Pick any Concert/Festival or Band Tour from the past you'd pay huge money to go back in time

[Hugh_Lebowski]

to watch live.

Here's mine, 1992, Madison Square Garden (be sure to watch to the end to see who all was there at the show apart from the legends in this song, featuring Dylan, Petty, Harrison, Young, McGuinn, Clapton, Steve Cropper & G.E. Smith)

[RainCaster]

1. Queen- any show with Freddy Mercury

[Hugh_Lebowski]

4. Great choice, though for me if the criteria were a single band ...

I'd probably go with Rush on the tour where they recorded Exit Stage Left.

Or maybe Yes when they recorded Yessongs.

[Diamond_Dog]

2. Holy Cow that's what you call an all star lineup!

I’m sure I could come up with many shows I wished I’d been at. 😄

This is what comes off the top of my head. Queen the Live Aid performance.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

8. That would definitely be up there, esp. if I could see both London and NY at the same time

[Diamond_Dog]

10. U2 had a breakout performance there as well

What a show!

[LakeArenal]

3. We have seen more than eighty concerts.

I couldn’t pick my fav.

Maybe the Stones with Rufus and the Eagles (first appearance with Joe Walsh)

But my highlight was Small Faces, Deep Purple and Mathew’s Southern Comfort when we somehow managed to get back stage meet the bands and kissed Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. Asked to party with them but had to get my dad’s car home by 1 am..

Oh to be young again.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

5. I was kinda thinking 'shows you didn't go to', but I guess I didn't specify

I've probably done over a hundred, but for a 'go back in time and re-experience one I went to, as it actually happened, at that age, on the substances I was on back then' it would be:

1) U2 - The Joshua Tree tour (which I saw 4 times, 3 indoor, 1 outdoor)
2) Yes - 90125 tour (which I saw 2 times, but specifically I mean at the Greek in Berkeley in 1984, senior in HS, on a hit of amazing Purple Microdot I scored at People's Park).
3) The Cure - The Prayer Tour (i.e. for the Disintegration album, which I saw 2 times)

[LakeArenal]

9. Oh... I'd go back the see Beatles in Shae Stadium.

I wouldn’t hear it but I’d love to have been there.

[Diamond_Dog]

12. I wonder if you could even hear them over all the screaming!

[LakeArenal]

14. As I said I wouldn't have heard it but I wish I could say I was there.

But I will never have the feeling again of hearing McCartney sing Let it Be in recent times. A friend bought my ticket. It was my favorite single tune from any concert.

[Beatlelvr]

16. I saw the Beatles twice

No, you couldn't really hear them, but somehow, that was okay.

[LakeArenal]

18. I had Paul embroidered on one side of my pillow and George on the other.

I put it away when I got married. I still think of them when I’m falling asleep hugging my pillow.

Lucky you.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

25. I just had Farrah's Swimsuit Poster on one side of my mine when I was 10 in 1976

But I also loved the Beatles ... and Kiss, Zeppelin and Aerosmith ... just not in the same way

[OilemFirchen]

30. Saw that lineup too!

We went to see Matthew's Southern Comfort (they sucked) and were blown away by Small Faces.

Front row - I blame my now profound hearing loss on Ian Gillan.

[LakeArenal]

34. My friend cornered off back stage with some dude Fromm MSC

Meanwhile I was in the middle of Faces and Purple. It’s not a contest but…. I won.

[MyOwnPeace]

6. Simple......

Woodstock - but only if I could be in a clean, dry place!

[LunaSea]

7. 1972-The Space Ritual Tour

A show so weird, people are still talking about it 50 years later.


https://electronicsound.co.uk/the-regulars/time-machine/hawkwind-space-ritual-tour-1972/

https://spectrumculture.com/2021/11/22/rediscover-hawkwind-space-ritual/

https://www.pauldiggory.com/post/hawkwind-the-space-ritual

[LakeArenal]

11. I once had a choice of Leon Redbone or Tears for Fears

We chose Tears but then wished after we done the Redbone.

[MontanaMama]

13. Took my then middle school kiddo out of school

and flew down to Red Rocks to see Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers on their 40th anniversary tour. Tom died 4 months later. I questioned my parental judgement at the time...spent a ton of money and then of course, the school thing...but damn, I'm SO glad I did it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

15. Sounds like you did the right thing to me Mama!

[MontanaMama]

23. Awww. Thanks.

I've actually never said no to the child when it comes to concerts and travel...I'm a softy that way.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

24. That's funny ... my GF also very often refers to her 16 y.o.

as 'the child' or 'the boy' lol

[Beatlelvr]

17. Monterey Pop 1967

Wasn't there but everybody else was!

[LakeArenal]

19. We were on a family vacation for that.

Begged my dad to go. Consultation prize… We drove by the venue. 🙄

[Beatlelvr]

20. So close!

[LakeArenal]

21. Haha. Missed it by 🤌 this much.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

28. That one's hard to argue against for sure, the lineup was legendary

Otis Redding's performance was as magnificent as those of Janis, Jimi and The Grateful Dead.

Can't argue against that one, though it was like 3 days long

[calguy]

22. Gotta be Woodstock, hands down.

[happybird]

26. Reggae Sunsplash 1980

It’s a tough decision to make. That was the first that came to mind.

Most of my best live show experiences have been at small venues, though...
It would be amazing to have seen Jane’s Addiction at a small club, or the Beastie Boys (which I actually had the opportunity to do and turned down. Ugh. That’s one of my biggest music related regrets).

Edit: After a quick refresher google, it appears the Sunsplash I’m thinking of happened in 1979, not 1980. The old cassette tape we had of it (and wore the eff out!) was labeled 1980.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

27. Saw Jane's at Lollapalooza I

That was a pretty damn good one, esp. cause everyone else playing that night was pretty excellent too.

[ZERTErYNOthe]

29. The last live big-name concert I went to

The first and last live big-name concert I went to was Cheap Trick back in the 70s in Pittsburgh. It was so fucking loud that I suffered hearing damage and it put me off of ever going to a live concert ever again. My wife, who goes to many concerts, assures me that I just had a bad experience, and most aren't like that. That said, there is one concert I would love to go to.

One I would pay so much to go to is Nirvana - Unplugged in New York. Such a beautiful and heartfelt take on music from Bowie to classic folk, and an intimate look in to the artists. I'm not sure what else to say, just take listen.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

32. I saw Cheap Trick open for Kiss in 1977 ... when I was 10 years old, first concert of my life

I went to at least 100 more major concerts, and probably seen another 100 bands in small clubs.

I'm now 56 (of course) and my hearing is probably the best-working sense I have left.

I'm sorry you missed out your entire life.

But your choice is definitely a show I'd kill to see, so I agree on that point

[OilemFirchen]

31. It's impossible to choose.

Certainly would include The Band's "The Last Waltz", Taj Mahal's "The Real Thing", Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival and Leonard Cohen's "Austin City Limits" performance.

Then, of course, there was this:

[Sewa]

33. 1992 Lollapalooza

The best music festival of all time. Stellar lineup of bands that performed.

Peal Jam, Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, Cypress Hill, Ministry, Rage Against The Machine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Body Count, Porno For Pyros.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

36. I've probably told you ... but I had tix to that show at Shoreline in Mountain View

I couldn't go cause my Datsun 240Z got broken into the night before in San Francisco. The thief (who stole my very nice cassette head unit) also tried to start my car with a screwdriver and fucked up my ignition switch, so I was dealing w/that all day instead of going to that concert.

THAT is definitely one I wish I could I could go back and see, 1000%, I was SO FUCKING PISSED!!!

[ProfessorGAC]

35. Cream 1968

I would love to be there when the live disk on Wheels Of Fire was recorded.

[BluesRunTheGame]

37. Something like this...

I saw Muddy and his band in a little club in the midwest a few days after this famous show at the Checkerboard Lounge. To be in a little venue like this and have someone like the Stones get up on stage would be pretty damn cool.

[thucythucy]

38. Not exactly a "concert, festival, or band tour"

but Robert Johnson at a Mississippi juke joint in the 1930s.

The Beatles at the Starr Club 1961, 1962.

Elvis at the Louisiana Hayride, 1955.

Dylan in Manchester, 1966--the "Judas" performance.

Monterey Pop would be nice too: especially Hendix doing "Wild Thing." For that, since we're fantasizing here, I'd also like a dose of Owsley to help with the "mood."

[WestMichRad]

39. Lyle Mays at the Gilmore Festival in Kalamazoo MI

… with Paul McCandless on sax and reeds, Steve Rodby (of Pat Metheny Group) on bass, Lyle’s niece (of WMU’s Gold Company) providing vocals and I forget on drums. They played together several years ago on this one occasion, the only time these artists all performed together as far as I know. (Well, they did 2 shows that afternoon; I saw the first one.) It was a beautiful, incredibly moving show.

I would treasure the opportunity to relive that event. Of course, it will never happen again, as Lyle passed about 4 years ago.

[Tikki]

40. 1993 somewhere in Austria..

Gun Club…”Go Tell the Mountain”. Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s band.

The Tikkis

[happybird]

41. Changing my answer:

Pink Floyd at Pompeii.
Oh, yes.