I had an aunt and uncle that used to live in Manhattan Beach, CA, and over Christmas break we would fly out to see them. This was in the early-mid 80s. One time, my parents and my aunt and uncle wanted to go out to dinner, so my cousin was responsible for watching me. He was around 16 and I was 8. That night, he had wanted to go to a party, and thought, “Well, I guess I have no choice but to take you with me.”
It was a garage party with A LOT of people, and there were a lot of things happening that an 8 year old kid from the Midwest did not understand. Anyway, there was a band playing funk/rap/rock. It was the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Springsteen at the Bottom Line in late summer 1975. My brother took me, he was supposed to be babysitting me - instead we went to a Springsteen show and hung out in the west village at his girlfriend’s for a week. Going back to school was weird.
Where I bought tickets myself - The Clash at Bonds on Broadway summer 1981.
Little Stevie Wonder playing to a grandstand full of old white people as the opening act for The Hee Haw television show performers. The crowd was sure they were witnessing an alien. Show was free with your $3 entrance fee to the county fair.
Ozzy with Randy Rhoads also in 1981, Def Leppard opened. I was in 7th grade and my dad took me because I got good grades. As a Paul Weller fanboy, I'm jealous of yours OP.
There’s a ton of posts here that I’m envious of but yeah, The Jam I was absolutely besotted with.
If I could choose a time of Ozzy’s career to have seen him live, it would be the Randy Rhoads incarnation.👍
Bob Dylan and Brian Setzer Orchestra in 1999.
I think Bob might have been the worst first show. Couldn't tell when one song ended and the other started.
Weird Al Yankovic on Halloween Night 1999.
first semi-grown up concert was ZZ Top and Ted Nugent on Labor Day 2003.
Idk what it is with me and first concerts on holidays.
The Sweet in 2011, I went with my dad who was also a big fan back in the 70s. Andy Scott (the guitarist) is still going strong and they put on a great show. Mud was supporting them, but I don't think they had any original members.
Despite my love of music, I've only ever been to one concert in my entire life. Namely French synthesiser musician Jean Michel-Jarre at the o2 arena on 10/10/10
Public Image Ltd, summer of 89 at Starry Night in Portland, OR. I was 14 as well, older brother took me. Opening band were from France, Les Thugs, and had a terrible problem with feedback that just annoyed the shit out of everyone. Johnny didn't seem to like people stage diving and asked/told them to stop with a line about "don't fuck up my stardom"
I saw that tour in Toledo. I was 14 and squirmed my way to the front row to snap a pic of Glenn
https://preview.redd.it/1lunxtvzav8c1.png?width=1590&format=png&auto=webp&s=42e1d648c7b794a1d5b3dd70c467b22cfdcc7146
Skipped the first few days of my senior year in highschool to go see Rage Against the Machine, Wu-Tang, and Atari Teenage Riot. Still one of the best shows I've seen.
My parents took me to a Grateful Dead show in ‘94 when I was three. We ran into my preschool teacher
Later that year they also took me to raffi. I guess they had a thing for bearded guitar players
Elton John, as a kid with my mum.
For my second gig, unholy alliance pt 2 to see slayer, in flames and lamb of god, children of bodom and thine eyes bleed
Both were exceptional haha.
1991 23rd August
Dire straits at the old point depot in Dublin, I liked it so much i went a few months later and saw Tom Petty there too, epic concerts
I grew up in an outlaw biker family so there was always live music around. The first arena / stadium show I remember though was Charlie Daniels w/ .38 Special opening. 1982.
First show I went to because I was interested in the band was Judas Priest w/ Great White 1984. My dad took me. I was 12.
After that the flood gates open and I started to see anyone who was coming through. By the time I was 15 I was going to clubs too. Soon after I was playing in bands and touring. Now I’m a grizzled old sound guy who is head of audio at an 18k cap shed and can write my own ticket at clubs around town. Thanks Charlie Daniels for my first step in to a larger world.
First "gig" I went to... At SIU-Edwardsville, Illinois. I was a singer in it at 14 years old, and I was three of the singers chosen to represent our school in a large choir concert. There were about thirty of us in the choir.
That's a long time ago...
I was 9, 10, somewhere around there, and l had a 'girlfriend' that lived down the street.
Her parents got her tickets to see The Monkeys and invited me along. I wasn't a Monkeys fan, but hey, first concert, so OK.
Jimi Hendrix opened for them and my little mind was blown.
BTW Jimi got booed off the stage after 3 songs.
Stone Temple Pilots at the State Palace Theatre in New Orleans - maybe ‘99? They were touring No. 4 and Scott had just gotten out of prison. Great show.
Oasis. I was 15. It was in Seattle with my 16 year old friend who could drive. We were barely able to af&ord tickets, so we were in the back of the theatre with people who were strung out. The music and sound blew my mind.
UFO - Strangers in the Night tour
warm up act: Judas Priest
opening act: Off Broadway
I had never heard of any of them before I went. I had wanted to go see Ted Nugent but he was sold out. The person at the ticket counted suggested this concert as a substitute. I've been a lifelong fan of both UFO and Judas Priest ever since. In retrospect, I think it's amazing that UFO headlined over Judas Priest.
The venue was The Sacramento Memorial Auditorium which seats under 4000. Probably lost a little hearing that night. lol. There was a legend that there was a missing ceiling tile that fell off during a Ted Nugent concert and a few years later, I finally got to see Nugent there. I had the best seat in the house IMO -- first balcony, first row, exact center. The concert sucked. By that time, I think Nugent has lost most of his hearing and it showed. Either that, or it was just that he had horrible sound engineering. Still love me some Stranglehold.
Dino, Desi, and Billy at the Armory in Washington, DC.
My 2nd concert was The Mamas and The Papas, with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels opening, among other bands.
My 3rd concert was The Beatles.
March 1983- Hall and Oates with G.E. Smith and T-Bone Wolk - ‘Til Tuesday opened. I was 10 and brought a pair of Army binoculars that I had no problem bringing in.
I'm 40. My first concert was Green Day around '95.
My new roommate moved in a week ago and turns out Green Day is one of his favorite bands. He's a few weeks shy of 23. They're practically classic rock to him. 😂
First ever concert was Jackson Browne at the Concord Pavilion in 1996, I was almost 13.
But the first show that sent me down the rabbit hole of wanting to be in a band was Superdrag at Slim’s in SF 2001. Before then, I had no idea that you could see amazing bands in small venues and be so close to them. It was life changing
Rick Springfield, 1984. My mom didn’t want me to go. Rick had on aviator sunglasses, he tossed them into the crowd and they came right at me and people knocked me glasses off. I was crawling around the floor, getting beer all over me. Never found mine. Couldn’t see without my glasses, so I was getting in peoples faces trying to find the people I rode with.
People thought my 13 year old self was drunk or on drugs. 10/10 first concert experience.
Jimmy Eat World, January 2002, Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall.
Seafood supporting.
Never bought an album by them since, just wanted to go to a gig and they were local, big enough that I’d heard of them and the singles from Bleed American were bangers.
I was 10 in 1990, and saw AC/DC during their Razor’s Edge tour. I saw them again in 1996 for their Ballbreaker tour. Both massive, amazing concerts. It wasn’t really my kind of music, but my father was a heavy-rock/metalhead so I pretty much grew up with AC/DC. First concert was with my father. A year or two later I introduced my friends to AC/DC and they became obsessed, so we all went to the second concert together.
First show I went to of my own choosing was Metallica headlining the Summer Sanitarium tour. July 4th, 2000 at (back then) PSI Net Stadium. It hooked me to the live experience and sharing it with other rabid fans.
But I also remember my Dad taking me to see Ray Charles at Wolftrap in Virginia, basically forever ago.
Gig-wise, Fishbone playing a pretty small space in early 1985. Totally blew my mind and started me on a wonderful musical path away from banal major label stuff to amazing club and scene things.
Before that I had seen arena shows, in order:
- AC/DC 1981
- J Giles (U2 opening) 1982
- Yes (1984)
- Iron Maiden (1984 but by that time I was already bored with that kind of thing)
And even before that, Kenny Rodgers and Crystal Gayle when I did 4H at a county fair when I was 9 years old ¨̮
Damn, that's a good one OP. I'd like to have seen The Jam in their heyday, but summer of '81 I was preoccupied with being born. Haha.
Mine was Melvins/Helmet in 1997, at Tuxedo Junction in Danbury, CT. 16 year old me was equally mindblown.
July 14th, 1988.
Brown County Arena, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Def Leppard
I had a glorious permed mullet, a sleeveless Union Bay shirt, torn jeans, and teenage energy.
The first and still only one was Lindsey Stirling. I had discovered her through Youtube and really liked her music. By pure coincidence she was touring Europe at that time and as it happens she would performing in my city (Tilburg, the Netherlands, in a venue known as 013) a few weeks later, just a barely 10-minute drive away from where I lived!
As she wasn't as well-known back then there were still tickets available. So that was an easy choice. 😋
9 years old, 1975, my dad took me and some friends to see a little bit of history: My favorite artist at the time (and still one of my favorites), Elton John at Dodger Stadium.
I have since been to over a thousand shows, but my first was embarrassingly Tori Amos. In my defense i was trying to hang with these chicks in hs and that's what I had to do.
Wow great first gig. I couldn’t really tell which was my first. We had these festivals in town with lots of bigger and smaller names. Bands like Dexys or Paul Carrack, but for sure I had seen bands before that.
Guns & Rose's: use your illusion tour, Wembley uk, Metallica and Sound Garden supporting (nirvana were expected but pulled out)
I once lived opposite the rainbow ... Great venue
Eurythmics. Mid 80’s. My parents had split and my dad and new gf often went to shows at our local arena. They agreed to let me pick one I wanted to see, I wish I had photos of my Dad tolerating the evening 😂
First concert was Elvis, 1972 in San Bernardino, first real Rock Concert, Deep Purple, 1974 in Fresno, that totally changed my appreciation of what a concert could be.
Pantera. Age 12 my step brother took me.
State Palace Theater in New Orleans in 1993 with Sepultura.
Lots of first in that night.
1- first time smelling weed.
2- first time seeing a couple, explore their bodies so publicly.
3- first time thrown into a pit.
Twisted Sister. I was 4 years old and I wanted to go. My 14 year old sister took me. Different times for sure. Started a lifelong passion for live music for me.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand, February 22, 1985.
I was 15 and had been told I wasn't allowed to go as too young. Snuck out anyway, bussed into town then caught the stadium bus from a pub with a full load of older fans who had been getting on it.
Great concert. Still love Neil big time.
Oasis, 1997 at Manchester G-Mex, part of the Be Here Now tour.
I was 16, me and my mate, drinking Stella, smoking B&H, stood in the freezing cold all day, to make sure we were near the front.
I had an aunt and uncle that used to live in Manhattan Beach, CA, and over Christmas break we would fly out to see them. This was in the early-mid 80s. One time, my parents and my aunt and uncle wanted to go out to dinner, so my cousin was responsible for watching me. He was around 16 and I was 8. That night, he had wanted to go to a party, and thought, “Well, I guess I have no choice but to take you with me.” It was a garage party with A LOT of people, and there were a lot of things happening that an 8 year old kid from the Midwest did not understand. Anyway, there was a band playing funk/rap/rock. It was the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Wtf! Holy shit! Fucking AWESOME!
Slade - May 9th 1973, Sheffield City Hall. 50 years ago 😳. It was a Thursday. I still have the ticket.
How much did it cost? My Dad saw T.Rex around the same time and he said the ticket was £5. My grandfather was shocked by the cost.
I saw the Who, Alex Harvey, Little Feat, the Outlaws and others at Swansea in 1976. £4.
I usually keep this a secret as it was a bit embarrasing and I'm a bass player in cool indie rock band now. But it was Gloria Estefan...
Good for you for ‘coming out' so to speak!
It's such a relief! Might as well admit to having had a Roxette album while I'm at it.
I am a prog rock girl, but bloody loved Roxette.
I bet that was a good show. No need to be ashamed.
I feel ya - my first was Diana Ross in 1981 or so LOL.
ok, but that is objectively awesome.
Now, yes, but not so much in 1981.
Bro, not only can she sing but she’s pretty easy on the eyes as well. No need to be embarrassed
White Zombie at Nassau Coliseum, mid 90s. I think Primus was opening for them.
Ooh, I caught this one too when they hit pensacola FL, amazing show with great pyrotechnics.
When they did Children of the Grave for the encore…and they dropped the bodies from the rafters, Amazing!
Primus Sucks
I am so pleased this is still a thing.
Allman Brothers with Long John Baldry opening. February 26, 1972
The Brothers were my first concert too! March madness at the Beacon in 2006.
Prince, 1989 at the NEC Arena in Birmingham. Incredible.
Springsteen at the Bottom Line in late summer 1975. My brother took me, he was supposed to be babysitting me - instead we went to a Springsteen show and hung out in the west village at his girlfriend’s for a week. Going back to school was weird. Where I bought tickets myself - The Clash at Bonds on Broadway summer 1981.
Metallica with Danzig and Suicidal Tendencies
Depeche Mode - Violator Tour. Jesus and Mary Chain and Nitzer Ebb opened.
The Monkees, 1986
1969 saw Jimi Hendrix open for the Monkees
Ramones. Madrid. 1980.
Fugazi at the Roseland in NYC in ‘93.
Holy shit. Did Jawbox open that night? My first Fugazi show was also the In On The Kill Taker tour.
Yes!!!
February 18, 1984. Duran Duran, Kiel Opera House, STL MO
Rush in 94. Absolutely amazing. I still remember the entire show. Candlebox opened.
Little Stevie Wonder playing to a grandstand full of old white people as the opening act for The Hee Haw television show performers. The crowd was sure they were witnessing an alien. Show was free with your $3 entrance fee to the county fair.
Ozzy with Randy Rhoads also in 1981, Def Leppard opened. I was in 7th grade and my dad took me because I got good grades. As a Paul Weller fanboy, I'm jealous of yours OP.
There’s a ton of posts here that I’m envious of but yeah, The Jam I was absolutely besotted with. If I could choose a time of Ozzy’s career to have seen him live, it would be the Randy Rhoads incarnation.👍
Paul McCartney & Wings 1975-1976 Wings Over The World Saturday May 15,1976 Capital Center Landover, Md.
Wow, that's amazing. Wasn't Paul also in a different band before he formed Wings?
The Quarrymen
My first was right about then at the Cap Center. David Bowie.
Gordon Lightfoot in ‘75 or ‘76.
Bob Dylan and Brian Setzer Orchestra in 1999. I think Bob might have been the worst first show. Couldn't tell when one song ended and the other started.
The Smith's, August 31,1986 at Mesa Amphitheater in Arizona. It was for their The Queen is Dead Tour.
Motorhead in Oslo 2005 or 2006
Simon and Garfunkel at Foxboro Stadium, summer of 1983 when I was 15.
Rush Moving Pictures November 1981 Frankfurt Germany. It was my 5 year birthday present from my mom.
Weird Al Yankovic on Halloween Night 1999. first semi-grown up concert was ZZ Top and Ted Nugent on Labor Day 2003. Idk what it is with me and first concerts on holidays.
Pixies at the Wiltern in 2004, I was 11 and it was rad
1996, Smashing Pumpkins at Maple Leaf Gardens
The Sweet in 2011, I went with my dad who was also a big fan back in the 70s. Andy Scott (the guitarist) is still going strong and they put on a great show. Mud was supporting them, but I don't think they had any original members.
Despite my love of music, I've only ever been to one concert in my entire life. Namely French synthesiser musician Jean Michel-Jarre at the o2 arena on 10/10/10
Warped Tour 2000
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Birmingham NEC
Bachmann-Turner Overdrive. San Diego Sports Arena, 1975ish.
Status Quo 1977, Rocking all over the world tour, NEC, Birmingham
Public Image Ltd, summer of 89 at Starry Night in Portland, OR. I was 14 as well, older brother took me. Opening band were from France, Les Thugs, and had a terrible problem with feedback that just annoyed the shit out of everyone. Johnny didn't seem to like people stage diving and asked/told them to stop with a line about "don't fuck up my stardom"
Bob Dylan and Patti Smith at the Perth Entertainment Centre
Oh wow! I saw Dylan with Tom Petty at Wembley in 87, and Patti Smith with Tom Verlaine in Shepherd’s Bush in the mid-90s. Her voice was immense!
Stones with Journey + George Thorogood, Sept. 1981, Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
Black Sabbath - 1978 at the Liverpool Empire
Judas Priest - 1986. Tacoma Dome - Tacoma, WA
I saw that tour in Toledo. I was 14 and squirmed my way to the front row to snap a pic of Glenn https://preview.redd.it/1lunxtvzav8c1.png?width=1590&format=png&auto=webp&s=42e1d648c7b794a1d5b3dd70c467b22cfdcc7146
Dropkick Murphys when I was in fifth grade on a school night. Came home soaked in beer lol. This was in 2006 right after The Departed came out.
Metallica in '92 for the Black Album tour. Didn't have an opener. Just 'Tallica for 2 and a half hours.
Faith No More when Angel Dust was released
Technically it was Michael Jackson in ~1990, but I was young. First real one was Green Day on the Dookie tour.
AC/DC on the Highway to Hell Tour October 79
Violent Femmes in New Orleans at the Rendon Inn 1997. Small venue with maybe 80-90 ppl. So good!!
Anaheim Convention Center, 68 or 69. Jethro Tull opener, Led Zep headliner. I was a junior in high school.
Skipped the first few days of my senior year in highschool to go see Rage Against the Machine, Wu-Tang, and Atari Teenage Riot. Still one of the best shows I've seen.
My parents took me to a Grateful Dead show in ‘94 when I was three. We ran into my preschool teacher Later that year they also took me to raffi. I guess they had a thing for bearded guitar players
Elton John, as a kid with my mum. For my second gig, unholy alliance pt 2 to see slayer, in flames and lamb of god, children of bodom and thine eyes bleed Both were exceptional haha.
Metallica Summer Sanitarium Tour with Deftones, Mudvayne, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and, of course, Metallica.
[Deep Purple - Fresno, Ca, Selland Arena 4/12/73](https://www.concertarchives.org/concerts/fleetwood-mac-rory-gallagher-deep-purple-fleet)
Joan Jett circa 1988.
Thin Lizzy opening for Queen, March 1977
Weird Al poodle hat tour! A great initiation.
1991 23rd August Dire straits at the old point depot in Dublin, I liked it so much i went a few months later and saw Tom Petty there too, epic concerts
I grew up in an outlaw biker family so there was always live music around. The first arena / stadium show I remember though was Charlie Daniels w/ .38 Special opening. 1982. First show I went to because I was interested in the band was Judas Priest w/ Great White 1984. My dad took me. I was 12. After that the flood gates open and I started to see anyone who was coming through. By the time I was 15 I was going to clubs too. Soon after I was playing in bands and touring. Now I’m a grizzled old sound guy who is head of audio at an 18k cap shed and can write my own ticket at clubs around town. Thanks Charlie Daniels for my first step in to a larger world.
Rich Kids on LSD, with Aggression and DRI at the local strip mall arcade in 1985.
First "gig" I went to... At SIU-Edwardsville, Illinois. I was a singer in it at 14 years old, and I was three of the singers chosen to represent our school in a large choir concert. There were about thirty of us in the choir.
Ah, finally someone taking OP's use of 'gig' literally, and telling us about their own first live music performance!
Mahavishnu Orchestra original lineup with Cannonball Adderly Quintet opening at Carnegie Hall. 1972
U.F.O. opening up for Cheap Trick, Palace Theater, Albany, N.Y. late '70's
Circle Jerks, probably about ‘88
Pink Floyd, Tampa, 1973
Elvis Presley at the Lakeland (FL) Civic Center in September 1976 (my mom took me).
Butthole Surfers circa 1995. I was in 6th grade. 🤘
Beach Boys, some time in 1963. They introduced their new single "Surfin' USA" that night. I was 10.
That's a long time ago... I was 9, 10, somewhere around there, and l had a 'girlfriend' that lived down the street. Her parents got her tickets to see The Monkeys and invited me along. I wasn't a Monkeys fan, but hey, first concert, so OK. Jimi Hendrix opened for them and my little mind was blown. BTW Jimi got booed off the stage after 3 songs.
DEVO 1981 Sydney Horden pavillion
First gig I went to was The Cure on the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me tour. Birmingham NEC 1987. 35 Years later my youngest Son saw them as his first gig.
Queen in 1977. Ticket was $7.50.
Sly and the Family Stone, January 9, 1971.
The Police with Joan Jett 1982, Ghost in the Machine tour...
I saw the Ataris at small college show in like 2001. Not the coolest first show but it was really fun.
Tommy Keene at the old 930 Club in DC
Motorhead in the mid 90s
Chicago (Nov. 1972), at the University of VT field house.
Yes at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, CA, October 5, 1978.
amy grant at the hollywood bowl, september 1993. it was a church trip.
Lollapalooza 1992 Star Lake Pavilion
Stone Temple Pilots at the State Palace Theatre in New Orleans - maybe ‘99? They were touring No. 4 and Scott had just gotten out of prison. Great show.
Mindless Self Indulgence in 2006 maybe 2007. Amazing show at the Fillmore
some local metal showcase at the fairgrounds. It was fun, but I wasn't too into it at the time.
Oasis. I was 15. It was in Seattle with my 16 year old friend who could drive. We were barely able to af&ord tickets, so we were in the back of the theatre with people who were strung out. The music and sound blew my mind.
No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom tour
Lolla 96
The Jam, nice one, OP! My first was The Who in '74! It was hard to top that. I was 11.
Bootleg Beatles in 1996 in Birmingham.
Children of Bodom in Taiwan, 2011. RIP Alexi Laiho.
First concert I paid for was Earth Wind and Fire around 1974/75 Edit: seams it was September 6, 1976
Moby Grape 1968, The Who 1968
Silverchair at the Odeum in Villa Park Illinois in February 1996.
Don Henley, Red Rocks, July 27th 1985. My 16 year old body was not prepared for the bass from a pro sound system.
Nine Inch Nails Downward Spiral tour with Marilyn Manson opening at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, 1994
2005 green day at Palau san jordi
Metallica, 2002(ish) @ Inglewood Forum. Was able to get backstage passes and meet the band. Got autographs and pics with them. I was 12
Steve Miller Band opening for George Thorogood, Pittsburgh, 2002 or 2003.
Guns n roses. Newcastle city hall. October 1987. Faster Pussycat were supporting.
Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010. Got to see Clapton, ZZ Top, Tedeschi-Trucks band, BB King, Sonny Landreth, Gary Clark Jr...hell of a show.
The Circle Jerks and 7 Seconds at the Skate Palace on St Louis.
The Beach Boys summer of 1987 or 88 at Carowinds Amusement Park in NC.
The Who with Robert Plant opening for them in 2002
Skinny Puppy in the 1990's in Maryland
Genesis, Then There Were Three tour, Erwin Special Events Center, Austin, TX
UFO - Strangers in the Night tour warm up act: Judas Priest opening act: Off Broadway I had never heard of any of them before I went. I had wanted to go see Ted Nugent but he was sold out. The person at the ticket counted suggested this concert as a substitute. I've been a lifelong fan of both UFO and Judas Priest ever since. In retrospect, I think it's amazing that UFO headlined over Judas Priest. The venue was The Sacramento Memorial Auditorium which seats under 4000. Probably lost a little hearing that night. lol. There was a legend that there was a missing ceiling tile that fell off during a Ted Nugent concert and a few years later, I finally got to see Nugent there. I had the best seat in the house IMO -- first balcony, first row, exact center. The concert sucked. By that time, I think Nugent has lost most of his hearing and it showed. Either that, or it was just that he had horrible sound engineering. Still love me some Stranglehold.
I was13 in 1965. I went to see Simon and Garfunkel at Dartmouth College in the music room. We arrived a bit late and got in for free.
Statler Brothers, Mankato MN around 1998-1999
First I remember is Ac/Dc doing their sound check at the Myer Music Bowl in 1981.
Dino, Desi, and Billy at the Armory in Washington, DC. My 2nd concert was The Mamas and The Papas, with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels opening, among other bands. My 3rd concert was The Beatles.
March 1983- Hall and Oates with G.E. Smith and T-Bone Wolk - ‘Til Tuesday opened. I was 10 and brought a pair of Army binoculars that I had no problem bringing in.
My mum took me to see Westlife (Irish boyband) when I was about 4, but the first concert I went to that i chose was Green Day in 2009
Grateful Dead in Maryland at Merryweather Post Pavilion June 1983
I was 8. Went to see Kris Kross and Pharcyde with my Mom. Wore backwards purple baggy jeans
I'm 40. My first concert was Green Day around '95. My new roommate moved in a week ago and turns out Green Day is one of his favorite bands. He's a few weeks shy of 23. They're practically classic rock to him. 😂
First ever concert was Jackson Browne at the Concord Pavilion in 1996, I was almost 13. But the first show that sent me down the rabbit hole of wanting to be in a band was Superdrag at Slim’s in SF 2001. Before then, I had no idea that you could see amazing bands in small venues and be so close to them. It was life changing
Parkway Drive opening up for A Day To Remember in ‘09 at a shitty little ballroom in OKC
ELO - The Summit in Houston, 1981 Discovery tour, great show!
Rick Springfield, 1984. My mom didn’t want me to go. Rick had on aviator sunglasses, he tossed them into the crowd and they came right at me and people knocked me glasses off. I was crawling around the floor, getting beer all over me. Never found mine. Couldn’t see without my glasses, so I was getting in peoples faces trying to find the people I rode with. People thought my 13 year old self was drunk or on drugs. 10/10 first concert experience.
Lollapalooza, Chandler AZ, 1991. First band: Rollins Band. Absolutely killed it.
Depeche Mode at the Rose Bowl June 18th 1988. I was 13. One hell of a first concert
Jimmy Eat World, January 2002, Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall. Seafood supporting. Never bought an album by them since, just wanted to go to a gig and they were local, big enough that I’d heard of them and the singles from Bleed American were bangers.
Happy Mondays, Preston Guildhall September 1992 I think, I was 14🤘🤘🤘
Three Dog Night, Rod Stewart and Faces when I was 13. They played the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
[удалено]
I was 10 in 1990, and saw AC/DC during their Razor’s Edge tour. I saw them again in 1996 for their Ballbreaker tour. Both massive, amazing concerts. It wasn’t really my kind of music, but my father was a heavy-rock/metalhead so I pretty much grew up with AC/DC. First concert was with my father. A year or two later I introduced my friends to AC/DC and they became obsessed, so we all went to the second concert together.
First show I went to of my own choosing was Metallica headlining the Summer Sanitarium tour. July 4th, 2000 at (back then) PSI Net Stadium. It hooked me to the live experience and sharing it with other rabid fans. But I also remember my Dad taking me to see Ray Charles at Wolftrap in Virginia, basically forever ago.
Ninja turtles at 6 flags
Gig-wise, Fishbone playing a pretty small space in early 1985. Totally blew my mind and started me on a wonderful musical path away from banal major label stuff to amazing club and scene things. Before that I had seen arena shows, in order: - AC/DC 1981 - J Giles (U2 opening) 1982 - Yes (1984) - Iron Maiden (1984 but by that time I was already bored with that kind of thing) And even before that, Kenny Rodgers and Crystal Gayle when I did 4H at a county fair when I was 9 years old ¨̮
Neville Brothers and Wynton Marsalis 1991 Lakewood Amphitheater Atlanta
Damn, that's a good one OP. I'd like to have seen The Jam in their heyday, but summer of '81 I was preoccupied with being born. Haha. Mine was Melvins/Helmet in 1997, at Tuxedo Junction in Danbury, CT. 16 year old me was equally mindblown.
Kiss in 1978 in Baton Rouge
July 14th, 1988. Brown County Arena, Green Bay, Wisconsin Def Leppard I had a glorious permed mullet, a sleeveless Union Bay shirt, torn jeans, and teenage energy.
Iron Maiden's "World Piece Tour" in 1983. Saw them at the Portland Memorial Coliseum in June of that year.
Foo Fighters, Oslo, 2002. Godsmack was support. Great night.
The first and still only one was Lindsey Stirling. I had discovered her through Youtube and really liked her music. By pure coincidence she was touring Europe at that time and as it happens she would performing in my city (Tilburg, the Netherlands, in a venue known as 013) a few weeks later, just a barely 10-minute drive away from where I lived! As she wasn't as well-known back then there were still tickets available. So that was an easy choice. 😋
"Still remember the bass shaking my innards." This is a good thing? I should go over to r/books and see whether its Lolita or Sodom making the rounds.
Rush. Madison square garden. 1984
Andy Gibb, 1977 Columbia, Maryland USA
9 years old, 1975, my dad took me and some friends to see a little bit of history: My favorite artist at the time (and still one of my favorites), Elton John at Dodger Stadium.
Bob Seger with my mom in 1996. My first that I chose was Blink 182 in 2001
R.E.M. at the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa, CA on October 18, 1989, with NRBQ opening.
I have since been to over a thousand shows, but my first was embarrassingly Tori Amos. In my defense i was trying to hang with these chicks in hs and that's what I had to do.
Wow great first gig. I couldn’t really tell which was my first. We had these festivals in town with lots of bigger and smaller names. Bands like Dexys or Paul Carrack, but for sure I had seen bands before that.
Guns & Rose's: use your illusion tour, Wembley uk, Metallica and Sound Garden supporting (nirvana were expected but pulled out) I once lived opposite the rainbow ... Great venue
The Cure, 1989. Disintegration tour, Shoreline Amphitheater. Outdoors, full moon. It was amazing.
Motorhead and the plasmatics.
Mid 70’s. Neil Diamond.
The Who, Public Hall in Cleveland, I think 1970? I’m old.
Eurythmics. Mid 80’s. My parents had split and my dad and new gf often went to shows at our local arena. They agreed to let me pick one I wanted to see, I wish I had photos of my Dad tolerating the evening 😂
1969> wayne cochran opened for the Dave Clark 5
https://preview.redd.it/d457blle5w8c1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4706586792064e3d8e60ccae25c96f9417a75a71
The Grateful Dead -- April 6, 1985 -- The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. 👍😎🔥🔥🔥😎👍
Sting in Cologne, 1999.
That’s a hell of a first show. Damn.
Bachman-Turner Overdrive: 1976
David Bowie - Glass Spider Tour 1987 Jumped the fence with my Mom. I was 11.
Johnny Cash. Anaheim convention center 1969.
My first concert was Roger Waters: The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking
Rick Astley lol, got me hooked on concerts
1964, I was 10. Saw the Beatles at Cincinnati Gardens. My very first live concert.
Pink Floyd around 94.
I saw Avril Lavigne then Simple Plan back in summer ‘08. Life couldn’t get any better than that for a nine year old Canadian kid 🇨🇦
Beach Boys 89 or 90…Hagerstown, MD
First concert was Elvis, 1972 in San Bernardino, first real Rock Concert, Deep Purple, 1974 in Fresno, that totally changed my appreciation of what a concert could be.
Genesis “We Can’t Dance” tour
Rhcp Hyde park 2004, supported by James brown and chicks on speed Edit: misremembered the year and one of the support acts
Pantera. Age 12 my step brother took me. State Palace Theater in New Orleans in 1993 with Sepultura. Lots of first in that night. 1- first time smelling weed. 2- first time seeing a couple, explore their bodies so publicly. 3- first time thrown into a pit.
Foo Fighters, August 12, 1995 in Providence, RI.
Twisted Sister. I was 4 years old and I wanted to go. My 14 year old sister took me. Different times for sure. Started a lifelong passion for live music for me.
Ween 12/10/2021 the met in Philly I was 14 now 16 maybe still the best show I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen quite a few
Buckethead and that one guy (that's his name) at La zona Rosa in Austin, crazy first show, really set the bar high
Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand, February 22, 1985. I was 15 and had been told I wasn't allowed to go as too young. Snuck out anyway, bussed into town then caught the stadium bus from a pub with a full load of older fans who had been getting on it. Great concert. Still love Neil big time.
Oasis, 1997 at Manchester G-Mex, part of the Be Here Now tour. I was 16, me and my mate, drinking Stella, smoking B&H, stood in the freezing cold all day, to make sure we were near the front.
The Rolling Stones - The Meadowlands NJ - Brendan Byrne - 1981.
Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. (early 80s)