The first rock show I ever saw was Bad Company on their “Desolation Angels” tour. I was 14 (I think), here in the states visiting grandparents on vacation, and my long-suffering dad took me. He sat in the audience, reading computer magazines (anybody remember “Byte”?) and generally trying not to show his lack of appreciation for what was probably a pretty lousy show.
I remember the University of Toledo arena being thick with the pungent smell of dirtweed, and the security apes shining their flashlight in my face to see if *I* was the kid firing up. Not me, mannnn! I also remember the hi-tech showstopper: a drum solo, featuring special drumsticks that had LASERS attached to them! Frickin’ LASERS on the drumsticks, dude!
Anyhow, that was my first rock show. What was yours?
I look forward to your responses.
HVB
Bakshi, the title of this thread is going to give me nightmares.
I think, without being entirely certain of it, that the first rock show I ever went to was in 1978: Ted Nugent, with Van Halen opening. Even then I could tell which band was better.
AC/DC opening for KISS in 77 I think.
It was supposed to be Lynyrd Skynyrd. I had the ticket and everything but the plane crashed. I xeroxed the ticket and got my $7.50 refund.
First show (70’s pussy division)-Harry Chapin with England Dan and John Ford Coley opening at the Valley Forge Music Fair.
First “real” rock show-Genesis-Duke tour at the Spectrum.
The quality of shows grew exponentially after that.
Say, Joeenglishband… are you *that* Joe English?
Wait, that was a stupid question. Sorry. But welcome to RTH anyhow!
Holy Shit HVB, That’s so funny that you saw Bad Co. then, because I remember this dude I went to school with (I was in “ART” class with him), who would probably best be described as a stoner-delinquent type, coming out of HIS after-school job, when I was on a break from mine, & telling me about the “WICKED AWESOME” Bad Company show he had just seen. He spent A LOT of time describing the laser-show drum sticks! I just nodded along w/the story, saying, “Cool!” occasionally, but thinking it was just like when guys described KISS shows to me. They never once mentioned hoe the band SOUNDED. It was ALL ABOUT the light show. Man, that’s funny to me.
Anyway, the 1st “real” show I saw was Look Sharp-era Joe Jackson Band at The Berkley Performance Center in Boston. I think the local opening band was La Peste (“Better Off Dead”), & Joe & the band were tight as hell. I remember the gtr player (was that Gary Sanford?) moved like an electrified chicken of some sort (I was innocent of the ways of speed & coke in those days). It was a really good show. I think the next two shows I saw were both Clash shows. I don’t remember the light shows at any of ’em.
In the post above, of course, I meant to write “how the band sounded”, not “hoe the band sounded”. Man, I hate when I doe that!…D’OH!!!
Bittman: that’s cool as shit!
It must have been 1975.
Sweet was the headliner and Eric Carmen opened.
I saw a bunch of local bands before I ever went to a “real” concert, and I think that had a lot to do with what I think a show should be. But I only remember the name of a band called Tight Kitty. I remember it because I “got it.” But I went to a lot of shows that the Community Center put on and they were a blast.
The first big show was at Cleveland Publi Hall, and Max Webster opened up. They sucked. Derringer was next, and Rick Derringer blew me away. I couldn’t believe how much better he was than other people I had seen up to that point. The headliner was Rush on the tour that either became All the World’s a Stage or supported that album. They were okay, but even then I knew I’d never see them again, and that the coolness I saw in them was gone.
That kid in the video needs an older brother or sister in a bad way.
HVB, Which part? The show I saw or the guy describing the laser show drum sticks? At this point, I’m not really sure. Joe & the band WERE really good that night, though.
BTW, My other main visual impression of the night, apart from Electro-Chicken on gtr, was how FRIKKIN’ TALL Joe Jackson was. I never really got a sense that he was such a skinny giant from the music press stuff I’d seen, but he’s gotta be 6’4″ or so. These guys are USUALLY shorter than you’d imagine.
That video is great. The kid has figured out that there’s a “secret compartment” where the record resides. I love his note — “If you know the current value of this album, please contact me. This is a great record for the record collectors.” Sorry, son, that box in your dad’s basement is not a gold mine.
My first concert was Herman’s Hermits plus Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders. The second was Paul Revere & the Raiders and other people from the Where The Action Is! TV show. And then there was a loooong stretch with nothing until the era of hippie concerts began.
Bittman: the laser stick synchronicity.
After your deflowering by Bad Co. I sincerely hope you dusted for crotch rot.
1976 Elton John. 6th grade. Dad chaperoned and I took a date. Veteran’s Memorial coliseum in Phoenix. Some dude three seats over puked his guts out before the show even started.
I was suspicious of a guy standing in the aisle below that was smoking two cigarettes, one of which he only smoked when a security guy came around.
Billy Jean King joined Elton on stage for Philadelphia Freedom and it was probably 10 years before the meaning of that dawned on me.
We left prior encore as my dad was tired and we didn’t know there was such a thing as an encore. This guy Curt, who used to go #2 in the school can with the stall door open, gave me the business because I missed Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.
I know. Weird, isn’t it? Yet, oddly mundane.
HVB, I mean, considering the time period we’re talking about. All I EVER heard from people who went to concerts before I did was, “Oh man, the light show was pissah!” So, whaddya expect?
Do you know that I kinda know you from 80s DC? I failed the audition as vocalist for the band you put together w/ a bs player, whose 1st name began w/a K. He wanted me to sing “Waiting For My Man” like Ian McCulloch, & I wanted to talk-sing like Mr. Lou.He kept saying, “Sing!”, you were kinda neutral. Ring any bells?
I can’t remember if The Cars with Greg Kihn Band at the Spectrum was my first rock concert or some beret-wearing white blooz band, The Nighthawks, with John Eddie and the Front Street Runners at Emerald City. The Cars was my first arena-rock show, regardless. I’ve spoken of both of these shows in the past.
The boy in that video had no idea of the implications of the gatefold sleeve, did he. 2K, I nominate you to serve as this boy’s Rock ‘n Roll Big Brother.
Mr. Mod, I wasn’t privy to your comments on The Cars. When I saw ’em in high school, I thought they could’ve just put out cardboard cut-outs of the band on stage & played the record (except for Elliott Easton, who was quite animated, in comparison). The lights were AWESOME, though. Apart from that…BORING!
With a little research I pinned it down. Johnny Winter And, Allman Brothers and Redbone, May 14, 1971 at the Philadelphia Spectrum. I’m pretty sure that Johnny Winter And, with Rick Derringer were the headliner, although the listing on the site I found makes it look as if the Allman’s did.
Mr. Mod, Thankfully the lad on the over of The Who’s “It’s Hard” (it wasn’t) had his back turned to the camera. Lucky boy.
BigSteve, I know E. Pluribus is too cool for school these days, but just in case he checks in, how was Herman’s Hermits? Were they really as good as he’d like to believe?
Bobby, I had a similar experience with The Cars, although at that time, I thought it was really cool that they played everything exactly as they played it on the album – and they all knew when to step forward and backward at key moments in songs. To tell the truth, I still kind of like that stuff.
I complained till I could tag along with my older sister to the David Cassidy show at The Steel Pier in Atlantic City. I was in the back and could barely see him but he wore a white fringe Elvis-y jumpsuit. He made a grand escape with two decoy cars. I saw him again at The Spectrum.
Years later The Spectrum was the site of the first teenage rock concert I saw (at fifteen), Ted Nugent headlining over The Scorpions and opening Def Leppard. Nugent swung down on a rope in a animal skin, it was the WANGO TANGO Tour.
Someone passed a joint to me and I waved it off saying “I’m a Christian”. I had never said such a thing before (or since), I think I was just afraid of getting nabbed with the joint and said that hoping they’d take it away from me.
OH MAN, do WE have different aesthetics, or what? I guess you saw Mr. Easton as an out of control loose cannon, eh?
Mod, I saw The Cars way back then. I think the only thing slightly out of the script was the obligatory shout out to the hometown crowd by Ben Orr. They were real dull and I was disappointed.
I don’t have time to be that kid’s big brother. My boys grew up and while I don’t always like what they listen to, they’ve mainly followed in my footsteps and dig around on the fringes of rockdom. I wish they were more interested in Rock History, but I think they know who Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry are, which is pretty good for 20 somethings. I’d tell that kid to stay out of my records, though.
I’m afraid I can’t comment on the Hermits musicianship. This was after all over 40 years ago. At the time I certainly thought they were great, but this was during the screaming era, so we couldn’t really hear the music much.
Kiss at the Tower Theater. I don’t care what this Bittman character says, that shit rocked! Were they loud, catchy, and boldly redefining the term “adequate”? Hell yeah. Did lots of things blow up? Damn straight! My brother and I were in the first row of the balcony, and unclear of joint protocol, so, being at the end of the row, we didn’t know who to pass them to. My 13th birthday present. Whee!
I saw Nugent as the first act in Nugent, Blue Oyster Cult, and ZZ Top. Now the Cult knew their lasers! Plenty of pot smoke for the lights to hit. Yes, indeed. I didn’t spend much time then wishing these bands had kept their spectacular visuals to themselves in order to focus on the music. If you’re in a freaking arena, music is severely hobbled from the get go! So other than playing the album, or opening up for a lengthy study of Midrange Reverb, you may as well give me something I can’t get at home!
Samulah said:
This guy Curt, who used to go #2 in the school can with the stall door open, gave me the business because I missed Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.
I say:
Now THAT’s funny!
My first REAL rock concert was Whitesnake with Great White opening. This was before the “Twice Shy” period.
My “cool” aunt took me to the show despite my mom having access to backstage as she played “bunco” with Whitesnake drummer Tommy Aldridge’s sister (Tommy’s from my hometown of Pearl, MS). Mom backed out, but the prospect of hanging out with Whitesnake was utterlly cool to this naive seventh grader. In hindsight, I’m probably glad Mom backed out. But, I did get to see the show.
The main thing I remember was Jack Russell, singer for Great White, sharing a story about the really fat groupie he woke up next to that morning. He described this in lurid detail. I watched, shocked, and looked over at my aunt for any answers to this. She was sitting there laughing heartily, arms crossed. God bless her.
The Mississippi Coliseum was a great venue for the hair metal cicuit and got to see many shows after that. Tickets were relatively cheap and the place is small enough that there’s not really a bad seat in there.
Ratt, The Crue, Metallica…ah, the memories…
TB
TB, I gotta know what “bunco” is. With all due respect, it sounds kinky.
My first concert was Devo at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston on July 20, 1979, the 10th Anniversary of the Moon landing. They didn’t have an opening act. Instead, they had something called “videos”. I went w/my high school friend John, who went to the front of the stage to drop off a newspaper article about the falling of Skylab, which was big news back then.
Also, my first Kinks concert was at the old Boston Garden in October 1981. I sat in the upper-upper balcony, where you look straight down.
Finally, the last time I was at the Orpheum was in 2004 to see Brian Wilson do Smile. I noticed that the place was in the exact same condition as when I saw Devo, despite having “restoration charges” added to my ticket.
Well, this makes me feel rather callow, but my first concert was Peter Gabriel at the Spectrum in 1993, the Us tour. He had a regular rectangle stage, plus a catwalk that led out to a circular stage in the middle of the arena. The rectangle stage was for the hard-emotion “male” songs, and the round one for the soft “feminine” songs. I’m not making this up. Band included Tony Levin and Manu Katche, and was thus probably a total Kentonite fest, but it didn’t matter much, given the acoustics at the Specturm. Anyway, I had a great time. My uncle took me.
I’m not really sure what bunco was or is. I know that a group of my mom and her friends would get together once a month to play. Each member of this “club” would host the party at their home, taking turns. They would win prizes and stuff. I think it’s some sort of card game. Us men-folk weren’t allowed to participate, so it may have been some crazy, lesbian kinky stuff going on. But, considering that my mom wouldn’t go to the Whitesnake after party, I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t. I know they brought food and snacks and stuff. Whenever my mom hosted we all had to go out with Dad and leave the house. We’d get to come home and eat all the leftover goodies.
Bunco (according to Wiki):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunco
At any rate, my Mom’s claim to fame was playing bunco with Whitesnake’s drummer’s sister.
TB
PS–Tommy also played with Black Oak Arkansas, Ozzy (Randy Rhodes era), and recently I saw him playing for the Nuge.
Not the worst claim to fame anyone’s shared in the Halls of Rock, TB. Thanks!
My first concert was, ahem (shifts uncomfortably), Billy Joel on the Innocent Man tour in 1983. He opened with Angry Young Man and blew my tiny mind. The whole show was pretty great, as I recall.
My souvenir was a concert t-shirt: neon sky blue, sleeveless, with a blinding pink skinny tie printed down the middle of it. Oh, god, the eighties.
Oats, the thought of the masculine and feminine stages at the Gabriel concert have had me chuckling all day. Thanks.
Technically, it was a David Bowie concert in 04, but when people ask i insist it was the Flaming Lip’s Concert in 06 or 07. I stood right by the stage at the far right, and got tackled by some middle-aged woman.
My first rock show was the Who at the Oakland Coliseum arena in 1979 (I think). A friend convinced me to drink a bottle of cold duck in the parking lot so my most vivid memory is stumbling into the nightmarish restroom while the opening band, Blackfoot, played. The Who must of been good – it’s all more than a bit hazy.
Cold Duck – do they still make that stuff? I was just joking with a coworker about that stuff.
Moddy, Yup, I believe I saw a bottle of Cold Duck out of the corner of my eye in the refrigerated beverage section of a liquor store a little while back. Heehee…Cold Duck.
couple of reasons for creating a name & signing up so i could leave a post. initially, to answer the question, my first show was allman brothers band, 1978 or 79 Enlightened Rogues tour, the old (and only) Boston Garden – or Bawstin Gahdin to us locals. More importantly, about the title of the post, i badly wanted to see Bad Company in 1978, all my friends had tickets but somehow, i missed the ride to TicketTron, stayed home while they all went but I did have sex for the first time that night instead of going to the show. To this day, my friends and I still debate over who had the better night way back then and tho riding the ‘red line’ on the T home from the concert was a bit sketchy, I think that I, indeed, have the better story
“riding the ‘red line”
So that’s what the kids are calling it these days.
Excellent, cdm. Those trains even go through tunnels. You don’t need to be Fellint to figure it out.
Or Fellini for that matter.