Joy Division, Sex Pistols (not the reunions), the Clash, Nirvana, Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, Ziggy-era Bowie, Hendrix, the Beatles... etc

Would be great to hear some first-hand accounts. Had a friend (who sadly died from cancer a couple of years back) who saw the Who at Leeds gig that was recorded for the album, and also saw the Floyd in about 68.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

The Rasmus.

(They did In the Shadows twice, that is the deffinition of tinpot band to me I'm afraid)

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

The Smiths in Preston.

Johnny Cash 80s & 90s in UK & USA not prime, but still god.

 

[Marxo]

The Clash, Sandinista tour 1981, Brussels. Came on stage in complete darkness to the Ennio Morricone theme "Paying Off Scores" carrying their guitars over their heads. Their opening track was "Police and Thieves" together with the opening band which was a girl group (can't remember who they were). Strummer said the girls were singing with them before dashing off to catch their plane back to England. My ears were ringing for at least 30 mins. after the concert finished, it was LOUD.

 

[Gwylan]

The Buzzcocks when Howard Devoto was still with them
The Clash, several times
Bob Marley, nine months before he died
The Ramones supported by Talking Heads (fantastic gig)

 

[catfish]

Frank Zappa
Thin Lizzy
BB King (when he was a mere youth of 60)

 

[sully]

My ears were ringing for at least 30 mins. after the concert finished, it was LOUD.

30 minutes? Is that all?

I often used to rock up at school with my ears still ringing the day after concerts. Perhaps that's why I'm a little hard of hearing now!

Saw some great concerts in the 80s, with bands such as Genesis and Queen at the Brighton Centre, as well as Thin Lizzy, Rush and several others.
A few great nights at the Top Rank Suite also - Elvis Costello, The Pretenders, UB40 stand out.
Further afield, I also saw The Who, Wings, Q-Tips and Abba at Wembley, Pink Floyd at Earls Court and festival appearances from The Beach Boys, Santana and Queen and Genesis again.
Not in their prime, but still brilliant were Fleetwood Mac a couple of years ago at Wembley arena and the Rolling Stones at Wembley Stadium in the 90s.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

James Brown, well past his sell by date mind.

 

[blue'n'white]

I saw the Stones many times from 1976 through to about 2000 or so when they started charging silly amounts for tickets - I think the last was at Twickenham
Seen Dylan a couple of times, Queen three times, The 'Oo (sadly without Keith Moon),, Zappa, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Neil Young a number of times,the original Thin Lizzy, Springsteen about 30 times by now (and five more to come later in the year), B B King, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan,Joe Bonamassa before he was famous, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the original fleetwood Mac and the revamped version with Stevie Nicks (on the Rumours tour in the middle of the front row at The Rainbow !) and oodles of others
The one band that I want to see is the Allman Brothers - I've seen Greg on his own and Dickey Betts' Great Southern but have, so far, missed the whole band
And if you're talking about LOUD the loudest band I ever saw was Ted Nugent - you could still hear the gig outside the Hammersmith Odeon (happy days before elf and safety)

 

[GT49er]

The Who, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Derek and the Dominoes (Eric Clapton), Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Velvet Underground, The Police, Jimi Hendrix, Leonard Cohen..................

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

Had a run of classic concerts at Wembley stadium over a couple of years in about 87/88,I saw Pink Floyd,U2,Genesis,Micheal Jackson.

 

[mr sheen]

Nirvana at Rock City in Nottingham. Marvellous.

 

[vegster]

I saw Thin Lizzy twice at the Centre, both times they were excellent, Phil Lynott had a superb stage presence...

 

[rcf0712]

It's a bit of a look at me thread this but try as I have I just can't resist and I don't feel like working this arvo', sorry.....

A few "first time seen" gigs of serial offender bands stand out in my memory thus;
The Cure - Chelmsford Odeon (Faith tour)
The Jam - The Rainbow (Funeral Pyre tour)
New Order - Kilburn national Ballroom (Temptation tour)
U2 - Hammersmith Palais (War Tour with The Alarm! That was quite funny actually)
Beastie Boys & Run DMC - Brixton Acadamy (Licensed to Ill tour)
Oasis - The 100 Club in May 1994

Also I saw some rippers at The Lyceum back when I was student - The Clash, The Smiths (supported by The Redskins and Billy Bragg), The Dead Kennedys & Black Flag, The Sisters of Mercy......

Most recently, Plan B doing his Strickland Banks show with Shy FX the human beatbox was a n experience at the 2011 Big Day Out, quite stunning they were (not sure he falls into the description of classic bands though).

Finally, Neil Young & Crazyhorse at The Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne on the same night as England won the Rugby World Cup in Sydney, and Jeff Buckley in the tiny beer garden at the Sandringham Hotel in Ascot (a Perth riverside suburb).

My mind is failing now, I need to check "the list"..............

 

[Steveapps71]

Kings of Leon, Big day out Sydney around 2004, when they were still great live!!

 

[fratsomrover]

Showing my age here but the first gig I saw was Lonnie Donnegan at Brighton Hippodrome. Also saw Adam Faith, Dave Berry, Eden Kane, Emile Ford there in the 60's. later that decade I saw Pink Floyd and Cream at what was The Event at the bottom of West Street. I was a bouncer there so saw them all really close up. Pink Floyd did their first Psychedelic light show there by squeezing coloured oil paints on to a perplex slide which which rotated in front of a projector causing the oils to melt and run. This was projected on to a white backdrop behind the band. See Emily Play had just been released by them. Cream were awesome with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. Also saw 10CC who were excellent and later saw Led Zeppelin at Wembley in their heyday. Rolling Stones were brilliant at Wembley on their Babylon tour. Also seen Mettalica, The Who ( just absolutely brilliant- my favourites), The Beach Boys, Alice Cooper ( great entertainment) and Bon Jovi, who were also very good. Wouldn't mind seeing any of these perform at The Amex. All from an era when musicians were real musicians who wrote songs that will never been forgotten.

 

[happypig]

The Jam at the Top Rank and at the Dome
Ian Dury and the Blockheads at the Centre
Ramones at the Top Rank
Clash at the Top Rank
Madness at the Art College
Johnny Thunders at the Lyceum

 

[El Presidente]

The Cure at Mancheser Poly (17 Seconds tour)..........and also Pornography, Head on the Door, Disintegration and many others
The Jam at the Brighton Centre
The Fall at Manchester Poly
Sisters of Mercy at The Ritz
Peter Gabriel So tour
U2 The Joshua Tree tour
Bruce Springsteen Born in the USA tour
Deacon Blue at Manchester International supported by Danny Wilson and Fairground Attraction
The Proclaimers debut tour
Muse at new Wembley stadium

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

Elvis and The Jordannaires in Miami 1970.......won a ticket when serving on HMS Sirius.....

 

[Biscuit]

The Rolling Stones, the Suriving Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Who.