MR

Wasn't it great when we used to go to concerts and literally had NO idea what was going to be played?

I'm not knockin' how it is nowadays...progress and all...but I remember almost passing OUT sometimes when the band I was seeing would play something I had hoped they would play but wasn't counting on being performed that night....

Maui Tom wrote:Wasn't it great when we used to go to concerts and literally had NO idea what was going to be played?

I'm not knockin' how it is nowadays...progress and all...but I remember almost passing OUT sometimes when the band I was seeing would play something I had hoped they would play but wasn't counting on being performed that night....

That and you were hammered.

I agree with the post though. Times are different now, for sure. There are no new bands I'm interesting in seeing at this point, so we have to settle for the dozen songs we know are going to be played and hope for something obscure.

Rick wrote:

Maui Tom wrote:Wasn't it great when we used to go to concerts and literally had NO idea what was going to be played?

I'm not knockin' how it is nowadays...progress and all...but I remember almost passing OUT sometimes when the band I was seeing would play something I had hoped they would play but wasn't counting on being performed that night....

That and you were hammered.

I agree with the post though. Times are different now, for sure. There are no new bands I'm interesting in seeing at this point, so we have to settle for the dozen songs we know are going to be played and hope for something obscure.

I told my nephs to NEVER drink and drive cuz me and the bro used ALL of the house money and then some back in the day...

If you're a Moody Blues fan, go see them. There are usually 4 or 5 songs in their setlist that you wont see coming. They might be playing smaller venues now but they're playing what they want and if you're close to the front, Justin will actually listen to your requests, not that it's a guarantee that he will play it but at least the interaction is there.

and getting busy signals for HOURS when tickets went on sale and you were desparately trying to call ... or standing in line at some rathole ticket outlet only to get to the window and find nothing left but the nosebleed seats

and having the bands come on 2-3 hours past their scheduled time because they took their sweet time during set changes and took the stage when they felt like it ...

and when they did finally start singing, you couldn't see them from up in the rafters through the massive haze of cigaratte and pot smoke rising to the ceiling ...

and often the songs didn't sound a thing like the album you so loved because the sound equipment sucked and the singer was most likely drunk/stoned out of his/her mind ...

and the t-shirt you bought on the way out was nothing but strings (or shrunk to Barbiedoll size) after you finally washed it because it was a bootleg made in some far off place ...

yep, those days were fuckin' awesome ... sigh

DrFU wrote:and getting busy signals for HOURS when tickets went on sale and you were desparately trying to call ... or standing in line at some rathole ticket outlet only to get to the window and find nothing left but the nosebleed seats

and having the bands come on 2-3 hours past their scheduled time because they took their sweet time during set changes and took the stage when they felt like it ...

and when they did finally start singing, you couldn't see them from up in the rafters through the massive haze of cigaratte and pot smoke rising to the ceiling ...

and often the songs didn't sound a thing like the album you so loved because the sound equipment sucked and the singer was most likely drunk/stoned out of his/her mind ...

and the t-shirt you bought on the way out was nothing but strings (or shrunk to Barbiedoll size) after you finally washed it because it was a bootleg made in some far off place ...

yep, those days were fuckin' awesome ... sigh

Great post, Linda. I'm crackin' up.

DrFU wrote:and getting busy signals for HOURS when tickets went on sale and you were desparately trying to call ... or standing in line at some rathole ticket outlet only to get to the window and find nothing left but the nosebleed seats

and having the bands come on 2-3 hours past their scheduled time because they took their sweet time during set changes and took the stage when they felt like it ...

and when they did finally start singing, you couldn't see them from up in the rafters through the massive haze of cigaratte and pot smoke rising to the ceiling ...

and often the songs didn't sound a thing like the album you so loved because the sound equipment sucked and the singer was most likely drunk/stoned out of his/her mind ...

and the t-shirt you bought on the way out was nothing but strings (or shrunk to Barbiedoll size) after you finally washed it because it was a bootleg made in some far off place ...

yep, those days were fuckin' awesome ... sigh

they fuckin' were....

Chics pissing into dixie cups outside on the sidewalk. Where are you going to see that nowadays?

Gunbot wrote:Chics pissing into dixie cups outside on the sidewalk. Where are you going to see that nowadays?

Bill Graham letting us into a sold out Winterland show...true story...

Jana wrote:

DrFU wrote:and getting busy signals for HOURS when tickets went on sale and you were desparately trying to call ... or standing in line at some rathole ticket outlet only to get to the window and find nothing left but the nosebleed seats

and having the bands come on 2-3 hours past their scheduled time because they took their sweet time during set changes and took the stage when they felt like it ...

and when they did finally start singing, you couldn't see them from up in the rafters through the massive haze of cigaratte and pot smoke rising to the ceiling ...

and often the songs didn't sound a thing like the album you so loved because the sound equipment sucked and the singer was most likely drunk/stoned out of his/her mind ...

and the t-shirt you bought on the way out was nothing but strings (or shrunk to Barbiedoll size) after you finally washed it because it was a bootleg made in some far off place ...

yep, those days were fuckin' awesome ... sigh

Great post, Linda. I'm crackin' up.

Yeah but no one cared about all that because people passed back in the day.

I remember the Spectrum guys in Philly would let you in after 30 minutes if it was sold out and you were still hanging around. I got to see Billy Squier and Men at Work that way.

Maui Tom wrote:Wasn't it great when we used to go to concerts and literally had NO idea what was going to be played?

I'm not knockin' how it is nowadays...progress and all...but I remember almost passing OUT sometimes when the band I was seeing would play something I had hoped they would play but wasn't counting on being performed that night....

The problem is that RARELY happens anymore...

I get what your saying...........when a song came on you went YEAH! And screamed approval! When they went for first encore, you were bummed if your song was not played, then if they came back on stage and played it you were so excited! Suprises like that are mini Christmas gifts at concerts...........

Having said that, I don't miss camped out all night in the pooring rain to fight scalpers to get a ticket at all.........#6 in row camped out and it was sold out two people behind me! Scalpers.............

I hate encores nowadays because they are so planned. You know there will be an encore (except for Angie) and you usually know what song(s) it will be. Remember the days when the encore was truly based on overwhelming audience reaction to the show that the band felt compelled to come back out? And since it was spur-of-the-moment they would just jam something out! Those were the days when music, especially live music, was a religion.

How about...standing in line, hollering, one, two, three, four, open up the fucking door!

Door open and the 400 yard long line compresses to a 50 yard long line. Then suddenly realizing your feet aren't touching the ground. Then dragging a foot as a rudder to steer you to the door. Hoping you didn't die like some people did.

Hitting the air conditioned venue...ahhhh. Then, shit, the sprint to the floor to stake your spot with the GA seating. Later fighting off the drunk assholes that try to squeeze in front of you. Having to pee and then fighting your way back to your spot with everyone thinking YOU are one of those drunk assholes.

The parties outside waiting for the lines to start and then standing in the lines. It was much more of an event back then. No showing up at 7:59 for a 8:00 p.m. show.

Everyone peeing in the sink.

The anticipation of what the band will open with. House lights go dark, the lighters come on.

Doobage.

Tickets were $8.00. Tee shirts were about the same. Beers weren't, even though it really didn't matter as most were smuggling in bottles.

Summer jams.

New bands were discovered for first time when an opening act.

DrFU wrote:and getting busy signals for HOURS when tickets went on sale and you were desparately trying to call ... or standing in line at some rathole ticket outlet only to get to the window and find nothing left but the nosebleed seats

and having the bands come on 2-3 hours past their scheduled time because they took their sweet time during set changes and took the stage when they felt like it ...

and when they did finally start singing, you couldn't see them from up in the rafters through the massive haze of cigaratte and pot smoke rising to the ceiling ...

and often the songs didn't sound a thing like the album you so loved because the sound equipment sucked and the singer was most likely drunk/stoned out of his/her mind ...

and the t-shirt you bought on the way out was nothing but strings (or shrunk to Barbiedoll size) after you finally washed it because it was a bootleg made in some far off place ...

yep, those days were fuckin' awesome ... sigh

Hey... that's not for old folks. All those things were applicable in my (albeit, early) day too!

ahhh the good ol' Day on the Greens..

Day On The Green #2,
July 4, 1979:

Journey, The J. Geils Band, UFO, Thin Lizzy, Nazareth, The Rockets

$12.50 bucks for a ticket....

camping in the parking lot overnight to get in line... partying all damn nite long...

waiting in line for hours to get in....

Then its HOTTER than hell - 80,000 people frying in 100 degree heat....firehoses on the crowd hot...

The most awesome fireworks show after the concert....

Great memories...

Yep, man, those were fun times.

slucero wrote:ahhh the good ol' Day on the Greens..

Day On The Green #2,
July 4, 1979:

Journey, The J. Geils Band, UFO, Thin Lizzy, Nazareth, The Rockets

$12.50 bucks for a ticket....

camping in the parking lot overnight to get in line... partying all damn nite long...

waiting in line for hours to get in....

Then its HOTTER than hell - 80,000 people frying in 100 degree heat....firehoses on the crowd hot...

The most awesome fireworks show after the concert....

Great memories...

I would have love to have been there as I was all of 10 years old

Don't stop at 1979....go back another decade....I'm sure some remember this:

http://blogcritics.org/video/article/the-rolling-stones-altamont-music-festival/

Show promotor: Bill Graham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v9WcwTbErw

Anyone still have their ticket stubs? I have a shitload of them from the '80's.

NealIsGod wrote:Anyone still have their ticket stubs? I have a shitload of them from the '80's.

My sister has a really cool collection of them... she's saved every single one from 1986 to now and has them in order by date. The first one is Journey, 10/4/86. I'm soooooo jealous.

I have all of mine somewhere but my small collection is nowhere near as impressive as hers, in terms of both quantity and quality.

StocktontoMalone wrote:NKOTB

You're gettin' on my nerves.
We all have embarrassing concerts in our past. The worst thing I ever saw was Tiffany (not by choice though).
Or maybe Dogstar. That was pretty awful.

StocktontoMalone wrote:Don't stop at 1979....go back another decade....I'm sure some remember this:

http://blogcritics.org/video/article/the-rolling-stones-altamont-music-festival/

Show promotor: Bill Graham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v9WcwTbErw

I remember reading about it all to well.

NealIsGod wrote:Anyone still have their ticket stubs? I have a shitload of them from the '80's.

Yeah, I still have all of mine--probably about 60-70.

Babyblue wrote:

StocktontoMalone wrote:Don't stop at 1979....go back another decade....I'm sure some remember this:

http://blogcritics.org/video/article/the-rolling-stones-altamont-music-festival/

Show promotor: Bill Graham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v9WcwTbErw

I remember reading about it all to well.

Graham didn't promote that show...the Stones put this thing on...like Bill would hire Hell's Angels to work security...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altamont_Free_Concert