What are the first 3 memorable rock concerts you attended?

Never been to a rock concert, so none. However:
Pete Rock and CL Smooth
Gang Starr
Public Enemy
 
Then I better not tell you all the other Things I did with or around those guys and the 28 Concerst Ive seen them at.

as for Festivals, there is a stupid amount of Festivals going around Germany and middle Europe in generall. Wacken I guess would be "the" Festival to go to (never been myself, ist too big for my personal taste)
Summer Breeze Open Air is one of my personal Favs, that I have attended a few times same for With Full Force and Rockharz Open Air.
I have a ton of Festivals Bookmarked at my personal PC at home. Over the Course of the weekened I will look a few up and link them in your direction. There are some good Pagan Festivals out there.

yeah, I think Wacken would be too big for me as well, but my friends would want that experience, and the one guy who is a doctor (and subsequently paying for a lot of it) will probably have the last say

In light of that, I might also make my own trip to see some smaller ones. Would really appreciate your list!

I would LOVE to go to Obscene Extreme fest...

and would be ALL OVER the pagan festivals...
 
Black Sabbath, someone stole my jacket
Alice Cooper in 1990, said he's retiring and then they cut his head off with a guillotine. It's still on.
Queensryche (though they were more memorable in 2004 performing the full OM album, maybe I just stood closer)
 
Other 80’s concerts I sort of remember:

Van Halen (w DLR)
Elton John
Rod Stewart
Allman Brothers Band
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest
Foreigner
Pat Benetar
David Lee Roth
Scorpions
Def Leppard
Quiet Riot
 
Man, so many memorable concerts. If I had to pick just three:

Rush - Moving Pictures tour. Like I'd died and gone to heaven.

Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith tour. I was sick as a dog with the flu that night but I stood in front of the PA speakers in general admission with my girlfriend on my shoulders. Felt like dying the whole time but I still enjoyed the show. That was the night my hearing loss started and tinnitus kicked in. I'm not kidding - my ears have been ringing non-stop since that night 35 years ago.

Def Leppard - Hysteria tour. Rick Allen's triumphant return to the stage. I had never seen a one-armed drummer before (or since) and he and the band were amazing. Didn't hurt that it was an incredible album and virtually every track was a smash hit. I still remember them projecting Marilyn Monroe's picture on the stage during Photograph. I was a MM aficionado back then so that was pretty special.

My honourable mentions list includes bands like The Police, Van Halen and the Rolling Stones but one that stands out above all is Coldplay for the X&Y tour. My friend was a hostess for one of the private suites at the venue and invited me and a buddy to stop by to say hello before the show started. The box was leased by the local casino and the guests were all hand-picked. As you might guess, the men were either successful or minor celebrities and the women were stunning beauties. To make a long story short, the suite owner invited us to stay for the whole show and we enjoyed free food and drinks all night long, along with great sightlines and incredible uh, scenery.
 
Last edited:
Man, so many memorable concerts. If I had to pick just three:

Rush - Moving Pictures tour. Like I'd died and gone to heaven.

Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith tour. I was sick as a dog with the flu that night but I stood in front of the PA speakers in general admission with my girlfriend on my shoulders. Felt like dying the whole time but I still enjoyed the show. That was the night my hearing loss started and tinnitus kicked in. I'm not kidding - my ears have been ringing non-stop since that night 35 years ago.

Def Leppard - Hysteria tour. Rick Allen's triumphant return to the stage. I had never seen a one-armed drummer before (or since) and he and the band were amazing. Didn't hurt that it was an incredible album and virtually every track was a smash hit. I still remember them projecting Marilyn Monroe's picture on the stage during Photograph. I was a MM aficionado back then so that was pretty special.

My honourable mentions list includes bands like The Police, Van Halen and the Rolling Stones but one that stands out above all is Coldplay for the X&Y tour. My friend was a hostess for one of the private suites at the venue and invited me and a buddy to stop by to say hello before the show started. The box was leased by the local casino and the guests were all hand-picked. As you might guess, the men were either successful or minor celebrities and the women were stunning beauties. To make a long story short, the suite owner invited us to stay for the whole show and we enjoyed free food and drinks all night long, along with great sightlines and incredible uh, scenery.
Missed moving pictures tour, saw your other two top three JP and DL.... your Coldplay experience takes the prize though. :oops:
 
I got a whiff of what it's like to be wealthy that night. Don't think I'd care for fame but wealth sure would be nice! ?
? I’ve known a few wealthy people and agree it’d be nice to experience first-hand how the other half live ✈?⛱?? at least for a while
 
yeah, I think Wacken would be too big for me as well, but my friends would want that experience, and the one guy who is a doctor (and subsequently paying for a lot of it) will probably have the last say
if what you want is the experience of a festival, I would suggest https://www.summer-breeze.de/en/ in terms of metal Fests, they are number 2 behind Wacken, at roughly half its size. But of course it doesnt come with the prestige of having said "I was at Wacken"

as for other Festivals:

those are ones I have been to personally, so I can tell you the Atmosphere and Organisation is good. The Paganfest or Heidfest I was going to mention have apparently been discontinued... but if you wanna look around yourself, https://www.festival-alarm.com/Kategorien/Metal-festivals/(year)/2021 is good starting point. I hope you can find something to have a great time at. Festivals are usually and absolute blast.
 
UFO in 1982 First concert ever, Ozzy was supposed to headline but Randy Rhoads' plane crash happened just before that concert in Miami. Pat Travers played instead. Wasn't my thing but UFO was really cool.

David Lee Roth in 1989-ish , I've seen footage of Roth with Van Halen. He was so much more professional and entertaining on his own. And what a lineup: Vai, Bissonette, Sheehan.

Dream Theater, around 1993. I idolized them at the time, and it was surreal to watch them up close in the rock club just walking distance from my apartment.
 
Def Leppard - Hysteria tour. Rick Allen's triumphant return to the stage. I had never seen a one-armed drummer before (or since) and he and the band were amazing.
Yeah. I got to see Rick's playing post accident in Huntsville, AL in the late 80s. I wasn't a big Def Leppard fan then, nor now, but it was a good concert.
 
UFO in 1982 First concert ever, Ozzy was supposed to headline but Randy Rhoads' plane crash happened just before that concert in Miami. Pat Travers played instead. Wasn't my thing but UFO was really cool.

David Lee Roth in 1989-ish , I've seen footage of Roth with Van Halen. He was so much more professional and entertaining on his own. And what a lineup: Vai, Bissonette, Sheehan.

Dream Theater, around 1993. I idolized them at the time, and it was surreal to watch them up close in the rock club just walking distance from my apartment.

I saw Dream Theater on the Images and Words tour in 1992 at The Alrosa Villa here in town....maybe 200 people there? It was right as Pull Me Under was hitting MTV etc....having played at TAV. we knew all the security, so they let us hang out behind the club with the band. One of my friends who played I played hockey with at Ohio State had gone to high school with Petrucci in Long Island, so they talked for a while. They were in 3 vans...one was just the drum set alone. They played the whole album, and then did some covers by request from the audience. It was a real fun time...I think it was a warm up tour for the bigger one later on...
 
1. Pink Floyd - 5/29/94 in Ohio Stadium. My first concert when I was in high school.
2. Rush - 10/22/96 at the Nutter Center - My first Rush show. I drove 3 hours from college in KY with some friends on a day we were lucky enough to not have band rehearsal.
3. I'll call this a 3 way tie because they've all been important in one way or another. Metallica 6/29/94, Dave Matthews Band 6/18/99, and Phish 7/14/00. All at Polaris Amphitheater.
 
First three memorable? Let's see:
1. Chicago in August 1971. Danny Seraphine was a monster!
2. Yes on the Fragile tour in March 1972, 9th row, Music Hall. Bill Bruford, need I say more?
3. Humble Pie, May 1972. Loud and proud, great show!
 
First three memorable? Let's see:
1. Chicago in August 1971. Danny Seraphine was a monster!
2. Yes on the Fragile tour in March 1972, 9th row, Music Hall. Bill Bruford, need I say more?
3. Humble Pie, May 1972. Loud and proud, great show!
This is a an awesome list, would’ve loved to have seen either every group during that era. But I was only 5-6 years old and couldn’t get there on my own :D. 70’s rock was the best ever.
 
1. Pink Floyd - 5/29/94 in Ohio Stadium. My first concert when I was in high school.
2. Rush - 10/22/96 at the Nutter Center - My first Rush show. I drove 3 hours from college in KY with some friends on a day we were lucky enough to not have band rehearsal.
3. I'll call this a 3 way tie because they've all been important in one way or another. Metallica 6/29/94, Dave Matthews Band 6/18/99, and Phish 7/14/00. All at Polaris Amphitheater.
You have some awesome concert experiences! I know it’s hard to narrow down to 3. Should we assume that Metallica is 3 since you listed it first for the “tie”? :rolleyes: Jk
 
Roxy Music, UIC Pavilion, May 14, 1983. Andy Newmark on drums. Knocked my head off. Beautiful.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Sonic Youth, Social Distortion, Rosemont Horizon, Jan 30, 1991. A sonic assault. Unbelievable.

Siouxsie & The Banshees, Riviera Nightclub, Feb 29, 1992. Punk royalty. My man Budgie drummed his ass off.

Three memorable Chicago concert moments. Rock On.
 
I saw Dream Theater on the Images and Words tour in 1992 at The Alrosa Villa here in town....maybe 200 people there? It was right as Pull Me Under was hitting MTV etc....having played at TAV. we knew all the security, so they let us hang out behind the club with the band. One of my friends who played I played hockey with at Ohio State had gone to high school with Petrucci in Long Island, so they talked for a while. They were in 3 vans...one was just the drum set alone. They played the whole album, and then did some covers by request from the audience. It was a real fun time...I think it was a warm up tour for the bigger one later on...
Sweet! ?? Being back stage at ‘the show’ is really next best to being on stage
 
Back
Top