Concert Q & A

I was driving to work this morning rocking out to the radio and had several flashback memories of some great concert experiences.  So I decided to share them with you in hopes that you will share some with me!  These are really hard to answer


Most memorable concert moment: It was "The Rising Tour" which occurred shortly after 9/11.  Bruce asked for total silence in the audience, and when he had all 20,000 of us paying full attention he played "Empty Sky".  The whole night was a combination of a good time and sad time mixed together.  Very unique atmosphere.


Least favorable concert:  George Michael.  Not because he wasn't good, but because every female (other than me) in the audience was screaming at the top of their lungs the whole time and I couldn't even hear the music.  I wanted to leave but was there for a friend so I stuck it out.


Who puts on the best show: If you know me at all, you already know my answer :)  Bruce, of course!


Concert I wish I could have seen: The Doors, I was born ten years too late; and Queen.  I don't know how I missed them out of the hundreds of bands I've seen, but I did :(

Best concert I never saw:  Led Zeppelin, I still have my two tickets and have never totally forgiven Jon Van B.

Biggest outdoor concert:  Cal Jam II

Smallest inside venue: The Quiet Woman restaurant in Laguna Beach (about 50 - 75 people), Kenny Loggins dropped by and put on a show for some locals, so fun!

Best seats at a concert:  Front Row at VAN HALEN in '81, omg - talk about amazing, Eddie is one of my top 5 guitarists

Loudest concert:  Ted Nugent, love him or hate him - he's very entertaining


Most mind blowing concert:  Pink Floyd! (i was 17, under the influence of LSD & red wine for the occasion and it truly was an incredible night under the stars, i was fearless back then)


Worst concert experience:  Losing my sister for several hours at an all day concert featuring the Rolling Stones.  I was frantic to find her and finally, right before the Stones came on, there she was.

Most frightening moment at a concert:  Same Stones concert as above.  I was near the front, the crowd rushed and literally lifted me off my feet, I was screaming because I was being crushed and no one cared.  Then this big, strong "angel" came out of nowhere (picture Clarence Clemons), lifted me up and out of the crowd (I was only about 125 lbs back in the day!).  After he put me down and I thanked him I looked back again and he was GONE.

Best concert experience:  Impossible to narrow it down.  I will say I got a thrill when David Bowie smiled at me.

Artist seen the most times: Again, if you know me.....Bruce (23? 24?  lost track)

Most embarrassing concert moment:  Falling asleep at Pat Benatar.  I was bored after sitting through Quarterflash and Night Ranger (no offense to either band).

Funnest concert moment: Had to be during Bruce, but there are so many fun moments in all his concerts, hard to pick just one.

Best "goosebumps" moment:  U2, "Vertigo Tour", when Bono was talking about co-existing and loving our neighbor, and peace, etc. then started playing "One" the young man next to me held my hand for a moment (he was Middle Eastern) and we both had tears in our eyes.

Concert I regret:  Def Lepard, only because it was stupid of me to go with the person I went with - we got there late and had crappy seats.



Best concert of all time:  Michael Jackson.  It was the "Bad" tour and Michael was at  his peak in every way.  I know this sounds corny, but I truly did feel like I was in the presence of someone very special.  The energy of his hardcore fans infused everyone else that was there and the THINGS HE DID on that stage were literally magical (he'd walk up a set of stairs, disappear in a puff of smoke then be back on the opposite side of the stage in a different outfit in a matter of seconds, like 5 seconds or less).  His DANCE MOVES, the way he held the audience captive.  His humility.  It was an experience I'll cherish forever.  RIP MJ.  (again, love him or hate him, he was one of the best, if not the best, entertainers of our time).
http://laylasclassicrock.blogspot.com/2008/05/one-i-missed.html

For My Buddy, Dan:

Eric playing Layla with Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and some of the Stones.

Mick Jagger on Larry King Tonight

Larry King Live at 9:00pm ET
on Tuesday, May 18, 2010


Rock legend Mick Jagger! The Rolling Stones
frontman sits down face-to-face with Larry.
An unforgettable hour you won't want to miss!
Mick Jagger on Larry King Live! 

Exclusive Interview with Charlie Watts

Jeff Gordinier of Details magazine did an excellent interview with Rolling Stones drummer, Charlie Watts.  I had to laugh at the part about Keith writing "the best faxes in the world" - fax?  I didn't know they still existed.  

 

Check out the interview here.

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The Most Important Messages in Songs:

Many songs have a message for us. One that is very relevant to me these days is by the Stones, and its one I'd like my son to "get" also. The song is, "You Can't Always Get What You Want", but damn it, if you TRY, sometimes you get what you NEED! (key words, want, try and need).

My goal is to ask some famous Rapper to re-record some songs with POSITIVE messages so my son will actually listen to and perhaps adopt the message.

What songs can you add to the list?

(To those of you following the saga of my son, thanks for listening between the lines , he's still not learning his lessons but at least he's someplace "safe" for the moment. Addiction is an ugly, evil disease).

So, What's Up Chuck?

Did Charlie Watts quit The Stones? Rumors were flying yesterday that he did but the "official word" is that he didn't.

To tell you the truth, as much as I love the Bad Boys of Rock, they haven't been bad or boys in a long time so perhaps Charlie is the smart one and recognizes all good things must come to an end (and it's always better to quit before you are forced to stop, if you know what I mean).

This Day in Music

1969, Cream started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK chart with their album 'Goodbye.'

1969, Janis Joplin was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 Cents.

1975, The Doobie Brothers went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Black Water', the groups first of two US No.1's.

1975, Led Zeppelin went to No.1 on the UK chart with the double album 'Physical Graffiti', the first on their own 'Swan Song' label, the album spent six weeks at No.1 on the US chart.

1977, Pink Floyd played the first of six sold-out nights at Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England.

1989, The Rolling Stones signed a $70 million (£40 million) contract to play 50 North American dates. It was the largest contract in rock history.

1999, Bruce Springsteen was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame by U2's Bono.

2002, Yoko Ono unveiled a seven foot bronze statue of John Lennon overlooking the check- in hall of Liverpool John Lennon airport. The re-branding of the airport featured a sketch of Lennon's face with the words 'Above Us Only Skies.'

Taken from "This Day in Music"

Where The Streets Had Stones Names

"Mick Jagger and Keith Richards will be honored by the Kent town where
they grew up by having 13 new streets named after Rolling Stone song
titles. Dartford Council is currently deliberating what titles to use."

This would be a fun project to work on! What are some names you would choose for these streets?

A few that come to mind:

Bitch Blvd.
Let it Bleed Lane
Angie Avenue
Street Fighting Man Street
Honky Tonk Woman Way
Sister Morphine Circle
Play With Fire Parkway
Midnight Rambler Road

Songs NOT to Sing at the Office:

I listen to music all day at work with my headset on, either my iPod or Last FM. Occasionally I will sing outloud and my co-workers get serenaded (not intentionally, I just get lost in the music and forget).

Here is one song you do NOT want to sing outloud at work:

Star Star by The Rollings Stones

Ooops....

I'm sure there are many others. Luckily I caught myself right as it got to the chorus.

An Obvious Choice for President

Image via Wikipedia Well I don't have to read any more articles or watch the upcoming debates or spend one more moment wondering who I will vote for in November.

Top Ten Favorite Songs of each Candidate:

BARACK OBAMA
1. Ready or Not Fugees
2. What's Going On Marvin Gaye
3. I'm On Fire Bruce Spingsteen
4. Gimme Shelter Rolling Stones
5. Sinnerman Nina Simone
6. Touch the Sky Kanye West
7. You'd Be So Easy to Love Frank Sinatra
8. Think Aretha Franklin
9. City of Blinding Lights U2
10. Yes We Can will.i.am

JOHN McCAIN
1. Dancing Queen ABBA
2. Blue Bayou Roy Orbison
3. Take a Chance On Me ABBA
4. If We MakeIt Through December Merle Haggard
5. As Time Goes By Dooley Wilson
6. Good Vibrations The Beach Boys
7. What A Wonderful World Louis Armstrong
8. I've Got You Under My Skin Frank Sinatra
9. Sweet Caroline Neil Diamond
10. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes The Platters

British Rock

One of my “music buddies”, Darrin, often shares new music with me because we have similar tastes. But not all our tastes are the same! He recently wrote about British Rock and I thought I’d share his thoughts and then add my opinion. I’d love to hear your views of these bands too!

The Beatles

Darrin: They're the standard bearers. They took what they heard coming from across the pond, put their own stamp on it, perfected it, made it their own and became not only musical but also cultural icons. Their influence is undeniable.

Me: Ditto

Rolling Stones

Darrin: While appreciate the influence they've had on other bands, I've never really understood their appeal. I only own one of their albums (Beggars Banquet) and I do appreciate many of their singles, but all in all I think this is a band that for a long time has simply been famous for being famous, not because they're still actually any good-- seeing the Stones live today is kind of like seeing Sinatra long after he'd lost his singing voice-- bragging rights and nothing more.

Me: The Rolling Stones were one of my favorites when I was a teen. If you listen to the deeper cuts on some of the old stuff you will hear great blues music. I still love all their music from “Beggar’s Banquet” to “Tattoo You”. After that they lost my interest. I think Mick Jagger is a great entertainer and love watching him no matter how old he is.

The Who

Darrin: I consider The Who's Next to be one of the greatest classic rock albums ever. I find it superior to Tommy, Quadrophenia, and just about everything else they ever recorded. It IS a masterpiece! I find these guys to be more talented than Led Zeppelin ever was.

Me: I agree about “Who’s Next”, excellent album and I saw them perform it live when it came out – one of the best shows ever. I don’t think they are more talented than Zeppelin. Since we are comparing the two I’d like to say that it was sad to see how easily The Who replaced Keith Moon after his death compared to Zeppelin who disbanded recognizing that one fourth of their band was gone. I think that showed a lot of respect for John Bonham and a lot of class for them as a band.

Led Zeppelin

Darrin: It often gets glossed over that Page & Plant were largely musical plagiarists. They were talented musicians, but much of their songwriting comprised of filching styles and even material from others-- sometimes giving credit where it was due-- sometimes not. The intro to Stairway to Heaven, for example, was taken from an instrumental piece by Spirit titled Taurus. I appreciate the impact these guys had on music and their musicianship but they lose boku points with me for their plagiarist tendencies.

Me: (It’s a good think I like Darrin so much – or his comments would tick me off!) I DISAGREE totally about Led Zeppelin. I don’t think they were plagiarists because all musicians are influenced by others. They took what they liked about other music and made it their own. I think they are the greatest rock band of all time because of their talent, their incredible ability to write moving music/lyrics, their presence on stage, and their great hair. (just kidding about the hair).

Me: DITTO!!

Pink Floyd

Darrin – The best British psychedelic band, arguably the best psychedelic band bar none when they started out. After the departure of the enigmatic and troubled Syd Barrett, their material grew much stronger and quite a bit more ambient. The partnership of David Gilmour and Roger Waters produced far stronger material than that of the troubled Barrett. However, given that much of their later material was done as a tribute to or in honor of Barrett, it could be argued that he remained a member of the band long after he left it.

Me: DITTO!

David Bowie

Darrin left him off his list! I guess that pretty much gives his opinion of the fabulous Mr. Bowie. I LOVE David Bowie and have enjoyed watching his metamorphosis over the years, he was never afraid to be different and experiment. I first saw him live back in the late 70’s and could not believe my eyes when Ziggy Stardust emerged on stage. I’ve seen him several times since then, the last being after Heathen was releases. He’s high on my list of great music.

Old Stones Part 2

Okay,...just so ya all don't think I'm unaware of the really great Stones music....here are my fave. All Old. But as I said below, I did love them right up till Tattoo You then kind of lost interest.

The Rolling Stones, Some Girls

technorati tags: Classic, Rock

mick n keith

technorati tags: Classic, Rock

Mick, Please Help!

I love the Stones, have seen them only twice in all these years. I would love to see them again before it's too late (who knows if they will tour again).

BUT....I can't get tickets. First of all they sold out immediately upon going on sale (all three shows). Second, the majority of the tickets were bought by scalpers (I know this because there are an abundance of them for sale at all the ticket outlets). Third, the CHEAPEST seat I can find is $150.00.

I know what you are thinking..."what's the big deal, $150.oo is not that bad, you paid $400 for U2 tickets!"

Well, my U2 tickets are great seats. These $150.00 tickets have a "markedly restricted view" which means blunty: you can't see jack crap from these seats. They are not only in the nosebleed section, but they are behind the stage, beind a pillar or something.

The next price up for a slightly less crappy seat was $240.00 for wheelchair seating. I suppose I could rent a wheelchair for the night, but it would be kind of obvious when I got up and danced that I was faking it.

Next - for a crappy view you can pay $450.00. If you want a view but are alone you can pay $500.00 for a single seat. BUT if you want to go with someone and have a seat you are going to have to pay anywhere from:

$650.00 - $1,800.oo EACH!

This just breaks my heart and ticks me off. Why? Why do they charge so much? Don't these people have enough money? I love you, Mick...but I am so disappointed that you allow these outrageous prices.

Mick, I know you read my blog, dude, so PLEASE, make this right! It's uncalled for and pathetic. Write me and let me know what you plan to do about it.

technorati tags: Classic, Rock

Mick

Happy Birthday, Mick!












I'm a few days early, but wanted to wish Mick a Happy 62 and thank him for bringing me many years of great music. The very first rock poster that adorned my bedroom wall when I was a kid was MICK :) My parents thought he was ugly and were very worried about me. They had cause to worry, but Mick is a doll!


Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger (born 26 July 1943 in Dartford, Kent) is a British rock musician, actor, writer, composer, record and film producer and businessman. He is most famous for being the lead singer and co-founder (with guitarist Brian Jones) of the British rock and roll band The Rolling Stones. He is also the songwriting partner of Stones guitarist Keith Richards, and the pair have composed almost all the Rolling Stones' original material, as well as numerous songs for other artists.

Young Stones

Keith and Mick

Love this early photo of the two most enduring rock n rollers ever to live. Some bands look a bit pathetic out there trying to re-live the past and entertain us as if they were still "hot". But in my opinions the Stones have it and never lost it. Can't wait to see them for the 5th time.

Update: I am very sad to announce that I can not afford tickets to see Mick and the guys one final time. Ticketmaster and the ticket scalpers of the world have made it nearly impossible for an average person to be able to afford decent seats - that is IF - they can even GET TICKETS in the first place!

technorati tags: Classic, Rock