BLACK
SABBATH:
1976/TECHNICAL ECSTACY....w/Ted Nugent and
Mother's Finest.
Not only was this the first concert I ever saw...it was
also the first time I saw a band get booed off the stage
(Mother's Finest was a FUNK band). Whoever booked this gig
HAD to get fired.
LYNYRD
SKYNYRD:
1977/STREET SURVIVORS......headliner was
Peter Frampton touring "I'm in You". That album sucked SO
BAD!!!
Also there was The J.Geils Band WAAAAY before "Centerfold"
and Dickie Betts from the Allman Brothers. Dickie played
for around five minutes and left after kicking a buzzing
monitor off the stage. J. Geils grooved like crazy and
Magic Dick(harmonica) was blowing his ears off. To me this
was a Skynyrd show because this was the last time they
played in Philadelphia before "THE CRASH"
KANSAS:
1977/POINT OF KNOW RETURN......I went to
this concert on a school field trip! NO SHIT! The opener
was a band called Crawler with one cool song "Stone Cold
Sober". Kansas was recording for their live album. I don't
think they used any tracks from Philly, the Spectrum's
acoustics are lousy.
FOREIGNER:
1977/DEBUT ALBUM.......First tour also for
The Little River Band, who opened first. Then Rick
Derringer played...not one guy in the band was over five
foot tall. It was like watching midgets. Foreigner was
great, even though it was clear that the bassist DIDN'T
sing backup on the album....ouch!!! All for the low price
of $3.50....no kidding!
HEART:
1978/DOG & BUTTERFLY..... I don't remember
if there was an opening band or not. I do remember Heart
opening with "Cooking with Fire" and Ann Wilson getting
boinked in the mouth with a frisbee. The encore was Led
Zep's "Rock and Roll". Nancy sang the shit out of
it.
YES:
1978/TORMADO........Theater in the round.
A nifty idea, the stage spins as the band plays. So you get
to see everything.....eventually. Was a cool show.
JACKSON
BROWNE:
1978/RUNNING ON EMPTY......I get a call
from a friend who says she has a extra ticket for Jackson
Browne. Eh, I wasn't doing anything, what the heck. I'm
glad I went! The show reminded me of hanging out in the
woods singing around a fire. Talk about casual. I still
snicker when I hear "Rosie"....
STYX:
1978/PIECES OF EIGHT....Almost got crushed
at this show. General Admisson and standing up
front.......Bad combination. Anyway, a band called Angel
opened up. The lead singer's name was Punky
something-or-other. He has been immortalized by Zappa in a
song called "Punky's Lips". And they are BIG!. So Styx was
cool and I got to hear Dennis Deyoung, a wholesome, mom
even likes him kind of a guy say "ASS!!!!!!" Hey, this was
the seventies, this was a BIG DEAL......
RICK
DERRINGER:
1978/IF I WEREN'T SO ROMANTIC, I'D SHOOT YOU......openers were some band named Fandango(who?) and
Johnny's Dance Band(yuk!).The second band was a "hometown
band done good". I don't remember what the big deal was, it
was the first and only time I fell asleep at a concert.
Derringer's new drummer was Myron Grombecker(later w/Pat
Benetar) who couldn't cut the parts done by the last
drummer.
BLACK
SABBATH:
1978/NEVER SAY DIE.....The opening act was
VanHalen on their first tour. They did every song but
"Jamie's Crying". Sabbath of course was incredible. WHAT A
CHAOTIC RIOT. Well, there was a lot of chaos, but no riot.
Unbelievable show!!!!
RUSH:
1979/HEMISPHERES......another mismatched
show... Rush and.......BLONDIE? Talk bout getting tortured!
I mean Blondie!(NOT PRETTY!)The drummer got hit with a
Heineken bottle from the third level(where the rogues
usually are).
Rush was cool. They did all of 2112 and both parts of
Cygnus X-1. Where I was sitting I could see Neil's hands
perfectly, which at the time was my idol. After the show I
went to the hotel where the acts stay, asked where Rush was
and the clerk said "DUH RUSSIANS?" Walking out the door in
disgust I walked RIGHT INTO THEM. I still have the program
with Neil and Geddy's signatures.
FRANK
ZAPPA:
1979/TINSELTOWN REBELLION...... My first
Zappa concert, TRIPPY! And if you look at the credits for
"Easy Meat" you'll see that it was recorded at the Tower
Theater in Philadelphia...I was there!!!(yay!) Also, I
believe this was the first tour that women's undergarments
were collected to be sewn together to make a HUGE
quilt.
IAN HUNTER:
1980/NEVER ALONE WITH A SCHIZOPHRENIC.......Cleveland rocks!/Disco Sucks! What a party!
Opened with SouthSide Johnny and the Asbury Dukes. Nothing
but dancin' everywhere.
ALICE
COOPER:
1981/SPECIAL FORCES.......I actually got
PAID to see this show.A friend of mine worked at the now
defunct Emerald City(was the Latin Casino)and she calls my
roommate and me and asks if we would like to earn a couple
bucks. We're in college, we're broke.....SURE! Need ya for
security, just stand there. NO PROBLEM! Who's playing?
Alice Cooper? OK. Hang up the phone, jump around alot
screaming,"WE'RE GETTING PAID TO SEE COOPER!!!" The opening
band was called the Tigers. Complete with striped guitars,
drums, pants, shirts....EVERYTHING. And they stunk. When
the audience started booing them, the singer yells "OH
YEAH? I DON'T SEE YOU OPENING FOR ALICE COOPER. And
the shit hit the fan.....and the beer....and the
shoes.....and God knows what else. Finally Cooper came on.
The show was small and Cooper was great. The only bummer is
that we didn't get to meet him, Alice was in & out. But we
have pictures of his snake somewhere.
BLACK
SABBATH:
1982/THE MOB RULES......opened by Alvin
Lee and Ten Years After. Actually since Ten Years After was
a band from way back, Alvin called this band Ten Years Ago.
Still kicked butt, although not too many folks remembered
the blues rocker. This was the tour SABBATH recorded "Live
Evil"
RENAISSANCE:
1982/CAMERA,CAMERA.......pretty sure it
was this album. Spyro Gyra opened up and did some serious
Jazz/rock fusion.
After hearing Rennaisance do "Mother Russia" I went and
bought it the next day.
MOODY BLUES:
1983.......I don't remember them touring
an album. But it was vintage Moodys, doing all the hits.
Still trying to figure out why they have a member do
nothing but play tambourine......
BLACK
SABBATH:
1986/SEVENTH STAR.....opened by W.A.S.P.
who was ok, but SABBATH at this time was reduced to the
"Tony Iommi Cover Band" What a disappointment!!!! On top of
that the light guy kept screwing up
DEEP PURPLE:
1987/HOUSE OF THE BLUE LIGHT......opening
act was Bad Company with a Paul Rodgers sound-a-like. Deep
Purple was great! They went off on tangents the whole time,
which to me is a lot better than listening to a band belch
out the record. The drum solo was in the first song(Highway
Star)when's the last time you saw THAT?
JOHNNY
WINTER:
1987.......Johnny usually doesn't tour on
an album, so I heard. Anyway, I get up front at this small
place that
Johnny's playing. Stand right in front of him ..LITERALLY..
I'm only about 12 feet from the guy. I'm watching his hands
flying and in between songs he asks me, "So, ya pick up
anything?" and I told him,"Nah I play drums". He said
"cool" and
ripped apart the next song. After the fourth tune, I looked
next to me....it was Tommy Keifer from Cinderella. During
the rest of the show Tommy and I were high-fivin' and
screaming YEAH!!! a lot. After the show Tom got on Johnny's
bus.....They wouldn't let me on......BUMMER!!!
FRANK ZAPPA:
1988/BROADWAY THE HARD WAY......A
Valentine's
Day Show! This show was cool because I got to meet Zappa's
family. I saw a buddy of mine up front and when I got
closer, I saw an older woman with a big nose like Frank's.
I asked her "By chance, are you Mrs. Zappa?" She smiled and
said, "Yes". Then the others turned around. It seems that
everyone notices the rest of the Zappas(Moon, Dweez, Ahmed,
Gail) and this was the first time someone noticed HER. She
was real nice and the Zappas are quite normal. Frank did
his conducting the audience bit(clapping, grunting, etc.)
and accepted presents onstage. He used an upside down teddy
bear and a microphone to illustrate what would happen if
Pat Robertson became president.
CINDERELLA:
1988/LONG COLD WINTER......The guys' first
headline tour. Had to see the hometown guys. I used to see
them every Saturday night doing the midnight show at a Club
called the Galaxy. Don't rememeber if there was an opening
act. I do recall Cinderella putting on an OK show. Tommy
came down on a platform playing piano starting "Don't Know
What You Got....."
SCORPIONS:
1991.......don't remember an album, but I
do remember Great White opening(OH JOY). There was another
band, but who remembers? My band's manager was trying to
prove how good he was, so he hounded the crew of all three
bands until we finally got to meet one guitarist from Great
White. What a......thrill! Yeah...that's the word! Too bad
it's the only thing the manager did right the whole time we
knew him. This concert was a waste, but hey...the tix were
free.....
JOHNNY
WINTER:
1991......at the Jam on the River at
Penn's Landing. All that I can say is.....WOW
JUDAS PRIEST/ALICE
COOPER/MOTORHEAD:
1991.......I don't remember the tour name,
but it kicked ass. There was two other acts..Dangerous Toys
and a "Why did they put these kids on stage?" band. Lemmy
was cracking jokes during his set. Cooper was....COOPER.
Then Priest came up. There was a problem with the bass rig.
Like NO SOUND! So they pumped up the bass drums....HOLY
TOLEDO!! I thought I stepped into a WAR! It was
INTENSE.....it would had been awesome......WITH A
BASS!
SPINAL TAP:
1992/BREAK LIKE THE WIND.....That's
right...the guys whose amps go to 11,who had drummers
expire on and off the stage....THAT Spinal Tap. Absolutely
Hysterical show. And the real weird part was 5,000 people
were in on the gag(If you REALLY have no clue what I'm
talking about, go to the video store and rent "THIS IS
SPINAL TAP". You'll never bring it back)
PHANTOM OF THE
OPERA:
1993/BROADWAY SHOW.....hey,
metalheads/bluesmen are cultured too! I worked backstage in
college for shows/operas, but this the first professional
show I got to sit and just watch. Brilliant show, on the edge of my seat the whole
time.
STOMP:
1997/BROADWAY SHOW.....If you are going to
do anything before you die, GO SEE STOMP!!! 90 minutes
straight of street acting, percussion, vaudville, etc.
playing tubes,brooms everything but the kitchen sink(wait a
minute.... they DID play kitchen sinks!)
BLACK
SABBATH:
1999/REUNION.....After 20 hopeful years
the original SABBATH lineup is back!!!! Opening was Pantera
who had to waste a lot of time since the Deftones were
ripped off(Yeah, EVERYTHING!!) Ozzy wasn't 100%, more like
85%, but he did the whole show with a bad throat problem.
Sadly enough, Ozzy could only do one more show before his
voice gave out completely. The rest of the tour was
cancelled, followed by tons of bemoaning on the SABBATH
posting board.
BLACK
SABBATH:
1999/OZZFEST.....The last tour(so they
say) before the name BLACK SABBATH is retired. There were
two stages(duh). I saw the first act on the small
stage,don't remember who they were. I went to see Primus,
Slayer and Rob Zombie, but Godsmack was a serious bonus
(band funks like a beast!) Pushmonkey and the Deftones were
adequate.