What was the first live concert you attended?

[tjmangum]

Late December, 1962.
The Star Club in Hamburg, Germany.
A little group called....the Beatles! 8)
Joe

Very cool!

 

[rws11]

1970, could'a been '71, stationed in Imperial Beach, Ca. USN. Two of my buddies talked me into going to see Elvis in San Diego. Next one was Santana in Bakersfield.

Slight veer ....a couple of weeks ago I stopped at a truckstop to get a cup of coffee. Walked around the end of an aisle, and there stood Elvis. Or his doppleganger. My response was, "I heard you were still alive."
He just grinned. On my way back to the truck walked past a a pickup pulling a trailer with "Elvis Tribute Show" on the side.

 

[Wee Davy]

Alexis Korner and Blues Incorporated
1965 at a small school hall in South London.

 

[dapmdave]

Ted Nugent & Amboy Dukes in Jacksonville Colliseum... 1970? I think the opening act was the Allman Bros. They were there a lot back then, but I think this was the first time I saw them. Ticket prices? $3.50, $4.50 and $5.50.

Dave

 

[bluesypicky]

Ted Nugent & Amboy Dukes in Jacksonville Colliseum... 1970? I think the opening act was the Allman Bros. They were there a lot back then, but I think this was the first time I saw them. Ticket prices? $3.50, $4.50 and $5.50. Dave

Allman Bros. opening for Nugent???? :shock: Shoulda been the other way around if you ask me.

 

[fronobulax]

Allman Bros. opening for Nugent???? :shock: Shoulda been the other way around if you ask me.

That's hindsight talking. I'd heard and heard of the Amboy Dukes long before the Allman Brothers. I think some of that was because AM radio and "hit singles" were still driving popularity. I definitely remember the shift when the "cool music" started showing up on FM radio and the "cool kids" switched to FM whenever they could get it. But point taken - I know which artists (and their successor bands) I listen to now and if I programmed my time machine for that concert it would not be to hear Ted.

 

[learnintoplay62]

Joe wins so far :mrgreen:
I think we all would agree that its been a great time for music. 8)
We should start a thread of our own list of concerts and funny or odd things that we can recall :?:

 

[jmac]

Pink Floyd. 1988, Delicate sound of thunder tour. In foxboro (New England Patriots football stadium) My roommate's dad was a state trooper so we got in for free. I wouldn't have gone if I had to buy a ticket (I couldn't have afforded it).

I was a senior in college, I know that's pretty old for a first big concerts (I'd been to small ones before that). But I've never been a "big concert" type guy. They are expensive. Even if you're right up front (like I was for PInk Floyd), you're still too far away from the band, and as has been pointed out by many a musician, big concerts or more about adolescent social rituals than about music.

In 1984 I saw Gerry and the Pacemakers in a small venue in Rochester New York. I think the band was 3/4 original members. They were about the best rock and roll I had ever heard.

 

[dapmdave]

Ted Nugent & Amboy Dukes in Jacksonville Colliseum... 1970? I think the opening act was the Allman Bros. They were there a lot back then, but I think this was the first time I saw them. Ticket prices? $3.50, $4.50 and $5.50. Dave

Allman Bros. opening for Nugent???? :shock: Shoulda been the other way around if you ask me.

I agree, but at that time they were still an opening act. And then again, I may not be remembering correctly. :lol:

Dave

 

[dapmdave]

Ted Nugent & Amboy Dukes in Jacksonville Colliseum... 1970? I think the opening act was the Allman Bros. They were there a lot back then, but I think this was the first time I saw them. Ticket prices? $3.50, $4.50 and $5.50. Dave

Allman Bros. opening for Nugent???? :shock: Shoulda been the other way around if you ask me.

I agree, but at that time they were still an opening act. And then again, I may not be remembering correctly. :lol:

Dave

After looking up historic concert date listings for both bands, I have come to the conclusion that I have totally lost my mind. I'm going to withdraw, now... :?

Dave

 

[rampside]

"Woodstock 1969".......Just kidding.... Woulda if I coulda though. Let's just say I was there in spirit. :wink:

Me, too, rampside. Ah, Woodstock '69....Summer of Love. Several friends went, my my ex-husband and I were seriously finishing up our undergraduate degrees to graduate in '70.....so, not only couldn't we afford it, we didn't want to take our infant son along for the adventure. Gosh, those were the days.....my friend! :wink: 8)

Yes, those certainly were the days Toni, and that is putting it mildly to say the least :lol: . Those were turbulent times, like none other, for the nation's young people in so many ways, and Woodstock, the mother lode of all concerts, brought it together with it's universal language, MUSIC! Although not live, going to the subsequent documentary film released in 1970, on opening night in a packed theater, was an incredible experience in itself.
I know he had played it before, but Jimi's rendition of the "star strangled banner" at woodstock was mindblowing. :shock: :wink:

 

[powerwagonjohn]

I think it was 1968 with Little Richard warming up for Johnny Winter. I also saw Neil Young After The Gold Rush but I don't know if that was before or after I saw johnny.

 

[6L6]

In 1963 I took my HS girlfriend at the time to see the Beach Boys perform in Indianapolis. Ray Peterson also performed ("Tell Laura i Love Her", "Corrina, Corrina, etc"). Fantastic show and it was the original Beach Boy lineup with David Marks on rhythm guitar and Brian Wilson on bass.

They were playing white Fender Showman amps just like this one I photographed recently at REAL GUITARS in San Francisco:

As Groove Tubes founder Aspen Pittman said about these early Showmans, "You either understand or you don't. That's all."

Leo built the first one for Dick Dale and I consider this to be the ultimate amplifier of all-time.

Bill

 

[geoguy]

My wife doesn't participate in this forum, but she had a pretty good first-concert experience.

Beatles at Boston Garden, 1964. She was only about 13 y.o. at the time, & I have no doubt she was screaming at the top of her lungs!

Her second show was a pretty good one, too:

Beatles at Suffolk Downs, Boston, 1966. That girl was consistent, & she knew what she liked. :mrgreen:

But, Joe still has the lead in this contest!

 

[stig]

I guess it would be Beatlemania! at a theater in Boston when I was about 17. This would have been around 1980. After that, The Ramones at the Hampton Beach Casino July 4 of that same year.

 

[jmac]

Late December, 1962.
The Star Club in Hamburg, Germany.
A little group called....the Beatles!

Joe

Joe,

The last two trips to hamburg (in 1962) are almost completely if not entirely ignored in the Beatles books. I believe they were booked at the Star Club for both trips.

Any and all remembrances would be greatly appreciated. The more details the better. Thanks


Actually I was thinking of starting a thread about debunking some of our favorite "live" recordings, because Beatles at the Star Club may is one of the few TRUE live recordings I have heard. Most live recordings contain numerous studio overdubs.

Beatles at the Star Club. Wow

 

[walrus]

Joe - you simply can't say you saw the Beatles in Hamburg and not tell the story!!! Start a new thread if you have to, but I need more!!!

walrus

 

[Grad77]

John Denver!!! "Rocky Mountain High" 1975 Los Angeles CA, I was 15 y.o. My girlfriends and I had binoculars so we could actually see him from our nosebleed seats!! Without the binoculars all we could see of him was the stage lights glinting off of his glasses!! LOL No "BIG SCREENS" back then. But, we could hear him just fine. :wink:

 

[adorshki]

I agree, but at that time they were still an opening act. And then again, I may not be remembering correctly. :lol:
After looking up historic concert date listings for both bands, I have come to the conclusion that I have totally lost my mind. I'm going to withdraw, now... :?

Rushing to your defense, at that time they might only have had their first album in release, (2nd album "Idlewild South" was released in September of '70), and might not yet have even played he dates that resulted In "At the Fillmore East", which was when they really started to "get noticed" ('71). Even then, as Frono points out, they were an "FM radio" band which was a whole different sales and marketing world.
As well, during that "era" a dual billing didn't always mean one band had lesser stature than the other, although it's quite possible, even probable that the Amboy Dukes had a far larger record sales number than the Allmans at the time of the planning of the show.
H-ll, I've still got a copy of "Journey to the Center of Your Mind", a psychedelic garage band era classic!
:wink:

 

[Bill Ashton]

Hey Silverfox, I was there too! November 1968. Hadn't been to Boston Garden since I was a little kid, seeing a circus or something.

As to the warm up bands, I think you might be in error. The McCoys opened, then there was some band "Something-something and the Midnight Newsboys," and then Hendrix. The Soft Machine was also advertised, but they did not appear that night (I think that was Andy Summers of Police fame's band, right?)

We didn't have as good seats as you did, however we were just off the floor, so when people started standing up, we still could be seated and just look over the tops of their heads!

I actually have the ticket stubs around here somewhere...

This was followed sometime in early 1968 with The Janis Joplin Show (just after her appearance on Ed Sullivan without Big Brother and the Holding Company) paired with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the field house at Franklin Pierce College.