The best gig you didn't go to...

kidkage

kidkage

Bored of Canada
Any of you ever not gone to a gig for whatever reason(s) you would've otherwise went to?
And then hated yourself for not going?

In November/December I pre-ordered tickets to this. 3 of my all time favorite bands playing at the same time. 2 of which were disbanded when I started listening to them years ago (Failure and A Perfect Circle). And 1 of which I always said would be my first concert (APC). So I bought the tickets and bought the flight tickets from Mississippi to California...

Then within hours I found out my distant cousin whom I had recently reconnected with after 10 years was graduating college on the same day and really wanted me to be there. I have this terrible habit of putting others before me. So I decided that since this cousin was going through hard times and called me for hours on end every few days for an open ear going would make him think I didn't think much of this college graduation thing.

Well fast forward and a long story not as long - I found out that this cousin I thought highly of didn't think very highly of me at all, and a divorce happened so I didn't go to the graduation. And the final nails in the coffin were hammered in 2 weeks before the gig so there was no way I could've made arrangements for flights, hotels, transportation, and work to go. And I didn't get to see Puscifer, A Perfect Circle, and Failure (all on stage at the same time playing songs in a revolving door method) with a special appearance from Tool. TOOL. Do you know what I said to myself about not going to this gig? "Well. Save up and go to a Tool gig later." FFS :facepalm:

If everything would've happened just 1 week earlier everything could've been salvaged.

I don't think I've ever been so heartbroken over something that could've been and never was. Not even missing Wresltemania 30 (because I was spending all my time and money to go to this gig instead). Not even the one that got away.

 
Not me. I go see bands I wanna see. I've flown to NYC and LA for shows because sometimes that's just what I gotta do. I'll drive to Austin, Dallas, New Orleans, whatever. Having said that, I rarely go to shows or concerts anyway.
 
Was set to see Rory Gallagher back in 1993 but I was too sick to attend. He died the year after. My biggest regret in my musical history.

I've pretty much seen everyone else that's of any importance to me.
 
"Gig" made me think you meant a performance you were participating in as opposed to a concert.

A guy I know was supposed to play a gig but was going to drive himself, can't recall exactly why - some issue of personal plans like maybe he needed to head back earlier than the leader planned to - but the leader told him no, he had to travel with the band - I believe the guy wanted to know for sure everyone was in the same place and would get there together, that if he wasn't going to travel with the rest of them he was out of the band. So my friend told him okay, see 'ya and opted out. The entire band was killed in a traffic accident on the way to the gig.
 
Pretty much everyone I knew went downtown to see Nirvana and the Melvins in mid September 1991, like a week before Nevermind came out. It was at a 150-capacity venue and like ten bucks to get in. I had only heard a couple cuts off Bleach and thought they were a bland Sabbath knockoff, so I passed on it. Always kinda regretted that one.
 
brassplyer said:
A guy I know was supposed to play a gig but was going to drive himself, can't recall exactly why - some issue of personal plans like maybe he needed to head back earlier than the leader planned to - but the leader told him no, he had to travel with the band - I believe the guy wanted to know for sure everyone was in the same place and would get there together, that if he wasn't going to travel with the rest of them he was out of the band. So my friend told him okay, see 'ya and opted out. The entire band was killed in a traffic accident on the way to the gig.
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Woah. That's terrible...
So the guy you know survived then?


And you guys missed some legendary shows :(
I'm glad we can wallow together and envy Greg lol
 
I had a free ticket to go to a Monsters of Rock festival. Had Metallica, Van Halen and a pile of others.

But I didn't go cuz I woulda had to sleep with the girl that bought me the ticket.
She was really ugly and grew a better mustache than me.
:)
 
I would have gone to Woodstock had I known about it. But I didn't even know about it until it was over. There was one paragraph in the local newspaper. 500,000 attend music festival in upstate New York.
 
Manslick said:
I would have gone to Woodstock had I known about it. But I didn't even know about it until it was over. There was one paragraph in the local newspaper. 500,000 attend music festival in upstate New York.
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I know! I didn't find out about it until 1985!
 
I had 3rd row for TransSiberian Orchestra 2 years ago. Went to the arena, at the door the tickets (from fan presale) wouldn't scan. Lady looks at them and says 'these were for the 3 o'clock show.' I ordered tickets for the 8pm show and never looked at them when they came in the mail.
 
Elvis Costello at Hollywood High back in 1978. Gave the tickets to my brother.

Went to see the Dead at UC Santa Barbara instead.
 
Any of my gigs? .................. Oh you mean shows that I did not go to :laughings: i thought you meant show you guys did not go too:facepalm:

Alan.
 
Mr Clean said:
Was set to see Rory Gallagher back in 1993 but I was too sick to attend. He died the year after. My biggest regret in my musical history.

I've pretty much seen everyone else that's of any importance to me.
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My biggest musical regret is pretty similar to this too. Jason Molina played Manchester a few years back (I can't remember whether it was in his Songs:Ohia or Magnolia Electric Co guise).

A mate had tickets and they were still available on the door, so I was going to head down. Then it got to the day and it was really crappy weather on a monday in December. I remember getting home from work and thinking that I couldn't really be bothered wolfing down some food and then racing out again into the centre of town in the rain - so I sacked it off.

I don't think he ever toured again after that as he got ill with some kind of alcohol related illness and then died of associated organ failure a couple of years later. I'm still pretty pissed off with myself that I didn't see him and will never get the chance to do so again...and for such a lame reason.

Crapé diem...
 
robgreen said:
My biggest musical regret is pretty similar to this too. Jason Molina played Manchester a few years back (I can't remember whether it was in his Songs:Ohia or Magnolia Electric Co guise).

A mate had tickets and they were still available on the door, so I was going to head down. Then it got to the day and it was really crappy weather on a monday in December. I remember getting home from work and thinking that I couldn't really be bothered wolfing down some food and then racing out again into the centre of town in the rain - so I sacked it off.

I don't think he ever toured again after that as he got ill with some kind of alcohol related illness and then died of associated organ failure a couple of years later. I'm still pretty pissed off with myself that I didn't see him and will never get the chance to do so again...and for such a lame reason.

Crapé diem...
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That's a bummer. Yeah, he just died like 6 months ago, somewhere around there. That day, I sat and listened to Farewell Transmission and Two Blue Lights a few times.

I missed Wilco when they came to town, and I'm still kicking myself over that one. Bands that don't saturate the crappy radio stations in town don't get much press, so it's easy to miss out on their appearances due to having no idea they were even playing.

I feel less disappointed about missing Radiohead because they played at the big arena here in town...I hate paying a shitload of cash just to sit a mile away from the stage.
 
Tadpui said:
That's a bummer. Yeah, he just died like 6 months ago, somewhere around there. That day, I sat and listened to Farewell Transmission and Two Blue Lights a few times.

I missed Wilco when they came to town, and I'm still kicking myself over that one. Bands that don't saturate the crappy radio stations in town don't get much press, so it's easy to miss out on their appearances due to having no idea they were even playing.

I feel less disappointed about missing Radiohead because they played at the big arena here in town...I hate paying a shitload of cash just to sit a mile away from the stage.
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Yeah, I would have liked to have seen Wilco around the time of YHF or Ghost Is Born. Before or after those albums I'm probably not that fussed about.

I haven't seen Radiohead live either - big arena gigs occasionally surprise you though. We saw Bon Iver at the romantically named Phones 4U Arena which holds like 20,000 a couple of years back. I really wanted to see him, but was pretty nonplussed by the venue...and it turned out to be awesome. It was like this big corporate shithole got taken over by something cool for just one evening!

Thinking about it now, the other band I was a bit bummed about missing was LCD Soundsystem. I finally got into them around the time they called it a day...and then I got them in a really big way. I'd always been aware of them, but the singles never did much for me...and then I discovered all the good stuff was hidden away on their albums. Fuck, they'd have been good to see live :(

...on the upside, I've got Neutral Milk Hotel tickets for this weekend. I've been waiting about 10 years for this gig to come to town :D
 
robgreen said:
Yeah, I would have liked to have seen Wilco around the time of YHF or Ghost Is Born. Before or after those albums I'm probably not that fussed about.

I haven't seen Radiohead live either - big arena gigs occasionally surprise you though. We saw Bon Iver at the romantically named Phones 4U Arena which holds like 20,000 a couple of years back. I really wanted to see him, but was pretty nonplussed by the venue...and it turned out to be awesome. It was like this big corporate shithole got taken over by something cool for just one evening!

Thinking about it now, the other band I was a bit bummed about missing was LCD Soundsystem. I finally got into them around the time they called it a day...and then I got them in a really big way. I'd always been aware of them, but the singles never did much for me...and then I discovered all the good stuff was hidden away on their albums. Fuck, they'd have been good to see live :(

...on the upside, I've got Neutral Milk Hotel tickets for this weekend. I've been waiting about 10 years for this gig to come to town :D
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I finally caught Wilco last summer on the Americanarama tour with My Morning Jacket and Bob Dylan. I thought they were great, even though their set was a little short due to the 3-band bill.

That reminds me, I missed Bon Iver here at a mid-sized venue right before his album won a grammy. I definitely kicked myself over that one. I saw his Austin City Limits set and was really impressed.

I missed Arcade Fire their first time through Kansas City, when LCD Soundsystem was opening for them. I reeeeaaaallly wish I'd caught that one, it woulda been Sound of Silver era, and would have been a party. I saw Arcade Fire after that with The National, and again last month with Tune-Yards. What a freaking great show! If MP3 albums could wear out, my copy of This Is Happening would be looking kinda thin by now :)

Hope you enjoy NMH, they came through here recently and I didn't go, but I've heard a few friends from around the country say that it was a great show.
 
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