The "I was there" thread

I was a very, very, very fortunate individual, and for a time worked in the music industry. Have probably seen 10,000-15,000 live sets, many of which were 'my' shows. Here are some great 'was there' experiences this thread brings to mind, a few craft beers into a Friday ....

* Mike Gordon of Phish, 11th grade (Mr. Schechter) history, playing "Like A Rolling Stone" with his green army jacket.
* The Clash, Harvard Square Theater, 1978 (? - early 79?). Met Joe Strummer at load-in dock on Church Street. Gave me (13 at time) a cigarette and five minute lecture on passion and music.
* Ramones, Brandeis U, 1980. David Johanson warmed up. Back when he was amazing.
* Dead Kennedys, Waltham, MA, 1979 (1980?).
* Cheap Trick, the Boston Garden, 1980. This was the first of dozens CT shows. Eventually they started recognizing my friends and I, picking us out of the audience for backstage hangouts. Absolutely the best. People. Ever.
* U2. All of Side 1 of Under a Blood Red Sky. Lucked into tickets for each and every show (2 at Orpheum in Boston, 12th row, and then stumbling out of backpacking trip later in Colorado, friend's cousin is like "we have tickets for a show tonight at Red Rock, no one wants to go, wanna come?" "Who is it?" "U2" "YES!")
* Jesus and Mary Chain, 2nd North American show, the Channel, Boston, MA. I believe it was 12/9/1984 (?). Amazing. Me and 25 other diehards. Jim let me sing one verse of "Taste of Cindy." Unfucking real.
* Iron Maiden/Judas Priest, Worcester Centrum. Horrible place, but fucking incredible show.
* U2, lots of "Unforgettable Fire" tour. I was 19, felt like I'd live forever.
* The Gun Club, venue forgotten, 1982. Literally ditched family vacation in L.A. to sneak off to see them. Got punished. Didn't care.
* Here are some bands that fucking THREW DOWN in the 80's, whom I saw: Ministry. Gwar. OMD. the English Beat. The Replacements (also saw some shows where they did NOT play well .... hahahahhaha). The Pixies at TT The Bear's with 50 other losers, circa 1986. Big Audio Dynamite. Def Leppard (don't laugh, High N' Dry was a great tour). Ratt. Killing Joke. Police, Go Go's. J. GEILS BAND HOLY FUCKING SHIT. Shriekback. Bauhaus/Tones On Tail/Love N' Rockets. R.E.M. The Smiths. Millions of Dead Cops. Gang Green. Redd Kross. The Butthole Surfers. Meat Puppets. Mudhoney. Spacemen 3. GG Allin.
* During the 90's I saw 20+ sets a week. I worked on Nirvana tour (In Utero), and if you were on Matador / Touch N' Go ' / Sub Pop I not only probably saw you 10+ times, but might've been at some of your recording sessions (not doing much! I was a classic studio pest / hanger-on).
* 90's shows I will never forget: Nirvana/RHCP/Pumpkins WFNX Birthday party, September, 1991. "The" show that arguably started the alt rock revolution. Spiritualized (many - thanks, Will). Suede. Elastica. Mudhoney. Tindersticks. Yo La Tengo. Superchunk. Guided by Voices / Gem (I AM A TREE!) ... and Cobra Verde. Amanda Palmer (ex girlfriend). Hole. MINISTRY (in the dangerous, "Hey everyone, set shit on fire!" days). Al Jarreau and Barry Manilow. Pavement. The Mountain Goats. The Magnetic Fields. Pearl Jam. Screaming Trees. The Flaming Lips. Bongwater/Kramer. The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Spoon (many times. Britt, I will forever by sorry for making you open a Tuesday show). The Olivia Tremor Control. The fucking Grifters! Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Blixa Bargeld version. Elliott Smith. Primal Scream, Screamadelica tour / happening.

I don't know, man. It's been a long, strange, trip.
 
Vinnie Vincent Invasion (he opened for Kiss) Tucson convention center probably 1986, seems like it was 1985 though....oddly there is no footage available (go figure :rolleyes: ) so i will leave you with this video which was pretty much his show plus like 1 million notes of hair shred that made your ears bleed....i was there :mad:

 
Laurie Anderson. Peter Gabriel. Green Day (my 28th birthday gig, at the club where I worked, weeks prior to the release of "Dookie"). Bailter Space. Jane's Addiction. Wu Tang Clan. Siouxsie & the Banshees. Lloyd Cole too many times to count. Cocteau Twins. Dick Dale. Black Flag (early and late). Dinosaur Jr. probably 25+ times, "The" Sebadoh 50+ times. My Bloody Valentine. Ride. Matthew Sweet. Beck before he was "Beck."
*************
Separate chapter: Echo & The Bunnymen shows. From 1982 to 2009 (whenever they did the Radio City gig w/the Orchestra for "Ocean Rain.") Over 20 of their shows. Did a bunch of drugs with them and members of New Order in 1986, prior to their playing the Pier with New Order, Gene Loves Jezebel, and Ray Manzarek sitting in on keys.
 
DdBob said:
Vinnie Vincent Invasion (he opened for Kiss) Tucson convention center probably 1986, seems like it was 1985 though....oddly there is no footage available (go figure :rolleyes: ) so i will leave you with this video which was pretty much his show plus like 1 million notes of hair shred that made your ears bleed....i was there :mad:

Click to expand...


Well I never saw KISS but I sure saw Lynch Mob with Cinderella and Vinnie Vincent Invasion.
 
Theodore said:
Well I never saw KISS but I sure saw Lynch Mob with Cinderella and Vinnie Vincent Invasion.
Click to expand...


I never saw those blokes, as far as hair bands i saw it was Dokken, VVI, Kiss (they were hair at that point in their career) Ratt, Bon Jovi (BJ actually opened for Ratt 1984) and probably a couple others I'm forgetting.

I did see Metallica with Cliff Burton open for Ozzy though and they completely destroyed Ozzy's show...they should've been the headliner (Ride the Lightning tour)
 
I can't find any video of the show I went to but I found this clip of the group. It was called "A Band Of Gypsys". The guitar player was pretty good.

 
I'm sure I could probably find a ton of bad quality phone videos of different shows. But I was at the show Porcupine Tree recorded for the Octane Twisted DVD, in Chicago :)



The shots from the balcony, I was just to the left of that and a couple of rows further (farther?) up. Pretty good seats :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top