Concerts You Regret Missing

[kingbrian74]

I was telling my kid this story the other day...

When I was in high school, there was a time I got into the punk scene. Saw so many bands during those days.

There was one show coming up that wasn't at the usual place. Instead of being 15 minutes away, it was 25....and I didn't want to drive the extra distance since I didn't know the band, even though everyone was telling me how great they were. I didn't go.

It was Nirvana, and they were playing at a VFW in Norwich, CT on tour supporting the Bleach album. Everyone was talking about how great the show was after the fact.

A few months later, Nevermind was released and they took over the music world. I'm still pissed at myself to this day.

[keyofgee]

i blew off Ozzy's first tour with randy rhoads... blizzard hadn't hit huge yet and I passed...;-(. I was three weeks away from seeing him when he died on the diary tour.

[Shinerrox]

I had a ticket for a Soundgarden/PJ show in early 92 playing an old grocery store. I missed it for work.. I still kick myself for missing that one.
Also, I had a chance to see KISS on their Revenge Club tour also in 92. I'm not much of a KISStard but I really liked that era of KISS..

[Black Stuff]

Queen at MSG with Thin Lizzy Opening.

[BDG135]

I wish I had seen prime Pantera.

[Spongie]

Back in high school I knew a couple neo-hippies who tried to get me to go to Pink Floyd in ‘87 and Grateful Dead in ‘88.

Of course even if I’d gone, I probably would’ve been bored out of my skull or spent the night ragging on burnouts.

But only a couple years later in college I saw the light and wished I had those chances back.

[HueyRamone]

Manson ACSS at Santa Monica Civic. I just didnt go, even though I liked Manson and would go see everything at that time.

WASP Live at the Lyceum. Too young to get in.

Metallica RTL at the Lyceum. Same thing.

[DemonFilth2001]

I was telling my kid this story the other day...

When I was in high school, there was a time I got into the punk scene. Saw so many bands during those days.

There was one show coming up that wasn't at the usual place. Instead of being 15 minutes away, it was 25....and I didn't want to drive the extra distance since I didn't know the band, even though everyone was telling me how great they were. I didn't go.

It was Nirvana, and they were playing at a VFW in Norwich, CT on tour supporting the Bleach album. Everyone was talking about how great the show was after the fact.

A few months later, Nevermind was released and they took over the music world. I'm still pissed at myself to this day.

Were they playing tunes from Nevermind? If not, you didn’t miss anything. Bleach is a terrible album.

[El Vampiro Blanco]

I wish I had seen prime Pantera.

I'm not sure what is considered prime Pantera, but I saw them opening for Priest on the Cowboys from Hell tour and Annihilator went over way better with the fans....

[sirthx2]

Petty's last show ever. Buddy had tickets and asked me if I wanted to go with him but his seats were in row M of the Bowl halfway back, so I told him I'm a snob and didn't want to sit that far from the stage.

I turned down a Bowie Glass Spider show. Wasn't a fan at the time. Now I fucking worship Bowie.

Speaking of, would have loved to have seen SRV.

[BDG135]

I wish I had seen prime Pantera.

I'm not sure what is considered prime Pantera, but I saw them opening for Priest on the Cowboys from Hell tour and Annihilator went over way better with the fans....

I wish I could have seen them anytime during the 90s. I've heard Phil had some horrible performances in the late 90s though. It still would have been entertaining.

[Tommy2Tone84]

i blew off Ozzy's first tour with randy rhoads... blizzard hadn't hit huge yet and I passed...;-(. I was three weeks away from seeing him when he died on the diary tour.

That sucks

My list is way too long

The Rolling Stones on Steel Wheels
AC/DC on Who Made Who and BUYV
Aerosmith on Permanent Vacation
Iron Maiden on 7th Son
Priest on Turbo
Ozzy on Ultimate Sin, No Rest and NMT
Scorpions on Savage Amusement and Crazy World
KISS in 1980, 83, 86 and 92
Guns N Roses in 91

[JourneyRules]

I never saw Tom Petty. I had tickets for his last show in Chicago, but ended up getting rid of them because we had a newborn at the time. Petty was one of my favorites, but the concert dates just never lined up for me and I always assumed I would catch him next time. That is really my only regret of someone that I realistically could have seen but didn't.

[diablomozart]

queen, i was too young and jeff beck/srv tour...d.m.

[GreatWhiteSnake]

Queen w/Freddie, AC/DC w/Bon., VH w/DLR...

[kingbrian74]

I wish I had seen prime Pantera.

I actually slept through a Pantera set back in the day....well, more accurately, passed out.

Drank way too much of a Jager type booze. I don't even remember walking into the amphitheater. It was the double headline bill with White Zombie. Can't remember who opened the show.

I had lawn tickets but we jumped into the seats during WZ. Then Pantera came on. I remember making it through the first couple of songs. Then they played a bit of KISS' parasite....and then I threw up, sat back in my seat and passed out. The night ended by some guy tapping my shoulder saying "wake up man...shows over.' My ears hurt like hell, so I guess it was pretty loud.

[kingbrian74]

I was telling my kid this story the other day...

When I was in high school, there was a time I got into the punk scene. Saw so many bands during those days.

There was one show coming up that wasn't at the usual place. Instead of being 15 minutes away, it was 25....and I didn't want to drive the extra distance since I didn't know the band, even though everyone was telling me how great they were. I didn't go.

It was Nirvana, and they were playing at a VFW in Norwich, CT on tour supporting the Bleach album. Everyone was talking about how great the show was after the fact.

A few months later, Nevermind was released and they took over the music world. I'm still pissed at myself to this day.

Were they playing tunes from Nevermind? If not, you didn’t miss anything. Bleach is a terrible album.

No idea....I didn't go!

[kevind2112]

A bunch for me. But the biggest regrets is not seeing the Gilmour led Pink Floyd on either Momentary Lapse or Division Bell tours.

[Psychobolia.com]

Van Halen: I was in LA one end of December back in 2013 (? no idea what year but it was roughly a decade ago)...never saw them, they were at the top of my bucket list forever and are one of my favourite bands.

Dissection in Paris: never saw them, figured I could skip this one show and catch them next time, and then Jon Notveidt (or whatever his last name is) commited suicide.

Motörhead: they came through Paris almost every year. I either hated the opener or had some other lame excuse (cold weather) and figured I'd go see them next year...Never saw them either...

[SterileEyes1]

I wish I could’ve been at either of the Taylor Hawkins tribute shows. I remember sitting in a “coffee shop” in Amsterdam in mid-2022 when tickets went on sale and hitting refresh over and over for the LA Forum show. No dice. Checked every day after in case anything opened up. The day before the show I was still looking and would’ve found a way to miss work if I had to. Couldn’t find anything for under $600 and would’ve had to drive 400 miles each way.

Other than that, very few regrets if any. I’ve been going to shows since I was 12 and working since the day I turned 15. A ton of that money went to concert tickets and I regret nothing.

I saw someone mention Tom Petty above. I pestered an old buddy repeatedly on that last tour to go to the Berkeley show with me (second-to-last stop on the tour). I’d seen him at a festival in Napa earlier in the year and something was very noticeably off compared to other times I’d seen him. I said “something’s up with him, go now, you might not get another chance”. He went. Petty played a couple more shows from there at the Hollywood Bowl and died barely a month later.

Van Halen: I was in LA one end of December back in 2013 (? no idea what year but it was roughly a decade ago)...never saw them, they were at the top of my bucket list forever and are one of my favourite bands.

It was 2012 at Staples Center or whatever the hell it’s called now. I totally fucked up and missed this. They played two nights. Had two friends and my dad in the car on the way up and realized I bought tickets to the wrong night.

Just last night one of the guys was on the phone and I was telling him how I’m taking my dad to see Tool at Staples next month and he said “Make sure you’ve got the right night!”

Anyway, sorry you missed this. For all the shit people talk about DLR, you were still seeing the freaking Van Halens do their thing.

[HoldenSSV]

-Dokken at a small club in the 80s. My ride flaked out.
-Monsters of Rock. Had to work.

[killeverything]

Joe Strummer.

I didn't go, because The Pietasters skipped this show as the opening band and I had hung out with them a few times and had some connections with them through the ska scene, so I wouldn't have had any backstage access, etc. His first Mescalleros album had just come out and I didn't realize how good it was yet. I wanted to stay at home with my new girlfriend instead....because she was the one, etc. I didn't go.

Joe Strummer never came back through town. His output with The Mescalleros only got better. Mick Jones was at the show and sat in for three Clash songs. Joe Strummer died in 2005 and that girl turned out not to be "the one." God, I was dumb when I was 21.

[Turner Coates]

I had two tickets for great seats at a George Carlin theater gig. I asked a cute gal to go. When I went to her house to pick her up, she wasn't there. I ended up missing the show.
The next time I saw her, she was flippant about it, as if it was nothing, so I stopped seeing her.

Not too long ago, I looked her up online. In her mug shot, she looks like a crazy person....and she had a son who shot and killed his roommate.
On one hand, I still wish I'd seen Carlin live, but on the other hand, I'm thinking that had I continued to date the gal, maybe I wouldn't be alive right now.

[GoodJudge]

Joe Strummer.

I didn't go, because The Pietasters skipped this show as the opening band and I had hung out with them a few times and had some connections with them through the ska scene, so I wouldn't have had any backstage access, etc. His first Mescalleros album had just come out and I didn't realize how good it was yet. I wanted to stay at home with my new girlfriend instead....because she was the one, etc. I didn't go.

Joe Strummer never came back through town. His output with The Mescalleros only got better. Mick Jones was at the show and sat in for three Clash songs. Joe Strummer died in 2005 and that girl turned out not to be "the one." God, I was dumb when I was 21.

One of Joe's last ever shows was a 2002 benefit for the British fire brigade, who were on strike at the time. It was in Acton Town Hall. Acton is a boring suburb in west London where I happened to be living, 20 mins walk away. And Mick Jones got up for a few songs. I found out about the gig the following week...

Living in or near London for most of my life means I've been able to see almost all of the bands I wanted to, that were / are still together (and that i could afford). Even if decades after their glory years. But specific gigs I could have gone to but regret missing include Testament at Hammersmith Odeon in Jan 90 as it was just before a school exam, J Church and Jawbreaker in Glasgow - '94 I think - when I lived there for a few years (J Church became my obsession a year later), and 2 I've mentioned before - Ramones' Adios Amigos tour and the last 2 Motorhead UK tours - I had a ticket for Jan 16 to make up for it but Lemmy didn't live to play it.

[killeverything]

Joe Strummer.

I didn't go, because The Pietasters skipped this show as the opening band and I had hung out with them a few times and had some connections with them through the ska scene, so I wouldn't have had any backstage access, etc. His first Mescalleros album had just come out and I didn't realize how good it was yet. I wanted to stay at home with my new girlfriend instead....because she was the one, etc. I didn't go.

Joe Strummer never came back through town. His output with The Mescalleros only got better. Mick Jones was at the show and sat in for three Clash songs. Joe Strummer died in 2005 and that girl turned out not to be "the one." God, I was dumb when I was 21.

One of Joe's last ever shows was a 2002 benefit for the British fire brigade, who were on strike at the time. It was in Acton Town Hall. Acton is a boring suburb in west London where I happened to be living, 20 mins walk away. And Mick Jones got up for a few songs. I found out about the gig the following week...

Living in or near London for most of my life means I've been able to see almost all of the bands I wanted to, that were / are still together (and that i could afford). Even if decades after their glory years. But specific gigs I could have gone to but regret missing include Testament at Hammersmith Odeon in Jan 90 as it was just before a school exam, J Church and Jawbreaker in Glasgow - '94 I think - when I lived there for a few years (J Church became my obsession a year later), and 2 I've mentioned before - Ramones' Adios Amigos tour and the last 2 Motorhead UK tours - I had a ticket for Jan 16 to make up for it but Lemmy didn't live to play it.

Ouch. There's video of that benefit show. I believe it was on "The Future Is Unwritten," but I'm not positive.

[skatexedge]

Ozzy on the Ultimate Sin tour with Metallica opening on their Master Of Puppets tour at the Oakland Coliseum. Fuck! I was a dumbass for not going to that!

Motley Crue at the Warfield in SF on the SATD tour. Another missed opportunity when they were at their peak!

Siouxsie and The Banshees - The Tinderbox tour in 1986. My fave record of theirs and for some reason I can’t remember I didn’t go to that show. Their sound changed drastically after that era and I was bummed.

[Psychobolia.com]

Van Halen: I was in LA one end of December back in 2013 (? no idea what year but it was roughly a decade ago)...never saw them, they were at the top of my bucket list forever and are one of my favourite bands.

It was 2012 at Staples Center or whatever the hell it’s called now. I totally fucked up and missed this. They played two nights. Had two friends and my dad in the car on the way up and realized I bought tickets to the wrong night.

Just last night one of the guys was on the phone and I was telling him how I’m taking my dad to see Tool at Staples next month and he said “Make sure you’ve got the right night!”

Anyway, sorry you missed this. For all the shit people talk about DLR, you were still seeing the freaking Van Halens do their thing.

Yeah, that must be it! I had no idea they were playing that week. I'm usually on top of shit like that, but back then I thought I would get a chance to catch VH in Europe, or anytime, I didn't think they would disappear so soon I didn't bother looking up what shows were going on during my 10 day vacation...

Anyways, I found out about that gig a few days later and was furious! Like WHAT. THE. FUCK. furious haha

[VinnieVincentsVag]

Queen
Pink Floyd

[aznsquirt]

Towards the end of John Lee Hooker's life, he owned the Boom Boom Room in SF and used to get up and do a solo set on I think Tuesday nights.

I worked at a pizza place and me and co-worker/friend who always closed that day always talked about heading over there after work (its about an hour away) some time if we got out early.

One night we finally decided we're going to make it happen. Work gets hectic towards the end of the night, we were rushing around and said fuck it lets just aim for next week.

Hooker died the next day.

[Bono Nettencourt]

i blew off Ozzy's first tour with randy rhoads... blizzard hadn't hit huge yet and I passed...;-(. I was three weeks away from seeing him when he died on the diary tour.

That sucks

My list is way too long

The Rolling Stones on Steel Wheels

That's about as close as I got... but I wasn't that big into the Stones at the time. I saw the IMAX movie and the VL and 40 Licks tours. I have very few if any concert regrets. If I wanted to see somebody, I went. Also saw SRV 3x, including with Jeff Beck and one month before he died. Nyah, nyah, nyah.

Edit - ok, got another one. I should've gone to see Jimmy Pages solo tour in 88. I didn't think it would be that good. I saw the YouTubes later. Man, was I wrong.