Topic: Concert Stories

Drums ran off topic so here we go as suggested. Add a memorable concert story as appropriate. (they're all memorable, just post the ones that were over the top)

Here's mine.
About late 1970 or early '71. I'm in the Navy and stationed on Guam. The USO (service support organization) announces there will be a free BBQ with beer and music for the service members out at a beach on a weekend. Of course no sailor is going to miss a chance at free beer! We loaded up a car and drove out. The chow was good, the beer was cold and the free music? 2 hours plus of Carlos Santana and his band!  big_smile  cool  I'll tell you that was way better than the usual USO Bob Hope gig!
Rick

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Re: Concert Stories

1978 Bob Dylan was playing at Nürnberg´s Reichsparteitag area, the place where all these nazi idiots had their monster meetings. It was like a collective exorcism.
Günter

Rock On and Keep the Faith

Re: Concert Stories

RickB wrote:

Drums ran off topic so here we go as suggested. Add a memorable concert story as appropriate. (they're all memorable, just post the ones that were over the top)

Here's mine.
About late 1970 or early '71. I'm in the Navy and stationed on Guam. The USO (service support organization) announces there will be a free BBQ with beer and music for the service members out at a beach on a weekend. Of course no sailor is going to miss a chance at free beer! We loaded up a car and drove out. The chow was good, the beer was cold and the free music? 2 hours plus of Carlos Santana and his band!  big_smile  cool  I'll tell you that was way better than the usual USO Bob Hope gig!
Rick

I guess there was a trade off there, no girls in the scanty military outfits? Bob always came with a bunch of good looking women. I would trade that for Carlos, no problem.

As corn through a goose, so are the days of our lives

4 (edited by BluesMan 2010-05-25 20:18:54)

Re: Concert Stories

Circa late 1972 or early 1973, Dane Country Coliseum Madsion, Wisconsin. Without any introduction, four men stepped out on stage. The lights dimmed and the "funny" cigarettes lit up the building like so many stars on a black, northern night. Nick Mason, David Gilmour, Roger Waters and Richard Wright, better known as Pink Floyd, took the stage in front of a huge, hushed crowd. To say that we were all blown away would be the understatement of my concert life. During their performance they mentioned that a new album would be out shortly and they wanted to play it for us. Yes, the album, "Dark Side of the Moon", was played in it's entirety. What a show......it left me speechless. cool

Roy

Joe is the Best!

Re: Concert Stories

BluesMan wrote:

Circa late 1972 or early 1973, Dane Country Coliseum Madsion, Wisconsin. Without any introduction, four men stepped out on stage. The lights dimmed and the "funny" cigarettes lit up the building like so many stars on a black, northern night. Nick Mason, David Gilmour, Roger Waters and Richard Wright, better known as Pink Floyd, took the stage in front of a huge, hushed crowd. To say that we were all blown away would be the understatement of my concert life. During their performance they mentioned that a new album would be out shortly and they wanted to play it for us. Yes, the album, "Dark Side of the Moon", was played in it's entirety. What a show......it left me speechless. cool

Roy

That takes the cake Roy!

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Re: Concert Stories

I got more than I can remember, but this was a beauty. I'm thinkin' about '70 or '71 I saw a show at Winterland in San Francisco which had the Sons of Champlin, The Grateful Dead, & The Jefferson Airplane on the bill. Crosby, Stills, & Nash were in attendance sitting in with the Airplane. This was in the day when Bill Graham would have everybody play about an hour set and then run through the line up for a second set/show in case you couldn't get there on time or had to leave early. You never wanted to miss the second show as the performers were properly lubed up by that point. During the night CS&N would play acoustically to fill the set changes. It was also the night to set the clocks back  in the spring so Graham tells the crowd what the hell we got an extra hour back let's keep rockin'. In real time I think it was about 3-4 in the morning by the time we staggered outta the place. I believe the ticket price was $3.50, not too shabby eh?

                                                                                         The Good Ol' Days,

                                                                                         J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint

Re: Concert Stories

1981 New Orleans Superdome for the Rolling Stones.  Attendance was 87,500 making it the worlds largest indoor concert ever at that time.  I don't know if that record still stands or not, but it was pretty cool at the time.  Didn't need to smoke any hippie lettuce during that event, just had to breathe to get loaded as there was so much smoke in the air.  The concert was all general admission so we got there early and found a place near the stage.  Folks were walking around asking if we wanted to buy various forms of hallucinogens, which I politely declined.  George Thorogood opened the show and he was amazing.  The Stones were flat out terrible.  My buddy and I met some "friendly" young ladies and had a great time at the show with them, then we all went off to the French Quarter for more fun and tomfoolery.  What happened later isn't discussed in polite company.


big_smile

Re: Concert Stories

This is my story... cut from my Drum Corner thread...

I once did "Security" for the Rolling Stones @ Earls Court, London. A long story short..... I was one of 5 guys picked out of around 50. Our job was to sort any "trouble" as and when it arose ..... it did..... !   lol
Saw the whole show... sorted out a few idiots.... and got paid at the end of the night.... one fantastic day !  Mick and the boys were in top form as well. I was the envy of all my mates, when i told them.   cool

~ Brack ~

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We Are The Champ20ns

Re: Concert Stories

I believe it was 1968 and I was at my second Jimi Hendrix Experience concert at the Seattle Center Colisium. Hendrix came onstage about 8:30 or so (no opening band) with the wall of Marshall amps behind him. It had been a beautiful day in Seattle. Not a cloud in the sky and none forcast for the near future. Hendrix plugged in and proceed to riff a little without touching the strings with his pick hand. After a few minutes of this, he stepped up to the mic and asked the audience to forget about everything happening outside the stadium and in their lives and he was going to build a world right there for everyone to enjoy. He launched into Foxy Lady and for the next almost 3 hours filled that huge place with sound.

Although the venue was supposed to shut down by eleven, Hendrix kept right on going until almost eleven thirty that night. As the strains of the last song echoed through the building and Hendrix thanked everyone for attending and left the stage, the entire place lit up with flashes of lightning from outside the building. A freak storm had rolled in during the concert and presented itself as the Experience ended their set.

There was dead silence in the building when a single voice from somewhere in the crowd muttered: Did he do that?

Not a night I will ever forget.

Nothin' but the Blues

Re: Concert Stories

AHSmith said
"I guess there was a trade off there, no girls in the scanty military outfits? Bob always came with a bunch of good looking women. I would trade that for Carlos, no problem."

As I remember, there was a small supporting cast of scantily attired women singers that jumped in now and again.  tongue (at that time, there were about 50K servicemen on the island and about 600 available women  sad )
Rick

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Re: Concert Stories

RickB wrote:
BluesMan wrote:

Circa late 1972 or early 1973, Dane Country Coliseum Madsion, Wisconsin. Without any introduction, four men stepped out on stage. The lights dimmed and the "funny" cigarettes lit up the building like so many stars on a black, northern night. Nick Mason, David Gilmour, Roger Waters and Richard Wright, better known as Pink Floyd, took the stage in front of a huge, hushed crowd. To say that we were all blown away would be the understatement of my concert life. During their performance they mentioned that a new album would be out shortly and they wanted to play it for us. Yes, the album, "Dark Side of the Moon", was played in it's entirety. What a show......it left me speechless. cool

Roy

That takes the cake Roy!

That was one heck of a show Rick. The other one that compares (actually, I saw him live twice) was at a basement club in Milwaukee called "Humpin' Hanna's". Around the same time in the early 70's we were all jammed in to this club sitting on a concrete floor and I was waiting for my first glimpse of the great man. When he stepped on stage and welcomed the applauding/shouting audience, you could see a nervous energy if you will, as if he was ready to blow the place apart. And that's just what he did from the very first rip of his guitatr to the very last note played. The only time we got up was to scream out loud for the encores.

The great one was Rory Gallagher along with his side kick Gerry McAvoy on bass. I have never seen anyone play that hard or with that much enjoyment in my life. Even after all these years I can still see and hear him in my mind's eye.

Typical Rory:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Jaodra … xt_from=ML

Roy

Joe is the Best!

12 (edited by RickB 2010-05-25 23:15:19)

Re: Concert Stories

Jane H. wrote:
ohiodawg13 wrote:

I got more than I can remember, but this was a beauty. I'm thinkin' about '70 or '71 I saw a show at Winterland in San Francisco which had the Sons of Champlin, The Grateful Dead, & The Jefferson Airplane on the bill. Crosby, Stills, & Nash were in attendance sitting in with the Airplane. This was in the day when Bill Graham would have everybody play about an hour set and then run through the line up for a second set/show in case you couldn't get there on time or had to leave early. You never wanted to miss the second show as the performers were properly lubed up by that point. During the night CS&N would play acoustically to fill the set changes. It was also the night to set the clocks back  in the spring so Graham tells the crowd what the hell we got an extra hour back let's keep rockin'. In real time I think it was about 3-4 in the morning by the time we staggered outta the place. I believe the ticket price was $3.50, not too shabby eh?

                                                                                         The Good Ol' Days,

                                                                                         J Dawg

um J-dawg, its Spring FORWARD....... but Spring and Fall seem kinda the same out there don't they?

In those years we were never keeping track Jane.  roll
J Dawg, did they still have that funky "light show" with the dish of colored Jello they'd swirl around with the stick? Sons of Champlin..... that brings back a few memories! Owsley cruising down Haight in the Caddy convertible tossing blotter to the crowd. neutral

Free download from Vienna! http://mbsy.co/bNLR
Lots of unique videos of Joe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwd5vL8fXTw
Buy Joe's merchandise here. http://www.jbonamassa.com/affiliates/id … hp?id=1381

Re: Concert Stories

oh my... stories you want?

Rock On & Keep the FAITH
             It is
Blues From the Bottoms

14 (edited by ohiodawg13 2010-05-26 00:56:20)

Re: Concert Stories

RickB wrote:
Jane H. wrote:
ohiodawg13 wrote:

I got more than I can remember, but this was a beauty. I'm thinkin' about '70 or '71 I saw a show at Winterland in San Francisco which had the Sons of Champlin, The Grateful Dead, & The Jefferson Airplane on the bill. Crosby, Stills, & Nash were in attendance sitting in with the Airplane. This was in the day when Bill Graham would have everybody play about an hour set and then run through the line up for a second set/show in case you couldn't get there on time or had to leave early. You never wanted to miss the second show as the performers were properly lubed up by that point. During the night CS&N would play acoustically to fill the set changes. It was also the night to set the clocks back  in the spring so Graham tells the crowd what the hell we got an extra hour back let's keep rockin'. In real time I think it was about 3-4 in the morning by the time we staggered outta the place. I believe the ticket price was $3.50, not too shabby eh?

                                                                                         The Good Ol' Days,

                                                                                         J Dawg

um J-dawg, its Spring FORWARD....... but Spring and Fall seem kinda the same out there don't they?

In those years we were never keeping track Jane.  roll
J Dawg, did they still have that funky "light show" with the dish of colored Jello they'd swirl around with the stick? Sons of Champlin..... that brings back a few memories! Owsley cruising down Haight in the Caddy convertible tossing blotter to the crowd. neutral

Who cared if it was forward or back in those days.  Yes Rick light shows were an integral part of BGP shows back then. There were a few dozen different light show artists. It was done with an overhead projector with a bowl of colored oils in water and a slightly smaller bowl that you pressed up and down to the beat of the song, some were much better than others. I just unpacked my hand bill collection today here's a few names of light show artists: Orb, Holy See, Little Princess 109, Brotherhood of Light, and Jerry Abrahm's Headlights to name a few. a really good light show had wacky videos or vintage cartoons playing with the parabolic lights overlaying the video. Owsley???? A legendary Cal chemistry student, well at least up until he became the sole spiritual advisor to the Grateful Dead......so to speak. That guy knew his way around a lab.

                                                                                               Think Green,

                                                                                               J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint

Re: Concert Stories

ohiodawg13 wrote:
RickB wrote:
Jane H. wrote:

um J-dawg, its Spring FORWARD....... but Spring and Fall seem kinda the same out there don't they?

In those years we were never keeping track Jane.  roll
J Dawg, did they still have that funky "light show" with the dish of colored Jello they'd swirl around with the stick? Sons of Champlin..... that brings back a few memories! Owsley cruising down Haight in the Caddy convertible tossing blotter to the crowd. neutral

Who cared if it was forward or back in those days.  Yes Rick light shows were an integral part of BGP shows back then. There were a few dozen different light show artists. It was done with an overhead projector with a bowl of colored oils in water and a slightly smaller bowl that you pressed up and down to the beat of the song, some were much better than others. I just unpacked my hand bill collection today here's a few names of light show artists: Orb, Holy See, Little Princess 109, Brotherhood of Light, and Jerry Abrahm's Headlights to name a few. a really good light show had wacky videos or vintage cartoons playing with the parabolic lights overlaying the video. Owsley???? A legendary Cal chemistry student, well at least up until he became the sole spiritual advisor to the Grateful Dead......so to speak. That guy knew his way around a lab.

                                                                                               Think Green,

                                                                                               J Dawg

Wow J Dawg, that collection of handbills must be worth some coin now! I do remember some cartoons mixed with the colored blobs. The last time I was there, about 71, I payed a brother 5 to watch my car in his yard. He made sure he was the one that stole my 8 track.  smile

Free download from Vienna! http://mbsy.co/bNLR
Lots of unique videos of Joe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwd5vL8fXTw
Buy Joe's merchandise here. http://www.jbonamassa.com/affiliates/id … hp?id=1381

Re: Concert Stories

I've got 9 of them, but unfortunately I put thumb tacks in them years ago or they'd be worth about $1150.00. I priced them out @ wolfgangsvault.com The one for the Doors show @ Winterland alone sells for $346.00(in mint condition), but I'd never part with these anyway. Karen & I recently bought a copy of the poster from the Stones '81 show @ Candlestick Park, the same tour Rockfarmer saw in New Orleans. We discovered we were both at that show and bought it for sentimental reasons. Its in a frame shop getting double matted and framed to hang over our living room mantel.

                                                                                  Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Woooooooo!!!!

                                                                                  J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint

17 (edited by Brack 2010-05-26 11:51:21)

Re: Concert Stories

RickB wrote:
ohiodawg13 wrote:
RickB wrote:

In those years we were never keeping track Jane.  roll
J Dawg, did they still have that funky "light show" with the dish of colored Jello they'd swirl around with the stick? Sons of Champlin..... that brings back a few memories! Owsley cruising down Haight in the Caddy convertible tossing blotter to the crowd. neutral

Who cared if it was forward or back in those days.  Yes Rick light shows were an integral part of BGP shows back then.
It was done with an overhead projector with a bowl of colored oils in water and a slightly smaller bowl that you pressed up and down to the beat of the song, some were much better than others.
There were a few dozen different light show artists. I just unpacked my hand bill collection today here's a few names of light show artists: Orb, Holy See, Little Princess 109, Brotherhood of Light, and Jerry Abrahm's Headlights to name a few. a really good light show had wacky videos or vintage cartoons playing with the parabolic lights overlaying the video. Owsley???? A legendary Cal chemistry student, well at least up until he became the sole spiritual advisor to the Grateful Dead......so to speak. That guy knew his way around a lab.

                                                                                               Think Green,

                                                                                               J Dawg

Wow J Dawg, that collection of handbills must be worth some coin now! I do remember some cartoons mixed with the colored blobs. The last time I was there, about 71, I payed a brother 5 to watch my car in his yard. He made sure he was the one that stole my 8 track.  smile


Ahhhhh........ yes.... the coloured oil light show.... I am having a "Doors " flashback!!!! I was such a hippy then  lol

GOOD KARMA - http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zkw … o1_500.jpg
Avatar Credit: D.Hirst,Olympic Union Flag
Adele: RAH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oio8V3e3WU&ob=av2e -
We Are The Champ20ns

Re: Concert Stories

bigjeffjones wrote:

oh my... stories you want?

you mean a novel? ha! bring em on.

I know I laid a story over in drummers corner, but that was really a lousy night. Jethro Tull came to Tuscaloosa,AL in the spring of '71 or '72 (they all run together), in support of Thick as a Brick. General admission is bad, umm-kay. I was nearly trampled to death trying to get in the building, had to duck and roll a giant sawhorse with throngs of people pushing behind. high school football did come in handy.
They had some techies on stage dressed in overcoats and porkpie hats. I saw 3 or 4 of them, they were not doing much. Then there were more of them out there and everyone was trying to figure out what was going on. after a couple minutes, 4 of them began taking off the coats and hats to reveal themselves as the band. no intro announcement, no nothing, they launched into that title song immediately and played nearly all of it. It must have been at least 20 minutes, but maybe more. They received the largest standing ovation that I have ever witnessed, perhaps 3 to 5 minutes worth. One of my all time favorite bands, and they were responsible for an interest in jazz that would come way later.

Tres

As corn through a goose, so are the days of our lives