Bands you regret not seeing live
 

DJJasonp thought this might be a good topic for a thread. I listed these in the First Concert thread. Figured it might be easier to break them out of the other thread. I'm sure there are more that I will come up with later.


In no order:
Van Halen with David Lee Roth
Journey
Motley Crue
Guns N' Roses
Kid Rock
Ozzy
White Zombie
Bengals

The Who
Johnny Cash
Head East- early version
Muddy Waters

The one band I want to see that I have not yet but hopefully will- Alabama 3. They are from Brixton, London and sound like they are from, well Alabama. Did the song played on the intro of the Sopranos.

Pink Floyd

I saw the early version of Head East when they were an opening act. Trust me you didn't miss a thing.

Led Zeppelin
Pink Floyd - Though I've seen Roger Waters twice, third is post poned.
Sasha
EDIT: Prince

Yeah, I saw Roger Waters do The Wall, it was fantastic, but I really want to see Gilmour.

Probably the last group on my bucket list is King Crimson, and I had tickets for a June concert, but the virus scuttled that. Hopefully they’ll be back in 2021.

If Nick Mason tours again, go see it. Smoke weed.

Bowie and Queen

Soundgarden - Had tickets for the tour Cornell committed suicide on.

Iron Maiden in 1986. Dad wouldn't let me go. Finally was able to see them in 2000...not the same.

Pink Floyd
Michael Jackson (yeah, weird, but I would have liked to see him perform live)
Prince (same as above)
Queen
The Who
Led Frickin' Zeppelin

He died before I would be old enough to see him but if I was:

James Brown

I like a lot of styles of music, and as I mentioned in the other thread, Prince would be near the top.

I saw Van Halen 51/50, and just missed out on DLR. Matter of fact, I had tickets to see DLR in Vegas back in March, and COVID hit 2 weeks prior, and everything got cancelled (I know he's pretty awful live, but for nostalgia reasons!).

Flame away, but I think one of the best voices of the past 40 years is George Michael - I passed up on an opportunity to see him live, and now regret that I didnt pull the trigger.

Though I saw Boston 3-4 years ago, it's not quite the same without Brad Delp.

Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis would have been cool as hell to see as well.

Pink Floyd is definitely the big one.

I was 17 in ‘94 during the Division Bell tour. Wrecked my mother’s car the night before tickets went on sale. In ‘06 I wanted to go to David’s solo tour but my girlfriend at the time got sick, like paralyzed sick, so that didn’t happen. Then I had 10th row tickets to see David in Chicago in 2016, but 2 weeks after I bought them we found out that my wife was pregnant and my daughter was due the same week as the show.

I’ve never had any desire to see Roger. He’s way too big of a ****.

Best concert - Billy Squire opening for Queen

I've seen Neil Young several times but I was kicking myself when I was a day late to see him play impromptu at a small Palo Alto bar. Damn.

This is an easy one:

Queen with Freddie Mercury. Although I have seen Freddie's doppelganger, Marc Martel, in concert, and it was pretty damned close.

Boston with Delp. No interest in seeing them now. I've seen a couple of recent concert videos and they were pretty bad. Two guys trying to replace him; one doing regular stuff, one trying to hit high notes, both failing badly.

Journey with Perry. Yeah, I know the new guy sounds like Perry, but it's just not the same.

Pink Floyd. I feel the same way about Waters as Third Eye.

Queensryche

I would have liked to see Van Halen with Roth, but I did see them with Hagar, and it was still a great show.

Wish I would have seen Heaven and Hell in 2009. Nobody thought Ronnie would die less than a year later.

Tom Petty.

Funny story about Neil Young. For a few months in 1985, my friend Chris was stationed at Hampton AFB while I was on my ship in nearby Norfolk. The night Foreigner was going to be in town, Crosby Stills Nash & Young were also in the area at another venue. Chris wanted to see them, but I wanted to see Foreigner, and since I had a car and he didn't, I won. So he went to the Foreigner concert with me, but grumbled and bitched about missing CSNY all night. Then Young left the band, and he grumbled and bitched about missing the chance to see them all together for years afterward. So when CSNY reunited back in the 2000s, I got us tickets to see them in Chicago. Their performance was pedestrian at best, and he didn't really care for it, either. But at least he finally stopped whining about it. :D

The Who
Rolling Stones
Led Zeppelin
Alice Cooper
ELO
AC/DC with Bon Scott (seen them with Brian Johnson)

I can honestly say that I have seen every band that I wanted to at one time or another. Bands that I don't particularly care for - blah......

My last concert to see was my personal favorite Joe Cocker (RIP). He toured with Steve Miller - and I went to the John during his set.

Saw Robin Trower in Saint Louis - damned fine show.

Believe it or not, Trans Siberian Orchestra is one of the better shows I have seen......

Beatles
Led Zeppelin
Queen (had tickets in '75 in St. Pete and show was cancelled by fire marshal)
AC/DC with either singer
Tom Petty
Ronnie James Dio



I did see Journey with Steve Perry '80 (very good)
Foreigner in '82 (very good)
Pink Floyd in '88 (wasn't as good as I hoped)
Boston with Brad Delp '95 (was very good)
Billy Squier '82 (not good - blown by the opening act Saga)
Jethro Tull in '72 (one of the best shows ever)

Roger Waters is a hell of a show though. I grab a drink when he does his little speech.

I would have liked to see The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees in the early 80s when they were in their full goth mode. I did try to see Siouxsie in the later 80s but she was sick and the show was cancelled. I have also seen The Cure but it was in the early 90s on the Wish tour.

Zeppelin, especially around the Houses of the Holy release. I was 10, though.

I would have loved to see Rainbow with Dio. I saw Dio on the tour for his first solo album and I saw him with Black Sabbath (Mob Rules tour) and i saw Rainbow with Joe Lynn Turner (was even a really good show) but I never got to see Dio with Rainbow.

I would have liked to see Ozzy with Randy Rhodes. I have seen Ozzy a couple of times but the first was Bark at the Moon, so after Randy died. I would have liked to see Ozzy with Sabbath but I would have been way too young.

Don't laugh but I wish I had seen Neil Diamond in his prime. I have heard from multiple people that his shows were a lot of fun.

Another would be Emmylou Harris when she had the Hot Band.

Pink Floyd on the Animals or Wall tour.

I've seen most of my other top bands. The only other one I never got a chance was Thin White Rope. I think they would have been fun to see but I never saw a chance to see them (lived in the Portland area at the time).

I agree about Neil Diamond, 1976 would be the year.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dvQzjGBXJ_c" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I realize that I don't agree politically with most of the musicians I like. I'm sure I wouldn't last more than a couple of minutes in a conversation with Don Henley. But despite how much Henley would likely despise me personally, he also realizes that it's people like me who pay to hear him sing, so he knows better than to tell me how much he thinks I suck between songs in his concerts. Waters doesn't.

I'm not putting money in his pocket.

Led Zeppelin

Original Kiss

I saw him in 1977 and he was very good. Very engaging with the audience.

In no particular order:
Jimi Hendrix Experience
Led Zeppelin
Cream
Pink Floyd
The Beatles, not in concert, but composing and recording in the studio.

Tom Petty
Stone Temple Pilots (Weiland)
Cornell
Turnpike Troubadours

Yes, I’m jealous.

Led Zepplin
Jimi Hendrix
Pink Floyd

I'm 23 so basically any classic rock act stopped touring before my time. If I had to go back and see one band in their prime it would be Led Zeppelin.

As for a band that I actually could have seen and didn't? Definitely would be Rush. Didn't get into them until it was too late. Never gonna get the chance now with Neil's death.

I saw them back in '96 or '97. They did 2112 in its entirety. Excellent show.

Boston came through Boise(now that sounds weird) a couple of years before Delp passed and while I thought about going, I ultimately didn't. After he passed I wished so hard that I had gone.

Stuff like Zeppelin I'm way too young to have even entertained the thought of seeing them(though those rumors of a reunion tour back in like 2006-2007, boy was I scraping together money just in case), my dad had tickets for their 1980 tour they were supposed to embark on though. Sure would've loved to have been alive for Ronnie Van Zant led Skynyrd too.

I need to add Tom Petty and Queen (Freddie Mercury) to my list. I didn't appreciate Queen until way after Freddie died. I am realizing that I should have seen more concerts when I was young.

Probably should've seen Bob Seger a couple years back on his retirement tour, I just didn't want to pony up the $120+ for nosebleed tickets.

Was gonna see Doobie Brothers on their 50th Anniversary tour but now that's off, thanks Covid.

I've been a fan of Deftones for a long time, and every time they come to town I tell myself "I'll see them next time."

One of these days they will be done, and I may regret not going.

Not trying to rub salt in the wound, but I saw them at Liberty Hall in ‘97 and it was a great show!

The Cure - regardless of year - put on a helluva show. typically 2-3 hours and they plow through their catalog, and they sound perfect live.

Saw Siouxsie at the first Lollapalooza at Sandstone - put on a pretty good show (though Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction overshadowed her by quite a bit).

Temple of the Dog

Pink Floyd
Dio (saw with Black Sabbath)
Scorpions

You didn’t see Turnpike? I thought I remember you making plans to do it.

They were really good man. Not in a rock your face off kind of way, but good in the way that the studio sound didn’t fall apart live. What I took from that is how goddamned good of instrumentalists they were. Despite the booze.

Pink Floyd Led Zeppelin Queen to name some but those aren't really regrets... not being born early enough

Never did. I begged them on their Facebook page to come to AZ. They ignored me!

I've gone to plenty of rock concerts and just as many country concerts. It's a different feel but the country guys really have to keep a clean sound for it to be worth it. Most of them seem to manage this quite well.

Amy Winehouse before the drugs and alcohol messed her up...

Ray Charles

Grateful Dead, ideally in ‘69 or ‘77
Pink Floyd
Zeppelin before Page was drunk falling off barstools and putting on bad shows
Hendrix
2pac
Biggie
The Who
Leonard Cohen
The Doors
Beatles
Mozart
Beethoven

Too young to have seen many other than Cohen and the bad Dead at the end when too young for all that fun.

I have been lucky enough to see Rush 19 times in 4 different states. They were always amazing. Some of the other bands mentioned in this thread that I have seen.

Paul McCartney (Beatles)
Page / Plant (Zep) 2 times
Dio 2 times
Pink Floyd at Arrowhead
U2
Scorpions 7 times- once with Bon Jovi Opening
Ozzy 5 times- once with Metallica opening
Queen with Billy Squire opening
AC/DC 3 times
Kiss with and without makeup
AFI
Crue- 4 times with and without Neil
Def Lepard - 2 times including 1st US tour
Black Sabbath- with Ozzy
Green Day
April Wine with Eddie Money opening
Foreigner 2 times (1st concert was Foreigner 4)
Van Halen 4 times with Dave than Sammy 3 times
Rob Zombie 2 times- once opening for Ozzy
God Smack
Creed
Lynard Skynard
Offspring 8 times
Ted Nugent 3 times
Sammy Hagar
The Cult
Triumph- 3 times
The Who
Judas Preist- 3 times
Queensryche- 3 times
Iron Maiden- 4 times
Tesla- 4 times
Many many more plus 100s of smaller and local shows.

Who I regret never seeing- The Doors, Jimi, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Alice Cooper

Goddamn, I think you win the thread. :thumb:

I’ve never seen VH play but hell I would pay to see them even if it were Gary Cherone. Just to get to witness EVH play guitar live would be great.

The only bad thing about that concert was the cheap ass nosebleed seats I had. We were up in nearly the top row of the newly-opened Bradley Center in Milwaukee, and Van Halen was the first major concert held there (it was the OU812 tour). Our seats were higher up than the highest row of speakers. I could hear the music fine, but the voices were muffled. It was weird, and fairly annoying. Of course I knew all the words anyway, and Eddie was awesome.

They all did long solos. Eddie lost his mind playing a long set that ended with Eruption. Alex did one of the cooler drum solos I've ever heard. Michael did an interesting base solo, and later Sammy did a great a cappella rendition of Where Eagles Fly.

I don't know if they ever corrected the speakers, since I never saw another show there. Maybe that's just how it sounds in the crappy seats.

I would add that while the concert was mostly stuff from OU812 and 5150, they did do a few of the Roth-era classics. Even with the speaker distortion, I could tell Sammy was singing the Dave lyrics pretty much dead on. I highly doubt if Dave could effectively sing Sammy's stuff.

pink floyd and the who

Odd thing is I never was that big a fan of Bryan Adams and I've seen him twice. First time was '82 he opened for Foreigner 4 and the other was the Amnesty Int'l Show in Atlanta 1986, it was U2, the Police, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed and Bryan Adams. He seemed a bit out of place at the event, he came on after Lou Reed and before Gabriel. I thought Peter Gabriel was the best part of the show. I did see U2 on the Unforgettable Fire Tour in Jacksonville the year before in '85 and they were much better when they put on a full show.

Gotta say,i'm a bit jealous,i would've loved to see U2 on the Unforgettable Fire tour,but i was way too young.They get a bad rap,i think mostly because of Bono and some of their political views but they really do put on a good show.They're definitely a better live band than their albums would suggest i think.I saw them for the first time in 1992 on the ZOO TV tour,and although i havent been to a ton of shows,is still i believe one of the best tours of the last 20 plus years,in my humble opinion.

Led Zepplin, though I did sort of see them when I saw Robert Plant play in LA and Jimmy Page and JPJ joined him for the back half of the show.

Got to see The Who at a benefit at the House of Blues. Was only 30-40 people in attendance and while the space was small (which to Roger Daltry spinning his microphone around more than usual because he didn’t really have a stage to move around on) it was epic.

OK man. Roger Waters is a hell of a show though. I certainly wouldn't let something stupid like politics get in the way of a great show and a great time. Love ya.

I mean, even without the politics and Roger’s arena sized ego, it’s basically a cover band. I’m sure the show is amazing and all as Roger needs a spectacle to equal his ego, but the majority of the songs were sang by David, David and Rick defined their sound, and hell, David even played many of Roger’s bass parts in the studio. Unquestionably, Roger was a better lyricist, and it’s not even close, but the songs are already written, so whatever.

Sorry, I just can’t ****ing stand the guy, but that shouldn’t temper your enjoyment.

Watching the "story of wish you were here" on axstv right now
Those guys never "got along"

peace

Of your list, the only groups I have not seen are Scorpions, Dio (saw him with Black Sabbath) and Paul McCartney. Don't know who AFI is.

Of your list I can add...

Rush
REO Speedwagon
Journey
Accept
Krokus
Cheap Trick
White Zombie
ZZ Top
Disturbed
Quiet Riot
Yes
Blue Oyster Cult
Bryan Adams
Warrant
Poison
Foreigner
Lillian Axe
Lita Ford
Dokken
Cinderella
Metallica
Twisted Sister
Heart
Kansas
Stryper
Guns and Roses
Styx
U2

Yeah! My fav's are WYWH and Animals, both recorded at a time of major drama within the band.

I had a chance to see Nirvana and Alice in Chains in around '92 I think and didn't get to go.

Talking Heads.

I agree Talking Heads for sure and Nirvana/Alice In Chains would've been killer.
My list would be,from bands/groups i had a chance to see,some still do.
Depeche Mode
The Cure
The Cranberries
Duran Duran
Queensryche
REM
Anthrax
Springsteen
Cinderella
Skid Row(moreso back in the day)
Guns N Roses
The Fixx

A lot of other 80's bands i would've liked to seen.

Unfortunately I was only 3 at the time, but man I’d give a lot to have seen them when they were touring with Adrian Belew as part of the band. If anyone hasn’t seen it, look for the Live in Rome show on YouTube. Incredible.

Paging KC Dan.

I remember a Van Halen concert in Vegas he regrets missing I'm sure.

I'll tell the story a bit later if he doesn't show up.

The original Guns n Roses, when they were the baddest dudes on the block

That’s why they are my biggest regret. The other bands I wish I could have seen were either extinct or past their prime by the time I was old enough to go to concerts. The Heads are one of my all time favorites and were in their prime while I was in my my teens and twenties. I should have made a determined effort to see them before they broke up.

I agree about the Rome show. They were a great live band. The Name of This Band is Talking Heads is very under appreciated, IMO.

Pink Floyd back in the Dark Side/Wall days. The Sex Pistols. The Clash. Iron Maiden or Judas Priest when they were unknown and in small venues (I've seen them both in arenas). Van Halen. Boston. Talking Heads. Alice in Chains. Nirvana or Pearl Jam when they were unknown. Mother Love Bone. Jimi Hendrix. The Beatles. Shit, you could go on and on, there have been so many great acts...

Gotta add My Morning Jacket at Red Rocks. While I was physically there, I didn't account for the altitude and got way wasted and don't remember anything past the 1st song. Still exceedingly upset with myself over that one. The videos look incredible. :/

Had:
Led Zeppelin
Kiss

Updating my list:

Frank Sinatra
Elvis
Queen
Elvis Costello and the Attractions
B-52's
David Bowie
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Eagles
Fleetwood Mac
Heart
Motley Crue
Jackson 5

Adding Triumph.

I collect live concert videos on youtube, I've got about 8,000 saved in folders on their website. What I believe to be one of the best live fan made videos of a band I've ever seen is Cheap Trick performing "Gonna Raise Hell" live at Red Rocks during a thunderstorm in 2016. They were so good, even with rain and lightning the people stayed and band kept playing. The guy's camera had fantastic microphones.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lONaBWR8Pqo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I saw them at a smaller auditorium (Memorial Hall in KC, KS) in 1979. Great show. The ticket stub says I shelled out $5.99 for it.

Doesn't look like he's going to show to tell the story, so I will. :evil:

A few years ago, Mrs. Dartgod won a radio contest for a free trip to Las Vegas to see Heart at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Airfare, two nights at MB and tickets were included.

KC Dan decided he would meet us out there for a weekend of drinking and gambling. He found out that Van Halen was playing at the Mandalay Bay Events Center the same night as Heart, so he grabbed a ticket to see them. We met up after the Heart show and asked him how the VH concert was and he informed us that he had bought a ticket for the previous night's show. So he was out the money for a ticket and missed the show.

I don't necessarily regret this because I was only five when Kurt died so I couldn't have really gone to a concert on my own, but obviously I wish I could have seen Nirvana.

I actually regret not seeing them, although I did see a lot of Seattle bands in their prime. I saw Soundgarden twice, once in 90 with Danzig and another time in 92 opening up for Skid Row. I saw Pearl Jam play for free in Lawrence in 92 and saw AIC open up for Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth around 91 or 92. Also saw STP and Faith No More around that same time, and some other metal bands of that era like Pantera and White Zombie and went to one of the first Lollapaloozas (not sure if it was the first or second one).