Top 10: Concerts You've Attended (10 or so)

No one else has been to any concerts? C'mon folks, let's try to keep these lighter threads going. 😉🙂

In no particular order:

Elton John
Rod Stewart
Simon and Garfunkel
John Denver (2x)
Queen + AL
James Taylor (3x)
Andrea Bocelli (3x) What can I say, I have wide ranging musical taste
Rolling Stones an abreviated concert very early in their career. Tickets were given out free by a local radio station
Josh Groban
Mandy Patinkin

LOL, as I said, wide ranging. I don't really have a top ten, it's more like a top 5. Oh.............I'm leaving one out. I lived in the Deep South for a year so that's my excuse for seeing Dolly Parton. The concert was fantastic but concert choices were limited. Then again I lived there, a mere two hours from New Orleans when Queen was there. Never saw them, but close to many cities where they played.

Some major acts there! What was Simon and Garfunkel like?

Oh, and nothing wrong with a bit of Dolly! I'd go and see her, given the opportunity.

Simon and Garfunkel were incredible.  My college roommate and I traipsed all over Philadelphia trying to find tickets and we were lucky enough to get the last six tickets available.  Of course we were at the very top of the arena, but I could not have cared less, even though heights really bother me.  We were there the night they debuted Bridge Over Troubled Water.  It was magical, completely magical. The arena roared to life with a standing ovation when Art finished singing. That song will always be special to me.

As for Dolly, she does a fabulous show and it is worth seeing even if you are not a country music fan, it's just not what I would normally choose to see.   I live in Ohio now and will admit to taking the kids to Dollywood when I was visiting Tennessee.  I do admire the humanitarian things she does with her money now. 

BTW, James Taylor will always be Sweet Baby James to me.  He's a treasure.  

LOL, aged myself a bit with these concerts didn't I?

No listing dates as I can’t remember lol . These are in no particular order.

Simple minds
Inxs
Free Nelson Mandala concert at Wembley Stadium
UB40
Simply Red
Madness - several times
Deacon Blue - several times
Happy Mondays - several times
Wet Wet Wet
Take That
Kylie Minogue
Olly Murs
JLS
Jamiquay
The Pasadenas
Erasure

- Tool - Amsterdam, 2019. Thirteen years after their last gig in The Netherlands. That audience reception when they started with Aenema. Amazing.
- Genesis - Amsterdam, 2007. Seeing them do Los Endos, Firth of Fifth etc in an Arena. Never thought I'd have the chance.
- Brian May - Utrecht, 1998. My first ever concert. My dad took me. I was 13.
- Kate Bush - London, 2014. Amazing show - even though I still wish she'd done a bit more of "the hits" instead of "the artsy stuff".
- Sparks - Paris, 2013. Just Ron & Russell in a small club in the center of Paris - probably 300 people or something I think. Hot, sweaty, and Russell was literally standing maybe 1 meter away from me for most of the show.
- Sparks - London, 2009. Seeing the entire Number One In Heaven album played live and in order was amazing.
- Kraftwerk - Eindhoven, 2013. The visuals, the sound quality. Really hope to see them again someday.
- King Crimson - Amsterdam, 2018. The Concertgebouw, all those amazing old songs they hadn't played in 30+ years. Sad that apparently it's now over for this incarnation of KC.
- Brian Wilson - The Hague, 2004. I just started getting into the BB in 2002/2003, so I wasn't aware of a lot of the mythos, the legends, all the unreleased material. I did listen to some Smile bootlegs, but seeing it live was an entirely different experience. Saw Brian and the BB a couple of times more after this (2007, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2017 I think), but the first time definitely made the most impact.
- Queen + Paul Rodgers, Paris 2005. The 2nd gig they did. Didn't know what to expect. The setlist was weird, with Paul doing Seagull with Roger, Paul leaving the stage for a couple of numbers, Brian doing '39/LOML on his own etc. But what an amazing opening with Reaching Out and the curtain coming down straight into TYMD. Good stuff.

again, in no particular order:


Elton John - Brum NEC - 1983
Rainbow - Donington - 1980
David Bowie - Brum NEC - 1983
Eagles - Brum NIA - 2019
Killers - Brum NEC - 2017
Ozzy - Port Vale FC - 1981
Queen - Brum NEC - 1979
INXS - Brum NEC - 1987
Scorpions - Knebworth - 1985
AC/DC - Donington - 1981
The Alarm - Wembley - 1986
Rainbow - Bingley Hall - 1981
Heart - Milton Keynes Bowl - 1982
Jeff Lynne's ELO - Genting Arena - 2016

Special Mention: the insane genius of Frank Sidebottom - Burberries BHAM, and University Hull 89/90

Gosh. I used to have these firm in memory but those covid years were hell stuck with family


Uhhmm I'm going to preface this by saying that Little Richard was the greatest singer I've had the fortune to have heard live, then Ronnie James Dio and Prince maybe tied... Sam Moore was also incredible


Possibly in chronological order

The best
The Who @ Hollywood Bowl 2001 I think. Wildly enjoyable show but went with snob taste friends from high school/ band. I enjoyed the hell out of it. Seen their next tour as well, 3 days after John Died in Vegas with that call girl


Classic review gig: Ben E King, Sam Moore, Little Richard (headliner) @ The Universal Amphitheater maybe 2003? Bought tickets a week before the show for moms bday. They were SECOND ROW...

Incredible. Ben was alright, Sam was amazing even went acapella. Little Richard was unworldly like I was in the presence of something else ... even at 72 or so. His band was killer... imagine the swiftest kind of jazzy Church semi metal band....

Prince (seen him about 15x, 11 of 13 gigs at the Forum when tix were $25 and up. I caught on after 3 gigs that I could go solo and buy same day tickets that filled in odd pockets very close to the stage for $25... Took FULL advantage of that)

Most memorable were the opening night closing with a Roxy Music cover after 5th encore.... the night he opened with "When Eye Lay My Hands on U", the night he did Scandalous and the night that Whitney Houston was there in bad shape but enjoying herself.

Though I preferred those later gigs saw him opening night of MUSICOLOGY ... Staples Center. The acoustic set and encore were unforgettable. Punks, rockers, old, young, couples, dancers, metal heads... everybody under the sun singing "7" was amazing

I'll shorten this down

Depeche Mode @ Honda Center 2004,5?, Anaheim - incredible atmospheric gig

Stevie Wonder @ Humphreys by the Bay 2007? - sad night punctuated by Hearing Stevie for the first time in a small gig. Beautiful.

In Flames, Nevermore @ House of Blues? 2005? They were all incredible and precise.

Heaven and Hell @ Coors Amphitheater, Chula Vista CA- a date ruined my experience seeing them 2 days before at The Forum, Inglewood... so I drove friends to practically the border. INCREDIBLE most memorable metal/ hard rock Gig

A gazillion FISHBONE shows from 07-16, always exciting in this small club turbulent Era.... finally swam/crowd surfed.... basically rock/ metal/Ska church

Esperanza Spalding 2017? @ belasco theater? Los Angeles. Intimate gig ... greatest trio I'd ever seen (*with revolving door drummer in or out + 2 backup Singers)
The Emily's D+EVOLUTION tour... there were even puppets like in a puppet show. I hope those gigs were recorded.

Stevie Wonder premiere Christmas performance of Songs In the Key of Life LIVE.. Nokia theater tremendous stuff, numerous original artists from the album guested to play their parts

Manowar @ Palladium 2005? Blistering and before they kinda fell off.

Fantomas, Melvins, Primus and TOOL @ whatever it's called San Berardino 2016?
The first 3 bands were freaking amazing. Hearing Buzz and Melvins gave me an appreciation for vintage gear, cause they seem like enthusiasts. Primus were actually great this time ... twice before they were so so. Tool stunk to high hell like usual. Terrible live band unless you like drugging up. Gf at the time got us tix. They were first row center. No idea how she pulled that. Maybe spent a hefty $$ or lied about saying she just got them the week before. Great place to be at those absurdly large venues...I've passed too many metal shows because I'm spoiled and hate large crowds


How many is that?

Gosh there have been many

Wish I'd seen
Eurythmics
B52s
Gary Numan (*still a chance!)


Notable other gigs
Kiss 2000? First final tour? The Pumpkins opened up dressed as the Beatles

Incubus, Pantera then Black Sabbath (*98? Their retirement tour.... pretty good but the same damn 13 songs I'd seen in vhs

Queen +AL 2014 (okay), forum, again at the Hollywood Bowl 2017? Fantastic NOTW stuff

Also seen their appearance on Jimmy Kimmel

4 or 5 other Stevie Wonder HOUSE FULL OF TOYS gigs. Too many guests to mention.

I envy you guys who saw RUSH in their heyday.i passed on them too long because of Geddy's lost singing

They're not all rock bands and I've only very recently been able to go to concerts that I actually like...

Feb 2020 - Queen + Adam Lambert (Sydney, Australia) (p.s. my first ever concert cause I finally can afford it myself!)
Oct 2022 - Cascada (Coventry, UK)
Feb 2023 - Adam Lambert (London, UK)
Mar 2023 - Sam Ryder (Manchester, UK)
Apr 2023 - Duran Duran (Manchester, UK)
May 2023 - KEiiNO (Manchester, UK)
May 2023 - Eurovision (Liverpool, UK) (I went to five out of nine shows - I demand that they count!)
Jun 2023 - Capital Summertime Ball: Adam Lambert, Kylie Minogue, etc (London, UK)
Jun 2023 - Mika (Bristol, UK)
Oct 2023 - Go_A (Manchester, UK)

I will say I hugely regret missing out on Elton John when I was in the UK last year...

1] Pink Floyd [ Earls Court Earls Court 1994 ] - 2] Queen [ Knebworth 1986 ] - 3] The Chemical Brothers [ Leeds Arena 2023 ] - 4] Big Country [ Wembley Arena 1984 ] - 5] The Brian May Group [ The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham 1998 - 6] Jeff Lynne's ELO [ Birmingham 2018 ] - 7] Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds [ Nottingham Arena 2014 ]- 8] Roger Taylor [Nottingham Rock City , Electric Fire Tour 1999] 9] Muse [ 2007 Wembley Stadium [ - 10] The Killers [ The Royal Albert Hall 2009 ]