Biggest Live Miss 23 years ago today............

When I lived in NJ, a bunch of my high school friends were all going to pile into a few cars and drive up to an outdoor concert called Woodstock. I said, "I'm not going to spend a weekend in some farm pasture, getting rained on, just to listen to some rock bands." They went, and I didn't. How was I supposed to know at the time that it would turn out to be the most important rock concert of all time? Oh, well! At least I'm honest and admit I wasn't there.

TWL -

Mine is a similar story. After hitching from Indiana for several days - with more than a few classic adventures along the way - I arrived late Friday night. My last ride was from a guy going there with tickets and even a motel reservation (rememeber, no one was expecting the crowds). When we got stuck in the traffic jam we said the hell with it and spent the night drinking in a bar. Saturday morning the town was *overflowing* with fellow freaks. The crowds were a bit too much for me and I just hitched on out of town. By Saturday night I was outside of Buffalo and moving on... Although I was at Woodstock, I never heard a single sound. So close, yet so far.

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, "Brain Salad Surgery Tour", and Pink Floyd, "Animals Tour". I had tickets, but ended up selling them, AT THE DOOR. Different reasons for both missed shows...but same post reaction. I've been kicking myself in the ass for over 25 years!!! Oh, and let's not forget that I didn't buy Springsteen "Born to Run Tour" tickets because the best seats that I could get were 23 rows back, THREE WEEKS AFTER they went on sale (price was $6.50). Yeah, why don't you ALL give me a "boot in the ass" for that one! But, in the long run, I did get to see hundreds of great acts, and met quite a few rock artists from the golden years (early '70's to mid '80's). Always saw shows up close (I saw Jethro Tull about 6 times...best seats were front row!) and got to meet Leon Russell personally, on a one to one basis, backstage after a concert in 1977! (One of the nicest, most genuine guys in the business.) Got to see the Jam about 15 feet away from the stage, just before they split up (1981?) They were playing just a short 4 city tour in the USA. Saw them at the old "Channel" in South Boston. Anyone remember that place? Pretty cool set-up...the drinking age was still 18 back then...several bars throughout...and plenty of nooks and crannies to smoke a "doobie" as well, as if anyone cared back then anyway! I also saw the last concert at the "Bradford Ballroom" (Bradford Hotel, again in Boston). The Buzzcocks headlined...after the show, the place got TRASHED, riot police called in, end of that concert venue!

OK, I wasn't old enough to make Woodstock, was supposed to see Led Zeppelin the year JB died, and the show obviously was cancelled, but the one I really kick myself for is Stevie Ray Vaughan. I had several chances to go see him, but there was always something else going on and I kept putting it off to the next tour......then he died.

Fatparrot, I saw the Guns and Roses riot in St Louis, worst show I ever saw, in fact we were leaving the show early, and on the way out, saw literally hundes of cop cars coming in....glad the show sucked and the tickets were free or I might have been there!

When Pink Floyd played in the Bay area... Late 80's early 90's??? My brother offered me tickets to go, I turned him down. I still regret not going.

instead of going to Woodstock, I saw Led Zeppelin in a small venue in CT...sat in the second row!...the hair on my arms still stands when I think about it...one of the most powerful shows I've ever seen...a regret?...not going down to the late show at Fillmore East on New Year's Eve for the Band of Gypsies...I was lucky to see Jimi three previous times, but couldn't get anyone to go with me...heard the late show was when he really hit the groove!

I was one of the fortunate ones who saw the ELP Brain Salad Surgery Tour - simply incredible! I *knew* I was in for a good show when I walked onto the floor, looked to the stage and saw two HUGE stacks of speakers. Then, I looked to the back and saw *matching* stacks - yes, a quadraphonic live show!!

Biggest missed show? Could be Pink Floyd's original DSOTM tour - my girlfriend went and came back raving about it. She also said there was this *really* good opening act, "I think their name was ZZ Tops?" Ho-lee shit!!

I also missed Danny Gatton's last performance, had my albums all stacked up and ready to be signed, but never left the house cuz sumpin' else came up...Bummer.

A couple of weeks ago I went to Carla Bley performance on Irridium jazz club.
The second show was going to be different as I spoke with one of her musicians but I couldn't stay longer since I needed to let babysitter go home(it was already too late) but I realy miss listening her longer and longer.
A couple of years ago I missed performance of Trilok Gurtu never knowing back than that he IS so great.

Don't feel bad Ben. I blew off the Beatle's reunion which took place on 04/01/74 @ the K-Mart Mall (Iowa City, IA) because I thought the whole thing to be an April Fool's Day joke.

It's hard to believe but I missed Jay & the Techniques (of "Apple, Peaches Pumpkin Pie" fame) when they played the RKO in New Rochelle, NY circa 1967. To this day I walk around with a heavy heart.

BTW, the opening act was some guys from L.A./Canada called Buffalo Springfield. Maybe I'll catch them the next time around.

Biggest regret... some friends were going to see Keith Green a few miles away (I think it was in Tyler TX) and asked if I wanted to go. I had to work that night, but one of the friends even volunteered to work for me. I thought I would have plenty of chances to see him. I said "no" about 1 1/2 years later I was listening to the news on the radio and heard about the plane crash that took the life of Keith and two of his children.
Missing Rush in '78 due to a blizzard in Milw pales by comparison.

My biggest realistic regrets are missing (1) Rahsaan Roland Kirk and (2)Sun Ra and his Arkestra. I have no one to blame but myself, many a missed opportunity. Unrealistic regrets include the Beatles, Woodstock and The Concert For Bangladesh.

P.S., not that I really like their music all that much, but I would have liked to have expereinced all the hoopla that surrounded the Greatfull Dead concerts, just once.

I had 2nd row tickets to see Elvis when my young daughter became ill and I didn't want to leave her with a babysitter. I thought, I would just see him the next time around. There was no next time around and he was dead six months later. I don't regret staying home with my sick child I just regret missing Elvis

2nd row tickets to the Rolling Stones in Clemson NC. I had to go to a medical conference (85,000 people--somehow someone thought it was important that I be there--who would know with so many people). I sent my girlfriend with my best friend. Oh well--I got a t-shirt out of it.

I never saw Stevie Ray Vaughn but I now wish I had. It is ironic that the real reason that I got into high end music systems was to give me the chance to hear my favorite music anytime in the comfort of my listening room. Yeah, I know...it isn't really the same as live but we all try for the illusion just he same. I grew up seeing some great acts in some very small venues, which I enjoyed and are the times I will never, ever forget. We are talking late 60's thru the 70's here in Chicago. Any AudiogoN members out there that frequented Aarron Russo's "Electric Theater aka The Kinetic Playground"? We went every Friday and Saturday, most of the time not knowing who was on the bill...like the night we arrive to find out it is Led Zeppelin, Savoy Brown and Jethro Tull!...all for six bucks! I happened to have my Minolta along for that one. The kicker was that the stage was 3 feet off the floor and if you were early, you could sit so close that my neck would hurt from looking up at them all night long. And back then, people would not stand during the performance. This place held about 2000 people. I was sitting up close the night I first saw Jeff Beck. They cooked for a song or two and out struts some dude with this crazy rooster hair who I didn't know at thetime...yeah, that's right-Rod Stewart. Another great memory was making sure we were there to see John Mayall headline only to be absolutely outdone by a fantastic unheard of band-Pacific Gas and Electric. Wow! I could go on forever but I won't. Thanks for the thread to allow me that trip down memory lane. It would be great to hear from any other Kinetic people! Peace!

The original Fairport Convention

There a number of concerts that can come to mind. i also miss seeing the original Broadway production of 'HAIR'.

I did learn an interesting lesson from a missed concert that made what i know now to be a rather profound change in my life. When I was a Freshman in College I had a pair of 'Tower of Power' tickets and my girlfriend was to come along. Front row tickets. Two days before the concert she cancelled due to circumstances beyond her control.

i sold the tickets.

Then I got really mad at myself as I could have gone with someone else or on my own. I have never since dedied myself something so simple as an evening out just because someone else's problems, or that I could not go with the 'right person'. I am married now so things are different, but when the extended family decides to go on a particular hike or to a particular restaurant that is not my first choice, this is not a problem.

I just take myself there another time. Amazing what a missed concert can do if you can learn the lessen.

Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Stevie Ray Vaughn. I had opportunities to see them all but had other plans.

Duke Ellington ..and the Clash.

Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Cream.

Velvet Underground, The Doors, Bob Marley, Otis Redding. I've seen almost everyone else I wanted to -- Stones in '72 and at least five times since, The Dead, also in '72 and many times since, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Cream, The Who in the early 70's and a few more times, CSN&Y, Dylan with The Band and without, Pink Floyd in the early 70's, Cream, Janis Joplin, Peter Tosh, etc. etc., so I don't have too many regrets. I still have all my ticket stubs, too.

I missed the Talking Heads Stop Making Sense tour in Chapel Hill. I was working 70 hours a week on a major consulting project 2 hours away and had just been to Chapel Hill the night before to see The Clash... After only 2 hours sleep and 10 hours work, I was unable to make the drive the second night.

Missed Zeppelin tour due to Bonham death.

Missed The Who's FIRST farewell tour due to HS Basketball Regionals, missed the NEXT farewell tour due to a college calculus final, which I nearly failed anyway. Oh well, so many farewell tours followed that I have only myself to blame.

A girl I took around alot in college wanted to take me to see the Tom Tom Club in a small club but I begged off(No romance, alas, she just liked having a really big guy around to drag her out of all of the interesting things she got herself into.) That would have been fun, but I didn't realize it until later. I was a genuine redneck.

The band I always wanted to see was Skynyrd, but I was too young before the plane crash. Saw the remnants later.

Rolling Stones in 1966 at the Mosque Theatre in Newark, NJ. This was the Brian Jones pop hits era when the Stones were an exciting band - not the bloated "corporate rock" stadium thing that they are now.

David Bowie on the "Station to Station" tour @ The Philadelphia Spectrum (1976, I believe), and Roxy Music @ The Uptown Theater in Chicago (1979). Good friends offered me gratis tickets to both shows. I cannot recall what specific "better things to do" forced me to politely decline their invitations on those nights.