Great topic, but it causes me pain. I have missed many for many reasons over the years, but two that regret most were Link Wray and Bo Didley. Both came to Rochester a few yearsback at small venues, i missed both and they both died shortly thereafter...Ugh! Well I still spin their tunes all the time anyway, i see these Kats as two of the Fathers of garage/rock at least huge influences anyway.

Chaz

Missed Jon Spencer a few weeks ago in Pawtucket because I told a friend I would not miss their Birthday and forgot they were on the same day mad bummer!

 

I just remembered something else...I missed my one and only chance to see Nick Curran and the Lowlifes.  They played here in Pittsburgh at a blues festival in late July 2010.  However, they were playing the day before a Prima Donna gig in NYC, and I had already made plans to go see Prima Donna.  I take overnight Greyhound buses to and from NYC to cut my traveling costs (I try to just sleep on the buses), and it just would not have been feasible for me to see Nick Curran at the blues festival and then take my late night bus to NYC.  At the time I thought, "Oh well, hopefully he'll come back to Pittsburgh."  Little did I know at the time...

RIP, Nick, and I'm sorry I didn't see you and your band when I had the chance:(

Weird - I recently thought about posting on this very topic.  I have a number of missed opportunities in my list.

Candy Snatchers - They were supposed to play The Garage in Silver Lake (Los Angeles) in 2000.  When I arrived, the club was dark and empty.  A few guys were milling around a nearby payphone; they turned out to be members of Texas bands The Reds.  They informed me that the Candy Snatchers' van had broken down and the show was cancelled.  Drag! 

New Bomb Turks - Scheduled to play with The Queers in Columbus, Ohio in '97.  Didn't.  Broken van was the culprit again, I think. 

Rocket from the Crypt - Scheduled to open for (meh) Rancid in 1996, also in Columbus.  Once again, a casualty of the broke-down van, scourge of punk rock.  Shame; I'm sure they woulda been far better than Rancid. 

There's more that I've missed, but those three stand out. 

There was a short lived LA pop punk band called the Holograms that I never got to see, mainly because they never came to Pittsburgh, nor did they ever play anywhere near here.  They were a bunch of cute Asian girls.

Another band I never got around to seeing was Jet.  I can remember they toured with Oasis in 2005, and a friend saw them in Cleveland, but for whatever reason I didn't make the trip.

Can't think of any other missed opportunities.

I missed seeing the Sex Pistols reunion in like 97 because my ride (show was several states away) had a dumb kid that day!

"i 'M NOT GONNA TALK ALL DAY , BUT , I WANT YA TO GET THE FEELIN'..."James Brown.

In recent years , I passed on some gigs that were so rare , they should'nt have happened. Mainly because I did'nt feel like taking the train and bus(es) to the venue , esp. in the middle of winter , when that was often the case.....I missed Simply Saucer , Death (The Black Protopunk cult group from Detroit , not the better known "Ritualistic" Metal band.) , Teenage Jesus and The Jerks , and and others . Some nights , I just don't feel like dealing with The CTA .....THAT'S NO EXCUSE. Those gigs were at Empty Bottle , a venue I do NOT have a beef with. I was going there 20 - odd years ago , before it was Hipster Central.

But , Double Door , don't get me started ! All their good shows are in the summer (Can't avoid that , sometimes , I know) , but they have no A.C. , and it gets up to 100 degrees or more at an oversold show  (I'm told they have a small A.C. set up , now , but , I don't know.) . X played 4 nights straight , once. I planned to go to at least two nights , but , gave up on that idea after the first night (John Doe said , "HEY , IT'S HOT AS FUCK UP HERE !!!".). Radio Birdman played on a brutally hot , horrendously oversold night , BUT , it was'nt likely to happen again. It did. The following summer . I DIDNT BOTHER. I saw The Buzzcocks do two gigs there , one mid -summer.I was told the then - new drummer securedhis gig that night for keeping his sweat - drenched long - sleeve shirt and tie on.... They returned for a thirdtime, performing their first three LPs in full , I said , enough of this shit. I'D HAVE SEEN THEM , THERE , IN NOVEMBER , WHEN THE FLESHTONES PLAYED TO 30 PEOPLE .  There ARE venues IN cHICAGO WITH GOOD SOUND , GOOD SIGHTLINES AND(HORRORS! HOW UNCOOL.) A.C. , BUT , Double Door is'nt one of 'em.

I should have said 3/4ths of the so-called Million Dollar Quartet (And I only say that because there's no evidence that Johnny Cash was involved
 in the recordings , themselves , just the famous group picture....Cash once claimed he played a little rhythm guitar , but , that was it.). 
John Battles said:

Ouch. I was fortunate enough to have seen 2/3rds of the so-called "Million Dollar Quartet", not gloating , but I saw Jerry Lee 6 times , Carl 3 times , Johnny twice , and , no , I'll never stop regretting that I never saw Elvis. Even in decline , he was a singing motherfucker.

Carl , at least , got it with Punk , to some degree . He said , "I heard some songs by The Sex Pistols , and they've got that 50's beat.". He was right , of course. It was all just Heavy Cochran , Punk was . Did'nt see the original Sweet or Slade , wish I had. Still have yet to see The Sonics. Did'nt go to Las Vegas Grind , because Screaming Lord Sutch kicked it before he was supposed to have played. There's a lot of shows in particular I had to miss , and bands or artists I COULD HAVE SEEN , WERE IT NOT FOR LOGISTICS....But , we can all say that , I guess.
whatwave dave said:

I stupidly missed seeing Carl Perkins in about 1980...instead i went to see the Forgotten Rebels, a punk band from Hamilton Ontario Canada at another bar, the same night. I thought it was the punk thing to do, support the punk bands when they come to town, figuring Carl would be coming back at some point. I was talking to the singer of the Rebels that night, and he rightfully gave me shit for not going to see Carl Perkins!

Carl never came back to London and i never did get to see him.

Ouch. I was fortunate enough to have seen 2/3rds of the so-called "Million Dollar Quartet", not gloating , but I saw Jerry Lee 6 times , Carl 3 times , Johnny twice , and , no , I'll never stop regretting that I never saw Elvis. Even in decline , he was a singing motherfucker.

Carl , at least , got it with Punk , to some degree . He said , "I heard some songs by The Sex Pistols , and they've got that 50's beat.". He was right , of course. It was all just Heavy Cochran , Punk was . Did'nt see the original Sweet or Slade , wish I had. Still have yet to see The Sonics. Did'nt go to Las Vegas Grind , because Screaming Lord Sutch kicked it before he was supposed to have played. There's a lot of shows in particular I had to miss , and bands or artists I COULD HAVE SEEN , WERE IT NOT FOR LOGISTICS....But , we can all say that , I guess.
whatwave dave said:

I stupidly missed seeing Carl Perkins in about 1980...instead i went to see the Forgotten Rebels, a punk band from Hamilton Ontario Canada at another bar, the same night. I thought it was the punk thing to do, support the punk bands when they come to town, figuring Carl would be coming back at some point. I was talking to the singer of the Rebels that night, and he rightfully gave me shit for not going to see Carl Perkins!

Carl never came back to London and i never did get to see him.

I stupidly missed seeing Carl Perkins in about 1980...instead i went to see the Forgotten Rebels, a punk band from Hamilton Ontario Canada at another bar, the same night. I thought it was the punk thing to do, support the punk bands when they come to town, figuring Carl would be coming back at some point. I was talking to the singer of the Rebels that night, and he rightfully gave me shit for not going to see Carl Perkins!

Carl never came back to London and i never did get to see him.