And on that Van Halen note....

Ummmmm....

Let me be clear, I HATED The Police in my younger days.

This I may pay to go see. (meh, I'm old)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,248040,00.html

Then again, B.B. King will be in Champaign March 22nd, and that may be a show I have to get up and go to. (yeah I know, makes me older. TDB )

Ize

Yeah, Police were lame.

I always liked the Police, but I have found that as I get older, I like a lot of the groups that I did not especially like when I was younger. Never a big fan of Squeeze, but I listen to them now. Wouldn't be caught dead listening to anything resembling Disco back in the 70's, but I have a mix on my computer with ABBA, The Bee Gees, Taste of Honey, etc. It brings back good memories to listen to it.

Better count on getting a good bonus to afford tix to that show! Seriously, I bet the good seats fetch 2-3 grand.

I always liked The Police, Squeeze and Van Halen. Still do. Even some ABBA (how can you resist the Rachmaninoff-like piano fill in "Dancing Queen"?) and some early, pre-disco Bee Gees. But seriously, Taste of Honey?

I bet Cheese is right, though. I'm betting face-value tix for the worst seats in a large arena will go for $200-$300 - if you can get them.

I saw The Police in college when their first album came out for $10. It was a general admission show on a weeknight and we got to sit up close b/c there were so few people there. In fact, it was so sparse a crowd that Sting was able to chat at length b/w songs with people in the audience. It was a very loose and fun show. I think I'd rather remember them that way.

I can't think of a SINGLE band that I'd pay $300 for seats - even good seats. I'll stick to the has-beens that play Rib Fest in Naperville

rdwj said:

I can't think of a SINGLE band that I'd pay $300 for seats - even good seats. I'll stick to the has-beens that play Rib Fest in Naperville

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Probably the only performer I would even *think* about paying that much to see is Tom Waits, and that's simply because not only do I consider him one of the two or three best songwriters of the past fifty years, but because he only tours about once every five years. His last tour was maybe six or seven shows, they all sold out in ten or fifteen minutes, tops. Friends of ours have seen him live, and have described it as absolutely incredible. Almost a religious experience.

the_bird said:

Probably the only performer I would even *think* about paying that much to see is Tom Waits, and that's simply because not only do I consider him one of the two or three best songwriters of the past fifty years, but because he only tours about once every five years. His last tour was maybe six or seven shows, they all sold out in ten or fifteen minutes, tops. Friends of ours have seen him live, and have described it as absolutely incredible. Almost a religious experience.

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Thinking about it, I'd consider Pink Floyd, but those would go for HUGE money - more than I'd be willing to part with. I figure I can buy the DVD and set up my basement with a pretty sweet projector for that kind of cash.

If I'm gonna spend money, I want something I can keep - not just an experience.

the_bird said:

Probably the only performer I would even *think* about paying that much to see is Tom Waits, and that's simply because not only do I consider him one of the two or three best songwriters of the past fifty years, but because he only tours about once every five years. His last tour was maybe six or seven shows, they all sold out in ten or fifteen minutes, tops. Friends of ours have seen him live, and have described it as absolutely incredible. Almost a religious experience.

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I saw waits at the Orpheum in Boston in '99 - I'd call it a religious experience. I unforturately had to kiss some arse to get in.....my cousing is a local DJ/honcho at WFNX....and I owed the bastard for a while after that one. It was worth it though.

I'd spend hundreds, easy, for a Neil Young/Crazy Horse show. At the drop of a hat.

Regarding the Police, I like them but consider the the epitome of a "Greatest Hits" band. As a kid, I always loved their greatest hits collection a lot. However, once I got their albums (pre-Synchronicity, which only had 4 "bad" songs) I was very, very dissapointed. WAY too much "filler" laterial on the albums.....with a small handful of great singles mixed in. I think this kind of jives with their arrogance as a band though.

For example:
Outlandos d'Amour - 3 great songs / 7 crappy
Regatta De Blanc - 2 great songs / 9 crappy
Ghost in the Machine - 4 great songs / 7 crappy

Rhoobarb said:

I always liked The Police, Squeeze and Van Halen. Still do. Even some ABBA (how can you resist the Rachmaninoff-like piano fill in "Dancing Queen"?) and some early, pre-disco Bee Gees. But seriously, Taste of Honey?

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Guilty pleasure. Though, the memories I have of that song coming out are when I was a camp counselor. Mid 1970's, the overnight's, when all the kids were finally asleep, all the counsellors sitting by the fire, sharing sleeping bags, AWESOME!!!

Bands on my short list that I will pay to see (may not currently be together, but could get together):

Van Halen (seen twice, Hagar flavor)
Rush
Pink Floyd
the Police
U2 (seen three times!)
Led Zeppelin
Dwight Yoakim (seen 3 times)
Boston
Aerosmith (seen once)

rdwj said:

I can't think of a SINGLE band that I'd pay $300 for seats - even good seats. I'll stick to the has-beens that play Rib Fest in Naperville

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You really have to have a darn good reason to want to pay that kind of money. And I did. Only once. I'd have to have a really good reason to want to do it again.

In the 1970s I was a huge Elton John fan. It was his hey-day, he had penned all his 'staple hits' - Love Lies Bleeding, Saturday Night, Croc Rock, Levon, Take Me To The Pilot, etc., and he toured with a great band. And I never saw him in all that time. His shows sold out too quick and I couldn't afford the ticket price back then anyway. In the Spring of 2005 he decided to tour with a band that included the still-living members of that 1970s band and I decided to make up for all those missed teenage opportunities and pop for tix.

I made a real night of it. My date and I had a really nice dinner at Harry Caray's, then parked in the VIP lot at the Allstate Arena. $250 for a pair of tix and the seats were okay. But the show was great and now I can die having seen what I missed all those years ago.

Now, maybe if Elvis came back from the dead or something....

rdwj said:

Thinking about it, I'd consider Pink Floyd, but those would go for HUGE money - more than I'd be willing to part with. I figure I can buy the DVD and set up my basement with a pretty sweet projector for that kind of cash.

If I'm gonna spend money, I want something I can keep - not just an experience.

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I saw Floyd on their Animal tour at the Olympic Stadium in Munich for $12.00. They did all of DSOTM and WYWH.

Disco ROCKS!!!
Tom Waits ROCKS!!!
Pink Floyd was good then but now??? (I mean their newer stuff, uh... no)
Where are all the good bands of today? That's why I listen to the blues...

Rhoobarb said:

In the 1970s I was a huge Elton John fan. It was his hey-day, he had penned all his 'staple hits' - Love Lies Bleeding, Saturday Night, Croc Rock, Levon, Take Me To The Pilot, etc., and he toured with a great band. And I never saw him in all that time. His shows sold out too quick and I couldn't afford the ticket price back then anyway. In the Spring of 2005 he decided to tour with a band that included the still-living members of that 1970s band and I decided to make up for all those missed teenage opportunities and pop for tix.

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I started a somewhat related thread.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=20838

homebrewer_99 said:

I saw Floyd on their Animal tour at the Olympic Stadium in Munich for $12.00. They did all of DSOTM and WYWH.

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I bet that was sweet. Too bad concerts are so expensive these days. Baseball is just as bad. It wasn't THAT long ago that I could get decent seats for a weekday game for $8.

g0dolphins said:

(may not currently be together, but could get together):

Led Zeppelin

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'Taint Zep without Bonzo!!! I think that's been proven.

I remember seeing Ratt on their out of the cellar tour back in '85 or so for $5. The big names were around $12 back then. I saw Van Halen back then (non-Hagar version) for $12 at Red Rocks. It was one of the coolest concerts for the bucks I saw. I remember my mom calling me at home (from work) one day freaking out that Pink Floyd was coming to town. With her prompting, I ran down and bought about six tickets. I think I was a junior in HS then. I saw PF with my mom and a bunch of high school friends - many pot smokers all around us (only second hand for us). Bonding...

Fiery Sword said:

'Taint Zep without Bonzo!!! I think that's been proven.

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I did the Page and Plant tour, and it was great. But sadly, no, it was NOT Zep.

Only chance I ever would have gotten to see them was in Chicago. Got the newspaper ad out of the Tribune with the order form attached, went to school, came out that afternoon ready to order my tix, and heard on the radio Bonzo was dead.

September 25, 1980.

FWIW, I still have the newspaper ad. (framed) I saw one go on Ebay recently for $160 bux. Needless to say, mine isn't for sale. :rockin:

Ize

Ize said:

I did the Page and Plant tour, and it was great. But sadly, no, it was NOT Zep.

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It always pissed me off that they didn't invite John Paul Jones back for that project. Not sure of the backstory, but from what I was reading at the time, it was a big disappointment to him. Not sure if there was more to it than just not wanting to pay royalties to the bass player.

the_bird said:

It always pissed me off that they didn't invite John Paul Jones back for that project. Not sure of the backstory, but from what I was reading at the time, it was a big disappointment to him. Not sure if there was more to it than just not wanting to pay royalties to the bass player.

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JPJ opened for a King Crimson show a few years back. He was great. He's clearly the more accomplished player/composer at this point.

Their loss.

Ize said:

I did the Page and Plant tour, and it was great. But sadly, no, it was NOT Zep.

Only chance I ever would have gotten to see them was in Chicago. Got the newspaper ad out of the Tribune with the order form attached, went to school, came out that afternoon ready to order my tix, and heard on the radio Bonzo was dead.

September 25, 1980.

FWIW, I still have the newspaper ad. (framed) I saw one go on Ebay recently for $160 bux. Needless to say, mine isn't for sale. :rockin:

Ize

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LOL OMG! I had a buddy with a similar story! Except he had actually just dropped his order form into a mailbox in Naperville, got into his car, and not ten minutes later as he was driving back home, the announcement came on the car radio that Bonzo had died!

Rhoobarb said:

LOL OMG! I had a buddy with a similar story! Except he had actually just dropped his order form into a mailbox in Naperville, got into his car, and not ten minutes later as he was driving back home, the announcement came on the car radio that Bonzo had died!

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That is weird. I was living in Bolingbrook at the time and going to JCHS in Joliet.

Small freaking planet.

Ize

I paid $150 for 2 lawn seats to Buffett this past summer. One of these days I'm gonna shell out the dough for some up-front seats. He's about the only performer that I'd pay that much to see. All my other favorites are on the county-fair scene so they can be seen for real cheap. Last summer I saw Alice Cooper and George Thorogood on consecutive nights for $8 apiece.

Bernie Brewer said:

I paid $150 for 2 lawn seats to Buffett this past summer. One of these days I'm gonna shell out the dough for some up-front seats.

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I've had good seats for Buffett. I've got to say, I like the lawn experience better

Bernie Brewer said:

I paid $150 for 2 lawn seats to Buffett this past summer. One of these days I'm gonna shell out the dough for some up-front seats. He's about the only performer that I'd pay that much to see. All my other favorites are on the county-fair scene so they can be seen for real cheap. Last summer I saw Alice Cooper and George Thorogood on consecutive nights for $8 apiece.

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One year I had Monster of Rock tickets and Buffett tickets. Discovered they were both the same day and gave the Buffett tickets away to my Uncle. One of the worst decisions of my life. I got sunburned at Monsters 2 hours before the good bands even played, then was too drunk by the time Scorpions played, I didn't really get it. Too bad, Buffett was cheap back then.

That reminds me, John Prine would be a good one to see live...