Best Gig ever (besides Arena)

[Wilford Jr.]

Seconded!

Third!

[jharke]

So, what are our best gigs ever (besides the ones Arena has given us) and why?

Mine was the Star One feat. Ayreon gig at Lucky&Co (Rijssen) in 2003. It was really special to see Arjen performe live and the sound and atmosfere was the best I ever experienced.

Genesis (april 1975, Ahoy Rotterdam)
IQ (december 2004, The Mean Fiddler London)

[Peter]

Genesis (april 1975, Ahoy Rotterdam)

Jeez, I was 3 back then....

[PH]

Jeez, I was 3 back then....

And I was -12...

I really was born too late...

[FirstPrice]

Since I'm a too big Dream Theater fan, this is the best concert I've ever been to:


DREAM THEATER
live in Oslo Spektrum
September 30th 2005.

Yeah, that was great! 

[Oliver Twist]

1 ELP - Wembley - 1973
2 Yes  - QPR Stadium - 1975
3 Caravan/Hawkwind  - Harlow - 1975(?)
4 The Artful Dodger Band (supporting Eddie and The Hot Rods) - Harlow - 1976 (my band!)
5 Brand X - London - 1979(?)
6 Marillion - Schloss Neuhaus - 1983
7 Klaus Doldinger's Passport - Hannover - 1985
8 XPD - Newcombe Hall, Larkhill, Wiltshire  - 1986 (2 nights) (me again)
9 ELP  - Royal Albert Hall London - 1992 (2 nights)
10 Arena - Rees-Haldern, Germany 1996 (My first Arena gig)
11 Marillion - Hannover - 1996
12 Regenesis - Whitchurch 1997(?)
14 Arena - Bospop, Holland - 1998

There have been many more gigs, but these stand out as the most memorable for various reasons - some obvious!!
If I have to single out one it's go to be ELP in 1992

[PH]

Best gig ever besides Arena...

Hmmm...

That has to be Kino.

1. Kino - De Boerderij, Zoetermeer - 10 december 2005


It was my first gig anyway.

[The Butterfly Man]

It was my first gig anyway.

Your FIRST gig? Wow...

Tom

[maddox]

Pink Floyd, 198-whatever, in The Netherlands. I thought it was 1988 but it could easely be a year earlier. This concert was thrilling. Without a doubt the best i've ever seen. 

MAD. 

[PH]

Your FIRST gig? Wow...

Tom

I'm only 18 years old. And I discovered music just 2 (or 3) years ago. Stepped right into Prog. I never listened to music. But 2 (or 3) years ago I heard Genesis...

[maddox]

...But 2 (or 3) years ago I heard Genesis...

I know worse ways to start something. 

MAD. 

[Crazy Diamond]

My favourite Gigs..

Pink Floyd (Pulse 1994 at Earl's Court)
Tangerine Dream (1978 - Hammersmith - still remember it well)
Yes (NEC Birmingham 2004 - 35th Anniversary Tour)

Guess I shouldn't include tribute bands... but have seen Australian PF twice, they are excellent !!!

CD

[willowroolz]

Two stick in my mind:

Rush - Wembley Arena, September 9th 2004 - they were amazing on the 8th as well, but on the 9th they nailed it. Just a fantastic show 
Rush - Wembley Arena, April 28th 1988 - had front row seats right in front of Alex - the guy's been my musical hero since I was 14 so it was pretty awesome 

So yeah, I'm a bit of a Rush fan 

But apart from those, Dream Theater at the Astoria on the Six Degrees tour, then at Hammersmith on the Train of Thought and Octavarium tours (seeing them play the title track off that album was almost a religious experience!). There've been a few Marillion gigs, particularly one at Hammersmith on the Misplaced Childhood tour, and more recently at The Forum on the Anoraknophobia tour and the Astoria on the Marbles tour.

[funkster]

Not seen Arena yet  :-[but i am sure there will be many gigs to come.

My personal faves , well here are a few

Maiden - Liverpool Empire 12 October 1986
Steve Hogarth - Liverpool Cavern 1 March 2006
IQ - Robin 2 - 2005
Jesse Malin - Liverpool Academy 2003
Gomez - Liverpool L2 2006 ish
Skid Row - Birmingham NEC slave to the grind tour
Dave lee Roth - A little aint enough tour at the NEC
Little Angels - Young gods tour Liverpool royal court

I do need to go to more gigs this year though.

When are Arena due to tour again ?
 

[willowroolz]

When are Arena due to tour again ?
 

Good question - I haven't seen them yet either 

I saw Little Angels a few times (of which some were as support to Marillion), one fantastic gig at The Forum 

[Herben]

I never saw a real progressive or symphonic rock band on stage, I saw Uriah Heep once in Podium at Hardenberg and at Oerkracht Festival, I think they are the band most close to the progressive/symphonic bands. I liked Uriah Heep very much, a bunch of old guys, still so enthousiastic and playing with their heart, I like their long ballads like July Morning and Gypsy.

[keyboardistmatt]

Guess I shouldn't include tribute bands... but have seen Australian PF twice, they are excellent !!!

I'll agree with that!

[POM]

I'm still remembering will the first time my lovely boyfriend told me "you've to come with me, you'll love it".  And I did.  It was... Arena, April 28, 2003, Contagion Tour at the Spirit of 66, Verviers (well, it's a place we went lots of time since then).

So, besides Arena:

Dreamtheater - October 12, 2005 - Forest National (Brussels) 
Riverside - April 22, 2006 - Spirit of 66 (Verviers)   
Enchant - don't remember when - Spirit of 66 (Verviers)
Stream of Passion - February 19, 2006 - Spirit of 66 (Verviers)

Well, in fact, I realise that I really enjoyed almost ALL the gigs I went to  And it's clearly difficult to me to say which one I enjoyed the most 

[Crownie]

Re:
Well, in fact, I realise that I really enjoyed almost ALL the gigs I went to   And it's clearly difficult to me to say which one I enjoyed the most 

I agree.  Hard to chose a favourite.  Most memorable was Def Leppard at the pub round the corner from my home.  It was one of their first gigs before they became famous.

[Oliver Twist]

Emerson, Lake and Palmer about 1997. RAH. The best band, ever. Ever.

[jeffMc]

Emerson, Lake and Palmer about 1997. RAH. The best band, ever. Ever.

Not to show my age, but the 1970 ELP show at the Boston Esplanade was fabulous. (Just after they formed) and the Brain Salad TOur rocked too

Then there was that King Crimson show at the Boston Tea Party where the Live Mellotron on Cirkus affected my thinking forever ; Or was that the window..... Never mind

[intruder]

Out of the many I have been to over the years, my favorite gig was Pink Floyd live at earls court in 1994, that show was spectacular to me, what they did in a small indoor arena like earls court, was far more mind blowing than my second favorite gig. Which was Jean Michel Jarre at london's docklands. Although last month I purchased Jeff Waynes War Of The Worlds on DVD, and I must say I wish I saw that live, it's totally amazing. He is doing another tour in december 2007, I will make sure im at this one, and see how good that is live, and if it can compare with Floyd in 94.

[PH]

I think I have to change my "vote".

Kino
Ray Wilson
Frost*

All were great.
Each one had something so that I cannot choose which one I liked the best.
Kino was just brilliant, great atmosphere, audience and musicians.
Ray Wilson had the high-emotion-factor, partly because of the (brilliantly performed!) Genesis songs, but also because I was with my dad and it was in our holidays and it came totally unexpected. Ever had such a surprise in your life? (Actually, I believe it was lead by God, because it was a very emotional holiday for me and because my name was on the doorbell of the venue next to the vacation park. As if God gave a wink.)
Frost* was amazing but unfortunately too short (in my opinion). Of course I'm very happy to have witnessed the best band of 2006 (IMO) playing while being in their end stadium. (Of course this fact was known to me after the gig, which gave the whole gig an other light. I'm very grateful!)

[creme anglais]

For me the Pendragon 21st Anniversary of the Jewel gig was INCREDIBLE, Pendragon Plus old members Nigel Harris, Rik Carter, John Barnfield and Jools Baker........ the atmosphere was AMAZING!!!

It's going to take some beating!