Stevie Ray Vaughan

It was loud AAF, leaving my ears ringing for almost a week afterward, but it was just so much fun while I was there.

Honorable mention goes to the Chris de Burgh concert I attended. He’s quite the showman, but it was the pop era of his music and I wasn’t as into it as I was into Vaughan’s at that concert.

U2 at Massey Hall in 1983. It was the “War” tour. They weren’t well known at that point - we bought tickets the day of the show. They were also still professing Christianity and there was a big “John 3:16” banner across the balconies. But Holy shit the energy!

They began to blow up on “The Unforgettable Fire” tour the next year. They played Massey again at the beginning but by the end they were playing much larger venues.

Probably when I saw Snarky Puppy in my hometown of Aalborg, Denmark. In the jazz-fusion world they are very well-known, but I never expected them to do a stop in my town of a 100.000 people. I brought a friend who had never heard their music before at all, and we got 2nd row seats. He was blown away, and afterwards we got selfies with Michale League, the bassist of the band.

Ooof. Tough question.

Probably one of:

Iron Maiden, Sheffield City Hall, Somewhere on Tour, 1986
Metallica, Sheffield Arena, 1992
Depeche Mode, supported by Sisters of Mercy, Crystal Palace, 1993
Sisters of Mercy, the Fenton pub, Leed, 1996
Primal Scream / Alabama 3, Rock City Nottingham, 1998
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Brixton Academy, 2001

Big arena things like Metallica at the Sheffield Arena are so different to intimate pub gigs like the Sisters of Mercy at the Fenton that it’s really hard to compare.

Phoenix is just something else, saw them twice, Love Like A Sunset is a unique experience. Love their energy and how they interact with the crowd!

Pretty much any Welle:Erdball concert.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, supported by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, at the Coogee Bay Hotel in 1985, or maybe '86.

Arrived nice and early, just the right amount stoned, and got right up front leaning on the stage.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, they put on a great show.

This is a really hard question, so many gigs to choose from. I’d probably choose a VNV Nation gig I went to in Slimelight, London. They were famous (in the goth scene, at least) at that point but did an intentionally small gig for the old fans.

A close #2 would be The Dead Milkmen at a gig in Marburg back in the 90s. Was the first time I heard the grunge sound, and I thought it was excellent.

So much good music, so little time…

I’ve seen so many. Stevie Ray Vaughan at the Variety Theater in Cleveland, Oh, USA, in 1984. He was new to the scene, and he played from his heart. It was pure and moved me in a way few other musicians have. I saw him 6 more times before he died.

Motorhead at the same Variety Theater, maybe 1985. It was the loudest show I’ve ever seen. The ceiling fell in chunks, and they had to stop the show before the building broke apart. Absolutely incredible.

Equality Rocks in Washington DC, 2000. Melissa Etheridge, George Michael, The Indigo Girls, k.d. lang, Pet Shop Boys, and more… all in one place. The entire RFK Stadium was silent for Melissa Etheridge’s Scarecrow. It still makes me cry.

Halestorm, Lita Ford, and Dorothy in Raleigh, NC, USA. We went for Halestorm- Lzzy has one of the best voices in rock, ever. I was super psyched to see Lita Ford- I’ve been a fan since her Runaways days and haven’t seen her live. But for me, the showstopper was Dorothy- an unknown who’s song Gun in My Hand echoed in my head until I was able to buy her album months later when it was released. I’ve seen her 4 times since.

Orianthi in November 2023, Detroit, MI, USA. She had incredible talent, and being able to see her in a small club with a few hundred people is an experience I will never forget. She, like SRV, plays from her heart. She rocked that place. I also saw her in Colombis, OH. I can’t wait to see her again. Ori, if you see this, I think that I know you. I had my hands up to show you.

Last was my most recent concert, 12 July 2024. Amanda Marshall and Colin James at The Budweiser Stage in Toronto, Ontario, CA. I heard Amanda and Colin on the 96 FM from London, Ontario, across Lake Erie in 95 or 96. Amanda’s Let It Rain blew me away. Her voice is incredible. Colin’s Voodoo Thing was one of the most fun Texas Blues sings I’ve heard since SRV. I saw Amanda in 1997 or 98 when she was just starting out. She was great. Then she had a fight with Sony Music CA and didn’t record or play for 25 years. I own every album either of them have recorded. All of Amanda’s compilations and everything Colin did from blues to big band. The July show was the first big show since Amanda returned. It was pouring rain as I walked into the amphitheater. I was in the second row, dead center. Colin opened with Voodoo Thing, and it only got better. I was on my feet from the beginning of the set to the end. I sang every word. Colin was everything I hoped he would be. I’m going to see him again this month. Then Amanda took the stage. The emotion was palpable. She opened with Let It Rain and never slowed down. I, a 57 yr old guy, sang every word along with the women on my right and the couple on my left. We were all on our feet dancing and singing the whole show. Amanda’s voice, timing, sense of humor, and musicality have only gotten better. I look forward to seeing her again soon.

It depends a lot on what you’re looking for. Iconic bands? Probably Neil Young with Crazy Horse or Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Best production was probably Trans Siberian Orchestra.

The Moody Blues were damn fun to watch. They were pretty old by the time I saw them, but they sure looked like they were having fun. It was infectious.

A Foo Fighters concert years ago in Auckland, New Zealand where Dave Grohl burped in the middle of a chorus and kept on trucking. Automatic winner for me

I could never pick a favorite but one of the ones that always sticks with me was My Morning Jacket when they played the Sasquatch Festival.

Another really memorable one was the Bad Plus (a jazz trio if you’re not familiar). They’re crazy good musicians.

I’ve never been in a concert. Is too much for me, plus the music I like isn’t music that family likes. And I don’t wanna go alone.

Springsteen

I’ve seen him with the band in big venues and solo in tiny theaters. Best show was a Philly warehouse when I was in the front row, maybe 8 feet from him