For me, my first show was Cheap Trick on the One-On-One tour. It was in a basketball stadium, so the sound was a little washed out, but I was so stoked to hear 'em play that I didn't care.

First punk show was the Big Boys, (Texas) in a tiny li'l bar called Backstage, 1983.

Best shows, so far: The Cramps w/ Nick Knox, Stay Sick tour, and the Boredoms, 1993. Both shows were off-the-scale energy, wow...

Most disappointing show was The Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments, 1996 (SXSW, ack!) the singer was waaaay drunk, the gtr player was pissed-off, and the band maybe played 20 minutes.

I was taking my daughter to see Taylor Swift (hoping there would be some good players in her band) .....Bieber (who I had never heard of) was playing support....I was truly stunned by just how crap he was......I am not just saying that........I was amazed when a few months later he was a huge 'star'..........

Oh yeah.......missed off of my "best" List......The Clash.......

John Battles said:

GO !!!!! GET OUTTA BIEBER'S , BABY , GO !!!! GET OUT THE FUCKIN' BIEBER'S SHOW - OH - OH !

BECAUSE HE SINGS LIKE SUCH A WHINER AND HE LOOKS JUST LIKE A WIENER , BABY , GET OUT OF BIEBER'S , BABY , GET OUT OF BIEBER'S CRAP SHOW !   (Tune of "Get Out of Denver".).                   

IF YOU HAD TO GO FOR A RELATIVE'S SAKE , MY SYMPATHIES.  

Did you see The Feelgoods with Gypie Mayo?

Pete English said:

The first show I saw was also the first show I worked as local crew. It was New Model Army in the International Club,Manchester,UK in 1985 or 1986. The first punk gig I paid to see was Conflict in the Mermaid Club in Birmingham UK. And the best show would have to be James Brown in Anaheim,California. Or Doctor Feelgood in the late 80s,any year. Or The Cramps at any gig. Or Nirvana in Manchester in the early 90s. Or Beastie Boys on the License To Ill Tour. Or Public Enemy in late 80s early90s. The list could go on and on. Too many amazing gigs.

The first show I saw was also the first show I worked as local crew. It was New Model Army in the International Club,Manchester,UK in 1985 or 1986. The first punk gig I paid to see was Conflict in the Mermaid Club in Birmingham UK. And the best show would have to be James Brown in Anaheim,California. Or Doctor Feelgood in the late 80s,any year. Or The Cramps at any gig. Or Nirvana in Manchester in the early 90s. Or Beastie Boys on the License To Ill Tour. Or Public Enemy in late 80s early90s. The list could go on and on. Too many amazing gigs.

Circle jerks/ Bad Brains/ Leeway and Vernon Reid's Living Color @ club 1018 July of 1987 for CMJ

GO !!!!! GET OUTTA BIEBER'S , BABY , GO !!!! GET OUT THE FUCKIN' BIEBER'S SHOW - OH - OH !

BECAUSE HE SINGS LIKE SUCH A WHINER AND HE LOOKS JUST LIKE A WIENER , BABY , GET OUT OF BIEBER'S , BABY , GET OUT OF BIEBER'S CRAP SHOW !   (Tune of "Get Out of Denver".).                   

IF YOU HAD TO GO FOR A RELATIVE'S SAKE , MY SYMPATHIES.  

Tied for first place.......Motorhead (With Clarke and Taylor), Nine Below Zero, Eddie and The Hot Rods.......Worst show....Probably Justin Bieber.......

Best First Show ever , and the nominees are swt , swt and swt , and the winnner is.....
 
swt said:

I saw Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs at Springlake amusement park in Oklahoma City in the summer of 1965 when their current hit was "Ju Ju Hand."

When I was in junior high in OKC a couple of years later, there was a local band called The Inmates who had an intense Yardbirds fixation and did a vicious version of "The Hanky Panky." They were pretty punk.

I saw The Fall in Santa Fe in 1981 play in Santa Fe in an old movie theater. Before the show I got to interview Mark E. Smith, who told me The Fall wasn't punk rock. He was right but he was wrong.

Though most of the first two 20/20 albums are nothing but hits. I'm surprised they were not more mainstream. Great hooks and lyrics. The first album is my favorite, but the 2nd album's opening track "Nuclear Boy" is my favorite song. Seems like it should have been a top ten radio or MTV staple. Not too far of a stretch from Modern English, Ah Ha, or Simple Minds. I'm going to go play my 20/20 albums now.

The first show i went to watch was 20/20 performing at the Whisky a-Go-Go, Los Angeles back in 1979. They had just released their first album entitled 20/20 and the single from it was "Yellow Pills" which received a lot of airplay on KROQ at the time. They were a new wave/power pop band and they never had a hit song.

I saw Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs at Springlake amusement park in Oklahoma City in the summer of 1965 when their current hit was "Ju Ju Hand."

When I was in junior high in OKC a couple of years later, there was a local band called The Inmates who had an intense Yardbirds fixation and did a vicious version of "The Hanky Panky." They were pretty punk.

I saw The Fall in Santa Fe in 1981 play in Santa Fe in an old movie theater. Before the show I got to interview Mark E. Smith, who told me The Fall wasn't punk rock. He was right but he was wrong.

The first proper gig I went to was a grungy pop punk band called Ratcat at a small bar in Kings Cross, Sydney. I was only 15 and got in with somebody's paper driving license. It was packed and a great gig.

First punk show was The Ramones in 1991 at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion. They were great but the support band was even better - local band the Hard Ons, who concluded their set with bass player Ray Ahn doing an amazing fire breathing routine..

Best show (or one of the best) was Einsturzende Neubauten, Beasts of Bourbon and Sydney punk band Nunbait at the Phoenician Club, Sydney in 1992. Amazing line-up, cool venue, and I used the same fake ID to get in that I used at the Ratcat gig..

First punks shows were probably some friends bands - can't even remember. Some of the best would be Zero Boys, Zeros, Testors, GIZMOS NYE show. D.O.A. private party show. 

Currently all the Toronto summer bridge shows are without a doubt a blast. This will be the 4th (?) season, most fun I've had at shows in recent memory - usually doesn't matter who is playing, but mostly good local bands anyway - School Jerks, Kremlin, Career Suicide,....etc.

Upcoming shows looking forward to. Red Cross and later Diamond Head. Both old, but hopefully they will still be good.

First punk show: summer of 1980 999 in Cleveland oh.. last punk shows : The Queers, Matt Freeman, 7 Seconds, Italy. Best punk show in between: all of them!

YOU POOR MAN !!! I think they have support groups  for teens and men that had to escort their relatives to NKOTB concerts. Now that they're coming back (EUGGH!), survivors of the 90's campaign can act as sponsors for the unfortunate younger guys who'll have to complete this circle of terror.   The Zeros ,Hell Yeah. I've seen El Vez and The True Believers , Dos Zeros?
  
Johnny Garage said:

First show: 1991 New Kids on the block. My folks didn't want my sis to go by herself so I had to go. 90 minutes of chicks screaming still haunts me to this day

First punk show: 1996 Glasshouse Pomona, Ca. Line up: Red Aunts, New Bomb Turks, Voo Doo Glow Skulls, Union 13 and Strife. My friends and I ditched school to buy Voo Doo's new album at Rhino records because you got a free ticket to the show. That show changed my life.

Best shows: The Zeros @ The Troubadour, The Hives @ The Glasshouse, Japanther @ VLHS, Night Birds @ The Blue Star, NObunny @ The Alexandria, BBQ Show @ El Cid, OBN III's @ The Smell, Guitar Wolf @ The Knitting Factory, 5,6,7,8's @ Knitting Factory...just off of recent memory.

I did see No Doubt at a back yard kegger in Anaheim for $2 bucks 1996. Back when she used to dress up as Alice in Wonderland...I saw Green Day and AFI @ Gilman St in San Francisco for free. 1999 I believe.

I was on 2001 Warped Tour and saw AFI, CIV, Rancid, AFI, Bouncing Souls, Murphys Law, Keith Cool, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on stage. Priceless memories. Thanks Lyman...

My first show was Aerosmith at Jones Beach in like '95. 

First punk rock show was a local Long Island show with 48 in the Basement and The Skum at  a long-defunct club called Blue.

Best show was The Legendary Shack Shakers at The Middle East in Boston in '08. The closest thing to a punk rock hoedown. Lots of drunk dancing. Awesome.

First show: 1991 New Kids on the block. My folks didn't want my sis to go by herself so I had to go. 90 minutes of chicks screaming still haunts me to this day

First punk show: 1996 Glasshouse Pomona, Ca. Line up: Red Aunts, New Bomb Turks, Voo Doo Glow Skulls, Union 13 and Strife. My friends and I ditched school to buy Voo Doo's new album at Rhino records because you got a free ticket to the show. That show changed my life.

Best shows: The Zeros @ The Troubadour, The Hives @ The Glasshouse, Japanther @ VLHS, Night Birds @ The Blue Star, NObunny @ The Alexandria, BBQ Show @ El Cid, OBN III's @ The Smell, Guitar Wolf @ The Knitting Factory, 5,6,7,8's @ Knitting Factory...just off of recent memory.

I did see No Doubt at a back yard kegger in Anaheim for $2 bucks 1996. Back when she used to dress up as Alice in Wonderland...I saw Green Day and AFI @ Gilman St in San Francisco for free. 1999 I believe.

I was on 2001 Warped Tour and saw AFI, CIV, Rancid, AFI, Bouncing Souls, Murphys Law, Keith Cool, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on stage. Priceless memories. Thanks Lyman...

Nobunny kills it. Saw them twice late 2012. 

Bobby said:

First show was John Denver when I was a kid. 

First punk show was Fugazi for the Repeater tour. 

Best show might have been Nobunny this past summer, but i have been lucky enought to see some great ones over the years. 

No , i don't remember these guys at all.....But, I'd long since put Hardcore (If you want to call it that.) behind me , the handfull of bands I even liked .  I quit skateboarding in '76 or '77 , so , I did'nt relate  to the Skate - Punk thing , tho' some of my younger friends were Skateboarders in the 80's , a couple went pro or semi - pro . I met Craig Johnson , once , in Dallas , and he was a nice guy. This video is funny , the intro , the guy with a keg on his back (The Crusher's favorite workout - drain all the beer from a keg on your back.) , but , if I saw this record for 50 cents , I'd pass. Sorry.

First: One Hit Wonder, Buck-O-Nine, White Kaps at The Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles, CA 97? Anyone remember the White Kaps? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mupm6vQNLW8

Best: Way too hard to narrow down, but off the top of my head I'll say the last Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds show I saw.

That's so cool that the first show you remember seeing was Freddy Fender , and at a RODEO , YET. I DID'NT REALLY GET AN APPRECIATION FOR FENDER UNTIL I SAW HIM WITH THE TEXAS TORNADOS. 
First time  I saw them , it was a big , free outdoor Country Music festival , here in Chicago. i was pretty far back , but , it was cool , I just walked over a couple of blocks , and Horton Heat was playing at this irritating yuppie seafood  place.  They'd play there for a few nights to supplement their income while they'd do one club date. This was before they were very popular outside of Texas , Oklahoma and California. About 1990. Jim's Drummer , that you mentioned , that was Patrick "Taz " Bentley. Jim was going thru Drummers like water . I can name five before he arrived at Patrick, and  that made up the "Classic" lineup with Jimbo Wallace.    IT'S COOL THAT YOU HAD A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH LINK WRAY'S WIFE , OLIVE. MOST PEOPLE DID'NT.....She was a piece of work. Though , other people have told me if you got on her good side , you were Link's friend for life.

 

GattyGoon said:

The first show I remember is seeing Freddy Fender at a rodeo in El Paso, Texas.

The first punk show was in DC to see The Cramps, Tex Rubinowitz and the Teen Idles (Ian Mackaye pre- Minor Threat / Fugazi. The Cramps had to cancel because Brian Gregory wigged out and left the band. So I saw the other two bands.

The best shows were Cramps and Link Wray shows.

Although always great, some of the Cramps shows that stand out more.

The night my good friend (Stephen Blickenstaff) and I went backstage and Stephen presented Lux and Ivy with his artwork that became the famous "Bad Music For Bad People" cover art. After that we got in to their shows on the guest lists.

Another time we traveled to Pittsburg and were on the guest list (Thanks Stephen!) Reverend Horton Heat was opening for them. Backstage after the show Lux, Jim Heath and I stood around talking about serieal killers.

RHH's drummer asked if I wanted to go party and play music with them after the show. I declined as I had to drive back early the next day.

Good thing too, because It turned out - unknown to us - that The Cramps were staying in the same motel as we were. Lux came to our room to hang out.

He was wearing black pajamas with glow in the dark skeletons. He went into our bathroom and turned out the light so we could see them glow. He picked up my glow in the dark toothbrush and pretended to brush his teeth.

Ivy was tired and did not join us but she sent Stephen a gift. She had rinsed out the fringed outfit she had worn on stage that evening and layed it out on a motel towel to dry. Some of the black dye had stained the towel with a perfect image of her outfit in a shroud of turin sort of way. Lux gave the towel to Stephen and said that Ivy wanted him to have it.

The next morning as we were leaving town we stopped at a record store. After a few minutes the Cramps walked in too. So I got to spend thirty minutes or so talking about guitars and comic books with Ivy.

And a differnt show we headed to a local bar after they played and I got to sit, chat and drink with Harry Drumdini.

Link Wray was always great. Once at the Wax Museum in D.C. I was up at the front of the stage and this lady tapped me on my shoulder and asked if I would help her onto the stage which was about six feet off of the floor. She said that she was Link's wife. So I gave a boost and she was. Link was happy and gave me a smile and a nod.

Oh , Dave ,, sadly , that was the first time I saw The Cramps , was with Candy and Nick. Not sad that I saw them , sad that I had to wait nine years !!! But , there's all kinds of crazy rumors about Bryan after he left The Cramps. Well , some are'nt so crazy , like the one about his becoming a Tattoo ARTIST IN FLORIDA. iT'S POSSIBLE. DEX ROMWEBER TOLD ME BRYAN SHOWED UP AT ONE OF THEIR GIGS IN FLORIDA.... Another story had him managing an Adult Book store in or near Dallas.
 
dave said:

Whoo, ya done good!! The Cramps were one of the best shows I've ever seen, w/ Candy and Nick. They embody all that's great about rock and roll!

'Ja ever hear why Brian left the band? Bad trip? Anxiety?

Kinky's always good for a laugh, wish he'd won the election in Tejas. Be a better gun'nor, that's for sure.

Keep up the good karma,

Dave

GattyGoon said:

The first show I remember is seeing Freddy Fender at a rodeo in El Paso, Texas.

The first punk show was in DC to see The Cramps, Tex Rubinowitz and the Teen Idles (Ian Mackaye pre- Minor Threat / Fugazi. The Cramps had to cancel because Brian Gregory wigged out and left the band. So I saw the other two bands.

The best shows were Cramps and Link Wray shows.

Although always great, some of the Cramps shows that stand out more.

The night my good friend (Stephen Blickenstaff) and I went backstage and Stephen presented Lux and Ivy with his artwork that became the famous "Bad Music For Bad People" cover art. After that we got in to their shows on the guest lists.

Another time we traveled to Pittsburg and were on the guest list (Thanks Stephen!) Reverend Horton Heat was opening for them. Backstage after the show Lux, Jim Heath and I stood around talking about serieal killers.

RHH's drummer asked if I wanted to go party and play music with them after the show. I declined as I had to drive back early the next day.

Good thing too, because It turned out - unknown to us - that The Cramps were staying in the same motel as we were. Lux came to our room to hang out.

He was wearing black pajamas with glow in the dark skeletons. He went into our bathroom and turned out the light so we could see them glow. He picked up my glow in the dark toothbrush and pretended to brush his teeth.

Ivy was tired and did not join us but she sent Stephen a gift. She had rinsed out the fringed outfit she had worn on stage that evening and layed it out on a motel towel to dry. Some of the black dye had stained the towel with a perfect image of her outfit in a shroud of turin sort of way. Lux gave the towel to Stephen and said that Ivy wanted him to have it.

The next morning as we were leaving town we stopped at a record store. After a few minutes the Cramps walked in too. So I got to spend thirty minutes or so talking about guitars and comic books with Ivy.

And a differnt show we headed to a local bar after they played and I got to sit, chat and drink with Harry Drumdini.

Link Wray was always great. Once at the Wax Museum in D.C. I was up at the front of the stage and this lady tapped me on my shoulder and asked if I would help her onto the stage which was about six feet off of the floor. She said that she was Link's wife. So I gave a boost and she was. Link was happy and gave me a smile and a nod.

First: U2 and BB King

Punk: Sticky Filth or Nomeansno

Best: JPSE with the Dirty Three and Andrew WK free on a beach in Asia, Boris, Nomeansno, the Hasselhoff Experiment, Methdrinker with Beastwars

Please, tell us more...

E.J. Matze said:

I went to the Flying Spiders (1978/79)!

The Spiderz - Car

sideshow Barty said:

nah not over here he didnt.this was quite a few years after so alone (maybe 6),he hadnt done anything significant for a while and sadly was considered washed up even then.hanoi rocks on the other hand were riding high with there credence cover and were a big deal at the time,more proof if needed that just what a fucked up decade the 80s where.

John Battles said:

Detracting from the story , but , did'nt Hanoi Rocks support Johnny? I've heard a couple of good recordings from that tour , but ,Johnny waved around that license to be inconsistent like he was this past generation's Jerry Lee Lewis ....Surely , touring with his musical direct descendants must have inspired him a bit ( I told Sam Yaffa that Hanoi Rocks were the Dolls ' Little Brother Band. Don't think he understood me.).....Likewise , he was actually flattered to have THEE Mystery Girls (From Chicago.) open for him , here in late '89 or early 90. he loved the idea that they took his musical influence and turned it into something of their own. However , he took a nap , saying he'd catch their set , and woke up just in time to miss it. He dedicated "Personality Crisis" to them , though . His set was NOT very good , but , sure , there were moments.....His voice was incredible , believe it or not. Less of the beloved HONK , and more gutteral Blues growl , like on "Copy Cats". But , he scarcely touched his guitar. I also saw him in Dallas in '86. Was'nt great and it was'nt bad. He did'nt seem as fucked up as usual (Rumor was he'd gotten clean for a while , tho' I later read he did that several times , falling back on junk, once more. Of course , when he died , there was no Heroin involved , and the parties involved are still walking the streets. Yes ,Johnny OD'ed on Methadone AFTER they slipped him some hallucinogens , tho' before they ransacked his hotel room. For all we know , they held the needle in place. )....
 
sideshow Barty said:

theres first shows,theres best shows,theres also worst shows,im talkin about bands you liked,waited for what seems like a lifetime for them to get 'round to your town,they came.....and they where shit.

this topic requires a whole discussion all of its own.

i'd like to nominate a mid 80s j. thunders gig i attended,now who dont like thunders?but im sure i probably aint the only one here....too wasted,the tour he done maybe 'bout 84ish supporting hanoi rocks in europe was shambollic.

if i'd got through that much horse i'm pretty sure i would'nt be leavin' the house.never mind tryin to play in front of folk.i have however long since forgiven him.everybody loves johnny.