What was your FIRST show (as a spectator)??

[Bruce]

Maybe this will be a fun thread. What was the first show you saw? How old were you? How did you feel? What did the place smell and look like? Who were you with? All deets and stories are on the table.

Overkill Leeway and Whiplash at Lamours Brooklyn, 1989. Lamours Brooklyn was maybe a 2 hour train ride from The Bronx, so the night likely started out smelling like piss and weed. I was with maybe 5 or 6 friends, other social outcasts in what can be called an urban high school. It was a performing arts school so there were many musicians, just not many takers on bands like the above.

Naturally all of us being 15-16 years old in 1989, we got right in lol. No one even looked at us twice. The fact we looked the part and were all on the fast track to either prison or an early grave probably helped. I was served beer.

The music was DEAFENING loud. Medium sized club at best and waaaaay too much firepower. I remember the place being really dark. I was really there to see Overkill. The only song I knew was In Union We Stand. They played it and it made the night for me.

I woke up on a park bench with the sun hitting me in the face and commuters heading for the train. I look back at days like that and wonder if people thought I was homeless. I usually was for the evening, as my dad would lock the top lock for which I had no key for by design at 10pm. If I wasn’t home, it was see you tomorrow. Or whenever. Or never. Not sure who if anyone cared.

But anyway, how about your first show?

 

[Alex Kenivel]

924 Gilman in Berkeley to see Deadfall at 16 years old. Smelled like sweat, sounded like feedback. I descovered hardcore music and mattress surfing all at the same time.

Went home and recorded a hardcore song in a about two hours before going to school the next day to show it off

 

[TSJMajesty]

In high school, so about 16 I guess, Rush, from the 7th row, Moving Pictures tour, Capitol Centre. And unlike today's large shows in arenas, that was really close. It was surreal. Absolutely unbelievable. I wished I hadn't gotten drunk, and had learned more of their older catalog, as it was the first time I'd even heard Xanadu.

Oh I'd been to clubs before, but could not tell you which was the first. I do remember feeling like I'd walked into a new world though!

 

[Bruce]

In high school, so about 16 I guess, Rush, from the 7th row, Moving Pictures tour, Capitol Centre. So unlike today's large shows, I was really close. It was surreal. Absolutely unbelievable. I wished I hadn't gotten drunk, and had learned more of their older catalog, as it was the first time I'd even heard Xanadu.

The 2 times I saw them, they had either a row or clothing dryers or racks of rotessiere chickens in place of guitar amps. Why doesn’t Neil Peart smile? He always looked so pissed off when he was playing. Great shows, both of them.

 

[TSJMajesty]

The 2 times I saw them, they had either a row or clothing dryers or racks of rotessiere chickens in place of guitar amps. Why doesn’t Neil Peart smile? He always looked so pissed off when he was playing. Great shows, both of them.

Yeah, Idk what that was all about. When I saw them, they had fuckin amps on stage!

 

[Bruce]

Yeah, Idk what that was all about. When I saw them, they had *****in amps on stage!

I thought it was funny. They had people coming out to baste the chickens. The dryers at the end of the show were all tour shirts they threw out at people.

 

[Bruce]

Alex Lifeson’s board shows a robust sense of humor.

 

[la szum]

1984. Saginaw Civic Center. Fastway opened for Rush. 2 other friends and I went. I remember not being
old enough to drive, but the one friend had just gotten his license, so he drove us all. Bad seats. Didn't care.
No booze. Too young. Plenty of pre-game Pot, and that smell lingered into the show as those around
us were partaking throughout. I recall we were passed a Doobie to us from some older gentlemen getting
a chuckle out of the innocent young meat sitting by them.

Lasting memory is Peart's Kick Drum giving me what felt like an irregular heartbeat. I swear I thought I
was going to die. We were clearly in the back corner of the venue where all the Bass was building up
and those square waves were pummeling my chest. It took all I could do to keep breathing and not
have an anxiety attack.

My son's first show was Alice In Chains at 8. Yes. Father Of The Year!

 

[la szum]

Alex Lifeson’s board shows a robust sense of humor.

Or a rather odd fetish.

 

[duzie]

My first real concert was at Madison Square Garden, one day before I joined the US army.
Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio on vocals

As you can see I’m somewhat of a fan
1982
Hard to believe that was over 40yrs ago .

 

[DrewJD82]

The 2 times I saw them, they had either a row or clothing dryers or racks of rotessiere chickens in place of guitar amps. Why doesn’t Neil Peart smile? He always looked so pissed off when he was playing. Great shows, both of them.

Hahahaha I was just watching a documentary either on him or on Rush, Neil acknowledged it but didn't have much an apology for it. The other guys talked about it as well and said he's actually a really funny guy, but extremely reserved and focused. He does crack a few jokes in whatever it was I was watching and it's hard to disagree with all that's said above.

 

[DrewJD82]

Yeah, Idk what that was all about. When I saw them, they had *****in amps on stage!

It was just them f*cking around, Geddy said he was jealous because Alex had these big amps behind him and he was going direct at the time, if I remember right, so he wanted to have something to fill out the stage. His "jealous" comment was tongue in cheek, obviously he could have had a wall of GK's behind him if he wished. I think he liked it quiet to hear his vocals better.

 

[Sleezy E]

First concert, Vanilla Ice. (not shitting you)

Second concert, Steve Miller Band (aka redemption)

 

[duzie]

1984. Saginaw Civic Center. Fastway opened for Rush. 2 other friends and I went. I remember not being
old enough to drive, but the one friend had just gotten his license, so he drove us all. Bad seats. Didn't care.
No booze. Too young. Plenty of pre-game Pot, and that smell lingered into the show as those around
us were partaking throughout. I recall we were passed a Doobie to us from some older gentlemen getting
a chuckle out of the innocent young meat sitting by them.

Lasting memory is Peart's Kick Drum giving me what felt like an irregular heartbeat. I swear I thought I
was going to die. We were clearly in the back corner of the venue where all the Bass was building up
and those square waves were pummeling my chest. It took all I could do to keep breathing and not
have an anxiety attack.

My son's first show was Alice In Chains at 8. Yes. Father Of The Year!

I saw Fastway back in ‘83 with Quiet Riot and Ac/Dc .

 

[DrewJD82]

Pink Floyd, May 20th, 1994 Foxboro, Massachusetts. I was 11, this was me right before we left for the show.

I was so f*cking excited I couldn't sleep for days leading up to it. I was a bit of a weird kid and was fascinated with Floyd. I think because it was the first thing my father and I really bonded over, watching the Delicate Sound of Thunder vid together and just talking about them, but I was obsessed with them before I even saw them. Then it got worse after. My dad said when I was 14 or so "I'm a big Floyd fan but Andy, I'm almost worried about you."

It smelled like all kinds of drugs I was smelling for the first time! I'd ask my dad "What's that one?" "Hash", "Oh that's a different smell" "Yeah, that's what good weed smells like, oh man, that reminds me of Acapulco Gold", hahahah there was one he didn't know but about 7 years later as I was up to nefarious things and you have that thing where a scent brings you right back to a point in time? Weed and crack mixed together brought me right back to the Floyd show. It's like sweet-smelling burning plastic. (This is not an endorsement of smoking illicit drugs, I was a teenager)

We were about halfway up the stadium wall, to the left side of the stage, almost dead nab at the 50 yard line. They started the show off just playing these sound effects through the PA, flexing the quadra sound which is basically surround sound for stadiums. They opened with "Astronime Domine" and hearing that stadium fill up with sound, the first time experiencing concert volume....damn. Hearing Gilmour's guitar rip through the stadium and watching 60,000 brought to a fervor at certain points just because of his playing, it was insane. I mean, hearing it, feeling it, being in the same vicinity as that guy making that all happen, I hope I never forget how that felt.

When we were walking out I told my dad "I think I want to play guitar" and the following December my uncle gave me my first one.

 

[Fireproof]

My very first Concert, ever, was Run DMC.

I’ll have to give some thought to the first rock concert - I’m drawing a blank on what the FIRST one was…

 

[Stone]

Well this will show my age, Styx 1976 at the old Montreal Forum
Price of ticket in the white's $4.89 + tax

Apr 19, 1976​

Montreal, Quebec Canada

The Forum

Bad Company

 

[la szum]

Pink Floyd, May 20th, 1994 Foxboro, Massachusetts. I was 11, this was me right before we left for the show.

View attachment 3604

I was so f*cking excited I couldn't sleep for days leading up to it. I was a bit of a weird kid and was fascinated with Floyd. I think because it was the first thing my father and I really bonded over, watching the Delicate Sound of Thunder vid together and just talking about them, but I was obsessed with them before I even saw them. Then it got worse after. My dad said when I was 14 or so "I'm a big Floyd fan but Andy, I'm almost worried about you."

It smelled like all kinds of drugs I was smelling for the first time! I'd ask my dad "What's that one?" "Hash", "Oh that's a different smell" "Yeah, that's what good weed smells like, oh man, that reminds me of Acapulco Gold", hahahah there was one he didn't know but about 7 years later as I was up to nefarious things and you have that thing where a scent brings you right back to a point in time? Weed and crack mixed together brought me right back to the Floyd show. It's like sweet-smelling burning plastic. (This is not an endorsement of smoking illicit drugs, I was a teenager)

We were about halfway up the stadium wall, to the left side of the stage, almost dead nab at the 50 yard line. They started the show off just playing these sound effects through the PA, flexing the quadra sound which is basically surround sound for stadiums. They opened with "Astronime Domine" and hearing that stadium fill up with sound, the first time experiencing concert volume....damn. Hearing Gilmour's guitar rip through the stadium and watching 60,000 brought to a fervor at certain points just because of his playing, it was insane. I mean, hearing it, feeling it, being in the same vicinity as that guy making that all happen, I hope I never forget how that felt.

When we were walking out I told my dad "I think I want to play guitar" and the following December my uncle gave me my first one.

Too cool!

Shocking to see you were a pleasant and mild-mannered pre-teen and not the potty-mouthed fucker you are now!

So what happened???

 

[DrewJD82]

Too cool!

Shocking to see you were a pleasant and mild-mannered pre-teen and not the potty-mouthed f****r you are now!

So what happened???

 

[Stone]

So what happened???

The tones Changed