Japan at Lancaster is top of my list along with U2 on the war tour also at Lancaster. My other big regret is not seeing Talk Talk. Also never saw the associates or teardrop explodes.
Weirdly, although I saw them loads of course (25 times, since you ask) Rush are among my greatest regrets because I didn't go to their final tour in 2015. I convinced myself it would come to the UK/Europe but it didn't. Had they made it clear it was their last hurrah (tbf, I don't think they were sure) I like to think I would have got over to the States.
I actually regret missing some bands I really don't like when they were nobodies. Arctic Monkeys played Carlisle 20 years ago and I don't go cos, well, I had no idea who they were. I over-compensated for it by seeing a bunch of average indie bands for a few years in case they became massive.
Likewise, fourth on the bill of a NME tour in 2000 was some group called Coldplay but we stayed in the pub. I haven't been fussed about seeing them since but I do wish we hadn't had that extra pint.
Love the motif, sharing a few here and will also share as my own note:
The Smashing Pumpkins, Orlando August 4, 1992. Tix were $7 and by the time I went to get one, they were sold out. Only time in my life there wasn’t a single ticket for sale on the street.
Zwan, Orlando April 9, 2003. Loved this album as a return-to-form, a guitar onslaught with Paz and Jimmy Chamberlin holding it all together. “I’ll catch ‘em next time,” I remember thinking. There was no next time.
The Smiths, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla September 1986. I had tickets and a ride to the show (was too young to drive). We arrived and the marquee read THE SMITHS: CANCELLED. We thought it was a joke. Nope, the show the night before in St. Petersburg was the final show of the US tour.
The Descendents Feb 1987 Cameo Theatre, Miami. Miami was 2 hours south of where I grew up. The closest “big” city we had. This show was a week after my 16th bday and my folks wouldn’t let me make the drive.
Jane’s Addiction Feb 1989 Visage, Orlando. Didn’t get into Jane’s until a couple of years later, right before Ritual was released. Got to see the original lineup twice though, so I made up for it.
Tom Petty April 2017 Nashville. His final tour and I completely spaced the date or I would’ve been there. 6 months later, Petty was dead. This one’s a huge regret as I only saw him once, way back in 1989, and it wasn’t a very good show that I remember.
Lollapalooza 1994 Denver. I’d seen the first two, missed #3, but 1994 had a dream lineup for me: the Pumpkins and Beastie Boys at the top, two of my favorites. I chose instead the HORDE tour because the Allman Brothers were headliners. Alas, they didn’t plays he Denver stop due to strict curfew laws at teh venue (Fiddler’s Green). It was still a great show…
The Roots played my university, a small school in New Jersey, in 2000, just after they started to break out. I didn't go because I just didn't know who they were. That's one I regret.
Oh Steve, what a list. I shudder at the mention of Kate Bush 2014. My husband failed to get tickets and was devastated. He also failed to get tickets to see Kraftwerk in 2017 after the name on his credit card didn't precisely match the name on his ticket seller account - he actually had the tickets but they wouldn't accept the payment (The curse of the middle name!). Glass half full, think of the wonderful gigs you HAVE been to. You can't win 'em all!
Great topic! The one that springs to mind first is The Velvet Underground, Edinburgh Playhouse 1993 - why is lost / suppressed until revealed by hypnosis. On the bright side have seen many fantastic performances / rarities including Bowie x 3 (one of which was in a local sports hall with Tin Machine), The Associates, and early solo David Byrne including a cover of Kelly Marie's Feels Like I'm in Love...
I think we made it to Madonna as Shazza loved her from the outset, GnR and Slayer we did at the Apollo too. The ones that got away, I’ve mentioned before Spiritualised At Glastonbury 98 too much mud and rain to move from main stage, we did get Pulp and Paris Angels I missed as I was not paying attention. Next week can you do the decisions we never regret, the ones we made sure we saw, as I gave Smiths tickets away as I was off to see The Chameleons which I would still do every time 😘😘
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway at the Shrine Auditorium in LA 1975
Bob Marley & the Wailers (last show) Santa Barbara Bowl 1979
I could have gone to all of these shows, but made some feeble excuse and said "Oh, I'll see them next year". I've never lived these mistakes down and have mostly seen all the best shows in LA ever since, which still does not remove the bitter taste of my foolishness!
Rush R40 and Sabbath the End - both rolled through Phoenix a year apart 2015 and 2016.
Jawbreaker reunion of sorts in 2023.
The ultimate though is I had a ticket, flew in to Oakland to see Tom Petty at the Greek in Berkeley on his 40th tour. Show was postponed and I couldn’t figure a way to “retravel” to it. Few months later he passed.
Townes Van Zandt - April 9, 1995 at the Cat's Cradle, Chapel Hill, NC. "Oh, I'll catch him next time." It was his last time in North Carolina. He died on January 1, 1997.
A friend of mine had a pair of tickets to see the Grateful Dead at RFK Stadium in DC on June 25, 1995. "Seems like a long drive," I said. "I'll catch 'em when they come back to Carter Finley in Raleigh." Jerry Garcia died on August 9, 1995. My friend went and has rubbed it in ever since.
JJ Cale - June 13, Asheville; June 15, Charlotte; and June 16, 2004, Raleigh, NC. "Oh, I'll catch him next time." He rarely toured, and it was his last time in North Carolina. He died July 26, 2013.
The lesson here, kids: buy, or accept, the ticket. Either way, go to the show.
Tom Petty. I had the opportunity to see him come through Boston, alas I was a broke college student. I thought at the time, I’d have more time. Should’ve just gone into a little debt to see one of my musical idols before he died.
Jeff Buckley was also one of my greatest misses - I hadn't heard him yet and stupidly refused the offer of a free ticket to his show at a small club. I think I had something else going on that night but I don't remember what it was so it couldn't have been very important. . . Big regret on that one!
The other is Woodstock - I lived about an hour away from the site and begged my parents, but I was too young to go by myself (12 going on 18) and couldn't find an appropriate 'chaperone.'
Great post Steve, if only to make me feel (slightly) better about my own shortcomings in the-ones-that-got-away file !
Here's mine:
Bowie - can't fathom how i didn't make more effort here. These days i'd travel continents if i could.
Leonard Cohen farewell shows. There was an opportunity to buy a ticket and i didn't take it, don't think i knew anyone going!
The Clash: mainly age-related, was just a bit too young though me & Olly did 'see' Clash V2 busking outside a gig at Leeds Uni (internet tells me it was just over 40 years ago on May 7, 1985) . We had to climb halfway up a tree to get a view of Strummer, Simonon et al in the middle-distance, couldn't hear anything ! Think the gig was The Alarm but i may be mistaken.
Nirvana, Bradford Uni 1997 - slight anomaly in that i was there but my friends and myself proceeded to play pool at back of the hall whilst getting totally annihilated, only occassionally going to take a look at the band and thinking "yeah, not bad but not as good as getting wrecked at Bradford Uni S.U. and damn! this pool table is incredible!" i did meet one of my best life-long mates that night though so it's not all bad :-)
Like yourself i did catch The Pogues a bunch and i did manage The Cramps in '86 at Hull City Hall which i'd reckon to be in my Top 5 of all-time, 'Date With Elvis' tour. Ticket was £5, my Mum recently found a box of tickets of mine and this was in there.
Madonna at Hacienda stings the most to me on your list.
I've been a very very lucky man and have seen many many wonderful bands, before, during or after their prime.
But the ones I missed, oh did I miss big:
Johnny Cash, Emo's / Austin, 1994.
Legendary performance. I couldn't get my shift covered.
Nirvana, The Vatican, Houston TX, 1991.
Nevermind had just come out a month before. I'd always remembered this as being a) an opening slot for Mudhoney, but it was actually headliner with Gary Floyd's Sister Double Happiness opening, b) the same night as 7 Seconds, which I did go to—but after some internet sleuthing, I see the 7 Seconds show may have been a month before, the Nirvana was on a Sunday, which must have contributed to why I didn't go because I was still in high school, and this morning's coffee has been my own Rashomon trying to sort all this out.
Metallica w/ Cliff Burton, Houston, Monsters of Rock Tour, 1988.
I was 14. Tried to go with my older cousin, who also tried to take me to see Hüsker Dü on the Warehouse tour (no minors).
Behemoth, Watain, In Solitude, The Devil's Blood, The Rickshaw, Vancouver, BC, 2012.
I was broke. And because I was broke, I missed In Solitude (who'd break up before I could see them, even though they came back once more before they did and I was still broke because Vancouver is entirely unaffordable), and The Devil's Blood (who would end their time as well, before the main driving force would end himself).
I know there are more that hurt as bad: Helmet & Jawbox in 1990 at The Axiom. Sonic Youth with Laughing Hyenas at Number's in 1990—had the flyer on my bedroom door though. Turbonegro at Emo's-Austin right after Apocalypse Dudes came out and before they broke up—I did see them after they got back together and were even better, two shows in one day that I also did a poster for as part of a series. Missed Ozzy in
Japan at Lancaster is top of my list along with U2 on the war tour also at Lancaster. My other big regret is not seeing Talk Talk. Also never saw the associates or teardrop explodes.
A painful list, Steve. Feel for you, mate.
Weirdly, although I saw them loads of course (25 times, since you ask) Rush are among my greatest regrets because I didn't go to their final tour in 2015. I convinced myself it would come to the UK/Europe but it didn't. Had they made it clear it was their last hurrah (tbf, I don't think they were sure) I like to think I would have got over to the States.
I actually regret missing some bands I really don't like when they were nobodies. Arctic Monkeys played Carlisle 20 years ago and I don't go cos, well, I had no idea who they were. I over-compensated for it by seeing a bunch of average indie bands for a few years in case they became massive.
Likewise, fourth on the bill of a NME tour in 2000 was some group called Coldplay but we stayed in the pub. I haven't been fussed about seeing them since but I do wish we hadn't had that extra pint.
Good move swerving Coldplay!
I'm sad about it, that one time!
Couple of possible future topics:
The reverse of this one - gigs where you were in exactly the right place and time, maybe the only chance you had to see that band.
Bands you caught when they were unknown who became massive.
Madonna at The Hac, Kate Bush and I even had a ticket to Iggy in 1987 at The Apollo but was very ill.
So sad I missed Japan, but I was a baby.
Love the motif, sharing a few here and will also share as my own note:
The Smashing Pumpkins, Orlando August 4, 1992. Tix were $7 and by the time I went to get one, they were sold out. Only time in my life there wasn’t a single ticket for sale on the street.
Zwan, Orlando April 9, 2003. Loved this album as a return-to-form, a guitar onslaught with Paz and Jimmy Chamberlin holding it all together. “I’ll catch ‘em next time,” I remember thinking. There was no next time.
The Smiths, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla September 1986. I had tickets and a ride to the show (was too young to drive). We arrived and the marquee read THE SMITHS: CANCELLED. We thought it was a joke. Nope, the show the night before in St. Petersburg was the final show of the US tour.
The Descendents Feb 1987 Cameo Theatre, Miami. Miami was 2 hours south of where I grew up. The closest “big” city we had. This show was a week after my 16th bday and my folks wouldn’t let me make the drive.
Jane’s Addiction Feb 1989 Visage, Orlando. Didn’t get into Jane’s until a couple of years later, right before Ritual was released. Got to see the original lineup twice though, so I made up for it.
Tom Petty April 2017 Nashville. His final tour and I completely spaced the date or I would’ve been there. 6 months later, Petty was dead. This one’s a huge regret as I only saw him once, way back in 1989, and it wasn’t a very good show that I remember.
Lollapalooza 1994 Denver. I’d seen the first two, missed #3, but 1994 had a dream lineup for me: the Pumpkins and Beastie Boys at the top, two of my favorites. I chose instead the HORDE tour because the Allman Brothers were headliners. Alas, they didn’t plays he Denver stop due to strict curfew laws at teh venue (Fiddler’s Green). It was still a great show…
The Roots played my university, a small school in New Jersey, in 2000, just after they started to break out. I didn't go because I just didn't know who they were. That's one I regret.
Oh Steve, what a list. I shudder at the mention of Kate Bush 2014. My husband failed to get tickets and was devastated. He also failed to get tickets to see Kraftwerk in 2017 after the name on his credit card didn't precisely match the name on his ticket seller account - he actually had the tickets but they wouldn't accept the payment (The curse of the middle name!). Glass half full, think of the wonderful gigs you HAVE been to. You can't win 'em all!
Very true Jules!
Great topic! The one that springs to mind first is The Velvet Underground, Edinburgh Playhouse 1993 - why is lost / suppressed until revealed by hypnosis. On the bright side have seen many fantastic performances / rarities including Bowie x 3 (one of which was in a local sports hall with Tin Machine), The Associates, and early solo David Byrne including a cover of Kelly Marie's Feels Like I'm in Love...
I think we made it to Madonna as Shazza loved her from the outset, GnR and Slayer we did at the Apollo too. The ones that got away, I’ve mentioned before Spiritualised At Glastonbury 98 too much mud and rain to move from main stage, we did get Pulp and Paris Angels I missed as I was not paying attention. Next week can you do the decisions we never regret, the ones we made sure we saw, as I gave Smiths tickets away as I was off to see The Chameleons which I would still do every time 😘😘
The Who - Quadrophenia at the Forum in LA 1973
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway at the Shrine Auditorium in LA 1975
Bob Marley & the Wailers (last show) Santa Barbara Bowl 1979
I could have gone to all of these shows, but made some feeble excuse and said "Oh, I'll see them next year". I've never lived these mistakes down and have mostly seen all the best shows in LA ever since, which still does not remove the bitter taste of my foolishness!
Rush R40 and Sabbath the End - both rolled through Phoenix a year apart 2015 and 2016.
Jawbreaker reunion of sorts in 2023.
The ultimate though is I had a ticket, flew in to Oakland to see Tom Petty at the Greek in Berkeley on his 40th tour. Show was postponed and I couldn’t figure a way to “retravel” to it. Few months later he passed.
Townes Van Zandt - April 9, 1995 at the Cat's Cradle, Chapel Hill, NC. "Oh, I'll catch him next time." It was his last time in North Carolina. He died on January 1, 1997.
A friend of mine had a pair of tickets to see the Grateful Dead at RFK Stadium in DC on June 25, 1995. "Seems like a long drive," I said. "I'll catch 'em when they come back to Carter Finley in Raleigh." Jerry Garcia died on August 9, 1995. My friend went and has rubbed it in ever since.
JJ Cale - June 13, Asheville; June 15, Charlotte; and June 16, 2004, Raleigh, NC. "Oh, I'll catch him next time." He rarely toured, and it was his last time in North Carolina. He died July 26, 2013.
The lesson here, kids: buy, or accept, the ticket. Either way, go to the show.
Tom Petty. I had the opportunity to see him come through Boston, alas I was a broke college student. I thought at the time, I’d have more time. Should’ve just gone into a little debt to see one of my musical idols before he died.
Jeff Buckley was also one of my greatest misses - I hadn't heard him yet and stupidly refused the offer of a free ticket to his show at a small club. I think I had something else going on that night but I don't remember what it was so it couldn't have been very important. . . Big regret on that one!
The other is Woodstock - I lived about an hour away from the site and begged my parents, but I was too young to go by myself (12 going on 18) and couldn't find an appropriate 'chaperone.'
Great post Steve, if only to make me feel (slightly) better about my own shortcomings in the-ones-that-got-away file !
Here's mine:
Bowie - can't fathom how i didn't make more effort here. These days i'd travel continents if i could.
Leonard Cohen farewell shows. There was an opportunity to buy a ticket and i didn't take it, don't think i knew anyone going!
The Clash: mainly age-related, was just a bit too young though me & Olly did 'see' Clash V2 busking outside a gig at Leeds Uni (internet tells me it was just over 40 years ago on May 7, 1985) . We had to climb halfway up a tree to get a view of Strummer, Simonon et al in the middle-distance, couldn't hear anything ! Think the gig was The Alarm but i may be mistaken.
The Clash would find themselves in York on the same tour and a bunch of friends went drinking with them. Bit more info on the busking tour here: https://arthurmag.com/2013/02/03/the-clashs-1985-busking-tour-of-britain/
Nirvana, Bradford Uni 1997 - slight anomaly in that i was there but my friends and myself proceeded to play pool at back of the hall whilst getting totally annihilated, only occassionally going to take a look at the band and thinking "yeah, not bad but not as good as getting wrecked at Bradford Uni S.U. and damn! this pool table is incredible!" i did meet one of my best life-long mates that night though so it's not all bad :-)
Like yourself i did catch The Pogues a bunch and i did manage The Cramps in '86 at Hull City Hall which i'd reckon to be in my Top 5 of all-time, 'Date With Elvis' tour. Ticket was £5, my Mum recently found a box of tickets of mine and this was in there.
No one has mentioned missing a Mission gig or two
But that may be a whole other topic …
I think it is! x
Madonna at Hacienda stings the most to me on your list.
I've been a very very lucky man and have seen many many wonderful bands, before, during or after their prime.
But the ones I missed, oh did I miss big:
Johnny Cash, Emo's / Austin, 1994.
Legendary performance. I couldn't get my shift covered.
Nirvana, The Vatican, Houston TX, 1991.
Nevermind had just come out a month before. I'd always remembered this as being a) an opening slot for Mudhoney, but it was actually headliner with Gary Floyd's Sister Double Happiness opening, b) the same night as 7 Seconds, which I did go to—but after some internet sleuthing, I see the 7 Seconds show may have been a month before, the Nirvana was on a Sunday, which must have contributed to why I didn't go because I was still in high school, and this morning's coffee has been my own Rashomon trying to sort all this out.
Metallica w/ Cliff Burton, Houston, Monsters of Rock Tour, 1988.
I was 14. Tried to go with my older cousin, who also tried to take me to see Hüsker Dü on the Warehouse tour (no minors).
Behemoth, Watain, In Solitude, The Devil's Blood, The Rickshaw, Vancouver, BC, 2012.
I was broke. And because I was broke, I missed In Solitude (who'd break up before I could see them, even though they came back once more before they did and I was still broke because Vancouver is entirely unaffordable), and The Devil's Blood (who would end their time as well, before the main driving force would end himself).
I know there are more that hurt as bad: Helmet & Jawbox in 1990 at The Axiom. Sonic Youth with Laughing Hyenas at Number's in 1990—had the flyer on my bedroom door though. Turbonegro at Emo's-Austin right after Apocalypse Dudes came out and before they broke up—I did see them after they got back together and were even better, two shows in one day that I also did a poster for as part of a series. Missed Ozzy in