I’m not a huge fan of live rock shows.
I’ve only been to a couple arena concerts (Iron Maiden, Megadeth), so the 40-50 live performances I’ve seen have been in smaller venues like clubs or bars. To be fair, I like the idea of the live setting (the energy, all the dedicated fans) and I thoroughly enjoy DVDs and YouTube vids of bands playing live. Mostly, though, live shows never start on schedule, the wait between bands is a time-suck, you have to avoid swinging/kicking moshers, and you leave the place deaf and smelling like a thousand cigarettes.
Yet, I do have many fond rock show memories, and I’m realizing now that they fall into two basic categories. First, there are those rare shows where the entire bill was great, especially if you are already familiar with all of the bands. I’m sure it’s rare luck for any music fan, but here’s mine:
- Faith No More/Soundgarden/Voivod A very young Mike Patton-fronted FNM began playing while the venue’s lights were still on, Soundgarden had long-hairs in leather jackets spilling from the balcony down into the crowd, and Voivod had a smoke machine.
- Carcass/Pestilence/Death A show much ballyhood here in this very blog, probably one of the greatest late ’80s death metal lineups to behold. It was also ‘Leprosy’-era Death, before Chuck (RIP) started listening to Al DiMeola and fusion stuff.
- Shudder To Think/Sunny Day Real Estate Around 1995, Shudder to Think played many songs that were dark and mysterious which were never released, much due to label dismay and singer Craig Wedren’s unfortunate illness. It was also my first time seeing SDRE.
- Hayden/Eric’s Trip An odd pairing, with Hayden Desser doing the solo voice & acoustic guitar before Eric’s Trip transformed their fuzzy lo-fi home recordings into the loudest, noisiest show I’d seen. Even got a signed t-shirt.
The second category of live show is where forgettable opening acts vanish into history once the headlining act (who you really came to see) takes the stage. Many years later, you might see the band mentioned somewhere and quip, “Yeah, I saw them live. They opened for —-. They sucked.”
Here’s a few of those that immediately come to mind:
- Limp Bizkit Yes, I saw them in concert. They were the (then) unknown opening act for a Faith No More “reunion” show, and I don’t think anyone in attendance was impressed. Remarkable what MTV and shrewd promotion can do for a crappy group in a few years.
- Billy Goat I don’t remember if it was 24-7 Spyz or Primus that these funky goons opened for, but I do remember their goat-like singer pulling his shorts down and giving the “brown eye” to a heckler in the crowd. I believe that the heckler may’ve been in the right. Actually saw their CD at a thrift store not long ago.
- Rights of the Accused I ordered their CD from Amazon recently, since I couldn’t even remember how forgettable they were. They conjured mental images of cowboy hats and beer (things I was not into at the time), and I vaguely recall the band members were standing in the lanes of a bowling alley in a picture somewhere. Bleh.
- H.W.A. Hoes With Attitude You really can’t put too many acts in the warmup spot for a crazed act like Fishbone, and these hoes were a flop. Only their immodest apparel remains with me as a memory of their talents.
To satisfy anyone’s morbid curiosity, here (to the best of my recollection) is the list of bands I’ve seen: Fates Warning, Godflesh, Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, Voivod, Soundgarden, Braniac, Jesus Lizard, Primus, 24-7 Spyz, Fishbone, H.W.A., Cappadonna, Amen, The Promise Ring, Jets to Brazil, Thought Industry, Corrosion of Conformity, Megadeth, Waysted, Iron Maiden, Shadows Fall, In Flames, Soilwork, Killswitch Engage, Thoughts of Ionesco, Ink & Dagger, Scar Culture, Avenged Sevenfold, Sanctuary, Death, Pestilence, Carcass, Palace Brothers, Doxie, Rights of The Accused, Soulstorm, Rollins Band, Jane’s Addiction, Living Sacrifice, No Knife, Soul Junk, Danielson Family, His Name is Alive, Hayden, Eric’s Trip, Elevator To Hell, Godhead Silo, 16 Horsepower, Living Sacrifice, Kind of Like Spitting, nymb, lovesick, Dead On, From Autumn To Ashes, Nevermore, Billy Goat, Solid Frog, Black Spring, Echo & The Bunnymen, Julie Doiron & Wooden Stars, Folk Implosion, The Tea Party, Sunny Day Real Estate, shift, Christian Death, Starflyer 59, Red House Painters
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You really should see as many local shows as you can. There are countless times when bands I have never heard of blow the socks off of every band making the rock press nationally. In addition you get to meet several cool fans, while supporting the artists who need it.
When has any show ever started on schedule? I don’t complain that hookers don’t leave mints on my pillow when they’re done, because that’s not what they do. It’s not how that works.
Bands taking too long to set up gives you time to converse, drink and piss. And when there’s a crap band you’ll wish you had more empty time.
Avoid moshers? take 3 steps back (rinse, repeat).
Deafening sound set up? Buy ear plugs. If you’re not going to take it from me, take it from Pete Townshend.
You will leave smelling like a million cigarettes, but where the hell are you going at 2 AM that’s so important for you to make a good impression? Do you have an audience with the pope? Take a shower and go to bed, or go to the 24 hour diner where you will fit in with everyone else’s cigarette stench.
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