Your Favorite Personal Concert Experiences

[Black Sabbath]

Mine would probably have to be seeing Ozzy do No More Tears live on his birthday.

He rarely plays the song anymore, and it was one of my most anticipated songs to hear/see live, and I was totally blindsided by it when it started up.

The show before, at MSG, he played Flying High Again, which was also a huge surprise.

Other than that, seeing Rammstein was a huge experience in itself.

Yours?

[dalsh327]

Too many to name, a few unusual shows in there, but loved the Ozzfest where Ozzy did a solo set, then Black Sabbath did a set.

[Zint]

GA floors, near the front on Gene's side.

[username]

- The entirety of seeing Leonard Cohen in Ghent. I simply cannot describe this. Pure magic in every way. The way this man is SO good and yet so humble and grateful was incredibly heartwarming (august 2012)

- Seeing the immense love and support between the E-street band members and in particular Bruce and Clarence, the way Clarence was...even there at all, as physically broken as he was. They way he was helped on the stage and onto his throne and the way the crowd loved him and he loved them. And STILL being that good on his amazing sax solo's (2008 and 2009)

- Seeing the surreal presence that is Axl Rose for the first time ever. That one really shook me. The man that got me interested in music in general when I was 14 years old. Actually (finally) seeing him on there...wow! (july 2006) Izzy coming out completely unexpected was another huge bonus! I screamed my lungs out.

- The grandness of seeing the Rolling Stones, the biggest rock and roll band in the world. Seeing Keith in particular was sort of the same experience as with Axl. This was bigger than big. Particularly the amazing singalong (where I lost my voice) to Get Off My Cloud on the B-stage was amazing (2006, and again in 2007 with the most rock and roll roadtrip to get there. We had car crashes, car breakdowns, extremely hot weather, traffic problems, then crazy pouring rains, missed the opening act, ran onto the soaked field just in time for the greatest rock and roll band ever. WOW!)

- The Heideroosjes gig in my hometown from their farewell tour from late 2011. This band had all the highs and lows through the years, but they always fought their hardest for every single member in the audience to deliver them an amazing night. Whether it was 5 people in a bar or 50.000 at a festival. I've rarely seen a band that has so much integrity. And for them to be able to overcome it all, make one last amazing album, do a kick-ass tour with the same hunger and fire they had when they started in 1989 and then quit the way they had always played, on their own terms and on top of their game. It's hard to explain how much I love and respect this band. This band makes me feel 16 again in all the good ways.

Ps.

Great thread!

Edited December 2, 2012 by username

[GivenToFly]

Duff walking on stage during YCBM.

[Zint]

Stood there in awe watching Jimmy Page.

[bacardimayne]

All of this special stuff is cool, but hearing Paul McCartney sing Beatles songs in person was pretty fucking awesome.

Other cool things:

GNR in 2010 playing 10 CD songs

Slash and Myles doing Anastasia

Rammstein show in its entirety

Edited December 2, 2012 by bacardimayne

[username]

All of this special stuff is cool, but hearing Paul McCartney sing Beatles songs in person was pretty fucking awesome.

Agreed! Paul still has some really great sympathy factor too. I've seen him twice and it's just amazing. Massive sing-along to ob-la-di ob-la-da.

Edited December 2, 2012 by username

[MB.]

- The Heideroosjes gig in my hometown from their farewell tour from late 2011. This band had all the highs and lows through the years, but they always fought their hardest for every single member in the audience to deliver them an amazing night. Whether it was 5 people in a bar or 50.000 at a festival. I've rarely seen a band that has so much integrity. And for them to be able to overcome it all, make one last amazing album, do a kick-ass tour with the same hunger and fire they had when they started in 1989 and then quit the way they had always played, on their own terms and on top of their game. It's hard to explain how much I love and respect this band. This band makes me feel 16 again in all the good ways.

Really cool, and well spoken

[Kill Devil Hill]

- Hearing Estranged in person on the floor.

- Seeing Slash front row during the free acoustic show after he got his star.

- Steven coming out and being awkward as hell.

- SEEING PASCHENDALE, AFRAID TO SHOOT STRANGERS, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER, AND THE PRISONER LIVE.

- Orianthi and Randy Travis came onstage during I Told You So at a Carrie Underwood concert.

- Rush. Period.

[Dan H.]

Bonn-fuckin-roo.

[classicrawker]

I have seen a ton of concerts in my life but probably #1 would be seeing the Stones at MSG, NYC back in 1975...We had floor seats and back then security was lax and you were allowed to smoke what you liked so it was an amazing party experience..

Also one of my alltime favorite shows, which gave me chills, was seeing Ian Hunter with Mick Ronson, not long before he died, at a small club called Toads Place in New Haven, Connecticut which holds about 750 people. The show was just magic and the Steve Jones band opened for Ian and played most of the Fire and Gasoline album with me leaning on the stage in front of him...amazing night...

And the two GnR 1987 shows I saw at the L"Amour in Brooklyn and Ritz, NYC are in the top 10 for sure...........

[eye2eye]

Seeing Alice in Chains in small club during Black Gives Way to Blue tour, band was on fire and they loved playing in small venue full of die hard AiC fans also set list was perfect as they played all most every song worth hearing + Jerry Cantrell had amazing fun playing that night with Duvall who by they way ripped amazing Jimmy Hendrix alike solo.

[Gordon Comstock]

The very first time seeing Axl walk on stage while DJ was playing the opening to CD, sort of a "holy fuck, there he is!" type thing. Seeing Duff and Izzy come out to do songs with the current band was really cool. In Seattle, at the end of Rosie, Bumble was over the front letting the crowd play his guitar, and he handed a pick to me - not threw, but put in my hand. That was really fuckin' cool of him. When I saw Buckethead, he handed me a toy (star wars puzzle).

Saw Foxy Shazam play at Bumbershoot in Seattle in front of a couple hundred people, that was awesome. Definitely one of the best live, relatively new rock bands around.

The first time I saw Aerosmith was the Route of All Evil tour with Motley Crue, it was Motley's last night so Aerosmith brought Nikki out to do Helter Skelter. That was the first big concert I ever saw, too.

[Black Sabbath]

The very first time seeing Axl walk on stage while DJ was playing the opening to CD, sort of a "holy fuck, there he is!" type thing.

Totally agree with this as well. It was just like "holy fuck, the moment I never thought I'd see!".

[Dariablue]

It was pretty awesome seeing Axl come out on stage! The whole Vegas show experience couldn't have gone any better. I was so incredibly lucky.

When I saw Gwen Stefani's solo tour and she came out I actually thought, "OMG she's real!" And of course seeing ND.

[luciusfunk]

Seeing Guns N' Roses in 2011 and seeing Adam Ant earlier this year. I actually enjoyed the Adam Ant show much more than the Guns show.

[Powerage5]

Some of mine:

- Sonisphere Sweden 2010 - first concert in Europe

- Iron Maiden, London 2011 - Maiden in their hometown

- Guns N' Roses, Hamilton 2010 - That first "holy shit, that's actually Axl!" moment

- Guns N' Roses, The Ritz 2012 - The surprise songs, the length of the show, everything

- AC/DC, Toronto 2008 - the "wow" factor again

I'm sure I'll be able to add The Rolling Stones next weekend to this list

[sweetness]

when Converge came to my home town, it was the 2nd time I had seen them and they were just as mesmorizing as the first time I saw them in Detroit. couldn't really descibe it, the energy at their shows is just incredible

Against Me! was also really special

so was Velvet Revolver

[Mansin Humanity]

- Definitely both times seeing AC/DC on the Black Ice tour. As others have described that really had a feeling of "holy shit they're right there."

- Seeing Bruce Springsteen come onstage with Dropkick Murphys at one of their hometown Boston shows the day after St. Patrick's day. The place went absolutely nuts.

- Aerosmith show in front of their old apartment in Boston about a month ago.

- Slash over the summer was pretty sick.

- I've seen State Radio 25+ times. At a show in 2010 (number 11 if I recall) I was pulled up to sing the last verse and choruses of a song. Probably the coolest concert moment I've ever had. Fortunately someone took video.

edit: I'm aware I can't sing. Bite me persons.

Edited December 3, 2012 by Mansin Humanity

[MB.]

The very first time seeing Axl walk on stage while DJ was playing the opening to CD, sort of a "holy fuck, there he is!" type thing.

Totally agree with this as well. It was just like "holy fuck, the moment I never thought I'd see!".

Agree, I even got emotional. Same goes for my first Slash experience, which was with Snakepit.

And the first time I saw MJ really made me cry.

But the best experiences/un I had, were mostly with dutch bands, cause of the interaction.

[Chinaski]

There have been plenty but to name some that are easy to describe.

Having Angus Young spinning around on the floor on the raised platform right above my head.

This being the first song to put tears in my eyes at a concert. Not for any personal reasons just for how it was. Even Trent looked a bit moved on the big screens.

Hearing one of my favourite songs completely re-arranged when I had no idea what to expect from the Revival Tour was pretty special.

And seeing Manics play Journal For Plague Lovers in full at The Roundhouse. It had only been out a few days and everyone knew all the words. Seeing Nicky sing William's Last Words and realising how much it sounded like Richey's suicide note was incredibly moving.

Entrances that have got to me were seeing Axl walk out in 2006 and the start of Jungle. He was a pretty charismatic walk. Everyone notices the second he is out. And seeing the Sex Pistols come through the back of the stage a few years ago. They just suddenly walked out as if it was no big thing and I thought that was pretty cool. John was in some sort of upper class hunting attire which was pretty funny. Dylan too. He walked out as if he didn't even know there was a massive crowd there. Just sat down and started playing. Velvet Revolver was my first concert and the moment Weiland leaned over the front row and screamed looking into my eyes I did have a bit of a holy fuck what have I been missing kind of feeling.

Edited December 3, 2012 by Chinaski

[Redhead74]

For me, seeing Tori Amos in 2006 was AMAZING! Live performances of Sugar, Cooling and Jupiter were phenomenal. Also Leonard Cohen in 2010 was like a religious experience. To hear Suzanne, Waiting For the Miracle & The Stranger Song was absolutely unforgettable. I know I'll be laughed at for this, but seeing A-ha live in Amsterdam 2005 was a dream come true, since my Mum didn't let me go back in 1987 (I was traumatised). I stood a few metres from two of my heroes, Morten Harket and Magne Furuholmen and I was in heaven!

BS: OMFG! I love No More Tears! I remember that song back in 1991. I had the music video on VHS tape and I just loved it. It's one of the stand out songs for me from that time and I distinctly remember the video. The song was a favourite but the video made a huge impression on me as I was really focused on fashion at that time and I still remember the girl in the video with the red dress and the turquoise gloves crying her eyes out. I was 17 and to me she was the epitome of sexy and stylish and she just kept crying and splashing away at those tears! It was awesome!

[izzygirl]

A couple of years ago, my favourite band, Los Suaves, played in my hometown (and the band's hometown too) celebrating their 29 years, 9 months and 1 day since their first gig. It was simply great and a very special concert. Yosi is a living legend.

- Seeing the immense love and support between the E-street band members and in particular Bruce and Clarence, the way Clarence was...even there at all, as physically broken as he was. They way he was helped on the stage and onto his throne and the way the crowd loved him and he loved them. And STILL being that good on his amazing sax solo's (2008 and 2009)

[Johnny Drama]

James Hetfield playing and singing the start of Fade to Black about one and a half metres from me, and Slash going from blues jam into Godfather both times I saw him.