[vox] QotD: Thanks for the Memories

"What are the 10 most memorable music performances you've seen? (Remember, "memorable" may not be good.) "

10. Red Hot Chili Peppers

I had originally bought two tickets for the first night of this show. I'm sure I had meant to take a young lady with me or something, but as usual things didn't work out for me. I ended up trading my extra second night ticket to someone and going both nights. The first night, I got a little altered, and the second I went dead sober. An interesting experiment. I had a lot more fun sober.

9. Morrissey

The show started about two hours late. I found out afterwards that his royal Mozness had thrown a shit-fit regarding the sale of hot dogs at the venue. Still, once he started it was amazing. I remember seeing a bunch of people carrying calla lillies with blousy shirts and pomps milling around before the show. As soon as Morrissey hit the stage, they were bowled over by a couple of companies worth of military guys. (Who knew?) I also remember fighting my way to the front when he started playing Alsatian Cousin - I made my way to the front, and managed to lift myself above the crowd just as it was surging forward. I spent the entire song suspended in the air in a christ pose, with Morrissey leaning down and singing to me. Beautiful.

8. Nirvana (SUCKED)

I know a lot of people hold this band in high regard, but to be honest, I never cared for them. As far as I was concerned, they were johnny-come-latelys to the "alternative" music scene. I really only went becuse I was a bit of a show whore at the time. The promoters had vastly oversold the club, and it was next to impossible to move around. Unsurprisingly, they were shit live. Cobain also copped attitude to one of my friends who was working the show on his way down from the VIP room.

Friend: "Have a good show mr. Cobain!"
Cobain: "Fuck you."

Really classy. Fucker.

7. The Selecter

My girlfriend at the time was planning on leaving for a semester away in San Bernadino, and I had gotten us Selecter tickets as kind of a going-away thing. We didn't end up going the night before she left (alone time seemed more important), but I had gotten a ticket for the night that she left as well. After a tearful goodbye at the airport, I decided that I would go to the show to cheer myself up (It was the Selecter, for god's sake).

When I got to the venue, it was pissing down rain. After a few minutes inside, the power went out, and the club management decided they were going to kick us out onto the street ("fire code") to stand in the rain and wait for the power to come back on. About an hour later, only a quarter of the crowd was left. A bouncer popper his head out, and decided to finally show some compassion for the soaked mass of rudeboys and rudegirls who had been patiently waiting around. I remember very clearly he said "Wow, you guys are still here? You'd better come inside.").

Sortly after we had gotten back inside, I noticed that the band was sitting at the bar. Mustering up a bit of courage, I went over and talked to them. I think I told the keyboard player that I loved him ("Oi! Didja hear that? This guy loves me!"). I also managed to exchange a few words with Pauline Black. While I was talking to her, the power came back on, and the band headed for the stage. Fucking magic night.

6. the Specials

So the specials comeback album (Today's Specials) was pretty disapointing, but they rocked the house when they toured. I think I came pretty close to heart failure dancing the whole night. I remember them being pretty upset about the people who were "crowd surfing" (Thanks Pearl Jam). Even after ranting about it for a while, some ditzy girl decided she was going to do it anyway. They dedicated a song to her: Little Bitch. Awesome.

At the end of the show, they announced that they were having a party back at the hotel, and that we were all invited. My friend Shina decided they were serious, so she went up and asked the manager where it was. she had a way of pursuading me to do silly things, so we ended up going to the Ala Moana Hotel to look for them. I'll never forget the scene when we got there. The hotel sported a dodgy meat-market night club, and when we arrived, there was a big group of skinheads and rudies on one side of the lobby, a big group of steroid-pumped club-heads on the other, and a cop standing in the middle looking realy, really worried. We did end up going up to the room briefly, and I got to meet a couple of the guys. Awesome. Shina, on the other hand, being a cute girl got to hang out with them for a couple of days.

5. Mighty Mighty Bosstones

I'll never forget the first time I saw these guys. There was something magic about the plaid bulldog banner unfurling, accompanied by the swelling bagpipe music as the huge band took the stage. Dickie spent a couple of minutes leaning down and talking to the bouncers, assuring them that it was cool if people wanted to get up on stage with them and dance. They had a fantastic friendly energy that I'd never seen before or since. On the way back to the car, I ran across Dickie smoking a cigarette outside. He liked my tie.

4. Porno for Pyros

I've seen these guys a few times. On their first tour, their album hadn't been released yet, so it was cool to get a preview of what was to come. Sadly, I had mono, and was leaned up in the corner, trying not to pass out. Anyone that can get me to have a good time when that sick gets my seal of approval.

I also remember seeing them at an outdoor festival, the Big Mele. we used to have one every year out on the North shore of Oahu at Kualoa Ranch. the image of hot, Hot, HOT girls dressed as stripper devils spitting columns of fire is something that I will think about until I die.

3. Dead Can Dance

I caught these guys at the Greek Theater in Berkley, shortly before the band broke up. I remember the show clearly, as Perry seemed to be pretty irritated with Gerard (likely because her solo work was outstripping the band). There was a wierd tension in the air. I remember one bit where Gerard screwed up the timing on Rakim, stepping on Perry's part. The lok he shot her was pure venom. After the song was over, he threw down his tambourine, and stomped to the back of the stage in a huff. Still a good show, but a little uncomfortable. =P

2. Proto-Lilith Fair

You wouldn't know it by looking at me, but I used to be a huge Sarah McLachlan fan. When I saw an ad for a show with Paula Cole, Susanne Vega, and Sarah at the Greek Theater, I jumped at the chance to go. I also lucked out, and managed to score 6th row center tickets in the parking lot (with no markup, I might add).

I had never heard of Paula Cole. I think her main claim to fame at the time was taking over the Kate Bush parts on Peter Gabriel's tour. I was amazed that a solo girl with a piano could have that kind of stage presence. A good start.

Next up was Susanne Vega, who had kind of disapeared from the music scene for a few years after putting out 99.9 F. I was a little shocked. Instead of the waifish singer that I was expecting (from the videos that I had seen), she pretty much looked like someone's mom. She put on a hell of a show though - her main talent seemed to be the ability to have personal conversation with the audience. She was also very, very funny. It turns out that the reason she had dropped out of music was, in fact, to be a mom.

When Sarah popped her head out and came on to the stage, the audience was dead silent. The reason? We didn't recognize her. People who started listening to her around the time of Fumbling Towards Ecstacy might be unfamiliar with her earlier work and look. she used to have curly brown hair, and wear flowy black dresses. This woman had vinyl snakeskin pants, and blonde highlights. We sat there puzzed until she took a step out, and gave us a big smile and wave - at which point the crowd exploded. Her band was a little stripped down that night, but she was still pretty amazing. Little did I know what was to come out of her offhand comments about starting a "Lillith Fair" the next year...

1. Jane's Addiction's last show

I really can't describe how awesome this show was. Perry and Stephen got naked. It had the biggest pit I had ever seen (I colided with Mike Muir from Suicidal Tendencies on the way out) . The band was going balls out, as they knew it was going to be their last show together. Somone had broken Dave's acoustic guitar the night before, so instead of finishing with Jane Says, they mic'd up a bunch of flipped over coolers, and played Chip Away for the finale. To this day, it's still the best show I have ever been to.