Mine was Bill Haley and His Comets, at Woolwich Odeon in London, on 16th November 1979.

I was 16 years old at the time, and although I'd seen a few unknown bands previously (in holiday camps, family pubs, etc) I can't think of a better introduction to a proper live concert - seeing the man who (more or less) started it all! 'The Comets' were mostly younger guys, but Bill looked and sounded much the same as in the '50s, and his stage act was largely unchanged.

Although it was my first concert, this was Bill Haley's final UK tour: 16 months later he would die from a brain tumor. I'd go on to see 100's of more shows, including such legends as Jerry Lee Lewis (36 times!), Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, The Everly Brothers, Duane Eddy, Lloyd Price, The Crickets, The Searchers, The Hollies, The Tremeloes, Gerry and The Pacemakers, P.J. Proby, Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and (of course) The Rolling Stones, but this will always be one of my very favourites.



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My earliest recollection of seeing a live, electric rock and roll band is of a group I saw playing CCR covers while I was on a family vacation in 1969.

One year later I saw the original lineup of Cactus. I was at a summer "sleep away" camp, when one day the earth literally began to shake and our counselor told us that Vanilla Fudge had changed their name to Cactus and were using the campgrounds to rehearse for an upcoming tour. So we all walked over to where they were playing and watched them. Their PA had 48 speaker cabinets. I counted 'em.

First concert I ever actually bought a ticket for was Harry Chapin playing in my high school auditorium in 1975. Tickets were $3.00 and maybe 200 of the 1500 students in my school showed up. He had just had the #1 record in the country a few months before.

First "big" show was the Allman Brothers and the Marshall Tucker band in March 1976. It was at that show that I heard the guy sitting behind me say, "I hear Paul McCartney and Wings are gonna be here in a couple of months." My friend and I looked at one another and in unison we said, "We're going!"

Co-incidentally to this forum, my first concert was The Rolling Stones, in Fort Collins, Colorado, on November 7, 1969.



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Foghat with Bob Seger and the James Gang openers Pittsburgh Civic Arena Dec 76

Allman Brothers Band and Wet Willie - December, 1975

Elvis, 1977

Delaney & Bonnie & Friends Boston 1970

Stones, 27 May 1990, Frankfurt/Germany

Rolling stones
Antwerp 15-10-1973
I never had seen a top group "Live" on stage.
I was 23 of age at that time.

most likely: Truck Stop (a German country band) – I was maybe 11 then
First pop concert: Spider Murphy Gang (German rockband) – I was fourteen
first concert of an internattional artist: Bob Dylan (the infamous Stuttgart 91 show)

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Chester
Elvis, 1977

How was that? I can imagine a combination of excitement and sadness...

Pearl Jam. Murfreesboro, TN, March 26, 1994. The only time they played Dock of the Bay (w/ Cropper). I was in the pit fighting for my life. Insane environment.

Setlist: [www.setlist.fm]

Video: [m.youtube.com]

Michael Jackson, Bad-Tour, 1988

Cheap Trick opening, Kinks main act, Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI April 1977

Pure Prairie League 1977.

At least that's the first one I really wanted to see, my parents took me see the New Seekers sometime probably ~1971-73, and the Osmonds ~1976 (hey, "Crazy Horses" was pretty good but that's about all I remember!).

Swedish rocker Ulf Lundell in 1982. Brilliant show.

Stones 1967

Stones Olympic Stadium, Montreal December 14th 1989

Borrowed my parents car [16 years old] and I saw Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band / The Mothers of Invention - San Diego Community Concourse - 1968.

First I remember was Kingston Trio, but as a baby apparently Joni Mitchell sang a partial lullaby to me on a flight somewhere (can’t confirm, too young, as told to me by my mother)

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Zotz
Borrowed my parents car [16 years old] and I saw Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band / The Mothers of Invention - San Diego Community Concourse - 1968.

What a wild first show! Hard to top that, I bet!

February 7, 1998
The World´s greatest rock and roll band!
&
The Mexico´s greatest rock and roll band!

Technically, it was the Joe Ely Band at an amphitheater in the Bay Area about 1981; all the guys are/were friends of the family. I was 5yo and Jesse Taylor took me under his wing, he was a great guy. I saw this band a few times as a child before buying my first ticket.

First concert I intended to go to, was the Rolling Stones at Oakland Stadium November 4th, 1989...which I think ended up as a partial benefit concert due to the earthquake a few weeks before.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023-01-26 19:57 by sdstonesguy.

Bad Company, Lancaster University 1979

Quote
Phil Good
Stones 1967

Tell us more... where? what was it like? 1966/1967 is when the band hit it's peak imo.

Elton John in 1975, Rock of the Westies tour.

The Sweet, with Rick Derringer opening I believe.

Reba McEntire in 1993, Birmingham, AL.

1965 Rochester England. Front row seat for ten shillings (£0.50)
Unsurprisingly one of my favourite concerts ever
Oh, nearly forgot to say who - RS of course!

AC/DC (back in black tour?), '80 or '81 ... followed by INXS ... and then
The Rolling Stones, Phili, 1981!